Would You Trust Your Eternal Destiny to a False Prophet?

1. The Society has claimed to be the present-day true prophet of God and claims to get its direction and revelation from angels.

–Watchtower, April 1, 1972 –  Exhibits 1 & 2

(NOTE: see PDF linked below/right for all referenced Exhibits)

Compare this claim with Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 1:8: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

Jude 1:3 says we are to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. God is not giving additional revelation, but expects us to guard what was once and for all time given through the apostles. We are commanded in Dt. 4:2 & 12:32, Pr. 30:6, and Rev. 22:18-19 not to add to or take away from the Word of God, which the Society does in claiming this new revelation.

2. The Society claims exclusive knowledge of the Bible, and discourages its members from studying the Bible apart from their own writings.

With that they also claim that a person studying the Bible alone apart from their publication “Scriptural Studies” will go into darkness, but a person studying “Scriptural Studies” alone apart from the Bible will be in the light – Watchtower, 1910, p. 298 – Exhibit 3

The Society claims to be the only organization that has God’s Spirit or that can understand the Bible – Watchtower, July 1, 1973 – Exhibit 4

Compare these ludicrous claims with 2 Peter 1:20: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

– and with 1 John 2:26-27: “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

– and with Colossians 2:18: “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind’ 

3. MUCH To the Contrary: the Society has exposed its own fraud and lies by issuance of MULTIPLE False Prophecies:

1889 & 1908 – Falsely prophesied that the “battle of the great day of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:14) had begun and would end in 1914 – The Time Is At Hand, p. 101 – Exhibit 5

1897 – Declared the Lord Jesus was present on earth since 1874 – Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 4, p. 621 – Exhibit 6

1916 – Declared the 1000 year reign of Christ had begun in 1873 – The Time Is At Hand, 1916 ed., p. ii  – Exhibit 7

1920 – Falsely prophesied that the physical return of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would take place in 1925 – Millions Now Living Will Never Die, p. 89 – Exhibit 8

1922 – Confirmed the 1925 date for the resurrection – Watchtower, Sept. 1, 1922 – Exhibit 9

1923 – Again confirmed the 1925 date for the resurrection – Watchtower, April 1, 1923 – Exhibit 10

1925 – Began to back down on its prophecy for 1925– Watchtower, Jan 1, 1925, p.3, Exhibit 12 & Watchtower, 1925, p. 262 – Exhibit 11

1931 – Acknowledged disappointment regarding predicted dates and attempted to deflect criticism by clinging to the dates and reinterpreting the prophecies – Exhibit 13 – Vindication, vol. I, p. 338                                

1942 – Prophesied that Armageddon would take place within only a few months – Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1942,  p. 288 – Exhibit 14

1954 – H.C. Covington, VP of the Society, admitted under oath in Court that the Society had promulgated a false prophecy which had to be accepted by Society members – Walsh v. Clyde, Scotland, Nov. 1954 – Exhibit 15

1968 – Predicted that the year 1975 would be the year of the end of the age – Watchtower, Aug. 15, 1968, p. 23,  Exhibit 16 – & the same year also admitted that prior date setting amounted to false prophesying – Awake, Oct. 8, 1968– Exhibit 17

1969 – Confirmed the 1975 date – Life Everlasting – in Freedom of the Sons of God, p. 28 – Exhibits 18 & 19

1974 – Condoned member preparations for 1975, including getting rid of possessions and making special sacrifices – Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, Exhibit 20 – & the same year also admitted having made false prophecies – Light, p. 194– Exhibit 21

1976 – Reversed its century old claim to be God’s true prophet – Watchtower, May 15, 1976 – Exhibit 22

Compare the above false prophecies with Deuteronomy 18:20-22

20  But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak. or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die . . . 22  When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but. the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

4. The New World Translation is a Deliberate Deception

The Watchtower’s “Bible,” known as the New World Translation, (NWT) was produced during the Watchtower presidency of Nathan Knorr (1942-1977).  This translation was allegedly produced to “restore” the name Jehovah in the Old Testament where the Hebrew name YHWH appears (rendered “LORD” in the KJV). This name was also inserted 237 times in the New Testament where the text refers to the Father, despite the fact that this change blatantly contradicted thousands of available ancient Greek manuscripts.   Further, the  NWT  contains  the following fatal flaws:

The NWT is translated from a corrupted Greek text. 

