Jehovah witnesses believe Jesus is the Son of God, but not God, and that He did not always exist -but was himself a created being named Michael, the Archangel. Jehovah Witnesses also teach that Jesus never rose bodily from the dead, but that He did rise from the dead as a spiritual being.  Jehovah Witnesses will not allow Jesus to be worshipped and they don't believe there is a hell.

Jehovah Witnesses are justly afraid of the "everlasting fire" prepared for the devil and his followers (Matthew 25:41):

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The entire Jehovah Witness system of theology is dedicated to a contradiction of this important biblical teaching of God's eternal wrath upon those who perpetrate the infinite transgressions of denying His beloved Son.  Rightly then, does the Bible say that "the wrath of God continues to abide upon them". See John 3:36, Revelation 20:10, Mark 9:43, 47-48; and Daniel 12:2.

Jehovah will share  His glory only with Himself (Jesus).  Jesus says so...

In Isaiah 42:8 Jehovah himself is speaking, and He emphatically declares "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Again, in Isaiah 48:11, Jehovah is speaking, and He declares: "For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another."

John 17:5 tells us Jesus said; "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the *glory which I had with thee before the world was*."

Of course that is what Jesus is speaking of. He is speaking of being part of the Godhead Himself. Since God will not share His glory. And Jesus tells us He had this glory with Yahweh/Jehovah before creation. What more proof from Jehovah's lips or from the lips of Jesus do you want?

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
 

Rank and file Jehovah Witnesses are unaware that the "Watchtower" "boards" over the years have constantly changed their doctrines to suit their needs, including twisting  biblical references out of context.  Jehovah Witnesses have a history of false prophecies, including teachings that Armageddon and the subsequent end of the world would occur in 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1975.  

Most Jehovah Witnesses cannot see that their true point of authority is not the bible, but the ever-changing views of their Brooklyn-based Governing Body.  The Word of God in the Bible does not change and a prophecy that does not come true is not of God's doing.  This history of false prophecies by "The Society" should have been enough for Jehovah Witness members to run--not walk away from these false teachings. 

Rank and file Jehovah Witnesses do not know they are being "spoon fed" only what the "Governing Body" allows them to "eat".  New Jehovah Witness "recruits" are not allowed to know the complete list of ordinances and organizational stipulations until they have dedicated their lives to service for the Society.  " Recruits" and most Jehovah Witness members do not see the "secret" publication meant for Society leaders only.  This is known as "Pay Attention" which outlines how to deal with offenses and how to punish members.  Its essence is to guide the exercise of and the maintenance of "power" for leaders within a Jehovah Witness Congregation.  In testimonials below, ex-Jehovah Witnesses Tom Cabeen and Sandra Sharp discuss their experiences when they began to read the Bible instead of the society's Watchtower publications.

The average American should be aware that a meeting with a Jehovah Witness on their doorstep can have future consequences.  A record is kept of each individual with whom the Witnesses speaks, and the leaders in Brooklyn often order elders to call or visit specific individuals. In 1992 the average number of Witnesses involved in door-to-door preaching was 4,071,954. You can be visited any day of the week, because a Jehovah Witness does not have a Sabbath; they regard all days as holy.

The Jehovah Witness Movement was begun by Charles Taze Russell.  Born in 1852,  Russell founded the Zion's Watch Tower in 1879 and later incorporated the group under the name "Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society" in 1884. 

Russell born on February 16, 1852.  He was raised a Presbyterian, but later joined the Congregational Church because of its "more liberal views." His mother died when he was 9, the year the Civil War began.

As a youth Russell seems to have been obsessed with hellfire and torment; he also apparently saw himself as the instrument of men's salvation. An early associate of Russell's tells us that 14-year-old Charles Taze would go out Saturday nights "to where men gathered. . .to loaf, and would write Bible texts on the sidewalk with colored chalk . . . .He hoped to attract their attention, so that they might accept Christ and avoid being lost and going to eternal torment." [Faith, p. 17] .  When Russell was 17, he suffered a revulsion against the concept eternal punishment and against the doctrine of predestination.

Russell began his teachings shortly after wandering into a religious meeting where Jonas Wendell was teaching "Second Adventism" in 1870. Charles Russell subsequently began his own movement with his father and a small group of others after forming a small Bible study in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.  From 1870 through 1875 the Russell family, and others, participated in an analytical study of both the Bible and the origins of Christian doctrine, creed, and tradition. "Millerite" Adventist ministers George Storrs, and George Stetson, were also closely involved. Russell's group believed they had found significant errors in common Christian belief. As a result of such study, the Russell family believed they had gained a clearer understanding of true Christianity, and were re-baptized in 1874.  His personal "message" began with his rejection of the Christian doctrine of Hell, and he later added many physical and spiritually dangerous doctrines of his own making. Ultimately, Russell rejected nearly every other Christian doctrine, and published his bizarre teachings in a 6-volume series under the name "Studies in the Scriptures".

Several Protestant denominations have either formed around, or adopted some style of, Pastor Russell's views, among them the Worldwide Church of God, the Concordant Publishing Concern, the Assemblies of Yahweh. Among the numerous Bible Student off-shoot groups include the Pastoral Bible Institute, the Layman's Home Missionary Movement and others.

Charles Taze Russell was a proven liar, who claimed in a New York Court in 1913, that he was an ordained pastor, and that he was well versed in both Greek and Latin. But when pressed on the stand in Court, he could not read anything from the Greek alphabet. He also could show no proof of any ordination from any mainline church.  In his own defense, Russell said he believed that his ordination was "of God" according to the biblical pattern, not requiring any denominational approval, and that his annual election as "Pastor" by over 1,200 congregations worldwide constituted him as "ordained", or chosen, to be a minister of the gospel.  Russell died on October 31, 1916 while traveling on a train near Pampa, Texas.  His successor, Joseph F. Rutherford began revising Russell's doctrine.  

In 1920, Rutherford  began speaking to large crowds falsely telling them that millions of people then living would never die. Between 1921 and 1941, Rutherford wrote twenty books and numerous pamphlets, beginning with his first publication, known as "Harp of God". 

MAN'S DESTINY:

Jehovah Witness doctrine says that those people who are not members of the Watchtower organization will be destroyed by Jehovah God and cease to exist. But that if a faithful Jehovah Witness is not part of the 144,000 anointed ones they will live forever on earth in paradise. The 144,000 anointed ones will reign with Jehovah God in heaven.  Jehovah Witnesses teach no concept of hell.  Going door-to-door will help determine a person's fate according to the latest Jehovah Witness doctrine.  This figure 144,000 is in Scripture.  But it refers to 12,000 Israelites from each Hebrew tribe.

Bible Probe Comment: Christians know this to be a false doctrine, because salvation is dependent solely on a person's relationship with Jesus, the Christ.  One cannot buy or "peddle" their way to eternal life.

LORD's SUPPER ONCE A YEAR:

This is done once a year at the Memorial of Christ's death. Only the approximately 8600 living Jehovah's Witnesses who are part of the 144,000 Anointed Class actually partake in the meal.  The general membership (formerly called the Jonadab Class and now called the Great Crowd) are present and observe.

MUST BE A JEHOVAH WITNESS TO BE SAVED: According to the Witnesses, Salvation requires that one must accept doctrines as interpreted by the Governing Body from the Bible to be saved.  To be saved they must also be baptized as a Jehovah's Witness and follow the program of works as laid out by the Jehovah Witness Governing Body.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to associate with non-Witnesses: including family. Exceptions are made if the non-Witness family member is living in the same household.

UN-CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR (SHUNNING): The shunning or harassment of former Jehovah's Witnesses by active members of the sect is behavior that is mandated by the governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses' church. Shunning has been known to cause severe emotional distress to estranged Witnesses, occasionally even leading to their suicides.  Suspected of apostasy, many very sincere and well-respected Jehovah Witnesses have been "disfellowshipped" in "kangaroo court" judicial proceedings with little or no advanced warning. 

