Every word counts

One of my brothers belongs to a religious group that believes in no blood transfusions and that only 144,000 will go to heaven, that being them. At least they believed that until their numbers grew beyond that number. Now I’m not sure what they believe.

After several years of reading the Bible from one end to the other each year, I’ve come to some conclusions about religious cults. One is that they don’t do that. Even if they did, the group my brother belongs to has rewritten it so it does not say the same things as my Bible. They also focus on favorite passages and ignore the rest. Some might read it all but must be blind to what it says.

For instance, the passage about 144,000 came up in my reading today. It says, “Then I (John, who wrote Revelation) looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

Even though I don’t know every member of that cult, I know several things that eliminate their initial reasoning. First, these 144,000 are all men. Second, they are without fault. Whatever else this cult can claim, they do not fit this description.

I could add that the 144,000 also believe in Jesus, but my brother would insist that his cult does, even though it is not the same Jesus that is described in the Bible.

As for the blood transfusion thing, the Bible forbids the eating & drinking of blood. It was a pagan ritual, forbidden to those who followed Jehovah God. They were not to do the things these pagans did. It says nothing about transfusions. While I could grant them the right to follow their conscience (the Bible says nothing about smoking either), if their conscience tells them to deny a transfusion and let their children die, I have to wonder about their value system. It doesn’t sound the same as God’s.

I love my brother. We do not argue over what we believe. We each know where the other stands and upon whom we base our eternal destiny. The biggest difference between us is in the area of assurance. I have ups and downs in faith-related issues, but have never lost the deep conviction of what will happen to me when I die.

On the other hand, my brother is uncertain and fearful on that topic. He knows he does not fit into this magical 144,000 group, and has no assurance at all about his eternal destiny. When our mother died, he was stunned to hear that she had no fear of death, as if how can that be?

The sad part is that the Bible is clear. John also wrote: “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” and “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I (again, John) have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.”

Oh, my brother, just read it with your heart open, and read it all.