The NWT uses as its Greek text the same perverted Wescott-Hort Greek text used by the NIV, NASV and other recent perversions of the scriptures, as admitted in its preface.  This Greek text, which was compiled by two men who were avowed spiritualists, dabbled in the occult and were also closet Catholics, deletes from the original text in over 6,000 places. The translators of the NWT took an already corrupted text and further distorted it, producing a radically biased and deliberate distortion of God’s Word to promote their own cultic agenda.

The translators of the NWT were not biblical language scholars.  

The Society publicly resisted naming the NWT’s translators, but a high-level defector named Raymond Franz did identify them in his book Crisis of Conscience as Nathan Knorr, Frederick Franz, Albert Schroeder, George Gangas, and Milton Henschel, NONE of whom were qualified translators.  4 of the 5 had no Greek or Hebrew training at all and had only graduated from High School.  Franz claimed to know Hebrew and Greek, but under oath in open court in Scotland failed a simple Hebrew test.  He had dropped out of college his sophomore year without studying anything relating to the Bible.

Major changes have been made in the NWT through the years to reflect the Society’s changing Doctrine. 

An example is the Society’s change in doctrine regarding the worship of Jesus, which was endorsed by the Society until 1959.  An 1880 issue of the Watchtower magazine said, “to worship Christ in any form cannot be wrong.” In 1892 they said, “Yes, we believe our Lord Jesus while on earth was really worshiped, and properly so…” Then in 1964 the Watchtower magazine said, “it is unscriptural for worshippers of the true God to render worship to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.” This doctrinal reversal is reflected in the 1971 NWT: the 1961 edition at Hebrews 1:6 says, “And let all God’s angels worship him.”  The 1971 edition of the NWT was edited to read: “And let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.”  Society followers are basing their eternal salvation on a translation that is evolving to suit the changing doctrines of the Society.

Key Bible verses have been deliberately mistranslated to support Watchtower theology. 

Here are just two of many examples:

John 1:1

KJB:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

NWT:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Christ] was a god.”

The Society teaches that because there is no definite article the in reference to Christ is as “the God” (“theos,” not “ho theos”) that he is not the Almighty God like the Father is, but is god-like, a divine being or lesser god. 

It appears the Society teaches there are multiple Gods. Is Jesus a true God or a false one?  Isaiah 43:10-11 says:

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Luke 20:38 refers to God the Father without the definite article “the,” and conversely that John 20:28, Matt. 1:23 and Heb. 1:8 clearly refer to Jesus as “the God” (ho theos).  The absence of the definite article “ho” in John 1:1 does not mean that Jesus is a “lesser” God.

John could have used the Greek word “theios” if he had meant god-like, but rather used the word theos to communicate Christ’s absolute deity.

Colossians 1:16-17

KJB:  “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” 

NWT:  “By means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities.  All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.”

The Society’s own Greek Interlinear Bible says that the Greek word panta means “all” things and not “all other” things.  The NWT deliberately mistranslates this verse to make it appear that Christ was a created being who was then used by God to create all other things.  There is no basis in the Greek to insert the word other; the passage clearly says Jesus created ALL things, and therefore is the creator, not a created being.  Isaiah 44:24 says YHWH (Jehovah) made “all things” “alone” and “by myself,” proving with Colossians 1:16-17 and that Jesus is in fact the creator, Jehovah.  (See also John 1:1-3 and Heb. 1:2,10)

Conclusion: The New World Translation is a deliberate perversion of God’s holy Word with the intention of purposely deceiving its readers.

