by Brian Thornton @ http://voiceofthesheep.wordpress.com
If you will recall, I had a great discussion with two Jehovah’s Witnesses who came a knocking on our door exactly two weeks ago yesterday (Thursday, March 24th). I also had a visit from two JW’s last July. Anyway, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the senior Witness wanted to set a day for a return visit, to which we both agreed would be two weeks from that day, which was this past Thursday. I really didn’t know if they would show up or not, and as the morning wore on I forgot about it, but not without first doing some quick verse checking just in case. The topic of discussion - if they were to show - was supposed to be the person and work of Christ. Around eleven o’clock, my daughter called up to me from downstairs by saying, “Dad! The Jehovah’s Witnesses are here!”
Their arrival took me a little off guard since I had figured they were not going to show. But I happily answered the door, stepped outside onto our front porch, and greeted them. The senior Witness (a lady who we will call Judy) was back, and this time she had a gentleman with her, who I figured to be someone even more senior than her. We exchanged quick pleasantries and then Judy started right in.
She confirmed that our topic was to be the person and work of Jesus, and pulled out her New World Translation to show me a couple of passages. She first took me to 2 Tim. 3:16 and reiterated that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, rebuke, correction, etc. I agreed completely. Then she turned to Matt. 16 where Jesus asks the disciples who they say that He is. Her point was to show that Jesus Himself confirmed that He was the Son of God, and not God Himself.
I replied by asking her (and the gentleman, who was quietly taking everything in) this question, “Who is the Alpha and the Omega?”, to which she immediately replied with no hesitation, “Jehovah God!”. “Absolutely.”, I said. And the gentleman also agreed. I then asked, “Well, then how come Jesus also claims to be the Alpha and the Omega?”. Both of them looked rather stunned, a little bewildered, and quite skeptical of what I had just attributed to the claims of Jesus.
As they tried to get a handle on my question, I asked Judy if I could see her Bible (I really don’t like calling it that, but that’s another topic for another day). She handed it to me and I turned to the book of Revelation. If curiosity ever killed the cat…these two were perfect case studies, as they watched and listened intently while I turned to Rev., chapter one, verse eight. Once there I read, ” ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says Jehovah God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.” ‘ - NWT
“That’s Jehovah God talking.”, I said. And they agreed enthusiastically. I got the feeling that they thought that was the only verse I was going to reference to make my first point because I noticed a little smile on Judy’s face. The smile left as I turned to the back of Revelation to chapter 22, starting at verse 12. There I read, “Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end.” I kid you not…you could have heard a pin drop at that moment! They agreed that this was indeed Jesus talking, to which I asked, “Why would Jesus claim to be the Alpha and Omega if He was not Jehovah God?”.
They hemmed and hawed (that’s Southern for ‘they couldn’t come up with a good explanation other than the one I had given’), but there was no getting around what they had just read…in their own translation! We discussed several other passages during the next 30-45 minutes, but I repeatedly took them back to the clear claims of Jesus Himself in Revelation each time they tried to redirect me to some other passage to prove that Jesus was not Jehovah (I also addressed whatever verse or passage they would bring up).
During our conversation, we spoke much on the triune nature of God (which JW’s vehemently reject), and toward the end of our time together I asked the gentleman when the Holy Spirit was created since He also was not God in their theology, and since I could not recall any passages that discussed the creation of the Spirit. “Oh”, he said, “the Holy Spirit wasn’t created…He has always been…He is eternal.”. To which I replied, “Well, that’s two outta three! You are almost there!” - referring to his acknowledgment that both the Father and Spirit are eternal with no beginning or end. He laughed, shook my hand, and that was the end of our conversation. We left on good terms, and I told them they were welcomed back any time.
I could tell they were a little shaken by the Revelation passages, and I encouraged them to study the clear claims found there by Jesus. They promised they would. I pray that God would see fit to open their hearts so that they might be able to understand the truth of Jesus, the real Jesus of Scripture, for the very first time.
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