144,000. Who are they?

So.....this number is written down in everyone's bible. Most here have seen those scriptures and there have been many discussions about that number and it causes many different conclusions or ideas on who this group of humans are.
The bible does give clues as well as pretty clear descriptions of who they are, why this amount, what they do, where do they do what they do, or is this number even a literal one or is it made up just to confuse us?
It seems pretty clear that Jehovah's Witnesses use this number quite often in our ministry work from scriptures in the Bible, so we take it to be a literal number. There is no hint that it's not literal.

There is also a much larger group called the "Great crowd that NO man is able to number."

So that is pretty clear to understand. One group has a sure number, and the other doesn't.

So the Bible speaks of "2" distinct groups that at some point in our future will be living or existing in peace, some where, with all wickedness gone forever.

So before I post any scriptures, feel free to post your comments and please add your scriptures with them....

@galveston75 said
So.....this number is written down in everyone's bible. Most here have seen those scriptures and there have been many discussions about that number and it causes many different conclusions or ideas on who this group of humans are.
The bible does give clues as well as pretty clear descriptions of who they are, why this amount, what they do, where do they do what they do, ...[text shortened]... I post any scriptures, feel free to post your comments and please add your scriptures with them....

@galveston75 said
So.....this number is written down in everyone's bible. Most here have seen those scriptures and there have been many discussions about that number and it causes many different conclusions or ideas on who this group of humans are.
The bible does give clues as well as pretty clear descriptions of who they are, why this amount, what they do, where do they do what they do, ...[text shortened]... I post any scriptures, feel free to post your comments and please add your scriptures with them....

@diver said
I’ve always thought they were a symbolic group equally representing people from all tribes.

@galveston75 said
Sorry for not getting back with you. Work has been crazy, which is a good thing, but not for posting here.
Jesus did say there would be ones chosen because of their incredible faith and keeping themselves separate from the worlds politics and getting involved with things that would not be accepted morally in God's eyes.
These would have been chosen from humans of cou ...[text shortened]... ussion later.....

I will get as many scriptures as I can and as soon as I can in my next post....

"In the statement at Revelation 5:10, “they will rule as kings over the earth,” why does the New World Translation use the word “over,” while other translations, such as the King James Version, American Standard Version, Douay and Diaglott, use “on”?—J. D. J., U.S.A.

The New World Translation at Revelation 5:10 renders the Greek preposition epí in connection with the earth as “over” the same as it renders the identical preposition followed by the genitive (possessive) case as “over” in Revelation 9:11 and Re 11:6. “They have over them a king.” “They have authority over the waters.” Thus you see that this preposition followed by the genitive case does not in every instance have the meaning of “upon” or “on.” This preposition, epí, followed by the genitive case, may refer to place in answer to the question, “Where?” and may thus signify “upon, on, in, at, near,” but it may also refer to a position as above or as denoting pre-eminence. Thus we read at Matthew 2:22 that Archelaus was king “of” or “over” Judea, and at Ephesians 4:6 that God is “over” all. Also, it may refer to one’s being over a business or an office, as at Acts 6:3, where we read of the apostles searching out seven qualified brothers to “appoint them over this necessary business.” See also Acts 8:27; 12:20.

So in Revelation 5:10 it refers to being over the earth as rulers, not being exactly on the earth, because the rest of Revelation as well as other texts of the Christian Greek Scriptures show that Jesus Christ and his joint heirs of the Kingdom will rule in heaven, which is the throne of God, whereas the earth is merely the footstool and therefore not the place for the glorified Christ to rule. Consistent translators who render things contextually will therefore render this expression in Revelation 5:10 as “over the earth.” Thus the Complete Bible in Modern English by Ferrar Fenton renders the verse: “And have made them into a Kingdom and priests for our God; and they will reign over the earth.” See also An American Translation by Edgar Goodspeed and J. M. P. Smith.

Questions From Readers
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1960

@galveston75 said
"In the statement at Revelation 5:10, “they will rule as kings over the earth,” why does the New World Translation use the word “over,” while other translations, such as the King James Version, American Standard Version, Douay and Diaglott, use “on”?—J. D. J., U.S.A.

The New World Translation at Revelation 5:10 renders the Greek preposition epí in connection with the e ...[text shortened]... peed and J. M. P. Smith.

Questions From Readers
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1960

Note Jesus’ thought-provoking statement: “No man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.” (John 3:13) This implies that faithful worshippers in the past, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, had not gone to heaven. (Acts 2:34) Where, then, did they all go? In brief: The faithful of old are in the grave, sleeping in death, unconscious, awaiting resurrection.​—Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6; Acts 24:15.

The Bible’s first reference to heavenly life after death was also by Jesus. He told his apostles that he would prepare a place for them in heaven. (John 14:2, 3) This was something new for God’s people. The apostle Paul later explained that after Jesus’ death and resurrection to heaven, Jesus ‘inaugurated for his disciples a new and living way’​—a way no other human had traveled before.​—Hebrews 10:19, 20.

