WELCOME TO THE FREEDOM BEACON!

1) Speaks in Jehovah's name…

2) The things that would come to pass...

3) Thereby promoting true worship which is in harmony with God's Word.

1) Be God's only mouthpiece for today;

2) Have revelations from God;

3) Be the sole group with understanding of

the Bible;

4) Be God’s only Spirit-directed

organization.

"It is of importance to every individual on earth to identify the group that Jehovah

has commissioned as His servant' or messenger." Watchtower, March 15, 1972

"Who is this prophet? . . . not one man, but a body of men and women... known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian Witnesses." Watchtower, April 1, 1972

"...the time must come, and that shortly, when those making up Christendom will know that really a 'prophet' of Jehovah was among them." The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah, p. 70

"...Jehovah's organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by God's holy spirit or active force ... To it alone God's sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book."

"God by his holy spirit" has directly "revealed" things to its "early Bible students ... far in advance." Watchtower. July 1, 1973

Jesus warned about false prophets in Matthew 7:15, 16, saying: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them".

The Society itself concurs, saying: "A 'prophet' claims to have inspired information for the direction of others. A 'false prophet' would mislead others, to turn them away from God and toward false worship." Watchtower, June 15, 1974, p.381

Regarding the "fruit" of such ones, the Society further says that God "will put all false prophets to shame either by not fulfilling the false prediction of such self assuming prophets or by having His own prophecies fulfilled in a way opposite to that predicted by the false prophets."

In addition, the Society says: "The best method of proof is to put a prophecy to the test of time and circumstance. The Bible invites such a test... the Bible ...establishes the rules for testing a prophecy at Deuteronomy 18:20-22."

The Watchtower’s use of Deuteronomy 18 is correct. It does, indeed, give us the criteria for judging the authenticity of someone who claims to be a prophet. It says: "But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him."

The Society has, in fact, invited us to examine its prophecy track record, stating: "Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a 'prophet' of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can

be done is to review the record. What does it show?" Watchtower, April 1, 1972

The record shows that, from its earliest beginnings, the organization has predicted specific time frames for the end of the world and the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In fact, founder, Charles Taze Russell, began to predict these events as early as 1874. Here are just a few of the major dates that have been set by the Watch Tower Society:

1914: ". . . the 'Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already

Commenced."

1925: "...Since other Scriptures definitely fix the fact there will be a resurrection of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other faithful ones of old ... we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected and fully restored to perfect humanity and made the visible, legal

representatives of the new order of things on earth."

"Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures, marking the end of the typical jubilees."

NOTE: The WTS was so convinced that this would occur in 1925, they bought a mansion in San Diego, California, which they called Beth Sarim (meaning, House of the Princes), for the purpose of housing the resurrected patriarchs! After this prophecy failed, then President, Joseph Rutherford resided there until his death. Thereafter, the property was quietly sold. Most JWs today have no idea about this debacle!

1975: "According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975." Life Everlasting, p.28

"Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end."

Regarding 1925, they said: "With great expectation Christians have looked forward to this year. Many have confidently expected that all members of the body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during the year. This may be accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time, God will accomplish his purposes concerning his own people. Christians should not be so deeply concerned about what may transpire during this year that they would fail to joyfully do what the Lord would have them to do." Watchtower, Jan. 1, 1925, p.3

"It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the minds of the consecrated the thought that 1925 should see an end of the work, and that therefore it would be needless for them to do more."

In spite of its failures, the Society continued to imply that certain years were scheduled for Armageddon and that it would only be "months away": "Receiving the sift, the marching children clasped it to them, not a toy or plaything for idle pleasure, but

the Lord's provided instrument for most effective work in the remaining months before Armageddon."

"True, there have been those in times past

who predicted an 'end to the world,' even announcing a specific date. Some have gathered groups of people with them and fled to the hills or withdrawn into their houses waiting for the end. Yet, nothing happened. The 'end' did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? . . . Missing from such people were God's truths and the evidence that he was guiding and using them." Awake, Oct. 8, 1968, p.23

Furthermore, they have said: "False prophets will try to hide their reason for feeling shame by denying who they really are. They will try to avoid . . . being pronounced spiritually dead by Jehovah's loyal worshipers."

In spite of this evidence to the contrary, the Society now teaches its followers that it never claimed to be an inspired prophet!

Contact: Freedom_Beacon@yahoo.com

WT: Jehovah is God’s true name. Superstitious Jewish Scribes removed it from the Bible, but our New World Translation faithfully restored it to the OT & inserted it in the NT where it made sense to do so. Using Jehovah’s name is essential to salvation (Rom. 10:13 NWT).

