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Watch Tower 'Good News,' is it Really Good News?

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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, only 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 of natural Israel at Numbers chapter 1. Also Jerusalem's temple and priesthood and all the tribal records of natural Israel were permanently destroyed, lost forever, long before John had his vision in 96 C.E. But more important, John received his vision upon a background of the aforementioned developments from and after Pentecost 33 C.E. In the light of such events, John's vision of those standing on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb (whom natural Israel had rejected) revealed the number of this spiritual Israel of God to be 144,000 ‘bought from among mankind.’’ -Re 7:4; 14:1, 4. - Insight on the Scriptures, WBTS, 1988, p.1234

These, they say, will rule as kings and priests over the earth - Revelation 5:9,10. They understand Revelation 20:11-15 to teach that, during the millennium, these 144,000 will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven and those on earth will have to learn obedience and loyalty to the organisational structures that God establishes.

Bible Teaching

Luke 12:32 - This verse does not say that it was just 144,000 that were a little flock. Rather the description was in contrast to the ‘thousands of the multitude’ mentioned in v.1. But what would the ‘little flock’ become?

Revelation 7:1-8 - There is no biblical evidence to link the little flock of Luke with the 144,000. Their attempts to link these two are torturous. Clearly, they don’t know how biblical exegesis works.

Revelation 7:9-17 - While the 144,000 are still on earth, the great crowd is already in heaven.

Revelation 14:1-5 - The 144,000 are now redeemed from the earth and join the great crowd to be forever with the Lord.

They say this group of 144,000 is in heaven and yet Revelation 7:1-3 clearly puts them on earth. The Watchtower says that these are the ones ruling with Christ and yet we shall see next time it is actually the great crowd that the Bible shows ruling.

The Watchtower Society teaches that the Jews have been rejected forever because they rejected Jesus. This can’t be true, because the first Christians were Jews, and Jews have been coming to faith in their Messiah ever since, and because of God’s promise of a remnant in Romans 10 and 11. Some understand the 144,000 to represent a remnant of ethnic Israel brought to faith, while others believe it represents the church, including a remnant of Israelites who have come to faith. Either way, the Jews are included here and the number is symbolic and not to be taken literally.

THE KINGDOM

The Society teach that the Kingdom is a literal place:

‘The Kingdom of God is the expression of Jehovah's universal sovereignty toward his creatures, or the means used by him to express that sovereignty. This term is used particularly to designate the manifestation of God's sovereignty through the royal government headed by his Son, Jesus Christ. ‘Kingdom’ may refer to the rulership of the one anointed as King or to the earthly realm ruled by that heavenly government..’ - Reasoning from the Scriptures, WBTS, 1985, pp.225/6

Greek scholar W.E.Vine defines kingdom as follows:

‘(Greek) BASlLElA ...is primarily an abstract noun, denoting sovereignty royal power, dominion ...The Kingdom of God is (a) the sphere of God's rule ...(b) the sphere in which, at any given time His rule is acknowledged ...speaking generally, references to the Kingdom fall into two classes, the first, in which it is viewed as present and involving suffering for those who enter it ... second in which it is viewed as future and is associated with reward.’ - Vine's Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol.2, pp.294/5.

The Watchtower Society place the emphasis on the Kingdom as being a literal place ruled by Christ and the 144,000 through the organisation.

‘(Jehovah Witnesses) believe that God's Kingdom is the only hope for mankind; that it is a real government; that it will soon destroy the present wicked system of things, including all human governments, and that it will produce a new system in which righteousness will prevail .They believe that 144,000 spirit-anointed Christians will share with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom, ruling as kings with him.’ - Reasoning from the Scriptures, WBTS, 1985, p.199

Nowhere in Scripture will you find ‘kingdom’ and ‘government’ used interchangeably to describe God’s rule.

EXAMINE THE TEXTS

John 3:3,5 - Here we see that we cannot enter the kingdom unless we are born again, not, ‘unless we join the organisation.’

Luke 17:21 - The kingdom is ‘within you’ or ‘in your midst’ (gk. entos) not outside of you ruled by a literal government.

Colossians 1:13, 27 - As Christians we have been transferred already to the kingdom. The reason that the kingdom is within us is seen here with the promise, ‘Christ in you the hope of glory.’ The only hope we have for that eternal kingdom is to know Christ within and among us.

Being born again is leaving the old sphere of 'self-rule' and entering a new sphere in which Christ's rule is acknowledged. Thus the kingdom of God is 'within you' or, 'in your midst;' either while Christ was physically on earth or today in those who allow Him to be King within them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Being born again means we are made a new creation because Christ now lives in us.

Unlike the Society, we believe that the Bible does not show the kingdom to be a literal place but the rule of Christ in our lives now. In fact, if we do not know that rule of Christ now we have no hope of being in the full expression of God's Kingdom future.

‘If any one serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be.’ John 12:26



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