Jehovah's Witnesses - Origin of the Name, Part 2

The following statements in the first two paragraphs are either direct excerpts or paraphrased from the Encyclopedia Britannica, aka, Britannica, online edition, or referenced there.

The "millennialist denomination" known as Jehovah's Witnesses, grew out of the 19th century Adventist movement in the United States, and has since spread worldwide. The organization was founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1872 under the name the International Bible Students Association. Russell was a controversial Adventist teacher who rejected belief in hell as a place of eternal torment and adopted the theology of Arius/Arianism which denies the divinity of Jesus or His personhood of God. He had predicted that God's kingdom would come on earth in 1914; that misfire was later changed to a belief that in 1914 the last days began. Russell would found the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1884 in Pennsylvania, making himself president. The headquarters of the Society would transfer to Brooklyn, New York in 1909. In 1917, Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford would succeed Russell as president of the Society. 

It was Rutherford who would, in 1931, change the group's name to Jehovah's Witnesses in order to emphasize its members' belief that Jehovah (or Yahweh)- a transliteration of the Hebrew tetragrammaton (יהוה), which is the sacred covenant name of God in His covenant relationship with the nation of Israel, is the only true God and that the people formerly known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society were his specially chosen followers. The Hebrew people would later come to consider the name, "Yahweh", too sacred to utter by human lips, and would refer to Yahweh (or Jehovah adapted to English) as The Name (HaShem). 

Below is a copy of the text of scripture from which Judge Rutherford adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses. The translation used here is the Names of God version which translates the Hebrew tetragrammaton and which also uses the anglicized Hebrew names and titles used for God. 

In nearly all other versions of the Bible found on Biblegateway.com, the name of Yahweh or Jehovah is rendered "LORD". A couple of translations inaccurately render the tetragrammaton as "Adonai" - which may be a fallback on the use of the word "LORD" which shows up in some translations as "Lord". Adonai is a Hebrew title and name of God which refers to His supremacy and Sovereignty over all things, identifying Him as the only true God. Other names and titles of God in the passage below are "Elohim", which is a name that conveys God to be the Creator, but does so with the suffix "him" - a plural identifier - to show His superlative primacy, His fullness as Creator, Sustainer. ("El" is the Hebrew word for God that either stands alone or is joined to or is a contraction of God and other names and titles, e.g., El Roi, El Shaddai, etc. The Hebrew language uses the plural of "El", i.e., "Elohim" to point to His supremacy and that there is none above Him.) "Qedosh Yisrael" means "The Holy One of Israel."  

The message in Isaiah 43 is a continuation of Isaiah 42, where we read of God's charges against Israel for its unfaithfulness and idolatry - worship of other gods, as well as His judgment. Probably not a coincidence, yet curious, that "Judge" Rutherford selected this passage where Yahweh or Jehovah is holding "court" with His people Israel in not very flattering edicts. As the dialogue continues in chapter 43, He reminds them of their covenant with Yahweh, His desire to have them be His people exclusively. Because they violated the covenant with Yahweh, we see Him in this trial reiterating the vow to reclaim them, because they will be dispersed to various countries as a result of His punishment for their sins. He will gather them together again. This was demonstration both of God's unexplicable love for the nation which He created, and the fact that the Savior and Redeemer Messiah and Christ would come through God's nation of Israel. He does not abandon them but allows them to feel the heat of His wrath which He warned them about more times than one can count. In His covenant with the nation, in the Bible book of Deuteronomy, He lays out the rewards and punishment that would result in consequence to how they pursued or failed to pursue Yahweh, who delivered them from Egypt. Yahweh calls them as "witnesses" who are fully aware of what they have done, to testify to the fact of their unfaithfulness - in other words, God calls them as witnesses in this court scene - witnesses against their own wickedness and the truth of God's reiteration of the Law and covenant which they had broken. That is, they are witnesses for the Prosecution. 

Israel had ins and outs with Yahweh; there were some years that they were faithful, but many more where they threw Him over to worship the gods of the surrounding nations (i.e., be like the world around them), and offer blood sacrifices to them - sometimes even sacrificing their own children. Yet, Yahweh declares that He will not cast them aside forever despite their wickedness, but that a remnant, whom He would preserve, will be faithful to Him. 

In the verses previous to verse 10 where Yahweh declares Israel as His witnesses to all He had been and done, He also calls to the stand all of the nations to be witnesses to all He had been and done to the nation of Israel. There was a time when the surrounding nations greatly feared the god of the Hebrews because of the amazing conquests and provisions He made on behalf of His covenant people - especially the miraculous deliveries from the hands of their enemies. But as Israel's sins multiplied, Yahweh - according to the covenant He made with them - would gradually withdraw His protection and favor, making the nation of Israel vulnerable to those same nations they once emulated and others who would eventually overpower Israel and take them captive. In the course of the trial, Israel would have to relent and testify that all that Yahweh Elohim, their Creator and Covenant God, said was true. Chapter 44 continues the trial. Then Yahweh testifies against the idolatry that Israel practiced. 

