{"id":3732,"date":"2024-08-25T19:03:45","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T19:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/?p=3732"},"modified":"2024-08-25T19:05:03","modified_gmt":"2024-08-25T19:05:03","slug":"the-bible-vs-the-jehovahs-witnesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/25\/the-bible-vs-the-jehovahs-witnesses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bible vs. The Jehovah’s Witnesses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1870, at the age of eighteen, an ex-Congregationalist by the name of Charles Taze Russell started a Bible class in Pittsburgh. In 1876, the class elected Russell as their Pastor.

He founded the \u201cHerald of the Morning\u201d<\/em> in 1879, which eventually developed into what is known today as \u201cThe Watchtower Announcing Jehovah\u2019s Kingdom.\u201d <\/em>Today this publication has grown to over seventeen million copies per month in over one hundred languages.

In 1884, Russell incorporated the \u201cZion\u2019s Watch Tower Tract Society\u201d<\/em> at Pittsburgh. Today this organization has branches in over one hundred countries, and it has missionary works in over two hundred and fifty. With over one-half million volunteer workers, the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses have become a serious threat to Bible believers throughout the world.

Russell died in 1916, and Judge J.F. Rutherford took over the Society\u2019s leadership. It was under Rutherford\u2019s leadership that the group took the name \u201cJehovah\u2019s Witnesses,\u201d and Society headquarters moved to Brooklyn. Rutherford died in 1942, and Nathan Knorr took control and boosted the membership to over two million. In 1961 the Society published its own \u201ctranslation\u201d of the scriptures, called \u201cThe New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.\u201d<\/em> Knorr died in 1977, and Frederick Franz took over the leadership of the Watchtower Society. Franz is the current leader of the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses (1991).

Rather than bore ourselves with the corrupt history of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, we shall get straight to the main issue at hand: What does the Bible say about their DOCTRINES? The true Bible-believer realizes that the primary purpose for the Lord giving us the Scriptures is DOCTRINE (2 Tim. 3:16), and we are supposed to KNOW sound doctrine from false doctrine. Many have departed from the faith and have given themselves over to \u201cdoctrines of devils\u201d <\/em>(1 Tim. 4:1), and it is our Christian duty to check these people and arm ourselves against their false teachings.

The main false doctrines taught by the \u201cJW\u2019s\u201d (Henceforth used to abbreviate \u201cJehovah\u2019s Witnesses\u201d) are as follows: (1) that God is not a Trinity, (2) that Jesus Christ did not physically rise from the dead, (3) that there will be no literal and physical Second Coming of Christ, and (4) that there will be no place of eternal torment for the wicked. These are the major heresies taught by the JW\u2019s, and we shall examine each of these in light of God\u2019s pure and preserved words. Let us begin with a look at the Trinity.

Is God A Trinity?<\/strong> According the Bible, God is a Triune Being. As all humans are a trinity (soul, body, and spirit\u20131 Ths. 5:23), God is also a Trinity. In Genesis 1:26, God said, \u201cLet us make man in our image. . .\u201d <\/em>In Genesis 11:7, God said, \u201c. . . .let us go down, and there confound their language. . .\u201d <\/em>The terms \u201cus\u201d<\/em> and \u201cour\u201d<\/em> obviously refer to the Holy Trinity. So the Trinity is found in the very early chapters of the Bible.

In the New Testament, we can see all three Members of the Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus in Matthew chapter three. God the Father is speaking from Heaven. God the Son is being baptized, and God the Holy Ghost is descending like a dove. When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, He said in verse 19, \u201cGo ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\u201d <\/em>1 John 5:7 tells us that there are THREE that bear record in Heaven: \u201c. . . the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.\u201d<\/em> (The \u201cWord\u201d is Christ according to John 1:1-3, 14, and 1 John 1:1-3.)

God is a Trinity. He isn\u2019t three Gods, like the JW\u2019s accuse us of believing, but He is ONE Triune God. The pagans who worshipped three gods did so because they knew from observing the creation that God must be in some way associated with the number \u201cTHREE.\u201d They never fully understood the Holy Trinity, but you must admit that they came much closer than the JW\u2019s.

As a man is a soul, a body, and a spirit, God the Father is the Soul of the Trinity, God the Son is the Body, and God the Holy Ghost is the Spirit.

