Watchtower Terms
W hen a person begins to read or study material from or about the
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (The Jehovah's Witnesses), it becomes
apparent that the Society has a language all it's own with terms that each
have their own definitions. It is not an exaggeration to say that JWs read
the Bible with Watchtower glasses!
Since the Watchtower Society interprets all of the Bible for JWs and
demands total allegiance to it's definitions of words, the JW will be
speaking a different language than the Christian. Therefore, in order to be
able to comprehend what the JW is saying, one must understand the
terms which the JW has accepted.
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS:
Active Force: See Holy Spirit.
Advent, Second(of Christ): See Presence.
Age of Accountability: The age (generally early teens) when a child is
considered accountable to God to dedicate his life to the Organization,
having sufficient knowledge of JW "truth." Putting off dedication and
baptism is a sin punishable by eternal death at Armageddon.
Anointed: The members of the spiritual Body of Christ or Christian
Congregation, numbering 144,000 (Rev. 7:4-8). Those members of
Christ's Body who are deceased are reigning with Jesus in heaven since
1918. The remaining members still on earth, approximately 8,000 are
known as the remnant. They are collectively known as God's "channel
of communication" to men.
AntiChrist: All the enemies of Christ are the "composite person"
designated "antiChrist".
Appointed Times of the Nations: (Lk. 21:24)-- A period of 2520 years,
dating from the destruction of Jerusalem (607 B.C.) to 1914, in which
God's rule was under restraint. In 1914 the "Appointed times" ended
with Jesus taking power as heavenly king. Also called "Gentile Times"
or "Times of the Gentiles".
Armageddon: The end of this present system of things when Jehovah
will destroy all people but the "faithful" among JWs (Rev. 16:16).
Associates: Non-baptized persons who attend Kingdom Hall meetings
and may also be publishers.
Authority (over JWs): See Faithful and Discreet Slave.
Awake! (magazine): The news, religion, and popular topics magazine
for JWs and the general public; 32 pages, published semi-monthly.
Babylon the Great: All religious organizations outside of JWs, destined
for destruction at Armageddon.
Baptism: Immersion into water to symbolize lifetime dedication to God
and the JW Organization.
Beth Sarim: "House of Princes"--A mansion built in 1929 in San Diego,
CA to await the soon-return of many Old Testament notables.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.
Bethel: "House of God". The world headquarters home for JWs in
Brooklyn, New York.
Bible Study: See Book Study.
Body of Christ: SeeAnointed.
Book Study: A programmed study of a Watchtower Society book.
Questions are asked on points made in the paragraphs of the book. The
Bible is often referred to for reference, but not used as the main study
book.
Born Again: The "prospect" of members of the "Anointed" (see
definition) only, to go to the heavenly kingdom. No other JWs, except
the anointed sons of God, are born again and go to heaven.
"Channel of Communication": See Anointed and Watchtower.
Christendom: Those who call themselves Christians, but are not JWs.
They are really followers of Satan, unwitting enemies of God.
Christian: A JW "minister."
Circuit Overseer: The liaison person between the Watchtower Society
and the congregations in a given geographical area. He dictates the
orders of JW headquarters and coordinates the overall activities of the
elders.
Coming, Second (of Christ): See Presence.
Congregation (of JWs): A group of JWs, locally organized to work as a
unit, usually numbering less than 200 people.
Congregation of God: See Anointed.
Death: The separation of the life force (see definition) from the body.
Dedication: Committing oneself to Jehovah by submitting to all the rules
of the Watchtower Society, especially involving sales work.
Disassociation: The voluntary departure of a JW from association with
the JW community. See also Disfellowshipping.
Disfellowshipping: The practice of excommunication (shunning) JWs
who break certain Organization rules and/or embarrass the Organization
. See also Disassociation.
Divine Direction: The doctrine that the "Governing Body" of JWs
receives direct information and oversight from God through his angels.
Divine Mandate: See Procreation Mandate.
Elder: Leader in a Kingdom Hall of JWs. Most Kingdom Halls have
several Elders who divide up various areas of responsibility overseeing
Witness activity.
End of the World: The time of the destruction of all non-JWs and their
associates.
Everlasting Life: Life lived on paradise earth by faithful JW humans. It
will never end for those who remain faithful to God.
Evil Slave: Former members of the "Anointed" (see definition) JWs who
turn against the work of JWs.
