This is the 3rd blog in the series “False or Faith-Worthy?“.

Why do I write about different world religions?  Religion and Spiritualism has always interested me.  As I have mentioned in some of my blogs before, I did not grow up in church, so everything I know is first hand personal experience.  I decided to look into different religions for myself and find what is right.  I am a Christian because Christianity has never been proven wrong and there is a tremendous amount of evidence to base my faith on.  Really, I am just in the search for truth and I like writing about it.  Let this study begin.

Moving along in our study on world religions, we move to Jehovah’s Witnesses, also known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.  Again, I want to point out that I am not out to attack or tear down any individual here.  My arguments and conflicts are with The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.  Please understand that my arguments have mainly factual evidence as backing.

When we think about Jehovah’s Witness, we think about people knocking on our doors.  Perhaps the Jehovah’s Witnesses are most famous for their door-to-door recruiting and it makes sense that they are known for this since recent statistics have shown them spending 835 million hours of door-to-door witnessing in one year.  They actually have America mapped out so that they can reach every home at least once or twice per year.  So, what do these people teach?  Most people tend to either hide when they hear the knock at their door or simply send them away.  Now, as a Christian, you will be informed.  You can now use their mission field as your own mission field at your front door.  For Jehovah’s Witnesses, I ask that you please continue reading.  If you are discouraged from reading anti-Watchtower literature, please ask yourself “why?”.  Are they hiding something?  If you don’t think they are, then you have no reason to fully disconnect as soon as anti-Watchtower literature is brought up.  Please read forth and keep an open mind.  Of course for people of no religion or other religions, this blog should answer many questions.

The Start of the Watchtower Society

The society began by a man named Charles T. Russell.  Russell grew up as a Protestant Christian, but he said there were some things that he didn’t like about Christianity.  These were some of the things he disagreed with:

• The teaching of hell (hell and eternal judgment)
• The Trinity (he claimed it was not rational and he could not understand it)

Since Russell so strongly disagreed with these things, he decided to develop his own theology and began publishing Studies in Scripture and he later began publishing the Watchtower Magazine.  He later incorporated the organization in 1884 as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and in 1909 he moved the headquarters to Brooklyn, New York, where it is currently located.

Russell’s Predictions of Christ’s Return

Early is Russell’s ministry he calculated when Christ was going to return physically to the Earth.  For many years he prophesied that Christ would return in 1874. As we know, Christ did not return in 1874, so he changed his calculations to 1914.  After Christ did not show up in 1914, Russell redefined the coming of Jesus from a physical coming to a spiritual coming.  He said that Christ returned invisibly as a spirit to help him set up his organization.  Russell died a few years later in 1916.

Rutherford Takes Over the Alleged Theocratic Kingdom

In 1917 the Watchtower organization was taken over by Joseph Franklin Rutherford.  The organization grew tremendously under Rutherford’s leadership.  Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that the Watchtower Society in Brooklyn, New York is the theocratic kingdom of God on Earth.  A theocratic kingdom is a government ruled by God.  They believe that all government outside of the Watchtower society is satanic.  Because of this, Jehovah’s Witness will not salute the flag, they will never recite the Pledge of Allegiance and they will not serve in the armed forces of any nation.  This is one of the ways that their practices differ heavily from Christianity.  Another difference in Jehovah’s Witnesses is that they do not celebrate Christmas, because they deny they incarnation of Jesus Christ and  they do not celebrate Easter, because they deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The name was actually changed to “Jehovah’s Witnesses” under Rutherford’s leadership.  He said they would do this to vindicate the true name of Jehovah, because he claimed that Jesus Christ is not God, the Holy Spirit is not God but Jehovah is God alone.  The term Jehovah is just an Old Testament translation for the word God.  The ancient Jews did not use vowels in their writing and the term God was translated as YHWH.  It was basically translated from that as Jehovah, so there is no problem with the actual term Jehovah.

