For Jehovas Witnesses......?

Question

I would like to know why Jehovas Witnesses believe that Jesus was actually archangel Michael? What is this based on because it is not in scripture. What bibles do you guys use? What is the Watchtower Society?

Answer 1

The English-language personal name of Almighty God is most widely spelled "Jehovah". The religion best-known for magnifying that name is "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses".

Jehovah's Witnesses understand their teachings based on the Holy Scriptures. The bible teaches that the archangel Michael is the heavenly pre- and post-human Jesus.

Note that Jesus the Lord calls with an archangel's voice:
. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-16) Jesus died and rose again, so, too... the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel's voice


Note who leads angelic armies (Jesus is "Logos", "The Word"):
. (Revelation 19:13-14) the name he is called is The Word of God. Also, the armies that were in heaven were following him

. (Revelation 12:7) And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled


Who returns and stands up during a time of distress such as has never happened before?

. (Daniel 12:1) "And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your people. And there will certainly occur a time of distress such as has not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, every one who is found written down in the book.

. (Matthew 24:3-21) the disciples approached him [Jesus] privately, saying: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?" And in answer Jesus said to them: "...All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress. ...But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. ...for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.

Once you study it, the bible really teaches that Jesus is Michael. The bible speaks of only one archangel, and who would be above Jesus among heavenly creatures?

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/1995/11/1/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/1998/11/15/article_02.htm

Answer 2

actually... they wont know this...

it is because they are a split off of the 7th day Adventists... who believe the same thing... modern JW's dont generally know they started as a splitoff of a 7th day adventist Bible study because they like to think their beliefs are unique

other things in common with 7th day adventists would be the soul sleep thing and anhialation in addition to Jesus being Michael the Archangel

They claim that Jesus iwll descend with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet ofGod... but this can mean he will come with the angels, where the leader angels will be shouting a warriour cry and the trumpets blowing... and pssstt!!! he comes with the trumpet but IS JESUS A TRUMPET...no

seriously......the Watchtower Bible is an anonymously transalted Bible... personally... I have trouble giving an anonymously transalated Bible much weight at all. I want to know the transaltors were qualified and ied not just inject their preferences and sincerely put a stamp not on the truth but on a preference.

who is Jesus?
John 2 "tear down this temple and in three days I will raise it again" Jesus is human enough to die. Jesus is divine enough to RAISE HIMSELF even after being dead.

Answer 3

Jehovah's Witnesses use the most innaccurate and deviously mistranslated version called the New World Translation. Don't scoff now Witnesses. I am not picking on you. I am simply stating that the committee of translators for this version had absolutely no adequate schooling in biblical languages. The Watchtower Society used the translation "The New Testament" by Johannes Greber (a known spiritist), as a reference to support their renderings of John 1:1 to translate "the Word was a God", a complete perversion of the actual Greek scripture which says the word was God. They even admit in their Aid to Bible Understanding publication from 1969 that the original Greek text contains no indefinite article(corresponding to a or an).The New World Translation has been sharply criticized by hundreds of bible scholars and readers because of it's perversions of the actual scriptures to support their shaky teachings in denying the deity of Christ, and the visible return of Christ. What keeps the Jehovah's Witnesses going? The Society gains control of their followers by repeatedly asserting that their interpretation of the scriptures comes directly from Jehovah. However; in the Awake magazine from March 22, 1993 pg.4 the Watchtower Society tells us that never did they say "these are the words of Jehovah." If they are not directly inspired by Jehovah, how can their translation be an accurate version of God's word?

Answer 4

They wrote their own bible. It's the New World Translation. This is not taken from the original manuscripts.

They will have to answer the other question for you.

Ask them why they think Jesus died on a stake and not a cross and why they don't believe He is God? (Neither of these teachings are in the Biblical text, either).

They also teach on only 144,000 going to Heaven. I'm almost positive that there more than 144,000 JW's in this world...and if that's the case 1) which ones won't be going? and 2) why do they want to get other believers?

For the true 144,000 read Rev. 7. It will tell you about the 144,000 and there's not a JW in the bunch. :o)

Waiting for answers...

Answer 5

Read Frozen Veins' answer, but I would like to comment on some of the untruths stated above.

NWT:

Old Testament:
In fact, the New World Translation is a scholarly work. In 1989, Professor Benjamin Kedar of Israel said:
"In my linguistic research in connection with the Hebrew Bible and translation, I often refer to the English edition as what is known as the New World Translation. In doing so, I find my feeling repeatedly confirmed that this kind of work reflects an honest endeavor to achieve an understanding of the text that is as accurate as possible. Giving evidence of a broad command of the original language, it renders the original words into a second language understandably without deviating unnecessarily from the specific structure of the Hebrew....Every statement of language allows for a certain latitude in interpreting or translating. So the linguistic solution in any given case may be open to debate. But I have never discovered in the New World Translation any biased intent to read something into the text that it does not contain."

New Testament:

While critical of some of its translation choices, BeDuhn called the New World Translation a “remarkably good” translation, “better by far” and “consistently better” than some of the others considered. Overall, concluded BeDuhn, the New World Translation “is one of the most accurate English translations of the New Testament currently available” and “the most accurate of the translations compared.”—Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament.

