Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be ‘true’ Christians but anyone reading their study material will be struck by how little Jesus is mentioned in comparison with Jehovah. A recent study edition of a Watchtower magazine contains the name Jehovah 274 times, yet Jesus features just thirteen times, and two of those were in reference to ‘Jesus’ mother Mary’. This makes it difficult to reconcile the claims with the reality. If Jesus really has received ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ how come he is shoved aside and treated as little more than a prophet, saying that he is the Son of God yet denying his divinity and allowing not worship but obeisance? Is that not how Islam amongst other religions treat him? So are Jehovah’s Witnesses Christians, true Christians, quasi-Christians, or not Christian at all? The description ‘Jehovist’ might be far more accurate. The command found at Acts 1:8 is that we should be witnesses of Jesus, to the ends of the earth, but rather than taking the name Jesus’s Witnesses, Rutherford went back to the prophet Isaiah and chose ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ in an apparent regression to the Jehovah-centric religion of the children of Israel. This piece is therefore an attempt to compare the beliefs, practices and rituals of ancient Israel with those of Jehovah’s Witnesses to see how much similarity exists between the two. Perhaps this will help.
The First Command
I am Jehovah, you must have no other gods. The Israelites were supposed to be monotheistic. Jehovah was their god, he who exacted exclusive devotion. The surrounding nations had their own gods such as Baal, Malcam, Molech and others. Worship of these involved depraved practices which had no place in the pure worship of Jehovah; you must be holy as I am holy, He said. Sadly the carnal, sensualistic, deeply immoral and vile practices associated with these gods was highly appealing to the Israelites and they were accordingly seduced on many occasions, paying the price, and subsequently appealing to their own God to rescue them – again and again!
Jehovah’s Witnesses are fiercely monotheistic. The Greek verb meaning ‘to worship’, proskuneo, appears sixty times in the NT and yet in the eighteen times that it does not refer to God, they change it to ‘obeisance’ in their own translation, even though most of these refer to the worship of Jesus. They are unable to deny the divine nature of Jesus as the Bible makes it very clear that he does have divine nature, at John 1:1 for instance where they acknowledge that he is ‘a god’, yet notwithstanding that Jesus himself noted that powerful humans were also known as gods by their admirers and sycophants. They acknowledge that Jesus is God’s only-begotten son, and state that he came to earth as a human and atoned for our sins. Unhappily, they teach that his sacrifice only provides a ‘basis’ for our forgiveness and that he is already, since 1914, ruling as king of God’s Kingdom, despite Scriptural warnings against such claims (2 Th 2:2, 1 Th 5:2, 2 Tm 2:18, 2 Pe 3:10) . His main mission, they declare, is that he came to vindicate God’s name, clearing it of reproach and slander. Although Jesus did achieve that, saying that this was his primary mission makes Jehovah selfish, small-minded, petty and subject to human emotion. At the same time it denies God’s great love for mankind and Jesus’s true mission to provide salvation through faith in him *. This is an apostate teaching but shows how far they will go to promote their god, Jehovah, and to prove that they are not, without any shadow of doubt, falling into the same traps that ultimately destroyed their forebears.
* John 3:16 says that God sent his son because he loved people so much, and that everyone who believes in Jesus will get everlasting life. JWs teach that Jesus came to lay down his life for his father’s name (WT May 25 p23, para 12 and ftn) and that only JWs will receive everlasting life.
The Second Command
Egyptian religion was steeped in idolatry as any visit to a museum displaying Egyptian artefacts will testify. This was not to be the way with Israel’s worship of Jehovah. When Aaron made the golden calf, Jehovah’s anger blazed against his people. They were to have no idols in the form of anything that might exist on or around the earth. Idolatry is the worship of anything that is not God, or the excessive attachment or veneration of anything or anyone; respect or love that borders on adoration. Enter any of their Kingdom Halls and the lack of idols – crucifixes, statues, flags, etc. – is startlingly obvious. Are they free of idolatry? No. Their governing body claims to be the ‘faithful and discreet slave’, the WTS is apparently ‘Jehovah’s organisation’, its leaders are therefore God’s channel of communication. Consequently all their teachings, pronouncements and clarifications are accepted at face value, as if having equal or greater authority than the scriptures on which they are supposedly based. And while you will not see any crosses, inside or out, you will see the JW.org logo. It is on the inside, the outside, on every piece of literature, on lapel badges, tie pins, service bags, etc. Although it is only a corporate logo, in the same way that a cross is just two lengths of wood, it has become a sign of belonging, of pride and adoration. It is the JW crucifix.