The Watchtower Society’s Doctrines vs. the REAL Bible

The Watchtower Society intentionally corrupted the Scriptures to promote their false doctrines. The following quotes are instead taken from the Authorized King James Bible. The Authorized KJV agrees with the vast majority (98%) of ancient texts in existence, & with 100% of those known before the Protestant Reformation. Older texts found later on which Wescott & Hort based their Greek text (NWT) are ancient perversions produced by the heretic Oirigen’s disciple Eusebius, requested by Emp. Constantine in 352 AD. See our webpage on this subject here: https://independencebaptist.com/the-king-james-bible/

1. Concerning the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Isaiah 9:6 : “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

NOTICE: If Jesus is just a god, as suggested in the Watchtower’s Bible version, is He a true God or a false god?  How many gods does the Society believe in?!!

Compare Isaiah 43:10-11: “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

And Exodus 20:2-3: “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

NOTICE: there can be only one true God. The multiple references to Jesus as God, (many more to follow below) and to the Holy Spirit as same, can only lead to the conclusion that God is a tri-une being; a “trinity”

John 8:58 – “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

NOTICE: Jesus claimed in this discourse to be the same “I am” that appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Earlier in the chapter He made the point that understanding the deity of Christ is essential to salvation:

John 8:24 – “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins.”

Hebrews 1:5-8: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him  7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.  8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

NOTICE: at this verse the Father calls the Son “God,” commands that angels worship Him, and gives Him His eternal throne!

1 Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”  (Note: the 1st century Gnostic heresy addressed in 1 John 4:2-3 was the denial that God could take on human flesh, as the Society also teaches regarding Christ’s resurrection)

Colossians 2:9: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

Colossians 1:16-19: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”

JESUS IS the Alpha and Omega – Revelation 1:5-8, & 22:12-13

Revelation 1:5: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,  6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.  8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

NOTICE: the Society attempts to claim that v. 8 refers to the Father, not to the Lord Jesus; but when compared to v. 9-11 and other passages, including Rev. 22:12-13, and Isaiah 9:6 and 44:6, it MUST refer to none other than the Lord Jesus:

Revelation 1:11: “…Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia . . .”

Revelation 22:12-13: “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

Compare Isaiah 44:6: “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

2. Concerning the Spiritual vs. the Bodily Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Luke 24:39-43: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  40  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.  41  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?  42  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.  43  And he took it, and did eat before them.”

NOTICE: If Christ’s resurrection was only spiritual and not bodily as the Society teaches, then the Jews could have easily found the body and destroyed Christianity. The bodily resurrection of Christ was proven by the martyrdom of those who claimed to be witnesses of the resurrection, who would never have died for a lie they themselves had created; see Acts 2:32, 3:15, 5:30-32, 10:39-41, & 13:31; 1 Cor 15:4-15.

Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved“

NOTICE: Faith in the bodily resurrection of Christ is essential to our salvation; (1 Cor. 15:17). Christ was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification (Rom 4:25).

3. Concerning the Distinction between the Lord Jesus Christ and Michael the archangel

Jude 1:9: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

Jude 1:4:“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ .. “

NOTICE: Jude makes a huge distinction between Michael the archangel and the Lord Jesus)

Hebrews 1:5-8: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  6  “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.  8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

NOTICE: Michael the archangel is commanded to worship the Lord Jesus, because Jesus the Son is God!

4. Concerning the Society’s doctrine that only the 144,000 will go to heaven

Matt 5:12: ”Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven . . .” (Luke 6:23 similar)

Matt 6:20: “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”

Mark 10:21: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

John 14:2-3: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Colossians 1:5: “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel”

Hebrews 10:34: “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”

1 Peter 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you…”

5. Concerning Bondage to the Watchtower Society

John 8:31-32: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 5:22-24: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

The Lord Jesus claimed the same honor due the Father. The Watchtower Society has proven themselves to be false prophets who dishonor the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with their blasphemous and idolatrous heresies” Heed the warning of Deut. 18:22 not to fear the false prophet Repent and believe on the true Lord Jesus today before it is eternally too late!

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Pastor Sam Adams  ■  Independence Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida  ■  (352) 238-2655