Jehovah's Witnesses, also known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York), was officially founded in 1884 [as the Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society (originally the Zion's Watch Tower in 1879), officially adopting the name of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931], by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916). In 1870, Russell was exposed to the teachings of William Miller, one of the founders of the Second Adventist Movement and acquired an interest in end time prophecies. Russell originally denied the doctrine of Hell, and would go on to reject nearly every other Christian doctrine, as well as add many physically and spiritually dangerous doctrines of his own making. Many of these unique and bizarre teachings were to be found in his six volume series titled, Studies in the Scriptures.
For the year 2000, the Watchtower Society claims a worldwide membership of
over six million (about one million U.S.) in more than 91,000 congregations in
235 countries speaking 340 languages, and
takes in approximately 300,000 new members each year (288,907 in 2000). According to JW statistics, yearly
proselytizing is accomplished via 4.8 million home Bible studies and 1.2 billion
hours of witnessing. The JWs field over 500,000 full and part-time
missionaries. Instruction and training are provided for all JWs at five meetings a week,
held primarily in "Kingdom Halls." Every week, an average of 45 new JW
congregations are formed. [In
the year 2000 in the United States alone, it was reported that 988,000
Jehovah's Witnesses spent more than 181 million hours in field service (i.e.,
door-to-door witnessing and Bible studies).]
JW leadership claims its victims by asserting itself to be the sole Christian religion and
authority on the earth today, as well as God's mouthpiece or prophet. The Watchtower
further disrupts families through its harsh and unbiblical interpretation of
"disfellowshipping" and the practice of "shunning." Family members who
are former JWs are labeled by Watchtower adherents as "apostates" and prevented
from even social contact. Disfellowshipped or disassociated children, parents, and
grandparents are kept from any type of communication with active members of the
organization. Divorces are common within the sect when one member becomes disillusioned
with Watchtower teaching and mind-control.
Not only has the name of this cult been changed time and again, but they also change their
doctrines regularly -- between 1917 and 1928, they changed their doctrines 148 times! (Prior
to 1931, Jehovah's Witnesses had also gone by the names of Millennial Dawn, People's
Pulpit Association, The Brooklyn Tabernacle, and the International Bible Students
Association.) Russell died in 1916 and was replaced by the second president, Joseph F.
Rutherford. "A process of replacing Russell's writings with Rutherford's
began in 1921 with the publication of Rutherford's Harp of God. Between 1921 and
1941, Rutherford was to write twenty books and numerous pamphlets, which would
slowly revise the doctrine and structure left him by Russell" (Encyclopedia
of American Religions, G. Melton, Vol. 1, p. 485). One of Rutherford's books that caused a great amount of controversy was the
seventh volume of the Studies in the Scriptures.
Russell adopted many of his doctrines from the Seventh-Day
Adventists, but the JWs began
to emphasize door-to-door evangelism and literature distribution after Russell's death and
subsequent leadership assumption by Joseph Franklin Rutherford. The JWs have published
over ten billion pieces of literature since 1928. Its main periodicals are The
Watchtower magazine (circulation of over 20 million in more than 130 languages) and
Awake! (about 16 million copies in more than 80 languages), both
published semi-monthly.
Historically, the JWs are best known for their practices of refusing: (1) to serve in the
military; (2) to salute the flag; (3) to celebrate Christmas, birthdays, or other
holidays; and (4) to give or to accept blood transfusions. [Rejecting the medical practices of vaccinations, organ transplants, and
blood transfusions, the Watchtower has caused the deaths of many of its members
throughout its history. Interestingly, vaccinations and organ transplants have
now been acknowledged by the Watchtower as acceptable practices, contradicting
their previous doctrinal position.] (Although some of these
practices are neither Biblical nor unbiblical in and of themselves, depending upon one's
motives and the exact nature of the practice, the reasons the JWs give for
them often are unbiblical.)
