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“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28)
Once a year, on a date that coincides with the Jewish Passover, Jehovah’s Witnesses gather to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day, the emblems are passed throughout the entire congregation. Of the approximately six million Jehovah’s Witnesses in the world, only about six thousand will partake of the bread and wine that represent the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. With respect to eternal salvation, this teaching by the Watchtower Society undermines the very fabric of the word of God. Though this organization instructs its members contrary to the Bible regarding many doctrinal issues, its blatant abuse of God’s Holy Word regarding this matter could not be more obvious.
The Watchtower Society teaches that there are two hopes. According to them, there are those with a heavenly hope, called ‘the anointed class,’ and those with an earthly hope. This position is contrary to Ephesians 4:4 which teaches that there is one hope:
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.”
Regarding the bread and wine that represent the body and blood of our Lord, Jehovah’s Witnesses are instructed that only members of the anointed class are allowed to partake. According to the organization, out of the 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses that are of the anointed class, only about 6,000 remain and are currently alive. Therefore, when the Jehovah’s Witnesses meet once a year and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, only 6,000 out of 6 million will actually partake, one tenth of one percent. This statistic is staggering!
Jehovah’s Witnesses are also taught that if they are not of the anointed class, and have an earthly hope of being raised to Paradise earth at the last day, they are forbidden to partake. Contrary to these beliefs, this is NOT what Jesus taught. According to John 6:53-54, He indicated a condition to be raised at the last day as follows:
This passage testifies that the Watchtower Society’s teachings regarding everlasting life are in complete opposition to what Jesus taught. According to Jesus, partaking of the bread and wine that represent His flesh and blood is a provision for being raised at the last day. In John 6:55-58, Jesus concludes:
Regarding everlasting life, this illustration demonstrates that the Watchtower’s salvation message is in complete opposition to the promise made by Jesus. Additionally, with eternal salvation at stake, this is one of the prime examples of the many misrepresentations that are taught by the Jehovah’s Witnesses when they knock on the doors of an unsuspecting victim. Though many of them mean well and are possibly unaware of the false teachings instilled within them by the organization, it is our Lord Jesus Christ who will judge every man and woman according to their hearts. In John 5:22, Jesus said:
“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”
When the Watchtower Society’s elders instruct the Witnesses about the Bible, they are told that what they teach should be accepted without hesitation. Should a Jehovah’s Witness ask too many questions, they can be labeled as troublemakers, reprimanded, and possibly even disassociated or disfellowshipped from the Society. Therefore, it is always possible that the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ absence of understanding and knowledge of the Scriptures could be a justifiable excuse when they are brought before the Judge, Jesus Christ, on Judgment Day. However, once they have been shown their error, and should they decide to continue with these false teachings, they will be held accountable for their actions.
With respect to being raised at the last day and everlasting life, Jesus made it very clear that listening to His words and obeying them are imperative. In John 12:48, He said:
“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
Whenever Christians are given the opportunity to share the Scriptures with Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is important that they are shown that their teachings are false, especially regarding important matters such as these. Should the Jehovah’s Witness decide to reject the Christian’s message, and thereby reject the teachings of Jesus Himself, they can never say they were never warned. It is entirely possible that there will be no viable excuse to Jesus on Judgment Day.