Refuting Jehovah's Witnesses

By William Braswell

The Jehovah’s Witnesses emerged from Wallkill, New York, United States. The "Bible Student" movement was founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell, who co-founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1881 to organize and print the movement's publications. The current version of the group holds that a worldwide Armageddon will occur very soon and that nonbelievers alive at that time will be killed in an act of godly retribution. The heresy that Jehovah's Witnesses are often associated with is Arianism. Key beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses include several distinctive doctrines. One of the central tenets is the use of the name "Jehovah." Jehovah's Witnesses emphasize the importance of using God's name in worship and as a way to distinguish Him from other gods. They believe it is essential to honor God by using "His specific name". Another key belief is their rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that God the Father is the only true God, while Jesus Christ is seen as a spirit creature, the first creation of God. They view Jesus as distinct from and subordinate to God, though still a god in his own right. However, they believe that once Jesus walked the earth, He ceased to be a god and was solely a man. They refuse blood transfusions, citing their interpretation of passages like Acts 15:29 and Leviticus 17:10-14, which they believe prohibit the consumption of blood. They deny military service and celebration of holidays. Unlike traditional Christianity, they teach that Jesus’ second coming was invisible and occurred in 1914.

Jehovah's Witnesses regard the Bible as the inspired Word of God and consider it the authority in matters of faith and practice. They use their own version of the Bible, known as the New World Translation, which they believe to be a more accurate translation of the original scriptures, though it is also recognized as an altered version. Jehovah's Witnesses hold unique views on the end times and Armageddon, believing that only faithful Jehovah's Witnesses will survive the coming apocalypse, and that 144,000 will rule alongside God in heaven. There are several specific differences between Jehovah's Witness beliefs and orthodox Christian doctrine that contribute to their classification as non-orthodox by mainstream Christianity. One of these differences is their view of Christ’s divinity. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is not God but is rather a created being, the first creation of Jehovah. This contrasts with the Christian belief in the full divinity of Jesus Christ, who is considered both fully God and fully man. Another significant difference is their rejection of the traditional Christian view of eternal hell. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in eternal torment for the wicked; instead, they teach that those who do not follow Jehovah’s teachings will be destroyed, rather than suffering forever in hell.

The JW's teach that Jesus Christ is a spirit creature who existed as Michael the Archangel in heaven and was virgin born as Jesus on the earth where he was just a man devoid of divinity. He became Christ when he was baptized and hold the cross as a pagan symbol used by apostate Christendom. They claim he was tied to an upright stake (which is historically incorrect). Apparently Jesus' body disintegrated in the tomb and then God the Father had to recreate him in spiritual form. Isn't that trinitarianism? Anyway, he supposedly ascended and transformed back into Michael the Archangel. This does not align with the Bible or any of the Church Father's writings. After Judgment Day only JWs make it out alive with an elected 144,000 that will rule from heaven. The rest of the JWs will remain on earth for eternity (again this doesn't align with the Bible). Also, the idea that eternal torment awaits those who reject God and die in their sin is a doctrine taught in the Bible, but Jehovah’s Witnesses find it untenable. Jesus spoke about hell on several occasions to warn us (Matt. 5:22, 25:41; Luke 16:24), thus confirming its existence and making it a serious consideration.

The question of whether Jesus claimed to be God is addressed affirmatively through several key passages, including John8:58, 10:30, 14:9, and 20:28. These texts are interpreted within Christian theology as supporting the identification of Jesus with YHWH. Scriptural support is drawn from Matthew 1:21–23 (cf. 28:20; Psalm 130:7–8); Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–6, 15–17; Acts 19:4; John 1:23, 26–36 (cf. Isaiah 40:3–5); Luke 7:11–23 (cf. Isaiah 35:3–6); John 20:28 (cf. Psalm 35:23); Romans10:9–13 (cf. Joel 2:32); Ephesians 4:7–10 (cf. Psalm 68:18; Jeremiah 23:23–24); Philippians 2:9–11 (cf. Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10); 1 Peter 1:10–12 (cf. 2 Samuel 23:1–3; Nehemiah 9:20, 30; Isaiah 48:16; 61:1; Micah 3:8; Zechariah 7:12); and 1 Peter 2:3 (cf. Psalm 34:8). Jesus is also described as God in an absolute sense in passages such as Isaiah 9:6–7 (cf. 10:20–21; Psalm 24:8; Jeremiah32:18); Matthew 1:22–23; John 1:1; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8–9; 1 John 5:20 (cf. 1:2); and 2 Peter 1:1. Jesus is identified as the one and only Lord in 1 Corinthians 8:6b; Ephesians 4:5; and Jude 1:4 (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4; Nehemiah 9:6; Zechariah 14:9).

The New Testament further presents Jesus as the unchangeable Creator and sustainer in John 1:3–4, 9–10, 14; 1 Corinthians 8:6b; Colossians 1:16–17; Hebrews 1:2–3, 10–12; 3:3–4 (cf. 11:3; Genesis 1:1–2:7, 19–22; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 9:8; 10:8–12; Psalm 36:9; 102:25–27; Isaiah 42:5; 45:12, 18; 48:13; 66:1–2; Jeremiah 10:10–12; Matthew 19:4–6; Acts 17:24–29; Ephesians 3:9; Revelation 4:11). Jesus is understood to possess divine titles and attributes. These include “the Alpha and the Omega,” “the First and the Last,” and “the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 1:7–8, 17–18; 2:8; 22:12–13, 16, 20 – cf. 21:6–7; Isaiah41:4; 44:6; 48:12); “King of kings and Lord of lords” (cf. 1 Timothy 6:14–16; Revelation 17:14; 19:11–16 – cf. Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3; Daniel 2:37); and “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness” (Revelation 3:14 – cf. Isaiah 65:16–17; Jeremiah 42:5).

Divine attributes such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence are attributed to Jesus in Matthew 8:5–13; 18:20; 28:20; Mark 2:8–9; 7:24–30; John 1:45–49; 4:43–54; 5:16–29; 6:39–44, 53–54, 57; 10:27–33; 11:25–26; 14:1–6, 20–23; 16:25–31; 17:2, 20–23; 21:17; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:16–17, 27; 2:2–3, 9; 3:11; Hebrews 1:2–3, 10–12; Revelation 1:18; 2:18–23. Jesus is also presented as the Lord or owner of all creation, including the heavens and the earth, as well as Lord of the Sabbath and the temple (Matthew 11:10, 27; 12:6, 8; 28:18; Mark 1:2; 2:28; Luke 6:5; 7:27; 10:22; Acts 10:36; Romans14:9). The “I AM” sayings (Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5–6, 8 – cf. Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10, 13; 45:18; 46:4; 51:12; 52:6 [47:8, 10; Zephaniah 2:15]) are also interpreted as identifying Jesus with YHWH. The Spirit of YHWH is described as the Spirit of Jesus (Romans 8:9–11; Galatians 4:6; Philippians 1:19; 1 Peter 1:11–12).

