Is There Hope for the Dead?

Will Some be raised to heaven?

THE BIBLE'S ANSWER:  God's Word shows that Jesus' resurrection differed from the other eight in the Bible record.  Those eight people returned to life here on earth.  But of Jesus' resurrection, we read:  "Jesus Christ . . .is at God right hand, for he went to heaven." (1 Peter 3:21, 22)   Would Jesus remain the only one to be resurrected to heaven?  Jesus had earlier told his apostles:  "If i go my way and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will receive you home to myself, so that where I am you also will be." -John 14:3.

Christ went to heaven and prepared for the arrival of some of his disciples. Those resurrected to heaven will eventually number 144,000.  (Revelation 14:1, 3) But what  will those close followers of Jesus do there?  They will be very busy!  The Scriptures tell us:  "Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and they will rule as kings with him for 1,000 years." (Revelation 20:6) Those resurrected to heaven will rule as king-priests with Christ over the earth. 

Next time: Is There Hope for the Dead? -Who will be resurrected later? 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015