Again, it is very curious that Judge Rutherford would pull out from all of scripture this  singular designation. Maybe he only read the one verse and took it out of context? Was it a self-righteousness or perceived justification of his position that Jesus was not co-equal to their God? Perhaps it was a proof for him of the Arianism advocated by the denomination, a testimony for him that the "Old Testament" God of Creation was perceived to be a God separate from the Son who Rutherford and Russell said was created by God and thus a creature, and the Holy Spirit, whom the denomination claims only to be a force or a power and not a person (again, scripture knocks out those claims, too). Even further, the very first chapter of the Old Testament decries that position, as does the proper translation of John 1 and Colossians 1. 

The nation of Israel as a people did not grasp the fullness of God, but rather put Him on an equal footing with the gods of the nations round about them. If only they had gained the intimacy with Yahweh that He desired with them, O what riches and revelations they could have enjoyed! They were stuck in the narrow monotheistic mindset of a single personhood rather than the revealed Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, never having grown beyond that place. That is why Jesus was foretold as a stumbling block for Israel, because His coming topples the narrow mindset as He fully identifies the relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17-18; Acts 4:11; 1 Corinthians 1:23) Thus, the first century Jewish Pharisees and religious leaders saw Jesus' claims to co-equalness with God as blasphemy - because they had never grasped the fullness of who God is.

I have written this not out of meanness, revenge or another motive meant to disparage. I am solely endeavoring for things to make sense in light of what God's Word says. (see also Part 1 of my searching here.)

So, without further ado, here is chapter 43 from the Names of God version:

Isaiah 43

 Names of God Bible Translation                                                                               
43 Yahweh created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what Yahweh says:

 Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.

    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through the sea, I am with you.
    When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
    When you walk through fire, you will not be burned,
    and the flames will not harm you.
3 I am Yahweh your Elohim, Qedosh Yisrael, your Savior.
    Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you.
    Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
4 Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you.
    I will exchange others for you.
        Nations will be the price I pay for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, because I am with you.
    I will bring your descendants from the east
        and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
    and to the south, “Do not keep them.”
    Bring my sons from far away
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 Bring everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.
8 Bring the people who are blind but still have eyes,
    the people who are deaf but still have ears.
9 All nations have gathered together, and people have assembled.
    Who among them could have revealed this?
    Who among them could have foretold this to us?
        They should bring their witnesses to prove that they were right.
            Let the people hear them. Then they will say that it is true.

10 “You are my witnesses,” declares Yahweh.
    “I have chosen you as my servant
    so that you can know and believe in me
        and understand that I am the one who did this.
    No god was formed before me,
    and there will be none after me.
11 I alone am Yahweh,
    and there is no savior except me.
12 I have revealed it to you, I have saved you,
    and I have announced it to you.
        There was no foreign god among you.
    You are my witnesses that I am El,” declares Yahweh.
13 “From the first day I was the one who did this.
    No one can rescue people from my power.
    When I do something, who can undo it?”
14 This is what Yahweh, your Go’el, Qedosh Yisrael, says:

For your sake I will send an army to Babylon.
    I will bring back all the Babylonian refugees
        in the ships that they take pride in.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
    the Creator of Israel, your Melek.

Despite the People of Israel’s Past Sin, the Lord Will Forgive Them

16 Yahweh makes a path through the sea
    and a road through the strong currents.
17 He leads chariots and horses, an army and reinforcements.
    (They lie down together and do not get up again.
    They are extinguished and snuffed out like a wick.)

This is what Yahweh says:

18 Forget what happened in the past,
    and do not dwell on events from long ago.
19 I am going to do something new.
    It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?
        I will clear a way in the desert.
        I will make rivers on dry land.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and ostriches will honor me.
    I will provide water in the desert.
    I will make rivers on the dry land for my chosen people to drink.
21 I have formed these people for myself.
    They will praise me.

22 Jacob, you have not prayed to me.
    Israel, you have grown tired of me.
23 You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings
    or honor me with your sacrifices.
    I did not burden you by requiring grain offerings
    or trouble you by requiring incense offerings.
24 You did not buy me any sugar cane with your money
    or satisfy me with the best part of your sacrifices.
    Rather, you burdened me with your sins
    and troubled me with your wrongdoings.