TRUTH: OT Scribes used the Hebrew consonants YHVH. Later these were combined with the vowels from "Adonai" (Lord). The result was "Yahovah", later translated "Jehovah"—A Man-Made Term! As the word has Hebrew origins, it cannot be forced into the Greek NT. In all of the Greek manuscripts we have, "Kurios" (Lord) or "Theos" (God) is used—Never Jehovah—not even when quoting the OT!

* NOTE: It is not the use of the name itself that is problematic, but how the WT uses it to skew theology!

WT: The word "Trinity" is not found in Scripture. The doctrine is incomprehens-ible, deceptive & confusing. It is pagan in origin and could only have originated with Satan, so as to reproach God and turn men away from Him. Trinitarians are polytheists and their God is a 3-headed freakish monster, difficult to love and worship.

TRUTH: The concept is throughout the Bible. We are baptized in the name of all three persons (Mt. 28:19). Jesus used God’s name "I AM" and the Pharisees sought to stone Him for blasphemy. (Jn. 8:57-59 cp. Ex. 3:13, 14). Only God has the power to forgive sin. Jesus often healed by forgiving sin. (1 Jn. 1:9; Mk. 2:5-7). Jesus is the creator and the Alpha & Omega (Heb. 1:2, 3; Col. 1: 16, 17; Jn. 1:1; cp Rev. 1:8 with Rev. 2:8). Jesus is Eternal Father, Mighty God, Lord (Isa. 9: 6, 7; cp.10:21; Titus 2:13; Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 3:12; Phil. 2:11)

WT: The Holy Spirit is not a person. He is not God and is not equal to God. It is God’s "active force"—akin to electricity or wind--by which He accomplishes His will. It came upon Jesus at His baptism and enabled Him to do miracles.

TRUTH: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He has a mind (Eph 1:17; 1 Cor 2:11; Rom 8:27), a will (1 Cor. 12:11; Acts 16:6), & is able to be grieved (Eph. 4:30). He performs the actions of a person:

--As a Teacher (JN 14:26; 15:26)

--As a Counselor (JN 16:7, 8)

--He can be lied to (Acts 5: 3, 4)

--He lives (1 Cor. 3:16)

--He fellowships (2 Cor. 13: 14; Rom. 8:14)

Scripture speaks of us as having God, Christ, AND the Holy Spirit ALL within us. (Cp. Eph. 2:22; 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 3:17)

He also intercedes in prayer for us, just as Jesus does (Rom.8:26 cp Heb. 7:25)

Jesus is a created being, thus making Him a ‘son’ of God. He is the highest ranking angel: the arch-angel, Michael. He is and always has been submissive to the father--they are in no way equal. He was not an incarnation of God, but merely a perfect man. (NOTE: The WT claims that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not equal to God in an attempt to destroy the Trinity doctrine.)

* Heb. 1:5— "To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son’?"

* Dan. 10:13 indicates that there is a class of arch-angels and Michael is one of them.

* Phil. 2: 5-11 Jesus divested himself of His glory to take on the cloak of humanity. (ASK: Does v. 9-11 mean that His name is above Jehovah’s name, or that He’s Deity?)

* Col. 1:15-20--Jesus is before ALL things. (NOTE: The NWT inserts the word "other" 5 times in this passage: "all other things") to strip Him of His role as the Creator.

v. 19—the fullness of God dwelled in Him. * NOTE: "Firstborn" (v 15) means supremacy or pre-eminence (in v. 19).

WT: Jesus died when His spirit went out of Him, but since He didn’t return to heaven right then (Lk. 23:46), He obviously stayed in the grave until He was raised 3 days later. (NOTE: To the WT, this also proves that Jesus was merely a mortal man.)

Jesus was resurrected as a spirit because flesh & blood cannot inherit the kingdom (1 Cor. 15:50).

Jesus took on and discarded physical bodies so that he could appear to His disciples and show His wounds to Thomas. That’s why His disciples thought He was a ghost and did not recognize Him.

TRUTH: There is a difference between a spirit (like God) and a spiritual (glorified, resurrected) body:

A spirit does not eat as the risen Christ did (Lk. 24:36-43). A spirit does not have hands and feet, or flesh and bone, as the risen Christ did (Lk. 24: 39, 40)

The disciples did not think they’d seen an apparition. They just couldn’t believe their eyes (v 40)--they knew He said He would rise, but apparently required physical evidence to fully believe it.