To Jehovah Witnesses who leave and find the truth that Jesus is one with the Father and also God, please take consolation in these words:

Matthew 10:29-30- "No man has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mothers, or fathers, or wife, or children, or lands for my name sake and the gospel that will not gain a hundred fold of houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and fathers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life"

In September 1981 the governing body changed the rules so that suddenly, Witnesses were to stop greeting practically all disfellowshipped persons, not even saying 'hello' to them.  And for the first time family members were to cut any and all unnecessary ties with relatives who were disfellowshipped. Although husbands and wives had to continue rendering marriage dues to disfellowshipped mates and parents were to provide for minor children, except in cases of extreme illness or emergency, disfellowshipped family members were to be shunned.

Year 1889: Jehovah's Witness founder Charles T. Russell falsely prophesized:

"...the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of A.D. 1914."

Year 1910: Jehovah's Witnesses are told not to read the Bible by itself, because it is not the final authority. In modern days they encourage Bible study through use of Watch Tower publications as guides and their own version of the Bible.

Year 1938: Jehovah Witnesses are told that because the end is so near, they are to wait until after Armageddon to "marry and rear children". (see: Watchtower, November 1, 1938)

Year 1966: The Watchtower predicts, "According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975".

Did you know that the Jehovah Witness founder Charles T. Russell was well into Astrology and Egyptology and pyramidology, and it was later printed in a Watchtower Magazine (June 15, 1922)  that he had wrote:

"When Uranus and Jupiter meet in the humane sign of Aquarius in 1914, the long promised era will have made a fair start in the work of setting man free to work out his own salvation, and will insure the ultimate realization of dreams and ideals of all poets and sages in history"

Did you know that Pastor Charles T. Russell's book "The divine plan of the ages" shows Russell was a Freemason and used all the Logo's on his publications for years. The cross and crown being one of these and the spread wings with the sun dial in the center was used on most of his early books. Even the terms later used by the Watchtower organization such as "Golden age" and "Mellennium dawn" were associated with the occult and magic movements, and did not have any foundation in the Bible as they would lead you to believe.  When Charles T. Russell died in 1916 he was buried with a marker a few feet away from his tomb sculptured as a large pyramid five to six feet high, with the Mason logo embossed on it and remains to this day for all to see. See more on the occultist society known as Freemasonry here.

Did you know that Jehovah Witnesses believed for about 50 years of their history that the great pyramid of Giza, in Egypt was the second witness for God after the Bible? (see hints of it in their book "Jehovah's Witnesses proclaimers of God's Kingdom" p. 200).

Did you know that Jehovah Witnesses falsely prophesized that the old men of God (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.)  would rise from the Dead in 1925?

Symptoms of a Cult (Isolation/Separation):

Did you know that Jehovah Witnesses are not encouraged to socialize outside their religious circle and they are discouraged from developing interests outside their community. For example, they are advised not to seek a higher education, or to pursue private pastimes such as hobbies.

Did you know that Jehovah Witnesses cannot accept blood transfusions and cannot sing national anthems.

Did you know Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to: salute a nation's flag, serve in a nation's military, and vote.

Testimonials from ex-Jehovah Witnesses

Barbara's Testimony:

When I was about 12 years old, my mom's trust fund, which we had been living on so that she could be a full time Pioneer, ran out, and she decided that we should go on welfare. She owned our home, though, and was told by one of the elders that she wouldn't be able to get welfare because of that. He suggested she sell him the house for $1.00 and then he would be her landlord, and allow her to live there and pay him rent. I protested, asking her to get a worldly lawyer to check it out, but she didn't listen, of course. She sold him the home, and that's when the real problems began.

For in depth knowledge about Jehovah Witnesses, read the many "Articles" written at the "Watchman Fellowship" here