On Jehovah's Witnesses
- Pastor Jacob Marchitell
- May 13
- 13 min read
Jehovah’s Witnesses
History:
Started by Charles Taze Russel in the 1870’s as a teenager. He started questioning the Trinity and Hell. Raised as a Christian, sat under a preacher named William Miller, (whose teachings also gave birth to other cults like “Christian Science” and “Seventh Day Adventism”. This false teacher also predicted that Jesus Christ would return in 1843, by making assumptions about the prophecies in Daniel 8:14 (“And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”). When Jesus didn't return in 1843, Charles Taze Russel (the student) began going outside of Christian orthodoxy (meaning what is normal and accepted and right), in the areas of the Trinity, the immortality of the soul, and hell…and ended up claiming that Christ came back in invisible form in 1874 which is when he “became present” with his people, and started ruling in heaven in 1878; started his own publishing company in 1881 (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society) and published about 16 million copies of his books and pamphlets by his death in 1916.
What does sitting under a false teacher do to you?
Beliefs:
JW’s hold that Scripture is the only source of divine revelation. (A good thing!)
BUT - they believe that their magazine “The Watchtower” is the only infallible interpreter of Scripture.
They have their own version of the Bible “New World Translation”
NT in 1950 / whole Bible in 1961 / extensively revised in 2013 - most use this version
(Have them look up John 1:1 in as many translations as they have with them. If they only have a few different ones physically, have someone look up other versions on their phones)
We have the original text - Koine Greek
They add an “a” to make it say “The Word was “A” God.”
Good works are necessary for salvation, - “Studies in the Scriptures”, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152.
Salvation is by faith and what you do, - “Studies in the Scriptures”, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152.
Compare to Ephesians 2:8&9
The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used, - “Reasoning from the Scriptures” 1985 pp. 90-92.
They believe this, because they believe that Jesus was killed on a stake and not a Cross
Each of the 6 creative days of God in Genesis 1, was 7000 years long. Therefore, Man was created toward the end of 42,000 years of earth’s preparation, - “Let God be True”, p. 168.
Satan was entrusted with the obligation and charged with the duty of overseeing the creation of the earth, - “Children”, p. 55.
They also refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” celebrate Christmas or birthdays, and are not allowed to serve in the armed forces.
Primary beliefs: - “The 4 denials”
Deny the Trinity -because the word “trinity” isn’t in the Bible. Even though it’s taught all through Scripture (Gen. 1:26; Matt. 28:19; 1 Pet. 1:2 proves them wrong)
Deny the deity of Christ - (Jn 1:1; Jn. 8:58; Col. 2:9 proves them wrong)
Deny the personhood & deity of the Holy Spirit - (2 Pe. 1:21; Jn. 3:5; Acts 5:3 proves them wrong)
Deny the doctrine of hell - (Mt. 13:41&50; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:8 proves them wrong)
The Father alone is God
“Jehovah” is the only God in Scripture.
They get the name “Jehovah” and thus their name, as an English word, from a Germanic pronunciation…of a Latin translation…of the Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament - Yahweh. Since there were no written vowels in ancient Hebrew, the text just says YHWH, and people have debated about the correct pronunciation. → Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing…pronunciations grow and languages are born and die…until they take it to the illogical conclusion that calling God anything other than “Jehovah” is sinful.
Adamantly deny the Trinity - “trinity=polytheism”. (proof of the truth of Christianity)
The Holy Spirit is an emanating and active force from the Father. ie. - not God.
Jesus is a created being. Specifically, the archangel Michael.
“Jesus agreed to be placed in Mary's womb in order to be a sacrifice for the sins of humanity.”
His death did not propitiate (explain what “propitiate” means) the eternal wrath of God - because they don’t believe in Jesus’ deity OR eternal punishment.
Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, - “The Watchtower”, May 15, 1963, p. 307; - “The New World” 284.
Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh, - “Reasoning from the Scriptures” 1985, p. 306.
Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body, - “Awake!” July 22, 1973, p. 4.
Jesus was raised “not a human creature, but a spirit.” - “Let God be True, p. 276.
Jesus was born again, - “The Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1954, p. 682. (Joyce Meyers says this too)
Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake, - “Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 89-90.