Below are the highlights of what JWs believe concerning their
source of authority, the Godhead, Christ, sin, salvation, heaven and hell, etc.:
1. Source of Authority. JWs claim the Bible as their final authority, but
Russell's writings, especially Studies in the Scriptures, are considered
"the light of the Scriptures." JWs have their own translation of the Scriptures
(New World Translation, published in 1961), which reflects the binding
interpretations of the group's leaders. The JWs' New World Translation
greatly perverts the Scriptures to avoid placing themselves under the judgment of God (cf.
Jn. 1:1; 8:58; I Tim. 2:6; Ac. 10:36; Col. 1:16-17; 2:9-10; etc.). Hence, the leader's
interpretation of the Bible, not the Bible itself, is the final authority of JWs. The
Watchtower magazine is one of the JWs main sources of doctrine, and is considered
authoritative by its members.
2. Trinity. JWs believe that God is not a triune God, but only
"Jehovah God" (Let God Be True, pp. 100-101); they teach that Trinitarianism is a belief in three gods, and
thereby, Satan-inspired polytheism. Rutherford wrote: "... sincere persons who want to know the true God and serve him
find it a bit difficult to love and worship a complicated, freakish-looking,
three-headed God. The clergy who inject such ideas will contradict themselves in
the very next breath by stating that God made man in his own image; for
certainly no one has ever seen a three-headed human creature" (Let God
Be True, 2nd ed., pp. 101-102).
3. God the Father. Known as Jehovah, the Watchtower considers Him to be the only
true eternal God, the Almighty. They write, "There was, therefore, a time
when Jehovah was all alone in universal space" (Let God Be True, p.
25). Being alone, the first creative act of Jehovah was to create His Son.
4. Jesus
Christ. Since JWs do not believe in the Trinity, they also do not
believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. They add the word "other" four times to
Colossians 1:16,17, teaching that Christ was God's first creation, i.e.,
the reincarnation of Michael
the archangel created by Jehovah, rather than the Creator. [The
"Watchtower" teaches that Jehovah God created Michael the Archangel before the
foundation of the world; Michael was His only begotten son by virtue of the fact that he
was the only creature directly created by Jehovah. It was this created Michael who became
the JW Jesus (i.e., a denial of the eternality of Christ). JWs say that "Since actual conception took place, it appears that
Jehovah God caused an ovum or egg in Mary's womb to become fertile, accomplishing this by
the transfer of the life of his first born son (Michael) from the spirit realm to the
earth" (Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 920). "Marvelously, Jehovah transferred the
life-force and the personality pattern of his first born heavenly son (Michael) to the
womb of Mary. God's own active force, his holy spirit, safeguarded the development of the
child in Mary's womb so that what was born was a perfect human" (Reasoning,
p. 255).] JWs also add an "a" in John 1:1, making the verse read, "the Word
was a god" (which in essence, makes the JWs guilty of the
same polytheism of which they accuse Trinitarians).
5. Use of Name Jehovah. JWs use the name "Jehovah" only for God
(in order to distinguish between God and Jesus Christ), while failing to recognize that
Jesus is the fulfillment of "Jehovah" in Isaiah 40:3 and Matthew 3:3. [HJB]
6. Resurrection of Christ . JWs deny the bodily resurrection of Christ through
their teaching that the body of Christ was annihilated by God -- not risen --
but rather a new
one was created three days after His death. This they call the
"resurrection" of Christ. Thus, Jesus was "resurrected" as a
"glorious spirit creature" and does not now have a glorified physical
body. Instead, they claim Jesus arose spiritually and only "materialized" at various times after His
resurrection so He could be seen alive. (Awake!, 7/22/73, p. 4)
7. The Holy Spirit. JWs deny the deity of the third person of
the Trinity, as either God or as a person; they claim that the Holy Spirit is
only an impersonal "active force of Almighty God which moves His servants
to do His will" (Reasoning From the Scriptures, pp. 406-407; The Watchtower,
6/1/54, p. 24). They have written, "But the holy spirit has no personal
name. The reason for this is that the holy spirit is not an intelligent person.
It is the impersonal, invisible active force that finds its source and reservoir
in Jehovah God and that he uses to accomplish his will even at great distances,
over light years of space" (Let
Your Name Be Sanctified, p. 269).