A Physical Presence
At the heart of Israelite worship was a physical structure. In the wilderness and in their early days in the Promised Land, they had a portable structure where the priests officiated in their behalf in mediating between them and Jehovah and where they could offer the required sacrifices. This was the Tabernacle which was eventually replaced by a more permanent building in the shape of Solomon’s temple, the post-exilic temple and finally Herod’s temple, the one that Jesus visited at times. In addition to this, they came to have their ‘high places’, local places of worship of unknown nature, not sanctioned by Jehovah, and later still, predominantly in the post-exilic period when they were no longer masters of their own land, Synagogues. The Tabernacle was constructed at Jehovah’s command, the temple was permitted, with Him stating quite clearly that he was quite happy dwelling in a tent when really even the heaven of the heavens could not contain him. The others had no divine authority.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are obsessed by property, construction, and development. They have a world HQ at Warwick NY, forming a large campus. There is a USA HQ, an educational centre… it goes on. The names Warwick, Paterson, Wallkill, Tuxedo, Fishkill, Newburgh, etc. are all familiar to Witnesses around the world, all these locations being in the state of New York in a relatively small area. There are international branches, known as Bethels, in many countries of the world, that all have an on-site, monastic style population and to which Witnesses are all encouraged to make pilgrimages of admiration. There are assembly halls conveniently dotted around, and every town worth its name has a Kingdom Hall. Most of these were funded and built by the local congregation but have all been subsumed into the capital estate in a charity heist of epic proportions.
Are physical places of worship required? Absolutely not. Jesus himself predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem but that was not a problem that he felt would be fatal to true worship. To the woman in Samaria he said that the time would come when people would worship, not in Jerusalem, Gerizim, or anywhere else. They would worship in spirit and truth. The first-century disciples met in private homes and that was quite adequate. It was only later that churches, cathedrals and other religious establishments made their presence. The Israelites were expected to make physical sacrificial offerings and so a physical location was therefore required. Jesus, however, fulfilled the Law and if subsequent worship was in spirit, physical locations were no longer needed. But JWs are expected to make sacrifices, bringing us nicely to the next section.
Sacrifices
In Israel sacrifices were very much part of the national psyche due to their centrality in worship of Jehovah. Burnt offerings happened at regular intervals; daily, weekly, annually, or as specified in the Law for certain events. Grain and drink offerings were made as an expression of gratitude. Communion sacrifices were eaten at the temple with the priest and with Jehovah representing peaceful relations. There were sin offerings for unintentional failings and guilt offerings made to restore strained relationships caused by misunderstandings. The sacrifice itself was determined by the Law and would consist of such things as bulls, goats, rams, pigeons and doves, grain, wheat and wine. The specific sacrifice could sometimes be varied according to the financial position of the donor. If he really did not have a bull then two turtle doves would be acceptable, such as in the case of Joseph and Mary. The point of sacrifice is that something of value would be surrendered to represent the abundance of the blessings, the enormity of the crime, the value of peace. Sometimes that cost would be very great.
All these sacrifices pointed towards Jesus Christ and his one-time sacrifice for all humanity. The cost to Jehovah was enormous, to see his only-begotten son die painfully as a criminal. It was an act of grace and unselfish love on both their behalves, not because any of us deserve to be redeemed, but because they wanted to. As a result worshipful sacrifices are no longer required. We cannot redeem ourselves, we cannot repay God, and more to the point, he does not want us to try. Everlasting life is a gift that must be graciously accepted by being heedful of the direction of the Holy Spirit, by confessing our sins, and by doing our best in following in Jesus’s footsteps. Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses have not noticed this. Sacrifice still features prominently in daily worship; not in the form of animals but in time, energy and resources. Being at all the meetings (and being prepared to participate), having a maximal share in field service activities, and donating money and valuables ‘to support Kingdom work’ all form a base level from which to start. Volunteering one’s unpaid labour to maintain and build Kingdom Halls, assembly halls, branch offices, factories, translation offices and the like, is very much commended. ‘Reaching out’ in the congregation is pretty much expected of all who can – pioneers, appointed men, construction and hospital committees, attending the many ‘Rabbinical’ training schools… I could probably go on, but the point is made. No one can be an inactive JW, and those who do become such are quickly forgotten.
Festivals
In Israel there were many festivals to get involved in, and in general they were occasions for rejoicing, relaxing and restorative. Every seventh day was one of rest and recuperation, known as the Sabbath. It was a time for families to gather, relax, engage in worshipful activities that brought them closer to each other and their God, Jehovah. The Passover was an annual event that commemorated the birth of the nation and the events that lead to their exodus from Egypt. There were the three great festivals of the year – Unleavened bread, Weeks (Pentecost) and Tabernacles – for which all male Israelites were expected to travel to Jerusalem. There was the Sabbath year once in every seven, and the Jubilee year once every fifty years, so there was always something going on, to anticipate and prepare for.
While Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have an official Sabbath, they very much encourage that Sunday be set aside for the meeting and field service activities. They keep Passover in the form of the Memorial of Christ’s death. There is an annual convention and two circuit assemblies per year. There is the occasional visit of a bigwig – someone from the GB, a zone overseer, or branch representative – for which everyone is expected to be energised and enthused. There is nothing wrong with any of these things. They provide focal points for the year, occasions for gathering with the wider congregation, and can be sociable and highly enjoyable. But they are all acts of religion, none of which are required for salvation, and for the purposes of this piece, are so reminiscent of that ancient Israelite religion.
The Priesthood
As parties to the Mosaic, or Law, covenant with Jehovah himself, the people needed a mediator. Although, initially, Moses was that mediator, the ongoing means of approaching Jehovah was through the priests and Levites. The High Priest would enter the Most Holy, once a year on the Day of Atonement, to represent the people before God. On the whole, the priestly and Levitical role was to accept and offer the sacrifices according to the Law, ensure the sanctity of the Tabernacle and temple, and to provide education and instruction to the people in matters of worship. In this too, JWs are no different. Their governing body claims to be the ‘faithful and discreet slave’ of Jesus’s parable, and Jehovah’s channel of communication. This effectively makes them the mediator for all the brothers and sisters. All published material is proposed, sanctioned and approved by them, although not necessarily written by them personally. Therefore they have full editorial control over everything that is distributed to the brethren. There is a ‘clerical’ hierarchy that then extends downwards from them through the helpers to the overseers to congregation elders and ministerial servants. Absolute loyalty to the policies and teachings of the governing body is demanded of everyone who holds these positions of privilege. The meeting content consists solely of the consideration of this published material, strictly according to the programme outlined, with no deviation tolerated. Local elders are expected to ensure this always proves to be the case.
Music
One of the attributes that distinguishes humanity from the animal creation is the appreciation of music as an art form, a means of celebration, and a means of expressing and sharing the whole range of human emotion, from the heights of ecstasy to the depths of despair. In the early books of the Bible, musical instruments and singing are mentioned, but it was not until the days of King David that musicians were formed into orchestras and choirs, with their full realisation being manifest in Solomon’s temple. It seems that the first-century disciples also engaged in singing. And this is true of JWs. The singing of hymns and songs has always been part of their meetings. At large conventions a live orchestra might be present, but on the whole, accompaniment has been by recorded music, piano or orchestral, performed and produced in WT studios with JW musicians. The output has generally been staid, serious and hymn-like, although that is changing of recent, with music of a more popular and international flavour.
Vows
No one in ancient Israel was obligated to make a vow. However, for personal reasons, some people felt obliged to engage in this practice as a response to bounteous blessings, deep gratitude, to magnify the importance of some event or goal in their life. The reasons that people feel this way are manifold. Vows were to be regarded as serious; breaking a vow, especially flippantly, was deeply frowned upon. As a result vows were regulated by the Law. All vows were voluntary and of temporary duration and could, under certain circumstances, be annulled – by a father or husband, for example. The Nazirite vow came with various requirements, and was concluded with an animal sacrifice. It was always voluntary and temporary.
In order to become a JW, one is compelled to make a life-long vow of dedication, and stand before an audience at the time of baptism and declare that such a vow has been made, thereby qualifying the individual to be baptised ‘as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’. A person who volunteers to live at Bethel is required to make a vow of ‘obedience and poverty’. Clearly, the practice of vowing has its prototype in Israel, but the Witnesses go further in making them obligatory and enduring. This has no scriptural support. Did Jesus himself not annul the practice in his Sermon on the Mount? You heard that it was said ’you must pay your vows’ but I say let your Yes mean Yes and your No, No. Anything else is from the Devil.