According to Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20, God\u2019s creation actually declares the Trinity doctrine. One can see PROOF of the Trinity everywhere in the universe. The universe consists of three parts: Time, Space, and Matter. Time consists of three parts: Past, Present, and Future. Space consists of three parts: Length, Width, and Height. Matter consists of three parts: Energy, Motion, and Phenomena. There are three heavens in 2 Cor. 12:2, and on earth there are three forms of life: Man, Plant, and Animal. These forms of life are found in three places: Land, Sea, and Air. God is continually showing us through His creation that He is a Trinity.

A perfect example of this is the sun. The sun has three kinds of rays: chemical rays, light rays, and heat rays. Chemical rays cannot be seen or felt, but they can be very powerful. When one receives a sunburn, it is from the sun\u2019s chemical rays. This is a type of God the Father. Light rays are sometimes visible to the human eye. This is a type of Jesus Christ, the \u201clight of the world\u201d (John 8:12)<\/em> and the \u201cSun of righteousness\u201d (Mal.4:2).<\/em> Heat rays are a type of the Holy Ghost for they bring comfort to us by warming our bodies, just as the Holy Ghost, the Comforter (John 16:7), brings comfort to us.

So one can clearly see that God\u2019s word and God\u2019s creation both testify to the fact that He is a Trinity. However, some people aren\u2019t getting the message. The book, \u201cLet God Be True\u201d, <\/em>(Watchtower Bible & Tract Soc., 1952) says the following on page 92:

\u201cThe trinity doctrine was not conceived by Jesus or the early Christians.\u201d<\/em>

Then on page 93, this book says:

\u201c\u2026the plain truth is that this is another of Satan\u2019s attempts to keep the God-fearing person from learning the truth of Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/em> On page 102 of the 1946 edition of \u201cLet God Be True,\u201d<\/em> the JW\u2019s make a very blasphemous statement concerning the Holy Trinity: \u201c\u2026Sincere 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.\u201d<\/em>

Such a remark is entirely uncalled for and is a blank misrepresentation of what Christians really believe about the Trinity. The JW\u2019s cannot UNDERSTAND the Trinity, so they CONDEMN the Trinity. They fail to realize that it is not our job to tell God WHAT HE IS or to even FULLY UNDERSTAND how He can exist. Our responsibility is to BELIEVE WHAT HE SAYS, AS HE SAYS IT, WHERE HE SAYS IT, WITHOUT CHANGING A SINGLE WORD! The Scriptures already presented in this study clearly show that God is a Trinity. Your responsibility is NOT to attempt reasoning out the eternal decrees of God in your small finite mind. Your responsibility is to BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS. Now either you DO, or you DON\u2019T. The JW\u2019s DON\u2019T.

The JW\u2019s believe that Jehovah is God the Father, and that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are not God. They\u2019re wrong. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are both Deity.

Jesus Christ Is Deity<\/strong> As the Second Member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ stands co-existent in Eternity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. There are many proofs in the scriptures for the Deity of Christ. We shall now list several of them.

(1) In Zechariah 12:10, Jehovah speaks of the future return of Christ and says, \u201c. . . They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him, as one mourneth for his only son . . . .\u201d <\/em>This is spoken again in Revelation 1:7, which is clearly a reference to Christ Himself, but in Zechariah 12:10 GOD<\/strong> said, \u201c. . . They shall look upon me<\/strong> whom they have pierced . . . .\u201d<\/em> The One that they pierced was Jesus Christ! So, in Zechariah 12:10, God is saying that He is Jesus Christ.

(2) In John 1:1, John 1:14, 1 John 1:1, and in 1 John 5:7, Jesus is called \u201cthe Word,\u201d<\/em> and John 1:1 says that \u201cthe Word was God.\u201d<\/em>

(3) Thomas referred to Jesus as \u201cMy Lord and my God\u201d<\/em> in John 20:28, and Jesus did not see the need to correct him.

(4) Isaiah 7:14 gives us the prophecy of the Virgin Birth of Christ and states that His name would be \u201cImmanuel.\u201d<\/em> Matthew 1:23 tells us that this word means \u201cGod with us.\u201d<\/em>

(5) In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called \u201cWonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.\u201d <\/em>The Bible certainly would not say this about anyone less than God.