The context reveals that the disciples’ eyes were kept from recognizing Him (veiled).

WT: Man is a soul (a living being)—He does not have a soul. Body + Life force (breath) = Soul (1 Pet. 3:20; Gen. 9:5; Josh. 11:11). People die and return to dust just like animals do (Gen. 3:19). That we don’t die is Satan’s lie (Gen. 3:4). The dead are conscious of nothing (Eccl. 9: 5, 6). This is true of both righteous and unrighteous dead, until the resurrection on judgment day. The dead are merely "asleep" (unconscious), until they are resurrected (1 Thess. 4:13-17)

TRUTH: The Hebrew word for soul (Nephesh) is used in a variety of ways: A living person; man’s immaterial nature (Gen 35:18 KJV); the "inner man" (seat of emotions (Dt. 28:65; Job 30:25; 3:20; Ps. 13:2; 6:3; 42:6; 43:5; 86: 4; Gen. 42:21; 2 Kings 4:27).

In context with the rest of Scripture, we know that man does have an immaterial nature: Mt. 10:28; Rev. 6:9, 10 (Heb. Nephesh = Gk Psuche). Lk. 23:46—in context, Pneuma (translated as "spirit") can only mean soul. Since Jesus was not raised for 3 days, His human soul must have gone to the father (cp Acts 7:59; see also: Lk. 20:38; Phil.1:21-23).

Gen. 3:19 refers to physical, bodily death: the body was formed from the dust while the spirit/soul/life force came from God. The punishment for sin was aging, the failing of their physical bodies, and death. Satan is the one who denied that God would make good on this pronouncement.

* Eccl. 9:5, 6 is from the standpoint of carnal man who does not know God. From that standpoint, everything is vanity (futile), which is the premise of Ecclesiastes.

* "Sleep" applies to body only. The soul does not pass into a state of unconscious-ness. It is also a fallacy to say that sleep is a state of unconsciousness.

WT: In the aftermath of Armageddon, surviving JWs will work to clean up the earth and will restore it to the garden-like conditions of Eden. All JWs living there will gradually be restored to a state of perfection like Adam and Eve enjoyed. From heaven, the 144,000 will reign over the "Great Crowd" who will live forever on the earth. If anyone sins, they will be killed immediately.

TRUTH:

* The context of Mt. 6:10 refers to things Jesus was asking for His disciples right then.

* Ps. 37: 9, 11, 29—The Heb word Eres, in this context, refers to the land of Judea which God had given Israel as an enduring inheritance. The Hebrew word for "forever" (‘ad), in the OT, is often used to indicate that a promise would endure for generations.

* Ps. 115:16—In context, God had given the earth to all men to rule over (cp. Ps. 8:6-8; Gen. 1:28). All who are born again look forward to living with Christ in heaven (Jn.12:26).

WT: Salvation may be obtained if one clings to and unquestioningly obeys the organization and remains active in service to it—a works-based gospel. Jas. 2:26 says that faith without works is dead. Therefore, you will die if you do not do works. Phil. 2:12 says we must "work out" our salvation.

TRUTH:

* Eph. 2:8, 9—Salvation is by Grace alone (cp Titus 3:5; Gal. 2:16). Human righteous-ness is as "filthy rags" before God (Isa. 64:6). Salvation comes only by believing in Christ (Acts 16: 30, 31; JN 3:15; 5:24; 11:25; 20:31), not in man or an organization.

* Jas. 2:26 is not speaking of salvation. James is pointing out that works are evidence that our faith is truly alive.

* Phil. 2:12—In context: the church at Philippi had real problems in Paul’s absence. Paul was urging them to work hard to preserve the unity of the congregation.

* Read all Scriptures in CONTEXT.

* Use the KJV

* Don’t let the JW control the conversation

* Watch for circular reasoning and topic

hopping.

* Witness in a spirit of love

* Define all terms

* Know WHY you believe what you believe

Contact: Freedom_Beacon@yahoo.com

I. WT QUOTES (Note: The WT encourages using Jehovah’s--not Jesus’—name. Is this scriptural?):

Happiness, How to Find It, p. 121--turn to J, in prayer, using His name—nothing about Jesus.

Unseen Spirits, Do they Help Us, or Harm Us, p. 25—Omits key part of Scripture that says that Paul uses the name of Jesus to command spirit to come out of slave girl harassing Apostles.

WT 4/15/06, p. 31 in Q from Readers—Nothing about Jesus’ name in whole article.

