Further comments on the teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Based on their book “WHAT DOES THE BIBLE Really TEACH)
The following comments are concerning the piece in their appendix titled: “Judgment Day - What Is It” and “1914 - A Significant Year in Bible Prophecy”. This last piece follows their section on Judgment Day.
(1) Judgment Day
As to judgment day, we must understand that this will take place after the millennium, when time has ceased to be, so that questions as to how long it will take are irrelevant. What is in the books that are opened is not said. Some may say that they are records of sins, but more likely they are simply records of people’s lives, which would include everything - good, bad and indifferent.
Scripture makes it clear that individuals are going to be judged and that this is after death (Hebrews 9:27). People are not going to get away with things simply because they have died. God is going to judge the secrets of men as Paul says (Romans 2:16). The Witnesses quote Romans 6:7 which reads: “For he that has died is justified from sin”. The note to this verse in Mr. Darby’s translation reads: “ ‘Free’ is ambiguous. It is justified, cleared, discharged. From sin, note, not sins.” ‘Free’ is the word used in the AV; the Witnesses use the word ‘acquitted’. They are saying that people will not be judged for their sins when here on earth. This is not true as one has shown above. The Witnesses say “acquitted from his sin”. ‘His’ is an interpolation. It is true one cannot judge a dead person, but persons will be raised for judgment (John 5:29; Revelation 20:5)
Judgment is not always sessional judgment but could be the ongoing dealing with problem matters as they arise, as we get it in Exodus 18:13-27. Judgment in Acts 17:31 may involve this. This is what is spoken of in such passages as Revelation 20:4 and Psalm 9:8. All this is before the final judgment of the dead in Revelation 20:12. The Witnesses bring in confusion by bringing back into the millennium the judgment which is after the millennium.
There is nothing in Revelation about God’s further requirements which people will have to comply with in the millennium. The Witnesses give no evidence for their assertion that there will be such requirements.
There is nothing in Scripture about some people not being raised from the dead to stand before God. As to Judas, Peter said that he went to his own place - not that he ceased to exist or was destroyed in Gehenna (Acts 1:25).
It should be noted that the Witnesses cannot be contacted by E-mail so that if one wants to supply them with information, such as the fact that there are comments on their teaching on this web site one has to write a letter. One can give them one’s telephone number on the net, but this will only give them the idea that one wants to become a Witness and they will almost certainly ring up to arrange a visit. The Exclusive Brethren on the other hand give no E-mail address, fax or telephone number because they are not interested in recruiting outsiders. I also suspect that neither fellowship gives an E-mail address as it would lead to their being swamped with critical correspondence.
(2) They arrive at 1914 as follows:-
In Daniel we have 70 weeks spoken of (chapter 9:24-27). The final week is divided into two equal parts. It is generally accepted, as do also the Witnesses, that the weeks are weeks of years, in other words they represent 490 years. This can be proved from other passages because the half week is spoken of as a time, times and half a time in Daniel 7:25; and Revelation 12:14. This is equal to 42 months (Revelation 11:2) or 1260 days (Revelation 11:3), that is, 42 months of 30 days each.
It may be mentioned here that a covenant was confirmed for one week (Daniel 9:27). This would make no sense unless the week was a week of seven years. Until relatively recently it was the general practice to make covenants for seven years, but this practice has largely fallen into disuse as far as I can see.
However the Witnesses then proceed without any justification to make the 1260 days mean 1260 years. They then go to Daniel 4:16 where it speaks of seven times, that is seven years and claim it means 2520 years. This is arrived at by reasoning that if three and a half years equals 1260 years, then seven years must equal 2520 years. QED as we would say of a geometry theorem. However, I think most people would consider the idea “far-fetched”. The mathematics is completed by the Witnesses arguing that the 2520 years began in 607 BCE when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and ended in 1914 (607 plus 1914 equals 2521. 1 has to be deducted as there is no year 0).
It may be noted that when it suits them the three and a half years means three and a half years as when they are calculating the time from the word going forth to rebuild Jerusalem till the time of the coming of Christ. See their section in the appendix on “How Daniel’s Prophecy Foretells the Messiah’s Arrival”.
Whatever may be thought of the foregoing it must be acknowledged that Christ made it clear that he did not know the time when he would take power and reign (Mark 13:32). This is confirmed by Matthew who said that only the Father knows, implying that the Son did not know (Matthew 24:36). These passages are quite clear and there has to my knowledge never been any suggestion that they are interpolations or are lacking in manuscript support. Further, they are not out of accord with the rest of Scripture. In Acts 1:7 it is said that the times and seasons are in the Father’s own authority, which by implication they are not in the Son’s. This is itself in accord with what is said in Psalm 110:1 “Sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet”. It does not say until 1914 or some other date, but until God does something. The Revelation is said to be the “Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him”. God would not tell Him what He already knew - that would be silly. However, no dates are given in the Revelation for events and it is presumption to assume that we can know more than Christ knows. If we say he does know then we are really saying that He was not telling the truth, a dreadful thing to say of Christ.
It may be noted that Scripture is not fatalistic. The Lord will take power when God considers the time is ripe. We can hasten the coming of the day of God (2 Peter 3:12).
March 13th 2007