Exclusivity
Jehovah required that his people Israel be free of contamination from the surrounding nations, many of which embraced religious practices that were deeply immoral, murderous, and quite vile. In those early days, this seemed to be viewed as restrictive and unappealing. Hence they were always getting involved in these practices that so offended their God. Although he saved them, again and again, Samaria and Jerusalem fell to the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively without Jehovah intervening to save them as he had done so often before. Even in the post-exilic period, they continued to marry foreign women, as recorded by both Ezra and Nehemiah. When they finally got the message, they went to the other extreme and became so exclusive as to view Gentiles as unclean and undesirable. Associating with these people even became an unlawful activity, as noted by Peter when talking to Cornelius.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are very similar. To them everyone who is a Witness is a brother or sister, a member of the world-wide congregation; all others are ‘worldlings’ to be avoided at all costs, unless they are showing interest in having a ‘Bible study’, in which case they are viewed as potential recruits. Should that interest wane they are abandoned; the study is discontinued and generally all contact ceases. Worldlings are invited en-masse to the annual Memorial, not to participate and partake, because even most JWs do not do that, but as part of a mass-recruitment drive. Why? Everything is about numbers, statistics, performance. Numerical growth is seen as evidence of Jehovah’s blessing. Any Witness who is suspected of being overly friendly with work or school colleagues is viewed with suspicion. And dating and marrying such a person is really beyond the pale.
It is also worth mentioning dress and grooming at this point. Although the strictness has slackened considerably since an ‘update’ presented by Lett of the governing body, this subject has been of great authoritarianism. Until that point, the ideal that all males were to aspire to was to be clean-shaven, and to wear a white shirt, grey suit, tie. At a local level it was enforced rather inconsistently in that some congregations interpreted the clear direction rather differently. Some elders did have beards (although such facial overgrowth barred them from anything outwith the bounds of the congregation). Some congregations allowed blazers and tweed jackets whilst others most certainly did not. Suit up, or leave! Others kept a stock of white shirts in case any visiting speaker failed to attain to their great high standards! And as for any sister seen wearing slacks, pants, trousers, well could that be the Jezebel influence? The thing is that the Israelites, although without a strict dress code, did have certain regulations to consider, such that they were not allowed to mix thread types together in the same garment, for example wool and linen. They were also expected to have a fringe and tassels, the purpose apparently as one of identification. Having a high standard of dress code in today’s scruffy world is not a bad thing. Two smartly dressed gentlemen walking along the road, and perhaps some ladies in nice dresses can mean only one thing! Seeing these people exiting their Kingdom Halls so smartly dressed was something of which to proud. Workwear, casual clothing, particularly that displaying slogans and advertising, when worn as a deliberate choice, is really not suitable. However, since Lett spoke up, only those standing before the congregation are required to wear jackets and ties, and beards now feature right up to the highest echelons of power. So now open collars, jumpers, sisters wearing the trousers (!), and anything else considered ‘smart casual’ (an oxymoron?) are all acceptable. For me, dressing up for a meeting was never an issue. I just could not accept the totalitarian attitude of certain elders in which a blazer was unacceptable while at the same time a creased linen suit was fine. The law is an ass, and JW rules were, and are, no different.
Punishment
Wikipedia (Capital Punishment in the Bible) gives a succinct list of crimes for which punishment in ancient Israel was death:
* Murder
* Striking or cursing one’s parents (rebellion)
* Kidnap
* Occultism
* Bestiality
* Worshipping other gods, and promotion of such
* Desecrating the Sabbath
* Child sacrifice
* Immorality (adultery, incest, homosexuality, consensual sex with a betrothed woman)
* Prostitution by the daughter of a priest
* Blasphemy
* Temple and Tabernacle duties by non-Levites
* Refusal to accept a judicial decision
* Perjury
* Rape
The usual method was by stoning or by burning. Hanging is mentioned in that a body was not to left up overnight, although it is unclear if the hanging was the cause of death or something that was done to the body after death. There had to be two or three witnesses to the crime.
Jehovah’s Witnesses feel that they have the right to inflict punishment upon erring members, many of which are listed in Appendix A of the elder manual ‘Shepherd the Flock of God’. A committee of elders should be formed in the following circumstances:
* Sexual immorality (porneia in all its forms as described, including circumstantial evidence of such)
* Entering marriage when not scripturally free
* Child abuse
* Gross uncleanness (caressing of breasts, immoral conversations, pornography, drugs and tobacco, physical uncleanness)
* Brazen conduct (unnecessary association with disfellowshipped or disassociated persons, dating when not free to marry)
* Drunkenness
* Gluttony
* Stealing
* Lying and false witness
* Fraud and slander
* Reviling
* Obscene speech
* Gambling and extortion
* Wilful neglect of one’s family
* Anger and violence (including domestic)
* Manslaughter
* Apostasy (includes ‘doubts regarding Bible truth as taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses’)
* Permitting sexual immorality in one’s home
That is quite a list. Fortunately, modern-day elders do not have the death sentence available to them, although one imagines that it would be liberally used if they did! Again there is the two or three witnesses rule which, in some circumstances, is an impossible requirement. It seems to me that if we truly believe in Jesus and appreciate all that he has done for us; if we are truly repentant and live accordingly; if the Holy Spirit is active within us; then we will not practice any of the above ‘crimes’. They are not part of love of God and of neighbour. I say ‘practice’ as we are all subject to sin and imperfection. We may find ourselves in any of the above situations unexpectedly or in a time of weakness or stress, but it is how we deal with it that is important. John says that we must confess our sins. James says that we must confess to one another. And if we sin wilfully there is no longer any sacrifice available to us. But as is evident, the parallel between the legal code of a nation and that practised and enforced by the Watchtower Society upon its members has a striking similarity.
