According to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, all non- Jehovah Witnesses will be destroyed at Armageddon, a time said to be coming soon. The Watchtower prints over 14 million copies of its magazines every week, and has over 4 million (in 1992) Jehovah's Witnesses are spreading their doctrines in 200 countries and it is rapidly increasing. Since it's origination, the Jehovah's Witnesses have had many names and boldly claim to be the only organization that God is using to speak his truth for Him today.
History of its leaders.
Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) founded the International Bible Student Association, which became the Foundation to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, now known as the Jehovah Witnesses. He rejected his Presbyterian roots as he denied Christ and feared the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment. Russell was a Freemason as well as a York Rite Knights Templar and has recorded the admittance of this in his own material. He also had a secret membership with the Quaker town, OPA group of the Rosicrucian's. Infact it was Rothschild's who funded the Jehovah's Witnesses into being, along with other Illuminati bankers. In 1922 it was proven in a court of law that the founders of both the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses were of the Illuminati bloodline. In spite of his lack of formal training in theology or biblical languages, Russell claimed to be the only one with the truth, and he vigorously condemned all other Christian religions. In hearing this Rev.J.J.Ross published a pamphlet exposing Russell's false claims and doctrines. Russell tried to stop the circulation of the pamphlets by suing Rev.Ross. At the court proceedings, under oath, at Hamilton , Ontario , he was asked, ?Do you know Greek?? He replied, ?Oh yes.? When handed a Greek New Testament, he was unable to read the letters of the Greek alphabet. He then admitted that he new neither Greek nor Latin nor Hebrew.
Following his death, leadership was passed to Judge J.F.Rutherford (1869-1942).He was described as a self righteous, moody, rude, profane, violent tempered, prone to physical violence and to be an alcoholic. Rutherford published a book called Finished Ministers where he predicted that in 1918 God would destroy churches and millions of their members and claimed that by 1920 every kingdom would be swallowed up in anarchy. He taught that the only way to escape the impending judgment and distraction was to join the Watchtower organization.
Symbols used by the watchtower.
Watchtower claims that there are two inspired workers man and the great pyramids of Geza in Egypt . Today the Jehovah's Witnesses are told that the bible contains chronology which concludes the year 1914 as an important prophetic date- the year of Christ's second coming and it points to the end of this world by measuring the lengths of various passages and chambers. Russell is reported to have visited the Pyramids twice, it was after his second visit that he started to use the winged sun disk. Russell was buried with a pyramid headstone, with Masonic symbols engraved on it.
Blood doctrine.
According to the Watchtower, Jehovah's Witnesses may not accept blood transfusions. By taking a blood transfusion the chance of entering into everlasting life in God's new world are lost. In 2000-06-04 an article was published in the UK Times- now allowing Jehovah's witnesses to accept blood transfusions in a life or death situation and no longer will they be disfellowshiped. This comes after decades of adverse publicity about adults and children who have died or come close to death because of their faith.
Changing the bible to gain credibility.
The Watchtower and Tract Society have made many changes to the correct translation of the bible in an effort to substantiate the non-Christian doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Consequently, they claim that their New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is superior to all others. Words like ? an' are changed to ? the', ? I am' to ? I shall' such changes of text can alter the entire meaning of one scripture. This is done to agree with their theology. Examples: John 1:1 , Exodus 3:14
Why is coming out the watchtower so difficult?
Have you every wondered why it is so hard for individuals to leave a cult? They are victims of mind control. They are filled with fear; fear of God- God would punish them for leaving the only ?true? religion. Fear of loosing their family - when one leaves the organization their entire family and friends push them away, usually they are no longer allowed having any contact with them. Fear of what's to come - their new lives separate them from all they have ever known. Jehovah's Witnesses are isolated, from reality, from other religions and viewpoints.
False prophecies.
Russell prophesied that in 1914 the Armageddon would strike, when 1914 came and went with out the dramatic Armageddon he changed the date to 1915. Russell died in 1916 leaving his follows disillusioned by his failing predictions. Rutherford then used the threat of the Armageddon to intimidate the Jehovah's Witnesses. Then in 1917 he published a book, Finished Ministry, where he predicted that God would destroy churches and millions of their members, and claimed that by 1920 every kingdom would be swallowed up.In 1920 he wrote another book, Millions now living will die, here he said that the millennium would start in 1925 and that old testament saints like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would come back to life. The Watchtower even built an luxurious mansion to house these patriarchs. (Beth-Sarim or The House of Princes), mean while, whilst awaiting for their return he moved into it. Rutherford died in 1942 and in 1948 the mansion was sold quietly to avoid any further embracement. Then in 1966 a book was written, Everlasting in the freedom of the Sons of God, where a vague prediction was made for the end in 1975. Still non of these prophecies have come true or any other prophesies that they have made.
"..You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.." Deuteronomy 18:21-22
Denial of the trinity.
The Jehovah Witness disclaimed the teaching of the three in one Godhead- God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They simply do not believe that the Holy spirit is a person and therefore cannot be one of the trinity. They believe that the spirit of God is any power or influence that God chooses to exercise.
Christ was not divine until his resurrection.
Jehovah's Witness believes Jesus to be a created being, the chief of angels and the highest of God's creation - The Archangel Michael. After his death and resurrection, after three days he then became an Almighty God then on his return to heaven he once again became the Archangel Michael. In the Jehovah Witnesses Aid to Bible Understanding they explain that there is only one Archangel - Michael on the grounds that the bible only speaks of him in singular form. In Thessalonians 4: 16 the voice of the resurrected Jesus Christ is described as that of an Archangel thus implying that he is in fact the Archangel . Yet if you read it closely, 'an' Archangel is used and not 'the' Archangel , thus applying there is more than one Archangel . Notice in the following scripture the use of the word one-
"..But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes , came down to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia..?Daniel 10:13There is a chapter in the New Testament that explains that Jesus is superior to angels. Jesus is God ? He is infinite, sovereign, eternal, all-powerful and all knowing.
His body was not raised from the dead.
The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus had a spiritual resurrection and denies the physical resurrection. That after his resurrection He became a quickening spirit and could take on different materialized forms. They do not know what happened to Jesus' body but they know that it did not decay or corrupt and that it is persevered some where or maybe it dissolved into the glass. Rom 8:11 teaches that Christ did not become a spirit being, but God used the Holy spirit to raise him from the dead. Jesus said:
?A spirit has not got flesh and bones as you see I have.? Luke 24:39
Man and their salvation.
They teach that man is a soul, and does not have a soul. They insist that the doctrine of inheriting an immortal soul comes from the serpent (the devils). Seen, as there is no immortality for ones soul in their salvation and that the work of the cross is only a guarantee for a second chance, it is left up to man to be his own saviour, though obedience or disobedience.
Christ's return to earth.
Russell claimed that Jesus returned to earth in 1874 and predicted that all the saints would be raised in 1914. Later Jehovah's Witnesses asserted that Christ returned to the temple in 1914, and cleaned it out by 1918 for the judgment on sinful man and the devils originations. Having changed the translation in the bible to the referral of Christ's second ?coming' to 'presents', thus to say that Christ did come in 1914 in presents to justify His no visibility.
Death, Heaven and hell.
What is death? What is heaven? What is Hell? A doctrine that warms the sinful heart and appeals to unrepentful. After death they await for the second chance - the new earth. So death is no longer none existence. A select few will enter in to heaven (144 000) whilst the rest will enjoy paradise on earth. And Hell? Hell is seen as the tomb, the grave. Believed that the doctrine of eternal torment is a false doctrine once again by the devil.