(6) In John 10:30, Jesus says, \u201cI and my Father are one.\u201d <\/em>Jesus is not a lesser god; He is ONE with the Father.

(7) Micah 5:2 tells us that Jesus is \u201cfrom everlasting.\u201d<\/em>

(8) In John 8:58, Jesus tells the Pharisees, \u201cBefore Abraham was, I am.\u201d <\/em>He claimed to be the \u201cI AM\u201d<\/em> of Exodus 3:14, which is God Almighty.

(9) Jesus allowed others to worship Him (John 9:38; Matt. 14:33; and Luke 24:52), which was forbidden, unless He was God (Rev. 22:9).

(10) Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5), which only God can do (Mark 2:7).

(11) The Lord Jesus Christ is omnipresent (Matt. 18:20; 28:20; II Cor. 13:14; I John 5:7). We know He is God because He is capable of being everywhere at once.

(12) Jesus is omniscient (Mark 11:2-6; Matt. 12:40). He is God because He knows all things.

(13) The Lord Jesus is also omnipotent (Rev. 19:6; Matt. 28:18). He has all power.

(14) According to John 1, 1 John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1, Jesus Christ is the Creator of Genesis 1!
(15) Jesus never sinned! Romans 3:23 says that ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God, but Jesus did not sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). So Jesus had to be God.

Now, if you\u2019ve taken time to check these references, then the Holy Spirit has attempted to show you one great truth: The LORD JESUS CHRIST IS GOD. That much is clear to any honest Bible student. The Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses are not honest Bible students. One only has to pick up a copy of their \u201cNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures\u201d<\/em> to see how dishonest and unfaithful they are with God\u2019s word. We shall list a few examples of how the New World Translation ATTACKS the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ:

(1) It changes Zechariah 12:10 to read, \u201c. . . they will certainly look to the one whom they pierced. . . .\u201d<\/em>

(2) John 1:1 in the N.W.T. says that \u201cthe Word was a god,\u201d<\/em> instead of \u201cthe Word was God.\u201d <\/em>The definite article \u201cthe\u201d <\/em>is replaced with \u201ca,\u201d <\/em>and the capital \u201cG\u201d<\/em> is replaced with a lower case \u201cg.\u201d <\/em>The last half of 1 John 5:7 is omitted in the N.W.T., because it says that the Father, the Word (which is Christ in John 1:14), and the Holy Ghost \u201care one.\u201d<\/em>

(3) The Virgin Birth is attacked in Isaiah 7:14 of the N.W.T. by translating \u201cmaiden,\u201d <\/em>instead of \u201cvirgin,\u201d<\/em> even though Matthew 1:23 TOLD THEM that it should read \u201cvirgin!\u201d <\/em>The JW\u2019s will attack anyone or anything associated with the Lord Jesus Christ.

(4) They change \u201cfrom everlasting\u201d<\/em> in Micah 5:2 to read, \u201ctime indefinite,\u201d<\/em> which is not the same at all.

(5) John 8:58 is where Christ said, \u201cBefore Abraham was, I am.\u201d <\/em>This matches God\u2019s statement to Moses in Exodus 3:14, meaning that Christ is God. However, the N.W.T. says, \u201cBefore Abraham came into existence, I have been.\u201d<\/em> This destroys the valuable cross reference to Exodus 3:14. The JW\u2019s believe that Jesus was \u201ca god\u201d before the time of Abraham, but that He was NOT the \u201cI AM\u201d <\/em>of Exodus 3:14.

(6) In John 9:38, Matthew 14:33, and Luke 24:52, the JW\u2019s have replaced the word \u201cworshipped\u201d<\/em> with the words \u201cdid obeisance,\u201d<\/em> which is not the same (See Gen. 37:7, 43:28; Exodus 18:7; 2 Sam. 1:2; 2 Chr. 24:17).

The matter is clear: the JW\u2019s will attack the Lord Jesus Christ every time they have a chance. Their \u201cbible\u201d proves it. Their WRITINGS also prove it. Here are a few blasphemous remarks made by the JW\u2019s over the years concerning the Lord Jesus Christ:

\u201c. . . he was the first and direct creation of Jehovah God\u201d <\/em>(The Kingdom is at Hand, p. 46, 47, 49).

