JW teachings and the Bible
An examination of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teachings and beliefs by comparing them with the Bible.
Who Are the 144,000?
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that 144,000 refers to selected Witnesses who are going to heaven and that they will rule with Jesus there. Other Jehovah’s Witnesses (other sheep) are resurrected to life on earth. The Bible teaches Revelation 7:4 plainly states that 144,000 are made up of the 12 tribes of Israel. Verses…
Is Loyalty To The Anointed A Condition For Eternal Life?
What the doctrine is about The Watchtower, September 2024 (study article 38) claims that the judgment of the sheep and the goats at Matthew 25:31-46 depends on how Christians “loyally support his anointed followers.” This implies that the treatment of the anointed is essential for everlasting life or death. The article interprets “the least of…
The Sheep and the Goats
What Jehovah’s Witnesses teach Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that the sheep described at Matthew 25:32,33 are made up of two groups. They base such an understanding on John 10:16 where Jesus says that “I also have other sheep”. The first sheep are Jehovah’s Witnesses who will rule with Jesus in heaven. The other sheep are subordinates…
Jehovah’s Witnesses Time Calculations – 1914
What Jehovah’s Witnesses teach Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus began ruling in heaven in 1914, he inspected Christians from 1914 to 1919 and in 1919 appointed “the faithful and discreet slave” to provide spiritual food for his servants on earth. JW call this “slave” the Governing Body. This board claims that they have been given…
The Memorial Meal
What Jehovah’s Witnesses teach Jehovah’s Witnesses hold an annual Memorial meal on Nisan 14 according to the Jewish calendar. Only “the anointed” of Jehovah’s Witnesses eat of the bread and drink from the cup. They believe that “anointed ones” make up 144,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses who are going to heaven and base their understanding on…
Apostates
What Jehovah’s Witnesses teach about Apostates Jehovah’s Witnesses define apostates as individuals who no longer support their organization or who oppose the teachings of the Governing Body. They consider apostasy a serious sin, often with sanctions such as exclusion and social isolation. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, apostates are those who question or reject the Organization’s…
Disfellowshipped Former Members
ConceptsDisfellowshipping is the act of removing a member from Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 2024, Jehovah’s Witnesses introduced the term “removed” instead of “disfellowshipped. “Resigned is a person who chooses to resign from Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 2026, the Norwegian Supreme Court held that the term shunned (Norwegian “utstøtt”) is the effect of either being excluded or withdrawing.…
When Is Satan Hurled Down To The Earth?
Revelation 12:7, cf. verse 9, states that “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon [Satan], … he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him…”. The New Jerusalem “gave birth” to a son who will “shepherd all the nations with an iron…
Sexual Immorality
What Jehovah’s Witnesses teach Jehovah’s Witnesses place great emphasis on the term porneía, the Greek word that is often translated “sexual immorality” in their Bible translation, the New World Translation. They define porneía as any sexual act between people who are not legally married to each other. The organization specifies that porneía is not only…
Is There a People Of God On Earth Today?
Comparing claims of authority in Catholicism, Protestantism, and Jehovah's Witnesses with Biblical teaching.
