Page 114 - SoulWinning Crash Course

JWs believe "hell" is just the grave you're buried in, and no lost people will
suffer pain in eternity, but will only sleep unconsciously in the grave until
the Great White Throne Judgment and then be "annihilated" (completely
obliterated into nothingness) in the lake of fire; even though the word

"annihilate" is not in the Bible, and the words "perish" and "destruction" do
not mean "annihilation" (Luke 15:17, Jeremiah 17:18).

Luke 16:23-24 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and
seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and
said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame."

JWs don't take this passage literally, and will say it's a parable. But the
Bible doesn't call it a parable. And when Jesus does tell a parable, He
doesn't give names to the characters. Two of the people in Luke 16:19-31
have names.

JWs believed the "144,000" in Revelation 7 and 14 are the JWs, who will be

"saved," which to them meant "live forever on the EARTH," NOT "go to
HEAVEN." But I've heard that since the JW cult got too big, they had to
change their teaching to say that the 144,000 go to heaven, and the rest of
the saved get the earth. Either way, it's nonsense. The "144,000" are plainly
said to be VIRGIN MALE JEWS in Revelation 7:4 and 14:1-4. JWs respond
that they are the "spiritual Jews" of Romans 2:29. But the New Testament
continues to make a distinction between spiritual Jews and literal physical
Jews (1 Corinthians 10:32, Ephesians 4:17), and spiritual Jews do not have

tribal distinctions as physical Jews do. The 12 tribes are named in
Revelation 7.

Revelation 7:3 "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were
sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the

children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed