As Christians we will come across a variety of people who need to hear the truth about who Jesus is, what the Bible really says about a given topic, or need to hear the truth of who Jesus sees when he looks at them.

The other day I met a lovely woman who is a Jehovah Witness. We had a great conversation for about 30 minutes. It got me thinking how we need to be aware of some of the false theology they teach. I believe knowledge is power. However, we need to be careful how much worldly knowledge we learn. It’s like what Jesus said in Matthew 10:16 (ESV), “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” We need to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. That means we need to know some things about worldly ideology. However, we definitely don’t need to know everything about it to be a light in a dark world.

When a person is being trained to find counterfeit money, they are given lots and lots of real money to play with. The goal is for this person to be so familiar with what real money looks and feels like, that when they come across the fake stuff, they know instantly. We need to be the same with the truth of what the Bible actually says. We should be so immersed in the Bible that when someone, even a pastor, says something that isn’t true, we know instantly because we know what the Bible actually says.

Who Is Jesus

Today I want to go through a few of the false beliefs that ensnare the people who call themselves Jehovah Witnesses.

What do the Jehovah Witnesses believe about Jesus?

Jehovah Witnesses believe Jesus was a created being. In fact they believe he is actually the Archangel Michael. They believe that Jesus only resurrected in spirit, not in the flesh.

Truth: Jesus is God. He is not a created being. He has always existed just like Jehovah. Jesus is Jehovah in the flesh.

Who is Jesus? This is the most important question we can ask anyone. Jesus asked this question to his disciples in‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭(ESV‬‬), “He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”(words in parentheses mine)

Peter said that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The word Christ means Messiah or anointed one. Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Son of the living God. God in this sense means the trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Is God

Jesus is God. He is NOT a created being. The Father did not create Jesus. Jesus has always existed just like God the Father. Jesus is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, just like God the Father. What does this mean? It means Jesus is everywhere at the same time; he is all knowing and all powerful.

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3 (NLT) says, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.” This is talking about Jesus. How do I know? I know this because Revelation 19:3 (ESV) says, “He (Jesus) is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.” (words in parentheses mine)

John 1:18 (NLT) tells us this about Jesus, “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” Jesus is God in the flesh. He was 100% God and 100% human. John 14-17 is one of my favorite passages because it is the record of the last conversation Jesus had with his disciples before he went to the cross. In this conversation we read, “Jesus said to him, “…Whoever has seen me has seen the Father… ”” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭9‬ ‭(ESV‬‬). Jesus is saying, “When you see me, you see God in the flesh. I am Jehovah, and I am the Messiah.”

For even more explanation of the fact that Jesus is not a created being like the angels, take a look at the first chapter of Hebrews.

Who Goes To Heaven/Paradise

What do the Jehovah Witnesses believe about Heaven?

According to a Jehovah Witness’ theology, only 144,000 people will make it to Heaven, or as they call it Paradise. The question then becomes: what happens to the 144,001st person? Do they go to Hell? Not likely, as they believe Hell is simply the grave and nothing more. I cannot answer this question, and I suspect a Jehovah Witness can’t either.

Truth: Heaven is a real place where the people who surrender their lives to the true Jesus will go after they die. All believers will live eternally with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Those who do not surrender their lives to the true Jesus will be sent by God to Hell, until the final judgment where they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire with the Devil and the Fallen Angels for eternal torment.

All people have the opportunity to surrender their lives to the true Lord Jesus Christ. If they choose the real Jesus, they will be sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is our guarantee of the promised inheritance (living in Paradise or Heaven for all eternity). “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

No Magic Number

There are many verses in the Bible showing that God doesn’t have a magic number of people who will be allowed to live with him in Paradise for all eternity. The true Jehovah doesn’t lack in resources. He is the creator of all things. Don’t you think he is able to make a place big enough to house all of his children? In fact Jesus said his father is preparing a mansion for all who believe in the true Jesus.

John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭(NKJV)‬‬ says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

You Must Be Born Again

When Jesus was talking to Nicocemus, he says, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭(ESV)

Whoever Believes

‬‬Just a few verses down Jesus declares the most quoted verse in the world, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ (‭ESV).‬‬ I don’t know about you, but the last time I looked up the word whoever and everyone, those words means all the people, not just a small, select, few who are lucky enough to make it.

There are two choices for all mankind. A person can choose to live eternity in Heaven or The Lake of Fire. There is no other option. Those who give their lives to the true Jesus will have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and will be given a mansion in Heaven. Those who refuse to surrender their lives to the true Jesus will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭12‬, ‭15‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

What About The 144,000?

Where do the Jehovah Witnesses get the idea only 144,000 will live in Paradise/Heaven?

They get this idea from Revelation 7:4 (ESV), “And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.” It then goes on to list how many people from each of the 12 tribes of Israel will be sealed (give their lives to the true Jesus). This is a specific group of people. When I was talking with the lady who came to my door, I used this example: If I am giving a gift to the people who live in my house, I mean to give the gift to only the people who live at my address. I don’t mean everyone who lives on my street, the state of Texas, and certainly not everyone in the whole world.

Furthermore, this verse says nothing about this group being the only group who lives in Heaven. It simply says they are sealed. That means they are sealed just like any other child of Jehovah is. Very likely, this group will operate like the Apostle Paul on a grand scale during the end times!

You Must Always Remember This

These are just two of the main false beliefs from the Jehovah Witness religion. We must remember that, just like you and I once were, these people have been deceived. We must be patient with them, but also use discernment and wisdom when interacting with people from the Jehovah Witness group. Above all, we must pray for them to encounter the true Jesus. We must ask the Holy Spirit what he wants to say to this person when they come knocking on your door. The Holy Spirit may have a message for them, like he had for the lady I talked to. The message the Holy Spirit gave me to say was to impress upon her that we must interpret the Bible literally. We can not twist the words around to make them say what we want them to say.

Other times the Holy Spirit may give you the impression to not engage with the person standing in front of you. It takes great wisdom, discernment, and hearing from the Holy Spirit to know what to say or not say in these situations.

Below are a few other verses you may find useful when talking to a Jehovah Witness. It is my goal to empower you with tools to be the person God created you to be. It is my desire that you will continue to grow into the person Jesus sees when he looks at you. If you have given your life to the true Jesus, I can guarantee you Jesus sees you as a warrior. The amazing part is that’s just one aspect of who he sees when he looks at you!

Want To Surrender Your Life To The Real Jesus?

If you have not surrendered your life to the true Lord Jesus and would like to, I encourage you to pray this prayer. Prayer is simply talking to Jesus like you would a friend.

Additional verses you may find helpful:

Verses About Jesus

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬, ‭10‬-‭12‬ (‭ESV)‬‬

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭31‬-‭34‬, ‭46‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Verses About Heaven

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭27‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

“Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭15‬, ‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

How to Witness to a Jehovah Witness