25 I alone am the one who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions
    for my own sake.
        I will not remember your sins anymore.
26 Remind me of what happened.
    Let us argue our case together.
        State your case so that you can prove you are right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
    and your priests rebelled against me.
28 That is why I will corrupt the leaders of the holy place.
    I will claim Jacob for destruction.
    I will set up Israel for ridicule.                   

 

 *the faith choir known as The Pentecostals of Alexandria, speak to God's faithfulness in the testimony at verses 1, 2 and 4. "I Am Not Afraid"

Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health – Question 1: Do I Thirst for God?

 

Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health – Question 1*  

(reflections on Dr. Donald S. Whitney's book, "Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health," chapter 1)

 “Do you thirst for God?” 

How many of us have, on a very warm summer day, thirsted for a refreshing and cooling drink? Why would we do so? Obviously, our thirst needs to be quenched. We are creatures whose existence requires quantities of water; up to 60% of the human body is water. Some experts have pushed that number higher to 80% depending on an individual's body. As water begins to evaporate from our bodies or is otherwise voided, we must be conscientious of consistently replacing that water loss. Some adults can survive 5 to 10 days without replenishing lost water; some even fewer days depending on one's environment and health factors. A common recommendation calls for at least 8 cups or more of water per day to keep us functioning sufficiently. Again, the amount will depend on individual needs and build. From a physical standpoint, and to adequately maintain the functions of major body organs, our brain warns us, like an internal alarm, that we have lost needed water through the evaporation and voiding process, and must replenish. We call that warning "thirst". And the wise among us wastes little time obtaining the needed water.

Clean drinking water is consided the "elixir of life" - it is a solution to our physical thirst. We need clean drinking water in order to live. We yearn for it, we purchase it in great quantities, we gulp it down when experiencing a severe thirst. We use water as a base for other drinks like tea and coffee, and for cooking and baking. Water sates our thirst like nothing else can. And to a person, everyone reading this has thirsted for a drink of water today at some point. This is how essential water is: If we choose to ignore our "brain warning" - that invisible alarm that beacons us to take in water now, but we choose to keep putting it off for hours because we are busy, but promising ourselves that we'll do it after we do this or that, we will begin to find ourselves in serious trouble. A body deprived of just 4% to 5% of our body weight in water will begin to experience significant dehydration: we suffer fatigue, dizziness, headaches. For some in poor health, such deprivation can cause negative impact on kidneys, a racing heart, fainting, rapid breathing. At 8-10% of your body weight, a person experiences physical and mental deterioration, because the brain suffers, becoming unable to carry on certain necessary processes, which results in reduced cognitive functions and executive functions, and even shrinkage of brain tissue. [resources include news-medical.net; ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; nhsinform.scot; MayoClinic.org]

While God created living creatures that must have clear drinking water to survive, He also created in human creatures -- you and me -- the potential to experience spiritual thirst, a spiritual alarm that calls us to be sated spiritually.

Scripture passages such as found in Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 63:1, Isaiah 55:1; John 4:10 and 7:38 (and there are several more) metaphorically speak about our God and our Savior as water and living water that satisfies and gives life. God repeatedly tells humans to seek Him and live (Psalm 22:25-27; Amos 5:4; John 6:68; Jeremiah 29:13; Luke 11:9-10 -- to name a few passages), promising to be the eternal source and elixir of spiritual life.

So, what does it mean to truly thirst for God, to see Him as the Living Water, an elixir for eternal life? Do we search or seek earnestly for Him, with all confidence that He will assuage our spiritual thirst as we drink-in His word, drink-in His majesty, drink-in His glory? Does our spirit feel faint when we have gone several days without being refreshed by God, being "absent" in the presence of God, and neglecting to seek Him diligently through His word and prayer and sincere worship? Do we know what God "tastes like", and do we yearn for that taste to fill all our dry places?

Similar to thirst for water, we have all experienced spiritual thirst in one way or the other, a thirst that has taken us in certain directions for satisfying such thirst.

Dr. Whitney identifies and describes three kinds of spiritual thirst:

·       thirst of the empty soul - one who has not been saved by God. The author notes that the empty soul has no desire for God; that he/she thirsts for the desires of the flesh and mind (Ephesians 2:3) Such a one searches everywhere under the sun to fulfill the need for satisfying his/her thirst (Ecclesiastes 1:9), yet discovers only ‘vanity and grasping for the wind’. (Ecclesiastes 1:14) The Christian - the one who follows Christ, knows that what a thirsty soul needs can only be found in the One who said, “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst again.” (John 4:14) The psalmist indicates that those who turn away from God to the world to satisfy their thirst will walk away unrefreshed -- an empty soul deceived into looking in dry places (Psalm 14:1-3; compare with Romans 3:11). Until the Holy Spirit touches the “spiritual tongue” of the empty soul, that soul will never desire to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”.

