"Do You Believe in Heaven on Earth?": A Response to Jehovah's Witnesses

On a recent episode of The Patrick Madrid Show, a listener named Joseph from Anaheim called in with a situation many of us have faced. Some Jehovah’s Witnesses came to his door and asked if he believed in heaven on earth. Joseph, being Catholic, said no. But then they brought up the Lord’s Prayer— “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”—and it left him wondering if he had missed something.

 

Patrick jumped in to help clear things up. He explained that while Revelation 21 talks about a new heaven and a new earth, it doesn’t mean that heaven will literally be on earth. Instead, it’s about a future where the spiritual and physical worlds come together in a perfect way—a beautiful thought, but different from what the Jehovah’s Witnesses were getting at.

 

Here’s the thing: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will actually make it to heaven, and everyone else will live on a paradise earth. Patrick pointed out that this idea might sound nice at first, but when you really think about it—spending eternity picking fruit and petting animals—it starts to feel a little... boring.

 

He then compared that with the Catholic belief, where everyone who’s saved gets to experience the fullness of God’s love and joy in heaven—something way beyond anything we can imagine here on earth. Sounds better, right?

 

Next time a Jehovah's Witness might come to your door, you can tell them about the beauty of the Catholic faith and our understanding of heaven. 

 

Don’t be thrown off by tricky questions. Have confidence in the faith, and don’t be afraid to have these conversations—armed with a little knowledge, they’re easier than they seem.