Jesus is also portrayed as the judge of all creation in Matthew 16:27; 25:31–46; John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42; 17:30–31; 1 Corinthians 4:3–5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10; 4:13–18; 5:1–11, 23; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–10; 2:1–4, 8; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 2:23 (cf. Genesis 18:25; Psalm 9:7–8; 62:12; 96:13; 98:9; Proverbs 24:12; Isaiah 40:10; 62:11; Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10; 29:23; Joel 3:1–2, 11–13). The “Day of YHWH” is equated with the “Day of Jesus Christ” in 1 Corinthians 1:7–8; 5:5; Philippians 1:6–11; 2:16 (cf. Amos 5:18–20; Zephaniah 1:7–9, 14–17). Jesus is also presented as Savior and forgiver of sins in Matthew 1:21; Mark 2:5, 10; Luke 7:48–50; 24:44–47; John 3:16–17; 4:42; Acts 3:26; 5:31; 13:38–39; 15:11; 16:30–31; 20:28; 26:18; Romans 3:21–26; 5:8–21; 6:23; Galatians 1:4; 2:20; Ephesians 1:6–7; 4:32; 5:1–2, 23; Colossians 1:13–14, 19–20; 3:13; Titus 2:14; 1 Timothy 1:15–16; 2:5–6; 2 Timothy 1:7–12; 4:8, 18; Hebrews 1:3; 2:9–18; 4:14–16; 7:23–28; 9:14, 22–28; 10:10, 14–18; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 2:21–24; 3:18–22; 1 John 1:7; 2:1–2, 12; 4:9–10, 14; Revelation 1:6; 7:9–17 (cf. Exodus 19:5–6; Psalm 25:11; 54:1; 78:38; 79:9; 130:3–4, 8; Isaiah 43:10–11, 25; 45:21–22; Hosea 13:4–5; Matthew 19:25–26). Jesus is further described as the husband or bridegroom (Mark 2:18–20; Ephesians 5:25–33; Revelation 19:7–9; 21:1–2, 9–14 – cf. Isaiah 54:5; Hosea 2:16–19).

Finally, Jesus is depicted as being worshiped as YHWH God and as equal with the Father in John 5:23; Revelation 5:8–14; Matthew 10:37–39; 16:24–26; Luke 14:26–27; 21:15–16 (cf. Psalm 8:1–2); Acts 7:59–60 (cf. Psalm 31:5; Ecclesiastes12:7); Acts 9:14, 21; 1 Corinthians 1:2 (cf. Genesis 12:8; 21:33; Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalm 99:6–7; 116:1–4, 13, 17; 145:18); Hebrews 1:6 (cf. Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 97:7), as well as Matthew 2:2, 8, 11; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17–20; Mark 5:6–7; John 9:35–38; 14:12–14; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 16:22–23; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; 13:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 3:11–13; 2 Thessalonians 1:1–2, 12; 2:16–17; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8, 18; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 John 1:3; and Revelation 1:4–6; 22:20–21.

Papyrus 64 and others contain a prayer addressed to Jesus and calls Jesus "God." The essence of the Father is the same as that of the Son, and it’s the essence of the Spirit. That’s why there is only ONE God and not three. Jesus is Jehovah. Read Jeremiah 32:27, He’s the God of all. Go to John 1:14. The word became flesh. God incarnated; being in the form of man, He was the Son of God. Why does Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3 still relate to Jesus as God? 1 Timothy 2:5 states there is one God and one mediator between God and men.

In Acts 17:30, a man comes to judge, this man being Jesus Christ. Please read John 5:22-23 where the Son judges man, NOT the Father. Only God can judge though... right? Now read Matthew 16:27 where Jesus speaks as Son of Man, where He repays us. More confirmation in Revelation 22:12-13 and verse 20, where He states that He is the I AM. He states that He is Jehovah. Read Revelations 1:17-18 and 5:13 for further confirmation.

Check out Revelation 7:17. A creature cannot be the first and the last. Jesus said that He is not mere creation. Now read Revelation 21:6-7. He is equal to God because He is the almighty God who became flesh, human born of the virgin. In other words, God incarnate. Read John 1:23 and Isaiah 40:3-5 confirm this. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one. Jesus can be distinct from God the Father and still be God. He is a prime example of manifestation by incarnation. Read 1 Corinthians 1:2; they call onto Jesus Christ the Lord as they did to Jehovah. Now read 2 Corinthians 13:14, a prayer to the Holy Spirit. How can an active force hear? In Mark 3:28-30 it says that if you blaspheme against the Holy Spirit you will not be forgiven. How can you commit an unforgivable sin to an act of force that is not God? It is more than merely a force because it is God.

God isn't a man or a son of man?

Some people argue that the Old Testament contradicts the idea of Jesus being God, citing Numbers 23:19a, which states, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent” (KJV). This seems to clash with the Christian belief that Jesus, being a man, is also God. Compounding the issue, Jesus frequently refers to Himself as the "Son of Man" in the Gospels (e.g., Mark 14:21). Indeed, the Old Testament repeatedly emphasizes that God is not a human being, as seen in Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, and Hosea 11:9. However, the New Testament presents Jesus asserting His divinity while also identifying as the "Son of Man," highlighting His humanity. Given these complexities, how can we establish that Jesus is indeed God?

Jesus uniquely claimed both to be the Son of God and the Son of Man, an unprecedented assertion. This concept of the hypostatic union—Jesus being fully God and fully human—is challenging to grasp. Jesus’ teachings do not invalidate the Old Testament but fulfill and illuminate its truths, as He stated about the Law and Prophets (Matthew 5:17). When the Old Testament declares that the Godhead is unlike man, it refers to moral constancy and divine nature, not precluding the possibility of God incarnating as Jesus. Redemption necessitated God taking human form, a plan evident from before creation (Revelation 13:8). While the Old Testament alone might not explicitly prove Jesus as the God-man, it foreshadows His role as Messiah and Savior (see Isaiah 53). Christians recognize these hints because the New Testament clarifies Old Testament allusions (e.g., Matthew 2:15 citing Hosea 11:1). This progressive revelation illustrates God's unfolding purposes over time.

Adam and Eve, in their innocence, lacked understanding of redemption; only after sin did God reveal His plan (Genesis 3:15). Similarly, the full significance of Old Testament prophecies became clear with Jesus’ life and teachings, documented in the New Testament. While an Old Testament Jew lacked the concept of the God-man, subsequent revelations through John the Baptist, Jesus' miracles, and His disciples' writings clarified His identity as the Messiah (John 20:30–31). Jesus’ miracles and teachings compel people to respond in faith. Those who fail to acknowledge Him as God remain spiritually blind, despite the progressive revelation of God's truth throughout history.

Why did Jesus say “Why do you call me good, only God is good?”

Read Mark 10 from the beginning and you’ll see He was being exalted as God and He was worshiped, don’t start from verses 17-18. He didn’t deny being good, Jesus said only God is good and within the chapter, we can see He was being compared to God because they saw Him as the living God on earth. Jesus asked why He was being called good by the man, not refuting him. If you read the previous chapters you can see that in Mark chapter 1 John the Baptist is not good enough to untie Jesus’ laces. Demons recognize He is the Holy One and ask not to be tormented. Now read Mark 10 verses 19-21. Give up your idol for me and then you’ll be complete. That’s the message. Jesus told the man to give up everything and to follow Him. You can read the rest of the chapter. That’s when Jesus says how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven, but that all things are possible for God, read Mark 10:45.

If Jesus is God why didn’t He know the day or hour in Mark 13:32?

The context is no different than 1 Corinthians 2:2. The Greek word originally used in this context can mean to “make known”. God simply chose not to make it known, it wasn’t meant for Jesus to reveal to man or the angels. Only the Godhead is to know because it wasn’t the incarnation’s prerogative to share such knowledge. He came down and incarnated at birth to come as a servant and experience similar limitations with the exception of sin. Jesus has two natures and lived by them while on the earth. If you read Mark 10:45 it says ”For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.“ John 15:15 He says about servants and their relationships to masters. ”Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” Jesus assumed the role of a servant by manifesting on earth. Again, If you read from the beginning of Mark you can read about his divinity and that only He forgives sin, knows what people are thinking in their hearts, and heals a paralytic man. Read Matthew 11:27 and 28:20.

Doesn’t John 14:28 show the Father is greater?

The context for that verse is the same as Matthew 11:11, read both chapters and compare to understand that greater is meant to signify status and authority, not in nature or essence. If God incarnated as man and came as a slave then He can surely be lower in status and authority but equal in essence and nature because it’s still God. Please read John 13:3-17, Luke 22:27, Mark 10:45, and Matthew 12:17-18 which fulfills Isaiah 42. As you read, a servant can still be just like his master. We can read it again in Matthew 10:24-25.

The following biblical verses refute the doctrine of Jehovah’s Witnesses; Matthew 7:15, 24:11, 24:24, Mark 7:6-9, 13:22, Romans 16:17-18, Colossians 2:8, Galatians 1:8-9, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1-6, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, and 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Another interesting thing is that Jehovah’s Witnesses either disbelieve in the promises of Jesus or think He failed. Please read John 16:12-13, 2 Timothy 1:13-14, and 2 Timothy 2:1-2, that the Holy Spirit will guide the Apostles. Paul states in Acts 20:27-32 that the sovereign Holy Spirit did His job and didn’t have to wait for Charles Russel or the Governing Body. Men might fail, but the Holy Spirit can’t because God does NOT fail.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that thought is not differentiated from action and consideration of doubt is no different than hating God. Thus, the control over thought and information translates into control over action. The willingness to cut off a person who has sinned is a result of the control they are conditioned to relinquish. Independent thinking is discouraged, referred to as a trap and a snare (Watchtower, 2006). Members are not permitted to attend other places of worship, attend higher education other than what is necessary for job placement, read any material critical of the Watchtower organization, or communicate in any form with former members and prevent ideas from the outside world or doubts from specific members from entering the congregation.

Matthew 24:32 – “Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come”.

Matthew 25:13 – “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh”.

Here's a list of some false prophecies:

General

1877: Christ's kingdom would hold full sway over the earth in 1914; the Jews, as a people, would be restored to God's favor; the "saints" would be carried to heaven.
1891: 1914 would be "the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men".
1904: "World-wide anarchy" would follow the end of the Gentile Times in 1914.
1916: World War I would terminate in Armageddon and the rapture of the "saints".
1917: In 1918, Christendom would go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God would "destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions". Church members would "perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy". The dead would lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments would disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing.
1920: Messiah's kingdom would be established in 1925 and bring worldwide peace. God would begin restoring the earth. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other faithful patriarchs would be resurrected to perfect human life and be made princes and rulers, the visible representatives of the New Order on earth. Those who showed themselves obedient to God would never die.
1922: The anti-typical "jubilee" that would mark God's intervention in earthly affairs would take place "probably the fall" of 1925.
1925: God's restoration of Earth would begin "shortly after" October 1, 1925. Jerusalem would be made the world's capital. Resurrected "princes" such as Abel, Noah, Moses and John the Baptist would give instructions to their subjects around the world by radio, and airplanes would transport people to and from Jerusalem from all parts of the globe in just "a few hours".
1938: Armageddon was too close for marriage or child bearing.
1941: There were only "months" remaining until Armageddon.
1942: Armageddon was "immediately before us".
1957: Armageddon was so near that "most of the boys and girls today will not have the opportunity to waste their youth and prime of life ... According to God's timing the calamity of the universal war of Armageddon will strike them down while yet in their youth and prime of life."
1961: Awake! magazine stated that Armageddon "will come in the twentieth century.... This generation will see its fulfillment."
1966: It would be 6000 years since man's creation in the fall of 1975 and it would be "appropriate" for Christ's thousand-year reign to begin at that time. Time was "running out, no question about that". The "immediate future" was "certain to be filled with climactic events ... within a few years at most", the final parts of Bible prophecy relating to the "last days" would undergo fulfillment as Christ's reign began.
1967: The end-time period (beginning in 1914) was claimed to be so far advanced that the time remaining could "be compared, not just to the last day of a week, but rather, to the last part of that day".
1968: No one could say "with certainty" that the battle of Armageddon would begin in 1975, but time was "running out rapidly" with "earthshaking events" soon to take place. In March 1968 there was a "short period of time left", with "only about ninety months left before 6000 years of man's existence on earth is completed".
1969: The existing world order would not last long enough for young people to grow old; the world system would end "in a few years". Young Witnesses were told not to bother pursuing tertiary education for this reason.
1971: The "battle in the day of Jehovah" was described as beginning "[s]hortly, within our twentieth century".
1974: There was just a "short time remaining before the wicked world's end" and Witnesses were commended for selling their homes and property to "finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service" (i.e., fulltime evangelism).
1984: There were "many indications" that "the end" was closer than the end of the 20th century.
1989: The Watchtower asserted that Christian missionary work begun in the first century would "be completed in our 20th century". When the magazine was republished in bound volumes, the phrase "in our 20th century" was replaced with the less specific "in our day".