8. Sin. JWs believe that the first man, Adam, disobeyed Jehovah when
tempted by the angel Lucifer, who was jealous of man. As a result of disobedience, Adam
and all his descendants lost the right to life and so became liable to death. This
liability is applied to temporal death only.
9. Salvation . JWs claim everlasting life is a reward for doing the will of
God and carrying out one's dedication -- in other words, salvation is a reward for good
works. (JWs are expected to spend five hours per week in door-to-door visitation and
witnessing, are responsible for selling twelve subscriptions to The Watchtower
magazine each month, and are responsible for conducting a "Bible study" each
month in the homes of their converts.) According to JW theology, a person has one of
three possible destinies. The Anointed (144,000) will be in heaven to reign with
Jehovah God. The rest of the faithful Jehovah's Witnesses (not of the 144,000)
will live forever on a paradise Earth. Both of these classifications are
determined to a great extent on membership in the Watchtower organization as
well as going door-to-door spreading the message of the Watchtower. Those people
who are not members of the Watchtower organization will be destroyed by Jehovah
God and cease to exist. There is no concept of eternal punishment or hell in
Watchtower theology (Let God Be True, pp. 90-95, 289). They also believe that men will have a second chance, after death, to
be saved.
10. The Body of Christ. JWs believe that the members of the spiritual Body of Christ, or "Christian Congregation," number only 144,000 (Rev. 7:4-8). Most of those members of Christ's Body are now deceased and are reigning with Jesus in heaven since 1918. (Anybody born after 1936 cannot be in that number.) The remaining members still on earth, approximately 8,000 (out of whom are selected the "Governing Body"), are known as the "Remnant." They are collectively known as Jehovah God's "channel of communication" to men. They are the only ones "born again" and are the only ones who have a hope of going to Heaven. The rest of Jehovah's faithful witnesses only hope to be worthy enough to inherit the Earth, and will never see "Jesus/Michael," nor will they ever go to Heaven. All "so called Christendom" will be destroyed at Armageddon.
11. Soul Sleep. JWs deny the immortality of the soul. They do not believe the
soul can exist apart from the body, but that a corpse remains in an unconscious state in
the grave waiting for the resurrection. [HJB]
12. Annihilation of the Wicked. JWs teach that the "second
death" is annihilation and extinction -- the wicked will cease to exist and will not
suffer everlasting torment. They claim that a "doctrine of a burning hell" is
"wholly unscriptural," "unreasonable," "contrary to God's
love," and "repugnant to justice." [HJB] They claim that
"hell" is the grave.
13. Prophecy . The Bible lists six identifying marks of false prophets,
any one of which is sufficient for identification: (1) through signs and wonders they lead
astray after false gods (Dt. 13:1-4); (2) their prophecies don't come to pass (Dt.
18:20-22); (3) they contradict God's Word (Isa. 8:20); (4) they bear bad fruit (Mt.
7:18-20); (5) men speak well of them (Lk. 6:26); and (6) they deny that Jesus, the one and
only Christ, has come once and for all in the flesh (1 Jn. 4:3), thereby denying His
sufficiency in all matters of life and godliness (2 Pe. 1:3). Most cults are founded upon
false prophecies, which, if pointed out, offer an effective way to open blind eyes and
rescue cultists. Russell's false prophecies formed the basis for what became The
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell declared that the
Second Coming had taken place invisibly in October 1874, and the Lord was truly present,
and that in 1914 the faithful (the 144,000) would be translated to heaven and the wicked
destroyed. Armageddon (which began in 1874) would culminate in 1914 with the complete
overthrow of earth's rulers and the end of the world. C.T. Russell, still on earth, died
in 1916.