\u201cIf Jesus were God, then during Jesus\u2019 death, God was dead in the grave\u201d <\/em>(Let God Be True, p. 91).

\u201c. . . the true Scriptures speak of God\u2019s Son, the Word, as \u2018a god\u2019.\u201d He is a \u201cmighty god,\u201d but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah\u201d<\/em> (The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 47).

\u201cThe very fact that he was sent proves he was not equal with God, but was less than God his father\u201d<\/em> (The Word: Who is He, p. 41).

This is how a cult deals with the written word of God. HUMAN REASONING is the final authority of all cults. Rather than to take God at His word BY FAITH, a cultist will always REJECT God\u2019s word and attempt to reason things out for himself. All cults will ADD TO, SUBTRACT FROM, OR IGNORE the written revelation of God.

For those of us who BELIEVE the scriptures, we are now well aware of the fact that Jesus Christ is God. Those who believe otherwise will have to CHANGE or IGNORE the Bible, because the Bible testifies of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (John 5:39).

The Holy Ghost Is Deity<\/strong>

The JW\u2019s believe that the Holy Ghost is only \u201cGod\u2019s active force.\u201d They deny the scriptural teaching that the Holy Ghost is a Member of the Holy Trinity:

\u201cThe Scriptures themselves unite to show that God\u2019s holy spirit is not a person but is God\u2019s active force by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will\u201d<\/em> (Aid to Bible Understanding, pg. 1543).

\u201cThe Holy Spirit is the invisible active force of Almighty God that moves his servants to do his will\u201d <\/em>(Let God Be True, pg. 108).

Not only do the JW\u2019s deny the DEITY of the Holy Spirit, they even deny that He is a person. So, in this sense, Satan has been exalted ABOVE the Holy Ghost by the JW\u2019s! The reason given by the JW\u2019s for the personality of Satan is that:

\u201c. . . the Bible calls Satan a manslayer, a liar, a father (in a spiritual sense) and a ruler. (John 8:44, 14:30) Only an intelligent person could fit all those descriptions.\u201d <\/em>(See \u201cAwake!\u201d, December 8, 1973)

We agree, but how can any honest person say that and then DENY the personality of the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost ALSO has attributes that only a PERSON can have. For example:

(1) Only a person could SPEAK, which the Holy Spirit does (Acts 2:11; 13:2; Rev. 2:7).

(2) Only a person could TEACH and COMFORT (Jhn. 16:7, 13).

(3) Only a person could have a MIND (Rom. 8:27).

(4) Only a person could possess the POWER that the Holy Spirit possesses (Rom. 15:19).

(5) Only a person could be INSULTED and GRIEVED (Heb. 10:29; Eph. 4:30).

So the Holy Ghost certainly IS a Person, but more than that, He is GOD, the Third Member of the Holy Trinity. There are several scriptural proofs for the Deity of the Holy Ghost:

(1) In Acts 15:3 Peter accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Ghost, and then in verse four Peter tells him that he had lied unto GOD. The Holy Ghost is God.

(2) The Holy Ghost says in Acts 13:2, \u201cSeparate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.\u201d<\/em> GOD is the one who calls men to do His work (Rom. 8:28; Gal. 1:6; 1 Ths. 2:12; 4:7; 2 Ths. 2:13-14); so, the Holy Ghost is God.

(3) Only God could perform all the great wonders that the Holy Ghost performs (Psa. 104:30; Jhn. 14:16, 26; 16:8-14; Job 33:4; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:13; 4:30).

(4) The Holy Ghost is God because blasphemy against Him shall not be forgiven (Mat. 12:31).

(5) The Holy Ghost is God because He is ETERNAL (Heb. 9:14).

(6) The Holy Ghost is God because He is OMNIPRESENT (Psa. 139:7-8).

(7) The Holy Ghost is God because He has the power to give life (John 3:6; 6:63).

(8) The Scriptures are God\u2019s word, and 2 Peter 1:21 says that the Holy Ghost INSPIRED the Scriptures. Therefore the Holy Ghost is God.