·       thirst of the dry soul – similar to the empty soul. This one has never found nor sought the “living water”, or may have once found it and has left the water in the cup. The person has gone out into the world in search of "another water" and continues dry spiritually, for the  world’s water -- as Dr. Whitney describes it -- is a ‘salt-filled, briny water’. How much of one’s thirst is satisfied by that kind water? Such person who drinks that water will encounter a soul more dry than before; he/she will become spiritually unhealthy and eventually perish. (compare Psalm 143:6-7; Psalm 78:40; Psalm 68:6; Revelation 3:1)

·       thirst of a satisfied soul – such a person has drunk from the fount of living water that is God, and has seen that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8); the taste is so satisfying that such a soul craves more. (see Philippians 3:7-10). Our natural self or soul is the character described above - empty and dry. It craves those carnal things, believing these will satisfy forever, only to be needy again within a few minutes. We cannot in our natural selves alone identify the true living water, let alone desire it. It is God and God alone who initiates the thirst for Him and His Word! Once we taste Him and drink Him in, He continues to supply our need for Him. We are responsible to using the gift God has given us in faith and desire for Him, we must choose to continually seek The Fount of Living Water. The author asks us: Has your worship or devotional experience lately provided you with ravishing tastes of what A.W. Tozer called the “piercing sweetness” of Christ, only to leave you with a divine discontent that desires more? Can we honestly, from our heart, pray his prayer:
          “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more; I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace, and ashamed of my lack of desire. O Triune God, I want to want thee, I long to be filled with longing, I thirst to be made thirsty still.”

If we are seeking to be satisfied spiritually from the fount of Living Water, Dr. Whitney offers these "Steps for Thirsting After God:" 

(1) Meditate on Scripture – not just reading the word; spend 25-50% of your Bible time meditating on some part of the passage. Meditation is effectual when we approach the passage with pen/pencil and paper in front of us to jot down our thoughts, find other passages that correlate to what we have just read, and pray on how to apply the passage in our lives.  

(2) Pray through Scripture. After reading a section of Scripture – pray through that part of the same passage. Choose a section, and then verse-by-verse, let the words of God become the wings of your words of prayer to Him. Possibly one of the easier books of the Bible to pray through are the Psalms. Become the “first person voice” in the Psalm passages you choose and allow the words to bathe you in awareness of God’s presence. A couple of New Testament prayers found at Colossians 1:9-14 and Ephesians 3:14-21 can be adapted to your circumstances and prayed to God. If you wish to find more prayer-based scriptures, do an internet search on prayers in the Bible.

(3) Read ‘thirst-making’ writers. The author suggests those books considered ‘time-tested’ or which you know to be scripturally sound -- that is, fully Bible-based, rather than feel-good talks that become more about you than God. In one of our congregation's Bible studies, we have had the opportunity to study the Bible using guides from Dr. Charles Stanley and Dr. R.C. Sproul – contemporary writers who are deeply immersed in, and who seek to provide the ‘whole counsel of God’ in their writings. I have also found a couple of Jerry Bridges’ writings to be faith building, along with Tony Evans. Find out what books others are reading that could be meaningful for you to continue ‘thirsty’ for God. The books will put a taste of 'salt' in a believer's mouth - the opening to his/her soul, that will heighten one's thirst for God and His Eternal Word. (I suggest books rather than podcasts for the special reason that jotting notes into a book, underlining or highlighting passages, etc. is more effective than trying to copy oral sources - unless you are able to take dictation at 100 words a minute!)

*The foregoing represents my personal reflections on a study by Dr. Donald S. Whitney, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. (2001. By Donald S. Whitney. NAVPRESS. ISBN 978-1-61747-187-2) Quotations and excerpts are from that source, unless otherwise identified. For the 2023 Lenten season I shared my personal reflections on all of the questions in Dr. Whitney's book - including the question addressed above, to my local congregation's Bible study group. I have updated this particular question for summer 2024. The questions are not, however, appointed only for a particular liturgical season, holiday, or age group, but may be the right occasion for some. Also, the occasion of one's birthday, or the anniversary of their baptism offer an annual evaluation opportunity. Or one may benefit from an evaluation every six months, or whatever works for you. These truly are questions every Christ follower may find useful in fulfilling God's command at 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!" As many students of the Bible know, the church at Corinth looked a lot like many of our churches today - it was a church in great need of self-examination, correction, spiritual re-direction "from God's mouth", i.e., His Word, and true worship of the Only Living God, water from the Rock. 

A couple of hymns to use in your personal worship: Thirst for You. CeCe Winans
Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord. Trey McLaughlin.
Word of God Speak. Mercy Me.