Bridge of Reason

  The Watchtower Society teaches that when a person dies they simply cease to exist. There is not a part of man that separates from the body at death and goes to another place. This means there is no fiery hell of torment but simply the common grave of mankind. WATCH TOWER TEACHING ‘ The Hebrew sheohl’ and its Greek equivalent haides , which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the common grave of dead mankind; also the Greek geenna, which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction.’ - Reasoning from the Scriptures, WBTS, 1985, p.169. Matthew 25:46 - This verse, they insist, simply means the righteous go to life, the wicked to the cutting off from life, or death. Revelation 14:9-11; 20:10 - These verses, they say, cannot refer to conscious torment after death because ‘ the dead know not any thing.’ (Ecclesiastes 9:5). It is the proclamation by God's servants that worshi p pers of the "beast and his image" will experience second death that causes th

  Jesus, Moses, and Elijah Death The Watchtower Society teaches that at death a person goes into a state of ‘non-existence’ and those opposed to Jehovah will be annihilated. “ Death Definition: The ceasing of all functions of life. After breathing, heartbeat, and brain activity stop, the life-force gradually ceases to function in body cells. Death is the opposite of life.” - Reasoning from the Scriptures, WBTS, 1985, p.98. “ Paul speaks of those who have known the truth, have been partakers of holy spirit, and then have fallen away .The ransom could no longer help them; hence they would receive no resurrection .This illustrates the future before them: complete annihilation.” - Insight on the Scriptures, Vol.2, WBTS, 1988, p.792. Genesis 2:17 – They argue Jehovah warned Adam against disobedience, which would lead to death. Ecclesiastes 9:5 – Insist the dead are conscious of nothing. Resurrection The personality and character, of a person worthy of resurrection, are in God

  Last time we saw that only 144,000 have a heavenly hope. Where does that leave the rest of the millions of faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses, the great crowd? “ The key to the identification of the ‘great crowd’ is found within the description of them in Revelation chapter 7 .The vision there presented is concerning persons not in heaven, from where the 'New Jerusalem comes down,' but on earth, among mankind .If the ‘great crowd’ are persons who gain salvation and remain on earth, how could they be said to be 'standing before God's throne and before the Lamb?' (Re 7:9) The position of 'standing' is sometimes used in the Bible to indicate the holding of a favored or approved position in the eyes of the one in whose presence the individual or group stands .It thus appears that the "great crowd" is formed of those persons who have been preserved during that time of wrath and who have been able to "stand" as approved by God and the Lamb.” - I

  The ‘good news’ of the Watch Tower kingdom is not the Gospel that evangelicals see in the Bible. A fact the Society readily admits: ‘ But the Kingdom witnessing of Jehovah's Witnesses since 1914 has been something far different from what Christendom missionaries have published both before and since 1914.’ - The Watchtower, 1 October 1980, p.28 Of course, the only Gospel is the gospel proclaimed by Jesus in Luke 24:45-48 and Paul at 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. It concerns Jesus' death, his sacrifice for the sin of mankind, his burial and his resurrection. THE WATCHTOWER'S 'GOOD NEWS' According to the Watch Tower interpretation of Luke 12:32 , o nly a 'little flock' inherit the kingdom. Their understanding of Revelation 7:1-8 and Revelation 14:1-5 , limits this little flock to 144,000 who are ‘spiritual Jews.’ ‘ The 12 tribes mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 must refer to this spiritual Israel for several valid reasons. The listing does not match that