The Bible clearly reveals to us that the Holy Ghost is a Member of the Holy Trinity. To deny this truth is to openly deny God\u2019s word.

The Trinity doctrine is a BIBLE doctrine. It is true that Satan has counterfeited the Trinity doctrine for many centuries in many pagan religions, but that doesn\u2019t change the truth. God\u2019s word declares that He is a Trinity, and it is our responsibility to BELIEVE it.

Did Jesus Christ Rise Physically From the Dead?<\/strong>

According to the JW\u2019s, He did not. The Bible speaks of a literal and physical resurrection, but the Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus only rose from the grave spiritually<\/em>. Their literature speaks for itself:

\u201c. . . So the King Christ Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected an invisible spirit creature.\u201d<\/em> (Let God Be True, pg. 138)

\u201cTherefore the bodies in which Jesus manifested himself to his disciples after his return to life were not the body in which he was nailed to a tree. They were merely materialized for the occasion, resembling on one or two occasions the body in which he died\u2026\u201d<\/em> (The Kingdom Is At Hand, pg. 259)

\u201cOur Lord\u2019s human body . . . did not decay or corrupt . . . whether it was dissolved into gasses or whether it is still preserved somewhere . . . no one knows.\u201d<\/em> (Studies In The Scriptures, Vol. 2, pg. 129)

According to the words of Jesus Christ Himself, He is NOT merely a spirit being. He is a literal and physical risen Savior. In Luke chapter twenty-four, beginning at verse thirty-six, the disciples see the risen Christ and they supposed they had seen a spirit (vs. 37); but Jesus cleared the matter up for everyone when He said, \u201c. . . Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.\u201d (Luk. 24:38-39)<\/em>

He then SHOWED them His hands and feet, and they believed. What did they believe? They believed that He was a literal and physical being in a literal and physical body.

When Jesus appeared to Thomas He said, \u201c. . . Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.<\/em>\u201d (John. 20:27) The risen Christ had the crucifixion scars in His body to PROVE that He had been physically resurrected from the dead.

If Jesus didn\u2019t rise physically then He lied in John 2:18-22 when He said that His \u201cbody\u201d <\/em>would rise in three days. He didn\u2019t say His spirit would rise. He said that His BODY would rise. When He arose His disciples actually REMEMBERED this prophecy and believed. Too bad the JW\u2019s can\u2019t do the same.

The JW\u2019s claim that Jesus appeared in different bodies after His so-called \u201cspiritual resurrection.\u201d Their \u201cproof\u201d for this is the fact that the Emmaus disciples didn\u2019t recognize Him in His resurrection body, so it couldn\u2019t have been the same body. That\u2019s nonsense. Luke 24:16 tells us why they didn\u2019t recognize Him. It had nothing to do with a spiritual body. The problem was their EYESIGHT: \u201cBut their eyes were holden that they should not know him.\u201d<\/em>

The bodily resurrection of Christ is a fundamental Bible doctrine. The salvation of a person\u2019s soul rests upon this doctrine, because if Jesus didn\u2019t physically rise from the dead AS HE SAID HE WOULD, then we\u2019re all lost and going to Hell according to 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (JW\u2019s included).

Will There Be A Literal and Physical Second Coming?<\/strong>

If the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected literally and physically from the dead, and if He appeared physically to His disciples, then His Second Coming must also be literal and physical.

Acts 1:11 tells us that Jesus will return \u201cin like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.\u201d<\/em> Jesus ascended into Heaven literally, physically, and visibly, so He will return \u201cin like manner.\u201d<\/em>

The JW\u2019s deny this. They insist that the Second Coming of Christ will be SPIRITUAL, rather than literal and physical:

\u201cChrist Jesus comes, not again as a human, but as a glorious spirit person.\u201d <\/em>(Let God Be True, pg. 196)

\u201cSince no earthly men have ever seen or can see the Father, they will be unable to see the glorified Son.\u201d <\/em>(Let God Be True, pg. 197)

\u201cIt is a settled Scriptural truth, therefore, that human eyes will not see him at his second coming, neither will he come in a fleshy body.\u201d <\/em>(The Truth Shall Make You Free, pg. 295)

The word of God says otherwise. Paul says in Titus 2:13 that we should be LOOKING for that blessed hope and the glorious APPEARING of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. If the JW\u2019s are right in saying that we will not be able to see Christ, then why did Paul tell us to be LOOKING for His APPEARING?

