In my discussion with some Jehovah Witnesses, they claimed 1914 was the year referred to in revelation and that Satan came to earth. According to their belief, this is why from 1914 the world has never known peace: thus the world wars, famine escalated, and so on... > **Revelation 12:9-12** > > 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the > Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out > into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. > > 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to > the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down > unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a > short time Are there other traditions that agree with this claim? >1 October 1957 Watchtower: “Satan the Devil failed to prove his false accusation against the chief Son of God. ... That is why, when the kingdom was born in heaven in 1914 and war broke out in heaven and the victorious King Jesus Christ hurled Satan down from heaven to our earth, a loud voice in heaven said: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!” (Rev. 12:7-10) https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1957725?q=satan+1914&p=par

It appears from this question and answer that the Jehovah's Witnesses hold a slightly different understanding of God's omniscience than the typical Orthodox view wherein God always and at all times knows absolutely everything past, present, and future. From what I understand, the JW position is that God **can** know anything He wishes to know but, when it comes to foreknowledge, He does not choose to exercise the ability universally. In other words, God chooses what things He will and, by extension, will not foreknow. Various branches of Open Theism attempt to describe how the future can be epistemically open to God and the two main branches hold the future to be either alethically settled or open. This related question outlines the 4 main branches of Open Theism and, of the four, I believe JW thought lines up most closely with Voluntary Nescience (although I am not sure if JW believe that the future is alethically settled): > Voluntary Nescience: The future is alethically settled but nevertheless epistemically open for God because he has voluntarily chosen not to know truths about future contingents ... Even if Vulontary Nescience is not an accurate summation of JW belief regarding God's omniscience, still they do assert that God chooses what He will and will not foreknow. Searching through the Scriptures it seems that there are a great many things which it was critical for God to have foreknown and which, indeed, He did foreknow. Most notably, all prophesy spoken by or through God consists of foreknown future events. I say foreknown because God is not guessing: He is telling beforehand what **will** come to pass. Some of those are things that He brings to pass and one might say that He foreknows what He Himself will do. Others are things that hinge upon human decisions (often a multiplicity). My question is, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, How does God foreknow which things He must foreknow and which things He can safely leave unforeseen without resorting to the equivalent of guessing? Another way of phrasing this is, If God chooses to foreknow certain things from the set of all of the possible things that there are to foreknow how can He identify the critical items and choose to foreknow them without knowing what all of the non-critical items actually are?

Traditional Christianity teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, coequal, coeternal, of the same substance, and all fully divine. The Holy Spirit is the same being referred to in the New Testament as the God's Spirit (e.g., 1 Corinthians 2:11, Ephesians 4:30) and as Christ's Spirit (e.g., Galatians 4:6, Philippians 1:19, 1 Peter 1:11), and in one place with both titles (Romans 8:9). My understanding of the Jehovah's Witnesses is that they believe God the Father to be fully divine and eternal, but Jesus Christ is his first creation, gifted with semi-divinity. What do they teach about the Holy Spirit? A good answer will address, directly or by clear implication, whether or not the Holy Spirit is: - eternal - eternally/ontologically distinct from God the Father - ontologically divine - a person - one and the same as the Spirit of Christ A good answer will address anything else that a standard JW articulation of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit would address and will use Watchtower sources.

Normally, the Memorial service for Jehovah's Witnesses is based on the Jewish calendar for Nisan 14. My understanding is that Nisan 14 is always the first full moon after the Spring (or Vernal) equinox, which happened on Wednesday 20 March 2024. This year, 2024, Nisan 14 falls on April 22 when there is a full moon. But the Memorial service is going to be on Sunday March 24 this year. ***Could this discrepancy have anything to do with fact that 2024 is a Jewish leap year?*** NOTE: According to a Jewish web site I found, there are 13 months in the Jewish calendar. The first month (Aviv/Nisan) in 2024 starts on Monday April 8 but to link to our calendar, we need to start with Shevat on January 10th, 2024. Shevat: January 10 - 11th month in Jewish calendar Adar 1: February 9 -12th month in Jewish calendar Adar 2: March 10 - 13th month in Jewish calendar - full moon 25 March Aviv/Nisan April 8 - 1st month in Jewish calendar - full moon 22 April

What are the main differences between the two? I know that both reject the trinity and the divinity of Jesus, but that's about it. I'm particularly interested in knowing their doctrinal differences (if any) with regards to the following points: - Christology, - Pneumatology, - The nature of God, - Soteriology, - The nature of humans (what happens to us when we die), and any other important doctrinal aspects in which they part ways.