Does this mean that from then on all faithful ones would go to heaven?
No, for resurrection to heaven is closely related to an assignment given only to some humans. On their last evening together, Jesus told his apostles that they would “sit on thrones to judge” in his heavenly Kingdom. Thus, ruling with Jesus in heaven was to be their assignment.​—Luke 22:28-30.

Besides the apostles, other humans would also be given this marvelous commission. In a vision, the apostle John saw Jesus with a group of resurrected ones in heaven described as ‘a kingdom and priests to rule over the earth.’ (Revelation 3:21; 5:10) How many of them were there? As in every government, only a limited number govern. So, too, with this heavenly Kingdom. Jesus, the Lamb of God, rules with 144,000 corulers “bought from among mankind.”​—Revelation 14:1, 4, 5.

True, 144,000 is a small number compared with the number of all faithful ones, past and present. But this is understandable because the 144,000 are resurrected to heaven for a specific sacred assignment of work. If you were to build a house, would you contract all the skilled builders in your area? No. You would need only as many as were required for the job. Similarly, not all faithful ones are chosen by God for the unique privilege of ruling with Christ in heaven.

This heavenly government will accomplish God’s original purpose for mankind. Jesus and his 144,000 corulers will oversee the transformation of the earth into a global paradise, where an untold number of faithful ones will live forever in happiness. (Isaiah 45:18; Revelation 21:3, 4) This will include those in God’s memory, who will be resurrected.​—John 5:28, 29.

Every faithful worshipper of Jehovah​—past or present—​can receive the marvelous gift of everlasting life. (Romans 6:23) A few will receive life in heaven for a special assignment, and the great majority will receive life on earth in a global paradise. The Watchtower | June 2011

@galveston75

Is the JW position that there are / will be only 144,000 in “heaven” and they will be “co-ruling” with Christ over the remaining billions who will exist on a regenerated planet earth?

@diver
Morning. So the answer is yes. But let us break this down for a minute and look at the big picture of what has happened and what will happen and why.... on a small scale

God created the earth and then made man to live on it as far as we know, forever. The bible said it was ours as long as we took care of it and followed a couple small rules.
But Satan came along and did his thing on our original parents.
Jehovah said he still loved us but he is a perfect God and certain things had to be done legally to get us back inline with his perfect ways.
Adam lost our chance to live forever. Jehovah and Jesus knew there was only one way to gain our original perfect bodies back and to live on a paradise planet and that was for Jesus to offer up his life as a ransom which he did. He canceled out Adam's screw up.
Jesus was killed and was raised back up to heaven, his home after he presented himself to his followers here on earth that he had indeed been resurrected.
The bible makes it clear that he did go back to heaven where he was from.
The bible never says he will come back as a human, but that his presence would be with those who wanted it and did as he asked of us and that was to preach and teach others as he did. No need to do as he did it once before and become flesh and to possibly be killed again by ones who would not accept him just as before. He only had to do once what he did to be the ransom in trade for Adam's mistake.
The bible says he will be sitting at his Fathers right hand and will rule over the earth for a thousand years. Once all that is needed to get the planet and humans back to what we would have been from our original creation, and after Satan is finally destroyed....Jesus will hand the symbolic keys of this kingdom back to his Father.
Now think, with all of the legal issues about Satan's challenge to Jehovah's right to rule us have finally been solved and put to rest, if for some reason either man or another spirit creature even slightly decided to challenge Jehovah again...... it will not be allowed to happen as the right for Jehovah to rule us will have already been settled thanks to Jehovah's wisdom and the sacrifice Jesus made for us..
How do the 144,000 fit in with this? Jesus is fully capable to rule over humans from the Kingdom Jehovah had made for him. But out of his love for the apostles he had with him as well as some others that showed true love for Jesus and of his Father, Jehovah set up the opportunity for some to be raised up sometime after their deaths here on earth, to heaven.
What an incredible opportunity for those humans. But in reality it is something that not every human would probably choose.
To leave this beautiful planet and ones loved ones isn't for everyone including myself.
But to see Jehovah and be in his presence would be and experience like no other.....

@galveston75 said
@diver
Morning. So the answer is yes. But let us break this down for a minute and look at the big picture of what has happened and what will happen and why.... on a small scale

God created the earth and then made man to live on it as far as we know, forever. The bible said it was ours as long as we took care of it and followed a couple small rules.
But Satan c ...[text shortened]... uding myself.
But to see Jehovah and be in his presence would be and experience like no other.....

@diver said
Thank you for the explanation of JW teaching on this.

@galveston75 said

The bible never says he will come back as a human,

@Rajk999 said
Who are you and what did you do with Divegeester .. 😕

@diver said
He is sedated, comatose and on a ventilator which is due to be switched off.

Sorry to break it to you in this way 🙂