The New World Translation has very conveniently removed the word \u201cappearing\u201d<\/em> from Titus 2:13 and replaced it with \u201cmanifestation.\u201d<\/em> The same has also been done in 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, and 2 Timothy 4:8. (You can make the Bible teach ANYTHING if you just CHANGE THE WORDS!)<\/em>

Now we know that the Second Coming of Christ will NOT be a spiritual and invisible return. Revelation 1:7 says, \u201cBehold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him<\/strong>, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.<\/em>\u201d In Matthew 24:30, Jesus Himself says, \u201cAnd then shall appear<\/strong> the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming<\/strong> in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.<\/em>\u201d Zechariah 14:4 says, \u201cAnd his feet shall stand <\/strong>in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.<\/em>\u201d The literal and physical feet of Luke 24:39 will literally STAND upon the literal, physical, and very visible mount of Olives. That\u2019s perfectly clear to anyone with reading ability.

There\u2019s nothing spiritual or invisible about the Second Coming of Christ. The \u201cclouds\u201d will be literal (Rev. 1:7), as will the \u201cfire\u201d (2 Ths. 1:8), the \u201csaints\u201d (1 Ths. 3:13), the \u201cmountains and rocks\u201d (Rev. 6:16), and, of course, the thousand-year reign (Rev. 20:1-7). A \u201cspiritual\u201d or \u201cinvisible\u201d Second Coming is totally foreign to the written revelation of God.

Now, it is also noteworthy to point out that the JW\u2019s have quite a record when it comes to DATING the Second Coming. Listed below are five separate instances where the JW\u2019s have predicted the Second Coming and missed:

(1) In 1897, a book titled \u201cThe Battle of Armageddon\u201d<\/em> stated on page seventy-five that Jesus\u2019 Second Coming had ALREADY HAPPENED INVISIBLY<\/em> in the year 1874, and the Watchtower<\/em> publication re-stated this in the September 15th issue of 1922 and also in the January 1st issue of 1924.

(2) On January 15th, 1892, the Watchtower<\/em> claimed that Armageddon began in 1874 and would end in 1914. This became quite an embarrassment for the JW\u2019s because 1914 was the beginning of World War I!

(3) The book Millions Now Living Will Never Die <\/em>claimed that the year 1925 would actually bring about the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old. Page eighty-nine of this book claimed that \u201cthe earthly phase of the kingdom shall be recognized.\u201d<\/em> However, when the January 1, 1925, issue of the Watchtower<\/em> was published, it said, \u201cThis may be accomplished. It may not be.\u201d<\/em>

(4) The December Watchtower<\/em> for 1941 claimed that World War II would turn America and England into dictatorships, that the end of Nazi rule would mark the end of demon rule<\/em>, and that God would rule when the Nazis were defeated.<\/em>

(5) In 1942, the JW\u2019s were still talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob returning \u201cany day now!\u201d<\/em> (Consolation<\/em>, May 27, 1942, Pg. 13)

So the Watchtower Society will continue right along with it\u2019s foolish date setting\u2013keeping it\u2019s members in constant fear and confusion. It is true that the Bible gives us many definite signs which indicate the Lord\u2019s return is getting very near, but no one knows the day nor the hour (Mat. 24:36).

Is Hell A Literal Fiery Place?<\/strong>

The JW\u2019s have traditionally believed and taught that there is no eternal punishment for the wicked: \u201c. . . the Bible hell is mankind\u2019s common grave\u2026\u201d (Let God Be True,<\/em> pg. 92. Page ninety-eight of this book refers to the doctrine of Hell as a \u201cGod defaming doctrine.\u201d<\/em>)

\u201cThe doctrine of a burning hell where the wicked are tortured eternally after death cannot be true . . . .\u201d (Let God Be True<\/em>, pg. 99)

We call it to the reader\u2019s attention that it was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who first used the term \u201chell fire\u201d (Mat. 5:22), and it was Jesus Christ who said in Matthew 25:41, \u201c. . . Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.\u201d <\/em>When the JW\u2019s attack the Hell doctrine they are attacking the very words of Christ.