What Does the Bible Really Teach (in the article: "How to Resist Wicked Spirits")—nothing at all about using Jesus’

WT 11/15/05 (in the article: "How Real is the Devil to You?"), p. 6, 7—knowledge, contact JWs for study—nothing about Jesus.

You Can Live Forever (in the chapter: "Resisting Wicked Spirit Attacks"), p. 96, 97—recommends that we just say "Go away, Satan", and use Jehovah’s name—no mention of using Christ’s name.

Mk 9:38, 39--And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

Mk. 16:17--And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Lk. 10:17--And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Acts 16:16--And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Phil. 2:10--That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

1 Pet. 3:22—Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

IV. WE NEED NOT BE IN FEAR OF WICKED SPIRIT FORCES, IF WE HAVE CHRIST WITHIN

A. We are more than conquerors through Christ/He is more powerful than any wicked spirits (Rom. 8:37-39)

B. Rather than being immobilized with fear regarding demons, Scripture says we should:

    1. By submitting ourselves to God, resist the devil and he WILL flee from us:
        JAS 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the DEVIL, and he will flee from us.

    2. Not give the devil a foothold into our lives:
        EPH 4:27 Neither give place to the DEVIL.

    3. Put on the whole armor from God, so we can withstand any attacks:
       

EPH 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the DEVIL. For we wrestle not against  flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

     4. Resist the devil in faith:

1 Pet. 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

V. CONCLUSION

1. We don't have to let the devil have power over us if we:

2. While we don’t want to intentionally engage the devil in battle, there is no need to fear him or his angels.

3. The Apostles cast out demons in Christ's name, and we can use Jesus' name, too, if we come up against the devil.

4. True believers have Christ indwelling them and this makes us more than conquerors through Him (Rom. 8:37-39).

5. People in the WT often report coming under demonic attack. If they are unable to resist the devil and make him flee from them, as the Bible says, then it is apparent that they must not be submitting themselves to God, must not have Christ indwelling them, etc. Otherwise, they would be able to resist, as the Scriptures say.

6. True Christians do not suffer from such attacks, but if they come into contact with persons under demonic control, they are able to rebuke the demons in Jesus’ name, thereby ending the matter.

7. JWs who suffer demonic attack and use Jehovah’s name, most often do not find relief.

8. The name Jehovah is used by occultists, Free Masons, and was used by the modern father of the occult, Aleister Crowley, who even speaks about the name in his books.

I. DID THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS/HAD BEEN AN ANGEL?

First, we must realize that there are other versions of Jesus Christ floating around which are FALSE, and this has been the case since the beginning of church history. The Apostle Paul, all the way back in the first century, warned:

2 Corinthians 11: 3, 4—" But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [REJECT] him."

How, then, do we determine whether we believe in the Jesus of the Bible or in some false version of Jesus? Paul says that if other versions of Jesus do not stack up with what he and the other Apostles of Christ taught, then such must be rejected as originating from "another spirit". He clearly identifies that "other spirit" as being none other than the serpent who deceived Eve in Eden. Therefore, what we believe about the nature and person of Jesus Christ is certainly a serious matter!

The fact is. That there is not one verse of Scripture anywhere from which we can conclude that any of the apostles ever proclaimed that Jesus was Michael the Archangel. In fact, the Apostle Paul spent time combating the erroneous teachings of the Sadducees, who taught that He had been an angel in His pre-existence. In refuting this teaching, Paul said:

Hebrews 1: 5-6, 13—"For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." And, again, he restates this in verse 13, saying: "But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?"

Paul makes it clear, in this passage, that:

1.God does not call angels "Son" as He called Jesus. While some Bible translations refer to angels as sons of God (Genesis 6:2-4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7), it is only Jesus whom God calls His only-begotten Son (John 3:16-18; 1 John 4:9).
2. ALL the angels worship JESUS; and,

3. God has not invited any angel to sit at His right hand, as co-ruler—only Jesus occupies this position of authority and power.

In chapter 2 of Hebrews, Paul goes on to state that Jesus—not any of the angels—will have all things in subjection to Him. In fact, since Jesus will have ALL things--including all things in heaven--in subjection to Him, this will include the angels. Furthermore, that Jesus has never had the "nature of angels" is also evident in verse 16:

Hebrews 2: 5, 8, 16 For unto the angels he hath not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. [But, speaking of Jesus:] 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him [including the angels]. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

1 Peter 3:22—"Who [Jesus] is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."

Revelation 22:8, 9—"And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."

