Predestination

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jehovah has chosen a specific number—144,000—to rule with Christ in heaven as kings and priests (Revelation 7:4; 14:1-4). This heavenly calling is understood as a divine selection made by Jehovah based on his foreknowledge and the faithfulness of individuals, not as unconditional predestination irrespective of behavior. The 'anointed' of the heavenly class are relatively few; most JWs understand their calling to be the earthly hope.

For the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses who aspire to the earthly paradise, salvation is attainable through faithful obedience to Jehovah's requirements—worshipping Jehovah, accepting the ransom, obeying the Governing Body's direction, and actively sharing their faith. This path is understood as genuinely open to all. Those who died before learning the truth will be resurrected during the millennium and given the opportunity to learn and accept Jehovah's ways at that time. The doctrine of unconditional predestination—where individuals are irresistibly elected regardless of their choices—is rejected.