Jehovah's Witnesses

• Formation: 1872
• Founder: Charles Taze Russell

Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian denomination better known for its door-to-door preaching and its refusal to serve in the military or to accept blood transfusions. The group is widely known for two of its publications, Awake! and The Watchtower, which are passed out by evangelizing members. The denomination’s beliefs are unique in the Christian world.

The group holds millenialist views, meaning they believe the destruction of the world is at hand. They believe God’s kingdom on earth will very soon be restored and that Jesus is already here. They believe that only this event will solve humanity’s problems. The greatest divergence from other Christian beliefs is the group’s rejection of the Holy Trinity.

History

Jehovah’s Witnesses grew out of a group of students studying the Bible. Chief among these young people was Charles Taze Russell. In the late 1870s, Russell formed Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society, an outgrowth of Russell’s Bible Student Movement. From this group, the Jehovah’s Witnesses developed. Consequently, Russell is widely considered to be the founder of the denomination.

However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization argues that Russell’s goal was to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and to practice Christianity as it was followed in the first century of its existence. They insist that since Jesus is the founder of Christianity, Jesus is also the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Additionally, Russell died in 1916, whereas the Jehovah’s Witnesses were not known by that name until 1931.

Yet the modern organization definitely owes its existence to Russell’s efforts. The main early influence on his religious ideas was the Adventist movement and the ideas of a flamboyant preacher named William Miller. Millerites first believed that the world would end in 1843. When this failed to occur, Miller blamed a mathematical error and predicted the end of the world in 1844. The failure of this prediction drove many out of the Adventist movement, but Ellen G. White and a small group of former Adventists formed the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

In 1869, Russell joined a group of Adventists for Bible study in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Over the course of several years, he developed a unique interpretation of biblical passages. In 1876, Russell joined forces with Adventist preachers John Paton and Nelson Barbour. Russell became coeditor of Barbour’s magazine, Herald of the Morning. In 1877, Russell published a pamphlet titled The Object and Manner of Our Lord’s Return. He maintained that the battle of Armageddon would be preceded by the invisible return of Christ to earth. The next year, he argued that Christ had, in fact, returned invisibly in 1874. Among other interpretations of scripture, Russell also concluded that the battle of Armageddon would begin in 1914.

Breaking away from Barbour, Russell began to publish on his own. His monthly magazine was called Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. Eventually, it became known as The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom, or more commonly, The Watchtower. In 1882, Russell also concluded that the Bible did not support the Christian concept of the Trinity.

The organization that became Jehovah’s Witnesses began to take shape at this time. Bible study groups were formed in seven states among readers of Russell’s magazines. These congregations elected elders, and Russell visited the groups to offer instruction in Bible study. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which is the educational arm of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, was formed by Russell in 1879 and called simply the Watch Tower.

Russell died in 1916 and was succeeded by Joseph R. Rutherford. Initially, he carried on as Russell had, but a schism developed when he changed course in a number of ways. Rutherford coined the now-disused slogan, "Millions now living will never die." This meant that some of the people alive when Armageddon came and the forces of God triumphed would be given eternal life if they chose to accept it. In addition, in 1931 Rutherford changed the organization’s name to Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is one of the reasons today’s Jehovah’s Witnesses do not consider Russell the founder of the religion.

When Rutherford died in 1942, Nathan Knorr became leader. It was Knorr who began the practice of training the door-to-door evangelists in presentation techniques. He also had the Bible retranslated by a secret group of five members. The product of their work was the New World Translation, which is the only Bible used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

A Governing Body (the members of which are called followers of Christ, not religious leaders) leads the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The members of the Governing Body serve on committees overseeing such aspects of Jehovah's Witnesses' work as legal matters, oral and written spiritual instruction, and the publication of Bible literature.

Beliefs and Practices

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they are Christians, but they do not consider themselves Protestants. Since Protestantism is often considered a religious movement in opposition to Roman Catholicism, Jehovah’s Witnesses argue they do not belong to it. While they disagree with Roman Catholic teachings, they are not protesting against the Roman Catholic Church or attempting to reform it in any way. Jehovah’s Witnesses also believe many Protestant beliefs are in conflict with what they feel the Bible actually teaches.

Although Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians, their beliefs diverge from traditional Christian thought in a number of important ways. Some of their divergent traditions date back to Charles Taze Russell. Others are more recent additions to the religion’s beliefs and practices.

Russell taught that there is no hell, which he adopted from the Adventists. People who have not been saved simply cease to exist when they die—their souls are not immortal. Unlike other Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Russell asserted that only Jehovah is God. Jesus is equivalent to (or is, in fact) the Archangel Michael. The Holy Spirit is a force, not an entity.

