By José Miguel Arráiz

In the previous installment we studied how the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses reformed the way of thinking of the followers, in a way not only to eliminate their critical capacity regarding the organization itself, but also to control the flow of information they receive through the almost exclusive study of its publications. In this way, the followers believe they are basing their lives on the teachings of the Bible and do not realize that in reality the opposite is true. Having already dealt with on other occasions some of his main objections regarding Catholic doctrines: The Trinity (from the point of view biblical[1] and patristic[2]), the immortality of the soul[3], he hell[4], etc., on this occasion we will stop only at those doctrines that I consider allow for sectarian control over the followers.

The 144,000

One of the most curious doctrines that Jehovah’s Witnesses profess is that only 144,000 people will go to heaven, only that number can be children of God, the rest, the vast majority, “the great crowd“of the saved, will only have one earthly hope: to live in a very “happy” paradise land…but without ever seeing God. This doctrine is a key piece for the control of the adepts, because it divides believers into two classes: a minority who are called “the anointed”, “the glorious” of which in turn is composed of the “Governing Body“, and the sheep (the great crowd) who are under the rule of the former. In this way, the sheep are prohibited from interpreting the Bible, while the select group of the Governing Body uses that right[5]. Adherents must accept their interpretations on pain of apostasy, and they usually do so willingly because they believe that the anointed are reigning with Christ. I will not go deeper into this topic, as it has already been discussed in the article “Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Children of God.”[6], but I do emphasize several points that should be reflected on by Jehovah’s Witnesses who read this installment.
· The obligatory question arises:How do you know who goes to heaven or earth?? Why do they say for example that John the Baptist[7], Moses and theprophet Daniel[8] it’s their turn go to earth, but to the good thief or to It is up to the “anointed” of the Governing Body to reign in heaven.?. What do those gentlemen in suits and ties in Brooklyn have that John the Baptist does not have, of whom Jesus said “There has not arisen among those born of women one greater than he”[9]? What do they have that Moses and Daniel don’t have?[10]

· John 1:12 says referring to The Word (Jesus) “To all who received it, he gave power to become children of God., to those who believe in his name“. That includes all believers, not just 144,000. · Revelation 7:9, referring to the great crowd, says: “Then I looked and there was aimmense crowd, that no one could count, of every nation, race, people and language, standing before the throne and the Lamb, dressed in white garments and with palms in their hands” Later in verse 11 it says that all the angels were also in front of the throne, and in verse 15 it says again of the great crowd “They are before the throne of God, worshiping him day and night in his Sanctuary; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them“. It does not say that they are on earth. Jehovah’s Witnesses are also taught that God completed the number of 144,000 in 1935:

“During the 1930s it seems that the number of “the called and chosen and faithful” was completed, the 144,000…We do not know how many anointed ones were gathered in the first century nor how many from among the “weeds” during the dark centuries of the great apostasy of Christendom.”[11]

· How do you know that for that year the number was complete if you do not know how many anointed ones were collected in previous times? · How do you explain, according to the organization’s own yearbooks, that the number increases instead of decreasing?[12]. While Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught this, on the other hand they are also told: “The Bible is our only norm and its teachings our only creed”[13].

1914

In our installment about Jehovah’s Witnesses and the year 1914[14], we study how as a result of a series of failed prophecies, in which they repeatedly expected the coming of Christ for 1914, 1918, 1925, 1941 and 1975, the doctrine takes on its definitive character: Christ did come but in an “invisible” way in 1914 and it is in that year and not before that he assumes his power as King[15], and who is crowned as Heavenly King[16].

“Us We are totally convinced that Jesus was enthroned in 1914”[17]
“Everything indicates that Jesus Christ began to reign in heaven in 1914”[18]
“At this point in history We have irrefutable evidence that corroborates that Christ began his messianic Reign in heaven in 1914”[19]

Even though Jesus had already told his apostles “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me”[20], they accept without resistance that power was given almost two millennia later. Not to mention the foundation of interpretations such as the “invisible” coming that are completely ruled out by the gospel:

“Look, he is accompanied by clouds: every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn for him.”[21]
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all races of the earth will beat their breasts and You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. “He will send his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”[22]

As part of this doctrine, Jehovah’s Witnesses affirm that the generation that saw the events that occurred in 1914 will not die:

“Many millions of people from that generation are still alive. Some of them ‘will not happen at all until all things happen‘. (Luke 21:32)

From a purely human point of view, it might seem that such events could hardly occur before the generation of 1914 disappears from the scene. But the fulfillment of all the predicted events that were to affect the generation of 1914 does not depend on human measures, which are relatively slow. The prophetic word that Jehovah spoke through Christ Jesus is: “This generation [of 1914] will in no way pass until all things come to pass” (Luke 21:32). Furthermore, Jehovah, who is the source of inspired and infallible prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment of his Son’s words in a relatively short period of time. (Isaiah 46:9, 10; 55:10, 11.)