Detailed

FALSE PROPHECIES OF THE WATCHTOWER

QUESTIONS FOR JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

Witnesses for Jesus, PO Box 50911, Colorado Springs, CO 80949 - 4Jehovah.org

1. How can we know the difference between a true prophet and a false one?

ANSWER ACCORDING TO THE WATCHTOWER:

“True, there have been those in times past who predicted an ‘end of the world,’ even announcing a specific date. ...Yet, nothing happened. The ‘end’ did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing? ...Missing from such people were God’s truths and the evidence that he was guiding and using them.” —Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 23

2. Has the Watchtower Society claimed to be God’s “prophet”? How can we know the difference between a true prophet and a false prophet?

ANSWER ACCORDING TO THE WATCHTOWER:

“So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? ...He had a “prophet” to warn them. This “prophet” was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. ...Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a “prophet” of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?” —The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197

1914

3. What does the Watchtower Society’s record show? Did the Society proclaim that 1914 would “end” world governments?

STATEMENT FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“...the ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty’ (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth’s present rulership, is already commenced.”—The Time is At Hand, Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 2, 1886,

1911 edition, p. 101

4. How sure was the Watchtower Society that the date 1914 would not be “changed” and that it was “not the date for the beginning, but for the end” of this world?

STATEMENT FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God’s dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.”—Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15, 1894, p. 226-231 [Watchtower Reprints, p. 1677]

1915

5. When 1914 failed, what “date” did the Society “change” in their updated edition of

The Time is At Handbook?

STATEMENT FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“...the ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty’ (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1915 with the complete overthrow of earth’s present rulership, is already commenced.”—The Time is At Hand, Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 2, 1886, 1915 edition, p. 101

1918

6. When 1915 failed, what did the Society say God would do in 1918?

STATEMENT FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russel to learn the meaning of the downfall of ‘Christianity.’ ” —The Finished Mystery, Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 7, 1917,

p. 485

1925

7. When 1918 failed, what date did the Society give for the “old world” to end and the “new order” to begin with the “resurrection” of the Old Testament saints?

STATEMENT FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“...the old order of things, the old world, is ending and is therefore passing away, and that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old... it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die.”—Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, p. 97

1940's

8. Why did the Society discourage Jehovah’s Witnesses from bearing children in 1938?

STATEMENTS FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“...it would therefore appear that there is no reasonable or Scriptural injunction to bring children into the world immediately before Armageddon, where we now are.”—The Watchtower, November 1, 1938, p. 324

9. How soon was Armageddon to break out in 1941?

STATEMENT FROM AN EARLY WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“Never was there a more moving sight in these ‘last days’. ...Receiving the gift, the marching children clasped it to them ...the Lord’s provided instrument for most effective work in the remaining months before Armageddon. What a gift! and to so many! The manner of releasing the new book Children was an outright surprise to all....”—The Watchtower,September 15, 1941, p. 288

1975

10. Why were Jehovah’s Witnesses looking forward to 1975?

STATEMENTS FROM THE WATCHTOWER PUBLICATIONS OF THE 1960'S:

“WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO 1975? What about all this talk concerning the year 1975? ...Their interest has been kindled by the belief that 1975 will mark the end of 6,000 years of human history since Adam’s creation.” —The Watchtower, August 15, 1968, p. 494

“According to trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man’s creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E.” —Life Everlasting – In Freedom of the Sons of God, 1966, p. 29

11. What did the Society say “would have to be” occurring in the “seventh in a series of thousand-year periods or millenniums”?

STATEMENT FROM A 1969 WATCHTOWER:

“...six millenniums of mankind’s life on earth would end in the mid-seventies. Thus the seventh millennium from man’s creation by Jehovah God would begin within less than ten years.... In order for the Lord Jesus Christ to be ‘Lord even of the sabbath day,’ his thousand-year reign would have to be the seventh in a series of thousand- year periods or millenniums.... Would not, then, the end of six millenniums of mankind’s laborious enslavement under Satan the Devil be the fitting time for Jehovah God to usher in a Sabbath millennium for all his human creatures? Yes, indeed! And his King Jesus Christ will be Lord of that Sabbath.” —The Watchtower, October 15, 1969, pp. 622-623

12. Did the Society encourage Jehovah’s Witnesses to sell their homes in preparation for the “wicked world’s end” to come in 1975?

STATEMENT FROM A WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION JUST BEFORE 1975:

“Yes, the end of this system is so very near! Is that no reason to increase our activity?... Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly, this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world’s end.” —Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, p. 3

THE GENERATION OF 1914

13. What time period did the Watchtower Society say would bring “the end”?

14. How long did the Society say a “generation” would last?

STATEMENT FROM A 1988 WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“When the term ‘generation’ is used with reference to the people living at a particular time, the exact length of that time cannot be stated, except that the time would fall within reasonable limits. These limits would be determined by the life span of the people of that time or of that population. ...Today, much as it was in the time of Moses, people living under favorable conditions may reach 70 or 80 years of age.”—Insight on the Scriptures, vol. 1, 1988, pp. 917-918

15. If the “generation” of the “time of the end” would last up to 80 years, what date failed to bring the end as prophesied by the Society? 1914 generation + 80 years = 1994. How did the Society excuse away this false prophecy?

WATCHTOWER OF 1995:

“Jehovah’s people have at times speculated about the time when the ‘great tribulation’ would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. However, we ‘bring a heart of wisdom in,’ not by speculating about how many years or days make up a generation, but by thinking about how we ‘count our days’ in bringing joyful praise to Jehovah. ...Is anything to be gained, then, by looking for dates or by speculating about the literal lifetime of a ‘generation’? Far from it!”—The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, pp. 17, 19

A NEW “GENERATION” TO BRING THE END!

16. Since the “generation” of 1914 failed to bring the end, what new “generation” does the Society now point to in order to bring in the end?

RECENT WATCHTOWERS:

“...the number of genuine anointed disciples of Christ is dwindling, though some will evidently still be on earth when the great tribulation begins. Most of the remnant are quite elderly, and over the years the number of those who are truly anointed has been getting smaller. ...Evidently, then, some of Christ’s ‘chosen ones’ will still be on earth when the great tribulation begins. ...It seems that by the year 1935, the general ingathering of the anointed was complete.” —The Watchtower, January 15, 2000, pp. 13, 16

“As a class, these anointed ones make up the modern-day ‘generation’ of contemporaries that will not pass away ‘until all these things occur.’ This suggests that some who are Christ’s anointed brothers will still be alive on earth when the foretold great tribulation begins. ...Can We Calculate the Length of ‘This Generation’? ...So when the term ‘generation’ is used with reference to people living at a particular time, the exact length of that time cannot be stated except that it does have an end and would not be excessively long.”—The Watchtower, February 15, 2008, pp. 24-25

TRUE OR FALSE?

