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Series 19 – Jehovah’s Witnesses

Series 19 – Jehovah’s Witnesses

Lesson for November 26, 2025

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Jehovah’s Witnesses was founded by Charles Taze Russell around 1881, as an organization to print publications. After Russell’s death several groups broke away, and a man named Joseph Rutherford retained control of the organization, which was called The Watch Tower Society. Rutherford made many doctrinal changes, including adopting the name Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931, to distinguish the group from other Bible student groups. Their current membership is approximately 9 million worldwide.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, for refusing to serve in the military, and refusing blood transfusions. They consider the use of God’s name, Jehovah only, is vital for proper worship. They reject the Trinity, the immortality of the soul, and Hell. They believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and the establishment of God’s kingdom over earth is the only solution to all of humanity’s problems. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays which they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity. They prefer their own false interpretation of the Bible called the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Their other beliefs are as follows:

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s one true name, by which he must be identified is Jehovah.

The names of God in the Old Testament and the Gospels:

Jehovah

  1. Translated “LORD, GOD” (Genesis 2:4)
  2. Personal name for God
  3. Means “Self-existent One”
  4. Most often refers to the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ
  5. Always related in a redemptive way to His own people
  6. Was never pronounced by the Jews, only written without vowels (JHVH)

Adonai

  1. Translated “Lord” (Genesis 15:2)
  2. Means “He is in authority” or “Master”
  3. Also used of men in authority (even a husband)
  4. It is a title for God that recognizes His authority Elah, Elohim
  5. Translated “God”
  6. Elohim is found more than 2300 times in Scripture
  7. God’s official title
  8. Means “the strong one that binds with an oath”
  9. El, the singular form is found 250 times in Scripture
  10. Elohim refers to all three Persons of the Godhead

El

  1. El-Shaddai – Almighty God- Omnipotence (Genesis 17:1)
  2. El-Elyon – Most High God- Omniscience (Genesis 14:18)
  3. El- Olam – Everlasting God- Omnipresence (Genesis 21:33)

Jehovah also has compound names

  1. Jehovah-Jireh – the Lord our Provider (Genesis 22:14)
  2. Jehovah-Rapha – the Lord our Healer (Exodus 15:26)
  3. Jehovah-Nissi – the Lord our Banner (Exodus 17:15)
  4. Jehovah-Shalom – the Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24)
  5. Jehovah-Raah – the Lord our Shepherd (Psalms 23:1)
  6. Jehovah-Tsidkenu – the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)
  7. Jehovah-Shammah – the Lord is present (Ezekiel 48:35)
  8. Jehovah-Sabaoth – the Lord of Hosts (I Samuel 1:3)
  9. Jehovah-Qadash – the Lord Who sanctifies (Leviticus 20:8)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Trinity is unbiblical because the word is not in the Bible and because the Bible emphasizes that there is one God.

Biblically, it is true that there is only one God. (Isaiah 44:6; 45:18; 46:9; John 5:44; I Corinthians 8:4; James 2:19; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14) It is also true that three persons are called God in Scripture:

  1. the Father (I Peter 1:2)
  2. Jesus (John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8)
  3. the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4)

Each member of the Godhead possesses the identical attributes of deity, including:

1) omnipresence (Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Matthew 28:20)

2) omniscience (Psalm 147:5; John 16:30; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

3) omnipotence (Jeremiah 32:17; John 2:1-11; Romans 15:19)

4) eternal life (Psalm 90:2; Hebrews 9:14; Revelation 22:13)

All three members of the Godhead were involved in creating the universe:

1) the Father (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 102:25)

2) the Son (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2)

3) the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god.

Biblically, however, Jesus is eternally God (John 1:1; 8:58; cf. Exodus 3:14) and has the exact same divine nature as the Father. (John 5:18; 10:30; Hebrews 1:3)

The Scriptures prove that Jesus is Jehovah. (compare Isaiah 43:11 with Titus 2:13; Isaiah 44:24 with Colossians 1:16; Isaiah 6:1-5 with John 12:41)

Jesus himself created the angels. (Colossians 1:16; cf. John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2, 10) and is worshiped by them (Hebrews 1:6)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that when Jesus was born on earth, He was a mere human and not God in human flesh.

This violates the biblical teaching that in Jesus, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Colossians 2:9; cf. Philippians 2:6-7)

The word for “fullness” (Gk. plērōma) carries the idea of the sum total. “Deity” (Gk. theotēs) refers to the nature, being, and attributes of God.

Therefore, Jesus was the sum total of the nature, being, and attributes of God in bodily form.

Indeed, Jesus was Immanuel, or “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1, 14, 18; 10:30; 14:9-10)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was resurrected spiritually from the dead, but not physically.

Biblically, however, the resurrected Jesus asserted that He was not merely a spirit but had a flesh-and-bone body. (Luke 24:39; cf. John 2:19-21)

He ate food on several occasions, thereby proving that He had a genuine physical body after the resurrection. (Luke 24:30, 42-43; John 21:12-13)

This was confirmed by His followers who physically touched Him. (Matthew 28:9; John 20:17)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the second coming was an invisible, spiritual event that occurred in the year 1914.

Biblically, however, the yet-future second coming will be physical, visible. (Acts 1:9-11; cf. Titus 2:13) And it will be accompanied by visible cosmic disturbances (Matthew 24:29-30). Every eye will see Him. (Revelation 1:7)

Jehovah Witnesses believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but an invisible force used to accomplish God’s will.

Biblically, however, the Holy Spirit has the three primary attributes of personality:

1) a mind (Romans 8:27)

2) emotions (Ephesians 4:30)

3) will (1 Corinthians 12:11)

Personal pronouns are used of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:2) Also, He does things that only a person can do, including:

1) teaching (John 14:26)

2) testifying (John 15:26)

3) commissioning (Acts 13:4)

4) issuing commands (Acts 8:29)

5) interceding (Romans 8:26)

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19).

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that salvation requires faith in Christ, association with God’s organization (i.e., their religion), and obedience to its rules.

Biblically, however, viewing obedience to rules as a requirement for salvation nullifies the Gospel. (Galatians 2:16-21; Colossians 2:20-23) Salvation is based wholly on God’s unmerited favor (grace), not on a believer’s performance. Good works are the potential fruit or result, not the basis, of salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-8)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe there are two peoples of God: (1) the Anointed Class (144,000) will live in Heaven and rule with Christ as gods; and (2) the “other sheep” (all other believers in Christ from any denomination) will live forever on a paradise earth.

Biblically, however, a heavenly destiny awaits all who believe in Christ. (John 14:1-3; 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Hebrews 3:1). And these same people will also dwell on the new earth (II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-4).

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. They believe the “soul” is simply the life-force within a person and at death, that life-force leaves the body.

Biblically, however, the word “soul” is multifaceted. One key meaning of the term is mankind’s immaterial self that consciously survives death. (Genesis 35:18; Revelation 6:9-10). Unbelievers are in conscious torment. (Matthew 13:42; 25:41, 46; Luke 16:22-24; Revelation 14:11) while believers are in conscious bliss in Heaven. (I Corinthians 2:9; II Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:21-23; Revelation 7:17; 21:4)

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe hell is not a place of eternal suffering but is rather the common grave of humankind. They believe the wicked are annihilated—snuffed out of conscious existence forever.

Biblically, however, the Lake of Fire, often called Hell, is a real place of conscious, eternal suffering. (Matthew 5:22; 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Revelation 14:11; 20:10, 14)