He also taught that Jesus would return to the earth in 1914. When this did not occur, the tradition became that Jesus had returned invisibly. His visible return would immediately precede the final battle between God and the fallen angel Satan, in which God will prevail. This is known as the battle of Armageddon. The imminence of this battle underlies all the beliefs and practices of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

After Armageddon, the government in heaven will replace human governments. In the meantime, Jesus is the King in the Kingdom of Heaven, and he began ruling in 1914.

Members worship "the one true and Almighty God, the Creator, whose name is Jehovah." This is the first of fifteen basic beliefs. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the Bible is a message from God to humanity, and they follow all of its books. However, they do not consider themselves fundamentalists in any way, arguing that portions of the Bible are figurative or symbolic and are not to be understood literally.

Individuals can be saved from sin and death by faith in Jesus, by changing the course of their lives, and by being baptized. No one can become a member of any Jehovah’s Witness congregation without being baptized into the church. Infants are not baptized, and no previous baptism is considered holy. They believe that without baptism as a Jehovah’s Witness, an individual will die in the battle of Armageddon. However, only 144,000 people will be resurrected into eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, where they will rule with Jesus. The rest of the saved will live forever in a paradise on earth. Billions of people will return to life in a general resurrection, but those who do not adhere to God’s ways will cease to exist.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not meet in churches. The buildings in which their small congregations gather are called Kingdom Halls. The congregations typically consist of fewer than two hundred members. Throughout the world, congregants are expected to attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall and to spend time evangelizing door-to-door. They distribute books and the Watch Tower magazine. A body of unpaid elders oversees each congregation. The group has no formal clergy class.

However, the organization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is hierarchical, reflecting their belief regarding the governing organization of heaven. The Governing Body consists only of men who are selected by the current Governing Body. Committees under the direction of the Governing Body handle the tasks needed to run a worldwide religion and large publishing operation. The Governing Body also approves traveling overseers who have been recommended by local branches of the church. Traveling overseers in turn may appoint elders for congregations in their districts. Regional committees may oversee local needs, such as new Kingdom Hall construction.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have crosses or any other symbols in their Kingdom Halls. They oppose all veneration of images. In addition, they do not celebrate Christmas, Easter, or any other holidays or customs they feel have pagan origins or are not supported by the content of the Bible. For this reason, they do not celebrate birthdays.

Jehovah’s Witnesses will not serve in any nation’s armed forces or salute a nation’s flag. This has led to conflict, including in the form of censorship, with a variety of governments. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia banned the organization from the country, declaring Jehovah's Witnesses to be an extremist organization; many, fearing persecution, fled to such countries as Finland.

For their part, Jehovah’s Witnesses consider all human societies as morally corrupt. Human society is more greatly influenced by Satan than by God. Therefore, many members of the religion avoid contact with people who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The congregations can be strict when it comes to intrafaith discipline. Members consider their beliefs "the truth." Adherents may describe themselves as being "in the truth." Members who transgress may endure "disfellowshipping," which is the Jehovah’s Witness term for expelling and shunning a member. A member who has been baptized but leaves the congregation is said to be "disassociated." These individuals are also shunned. People in either category may return to the church if they have repented and if the repentance is accepted by their congregation.

The organization is noted for refusing blood transfusions, which has led many people to believe they practice faith healing and avoid modern medicine. Neither of these ideas is correct. Jehovah’s Witnesses will not accept blood transfusions because they believe the Bible prohibits any transfer of blood. Otherwise, adherents make complete use of modern medicine.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe themselves to be members of the one true religion. They argue that Jesus said there was only a narrow access to salvation. They believe they have found that narrow path. However, they do not believe they are the only people who can be saved. First, the millions of people who lived on earth before Jehovah’s Witnesses existed will have the opportunity for salvation. Likewise, many people now living who have not become Jehovah’s Witnesses will also have an opportunity for salvation. The judgment of who will or will not be saved is up to Jesus.

Bibliography

"About Jehovah’s Witnesses." Jehovah’s Witnesses, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Harvey, Sarah. "Factsheet: Jehovah's Witnesses." Religion Media Centre, 15 Dec. 2020, religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/jehovahs-witnesses/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Hesse, Hans, editor. Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses During the Nazi Regime: 1933–1945. Edition Temmen, 2003.

Higgins, Andrew. "Russia Bans Jehovah's Witnesses, Calling It an Extremist Group." The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/world/europe/russia-bans-jehovahs-witnesses.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2019.

McCarty, Skip. The Jehovah’s Witnesses. Pacific Press, 2014.

Penton, M. James. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah’s Witnesses. U of Toronto, 2015.

Sanders, J. Oswald. Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Classic Article on the History of and Philosophy of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Nielsen, 2012.

Walsh, Rachel. The Day of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Spiffing Covers, 2013.