Colossians 2: 18—"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind"

In fact, Paul says that glorified saints shall judge angels and Peter says that the apostles had divinely given knowledge of the Gospel that even the angels did not have:

1 Corinthians 6:2, 3—"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" [IF JESUS IS AN ANGEL, WILL WE JUDGE HIM TOO?]

1 Peter 1:12—"Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into". [IF JESUS WERE AN ANGEL, DID HE NOT HAVE THE SAME FULL REVELATION OF THE GOSPEL THAT THE APOSTLES HAD?]

Philippians 2: 9—"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus also accepted worship (Matthew 8:2; 28.9) but He Himself said to worship only God (Matthew 4:10). A contradiction?? Blasphemy?? Not if He WAS God? One thing is certain: God is certainly not a mere (created) angel, but is eternal and the creator of all creatures. Therefore, if Jesus was, indeed, affirming His divinity, this makes Him Creator, not created being.

Matthew 13: 41—"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity"

2 Thessalonians 1:7—"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels"

Daniel 10:13—"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."

One of the "chief princes"? How large that group is, we are not told. But the fact that Michael is one among equals proves that he is not totally unique, unlike God’s only-begotten Son.

Since Scripture interprets Scripture, we can use this concept to help us to interpret what is conveyed by the singular form of "archangel" as used in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which adherents to this doctrine like to reference. There, we read: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."

Does this verse prove that Jesus is Michael and that Michael is the only Archangel in existence?

No, because while the term occurs here in the singular, it also appears with a definite article (THE archangel). In his book, Angels: Elect and Evil, theologian Fred Dickason notes that "the definite article with archangel does not necessarily limit the class of archangel to Michael. The article may be one of identification as the well-known archangel instead of limitation as the only archangel. There may be others of the same class or rank, since he is described as ‘one of the chief princes’ (Dan. 10:13)."

(From: Fred Dickason, Angels: Elect and Evil, Chicago: Moody Press, 1975, p. 68)

Furthermore, if we are to take Christ’s coming with the voice of an archangel as proof that He is an archangel, then what do we do with the phrase "with the trump of God"? Does this phrasing, in and of itself, imply that He is God, since He comes with the trump of God? No Trinitarian would ever point to this phrase to prove Christ’s deity, but would, instead, refer to copious other passages that affirm the doctrine. That is because such phrasing, by itself, is not conclusive when it is not supported by other passages of Scripture. Not only must we base Biblical interpretation on the immediate CONTEXT of the passage surrounding the verse itself, but the passage must also be interpreted within the context of Biblical doctrine on the whole. If any interpretation cannot be reconciled with other passages of Scripture, it simply cannot be the correct interpretation, for God does not contradict Himself.

• Michael is the angelic protector of the nation of Israel:

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people [DANIEL’S PEOPLE WERE THE JEWS]: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

• Michael is unable to do some things that Jesus clearly did do. While Jesus rebuked Satan three times, in Luke chapter 4, Micahel could not:

Jude 1:9—"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

2 Peter 2:11—"Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord."

Revelation 12:5-7—"And she [ISRAEL] brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. [THIS IS JESUS! Thereafter, described as the "lamb" in chapters 14, 17, 19, as well as the "Son of Man, King of kings and Lord of Lords, and The Word, but NEVER as Michael!] 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael [NOT THE SAME PERSON AS IN VERSE 5] and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels"

The following is an excerpt from http://www.macgregorministries.org/jehovahs_witnesses/michaelbecomesjesus.html

Some of the Ante-Nicene Fathers from the first three centuries of the Christian Church offered these statements from their writings:

"[Almighty God] did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler..." Mathetes - Epistle to Diognetus, ch.7

" ...God speaks in the creation of man with the very same design, in the following words: 'Let Us make man after our image and likeness...[God] conversed with some one who was numerically distinct from Himself, and also a rational Being. These are the words: 'And God said, Behold, Adam has become as one of us, to know good and evil.' In saying, therefore, 'as one of us,'[Moses] has declared that [there is a certain] number of persons associated with one another, and that they are at least two. For I would not say that the dogma of that heresy which is said to be among you is true, or that the teachers of it can prove that [God] spoke to angels, or that the human frame was the workmanship of angels. But this Offspring, which was truly brought forth from the Father, was with the Father before all the creatures,..." Justin Martyr - Dialogue with Trypho, ch. 62

CHAP. II--THE WORLD WAS NOT FORMED BY ANGELS, OR BY ANY OTHER BEING, CONTRARY TO THE WILL OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, BUT WAS MADE BY THE FATHER THROUGH THE WORD.

