Daily text, Tuesday, December 26. 2017

[Queen Esther]

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.—Matt. 11:11.

Throughout the Scriptures, we see many examples of men of faith who were deeply moved by holy spirit; yet they did not have the hope of living in heaven. John the Baptist was one such person. Jesus highly praised him but stated that John would not be included in the heavenly Kingdom. David was likewise moved by holy spirit. (1 Sam. 16:13) He was a man of great spiritual depth and was even inspired to write sections of the Bible. (Mark 12:36) Still, at Pentecost, Peter said of David that he “did not ascend to the heavens.” (Acts 2:34) Holy spirit worked mightily in such ones, but it did not give them the special witness that they had been selected for heavenly life. That did not mean that they were in some way unworthy or deficient. It simply meant that Jehovah would resurrect them to life on a paradise earth.—John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15. w16.01

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2017/12/26