All three believe Jesus is not God, there is no Trinity as understood by traditional Christians, yet at the same time Jesus is the Messiah, the word of God, born of the virgin Mary, and accept the Torah and gospel accounts. Jesus is the Messiah, and word of God (but Trinity is wrong): https://quran.com/4/171?translations=95,101,85,20,18,22,19,17 > O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about Allah except the truth.1 The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfilment of His Word through Mary and a spirit ˹created by a command˺ from Him.2 So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, “Trinity.” Stop!—for your own good. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs. Jesus fulfills the Torah, and brings the gospel: https://quran.com/en/al-maidah/46 >Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God-fearing. Virgin birth (and immaculate conception?): https://quran.com/en/at-tahrim/12 > ˹There is˺ also ˹the example of˺ Mary, the daughter of ’Imrân, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her ˹womb˺ through Our angel ˹Gabriel˺.1 She testified to the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was one of the ˹sincerely˺ devout. In the case of Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, this is sufficient for them to be considered Christians, but in the case of Muslims, they are considered a foreign religion. What explains this difference in categorization? A corollary, is there a list of minimal beliefs that categorizes a group as Christian or non-Christian, which would categorize Jesus' disciples as Christian? In older times, according to John of Damascus , it seems Islam was considered a Christian heresy, not a separate religion. >From that time to the present a false prophet named Mohammed has appeared in their midst. This man, after having chanced upon the Old and New Testaments and likewise, it seems, having conversed with an Arian monk, devised his own heresy. Based on my limited knowledge of medieval theology, it does seem like Islam (along with Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses) would be considered a form of Arianism.

I think everyone knows that the name Jesus is Greek, but why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses use his Hebrew name, which is closer to *Joshua* than to *Jesus*?

There's a suggested duplicate to this question but that question deals with how the Jehovah's Witnesses explain the begotten divinity of Jesus while still maintaining that He is unequal to God. This question is directed toward the distinction between the Son and angels as portrayed in Hebrews chapter 1. I've included the entire chapter so that the context is plain in the reading (bold is added for focus): > Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. **For to which of the angels did God ever say**, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God's angels worship him.” **Of the angels he says**, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” **But of the Son he says**, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” **And to which of the angels has he ever said**, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:1-14 Twice the question is raised "To which of the angels has God ever said...?" and sandwiched between these questions is a direct contrast between angels and the Son. The answer demanded by any plain reading within context for these questions is 'God has never said any such thing to any angel.' In claiming that Jesus, the Son of God, is Michael the archangel Jehovah's Witnesses appear to be stating that God did, in fact, say such things to an angel. My question is, how do Jehovah's Witnesses explain this seemingly clear contradiction to the context?

In Nazi Germany, most Jehovah's Witnesses did not salute the flag, say "Heil Hitler," or enter the armed forces. Why did most other denominations do these things.

Their 15 March 2005 *Watchtower* said that on pages 5 to 6, and I fully agree with that point, so this question is not meant to stir up any ‘for’ or ‘against’ answers. Let us please all take it as understood that only those in the New Covenant Jesus inaugurated the night before he died are invited by him to eat bread and drink wine every time they “do this in remembrance of me” – Mark 14:2-24 & Luke 22:19. Nor is this question questioning how often this act of remembrance should be done. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it should be no more than once a year, with 2025 seeing their global event on 12 April, after sunset. Please be assured, I am not questioning that either. **It is the number of people attending their annual memorial event this year who partook that I am interested in learning about**. Granted, it may be a couple of months before the world-wide total of partakers is collated, so I will keep this question open. However, it would likely be possible for every Jehovah’s Witness reading this, and who attended themselves, to say if a single person partook, or two, three or four, etc, as ***in the vast majority of congregations nobody partakes. Or has this changed in recent years?*** The tiny percentage of all memorial attenders who do partake is tied up with the belief that only 144,000 people will ever have ‘the heavenly calling’, to be part of the kingdom of heaven. As stated here: > “The same spirit is operating on Jesus’ ‘other sheep,’ but it is not > arousing in them the hope and desire for heavenly life.” *The > Watchtower*, 15 February 1998 page 19 para. 6 Again, I’m not wanting any answers disputing that. I understand that to be the reason why less than 1% of attenders partake, but ***if the numbers have gone up somewhat, I would like to know why.*** **Hence the request to first obtain the number of those partaking this year**.

What is the date this year for Jehovah’s Witnesses to commemorate the annual memorial of Jesus’ death? How can I find the time and location near me?

