144,000 Or Many More?
by Philip Mawson.
THE Jehovah's Witnesses believe only 144,000 people are in the New Covenant. What does the Bible say?
In Galatians 4:22-31 it mentions how Abraham had two sons, one by Hagar the bond woman and another by Sarah the free woman (the sons being Ishmael and Isaac respectively).
Verse 24 clearly states that these two women "stand as a symbolic drama, for these women mean TWO COVENANTS." (New World Translation)
Verses 24 and 25 further tell us that Hagar symbolises the Old Law Covenant from mount Sinai, while in verses 26 and 27, (Sarah) stands for the New Covenant and the Jerusalem above (i.e. the Christians mother).
In verse 27 Paul quotes from Isaiah 54:1, where Jehovah God is married to the Nation of Israel via the Law Covenant. Compare also Jeremiah 3:14 and Jeremiah 31:32.
Thus the barren woman, the desolate woman (the New Covenant) has many more children (NKJV) or more numerous (NWT), than the woman who has the husband (the Law Covenant between Israel and Jehovah).
So it is clear that the Law Covenant brought forth MILLIONS of children from the time of Moses to John the Baptist, Matthew 11:13 (a fact even the JWs wouldn't deny).
Hence the New Covenant would bring forth MANY MORE than this, yes they would be MORE NUMEROUS as the NWT puts it.
This is because the New Covenant would comprise of Jews and Gentiles without any distinction (Romans 3:22).
Thus it can be easily and Scripturally demonstrated that the New Covenant is made with MILLIONS of persons and not just the 144,000 as is taught by the Watch Tower Society.
When I was a Jehovah's Witness, I recall using this argument with the Witness elders of my congregation, and no one could refute it.
I have never seen this argument used in any polemic literature on the Watch Tower Society, nor used by Christians in debating this issue with the Witness caller.
I thus present the case here, as I find it easily demolishes the Watch Tower's argument that the New Covenant is made only between Christ and 144,000 members of the Church.
So Christians, let's use this effective and simple argument of Scripture with JW callers and pray the Lord will open their heart to receive these things (Acts 16:14b).