“Here at last is a comprehensive comparison of nine major translations of the Bible:
King James Version,
New American Standard Bible,
New International Version,
New Revised Standard Version,
New American Bible,
Amplified Bible,
Today's English Version (Good News Bible),
Living Bible,
and the New World Translation.
The book provides a general introduction to the history and methods of Bible translation, and gives background on each of these versions. Then it compares them on key passages of the New Testament to determine their accuracy and identify their bias. Passages looked at include:
John 1:1; John 8:58; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1

Jason BeDuhn
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Chair
Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion
Northern Arizona University


Also did you know:

What Some Commentators Have Said
Many who criticise Jehovah's Witnesses for their views don't realise that a number of Protestant sources agree with the Witness position.

“As we stated yesterday, Michael may mean an angel; but I embrace the opinion of those who refer this to the person of Christ, because it suits the subject best to represent him as standing forward for the defense of his elect people.” - John Calvin. (See Calvin's writings online at http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/comment3/comm_vol25/htm/vii.htm)

“Michael - Christ alone is the protector of his church, when all the princes of the earth desert or oppose it.” - John Wesley's commentary on Daniel 10:21. (See Wesley's writings online at http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/notes/daniel.htm)

“a) The angel here notes two things: first that the Church will be in great affliction and trouble at Christ's coming, and next that God will send his angel to deliver it, whom he here calls Michael, meaning Christ, who is proclaimed by the preaching of the Gospel.” - Geneva Bible Commentary. (See http://www.ccel.org/g/geneva/notes/Daniel/12.html)

Serving Lord Jesus: Don't have room to answer all your questions: but there are +/- 6.6 million Witnesses in the earth today.

I personally want to see the Paradise Jehovah promised. Ps 37:9 For evildoers themselves will be cut off,
But those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth.

10 And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more;
And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.

11 But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

You might remember this, Jesus quoted it in Matthew.

Answer 6

I'm not a Jehovah (b/c I believe Jesus is God and part of the Trinity and I also believe in the real Bible, not a translation made up in 1961). Anyway, I had the same questions you did...here's a link to their official website...http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm

find the part where it says that only 144,00 go to their "Heaven"...yikes, how depressing

Answer 7

I've heard this theory before. I'm not quite sure how they came up with this theory, but that seems to be the norm on many of their beliefs.

Answer 8

MICHAEL

(Mi´cha·el) [Who Is Like God?].

1. The only holy angel other than Gabriel named in the Bible, and the only one called "archangel." (Jude 9) The first occurrence of the name is in the tenth chapter of Daniel, where Michael is described as "one of the foremost princes"; he came to the aid of a lesser angel who was opposed by "the prince of the royal realm of Persia." Michael was called "the prince of [Daniel's] people," "the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's] people." (Da 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1) This points to Michael as the angel who led the Israelites through the wilderness. (Ex 23:20, 21, 23; 32:34; 33:2) Lending support to this conclusion is the fact that "Michael the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses' body."-Jude 9.

Scriptural evidence indicates that the name Michael applied to God's Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ and also after his return. Michael is the only one said to be "the archangel," meaning "chief angel," or "principal angel." The term occurs in the Bible only in the singular. This seems to imply that there is but one whom God has designated chief, or head, of the angelic host. At 1 Thessalonians 4:16 the voice of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is described as being that of an archangel, suggesting that he is, in fact, himself the archangel. This text depicts him as descending from heaven with "a commanding call." It is only logical, therefore, that the voice expressing this commanding call be described by a word that would not diminish or detract from the great authority that Christ Jesus now has as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Mt 28:18; Re 17:14) If the designation "archangel" applied, not to Jesus Christ, but to other angels, then the reference to "an archangel's voice" would not be appropriate. In that case it would be describing a voice of lesser authority than that of the Son of God.

There are also other correspondencies establishing that Michael is actually the Son of God. Daniel, after making the first reference to Michael (Da 10:13), recorded a prophecy reaching down to "the time of the end" (Da 11:40) and then stated: "And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's] people." (Da 12:1) Michael's 'standing up' was to be associated with "a time of distress such as has not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time." (Da 12:1) In Daniel's prophecy, 'standing up' frequently refers to the action of a king, either taking up his royal power or acting effectively in his capacity as king. (Da 11:2-4, 7, 16b, 20, 21) This supports the conclusion that Michael is Jesus Christ, since Jesus is Jehovah's appointed King, commissioned to destroy all the nations at Har-Magedon.-Re 11:15; 16:14-16.

The book of Revelation (12:7, 10, 12) specifically mentions Michael in connection with the establishment of God's Kingdom and links this event with trouble for the earth: "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down . . . On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea.'" Jesus Christ is later depicted as leading the heavenly armies in war against the nations of the earth. (Re 19:11-16) This would mean a period of distress for them, which would logically be included in the "time of distress" that is associated with Michael's standing up. (Da 12:1) Since the Son of God is to fight the nations, it is only reasonable that he was the one who with his angels earlier battled against the superhuman dragon, Satan the Devil, and his angels.

In his prehuman existence Jesus was called "the Word." (Joh 1:1) He also had the personal name Michael. By retaining the name Jesus after his resurrection (Ac 9:5), "the Word" shows that he is identical with the Son of God on earth. His resuming his heavenly name Michael and his title (or name) "The Word of God" (Re 19:13) ties him in with his prehuman existence. The very name Michael, asking as it does, "Who Is Like God?" points to the fact that Jehovah God is without like, or equal, and that Michael his archangel is his great Champion or Vindicator.

Answer 9

I have studied this religion. And I've never heard this. Are you sure?