A JW believes that Hell is only the grave that everyone goes to at death. He believes that the saved ones in the graves will be given eternal life on earth after the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15, while the unsaved in the graves will be annihilated<\/em> once and for all in the Lake of Fire. JW\u2019s refuse to believe that God will punish the wicked forever in the Lake of Fire. Of course, the Scriptures say something entirely different:

(1) There is no FIRE in the grave, but there certainly is fire in the \u201chell\u201d of the Bible (Luk. 16:23; Deu. 32:22; Mat. 5:22; 18:9; Jas. 3:6).

(2) No one PRAYS from the grave, but they certainly do in Hell (Luk. 16:24; Jon. 2:2).

(3) Hell was originally made for the Devil and his angels (Mat. 25:41), but the grave was not.

(4) A Christian\u2019s SOUL does not go to the grave at death (Phi. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; 1 Ths. 5:10). Only the BODY goes to the grave. An unsaved man\u2019s body also goes to the grave at death, but his SOUL goes to a place of TORMENT and FLAMES (Luk. 16:22-23).

(5) The grave cannot possibly be Hell because Jesus said it would be better to enter into life (eternal life) without a hand, a foot, or an eye, than to go to Hell (Mat. 18:8-9). How could it be \u201cbetter\u201d if Hell is only the grave where there is no suffering at all? According to Jesus Christ, Hell is a lot WORSE than losing a hand, a foot, or an eye forever.

(6) Annihilation cannot be true because the Bible uses such terms as \u201cshame and everlasting contempt\u201d (Dan. 12:2) and \u201ctorment . . . forever\u201d (Rev. 14:11). Shame and torment are sufferings that are experienced by a LIVING BEING, not an annihilated corpse.

God is an ETERNAL Being; therefore, an eternal payment is required for sin (Mar. 9:44-48; Isa. 66:22-23). You can have a FAIR TRIAL, or you can have a FREE PARDON. In a fair trial before God, you will be eternally damned to Hell because you are a sinner against a Holy God. God will have no choice but to sentence you to Hell forever.

If you are wise you will receive God\u2019s FREE PARDON. Jesus Christ has ALREADY paid for your sins, but you must RECEIVE Him as Savior. John 1:12 says, \u201cBut as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:<\/em>\u201d

Friend, have you ever turned from your sins and received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? The Bible says, \u201cFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.\u201d (John. 3:16)<\/em>

Many have the idea that our good works can save us and get us into Heaven, but the Bible says this isn\u2019t so:

\u201cAs it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:\u201d (Rom. 3:10)<\/em>

\u201cFor all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;\u201d (Rom. 3:23)<\/em>

\u201cFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.\u201d (Eph. 2:8-9)<\/em>

We have no really \u201cgood\u201d works, because we\u2019re all SINNERS by nature. We were born into this world as sinners (Psa. 51:5), and this is why Jesus said we must be \u201cborn again\u201d (John. 3:3).

This new birth is given to us freely, and was made possible when Christ died and shed His blood at Calvary for our sins. By receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior, trusting Him alone to save you, you can be born again. You can have eternal life TODAY by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13 says, \u201cFor whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.\u201d<\/em> Romans 10:9-10 says, \u201cThat if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.<\/em>\u201d

Friend, why not turn from your sins right now and call upon the Lord to save your soul? Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and serve Him faithfully until He returns.

If you\u2019ve received Christ as your Savior, then we urge you to follow the Lord in baptism, and we also advise you to find a good Bible-believing church and join it. Don\u2019t allow such false teachers as the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses to lead you astray! If we can assist you in any way, please contact us.

If you need more information about salvation, please write.

Author: James L. Melton<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 1870, at the age of eighteen, an ex-Congregationalist by the name of Charles Taze Russell started a Bible class in Pittsburgh. In 1876, the class elected Russell as their Pastor. He founded the \u201cHerald of the Morning\u201d in 1879, which eventually developed into what is known today as \u201cThe Watchtower Announcing Jehovah\u2019s Kingdom.\u201d Today … Continue reading The Bible vs. The Jehovah’s Witnesses<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa5oei-Yc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3732"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3734,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3732\/revisions\/3734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}