Jehovah's Witnesses
The Jehovah Witnesses was founded by Charles Taze Russell who was born on February 16, 1852 in Old Allegheny, PA. He attended the Allegheny City Congregational Church with his parents. Russell abandoned the church and the bible because he had doubts about eternal torment and hell.
Russell organized a Bible class in 1872 and published the Watchtower and Hearld of Christ's Presence in 1879. In 1884, he incorporated the organization in Pennsylvania, as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Russell was a 33rd degree member of the Masonic Lodge, an elite member of the inner group. When he was buried, the Watchtower allowed a Masonic pyramid with a symbol of the cross and crown to be placed by his grave site. This the Knights Templar Symbol for the York Rite of Freemasonry which is indicative of the 32nd degree York Rite.
Rutherford prophesied that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were returning visibly to the earth before 1925 and built a large mansion in San Diego, CA for them. When they didn’t return Rutherford moved into the mansion himself and lived there till he died in 1942. After the death of Rutherford in 1942 the Organization was taken over by Nathan H. Knorr. Knorr developed a strong missionary outreach all over the world. Under Knorr came the New World Translation (NWT) of the Bible. The Watchtower and Bible Tract Society have been wrong many times. Instead of correcting their mistake they made their own translation of the Bible called the New World Translation. In this translation they changed the words to fit their own theology.
The translators of the NWT were seven in number and none had ever studied Greek. Only three of the seven had finished High School. One of the seven had gone to college (he dropped out after the first semester) and he is the one who finally took Knorr’s place as president in 1977, Fredrick France. The Bible in Revelation 22:18-19 tells us not to add anything to nor take anything away from the Word of God. Jehovah's Witnessess's have added to and taken away from God's Word using the NWT, the Watchtower and Awake magazines.
Jehovah's Witnesses meet at the local Kingdom Hall. They have accepted the Watchtower Organization as the Prophet of God, and as God's sole channel for His truth. They believe the Watchtower Organization is the only group that can interpret the Bible and that individuals are unable to do so. They believe the Watchtower Magazine contains God's truth that is directed by Him through the Organization. Salavation is only found through this Organization.
In the beginning of his ministry Russell prophesied that Christ would return in 1874. When Christ did not show up he then changed his calculations and prophesied Christ would return in 1914. Again Christ failed to show up but Russell was not disheartened. He redefined the second coming of Christ and said that He had returned invisibly, as an invisible spirit, to help set up His organization. Russell died in 1916 and the Watchtower was taken over by Joseph Franklin Rutherford.
What Are Some of The Differences Between Jehovah's Witnesses and Christianity?
Jehovah Witnesses deny some of the basic tenets of Christianity. One is that they do not believe the Trinity but believe that Satan is the author of the doctrine of the Trinity.
- The Bible says that there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 1 John 5:7.
- The word trinity is not in the Bible but the Bible does teach the trinity. In Genesis 1:1, for example, the Bible says, In the beginning God created . . . In the Hebrew language the word God is a plural meaning three or more. In the English language a plural is two or more but in Hebrew a plural is three or more.
- So we have the singular word God in Genesis 1:1 meaning three or more.
- John mentions the three in John 14:26 and also Matthew 3:16-17.
- In Genesis 1:26 God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . The us and our means that there were more than one that God was talking to and the only one's He could be talking to was God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Since there is no other God than Jehovah there must be a unity in plurality and substance or the passage is not meaningful.
- Then in Genesis 11:7 at the tower of Babel God said, Let us go down, again using the plural word.
- This plurality can be seen again in Isaiah 6:8 which says, who will go for us . . . again using the plural.
- "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19.
From the above it should be clear that the Bible teaches a Trinity and that the teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses is false.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is a created being and not diety, God.
- Jesus is both fully man and fully God. Scripture reveals that Jesus is God in human form, Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1; 8:58; 17:5 Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:11; Colossians 2:9; and Revelation 1:8, 17, 18.
- Matthew 1:23 tells us the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel. Immanuel, when translated, means God with us.
- Thomas called Him his God, John 20:28
- Colossians 2:9 tells us that all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form in Christ.
- In 1 Timothy 3:16 we see that God was manifest in the flesh. In John 1:1 we see that in the beginning was the Word . . . the Word was God. Then in John 1:14 we see that it was Jesus that was, and is, God with 1 Timothy 3:16 confirming it.