17. Do you agree that Jehovah “will put all false prophets to shame ...by not fulfilling the false prediction?" Do you agree, that “false prophets will try to hide their reason for feeling shame by denying who they really are”?

STATEMENT FROM A WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“Jehovah, the God of the true prophets, will put all false prophets to shame either by not fulfilling the false prediction of such self-assuming prophets or by having His own prophecies fulfilled in a way opposite to that predicted by the false prophets. False prophets will try to hide their reason for feeling shame by denying who they really are.” —Paradise Restored to Mankind—By Theocracy!, 1972, pp. 353-354

18. Does the Watchtower Society deny that they are a “false prophet” by claiming that they never presumed to “originate predictions ‘in the name of Jehovah’ ”?

STATEMENT FROM A WATCHTOWER PUBLICATION:

“Jehovah’s Witnesses, in their eagerness for Jesus’ second coming, having suggested dates that turned out to be incorrect. Because of this, some have called them false prophets. Never in these instances, however, did they presume to originate predictions ‘in the name of Jehovah.’”—Awake! March 22, 1993, p. 4

19. Is it true that Jehovah’s Witnesses “never” presumed to speak as a “prophet” in the “name” of Jehovah?

STATEMENT FROM

WATCHTOWER

PUBLICATIONS:

“More accurately, was there any group on whom Jehovah would

be willing to bestow the commission to speak as a ‘prophet’ in His name, as was done toward Ezekiel back there in 613 B.C.E.? What were the qualifications? ...It is of importance to every individual on earth to identify the group that Jehovah has commissioned as his ‘servant’ or messenger. ...For this reason forthcoming issues of The Watchtower will further discuss the identity and work of Jehovah’s commissioned messenger as revealed in His vision to Ezekiel.”—The Watchtower, March 15, 1972, pp. 189-190

“ ‘They shall know that A PROPHET WAS AMONG THEM’ ...So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? ...He had a “prophet” to warn them. This “prophet” was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses.”—The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197

20. Do you agree that people should no longer trust false prophets “as safe guides”?

STATEMENT FROM WATCHTOWER PUBLICATIONS:

“Their prophecies did not come true. Therefore they are false prophets; and the people should no longer trust them as safe guides...”—The Watch Tower, May 15, 1930, p. 156

“However, the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. And in case you should say in your heart: ‘How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?’ when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him.’ ” —Deuteronomy 18:20-22, New World Translation

