Questions Jehovah's Witnesses Need to Answer

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God.... (1 Corinthians 15:14 NIV)

No malice is intended by this document. We hope only to create in the reader a sincere desire to search the Scriptures for the simple truth they contain.

Many people are content with their basic understanding of the teaching of God's word and feel no need to question that understanding. However, some, through a thorough search of the scriptures, have realized the need to amend their views.

It is well known that truth stands firm under scrutiny and our faith will only be strengthened by such an examination, for, in the words of Paul, a person should "....keep testing whether you are in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Jehovah's Witnesses deny that the body of Jesus Christ came to life after it had been in the tomb for three days. They claim that Jesus was resurrected an "Invisible Sprit Creature" and that "Nobody knows what happened to his actual body." Because of this, Jehovah's Witnesses have never been able to provide a scriptural explanation for Jesus' words in John 2:19-21, "In answer Jesus said to them, ‘Break down this temple and in three days I will raise it up.' Therefore the Jews said, ‘This temple was built in forty six years, and will you raise it up in three days?' But he was talking about the temple of his body."

• How do they explain this scripture?

Along the lines of the point above, we ask Jehovah's Witnesses to explain Peter's words in Acts 2:26-27. Referring to the time the dead Jesus spent in the tomb, Peter says, "On this account my heart became cheerful and my tongue rejoiced greatly. Moreover, even My flesh will reside in hope; because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your loyal ones to see corruption."

• Our question to Jehovah's Witnesses here is, if Jesus' flesh never came to life, then how did his "flesh reside in hope"?

• Of what did his "flesh reside in hope"?

In harmony with the question above, Paul says in 1Tim.2:5, "for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a MAN Christ Jesus...." In Acts 17:31 Paul says "....because he has set a day in which he proposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a MAN whom he has appointed...."

• Did Paul believe that his mediator, who would judge the world in the future, was an immortal MAN, or "Invisible Spirit Creature"?

Regarding Jesus' return to this earth, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it occurred in 1914 as an invisible return. That event is described for us in Zechariah 14:4, which states, "....and his feet will actually stand in that day upon the mountain of the olive trees which is in front of Jerusalem on the east".

• How do they explain this verse?

Paul said, "....for as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord until he arrives." If Christ arrived in 1914:

• Why do the Jehovah's Witnesses continue to partake of the bread and the wine?

• Should they not have stopped in 1914?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that, prior to his birth, Jesus Christ was the archangel Michael. After his death he was resurrected as the same archangel Michael. It was this angel that ascended to heaven to sit at God's right hand.

• How then are the Jehovah's Witnesses to explain Paul's words in Hebrews 1:13,

"But with reference to which one of the angels has he EVER SAID: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet'"?

• Also, why did none of the gospel writers ever refer to the resurrected Christ as "Michael" by name?

Acts 2:30 says, "Therefore because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one from the fruitage of his loins upon his throne...."

• How is the Archangel Michael "fruitage" of David's loins?

Jehovah's Witnesses deny that the returning of the Jews to their land is a fulfilment of Bible prophecy. Ezekiel's prophecy regarding the returning of the Jews to their land is said by the Watchtower to be fulfilled in their organization. One of many such prophecies is in Ezekiel 36, where in versus 24 and 28 we read these words "and I will take you out of the nations and collect you together out of all the lands and bring you in upon your own soil" "....you will certainly dwell in the land that I gave to your forefathers, and you must become my people and I will become your God."

• If this is fulfilled in the Watchtower organization, then how are they returning to the land of CANAAN as promised to the forefathers? (See Psalms 105:8-11)

Abraham was never promised Brooklyn where the Witnesses' head office is located.

Consider also what is said concerning those who fulfill this prophecy. Exekiel 36:22 says, "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord Jehovah has said; not for your sakes I am doing (it) O house of Israel but for my holy name, which you have PROFANED among the nations where you have come in."

• How do the Jehovah's Witnesses believe they have profaned God's name among the nations?

This question is directly related to the above concern. In Romans 11:26 we read: "And in this manner all Israel will be saved. Just as it is written: "the deliverer will come out of Zion and turn away UNGODLY PRACTICES from Jacob." Jehovah's Witnesses b believe that this scripture is fulfilled, once again, in their organization.

• Again, we ask, is the coming Deliverer going to turn away UNGODLINESS from the Watchtower?

Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the promise made to Abraham in Gen. 13:15, has been fulfilled. This promise states, "because all the land at which you are looking, to YOU and your seed I am going to give it until time indefinite." The Watchtower claims that this prophecy has been fulfilled in order to nullify any future fulfilment regarding this specific land in Bible prophecy.

• How then do they explain Acts 7:5 where Stephen states that Abraham has not yet received this promise?

• If the promise had been fulfilled, why did Abraham have to buy a portion of the land to bury his wife?

The Watchtower Society claims that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not rule with Christ in his kingdom.

• How then do they explain Matthew 8:11,

"But I tell you that many from eastern parts and western parts will come and recline at the table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens."?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe they are the only ones who will come through Armageddon. Anyone who is not a Witness will perish. They say that at the time of Armageddon the governments of the world will come against the remnant of the 144,000 still alive on earth (spiritual Jerusalem).

• How then do they explain Zechariah 14:16:

"And it must occur, that as regards everyone who is left remaining out of all the nations that are coming AGAINST Jerusalem, they must also go up from year to year to bow down to the king, Jehovah of armies, and to celebrate the festival of the booths."?

• We wonder how many of the original 144,000 will be alive at this time?

• And, in any case, if only Jehovah's Witnesses survive Armageddon, then who are these people left from the nations that come against Jerusalem - who also go up from year to year to keep the festival? According to The Watchtower there will be none.

In conclusion we would appeal to all who read this document to recognize, as they may already have, that we have an obligation to search out the truth of such matters, for Paul tells us in Col. 1:9-10, "That is also why we, from the day we heard (of it) have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension, in order to walk worthy of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing (him) as you go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God."

These are merely a few of the many question that we as former Jehovah's Witnesses have asked the Watchtower Society over a period of years and have never received a scriptural answer.

By Clyde Snobelen