"Those, moreover, who say that the world was formed by angels, or by any other maker of it, contrary to the will of Him who is the Supreme Father, err first of all in this very point, that they maintain that angels formed such and so mighty a creation, contrary to the will of the Most High God." Irenaus Against Heresies, Book II, ch. 2, section 1

"He created and made all things by His Word, while He neither required angels to assist Him in the production of those things which are made, nor of any power greatly inferior to Himself, and ignorant of the Father," Irenaus Against Heresies, Book II, ch. 2, section 4

"He (Moses) at first narrated the formation of the world in these words: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," and all other things in succession; but neither gods nor angels [had any share in the work]." Irenaus Against Heresies, Book II, ch.2, section 5

"For the Son, who is the Word of God, arranged these things beforehand from the beginning, the Father being in no want of angels, in order that He might call the creation into being, and form man," Irenaus Against Heresies, Book IV, ch. 7, section 4

"It was not angels, therefore, who made us, nor who formed us, neither had angels power to make an image of God, nor any one else, except the Word of the Lord," Irenaus Against Heresies, Book IV, ch. 20, section 1

"...and that this world belongs to Him (the Word of God), and was made by Him, according to the Father's will, and not by angels;" Irenaus Against Heresies, Book V, ch. 18, section 2

"The Logos, too, before the creation of men, was the Framer of angels." Tatian, Address to the Greeks, ch VII

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES & JOHANNES GREBER

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was the Archangel Michael before He came to earth and was the first being created by Jehovah, through whom he made the universe, the angels and mankind. While on earth, Jesus was merely a sinless man, who gave his perfect life in return for the perfect life lost by Adam. After his death on the "torture stake" [JWS REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE CROSS], He was resurrected as a spirit person, while his body returned to the dust of the earth. They base this conclusion on the fact that the Bible refers to both Michael and Jesus as leading angelic armies. However, when unable to supply any verses that specifically state that Jesus is Michael, they will admit that they have merely "deduced" this idea. In doing so, however, they have gone well beyond the conclusive scope of God’s Word.

Johannes Greber was an ex-priest, turned spirit medium, who wrote a Bible translation based on the doctrines given him by his spirit messengers. The Watchtower Society quoted his translation for 30 some years, even after they discovered his spiritistic practices, simply because his doctrines agreed with theirs. Like the Watchtower, Greber denied the divinity of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity--because his channeled spirits told him these doctrines were false!

Here is an excerpt from the web article on Greber, which analyzes his book, Communication with the Spirit World of God: (NOTE: Some of these statements are also Mormon beliefs).

Jesus is said to be the first created "son of God". (p. 267)

The second 'son of God' is 'Lucifer' the "Light-bearer". (p. 267)

Christ and Lucifer are therefore "brothers". (p. 271)

God created Christ and then all [other] things were created by and through Christ. (pp. 267-8) Adam was once a "high prince in heaven" before coming to earth.

The spirit also said that demons or fallen angels can and will be saved. This would occur after a process of spiritual evolution by reincarnation. Even Lucifer will be saved and be like his "brother" Jesus. (p. 297)

It was his brother Jesus who volunteered among God's angels to make the first attempt to save mankind. In fact, He "begged" God to be the first. If He failed, God would've sent other spirits until the mission was accomplished. (pp. 297-8)

Christ is the highest of the spirits created by God and the sole one to be created directly. ... Christ Himself was not God, but only the first of God’s sons. ... Christ is the highest spirit which the omnipotent God could create. Christ ... is the first created "son of God", and as such, His highest and most perfect Creature. (Page 301, and Page 267)

(See the entire article on Johannes Greber at http://www.seanet.com/~raines/greber.html.)

This doctrine of Jesus as Michael the Archangel lays the groundwork for the denial of Christ’s divinity.

How so? By turning Him into a mere created being, He cannot, at the same time, be Creator of all things. Thus, this tactic has proven useful to the Watchtower Society, which rejects the Trinity doctrine. Any one who believes in the Trinity CANNOT accept that Jesus is Michael, because this would mean that Jesus is not God but was created by God. Trinitarian theology, therefore, negates this entire concept. Thus, only anti-Trinitarians can hold this view.