Sources

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"Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View". The Watchtower. October 1, 1967. p. 591. Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect. We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his Word and channel of communication.... Jehovah's visible organization is based firmly on the twelvefold foundation of the apostles of the Lamb with Jesus Christ himself being the foundation cornerstone.(Rev. 21:14,19;Eph 2:20–22) Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah's visible theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements.
"Loyal to Christ and His Faithful Slave", The Watchtower, April 1, 2007, page 24, "When we loyally submit to the direction of the faithful slave and its Governing Body, we are submitting to Christ, the slave's Master."
Beckford 1975, pp. 89, 95, 103, 120, 204, 221
"Questions from Readers". The Watchtower. April 1, 1986. if a Christian (who claims belief in God, the Bible, and Jesus) unrepentantly promotes false teachings, it may be necessary for him to be expelled from the congregation.
"Shepherd the Flock of God". Watch Tower Society. p. 90. If one obstinately is speaking about or deliberately spreading false teachings, this may be or may lead to apostasy. If there is no response after a first and a second admonition, a judicial committee should be formed.
Muramoto, O (August 1998). "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses: Part 1. Should bioethical deliberation consider dissidents' views?". Journal of Medical Ethics. 24 (4): 223–30. doi:10.1136/jme.24.4.223. PMC 1377670. PMID 9752623.
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"Jehovah's Theocratic Organization Today", The Watchtower, February 1, 1952, pages 79–81.
"Exposing the Devil's Subtle Designs". The Watchtower. January 15, 1983. p. 27. From the very outset of his rebellion Satan called into question God's way of doing things. He promoted independent thinking.... How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization.
"Avoid Independent Thinking". The Watchtower. February 15, 1979. p. 20. In a world where people are tossed about by confusing winds of religious doctrine, Jehovah's people need to be stable, full-grown Christians. (Eph. 4:13, 14) Their position must be steadfast, not shifting quickly because of independent thinking or emotional pressures.
"Building a Firm Foundation in Christ". The Watchtower. May 1, 1964. pp. 277–278. It is through the columns of The Watchtower that Jehovah provides direction and constant Scriptural counsel to his people, and it requires careful study and attention to details in order to apply this information, to get a full understanding of the principles involved, and to assure ourselves of right thinking on these matters. It is in this way that we "are thoroughly able to grasp mentally with all the holy ones" the fullness of our commission and of the preaching responsibility that Jehovah has placed on all Christians as footstep followers of his Son. Any other course would produce independent thinking and cause division.
See also Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, p. 358.
"Will You Heed Jehovah's Clear Warnings?", The Watchtower, July 15, 2011, page 15, "apostates are 'mentally diseased', and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings. (1 Tim. 6:3, 4)."
Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.). Commentary Press. pp. 98–100, 104–107, 113. ISBN 978-0-914675-17-4.
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Court transcript as cited by Heather & Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1984, page 67–68, also at Pursuer's Proof: Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh Transcript, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, 1954 Archived 2008-10-29 at the Wayback Machine.
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Stevenson, W.C. (1967). Year of Doom 1975: The Inside Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. London: Hutchinson & Co. pp. 33–35. The inevitable result of a person's submitting to (the home Bible study) arrangement is that eventually all his own thoughts will be replaced by the thoughts contained in the book he is studying ... if one were able to watch this person's development ... it would be quite obvious that he was gradually losing all individuality of thought and action.... One of the characteristics of Jehovah's Witnesses is the extraordinary unanimity of thinking on almost every aspect of life ... in view of this there seems to be some justification for the charge that their study methods are in fact a subtle form of indoctrination or brainwashing.
Botting, Heather & Gary (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. p. 153. ISBN 0-8020-6545-7.
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SC (April 8, 2023). "Former Jehovah's Witnesses denounced scams and abuses in front of the Obelisk (Spanish)". Clarín.
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James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 25–26, 101, "For every passage in Society literature that urges members to be bold and courageous in critical pursuits, there are many others that warn about independent thinking and the peril of questioning the organization.... Fear of disobedience to the Governing Body keeps Jehovah's Witnesses from carefully checking into biblical doctrine or allegations concerning false prophecy, faulty scholarship, and injustice. Witnesses are told not to read books like this one."
"You Must Be Holy Because Jehovah Is Holy", The Watchtower, February 15, 1976, page 124, "Would not a failure to respond to direction from God through his organization really indicate a rejection of divine rulership?"
James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 25–26, 101.
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"Who Molds Your Thinking?", The Watchtower, April 1, 1999, page 22, "You have free will. Exercising it, you can choose to respond to Jehovah's molding influence or deliberately reject it. How much better to listen to Jehovah's voice instead of arrogantly asserting, 'No one tells me what to do'!"
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"Righteous requirements", Watchtower, July 1, 1943, pages 204–206, "Jehovah ... has appointed his 'faithful and wise servant, who is his visible mouthpiece.... These expressions of God's will by his King and through his established agency constitute his law or rule of action.... The Lord breaks down our organization instructions further.... He says the requirements for special pioneers shall be 175 hours and 50 back-calls per month ... and for regular pioneers 150 hours.... And for company publishers, he says, 'Let us make a quota of 60 hours and 12 back-calls and at least one study a week for each publisher'. These directions come to us from the Lord through his established agency directing what is required of us.... This expression of the Lord's will should be the end of all controversy.... The Lord through his 'faithful and wise servant' now states to us, Let us cover our territory four times in six months. That becomes our organization instructions and has the same binding force on us that his statement to the Logos had when he said, 'Let us make man in our image'. It is our duty to accept this additional instruction and obey it."
Heather & Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, 1984, page 107.
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"Questions from readers: Do Jehovah's Witnesses accept any minor fractions of blood?" (Jun. 15, 2000). The Watchtower
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"Questions From Readers", The Watchtower, October 15, 2000, page 31, "Jehovah's Witnesses ... do not donate blood [without preconditions on its use], nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be 'poured out'. That practice conflicts with God's law. Other procedures or tests involving an individual's own blood are not so clearly in conflict with God's stated principles.... The goal may be to isolate some of a blood component and apply that elsewhere.... A Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled.... Ahead of time, he should obtain from the doctor or technician the facts about what might be done with his blood during the procedure. Then he must decide according to what his conscience permits."
"How Do I View Blood Fractions and Medical Procedures Involving My Own Blood?", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2006, page 4.
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"Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection". Jehovah's Witnesses official media website. Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses. Archived from the original on February 12, 2003. Retrieved August 14, 2017. the victim may wish to report thematter to the authorities, and it is his or her absolute right to do so
"Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection". Jehovah's Witnesses official media website. Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses. Archived from the original on June 28, 2003. Retrieved July 11, 2019. There are certainly no sanctions against any congregation member who reports an allegation of child abuse to the authorities
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"The Godly Qualities of Love and Hate". The Watchtower. July 15, 1974. p. 441. Christians have implicit trust in their heavenly Father; they do not question what he tells them through his written Word and organization.
Raymond Franz. Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 174, "No less serious is it when a group of men have divided views on predictions related to a certain date and yet present their adherents an outward appearance of united confidence, encouraging those adherents to place unwavering trust in those predictions."
Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. p. 629. "people certainly ha[ve] the freedom to believe what they chose. But anyone who publicly or privately advocates views that are divergent from what appears in the publications of an organization, and who does so while claiming to represent that organization, causes division."
Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom. Atlanta: Commentary Press. pp. 18–28. ISBN 978-0-914675-17-4.
Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. pp. 66–69. ISBN 0-8020-6545-7.
Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, Watch Tower Society, 1959, page 52.
"A Solid Basis for Confidence", The Watchtower, July 15, 1976, page 440.
Gruss, Edmond C. (1972). The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co. pp. 87–88.