They say that the Cross was a pagan symbol - (It was used by pagan Rome so…)
Jesus began his invisible rule over the earth in 1914, - “The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 300.
No eternal punishment
The soul dies with the body
Adam only suffered physical death in the Fall
They teach that the 144K in Rev. 7:4 are the “best” Jehovah’s Witnesses who get to go to heaven, the rest of them get resurrected to live on Earth forever.
Those who die without hearing of Christ will be resurrected and given a second chance to believe, and will be included in the final inheritance of the Earth.
Anyone who doesn't attain to the final inheritance by failing to believe the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, will be annihilated.
Examples of them torturing Scripture:
Blood transfusions:
“This is a religious issue rather than a medical one. Both the Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28, 29) Also, God views blood as representing life. (Leviticus 17:14) So we avoid taking blood not only in obedience to God but also out of respect for him as the Giver of life.”
This is a twisting of what God was communicating to Noah about the sacrifice of sins being the shedding of blood. God was establishing the “sacredness” of blood as a shadow of the shedding of Christ’s blood being that which takes away our sin.
They simply gloss over the verses that plainly state, even in their own version of Scripture, that it is talking about eating blood, not blood transfusions.
Birthdays:
“Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. Consider four of these aspects and related Bible principles:
“Bday celebrations have pagan origins, and the Bible says to not practice magic”
Early Christians did not celebrate birthdays - then they use 2nd Thess. 3:6 to justify their beliefs:
“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.”
This verse is talking about an abuse of power, working, and being of benefit to the larger body
The only commemoration that Christians are required to keep involves, not a birth, but a death—that of Jesus.
They twist Ecclesiastes 7:1 to support this, but that verse is talking about living with the end of your life in sight. Not about celebrations.
The Bible never refers to a servant of God celebrating a birthday.
They use 2 examples in Scripture of ungodly people celebrating their birthday (Pharaoh & Herod)
Voting:
“Jehovah’s Witnesses remain politically neutral for religious reasons, based on what the Bible teaches. We do not lobby, vote for political parties or candidates, run for government office, or participate in any action to change governments. We believe that the Bible gives solid reasons for following this course.”
They say that Jesus refused to take political office by twisting John 6:15: “Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
But this verse is about people wanting to make Jesus their King after He fed the multitude, because He fed them, and because they wanted Him to overthrow Rome. NOT because He was communicating for them to not vote in a democratic election.
Failed Predictions:
“Date Setting” and “Numerology” are hugely important in the JW’s.
1878 “End of the harvest” (named this after it didn’t come true)
Jesus’ Second coming
When it didn't happen, he said: “"the nominal Christian churches were cast off from God's favor".
1914 “Invisible Presence” (named this after it didn’t come true)
Jesus was supposed to return in October of 1914.
“‘The appointed times of the nations’ ended, and Jesus Christ was installed as God’s heavenly King. . . . Just as Jesus predicted, his ‘presence’ as heavenly King has been marked by dramatic world developments—war, famine, earthquakes, pestilences. (Matthew 24:3–8; Luke 21:11) Such developments bear powerful testimony to the fact that 1914 indeed marked the birth of God’s heavenly Kingdom and the beginning of ‘the last days’ of this present wicked system of things.—2 Timothy 3:1–5” (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, Appendix: “1914—A Significant Year in Bible Prophecy,” p. 217–218)
What else was happening in the world in 1914?
June 28th 1914 - assassination of archduke franz ferdinand - WW1 (4months before they said the above happened) - this is what happens when you get your theology from the news and not from Scripture. Even if it seems like they match!!!
They say He did, in fact, return -- in His “invisible presence” …and… “inspected Christians worldwide”, with Jehovah, and found the “Bible Students” whose hearts were really with Jehovah, then selected a smaller group of them (144,000) to be his “anointed ones”.
These 144,000 are the Governing Body of The Watchtower Society.
He also set up his reign in heaven (compare to Matt. 28:18) and it was the beginning of a time of judgment on mankind.
