Of course, faith in Jesus’ sacrifice is vital for all who would gain God’s forgiveness and everlasting life, whether life in heaven or life on a paradise earth. Christ showed this at John 6:51-54: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; . . . the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world [of redeemable mankind] . . . He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life.”

Yet, it is noteworthy that Jesus addressed those words to more than his disciples. A day after he had miraculously fed thousands, the crowd came to Jesus in the area of Capernaum. This crowd engaged him in the conversation that included his words at John 6:51-54. So Jesus was not speaking primarily to disciples when he said that he was the figurative “bread that came down from heaven” that can provide more enduring life prospects than the manna that had been eaten in the wilderness.​—John 6:24-34.

In considering that ancient experience in the wilderness, recall who had come out of Egypt into the wilderness. It was ‘the sons of Israel numbering six hundred thousand able-bodied men on foot, besides little ones, and a vast mixed company.’ (Exodus 12:37, 38; 16:13-18) This “mixed company” included Egyptians who were married to Israelites and other Egyptians who had thrown in their lot with Israel. Both the Israelites and the “mixed company” needed manna to stay alive. Did the “mixed company,” though, have the same prospects as the Israelites? No, they did not. Even though they could worship among the Israelites and could hope to enter the Promised Land, they could never be kings or priests under the Law covenant. So eating the literal manna in the wilderness did not give everyone the same prospects.

Of course, all true Christians today who look forward to living forever on earth under Kingdom rulership know that this is possible by exercising faith in Jesus’ sacrifice. As Jesus told the crowd, he is “the living bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:51) Yet, that does not mean that those with the earthly hope ought to partake of the literal Memorial emblems, for they are not in “the new covenant,” nor are they in the covenant with Jesus to be ‘in his kingdom, sitting on thrones.’