James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 86–91.
Criticisms of statements, such as those found below, are found in a number of books including Penton, M. James (1997) Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press; Franz, Raymond, In Search of Christian Freedom (2007) Commentary Press; Watters, Randall (2004) Thus Saith Jehovah's Witnesses, Common Sense Publications; Reed, David A. (1990) Index of Watchtower Errors, 1879 to 1989, Baker Books and at websites including Watchtower Information Service Archived 2006-08-26 at the Wayback Machine; Quotes-Watchtower.co.uk Archived November 26, 2020, at the Wayback Machine; Reexamine.Quotes.
Waldeck, Val Jehovah's Witnesses: What do they believe?. Pilgrim Publications SA. ISBN 1-920092-08-0.
Buttrey, John M (2004). Let No One Mislead You. iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-30710-8.
"Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 23" (PDF). Retrieved December 31,2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, page 87.
"Why So Many False Alarms?", Awake!, March 22, 1993, pages 3–4, footnote.
Reasoning From the Scriptures, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1989, p. 137.
Revelation - Its Grand Climax, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1988, page 9.
How Prophecy Succeeds: The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Expectations Archived 2010-12-10 at the Wayback Machine
Charles Taze Russell and Nelson H. Barbour, The Three Worlds(1907) as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, pages 21–22.
Charles Taze Russell, The Time Is At Hand (1891) as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 44.
Melvin D. Curry, Jehovah's Witnesses: The Millenarian World of the Watch Tower, Garland, 1992, as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 45.
Penton, James (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0802079732.
The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 485, 258, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 206–211.
Watch Tower, May 15, 1922, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 224.
W. E. Van Amburgh (1924). The Way to Paradise (PDF)(1925 ed.). pp. 215–236.
J. F. Rutherford (1938). Face the Facts and learn the only one way of escape (PDF). pp. 46–50.
The Watchtower, September 15, 1941, p. 288
The Watchtower, May 1, 1942, p. 139
Watchtower, November 15, 1957, p. 701
Awake!, February 22, 1961, p. 8
Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God (PDF). Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York and International Bible Students Association. 1966. pp. 29–35. Archived from the original(PDF) on February 20, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2009., as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 238–239.
Talk by F. W. Franz, Baltimore, Maryland 1966, cited by Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, and by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 238–239.
Did Man Get Here By Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1967, p. 161; a near-identical statement also occurs in The Watchtower, April 1, 1967, p. 197.
The Watchtower, May 1, 1968, page 273
Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, March 1968, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 246.
Awake!, May 22, 1969, p. 15
Ingersoll-Wood, Carrie S. (2022). "The Educational Identity Formation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Religion & Education". Religion & Education. 49 (3): 310–338. doi:10.1080/15507394.2022.2102875. S2CID 251542550.
The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah – How?, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1971, p. 216.
Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, May 1974, page 3.
The Watchtower, March 1, 1984, pp. 18–19
The Watchtower, January 1, 1989, p. 12.
"Flashes of Light - Great and Small", The Watchtower, May 15, 1995, page 17.
Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 184.
"unknown". The Watchtower. July 15, 1894. p. 1677. We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. {{cite magazine}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. September 15, 1901. p. 292. The culmination of the trouble in October, 1914, is clearly marked in the Scriptures.
The Time Is at Hand. 1907. p. 101. The 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced.
"unknown". The Watch Tower. November 1, 1922. p. 346. We understand that the jubilee type began to count in 1575 B.C.; and the 3,500 year period embracing the type must end in 1925. It follows, then, that the year 1925 will mark the beginning of the restoration of all things lost by Adam's disobedience. {{cite magazine}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
The Watch Tower. November 1, 1922. p. 333. Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874 ... these facts are indisputable.
The Watch Tower, June 15, 1922, page 187.
Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 708.
"Impart God's Progressive Revelation to Mankind", The Watchtower, March 1, 1965, p. 158–159
Studies in the Scriptures Vol. II 1889 p. 239, Studies in the Scriptures Volume III 1891 p. 234, Studies in Scriptures Vol. IV 1897 p. 621.
Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 632.
"Gospel of the Kingdom". The Watch Tower. July 1, 1920. "It is well known that at this time the first universal Gentile empire was established, with Nebuchadnezzar as the ruler; and the Gentile times beginning there covered a period of seven symbolic times, or 2,520 years. The date of the beginning being 606 B.C., it would follow that the Gentile times would end in 1914; i. e., the legal lease of power would at that time expire and then the time would be due for him 'whose right it is' to receive and exercise kingly authority."
M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, pages 20, 23.
M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 23.
Watchtower, February 1, 1925, page 371.
Watchtower, May 15, 1927, page 151.
Watchtower, June 1, 1927.
Watch Tower, October–November 1881, as cited by Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 142.
The Battle of Armageddon by C. T. Russell, 1886, page 613, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, footnote, page 345.
Watch Tower, December 1, 1916, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 34.
Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, pages 68 and 71, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 63.
Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 626, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 67.
Watch Tower, October 1, 1909, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 67.
Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 626.
"The Corroborative Testimony of God's Stone Witness and Prophet, The Great Pyramid in Egypt", Chapter 10, Thy Kingdom Come, third volume of Studies in the Scriptures, 1910 Archived January 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
Watchtower, June 15, 1922, page 187, as reproduced by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 225, 226.
The Watch Tower. November 15, 1928 - December 1, 1928, pp. 339–45, 355–62, as cited by M. James Penton. Apocalypse Delayed. University of Toronto Press. p. 170.
Thy Kingdom Come, 1891, page 23.
J. F. Rutherford (1927). Creation (PDF). pp. 294–298. Twelve hundred sixty years from 539 A.D. brings us to 1799, another proof that 1799 definitely marks the beginning of "the time of the end".... "The time of the end" embraces a period from 1799 A.D., as above indicated, to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah. The time of the Lord's second presence dates from 1874.
J. F. Rutherford (1921). The Harp of God (PDF) (1928 ed.). p. 235. Twelve hundred sixty years from 539 A. D. brings us to 1799, another proof that 1799 definitely marks the beginning of 'the time of the end'.
"Locating the Time". The Watch Tower. December 1, 1929. pp. 355–361.
"The Ten Virgins". Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. October 1879. p. 38–41
J. F. Rutherford (1929). Prophecy (PDF). pp. 65–66.
The Watch Tower, March 1, 1922, "The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the time of the end began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874".
"Question and Answer". The Golden Age. April 30, 1930. pp. 503–504, "If it is true that Jesus has been present since the year 1914, then it must be admitted that nobody has seen Him with his natural eyes ... thus, for over sixteen years, Christ has been present, unseen by men, but plainly revealed to those who are students of the Bible and looking for the evidences which Jesus said would be a proof of His presence."
J. F. Rutherford (1930). Light, Book One (PDF). p. 70. Prior thereto the church had been applying the prophecy of Matthew twenty-four to the events that came to pass from 1874 to 1914. Not until after 1918 was it understood by the church that these events apply after 1914.
M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, pages 21, 46.
C.T. Russell, The Time Is At Hand, Watch Tower Society, 1889, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 190, 204.
Life, Watch Tower Society, 1929, page 170, as cited by Edmond C. Gruss, The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, page 87.
J. F. Rutherford. Vindication, Book Two (1932). pp. 257–258, as cited by M. James Penton. Apocalypse Delayed. p. 65.
Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, 2007, page 484.
The Watchtower, June 15, 1952, page 376.
Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom. Commentary Press. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-914675-17-4.
Qualified To Be Ministers, Watch Tower Society, 1955, page 381, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 74.
Marley Cole, Jehovah's Witnesses - The New World Society, Vantage Press, New York, 1955, pages 86–89, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 74.
Testimony by Fred Franz, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh Transcript, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, 1954, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 75–76.
Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, page 68, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 59.
Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, pages 58–79.
M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, 1997, page 216.
The Watchtower, December 15, 1971, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 78.
The Watchtower, July 1, 1963, page 412.
The Watchtower, July 15, 1963, page 443.
"Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, pages 467, "It is right to hate the wrong committed by the disfellowshiped one, but it is not right to hate the person nor is it right to treat such ones in an inhumane way."
"Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, pages 471–472.
"Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, page 471, par 19.
"If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 28.
"Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 24–25.
"If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 30.
The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 20–31, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 299–300.
Letter to all circuit and district overseers from Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, September 1, 1980, as reproduced by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 341.
"Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 23, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 299–300.
Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 357–359.
Watch Tower, June 15, 1911, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 188.
The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 485, 258, 513 as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 206–211.
Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Society, 1988, page 209.
Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Society, 1988, pages 266, 269.
"No Calamity Will Befall Us" (Subheading). The Watchtower. november 15, 2001. p. 19.
"Let the Reader Use Discernment", (Subheading "A Modern-Day 'Disgusting Thing'"). The Watchtower. May 1, 1999. p. 14.
"A World Without War-When?" Oct.1, 1991, pp.5 The Watchtower
The Watchtower, 1 June 1997, p. 17 par. 15: "In the first place, what lies ahead for the world's false religions that have so often been extremely friendly with the UN? They are the offspring of one idolatrous fountainhead, ancient Babylon. Appropriately, they are described at Revelation 17:5 as "Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth". Jeremiah described the doom of this hypocritical conglomerate. Harlotlike, they have seduced earth's politicians, flattering the UN and forming illicit relations with its member political powers."
Bates, Stephen (Oct. 8, 2001) "Jehovah's Witnesses link to UN queried", The Guardian
Bates, Stephen (Oct. 15, 2001) "'Hypocrite' Jehovah's Witnesses abandon secret link with UN", The Guardian
Letter to Editor - The Guardian" Archived 2007-03-03 at the Wayback Machine (Oct. 22, 2001) Office of Public Information
Letter from United Nations DPI/NGO Resource Centre
Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy! chap. 6 par. 25–29
Edmond C. Gruss, Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, ISBN 0-87552-306-4 Page 42.
Alan Rogerson, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Constable, 1969, page 105, "Secular historians put this date as 586 or 587 BC but the Witnesses, following Russell, place it at 607 BC."
"When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part One" The Watchtower, October 1, 2011, page 26
"Evidences of the Year's Correctness". The Watchtower. May 1, 1952. pp. 271–2. It was in this first regnal year of Cyrus that he issued his decree to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. (Ezra 1:1) The decree may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4–5, 537 B.C. In either case this would have given sufficient time for the large party of 49,897 Jews to organize their expedition and to make their long four-month journey from Babylon to Jerusalem to get there by September 29–30, 537 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month, to build their altar to Jehovah as recorded at Ezra 3:1–3. Inasmuch as September 29–30, 537 B.C., officially ends the seventy years of desolation as recorded at 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21, so the beginning of the desolation of the land must have officially begun to be counted after September 21–22, 607 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month in 607 B.C., which is the beginning point for the counting of the 2,520 years.
"Babylonian Exile". Encyclopædia Britannica. February 26, 2016.
"Timeline of Judaism after the Babylonian Exile (538 BCE – 70 CE)". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
Keller, Werner (1983). The Bible As History. Bantam; 2 Revised edition. p. 352. ISBN 0-553-27943-2.
Dictionary of the Bible: Biographical, Geographical, Historical and Doctrinal by Charles Randall Barnes, Page 247.
Dyer, Charles (2003). Nelson's Old Testament survey: Discovering essence, Background & Meaning about Every Old Testament book.
The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return by Carl O. Jonsson. ISBN 0-914675-06-0 Publisher: Commentary Press (July, 1998, Fourth edition 2004)
"When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part Two" The Watchtower, November 1, 2011, page 22
Insight on the Scriptures. Vol.2 page 459, "secular chronologers calculate the 16th day of Tashritu (Tishri) as falling on October 11, Julian calendar, and October 5, Gregorian calendar, in the year 539 B.C.E. Since this date is an accepted one, there being no evidence to the contrary, it is usable as a pivotal date in coordinating secular history with Bible history."
Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian Chronology Compared with the Chronology of the Bible, Volume 1: Persian Chronology and the Length of the Babylonian Exile of the Jews (2003) ISBN 82-994633-3-5
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 28:5 [2004], p. 42–43
"My Beloved Religion—and the Governing Body". goodreads.
"My only option was to publish the book". Vårt Land. June 25, 2020. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved October 24,2022.
Stephenson, F. R.; Willis, D. M. (2002). "The Earliest Datable Observation of the Aurora Borealis". In Steele, John M.; Imhausen, Annette (eds.). Under One Sky: Astronomy and Mathematics in the Ancient Near East. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag. pp. 423–428. ISBN 978-3-934628-26-7.
"When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part Two" The Watchtower, November 1, 2011, page 25, 28, endnote 18
Mesopotamian Planetary Astronomy–Astrology, David Brown, pages 53–56; 2000
When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed, page 21, Carl O. Jonsson.
Is There a Creator Who Cares About You?. Watch Tower Society. pp. 93–94.
The Watchtower, April 1, 1986, pp. 12-13
Awake!, May 8, 1997, p. 12
The Watchtower, September 1, 1986, p. 30
Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1985
Was Life Created?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 2010
Gary Botting, "Preface" to The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. xiv–xvi
Hitching is first introduced as an "evolutionist" (p. 15). A Hitching quote on page 71 is repeated on page 73, in the latter case presented as the statement of "a scientist". The 1986 Watchtower book The Bible—God's Word or Man's? likewise refers to Hitching as a scientist (p. 106).
Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion, p. 145. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2006. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
Penton, M. J. (1997). Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. pp. 174–176.
"New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures", The Watchtower, September 15, 1950, page 320.
Questions from readers, The Watchtower, December 15, 1974, page 767.
In a 1954 court case, Franz was invited to translate a passage of Genesis from English to Hebrew. (Translator's proof, page 102-103). He declined, saying he would not attempt it. Heather and Gary Botting wrongly claim (page 98) he could make no sense of "an elementary passage of Hebrew from Genesis".
Franz, Raymond (2007). Crisis of Conscience. Commentary Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-914675-23-5.
Robert M. Bowman Jr, Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses, (Grand Rapids MI: Baker Book House, 1992)
Samuel Haas, Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 74, No. 4, (Dec. 1955), p. 283, "This work indicates a great deal of effort and thought as well as considerable scholarship, it is to be regretted that religious bias was allowed to colour many passages."
Ankerberg, John and John Weldon, 2003, The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, accessible online Archived October 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
Rhodes R, The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response, Zondervan, 2001, p. 94
Bruce M Metzger, "Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ", Theology Today, (April 1953 p. 74); see also Metzger, "The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures", The Bible Translator (July 1964)
C.H. Dodd: "The reason why [the Word was a god] is unacceptable is that it runs counter to the current of Johannine thought, and indeed of Christian thought as a whole." Technical Papers for The Bible Translator, Vol 28, No. 1, January 1977
Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. pp. 98–101. ISBN 0-8020-6545-7.
Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom. Commentary Press. pp. 494–505. ISBN 978-0-914675-17-4.
G. HÉBERT/EDS, "Jehovah's Witnesses", The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Gale, 2005², Vol. 7, p. 751.
Metzger, Bruce M., The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, The Bible Translator 15/3 (July 1964), pp. 150-153.
"God's Name and the New Testament", The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1984, pages 23-27
"Appendix 1D The Divine Name in the Christian Greek Scriptures", New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures - With References, page 1565
"Your Bible—How It Was Produced", The Watchtower, December 15, 1981, page 15
Jason D. BeDuhn, Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament, 2004, pages 165, 169, 175, 176. BeDuhn compared the King James, the (New) Revised Standard, the New International, the New American Bible, the New American Standard Bible, the Amplified Bible, the Living Bible, Today's Englishand the NWT versions in Matthew 28:9, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15-20, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8, John 8:58, John 1:1.
Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament by Jason BeDuhn, 2004, pages 165, University Press of America, ISBN 0-7618-2556-8, ISBN 978-0-7618-2556-2
Thomas A Howe, Bias in New Testament Translations?, 2010, p. 326 (back cover), "In this critical evaluation, BeDuhn's arguments are challenged and his conclusions called into question." - See also Thomas A. Howe, The Deity of Christ in Modern Translations, 2015

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