Faithful and Discreet Slave: The small group (class) of "Anointed" JWs
who serve as the spiritual leadership to the million of JWs worldwide.
See the definition for Anointed. Also called the Faithful and Wise
Servant (Mt. 24:45).
Field ministry: House-to-house sales activity.
Franz, Frederick W: Fourth president of the Watchtower Society,
since 1977. Considered the chief theologian and scholar of the JWs.
Gehenna: A condition (not a place) in which there is no resurrection
hope for a person; same as "the lake of fire" (Rev. 21); the second
death.
Gentile Times: See Appointed Times of the Nations.
Gilead School: A school to train JW "missionaries" for foreign service.
"Gilead" means "witness-heap", heap that stands as a witness to some
event or transaction.
Good News: The main teaching of JWs. The doctrine is that in the year
1914, Jesus set up an invisible kingdom in heaven and that it will soon
destroy all earthly kingdoms at Armageddon (Dan 2:24). This will result
in a paradise earth filled only with JWs. This is the message preached,
in whole or in part (Mt. 24:14).
Governing Body: A small select group of approximately a dozen men
who oversee the Watchtower Society and all JW doctrine and activity.
They claim to be members of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"
(or "Faithful and Wise Servant") class.
Great Crowd (Great Multitude): Most JWs do not desire to go to
heaven but rather to live on a paradise earth. They are an unnumbered
group ( Rev. 7:9). Also called "Other Sheep".
Great Tribulation: See Armageddon. The Great Tribulation is especially
for the destruction of Christendom (Rev. 17:1-5,16,17).
Hell: A condition of non-existence which non-JWs go into at death.
Holy Spirit: The "active force" of God. The energy force by which God
accomplished His purposes. Contrary to the nature of God, "it" is
impersonal and omnipresent.
Immortality: Life which can never end. Only God, Jesus (Michael the
archangel), and resurrected "Anointed" JWs have immortality. See also
Everlasting Life.
Inspiration: The special direction God gave to the writers of the Bible
to present infallibly accurate information.
Jehovah: The personal name of God the Father. It means "He Causes
to Become." He is the only true God, Creator and Sovereign. Jesus is
not Jehovah.
Jehovah's Witnesses: Those who "witness" the "Good News" (see
definition) to the public under the direction of the Watchtower Society.
Jehovah's Woman: God's entire heavenly and earthly organization.
Primary members are heavenly spirits, secondary members are the
Anointed (see definition) JWs.
Jesus Christ: The first created Son of God, also known as Michael the
archangel. He died so that men could work their way into God's
Kingdom. He rules over this Kingdom invisibly since 1914. See
Presence.
Kingdom: The rule of God through Jesus Christ and his 144,000
Anointed JW associates.
Kingdom Hall: The place where JWs meet to learn Watchtower
doctrine and sales techniques, etc.
Kingdom Ministry School: A special school for the instruction of JW
elders in training them to oversee their congregation's activities.
Knorr, Nathan H.: Third president of the Watchtower Society
(1942-1977). Chiefly responsible for organizing and training JWs into
door-to-door preachers and spreading the work worldwide.
Last Supper: See Memorial.
Life-Force: Also called "spirit". The "breath of life" or energy which
gives life to created heavenly or earthly organisms.
Life-Pattern: The "record" of a person's life, i.e., his characteristics,
achievements; the way he is perceived by God.
Lying: Also called Theocratic Warfare. The telling of an untruth to
someone "entitled" to know the truth. However, "opposers" to truth
can be misled by untruths with God's blessings.
Materialization (of Jesus): The "man" Jesus is forever dead
(non-existent). After Christ's (Michael the archangel's) resurrection, he
appeared temporarily as a man to convince the disciples that Jesus had
risen. The form of a man was a "materialization".
Memorial: The JWs annual "observance" of Christ's death on the
Jewish date of Nissan 14. A talk is given teaching the death of Jesus
and the New Covenant being established only for "Anointed" JWs, who
alone are allowed to partake of the emblems. See Anointed.
Michael the Archangel: The first created and most powerful angel. He
became Jesus Christ, died for JWs sins, and rose from the dead. He
now rules in heaven with resurrected Anointed JWs.
Minister: A publisher (door-to-door salesperson) who has dedicated
his life to God and the JW Organization and symbolized the dedication
by water baptism.
