I have to start this article with these simple words… “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him, will NOT perish, but have everlasting life.”
There I said it. I’ve made myself clear. But I hope that I’ve also so made the point that “God said it,” not me.
I didn’t write the Bible. I’m only writing this article. There… I feel so much better now.
I’m starting this series of “Cult” topics on the Jehovah’s Witnesses… WHY? Because they’re a cult. No other special reason. I’ll get to the others in time. Count on it!
In 1872, a pastor named Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), organized an inconspicuous Bible Study Group in Allegheny, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. USA. Less than a decade later, this study group became the Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society. Pastor Russell became its founder president. Subsequently, the Society decided to drop the word “Zion’s” from its name, that depicted a sort of affiliation with Israel. The movement adopted the name Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. In 1931, the movement adopted the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” which has remained unchanged to this date. Who is Jehovah?
Most discussions between Christians and “J W’s” revolves around the topic of “deity.” Christians understand the Bible to declare that God is three persons in one. (Trinity) This is the area where the “Watchtower” theology deviates most dramatically from the truth. The “J W’s” have been taught that only God the Father alone is God; that Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel, the first angel created by God. And then they further explain that the Holy Spirit is neither God or a person, but an impersonal “active force.”
The first step in conquering this lie is to answer their concept, Is Jesus Christ really an angel?
So as not to be accused of misquoting, I will now quote from the Watchtower issues; “Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the scriptures to be Michael the archangel.” (Watchtower, February 15, 1979, p. 31)
They can find NO scriptures to prove Jesus is Michael the archangel or that Jesus is an angel… period! So, they created their own version of the Bible and call it the “New World Translation.” (Not to be confused with the New Living Translation.)
The NWT (New World Translation) mentions Michael five times. These five quotes are very close to the original scriptures and do not mention anyone but Michael. OK, so far.
Then they come to this… Jesus Christ is “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14, NWT) and is “far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name named, not only in this system of things, but also in that to come” (Ephesians 1:21, NWT) Does this sound like an archangel?
Then they use this one scripture to anchor their doctrine on… “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet…” (1Thesaloninas 4:16, NWT)
The verse simply means that the archangel, like God’s trumpet, will herald the coming of the Lord, not that the Lord is an archangel! Nothing they present as scriptural “evidence” even comes close to stating that Jesus is Michael or Jesus is an archangel!
The fact is; the scriptures prove He’s NOT an angel. The Son of God is superior to the angels. The book of Hebrews, chapter 1, says, ” For to what angel did God ever say, Thou are my Son…?” and again, when He brought His Son into the world… “Let all God’s angels worship Him…”
Angels consistently refuse worship throughout scriptures. Jesus Christ is NOT an angel.
What is heretical (a doctrine that will send you to hell) about their teaching is that the scriptures clearly state that Jesus is Lord and King. And even the apostle Peter told the people in Acts 4:11-12; “For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, `The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that… Matthew 11:27, Jesus said, “My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Another little footnote about the way the leadership of the Watchtower Society has lied and changed the wording of God’s Holy word to make it compliant with their doctrine… Revelation 22:18 “And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book.”
The people who participate in this cult are mostly duped by the “leadership” of this pernicious teaching and they will answer when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ, unless they turn from their wicked ways.
I pray they do! Ephesians 2:12 “In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from God’s people, Israel, and you did not know the promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.”
