Quote Don:
"The former ones of Israel who died faithful are not of the heavenly ruling class(NOT Christ's Christian brothers).They are awaiting a resurrection to live for all time ON the earth,"
No Don... this is not the proper interpretation. Again read Hebrew 11:39-40. AGAIN... The part you are not understanding... is the last few verses. After Christ died and rose... the former Faithful of Israel went to Heaven. They are not in Sheol/Hades "the temporary place of the dead"... "sleeping",,, awaiting an earthly kingdom. You are also forgetting Matthew 12:48-50
NWT:
Matthew 12:48-50
48 In reply he said to the one who spoke to him: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And extending his hand toward his disciples, he said: “Look! My mother and my brothers!+ 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, that one is my brother and sister and mother.”+
Hebrews 11:39-40
39 And yet all of these, although they received a favorable witness because of their faith, did not obtain the fulfillment of the promise, 40 because God had foreseen something better for us,+ so that they might not be made perfect apart from us.
Again... this is talking about the fact that the Old Testament people of FAITH,,, had to wait until Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. This is what verse 40 is talking about when it says: "so that they might not be made perfect apart from us."
Quote Don:
"You accuse me of what the Jews accused Jesus of?"
No Don... the only thing I accuse you of is how you interpret and teach the Bible... when you don't have a good understanding of what it actually says. You need to get off the "ruling class" thing,,, because it is a stumbling block for you... and is preventing proper interpretaion of Scripture.
Quote Don:
"Do you think Jesus was lying when he said at John 3:13 that `No man has ascended into Heaven BUT HE that descended.'(Christ himself)"
No... Jesus isn't lying. Because at the time Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus that he knew nothing about Heaven,,, becauase he hadn't been there like Jesus had, (but don't forget Moses and Elija... and Enoch) However... that doesn't mean that no one else went to Heaven after Jesus' death and resurrection... including people from the Old Testament, (again Hebrews 11:39-40).
Quote Don:
"OR do you think Jesus was lying when he said at Matt. 11:11-12 that even though John the Baptist was unsurpassed as a person in God's eyes, he was not in the same class as one of the LESSER ones in heaven.
Here we may have a slight "translation" ,(and/or interpretation), issue:
NWT:
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not been raised up anyone greater than John the Baptist, but a lesser person in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.+
NASB, (but all of 15 or so Christian translations say pretty much the same thing):
11“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Here in Matthew,,, Jesus is referencing himself... but that might be hard to understand because of how the NWT chooses it's wording. If you think I am wrong about my interpretation of Matthew 11,,, don't forget that the Bible also says "for a little while Jesus made himself lower than the Angels." In other words,,, for a little while Jesus made Himself the "least/lesser" in the Kingdom of Heaven... by becoming human.
However... the moment Jesus died on the cross, (torture stake as you may call it),,, John the Baptist then went to Heaven to be with God.
Quote Don:
"John will be resurrected to live on Earth just as Abraham,Moses,Isaac, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and all faithful millions of the world will be."
This is a false statement... because after Jesus died and rose on the cross,,, His sacrifice gave everyone free access to God in this life...and those of FAITH,,, Heaven when they die. Maybe you need to read Hebrews 11 again... along again with the tombs being opened when Christ died.
NWT:
Matthew 27:51-53
51 And look! the curtain of the sanctuary+ was torn in two,+ from top to bottom,+ and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 And the tombs* were opened, and many bodies of the holy ones who had fallen asleep were raised up 53 (and people coming out from among the tombs after his being raised up entered into the holy city), and they became visible to many people.
Those who had "fallen asleep" were the people that died in Faith... before Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
Also read Revelation 7:9-17
9 After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues,*+ standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes;+ and there were palm branches in their hands.+ 10 And they keep shouting with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne,+ and to the Lamb.”+ 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and the elders+ and the four living creatures, and they fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Let the praise and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength be to our God forever and ever.+ Amen.” 13 In response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes,+ who are they and where did they come from?” 14 So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one who knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation,+ and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.+ 15 That is why they are before the throne of God, and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne+ will spread his tent over them.+ 16 They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down on them nor any scorching heat,+ 17 because the Lamb,+ who is in the midst* of the throne, will shepherd them+ and will guide them to springs* of waters of life.+ And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”+
Notice Don... that the "great multitude" of people too great to number... are standing in front of the throne of God,,, worshiping HIM day and night. If they are in front of God,,, they are in Heaven... NOT on earth. This "multitude" is not including the additional "pure"144,000.
But then again... I don't blame you for what you say here. I blame the ones that have tought you the "religion" you follow.
Quote Don:
"EVEN unrighteous will be resurrected and have to learn and accept obedience to Christ and his Father. MANY unrighteous,possibly billions, who have NEVER heard the Good News or had a chance at life will be resurrected."
Not only is this also a FALSE statement... but it is ALSO HERESY!!! Jesus was the one that taught most about Hell in the New Testament, (or has all of that been stricken from the NWT too?)... and who goes there besides the fallen Angels. Jesus says that those who reject the Apostles teaching... also reject Him, (and His teaching)... and also reject the Father. This includes false teachers and the unrighteous.
NWT:
John 3:16-18
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son,+ so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.+ 17 For God did not send his Son into the world for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him.+ 18 Whoever exercises faith in him is not to be judged.+ Whoever does not exercise faith has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.+
NASB:
16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
As far as those who never hear the Gospel,,, I won't even try to speculate on that... and you don't have the correct answer either.