Why I Cannot be a Jehovah’s Witness, Reason #4
September 17, 2021
The Watchtower teaches that Jesus is the mediator only for the 144,000, not for the Great Crowd.
The 144,000 are all believers from the time of the Apostles until 1935. They comprise the “Church”, the spirit-begotten believers who will go to heaven. There are only 9,000 of these people alive today. [Our understanding is that there are very few left. The last ones would be from 1935 (or 1931) when they closed this group. After this point someone had to drop out for another person to take their place.]
We are posting a number of e-letters Make Sure Ministries has received from David Henke, founder of Watchman Fellowship, Inc., an apologetics ministry, on a variety of subjects. They will post on Tuesdays into the foreseeable future. As always, we appreciate your comments. Please consider clicking on the link following this blog to learn more about Watchman Fellowship and what they have to offer. E-letters have been slightly edited for clarity.
In conversing with David about this point in January 2023, he added the following: “There are two dates for the closure, 1931 and 1935. Most go with ’35. In one of our local Kingdom Halls, a partaker was considered mentally ill. I think this is common. However, I also think the [Watchtower] is glad to have the numbers up so they don’t have another issue to answer for. If there was a committee examining claimants there would be a dramatic drop in the numbers.”
The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses today are of the Great Crowd class who do not have a “heavenly hope” but rather hope to live on a paradise earth. These are not born again, or spirit-begotten, [and may NOT partake of the bread and wine].
Neither do they have a mediator! (Watchtower, April 1, 1979, p. 31, and Nov. 15, 1979, pp. 24-27).
The Bible is very clear when it says there is …
… one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5
In addition, the Watchtower teaches that Jesus is not all there is to “Christ.”
They say the “Christ” is composed of Jesus (the Head) and the 144,000 (the Body, or Church).
This was clearly taught early in their history but today it is handled in a much more subtle fashion.
The following quote will demonstrate this view.
It is thus seen that the Church in the flesh [the Christ in the flesh, Head and body] is the Elijah or forerunner of the Church in glory, Jehovah’s Anointed. Not the nominal church, but the really consecrated Church, which on the other side of the tomb will be the great Anointed Deliverer, – these constitute the Elijah… Our Lord Jesus and the Apostles, and all the faithful in Christ Jesus since, are of this great antitypical Elijah, prophet or teacher – the same class [Head and body] which shall shortly compose the King of Glory… Our Lord was the Head and Forerunner of the Church in the flesh [the Elijah], as truly as he is Head of the Church triumphant – the Christ.
The Time Is At Hand, pp. 252 and 255
In this same book, The Time Is At Hand, they predict Armageddon will end in 1914.
See Luke 21:8 below for what God says about those who say, “I am Christ and the time is at hand.”
Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.
The Time is at Hand, p. 101
It is as if Jesus was thinking of the Watchtower when He said this!
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