Charles Taze Russell, who was the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, had a history of being affilated with a sect of Adventism known as the Second Adventists, or Millerites. The Seventh Day Adventists, however, also share the view that Jesus is Michael the Archangel. They, like their founder, Ellen G. White, also openly deny that Jesus is Almighty God, which is part and parcel of the doctrine of the Tri-unity of God.

Mormons believe that Michael lived on earth as Adam. Adam was his mortal name and Michael was his pre-incarnate and post-mortal name. That means that all of Adam’s descendents (the human race) are actually descendents of Michael. Mormons believe that, since Michael can be translated "who is like God", and mankind is created in the image of God, then God must have a fleshly body, as we do. Launching from this platform, Brigham Young went on to preach that Michael/Adam helped to create the world, came here with a spiritual purpose, and is now an exalted man (a god). This "divine revelation" supported the idea that men can become gods in their own right, which is a foundational teaching of Mormonism.

SATANISM (I KID YOU NOT!)

In his book, "Satan, Prince of This World", William Guy Carr gives us a glimpse into the teachings and practices inherent in the Satanic Black Mass. He says that adepts are taught that:

1. Satan is the eldest son of God (Adonay) and the brother of Michael;
2. Michael, the archangel is the same as Jesus Christ; and,
3. God sent Michael to earth in the form of Jesus Christ to stop the Luciferian conspiracy on earth.

The following are excerpts from Carr’s book:

The second part of the Black Mass perpetuates the defeat of Christ by Satan. Adepts are taught that Satan is the eldest son of God (Adonay) and the brother of St. Michael. The Luciferian dogma teaches that St. Michael, the archangel is one and the same celestial being as Jesus Christ and states that God (Adonay) sent St. Michael to earth in the form of Jesus Christ in order that he could halt the Luciferian conspiracy on this earth as he had done in heaven. (Pg. 45)

Further, the Luciferian doctrine teaches adepts in the highest degrees of Grand Orient Lodges, and the Councils of [Albert] Pike’s New and Reformed Palladian Rite, that God had two sons. They refer to God the Creator, as Adonai, or Adonay. They identify His sons as Satan and St. Michael the Archangel. They claim that Satan accepted the Luciferian ideology because he considered it more practical than his Father’s plan for the rule of the Universe. The Luciferian theologians claim that Satan is the elder brother of St. Michael. They admit that St. Michael, whom they term "the upstart," and "Le Parvenu," did cause Lucifer to be cast out of heaven. But the Luciferian doctrine also claims that by this very act Lucifer was elevated to become God of that part of the Universe we commonly designate as HELL, and that he is therefore the equal of Adonay. (pg. 11)

In addition to claiming that Satan is the eldest son of God (Adonay), and the older brother of Jesus Christ, also claim that Jesus Christ is one and the same person as St. Michael the Archangel. (pg. 14)

As we have seen, the Apostle Paul says that Satan’s purpose is to deceive (2 Cor 11.14). He is especially adept at inventing lies about God, His character, and His nature, just as he has done from the beginning. (Read Genesis chapter 3). If Satan can use the religious leaders to aid in his deception, he will certainly do so (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

It does not fit in with Satan’s purpose for people to know that:

"In Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2.9)

"In the beginning was the Word [JESUS WAS NOT A CREATED BEING], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

(John 1:1,14)

He is the firstborn over ALL creation (Col. 1:15) since through Him all things were made. (John 1:3).

Jesus came to earth in order to reveal God to man: "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." (Jn 14.9).

Why does what we believe about Jesus matter to Satan???

Because, when we know these things, we also realize that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow (Philippians 2: 9). Satan does not want this! He has always wanted this worship to be his!!

Furthermore, it is important to know the true Christ of Scripture, because Christianity is not about being in a religion. It is about having a personal relationship with our Lord and Creator, Jesus Christ. But, just as in human relationships, we can't have a relationship with someone whom we don’t know. Without that relationship, we cannot be safe from the snares the devil sets for us. 1 Peter 5:6-8 warns, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

* Some quotes contained in this article have had emphasis added in the form of italic, upper case or bold lettering. Brackets contain added notes.

If you believe that Jesus is Michael the Archangel, please take a moment to consider these questions:

1. How did Michael the Archangel become Jesus? The Bible in no way indicates that the Holy Spirit took an angel and put him in Mary’s womb.

2. What is Jesus’ form since His ascension? Was he raised up as an angel once again? (See Luke 24:39; John 2:19-21).

3. Since John 1:1 teaches that Christ (the Word) is eternal and was with the Father from the beginning, how do you reconcile this with Scriptures that speak of angels being created beings? Since they are created, they can not be eternal, as the Word is eternal.

