Beliefs—God, Man, and the Future
The Bible
It is God's infallible, inspired Word, upon which Jehovah's Witnesses base all their beliefs. Some portions of the Bible are to be understood figuratively, or symbolically.—2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Revelation 1:1.
God
Jehovah is the name of the only true God, the Creator of all things. As such, he is worthy of our worship and devotion. His outstanding qualities are love, justice, wisdom, and power.—Psalm 83:18; 1 John 4:8; Revelation 4:11.
Jesus
He is the Son of God. He came to earth from heaven and gave his perfect human life as a ransom sacrifice. His death and resurrection made salvation to eternal life possible for those exercising faith in him. He is now ruling as King of God's heavenly Kingdom, which will soon bring peace to the entire earth. Jesus never claimed equality with God and thus is not part of a Trinity.—John 3:16; 14:28; Revelation 11:15.
Sin and Death
Death is a result of sin inherited from the first man, Adam, who chose to disobey God. The original sin was not sex relations but was the deliberate disobedient act of eating of "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad." The dead are conscious of nothing. In the future, God through Jesus will resurrect the dead.—Genesis 2:17; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; John 11:25; Romans 5:12.
Worship
True worship emphasizes, not ritual and outward show, but spirit and truth. It is characterized by genuine love for God, obedience to his commandments, and love for one's fellowman. Jehovah's Witnesses do not use religious symbols, such as the cross, in their worship.—Matthew 22:37-39; John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 10:14.
God's Kingdom
It is the heavenly Kingdom for which Jesus taught all his followers to pray. Soon it will become the one government over all the earth and will solve mankind's pressing problems. The Bible does not give a date for these events, but it provides evidence to show that we are living in "the last days" of this troubled world.—2 Timothy 3:1-5; Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:9, 10; 24:3-8, 36.
Judgment
Jesus is God's appointed Judge who determines what each one's future will be. Those judged righteous will be given everlasting life on a paradise earth. Those judged unrighteous will not be tormented but will die and cease to exist. Humans are not responsible for this judgment, nor will they be involved when God takes action to remove all wickedness from the earth.—Proverbs 2:21, 22; John 5:22; Acts 17:30, 31; Revelation 21:3, 4.
Earth
The earth will never be destroyed or depopulated but will become a peaceful paradise.—Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 45:18; Luke 23:43.
Additional information about our beliefs
Copyright © 2003 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved.
