The Cults: Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society

A few weeks ago, I asked if anyone had any valuable resources about two cults: the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons. I have been doing some intermittent, but extensive study since then on the Jehovah's Witnesses and would like to share some of the very basics on who they are and what their doctrines entail.

The Beginning (in very basic terms)
Charles Taze Russell began the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1872, when the organization was originally called “International Bible Students”. Russell had a particular interest in Bible Prophecy, Numerology, and Pyramidology. Using his understanding of Biblical Prophecy, along with observations and measurements of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, Russell “prophesied” that the world would come to an end and Christ would set up His reign on Earth in 1914. Russell also taught against the Trinity and personality of the Holy Spirit, he taught against eternal punishment, and eventually taught against the physical resurrection of Christ. When 1914 did not see the end of the world and the beginning of Christ's reign on Earth, the dates were revised. This happened several times before date-setting was eventually abandoned. In it's place, the Jehovah's Witnesses now teach that Christ did, in fact, return in 1874, but spiritually and not physically. Because Acts 1:11 teaches that Jesus will return to Earth in the same manner that he left at Pentecost, the Witnesses teach that His resurrection was spiritual only, and not physical.

The Witnesses also hold that there is no Hell. In it's place, they teach that the unfaithful are annihilated, they merely cease to exist at all. The faithful, however, are divided into two classes. The first class is the 144,000. These are the most faithful and best servants of Jehovah God. They, the Witnesses teach, will reign with Christ in Heaven for eternity. They other class is the rest of the faithful. These will be resurrected (in physical bodies), to live forever in the new Earth.

Who is Jesus?
As with any cult, the nature and identity of Jesus is unorthodox with the Jehovah's Witnesses. They teach that Jesus is not God, but “a god”. To this, this merely means that Jesus is the greatest of God's Creation. God, according to JW's, created Jesus, who in turn created the rest of the universe. They say that Jesus is not “Jehovah God”, and is not to be worshipped. (Whenever the JW's refer to “Jehovah”, they are speaking specifically of God the Father, without exception.) To go one step further, the JW's teach that Jesus was Michael the Archangel in the Old Testament, and that he became Michael again after the Ascension. Where they got this doctrine, I still haven't figured out.

The Witnesses also teach that Jesus was not crucified, but rather executed on a “torture stake”, claiming that the cross was a pagan symbol, and God would not allow His son to be killed on a pagan symbol.

Rounding out the Trinity
Because they believe that Jesus is not God, The Jehovah's witnesses deny the Trinity. As such, they have their own doctrine about the nature of the Holy Spirit. They believe that the Holy Spirit is not a personal being, but rather “a force, like radar”. They don't understand the Trinity, so they deny that it can possibly exist.

Further Beliefs
Other beliefs held by the Jehovah's Witnesses include the following:

• Blood transfusions are forbidden. Leviticus 17:12 forbids the eating of blood, and the JW's extend this to mean taking of blood in any manner, even if it is to save a life. A Jehovah's Witness will allow his child to die before consenting to a blood transfusion.
• Disregard for civil government. Because they believe that Christ returned spiritually to set up His kingdom in 1874, they will not vote, run for office, serve in the armed forces, salute the flag, or recognize any civil holidays. They also will not celebrate birthdays, claiming it is a form of worship forbidden by God.
• Men are to be clean shaven, and have short hair
• Women are to dress modestly (If only the Church would follow this as well…)
• They are required to go door-to-door spreading their message with tracts, magazines, and through “Bible studies”, and to collect money that is sent to their organization's headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.

The preceding has been about the most basic description of the Jehovah's Witness Watchtower Bible and Tracts Society that I could write. It is meant only to describe what they believe, not to counter their claims. For a more in depth (but still fairly basic) overview of the Witnesses, I recommend the Jehovah's Witness page at carm.org.