The Witchcraft of the Watchtower

     While many people take God's Word lightly, think nothing of contradicting what it says, and explain away the statements of Scripture without any qualm of conscience; they are rebelling against God's Word, and in His eyes all such rebellion is just as serious as witchcraft and idolatry. In fact, those who contradict God's Word are doing the same thing that Satan did, when said to Eve, "You shall not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). Just as Satan did not want Eve to believe God's Word, he does not want us to believe it either. That is why cults are continually contradicting and denying what the Bible says. And, the purpose of this essay is to expose that sort of rebellion on the part of the Watchtower.

    When the Bible says, in reference to Christ's birth, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us," the Watchtower rebels against that statement by denying that Christ is "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). If they had a legitimate question about the meaning of that verse they could examine it in the light of other passages that address that topic, and the Word of God would answer the question for them. For example, the phrase "God with us" is explained by Isaiah 9:6, which says that Christ shall be called, "The Mighty God, The everlasting Father" and by John 20:28 where Thomas addresses Jesus as, "My Lord and my God." In short, the truth is there for anyone willing to accept what the Bible says. The Watchtower simply refuses to accept it, and their rebellion is as witchcraft and idolatry.

    In order to justify their rejection of the passages that I just quoted, the Watchtower will interpret other passages to teach the exact opposite. For example: They will interpret the passages that refer to Christ as a man to contradict the ones that tell us He is God. Nevertheless, we know that such interpretations are false, because the truth will never contradict the Word of God (Isaiah 8:20). However, in their blindness, the Watchtowerites cannot even see that they are contradicting God's Word. They will argue that since the Bible calls Jesus a man He cannot really be God, while ignoring the fact that the Bible says He is God. They just cannot understand that if the Bible says that Jesus is a man, and also says that He is God, then both statements are true. Christ is both true man and true God! In other words, we do not believe that Jesus is both God and man because someone came up with that interpretation, but because the Bible tells us that He is God (Titus 1:3 and 2:13) and also tells us that He is man (1Timothy 2:5). Those who refuse to accept everything that the Bible says are rebelling against God, and our text tells us that all such rebellion is as witchcraft and idolatry.

    When the Bible tells us that the rich man, "in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments," the Watchtower rebels against that statement by denying that the lost are "in torment" (Luke 16:23). If they had a legitimate question about the meaning of this verse they could examine it in the light of other passages that address that topic, and God's Word would answer the question for them. For example: The phrase "in torment" is explained by Revelation 14:10-11 which tells us that "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night." It is also explained in Matthew 25, where we are told that the wicked shall be cast into fire (verse 41), that the fire lasts forever (verse 41), and that their punishment lasts forever (verse 46). In other words, the truth is there for anyone willing to accept what the Bible says. The Watchtower simply refuses to accept it and their rebellion is as witchcraft and idolatry.

    In order to justify their rejection of the passages that I just cited, the Watchtower claims that the Hebrew word "sheol" (hell) only means "grave." However, they fail to understand that words are defined by their context. And, when we look at the context in which the word "sheol" is used, we find that 2 Samuel 22:6 says, "the sorrows of sheol compassed me about." Psalm 18:5, also speaks of the, "sorrows of sheol" while Psalm 116:3 says, "the pains of sheol got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow." Ezekiel 32:21, tells us that some who have died physically, "speak…out of the midst of sheol." In Deuteronomy 32:22 we read, "a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn unto lowest sheol." In Isaiah 33:14 we read, "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell [remain/inhabit] with devouring fire?" And, Isaiah 66:24 says of the lost, "Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." Again, the truth is there for anyone willing to accept what the Bible says. Those who deceitfully misrepresent the meaning of Bible words, while explaining away any statements of Scripture that bear evidence to the contrary, are rebelling against God, and our text tells us that all such rebellion is as witchcraft and idolatry.

    When the Bible says, "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, We are absent from the Lord… and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord," the Watchtower rebels against those words of Scripture by denying that we have a conscious soul that can be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Nevertheless, the words of Christ to the thief on the cross, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," and the story of the rich man and Lazarus, both bear witness to the fact that the soul exits the body at death. Luke 23:43 and 16:19-31). Therefore, the truth is there for anyone willing to accept what the Bible says. The Watchtower simply refuses to accept it, and their rebellion is as witchcraft and idolatry.

    When the Bible quotes Jesus saying, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see Me have", the watchtower rebels against those words by claiming that Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, but instead changed into a spirit being (Luke 24:39). However, what matters is what the Bible says, not what they say. And the Bible says that Jesus rose as "flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39). Furthermore, the Bible says of all who refuse to accept its words, "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).

CONCLUSION

Those who are under the spell of the Watchtower contradict and explain away what the Bible says because there is no light in them. In other words, they do not have the truth of God, and God does not approve of what they teach (2Timothy 2:15). In fact, as far as He is concerned their doctrine is as witchcraft and idolatry.

THE WITCHCRAFT OF THE WATCHTOWER