Rutherford also had many famous prophesies, one prophecy that included Abraham, Isaac and Jacob returning visibly to the Earth to help promote the kingdom of God.  He believed they would return between 1925 and 1929.  He actually believed this so much that he built a mansion in San Diego, California for the 3 of them to live in, but when they did not return by 1929, he moved into the mansion himself.  Rutherford later died in 1942.

Continuing under Knorr’s Leadership

Nathan H. Knorr took over the Watchtower Organization in 1942.  Under his leadership the organization developed it’s high outreach all over the world with many missionaries.  Also under Knorr’s leadership, they decided to make their own translation of the Bible, calling it The New World Translation.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that 4 Greek scholars did The New World Translation.  The organization does not make known the translators of their bible, but it has been released from former Jehovah’s Witnesses.  The translators were Nathan H. Knorr (President of the organization), Frederick W. Franz (Vice-President), George D. Gangas, and Albert D. Schroeder.  Of these men, not all of them had graduated high school and none of them had the actual credentials to be considered a Greek scholar.  There are very obvious errors in their translation that are altered to line-up with their specific beliefs and theology that they have created.

Knorr decided to create his first prophecy in the year 1975.  He said that in 1975 Armageddon would occur and it would be the end of the age.  As we know, 1975 came and went and we are all still here, because Armageddon did not occur.  Since we have heard all of these prophecies that did not come true from the Watchtower organization, let’s see what the Bible actually says about this.

²⁰ But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”

²¹ You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?” ²² If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18 : 20-22

Apparently many of the Jehovah’s Witnesses at the time understood what that verse meant, because in 1976 and 1977 over 1,000,000 Witnesses left the organization.  Nathan H. Knorr died in 1977

Continuing Leaders

Frederick Franz took over the organization after being the leading theologian for over 60 years.  The Watchtower organization continued after the death of Franz, under the leadership of  Milton G. Henschel.  Henschel stepped down from presidency in 2001.  Now the current president is M.H. Larson.

Talking to Jehovah’s Witnesses

It is easy to just pretend like you are not home when Jehovah’s Witnesses knock at your door, but why not witness to the Witness at your door?  Here are some important things to know about witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses.  The next few parts are heavily inspired by Ron Carlson’s teaching on the subject.

Five Facts to Remember when Witnessing to a Witness

1. They have accepted the organization as the prophet of God.
2. They have accepted the organization as God’s sole channel for His truth.
3. They believe that to reject the organization is to reject God.
4. They believe that only the organization can interpret the Bible; as individuals, they are unable to do so.
5. They believe that the Watchtower magazine contains God’s truth, directed by Him, through the organization.

Conflict with Christianity

This is what the organization and their magazine teach that conflicts with orthodox Christianity.

1. That Jesus is a created being – a creature.
2. That Jesus is actually Michael the Archangel.
3. The Jesus was not resurrected bodily, but as a spirit being.
4. That Jesus returned invisibly in 1914 (secretly to their organization).
5. That Jesus was only a man when on earth, not “the Word become flesh”.
6. That the Holy Spirit is only an active force, not the Person of God.
7. That hell is simply the grave.
8. That heaven’s doors are only open to 144,000 people.
9. That the majority of Witnesses must remain on earth.
10. That salvation is found only though their organization.
11. That salvation can be obtained only through good works until the end, then they will live on earth in a paradise.
12. That Satan is the author of the doctrine of the trinity.
13. That Jesus cannot be given worship, only honor as Jehovah’s first creation.

What the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny

• The trinity
• The deity of Christ
• The bodily resurrection of Christ
• The visible return of Christ
• The Person of God the Holy Spirit
• The promise of heaven to all believers
• The necessity of a new birth for all believers
• Communion for all believers (not only 144,000)
• The eternal security of the believer
• The conscious eternal punishment of the lost

The Truth from the Bible

For lack of space, I am only going to put the Bible verse reference, I am not actually going to type the entire verses.  You can look up the verses online at BibleGateway.com.  God exists in a Trinity of 3 eternal and co-equal persons.  Meaning within the nature of  the one God, there are 3 eternal Persons:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• Father: Romans 1:17
• Son: John 20:28
• Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3-4

Jesus is no less than God in human flesh.  (Colossians 2:9)