Genesis 1:26-28, along with passages like Genesis 2, Psalm 8, and Romans 8, makes it pretty clear that God gave humanity the job of looking after His creation. And I think that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in this responsibility. (Just like most other Christians do) > Other people look to political organizations to solve man’s problems. By doing this, they are rejecting God’s Kingdom. (Who is the devil? , §5, JW.org) > We know that we originate with God, but **the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.** (1 John 5:19 New world translation ) So, the JW steer clear of politics because Satan’s in charge. But from what I can tell they also believe that we’re all called to actively care for creation during our lives. Not taking action does leave creation vulnerable to harm from the wicked one, and God commanded us to protect it. So how does this duty to be good stewards of creation fit with their beliefs on a large scale, **how would a fully JW society operate before God’s Kingdom fully arrives**? As in *a realistic society the size of Germany or Belize that needs to feed people, manage waste, prevent crime, manage a power grid, and handle things like pollution or sickness.*

Background = Referring to God as Jehovah is a known practice by Jehovah's Witnesses as written by [Raymond Franz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Franz) in *In Search of Christian Freedom* in 1991: > The fact remains that today no religious group of any size uses the > name "Jehovah" with such intense frequency as does that of Jehovah's > Witnesses. That name predominates throughout their literature. Among > Jehovah's Witnesses it has become almost strange to speak of "God" > without prefacing the term by saying "Jehovah God", while the term > "Lord" is quite rare in their expressions. They read "Lord" in the > Bible but hardly ever use it in their own speech extemporaneously. It > is almost a liturgical form for them in most prayers to initially > address these to "Jehovah" or "Jehovah God". However, the above was written [after his expulsion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Franz#Expulsion) , and thus may not carry any significant doctrinal weight. Question = Are there other denominations or religions that understand God's personal name as the form "Jehovah"?

As I understand, Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to serve in the military in countries with compulsory national service, since it's viewed as directly violating or participating in violation of the sixth commandment as well as the principle of political neutrality. Many countries with national service (including mine) offer alternative national service based on religious convictions, often in hospitals or postal services. However, a (now edited) answer on this question quotes a former member of the JW Governing Body (now rejected by JWs as apostate) as saying: > "...doing civilian work in lieu of military duty is... a tacit or implied acknowledgement of one's obligation to Caesar's war machine... A Christian therefore cannot be required to support the military establishment either directly or indirectly." > "For one of Jehovah's Witnesses to tell a judge that he is willing to accept work in a hospital or similar work would be making a 'deal' with the judge, and he would be breaking his integrity with God." > "To accept the alternative civil service is a form of moral support to the entire arrangement." Alternative service is rejected as implicitly supporting "Caesar's war machine", but it seems obvious that someone who works a regular 40-hour week in an office supports "Caesar's war machine" more substantially and more directly by paying taxes than someone working in a hospital (which seems a fairly worthy profession for a believer). Nevertheless, Jehovah's Witnesses pay taxes . They justify this (reasonably enough) based on Romans 13. However, I don't really see the distinction between a government taking my *money* (and possibly using it for immoral purposes) and taking my *time* (and using it for purposes that aren't inherently immoral). Is there an official explanation of why Romans 13 doesn't apply to alternative national service? Or, I noted that there is some controversy over the source of the quotes above, are they not in fact representative of the JW position?

### Bible verses in question Bible translation accepted by my church: NKJV (for the New Testament) Romans 13:1-7 NKJV >**1** Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. **For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God**. **2** Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will [a]bring judgment on themselves. **3** For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. **4** For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. **5** **Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.** **6** For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. **7** Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. 1 Peter 2:13-17, NKJV > **13** Therefore **submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake**, whether to the king as supreme, **14** or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. **15** For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— **16** as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. **17** Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. To show that I'm not being unfair, and trying to be unbiased here is the New World Translation of Romans 13 which the Jehovah's Witnesses recognize. Romans 13:1-7 >**1** Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for **there is no authority except by God the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God**. **2**  Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves. **3** For those rulers are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the bad. Do you want to be free of fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; **4**  for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear, for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword. It is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath against the one practicing what is bad. **5** **There is therefore compelling reason for you to be in subjection, not only on account of that wrath but also on account of your conscience.** **6** That is why you are also paying taxes; for they are God’s public servants constantly serving this very purpose. **7** Render to all their dues: to the one who calls for the tax, the tax; to the one who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to the one who calls for fear, such fear; to the one who calls for honor, such honor. To my understanding, Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in government at all. Wouldn't participating in representative democracy be part of being in subjection to the superior authority on account of your conscience? Participating: **As in voting!**. You can supply additional comments about running for office or being in a governmental position, but I'm only interested in the voting aspect as it applies to the majority of people. *Answers not presenting the perspective of the Jehovah's Witness will be rejected.*

