Charles Tayes Russel -The Watchtower Society began with Charles Tayes Russel, from Philadelphia. He began this movement because he could not understand the concept of the trinity, and did not like the concepts of hell and eternal judgement.
Russel prophesied that Jesus would return in 1874, and when it did not happen, he changed his prophesy to 1914. When this again did not transpire, Russel redefined the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. He said that Jesus had ALREADY returned in 1914, as an invisible spirit, to help set up Russel's organization. He died in 1916...proven to be a false prophet.

Joseph Franklin Rutherford -Rutherford took over from Carlson in 1917. The Watchtower society was built under his leadership as a tight theocratic or- ganization. The Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be "the theocratic government of God on earth", a government ruled by God. They believe all other governments are satanic, that they alone are the true government of God, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It was under Rutherford's leadership in 1931 that they changed their name to Jehovah's Witnesses, seeking (he said) to vindicate the name of Jehovah, claiming that Jesus is not God, the Holy Spirit is not God, that only Jehovah is God.
Rutherford was also famous for many prophecies. He even prophecied that the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were going to return visibly in 1929 to this earth, in order to help rule the kingdom of God. He was so sure of it, that he built a large mansion in San Diego, California for them to live in. Of course this did not happen, so he moved in himself, where he lived until his death in 1942. He also, was a false prophet.

Nathan Homer Norr -It was under Norr's leadership that the Jehovah's Witnesses did their own translation of the Bible, called "The New World Translation". It was an attempt to make the Bible fit their own preconceived theology.
In 1966, Norr began to prophecy through "Awake" and "Watchtower" magazines that the year 1975 would see Armageddon occur. For 10 years the Watchtower, claiming to be "God's voice on earth" prophecied that 1975 would be the end of the age...armageddon. When it did not happen, many followers understood what god was saying in Deuteronomy 18:20-22, Whatever a prophet prophecies, if it does not come true, you know the prophet is not of God.
In 1975-76 over 2 1/2 million Jehovah's Witnesses left the organization deeply disillusioned because of this false prophecy. Norr died in 1977, another false prophet.

THEIR THEOLOGY:
Jehovah's Witnesses do claim to accept the Bible as authority. BUT... this is the problem: Instead of building their theology and teaching on God's Word, the Bible, they have developed their own preconceived theology from Russel and rutherford. They have taken their man-made theology and tried to make it fit the Bible. Where it does not fit, they have twisted and perverted it to make it fit their theology.
In order to get away with this, in the 1950's they developed their own translation called "The New World Translation". They claim that 7 Greek scholars in the Watchtower did this translation. It becomes obvious to anyone who Greek or Hebrew that this book contains gross errors. Ron Carlson wrote to the Watchtower Society headquarters to ask for the credentials of these "scholars". The letter he received back said,"We do not make known the identity of our scholars in order to maintain humility."
It has since been discovered who their 7 "scholars" were. Not one of them had ever studied Greek. of the 7, only 3 had ever finished high school, Only 1 had gone on to college, and he dropped out after the first semester. His name was frederick Franz, who was at that time, the president of the Watchtower Society. He dropped out of college in 1913 because Russel told him that Christ was coming in 1914.

Their theology is basically one of denial. They deny virtually every doctrine of historic orthodox biblical Christianity. They deny the trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the blood atonement as a finished work of Jesus Christ for our salvation; they deny hell and eternal judgement, they deny the immortality of the soul. They deny them- selves hope.
Their key denials are that of the doctrine of God, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. If one is wrong on the doctrine of God, and the person and work of Jesus Christ, they are wrong enough to lose their soul for eternity. THAT is a foundation stone!
The Watchtower Society teaches it's followers that the trinity is not rational. They say that because they canot understand it, it is not a reality and that it originated from satan.
They teach that Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael, that He was God's first creation, who came to earth as a man, died and arose as a ghost, and came back in 1914 as an invisible spirit to help the Watchtower organization. They teach that salvation comes by fleeing into the theocratic kingdom of the Watchtower before armageddon occurs, in 1975 or whatever date they have now chosen. You get into the Watchtower by being baptised as a Jehovah's Witness, regular study of what Watchtower teaches at their kingdom halls, and through door-to-door witnessing. It is a salvation of works, where they must earn their salvation through this man-made system and organization.

HOW TO PROVE, THROUGH SCRIPTURE,
THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD

Revelation 1:8 -"I am the the Alpha and Omega," says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." What does this scripture tell us? That the Alpha and Omega is God.

Revelation 22:13 -"I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End." Who is the Alpha and Omega? God, Jehovah. Who spoke these words? Look further into the scripture... Revelation 22:16-"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches, I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Revelation1:17-18 -When I saw Him, I fell at His feet, as though dead. Then He placed His right hand upon me, and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hades."
Who is the First and the Last? God, Jehovah. Now...when did Jehovah ever die? He did not... Jesus Christ died, and was resurrected. Who spoke these words "I am the First and the Last?" Jesus Christ spoke these words. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD.

One of the areas in the Bible which was incorrectly translated (conveniently) from the Greek was in John 8:58- "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered,"before Abraham was born, I AM!" This is the correct translation from the Greek. in the Jehovah's Witnesses' translation, it says "I have been" making Jesus out to be a created angel. HOWEVER...they have a book called "The Kingdom in a Linear Translation", published by the Watchtower Society. This book has the Greek words, with the English translation beside it. The words used in this scripture are ego' eimi...which even in the Kingdom Linear Translation means I AM. So you can see how even a subtle change in translation can cause gross misunder- standing.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A PERSON:

If, as the Watchtower claims, the Holy Spirit is not a person, then how could the folowing be explained?
Acts 5:3-4 -Then peter said, "Ananias, how is it that satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold, and after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men, but to God." Here Peter says that Ananias has lied to the Holy Spirit. One cannot lie to an impersonal thing. One can only lie to another person. This proves that the Holy Spirit is a person, a member of the Trinity.
Another scripture pointing out the personage of the Holy Spirit is Acts 13:2-While they were wor- shiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabus and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

These are a few of the scriptures you might want to write down for the next time a Jehovah's Witness comes to your door. They are deceived by the enemy, and need the love of a Christian brother or sister to show them the Light. Arm yourself with the Truth, and help the Lord to set them free...