Compare all of this with Matthew 24:29-36
v.36 - “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
1925 - the resurrection of the Patriarchs:
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
1975 Armageddon: (introduced in 1966)
"The published timetable resulting from this independent study gives the date of man's creation as 4026 B.C.E. According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. So six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yes, within this generation. So in not many years within our own generation we are reaching what Jehovah God could view as the seventh day of man's existence. How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath for the proclaiming of liberty throughout the earth to all its inhabitants! This would be most timely for mankind. It would also be most fitting on God's part, for, remember, mankind has yet ahead of it what the last book of the Holy Bible speaks of as the reign of Jesus Christ over earth for a thousand years, the millennial reign of Christ. It would not be by mere chance or accident but would be according to the loving purpose of Jehovah God for the reign of Jesus Christ, the 'Lord of the Sabbath,' to run parallel with the seventh millennium of man's existence."
Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God 1966 pp.26-30
"It did not take the brothers very long to find the chart beginning on page 31, showing that 6,000 years of man's existence end in 1975. Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. "The new book compels us to realize that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed," said a conventioneer. Surely it was one of the outstanding blessings to be carried home!" .. Brother Franz. 'Does it mean that Armageddon is going to be finished, with Satan bound, by 1975? It could! It could! All things are possible with God. Does it mean that Babylon the Great is going to go down by 1975? It could. Does it mean that the attack of Gog of Magog is going to be made on Jehovah's witnesses to wipe them out, then Gog himself will be put out of action? It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don't any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that."
Watchtower 1966 Oct 15 pp.629,631
"the danger of sudden death is staring you in the face. ... That is exactly the case with the warning that we speak of here, and there are reasons why it can truly be said to be the most urgent warning ever given. ... It is to come within the generation that has already seen two world wars and it is only a few short years ahead of us."
Watchtower 1967 Apr 15 pp.243-244
"Well now, as Jehovah's Witnesses, as runners, even though some of us have become a little weary, it almost seems as though Jehovah has provided meat in due season. Because he's held up before all of us, a new goal. A new year. Something to reach out for and it just seems it has given all of us so much more energy and power in this final burst of speed to the finish line. And that's the year 1975. Well, we don't have to guess what the year 1975 means if we read the Watchtower. And don't wait 'till 1975. The door is going to be shut before then. As one brother put it, "Stay alive to Seventy-Five"."
1967 District Convention talk: "Serving with Everlasting Life in View", by Wisconsin Sheboygan District Overseer Brother Charles Sinutko
"Does God's rest day parallel the time man has been on earth since his creation? Apparently so. In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of God's rest day come to an end? The year 1975. It means that within a relatively few years we will witness the fulfillment of the remaining prophecies that have to do with the "time of the end".
Awake! 1966 Oct 8 pp.19-20
This is directly caused by their belief that each of the 7 Creation days was actually 7000yrs.
The 1968 edition of The Truth book contained subtle quotes pointing to the fact that the world could not survive past 1975. "Back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acherson declared that our time is "a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence" And he warned: "I know enough of what is going on to assure you that, in fifteen years from today this world is going to be too dangerous to live in.""
The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life p.9 1968 edition
From 1973 to 1974, their numbers went up by 34%
In 1973 there were 60,231 Publishings, and it rose to 224,040 publishings in 1974
JWs were selling their houses to live in caravans, putting off raising their kids, cashed in retirement accounts, canceled health insurance
The revised edition published in 1981, replaced this quote to read as follows: "Also, as reported back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, declared that our time is "a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence." Based on what he knew was then going on in the world, it was his conclusion that soon "this world is going to be too dangerous to live in.""
The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life p.9 1981 edition
They recanted, blamed individual leaders and followers, and don't talk about it.
Trinity Verses:
Genesis 1:26 - “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
Matthew 28:19 - “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
1st Peter 1:1&2 - “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Deity of Christ verses:
John 1:1 - “In the beginning was the Word & the Word was with God & the Word was God.
John 8:58 - “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Colossians 2:8&9 - “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;”
Personhood & deity of The Holy Spirit verses:
2nd Peter 1:21 - “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
John 3:5 - “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God
Acts 5:3&4 - “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
Doctrine of Hell verses:
Matthew 13:41&42 - “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:49&50 - “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Revelation 20:11-15 - “11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8 - “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
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