The Jehovah’s Witnesses trace their origins to Charles Taze Russell, who began a Bible study group in the 1870s in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh). In 1879, he started publishing Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence, which marked the formal beginning of the movement. Russell founded the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1881 (incorporated in 1884), which became the legal entity for the group. He didn’t set out to create a new denomination but rather to study the Bible independently of mainstream churches. His followers were initially called “Bible Students.”
After Russell’s death in 1916, Joseph Franklin Rutherford succeeded him as president of the Watch Tower Society in 1917. Rutherford significantly shaped the movement, introducing key doctrinal changes and organizational structure. It was under his leadership, in 1931, that the group adopted the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” based on Isaiah 43:10. Rutherford’s tenure also saw a shift toward centralized control and a focus on door-to-door evangelism, which remain hallmarks of the religion today. They publish materials such as The Watchtower and Awake! magazines, as well as books like What Does the Bible Really Teach?. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is their preferred Bible version.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in one supreme being, Jehovah, and reject the Trinity. Jesus Christ is considered Jehovah’s first creation and is identified with Michael the Archangel before coming to earth. They believe Jehovah created everything through Jesus. On earth, Jesus lived as a perfect man, was executed on a stake (not a cross), and was resurrected as a spirit. His physical body was not restored. They teach that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914 and now reigns as King in heaven. In the near future, he will lead the destruction of the wicked and establish God’s Kingdom on earth.
The Holy Spirit is not viewed as a person but as Jehovah’s active force, which he uses to accomplish his will.
To become a Jehovah’s Witness, one must be baptized as a member. They emphasize spreading their beliefs through public ministry, including door-to-door evangelism. They believe that only 144,000 “anointed ones” will rule alongside Christ in heaven, while the vast majority of faithful believers—referred to as the “great crowd”—will live forever on a restored paradise earth. Those who reject God’s authority will ultimately be annihilated, not subjected to eternal torment.
Jehovah’s Witnesses worship in meeting places called Kingdom Halls rather than traditional churches. They do not celebrate birthdays or most holidays, as they believe these have pagan origins. Their practices include an annual observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal (similar to communion), but only members of the 144,000 partake. They abstain from military service, do not salute national flags, do not vote in political elections, and refuse blood transfusions based on their interpretation of biblical commands.
Until Next Time, Knowledge is Power
