Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's "only-begotten Son", and that his life began in heaven. He is described as God's first creation and the "exact representation of God", but is believed to be a separate entity and not part of a Trinity.
Jesus Christ.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god.
In fact, according to Jehovah's Witnesses belief, Jesus' birth date can't be narrowed down to any specific date but can be estimated counting back from the day of his death when he was 33 1/2 years old, Ryan said.
Jehovah's Witnesses is a nontrinitarian millenarian restorationist Protestant Christian denomination. As of 2022, the group reported a worldwide membership of approximately 8.5 million adherents involved in evangelism, with 19.7 million attending the annual Memorial of Christ's death.
Based on their understanding of scriptures such as Revelation 14:1-4, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians go to heaven to rule with Christ in the kingdom of God. They, with Jesus, will perform priestly duties that will bring faithful mankind to perfect health and "everlasting life".
Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate Christ's death as a ransom or "propitiatory sacrifice" by observing the Lord's Evening Meal, or Memorial. They celebrate it once per year, noting that it was instituted on the Passover, an annual festival. They observe it on Nisan 14 according to the ancient Jewish lunisolar calendar.
They affirm that God—Jehovah—is the most high. Jesus Christ is God's agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world.
Both Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons identify as Christians, although their non-Trinitarian doctrine — both deny that Jesus Christ shares a single fundamental divine essence with God the Father and the Holy Spirit — has often brought them into conflict with mainline Christian tradition.
Beliefs & Teachings about Death
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that when a person dies, their existence completely stops.
Jehovah is the name of God, and devout Jews, out of reverence for Him, never say His name. Instead they substitute Adonai, a Hebrew title meaning “Lord.” 2 So whenever they speak of Him or read aloud His name from scripture, they substitute Adonai (Lord).
Religious beliefs and practices
Jehovah's Witnesses identify as Christians, but their beliefs are different from other Christians in some ways. For instance, they teach that Jesus is the son of God but is not part of a Trinity.
For Witnesses, baptism is a symbol of a believer's dedication toward Jehovah (God) and his teachings. “It's the most important promise you can make in your life,” said Baughman's husband, Weston, an elder in the faith.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Your mom was a wonderful woman who will be greatly missed. Saying sorry for your loss is perfectly acceptable since they are experiencing the loss of a loved one in this life. Just keep in mind that they may respond with hope citing their beliefs in a future resurrection.
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a translation of the Bible published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; it is used and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses.
'Two witness rule'
Jehovah's Witnesses' congregational judicial policies require the testimony of two material witnesses to establish a perpetrator's serious sin in the absence of confession. The organization considers this policy to be a protection against malicious accusations of sexual assault.
Jehovah's Witnesses funeral services typically take place within a week of the death. The service is held in the Kingdom Hall and is led by the Congregation Elder. The service is brief (generally between 15 and 30 minutes) and the body of the deceased is usually present.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Archangel Michael, "the Word" of John 1:1, and wisdom personified in Proverbs 8 refer to Jesus in his pre-human existence and that he resumed these identities after his ascension to heaven following his death and resurrection.
Cremation is acceptable to Jehovah's Witnesses because of the belief that Jehovah has the ability to restore anyone whether they were cremated or buried. The Bible does not state what should be done with the body after death.
The Jehovah's Witnesses funeral service is similar to other Christian faiths but lasts only 15 or 30 minutes. The funeral usually takes place within a week after death. At the service, men wear a suit and tie, and women are expected to dress modestly, but neither needs a head covering.
Islam shares a number of beliefs with Christianity. They share similar views on judgment, heaven, hell, spirits, angels, and a future resurrection. Jesus is acknowledged as the greatest prophet and venerated as a saint by Muslims.
— Jehovah's Witnesses do not call their place of worship a church, but “Kingdom Hall.” This is because they believe the Bible refers to worshippers -- not the building -- as the church.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate most holidays or events that honour people who aren't Jesus. That includes birthdays, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Hallowe'en. They also don't celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter in the belief that these customs have pagan origins.
Jehovah, artificial Latinized rendering of the name of the God of Israel. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Yahweh".
Marc John Jefferies, who you'll recognize from films like “Losing Isaiah,” “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” and “Notorious,” was raised in the Jehova's Witness faith as a child. Like sister Serena, Venus was also raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith by their parents.
The belief that humans become angels following death is not a part of Witness theology. Rather, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that angels are a unique creation, differing greatly in their nature and “their place in Jehovah's purpose,” and that God created them long before man appeared on the earth.