On the Holy Spirit, the Jehovah’s Witnesses say, The holy spirit is the invisible active force of Almighty God that moves His servants to do His will. The Bible no where indicates that the Holy Spirit is a force. The Bible states that the Holy Spirit is God the Holy Spirit and uses personal pronouns to prove His identity. Look at our article on The Holy Spirit and you will see many proof’s that, according to God’s Word, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are teaching an error.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that one is annihilated at death and will not experience torture in hell. They also teach what is called soul sleep, that the body sleeps in the grave and is unconscious until the resurrection. The Bible teaches that there are two deaths for the unbeliever but only one for the believer. The first death for believers and unbelievers is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body at death. The second death is for the unbeliever and is discribed in Revelation 20:11-15 and show that Hell is cast into a lake of fire and the unbelievers were also cast into the lake of fire. Then Revelation 21:8 confirms the destiny of unbelievers as being in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. The following scriptures sure do not sound as though there is no suffering for unbelievers at death:
- Matthew 8:11 says there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 13:42, 50 there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 22:13 says there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jehovah's Witnesses deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ and claim He was raised a divine spirit being or as an invisible spirit creature. In answer to objections that He appeared in human form, they reply that He took human forms as He needed them. However, Christ prophesied His own bodily resurrection, and John tells us He spoke of the temple of His body, John 2:21. Jesus knew that there would be those who would deny His bodily resurrection and said that He was not a spirit but flesh and bones, Luke 24:39-44. He also rebuked the disciples because of their unbelief in His physical resurrection. Jesus prophesied His resurrection and and that it would be bodily, John 2:19-21.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in faith and works for salvation. The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, Ephesians 2:8-9. Therefore this salvation by works taught by the Jehovah Witnesses is a false teaching. They frequently use the term Born Again but it does not mean to them what it means to a Christian. To the Jehovah's Witnesses born again as explained in their textbook Make Sure of All Things means a birth-like realization of of the prospects and hopes for spirit life by resurrection to heaven. It is brought about through the water of God's truth in the Bible and God's holy spirit, which is His active force. For the truth on being born again see our articles on The New Birth and The Peace of God plus the Doctrine of Imputation.
It must be mentioned here that the Jehovah's Witnesses say that in the new birth there will be only 144,000 spiritual brothers who will reign with Christ in heaven for a thousdand years. It is only these 144,000 that will have a spirit life in heaven. In this area the Jehovah's Witnesses have again taught an error. The 144,000 is mentioned in the book of Revelation and it refers to the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve thousand out of each tribe. These Jewish tribes are certainly not Jehovah's Witness members.
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that one can lose their salvation. Is this a true doctrine? Of course not, See our article Can We Lose Salvation. In John 3:23 we are told that the gift of God is eternal life. Since it is a gift and it is eternal it lasts forever. In contrast to losing salvation John 3:15 tells us if we believe in Him we have eternal life. Since God gives us eternal life, which is everlasting life, then if He were to take it away He would be a liar and God cannot lie.
With reference to the body, the soul, and the spirit of man, Witnesses have an unbiblical view. They claim that death is the termination of existence; utter cessation of conscious intellectural or physical activity, celestial, human, or otherwise. That man does not have a spirit. The Old Testament text does use the term sleep to denote death but it never uses the term to describe the immaterial nature of man. The term sleep is applied to the body since the body in death takes on the appearance of one who is asleep. The term soul sleep or sleep of the soul is never found in the Scriptures and no where does it say the soul sleeps or goes into a state of unconsciousness. There are Scriptures that prove mankind has a spirit. At death the spirit of man goes upward, Ecclesiastes 3:21 At death the spirit shall return to God who gave it, Ecclesiastes 12:7. In Acts 7:59 Stephen said Lord Jesus "receive my spirit." When Christ died He said Father, "Into thy hands I commend My spirit", Luke 23:46. See our article on What Happens at Death, and Soul Sleep for additional information that shows the truth on the subject.
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the second coming of Christ occurred in 1914 with Christ returning to the temple and cleansing it by 1918 for judgment on sinful man and Satan's organizations. This was a secret return. However, in Matthew 24:30 it says that we shall all see His return. In Revelation 1:7 it says that all eyes shall see Him. In Acts 1:9-12 we see that Christ ascended visibily and it was said then that He would return in like manner. For additional information on the second coming of Christ see our article on the Second Coming of Christ.
There are many other errors taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses but these should be enough to see that they are not a Christian organization but a cult.