God, the Holy Spirit, is the 3rd member of the Holy Trinity.  (Matthew 28:19, Acts 13:2)

Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave. (John 2:20-21, Luke 24:39)

Jesus is visibly coming again to setup His kingdom on earth. (Matthew 24:30, Acts 1:8, Revelation 1:7)

Salvation is in the Person of Jesus Christ and comes through faith in Him.  (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-9)

It is the work of God for man, not a work of man for God. (Titus 3:4-6)

Jesus was and should be worshiped. (John 20:26-28, Matthew 2:10-12, Matthew 14:33)

When You Talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses

When you talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses today, they really don’t have much hope.  Their entire plan is to be saved through good works and hopefully make it to a paradise on earth.  They only believe that the first 144,000 Witnesses make it to heaven and many of them are either dead or too old to be going door to door.  So, the people you will probably talk to, mostly think they are only going to a paradise on earth, not heaven.

Why They Believe Only 144,000  Make it to Heaven

Joseph Franklin Rutherford, their 2nd president, believed the end of the world was very near, so he began to tell his followers that only 144,000 members would make it to heaven, to increase membership.  They believed for a long time that only these people could be saved.  They ran into a problem in 1935 when their membership increased to over 144,000.  Rutherford quickly pulled down another revelation from God and began teaching that the people that got in after the 144,000 would stay here on earth in a paradise when they died.  This is why most Witnesses have no hope of ever going to heaven when you talk to them today.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Trinity

Ok, so what is the main thing that truly separates Jehovah’s Witnesses from Christians?  What is the main part of their doctrine that differs from what Christ taught and what the Bible teaches?  It is the trinity.  They will tell you that you do not find the word trinity in the Holy Bible.  That may be true.  The word trinity is a Latin term meaning “3 in the unity of one”.  This is simply a term we use to describe what God has revealed to us.  So the question is not whether or not the word trinity is actually used, but whether or not the Bible teaches the Trinity.  Let’s answer some questions for Jehovah’s Witnesses and look at whether or not the Bible teaches the doctrine of the Trinity.

The following verses from the Bible explain the Trinity easily and make it very hard for Jehovah’s Witnesses to deny it.  These verses are actually translated the same even in the Jehovah’s Witnesses own Bible, which makes them very easy to use when talking to a Witness.  We will show these verses out of their favorite book, Revelation.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8

Who is speaking here?  The Lord is speaking and Jehovah’s Witnesses agree that Jehovah God is speaking here.  They will agree that the Alpha and the Omega is the Lord God.  Their version of the Bible also capitalizes Alpha and Omega so that you know who it is.  The next verse…

^“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Revelation 21:5-7

Once again we see that the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End is the Lord/Jehovah God.  It is capitalized in their Bible and they agree with it.  Another verse…

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Revelation 22:13

Again they agree that these verses refer to the Lord/Jehovah God.  Next verse…

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”

Revelation 1:17

Who is the First and the Last here?  They will agree that it is Jehovah God.  Once again, it is capitalized in their Bible.  Well let’s read the verse directly after that verse.

“I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Revelation 1:18

This verse is the same in their Bible.  The Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Living One…who is this?  In any translation you can see that this is referring to Jehovah God.  So a great question arises for Jehovah’s Witnesses.  When did Jehovah God die?  They do not have an answer for this question.  Who died?  The answer is that Jesus died and it says the Lord God died.  This is because Jesus and the Lord God, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Living One, Jehovah God are one in the same.  Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have an answer for this.  You can even use their Bible to show these verses to them and they still do not have an answer.

What Does This All Mean?

Jehovah’s Witnesses deny many essentials of the Christianity…but why?  Because they all follow the original beliefs of one man who was proven to be a false prophet, who never accomplished any great miracles and who lived a sinful life.  This all comes down to who are we following?  This is an important question.  Do we follow sinless, amazing, faith-worthy Jesus or do we follow a false prophet?  Read more about this in the next blog.  For more great information on Jehovah’s Witnesses visit CARM on Jehovah’s Witnesses.