Ministerial Servant: JW men who are assigned to aid the JW elders in
the Kingdom Hall. They attend to the everyday activities such as the
assignment of literature and territory to JWs, serving as attendants, etc.
Mother: The heavenly organization of spirits whom Jehovah calls his
wife. This spirit group mother's the "Anointed" (see definition) JW sons
of God. See also Jehovah's Woman.
New World Society: See Jehovah's Witnesses.
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: The JW Bible.
Obeisance: Giving due "respect" to Jesus. This is not "worship", which
is reserved for God alone.
Organization: This refers to the "Remnant" group of JWs, also called the
"Anointed". This small group of approximately 8,000 people represents
God on earth. The millions of other Jws work along with God's
Organization and consider themselves associated with it.
Other Sheep: See Great Crowd.
Paradise: The restored perfect earth after Armageddon where only
faithful JWs will live.
Pioneer: A JW who puts in a minimum of 90 hours per month in
door-to-door sales activity and holds "book studies" with potential
converts.
Place: JWs sell (place) Watchtower publications to the public by taking
"contributions" for them.
Presence: Also called Second Advent or Coming. In 1914 Jesus turned
his attention to the affairs of earth by establishing an invisible heavenly
Kingdom. He will not return visibly to the earth, but is invisibly present
in heaven since 1914.
Procreation Mandate: Filling the earth with children. JWs look forward
to filling the new paradise earth with children growing up in perfect
health and knowledge. Formerly called the Divine mandate.
Publisher: Door-to-door salesperson. Anyone who meets the
requirements for representing JWs in field service (sales activity).
Remnant: The remaining "Anointed" still on the earth today numbering
approximately 8,000. (See Anointed and Organization).
Resurrection: God's placing of a newly created copy of a life-pattern
(see definition) into a newly created organism, heavenly or earthly.
Return of Christ: See Presence.
Russell, Charles Taze: The first president of the Watchtower Society
(1884-1916) and founder of the religion now known as Jehovah's
Witnesses.
Rutherford, Joseph Franklin: Often called "Judge" Rutherford, he was
the second president of the Watchtower Society (1917-1942) and is
responsible for formulating much of JW present-day doctrine.
Salvation: The reward of either immortality (see definition) or everlasting
life (see definition) for JW who successfully meet the requirements of
works, e.g., sales work and meeting attendance, outlined in
Watchtower Society publications.
Service Meeting: A 45-minute, held weekly to train JWs to be more
effective in their sales presentations, and how to hold book studies with
potential converts, etc.
Service & Study Reports: The monthly written reports required by the
Watchtower Society of all JWs. The JWs report all publications
"placed" (sold), magazine subscriptions secured, "Return Visits", "Bible
studies" and hours spent in the work.
Society: SeeWatchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Son of God: Michael the archangel, the first-created person, not the
eternal God.
Spirit (human): See Life Force.
Superior Authorities: The governing political rulers of this old world
(Ro. 13:1-7).
Tartarus: A condition (not a place) of the fallen angels who sinned by
taking human wives before the time of the flood (2 Pet. 2:4; Gen 6:2-4;
Jude 6). Their "condition" is to be cut off from God's organization.
Theocracy: The rule of God. In 1914 Jesus set up an invisible theocratic
government in heaven, which rules the lives of JWs through Christ's
chosen channel, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Theocratic Warfare: See Lying.
Times of the Gentiles: See Appointed Times of the Nations.
Trinity: The pagan and confusing doctrine which teaches inconsistently
three gods in one God, three persons in one person, the Father is the
Son, of three persons in one God.
Truth: Any and all JW teachings.
Vindication (Jehovah's): The process of JWs working to "exonerate"
God from the false charge by Satan that God could not have faithful
men and women who worship Him, i.e., JWs.
Watchtower: The main doctrinal organ of the JWs, considered God's
"channel of communication" to men. It is a 32-page magazine published
semi-monthly.
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society: A non-profit corporation
headquartered in Brooklyn, N.Y. It oversees the publication of all JW
reading material and controls all JW activity in matters of doctrine and
lifestyle through it's governing body. All JWs submit totally to it's
authority over their lives.
Worship: (of Christ): See Obeisance.
For more information on understanding and witnessing to the Jehovah's
Witness, please see the book, A Problem of Communication.
The End . . .
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