The Study Watchtower, "Article 49", Week of January 30 to February 5, 2023, We can live forever, Answers.

The Study Watchtower, «Article 49», 30-January-5-February-2023, We can live forever, Answers.

"This means eternal life" (JOHN 17:3).

1. How does thinking about Jehovah's promise to live forever affect us?

Meditating on the promise that Jehovah makes us to live forever has a strengthening effect on us of the love we feel for him. Since we understand to a greater degree the gift that he offers us so that we will never be separated from him. which also shows that he loves us very much.

2. How does the promise of eternal life help us?

The promise of eternal life helps us to face trials, especially when death is threatened so that we stop serving Jehovah. And this happens because we have certainty in the fulfillment of the promise of the resurrection that Jehovah makes to all his faithful servants.

JEHOVAH LIVES FOREVER

3. Why are we sure that Jehovah can make us live forever? (Psalm 102:12, 24, 27).

We are sure because Jehovah is the source of life and that is why he will live forever. But also because many biblical texts say that Jehovah has always existed and will always exist, for example Psalms 102:12-24 and 27, says that the years of Jehovah last for all generations, that is, Jehovah is eternal, since it has always existed and will never die.

4. Why should we not worry if we find it difficult to understand that Jehovah has always existed?

This fact should not worry us in the first place because other people have also found it difficult to understand that Jehovah has always existed, for example Elihu said that the number of Jehovah's years escapes our comprehension as read in Job 36:26. Furthermore, we are imperfect human beings with limited comprehension capacities. So there is nothing strange in the fact that we may never understand why Jehovah has no beginning or end.

WE ARE MADE TO LIVE FOREVER

5. What hope did the first human couple have?

Adam and Eve had the special hope of having eternal life, but Jehovah gave them this Hope along with the warning recorded in Genesis 2:17, they were to obey the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad because if they did they would die.

The expression "forever" in the Bible

Of the Hebrew words that are usually translated “forever,” the most common is ʽohlám. In the Bible, this word can refer to something that existed long in the past or will exist long in the future, without specifying its beginning or end (Joshua 24:2; Ps 24:7, 9). . ʽOhlám can also refer to something that will never end. It is in this sense that Jehovah is said to remain forever (Ps. 102:12, 24, 27). Depending on the context, this Hebrew word is translated in the New World Translation with expressions like “forever,” “permanently,” or “a long time ago.”

6, 7. (a) What other proofs do we have that we are not made to die?

Other proofs that we have that we were not made to die are given to us by science. For example: our brain has the capacity to store much more information than we can learn throughout our lives. In fact, a 2010 scientific journal calculates for how short the human brain can store approximately 2.5 million gigabytes, this would be equivalent to a 3 million hour video that would take about 300 years to complete.

Another proof consists of our innate desire to continue living, which proves that when Jehovah created us, he put the desire for eternity in our hearts, as mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:11, this is confirmed by the fact that we all see death as death. an enemy.

Other reasons we have in the following facts, when we get sick we do not stay with our arms crossed, on the contrary we do everything possible to recover our health, on the other hand when we get old we want our lives to be extended, and if someone dies We are very sorry and we are sorry for your loss. All these are reasons that lead us to be sure that we were not made to die.

6, 7. b) What do you want to do when you have eternal life? (See pictures).

I want to do everything that right now I cannot do due to limitations due to imperfection, just like the brother we see in the Illustration, I want to travel to see and enjoy Jehovah's beautiful creation to the fullest, without having to worry about my health , the conditions of the age, nor the physical or cognitive limitations, I would practice sports, I would develop and enjoy my abilities and talents, among other things.

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: An older brother is sitting next to a table on which there are many medicines. He is reading the Bible and thinking about the things he will be able to do in the new world when he regains the vigor of youth. 1. You are browsing. 2. He is painting a picture. 3. He is walking next to a waterfall. Since we hope to live forever, we love to think about what we can do in the future. (See paragraph 7).

JEHOVAH'S PURPOSE HAS NOT CHANGED

8. What does Isaiah 55:11 assure us about Jehovah's purpose?

As Adam and Eve sinned, their descendants inherited death, but Isaiah 55:11 guarantees us that Jehovah's purpose that human beings live forever has not changed, once Jehovah promises something, it must be fulfilled without fail. Not only because he wants it that way, but also because he will do whatever it takes to make this promise come true.