The proximity of the Kingdom of God today means the end of today’s divisive political, religious and business systems. It means that a new just government will be introduced for all obedient people of humanity. You can choose eternal life under this arrangement of “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13; John 17:3). Yes, you may get to see this promised New Order, along with the survivors of the generation of 1914… the generation that will not pass”[23]

Despite being almost 100 years after 1914, the organization refuses to rectify this doctrine, and here is another element of control over the followers: for years they have taught not only that Christ was designated King in 1914, but in 1918 he surveyed all Christian denominations, and in 1919 he named them as the only channel of God on earth. In this way, anyone who leaves the congregation will be depriving themselves of any possibility of salvation. Modifying this doctrine would have important repercussions, since if Jesus did not come in 1914, he did not visit them in 1919 either.

““The faithful slave” passes the test!…Shortly after, In 1919, something unexpected happened. We read: “Just in the middle of the night a cry arose: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Go out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins got up and put their lamps in order” (Matthew 25:6, 7). Just when everything seemed darkest, there was a call to action. As early as 1918, Jesus, “the messenger of the covenant,” had come to Jehovah’s spiritual temple to inspect and purify God’s congregation (Malachi 3:1). Now, The anointed Christians had to go out to meet him in the terrestrial courtyards of said temple. It was time for them to ‘give off light’ (Isaiah 60:1; Philippians 2:14, 15).”[24]

Note how they take the parable of the ten virgins, whose teaching is to keep believers prepared, out of context to apply it exclusively to Jehovah’s Witnesses who were awaiting the coming of Christ in 1914. According to this interpretation, those who left the congregation after the disappointment are the “foolish virgins.” Interpretations that can only be taken seriously by someone who has already decided to believe what the organization says, no matter what it is. Thus, by combining these doctrines, they manage to maintain control over the followers, while ensuring the benefits of being considered the anointed and ruling class, designated in person by Christ himself in 1919.

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Conclusions

Grades

  1.  http://www.apologeticacatolica.org/Trinidad/TrinidadN01.htm ↩
  2.  http://www.apologeticacatolica.org/Trinidad/TrinidadN02.html ↩
  3.  http://www.apologeticacatolica.org/Masalla/Masalla29.html ↩
  4.  http://www.apologeticacatolica.org/Masalla/Masalla30.html ↩
  5.  Essentially the same attitude that the Protestant reformers took: they usurped the right to interpret the Bible authentically from the Magisterium of the Church, but to avoid schisms among themselves they denied it to their followers. ↩
  6.  http://www.apologeticacatolica.org/Protestantismo/Sectas/SectasN05.html ↩
  7.  The Watchtower, January 1, 1997, p. 6-11 ↩
  8.  The Watchtower, February 15, 1998, p. 17-22 ↩
  9.  Matthew 11:11 ↩
  10.  To deny that John the Baptist will go to heaven, they quote Matthew 11:11-12 and apply a frankly ridiculous exegesis to it (see The Watchtower of January 1, 1987). A similar objection had been refuted by Saint Augustine in contra adversarium legis et prophetarum, 2,5 ↩
  11.  The Watchtower, February 1, 1999, p. 14-19 ↩
  12.  For example, in 1996 there were 8,757 anointed ones, but in the following year there were 8,795. The same between 1994 and 1995 there were 28 more anointed. ↩
  13.  Russell’s words in 1882 cited by the book Proclaimers (year 1993). The same in The Watchtower, October 15, 1998. ↩
  14.  http://www.apologeticacatolica.org/Protestantismo/Sectas/SectasN02.html ↩
  15.  The Watchtower, September 1, 2007, p. 31 ↩
  16.  Ibid. p. 17-20 ↩
  17.  The Watchtower, January 1, 2007, p. 17-19 ↩
  18.  The Watchtower, September 15, 2006, p. 23 ↩
  19.  The Watchtower, May 1, 2006, p. 27-31 ↩
  20.  Matthew 28:18 ↩
  21.  Revelation 1:7 ↩
  22.  Matthew 24:30 ↩
  23.  The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, p. 4-7 ↩
  24.  The Watchtower, March 1, 2004, p. 13-18 ↩