Micah 5:2, "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you one will go forth for Me to be the ruler of Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." This prophecy is quoted by Matthew at Matthew 2:6, "And you; Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a ruler, Who will Shepherd My people Israel." This is referring to Jesus Christ the Messiah. The Jehovah's Witnesses agree with me. >There is no doubt that, from the prophecy of Micah 5:2, Satan the Devil knew where the birth was to take place... 16. How did Micah 5:2 indicate where the Messiah was to be born? Micah 5:2 reads: “And you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, the one too little to get to be among the thousands of Judah, from you there will come out to me the one who is to become ruler in Israel, whose origin is from early times, from the days of time indefinite. w81 7/15 pp. 11-16 - The Watchtower—1981" The prophecy states in the last sentence, "His (Jesus Christ's) goings forth goings forth from long ago, from the days of eternity." The following is from Strong's Lexicon on the word "eternity." Strong's word number 5769 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5769/kjv/wlc/0-1/ Notice the JW's word "indefinite" is used with "everlasting, unending future, eternity". So again, how do Jehovah’s Witnesses reconcile this apparent contradiction when you say Jesus Christ did not exist eternally or everlastingly?

In the Old Testament, God is identified by many things. Among these are His name, His unique attributes and characteristics, his role or office relative to His creation, and His unique abilities and actions. Sometimes these are combined in scripture when referring to God. One such combination is God's totally unique abilities and actions and His role as the judge of men's hearts and His authority to reward them according to His own findings. This identifies God as omniscient (an attribute unique to God) and as the judge of their hearts (a role or authority unique to God alone). Jeremiah 17:10 says: > "I, the LORD, **search the heart, I test the mind**, even > to give each man according to his ways, **According to the results of > his deeds.**" Please answer this simple question: who is it that Jeremiah addresses as the one that sees the hearts of men and Himself tests the mind? Who does the Old Testament repeatedly identify as this One who is so omniscient as to judge the hearts of men? (See 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Chronicles 28:9, 29:17, 2 Chronicles 6:30, Psalm 7:9, 139:1, and others.) I ask this question because this is what Jesus Christ stated in Revelation 2:23: > "And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches > will know that I am He who searches **the minds and hearts**; and I > will give to each one of you **according to your deeds.**" So you suppose that in writing this passage where Jesus identifies Himself as the one who searches the hearts of men and rewards them according to His judgment that John might have had reason to think that Jesus is the *same one* as the one who so identifies Himself throughout the Old Testament?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's only direct creation, and that it was Jesus who created all other things: > Since all created things had a beginning, there was a time when God was alone. Countless ages ago, however, God became a Creator. Who was his first creation? The last book of the Bible identifies Jesus as “the beginning of the creation by God.” (Revelation 3:14) Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation.” That is so “because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible.” (Colossians 1:15, 16) **Yes, Jesus was the only one directly created by God himself.** ([Who Is Jesus Christ? on wol.jw.org](https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005681)) We see this most clearly in the Jehovah's Witnesses translation of Colossians 1:15-16: > Colossians 1:15-16 (NWT) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. **All other things have been created through him and for him.** But Isaiah 44:24 says that it was Jehovah who created all things by himself: note the last line of Isaiah 44:24 which says that no one else was with Jehovah, probably speaking primarily about humans, but also angels and other spiritual beings, which would seem to preclude God co-creating with Jesus. > Isaiah 44:24 (NWT): This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, Who formed you since you were in the womb: “**I am Jehovah, who made everything.** I stretched out the heavens **by myself**, And I spread out the earth. **Who was with me?** How do the Jehovah's Witnesses reconcile Isaiah 44:24 with their belief that Jesus is the only direct creation of God and it was Jesus who created all other things? Question based on various revisions of [this now deleted question by Mr. Bond](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/75286/6071) .

Congregations such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists believe that Jesus is Michael. What is the Biblical basis for the belief that Jesus is Michael? **Jehovah's Witnesses** >...it is logical to conclude that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ in his heavenly role. [Source](http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/who-is-michael-the-archangel/) **Seventh-day Adventists** >Moses passed through death, but Michael came down and gave him life before his body had seen corruption. Satan tried to hold the body, claiming it as his; but Michael resurrected Moses and took him to heaven. Satan railed bitterly against God, denouncing Him as unjust in permitting his prey to be taken from him; but Christ did not rebuke His adversary, though it was through his temptation that the servant of God had fallen. He meekly referred him to His Father, saying, "The Lord rebuke thee." Early Writings, p. 164.

Both Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses go from door to door, talking to people about their beliefs. Also neither group accepts the notion of Trinity. What are the main differences between these two denominations?