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The Jehovah's Witnesses Cult |
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Are "Jehovah Witnesses" from heaven or from men? It is certainly not my
desire to be ugly or rude, but to be forthright in order to remove all
doubt. "Jehovah Witnesses" are from men. Here are the reasons why I can say
this without reservation. First, they were form about 1,840 years after
Jesus established His kingdom. Second, they reject the deity of Christ.
Third, they teach the kingdom was established in AD 1914. Fourth, they
teach, "No man has or possesses a soul." Fifth, they teach, "The doctrine
of eternal torment in hell is another one of Satan's vicious lies."
The first formal organization of what would later become the "Jehovah Witnesses" took place in Pittsburgh, PA in 1872, and they were nicknamed "Russellites" after its founder Charles T. Russell. They were also called "Millennial Dawnist" and "International Bible Students." They were first incorporated in 1884, and Russell became their first president. At that time, their headquarters were moved to Brooklyn, NY. To assist the president, a board of directors were elected by a vote of all members subscribing $10 or more for the support of their work. This practice continued until 1944. After the death of Russell, Joseph F. "Judge" Rutherford, a Missouri lawyer and occasionally sat as a circuit court judge, was made president. In 1931 in Columbus, Ohio, they began to be called "Jehovah Witnesses," and in 1939 the "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc." was organized. Eventually, three governmental systems were lead by Rutherford: "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.," "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania," and "International Bible Students Association of England." Since it was founded by Russell and Rutherford, it ought to be abundantly clear, "Jehovah Witnesses" is of men and not from God. Russell taught that Christ "was the highest of all Jehovah's creatures, so also he was the first, the direct creation of God, the 'Only Begotten,' and then he, as Jehovah's representative, and in the exercise of Jehovah's power, and in his name, created all things, angels, principalities, and powers, as well as the earthly creation." Rutherford also taught that "the beginning of God's creation was the Logos..." Today, they continue this teaching: "The truth of the matter is that the Word is Christ Jesus, who did have a beginning..." Further, they teach "Jesus is God's 'firstborn' (Col. 1:15) as God's first creation, called 'the Word' in his pre-human existence. (John 1:1) The word 'beginning' in John 1:1 cannot refer to the 'beginning' of God the Creator, for he is eternal, having no beginning. (Ps. 90:2) It must therefore refer to the beginning of creation, when the Word was brought forth by God as his firstborn Son." In fact, they teach that Jesus was the archangel Michael of the Old Testament. Is this what the Bible teaches? No! John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Notice John records, "the Word was God." No definite article is used which indicates quality or characteristics. In other words, what John is indicating is the Word was a God kind of being – deity. Also John uses the Greek word "en" (imperfect tense) ("was"-KJV) three times in this passage indicating the fact that God and the Word had no origin and were eternally existent. Another passage they alluded to is Colossians 1:15-16: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." In this passage, the controversy centers upon the term "firstborn." This term is often used of a person born first in order. However, the term can also mean first in rank. According to order, Manasseh was the oldest and in that sense, the firstborn. However, Israel blessed Ephraim with the birthright of the firstborn because he was set before Manasseh (Genesis 48:13-20), and the Lord said through Jeremiah the prophet that Ephraim is His firstborn (Jeremiah 31:9). Ephraim was not first in order but first in rank. So it is with Christ. Jesus is the chief of the creation and is supreme in rank over all of the creation. Please notice in both John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 the inspired writers wrote that Christ created all things. If Christ is a created being, and He created all things, then Christ must have created Himself! How can that be? Such is asinine and self-contradicting. Though they may call themselves "Jehovah Witnesses," they certainly are not Jehovah's witnesses for Jesus said, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). "Jehovah Witnesses" teach "In AD 1914, at the close of the 'seven times' of the Gentiles, Christ Jesus whose right it is to be God's King in the true and everlasting Theocracy of heaven, came and God gave the throne of The Theocratic Government to him . . . Christ Jesus came to the Kingdom in AD 1914, but unseen to men." Concerning the 144,000 they say, "The church of Christ consists of Jesus Christ the head and the 144,000 members of his body." "These are the only ones whom Jehovah God takes to heaven with His Son. All others who gain life in His new world will live in paradise restored here on earth." There are three basic problems with these things. First, there is one body not two. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:4, "There is one body..." Furthermore, the one body is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), and the church is comprised of the saved (Acts 2:47). All the saved live "in hope of eternal life" (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:19-20) in the heavenly realm (2 Corinthians 5:1) for the earth and the works therein will be destroyed with a fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10-12). Second, if the kingdom was established in 1914, then how could Paul declare that God, the Father, delivered the Christians in Colossae "from the power of darkness" and translated them "into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:13)? Further, how could John declare he was a "in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:9). Christians living in the first century, nearly two thousand years ago, understood they were members of the one body of Christ and citizens of His kingdom. Third, in Mark 9:1 Jesus prophesied, "Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." If Jesus failed in establishing His kingdom, then, again, how could Paul and John speak of being in it? Also, if Jesus failed the first time, then what would prevent Him from failing the second time or the third...? Is not this a slap on the face of God Almighty? "Jehovah Witnesses" teach "No man has or possesses a soul." Rutherford said "A man dies like other animals, and all go into the same place." Further, they teach "Death means a change in condition. For an individual it means a change of condition from entity to non-entity." "...died and went to hell, means oblivion or condition of non-existence." "So we see that the claim of religionists that man has an immortal soul and therefore differs from the beast is not Scriptural." "The Scriptures, without contradiction, show that the dead are unconscious, out of existence." To prove these thoughts, they use such passages as Genesis 2:7 which says, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Also, Ecclesiastes 3:19 which says, "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity." However, these verses do not teach such for the word "soul" can be used in various ways. Sometimes, it is used in reference to life whether of animals or man as in the case of Ecclesiastes 3:19. And sometimes it is used to indicate the eternal or never-dying spirit of man as in the case of Genesis 2:7. The account (not parable) of the rich man and Lazarus clearly proves man has a never-dying spirit (Luke 16). Furthermore, Solomon wrote, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Jesus spoke of the eternal soul when He said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). "Jehovah Witnesses" teach "the doctrine of eternal torment in hell is another one of Satan's vicious lies. . . 'Hell' means a condition of death, not a place of torture. When man prefers to continue in wickedness, God mercifully puts him to sleep in death, and that man never awakens." "It [hell] is no deeper than the grave." To the contrary, the Bible clearly teaches reality of hell. Our English word "hell" is used in various ways such as the place of the dead or the place of punishment. Paul unmistakably spoke of the place of punishment when he wrote, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). "Everlasting destruction" does not sound like a temporary abode. In fact, if you take away the "everlasting" aspect of the place of torment, you must also take away the "everlasting" aspect of heaven. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." In the original, the words translated "everlasting" and "eternal" are the same. What is true of "punishment" is also true of "life." In other words, if "punishment" is temporary, then "life" must also be temporary, but if "life" is eternal, then "punishment" must is eternal. Furthermore, listen to the way Jesus depicted this place. Three times in Mark 9, Jesus described hell as a place "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (verses 44, 46, 48). Certainly, this does not sound like a temporary place. It is a place to avoid at all costs. For the reasons cited, "Jehovah Witnesses" are not from God but are of men. Many other errors could be addressed, but these are sufficient to prove our thesis. If you are a "Jehovah Witness," I pray that you will have the spirit of the Bereans who "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). If you are not a "Jehovah Witness," I pray that you will not be led astray by their zeal and sincerity, for they do not witness for Jehovah. |