9. What promise has God made? (Daniel 12:2, 13).

Daniel 12:2,13. Jehovah has promised that he will resurrect people who have died and give them the opportunity to have eternal life. In this text Jehovah promises that those who sleep in the dust of the earth will wake up and some will do so to eternal life. In the meantime they are resting, but when the appointed time comes, they will rise again to life.

10. What do the resurrections of the past show? (See drawing).

They show that Jehovah has the ability to bring those who have died back to life, we have several examples of this. Elijah brought the son of the widow of Sarepta back to life as we can see in the Illustration. We also have the example of Elisha who raised the son of a woman from Shunem, for his part Jesus raised his friend Lazarus and Jehovah himself raised his son Jesus. So with the authority that the resurrected Jesus has received in heaven and on earth from Jehovah, it is also demonstrated that the promise of the resurrection and the hope of living forever will be fulfilled.

ILLUSTRATION

The widow of Sarepta receives her son full of joy, who has been resurrected by the prophet Elijah. What does the resurrection that Elijah did guarantee us? (See paragraph 10).

11. How does the ransom make it possible for us to live forever?

The Apostle Paul in first Corinthians 15:21 and 22, explained that the ransom makes it possible for us to live forever, because as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man, because just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will receive life.

The Apostle Paul also gave a very logical explanation of the difference between what Adam caused and what the sacrifice of Christ meant. Jesus made the resurrection possible by giving his perfect human life as a ransom, thus opening the way to free humanity from slavery to sin and death. In this way Jehovah through the provision of the ransom makes it possible for us to live forever

12. How will Jehovah fulfill his purpose?

In order to fulfill his purpose, Jehovah appointed his son King of the Messianic Kingdom and has been gathering 144,000 people to collaborate with Jesus in carrying out his will as shown in Matthew 6:10 and Revelation 5:9,10.

13. What is Jehovah doing in our day, and what should you do?

In our days Jehovah is gathering a great crowd of people and he is training them to live forever under his Kingdom, We are part of that group but we live in a world divided by hatred and wars, therefore we do well in strive to leave behind any trace of hatred, and instead of fighting wars, we will teach all people about Jehovah and his purpose. That is to say, to support the work of the Kingdom of God.

 A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE

14, 15. How will Jehovah's promise to eliminate death forever be fulfilled?

Since 1914 Jesus has been dominating his enemies, but very soon during the Millennial Reign Jesus will resurrect those who have died and help all obedient humans to reach perfection, and after the final test those whom Jehovah deems righteous will inherit the earth and they will live in it forever. Then the last enemy death will be destroyed so that the promise of Jehovah will have been fulfilled in its entirety.

16. What should be the most important reason for serving Jehovah?

The most important reason to serve Jehovah is the wholehearted love we feel for him, that love is what drives us to remain loyal to him and to Jesus. It also encourages us to share our hope with others through preaching and teaching. In the same way, this love drives us to strive to overcome selfishness and to be more generous while we take care of our friendship with Jehovah.

17. What responsibility does each of us have? (Matthew 7:13, 14).

Although Jehovah has given all of us the opportunity to live forever, each of us is responsible for taking this opportunity or not. Matthew 7:13 and 14, says that narrow is the door and narrow is the path that leads to life and that there are few who find it, we are already on the path, but we must stay on it. And thus be able to see the fulfillment of Jehovah's promise and obtain the reward of eternal life.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How do we know that we are made to live forever?

Some scientists have found evidence that our brains have the capacity to store much more information than we can learn in a lifetime, which means that we are meant to live forever.

An American scientific journal said that, according to an estimate, our brain can store about two and a half million gigabytes. That is equivalent to a video of three million hours, which would take us more than 300 years to watch, this confirms that Jehovah designed the human brain with the capacity to store much more information than we can learn in just 70 or 80 years.

How do we know that Jehovah still wants us to live forever?

For all the things Jehovah has said and done to fulfill his purpose.

Jesus spoke on many occasions of this promise and he himself was resurrected by his Father.

Jehovah is the one who gives us life and who has the ability to give it back to those who have died.

What must be the most important reason for wanting eternal life?

As we have seen, our hope of living forever is well founded in the Word of God.

How we love and want to please Jehovah. That love is what drives us to follow his example and speak of our hope.