4. Why does Hebrews 1:4-6 state that Jesus is superior to the angels in every way if he is merely an angel Himself? How can ALL angels worship Him if He is an angel?

5. Why does God command all of the angels to worship the Son (Hebrews 1:6), when He also makes it clear that we are to worship Him alone (Exodus 20; Matthew 4:10)?

6. Since Scripture teaches that Jesus is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb. 13:8), then how can it be said that Jesus was an angel, became a man, and then became an angel again?

If you have been subscribing to this false doctrine and now feel confused about the nature and deity of Jesus Christ, I would urge you to pray for God to send His Spirit of Truth to reveal the truth to you. Jesus promised He would do this in John 16:13, where we read: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS PART OF A TRIUNE GOD

ECCLESIASTES 9: 6, 7

This is the JW "proof" text to support their "soul sleep" doctrine, which they use to try to refute both the doctrine that our souls survive beyond death, and the doctrine of hell.

Here is the text from their NWT monstrosity compared with KJV:

NWT: For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. Also their love, and their hate, and their jealousy have already perished; and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has been done under the sun.

KJV: For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy are now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun.

First of all, with JWs, I INSIST on using the KJV, as they generally will accept that translation above the rest of those of "Christendom". Furthermore, I have seen more people led out of bondage via the KJV than any other translation. Having said that, let's look at a couple of major differences between these passages:

NWT: neither do they anymore have wages

KJV: neither have they any more a reward

This is a HUGE difference. The NWT attempts to make it sound like people will not earn wages for the work they were doing on earth (obviously). But, this is not at all what KJV says. KJV's wording speaks of eternal rewards. Now at this point, you can ask the JW if they believe this is true? Do they really believe that we will not be rewarded for following God in this life? Of course, that is NOT what they believe. They believe that at least the JWs will be rewarded for faithful service. Here, we begin to chip away at the argument.

NWT: because the remembrance of them has been forgotten

KJV: for the memory of them is forgotten

Here, the NWT attempts to make us think that the dead person does not have a memory. However, we know that the soul's survival means that the person does retain such things as emotions, will, memories, etc. KJV does not say that the individual has no more memory, it says that the memory OF THEM is forgotten, conveying the idea that eventually people stop being overwhelmed with grief over our deaths. As time goes on, survivors dwell on our deaths less and less, as they begin to accept and recover from it.

NWT: they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has been done under the sun

KJV: neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun

Here, the NWT toys with the language by substituting "time indefinite" (as in an undisclosed period of time) for "forever". This way, they can get away with saying that they will indeed receive a "portion" or reward for their earthly works at some point in time, which has not been divulged to us yet. That is NOT what the KJV says. It says that they will NEVER receive a portion (reward)-forever. Now, I know this seems to contradict Scriptures that say that we will indeed receive a reward. So, now we have to reconcile this matter. Here's how:

The book of Ecclesiastes presents two viewpoints: A secular point of view, from the standpoint of a person who does not know God. Such a person takes the stance that the author of Ecclesiastes does from chapter one--that "everything is vanity". Throughout, he conveys the old axiom "let's eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow we shall die." This is not how a person with a personal relationship with his creator views life and it is also not the viewpoint of the author Ecclesiastes, by the time he gets to the end of his life and the end of the book.

As you read this book, you see that, as he comes to be more spiritually minded, his viewpoint changes. The change in tone is nowhere more evident than in the final chapter. From chapter 12, verse one, we find him encouraging his son to "remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw near when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them". Then, he sums up, in verses 13 and 14 with: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Notice how mention of judgment here seems to contradict what was said in chapter 9, verse 6, which says, "neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun". At this point I ask the JW if he thinks that the Bible contradicts itself. He will say no. Then, I ask if the Bible always speaks truth. They will say yes. Then ask them to reconcile these two verses. They CANNOT unless they are willing to acknowledge that Solomon is speaking from a human perspective, devoid of divine revelation and knowledge, at the beginning of this book.

Finally, you can take them back to Eccl. 9: 5,6 and ask them if they can see that this attitude would be something that someone without God would entertain. If they balk, remind them of the phrase in the KJV that says "neither have they any more a portion FOREVER". Keep hammering this point home, as they do believe in an "everlasting life" of sorts.

If they allow you to go any further, then this would be the time to emphasize that they did say that the Bible does not contradict itself. From there, go on to share other passages regarding eternal life, heaven, hell, etc.