The Contrast
Particularly in his letter to the Galatians, Paul argues strongly for the freedom in Christ that was available to his readers but which they had abandoned in favour of a return to the slavery of the Mosaic Law. They wanted to be enslaved all over again (Gal 4:9). ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free… do not be encumbered by a yoke of slavery’ (Gal 5:1). What is this freedom? How are we set free? You will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). What is that truth? That salvation is by faith and not by works. If we believe that Jesus is the son of God, that he has redeemed us from sin, then we are adopted as sons of God through our faith in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:26). Because we are His sons he has sent the Spirit of Christ into our hearts that cries out ‘Father’ and thus making us heirs to the promise (Gal 4:6). If the Holy Spirit is truly active within us we will produce its fruitage (5:22-3). What does this look like in daily living? Pure and undefiled religion is to care for widows and orphans and to avoid being polluted by the world. That is according to James. He goes on to talk about the absurdity of favouritism, the importance of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. These are the works that demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is active within us. None of what James wrote contradicts Paul. Paul was arguing against legalism – performing works to earn salvation, whereas James was arguing against hypocrisy – saying we have faith but not being motivated to action, and perhaps turning a blind eye to the suffering we see around, knowing that we can alleviate some of it but choosing not to, because what they really need is a ‘Bible study’. Yes, the Bible is a wonderful book and when we fully start to appreciate its beautiful message of salvation and how that affects us as individuals, then we can start to bear witness to Jesus (Acts 1:8). We can bear witness only to what we have personally seen and experienced and that necessarily means that our witness is very different from that of those first-century disciples who followed Jesus. They saw how he treated people kindly, taught them gently, performed miracles on their behalf, and how he died and was resurrected to spirit life. Their witness was unique, yet ours is not inferior. Once we have come to know the Christ, allowed the Spirit to work within us, and have been adopted as sons of God, we can be witnesses of him too. Then we can tell and show others what it means to be his follower, and how he refreshes us daily as he carries our load for us under his kindly yoke (Matt 11:29-30).
In Summary
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that they:
* must have no other god than Jehovah
* must be unquestioningly loyal to their governing body
* must have physical places of worship
* must make specific and ritualistic sacrifices
* must have a routine of festivals in the form of assemblies and conventions
* require the services of a priesthood to mediate for them, other than Jesus
* must have songs and hymns
* must make a vow of dedication, and sometimes one of poverty and obedience
* are uniquely chosen by Jehovah and will thus be the only survivors of Armageddon
* qualified to judge and execute punishments
So the final question to ponder: are Jehovah’s Witnesses Christian? Or is it in reality a throwback to the Sinaitic religion as set up by Jehovah in the Sinai desert, which pointed forward to the Messiah and was fulfilled by Christ when he was nailed to the stake, or cross? An interesting question to ponder! Before you do, take a moment to reflect on the name Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is taken from Isaiah 43:10-12 ‘“You are My witnesses” declares [Jehovah], “my servant whom I have chosen so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed and after Me none will come… So you are My witnesses” declares [Jehovah]’ (BSB). This is part of a courtroom drama in which the surrounding nations are challenged to present evidence, produce witnesses, that their gods have divine power and have acted truthfully in defence of their worshippers (v9). Jehovah was well aware that they would fail in this, whereas his people Israel were living testimony to how He had formed them into a nation; brought them forth from Egypt with power and great signs; adopted them at Sinai; gave them a law code and identity; delivered them through the deserts and gave them a home of their own; disciplined and rescued them time and again; and now, looking forward to beyond the exile, how he will gather them together again and bring them home. The Israelites certainly were witnesses to all that Jehovah had done for them and caused them to be. As Gentiles we are not witnesses to any of this. Although we worship the same god, God Almighty, Jehovah, he has given all authority to his son, Jesus Christ. So, as alluded to earlier, we bear witness to what Jesus has done for us. That is something that we can, and must, do and in a manner that demonstrates our love of God and neighbour, not our misguided loyalty to a religion and its human leaders.
‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’ (Jo 14:9 ESV).
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