In the early 1920s, JWs zealously distributed on the streets and from door to door a book
titled Millions Now Living Will Never Die. It was prophesied, "The year
1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in the Scriptures, even more clearly than
that of 1914 ... we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old ... to the condition of human
perfection" ("Millions Now Living Will Never Die," The Watchtower,
7/15/24, p. 89). The JWs even built a house in San Diego where the patriarchs were to live
and tried to deed it to King David. (The house was quietly sold in 1954.) In the early
1940s, JWs were declaring that Armageddon, only months away, would end World War II and
the defeat of the Nazis would usher in God's rule on earth (The Watchtower,
12/41). Their book, Children, suggested that plans to marry and have children
be postponed until after Armageddon. It's been a long wait! Not giving up, they later
prophesied that God's millennial kingdom would commence in 1975. Again JWs were told not
to engage in any plans for this world, including marriage and having children. Many quit
their jobs, sold their homes, and dedicated themselves to going door to door. (Source:
3/97, The Berean Call.) All in all, the Watchtower has predicted
the end of the world for 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, and 1989.
(Source: 4Q1993, The DISCERNER.)
Myth #1: The JWs are polytheist, believing in both a big God, Jehovah, and a
little God, Jesus Christ.
Fact: JWs are absolutely monotheist, believing in Jehovah the Father who
is the one true God and in His son, Jesus Christ, who is not God in any way at all.
Myth #2: JWs are pacifist and refuse to pay taxes.
Fact: JWs today refer to their stand as neutrality, not pacifism; that
is, they are not against the use of force or even killing; rather they seek to maintain
strict neutrality in the world's affairs, not taking sides or serving any government. As
to paying taxes, the Witnesses do pay them.
Myth #3: JWs will not accept blood for any reason.
Fact: While it's true that they will not accept blood transfusions, JWs
are allowed to have all the component parts of blood plasma.
Myth #4: The Watchtower Society claims to be an inspired prophet with
continuing revelations.
Fact: JWs' Governing Body has always enjoyed all
the privileges of prophets or apostles without any of the responsibilities. So,
technically, though they do not claim to be inspired prophets, in practice, that is just
what they are to the millions of JWs around the world. [Due
to the resignation of the Governing Body's president and six other board members
in October of 2000, JWs formed three new corporations to run its U.S.
operations.]
Myth #5: JWs are super-zealots living exemplary Christian lives.
Fact: The foremost reason for their super zealot reputation is the active
door-to-door ministry. Many are impressed by their willingness to spend so much time in
their mission work. But what are their motives? Mainly they are fear and guilt. The tight
control the organization holds over its members helps bring about conformity in moral
standards.
The Jehovah's Witness "Jesus" -- what
JWs confess and what
they mean are two totally different things: (Source: 1/94, Mount Carmel Outreach
Newsletter.)
(1) "Jesus Christ is the Son of God." -- The first created son of God
was known as Michael the Archangel. This angel was recreated as a perfect man on earth and
named "Jesus." This Jesus died on a torture stake (not a cross), so that men
could work their way into God's Kingdom. This Jesus/Michael now rules
over his Kingdom invisibly since 1914. (Since he failed to show up then, to destroy the
unfaithful, he was declared by the Watchtower "powers that be," to be
invisible!)
(2) "We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ." -- The angel Michael
turned his attention to the affairs of the Earth in 1914 by establishing an invisible
heavenly kingdom. This is what is meant by "second coming." He will never return
visibly to Earth, but will rule through his "anointed" or "remnant"
group of JWs here on Earth.
(3) "Jesus was resurrected." -- God (Jehovah) placed a newly created copy of
Jesus' life pattern (or personality) into a newly created Michael the Archangel's
spiritual (not physical) body. Since Jesus had been totally annihilated, Jehovah had to
recreate Jesus from his memory, and he is now Jesus/Michael in heaven.
* Unless otherwise cited, three primary sources were used for this report: (1) Grolier's 1995 Multimedia Encyclopedia, (2) Funk & Wagnall's Encyclopedia, and (3) What They Believe, Harold J. Berry [HJB], BTTB:1990, pp. 51-70; (4) "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society," Rick Branch (Watchman Fellowship Profile, 1993); and (5) Examining & Exposing Cultic & Occultic Movements, Jack Sin, "Focus on JWs," April 2000, pp. 16-20.
