Jehovah’s Witnesses—What Do They Believe?
Jehovah’s Witnesses today form an international organization that is completely separate from all other religious organizations. Since we are often misrepresented, it would be a mistake to expect to learn the truth about us from prejudiced sources. So we are pleased to explain to you some of our principal beliefs.
God, the Bible, and the Messiah
God has a personal name, and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that those who worship him should use that name. Almighty God declared to Moses that His name is “Jehovah.” (Exodus 3:15; Psalm 83:18) Moses, Abraham, and many other faithful men of old used this name of God. (Genesis 12:8; Ruth 2:4, 12) In fact, the name Jehovah occurs thousands of times in the Sacred Scriptures. Therefore, like those faithful men of ancient times, we use God’s name and serve in behalf of that name.—Isaiah 43:10.
Jehovah’s Witnesses firmly believe that the Sacred Scriptures, known also as the Bible, are inspired by Jehovah God and that they constitute his chief means of communication with mankind today. King David expressed it this way: “The spirit of Jehovah it was that spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.” (2 Samuel 23:2) We follow the Scriptures closely, allowing these to interpret themselves.
Jehovah’s Witnesses accept the so-called New Testament as the natural and inspired continuation of the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Scriptures. The “New Testament,” the section of the Sacred Scriptures originally composed in Greek, was written by Jews who lived in the first century C.E. These men were eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies recorded by such Hebrew prophets as Moses, Isaiah, and Daniel. They found in the unique teacher of their day, Jesus, the fulfillment of such prophecies as those at Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 52:13–53:12; and Daniel 9:24-27.
Therefore, Jehovah’s Witnesses accept Jesus as the Messiah, the one God provided as a legal means of rescuing mankind from the consequences of Adam’s sin. The Mosaic Law covenant showed the need for a sacrifice in order to make atonement. (Leviticus 16:6, 11, 15, 30; Numbers 15:22-29) However, the Mosaic covenant was conditional and temporary. (Exodus 19:5, 6) The prophet Jeremiah spoke of “a new covenant” that would bring complete and lasting forgiveness of sin. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) This “new covenant,” based on a perfect sacrifice, would provide the means for bringing faithful people into the promised earthly Paradise.—Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12; 65:21-25.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are no part of Christendom. In fact, Christendom was founded nearly 300 years after Jesus’ death, and its beliefs have greatly deviated from what Jesus taught. For example, we do not accept Christendom’s belief in the Trinity, which teaches that Jesus is God himself. Nowhere do the Scriptures contain this blasphemous teaching. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29; John 14:28) We do not use the cross as a symbol, nor do we employ statues in any way as part of our worship. These are all things that the Bible condemns.—Exodus 20:3-5; 1 John 5:21.
The Kingdom of God
Clearly, the Kingdom of God is a dominant theme that runs throughout the Sacred Scriptures. The prophet Daniel speaks of the Messiah and says: “To him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin.” (Daniel 7:13, 14) Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s Kingdom by his Messiah is a real government and that the rule of this government will restore true peace to the earth.—Isaiah 9:6, 7; Psalm 46:8, 9; 72:7.
The Scriptures show that the seat of this government is in the heavens and that the Messiah, resurrected from death to God’s right hand, is its Ruler. (Psalm 110:1, 2) Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that eventually billions will receive everlasting life on earth as subjects of the Messianic rule. Thus, we are firmly convinced that the earth will never be destroyed and that the Bible promise will be fulfilled: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.
But how will God’s Kingdom come? The Bible realistically shows that the coming of the Kingdom will require God’s direct intervention in earth’s affairs: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself . . . will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.”—Daniel 2:44.
When will God’s Kingdom come? On the basis of Bible prophecies now being fulfilled, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that it will come in our day. The Greek Scriptures contain prophecies that foretell in detail features of “the last days” of this system of things. We invite you to consider some of these prophecies recorded at Matthew 24:3-14; Luke 21:7-13, 25-32; and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Because we love Jehovah our God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves, we are not divided nationally, racially, or socially. (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; Mark 12:30, 31) We are widely noted for the love and unity that is manifested among our spiritual brothers, who are found in all nations. This is in harmony with the prophecies concerning “the final part of the days” that speak of people of all nations worshiping God in unity and ‘not learning war anymore.’ (Isaiah 2:2-4; Zephaniah 3:9; John 13:35) Thus, we maintain a neutral stand toward the political affairs of all nations. We believe that worshiping God properly means avoiding immoral conduct, including lying, stealing, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, the misuse of blood, idolatry, and other such things condemned in the Scriptures.—Exodus 20:3-5, 13-17; Leviticus 17:10; 20:13; Psalm 15:1-5; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Hope for the Future
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the present system of things, with its cycle of birth, life, and death, is not all there is. We have complete confidence in a future life, including a resurrection from the dead under God’s Kingdom. We believe, as the Bible teaches, that when a person dies, his existence really ceases. (Psalm 146:3, 4; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Ezekiel 18:4) Therefore, the Bible does not teach the concept of an immortal soul or of reincarnation. Rather, future life for the dead is based on God’s remembrance of them in a resurrection.—Isaiah 25:8; Daniel 12:1, 2, 13.
However, Jehovah’s Witnesses are convinced that many now living will survive when God’s Kingdom brings an end to all present governments. Then, just as Noah and his family survived the Flood, these survivors will live on to enjoy life on a cleansed earth. (Isaiah 11:1-9; 65:17; Matthew 24:36-39) In order to survive the end of the world, one must meet Jehovah’s requirements, for the Bible says: “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it.”—Proverbs 2:20-22; Psalm 37:9-11, 29.
Obviously, it is not possible here to cover all the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but we invite you to obtain further information from Jehovah’s Witnesses in your neighborhood.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotations are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.