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Angels, Demons and Satan
Dan Corner
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Mankind lives in a physical, tangible, material world, which is influenced by the invisible, spiritual world around us. This spiritual world is just as real in our day as it was when the Lord Jesus walked the face of the earth nearly 2,000 years ago. Glimpses into this spirit world are revealed from time to time throughout the Old and New Testaments. It is only here that we can factually learn about angels, demons and Satan himself. Sadly many have been misinformed about these, especially those involved in the occult. There is a great need to set the record straight regarding these and the related, especially in our hour, with its present angel craze, channeling and a belief in spirit guides. Without writing a thick volume on angels, demons and Satan, let's proceed with some answers from the only reliable source that God has given mankind -- the Bible.God's angels are described as: What Does the Bible say about Angels?
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14)All of the angels were created by Jesus:For by him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible andinvisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (Col 1:16 )The Lord Jesus created all of the angels. This even includes Michael the archangel, which some cults wrongly think is Jesus!Angels are powerful spirit beings:
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. (2 Th 1:6,7)Yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful , do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. (2 Pet 2:11)Angels do not marry and have baby angels:At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. (Mat 22:30)Since angels are created beings there are no baby angels , in spite of all the pictures you might have seen that show otherwise. Artists that draw fat, little, baby angels do this without any Biblical support at all.God's angels worship Jesus:
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him [Jesus]." (Heb 1:6)God's angels obey Him:Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. (Psa. 103:20)God's angels praise Him:Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. (Psa. 148:2)God's angels refuse to receive worship:Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev 19:9,10)And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" (Rev. 22:8,9).Dear reader, it is vitally important that you worship ONLY the true and living God. NEVER would an angel or any servant of God ever direct you to worship an angel, any person or creation itself.Angels attended Jesus after the devil's temptations:
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Mat 4:11)Jesus could have been delivered by legions of angels from his cruel death on the cross:Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels ? (Mat 26:53)Angels were present after Jesus rose from the grave:But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. (John 20:11,12)Angels can guard the righteous:For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; (Psa. 91:11)Angels can bring deliverance:My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king. (Dan 6:22)But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. (Acts 5:19)God executes His Judgment through angels:He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility -- a band of destroying angels. (Psa. 78:49)Angels will be used to find everything that causes sin and all who do evil (the unsaved):The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (Mat 13:41)Angels will thrown people into the fiery furnace:This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mat 13:49,50)When Jesus returns He will come with angels:For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Mat 16:27)Angels will gather the righteous at the point of the rapture:And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his electfrom the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Mat 24:31)And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. (Mark 13:27)Upon their death, angels carry the righteous to their home in the afterlife:The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. (Luke 16:22)Angels observe the servants of God:For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. (1 Cor 4:9)Angels will be judged by Christians:Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! (1 Cor 6:3)There are only two angels that are specifically given names in the Bible. The angelGabriel is one and he is always bringing a message:The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. (Luke 1:19)In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, (Luke 1:26)(Gabriel is also mentioned in Dan 8:16; 9:21.)The only other angel named in Scripture is Michael.
The archangel Michael (Jude 9) is a warring angel, but there are other archangels too (Dan. 10:13). Yet in the future, Michael and his angels will fight against Satan [the dragon] and his angels:
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Rev 12:7-9)Children all have personal angels that appear before God. Though the words guardian angels are not found in this verse, such can be understood from Jesus' teaching:See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. (Mat 18:10)Angels can appear as people undetected:Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Heb 13:2)An angel of God appeared to an unsaved man and accurately told him how to learn about God's salvation:One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God , who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: (Acts 10:3-5).This is a key passage, for in it we learn that an angel from God will always promote the message found in the Holy Bible! The unnamed angel in the above passage did this by telling Cornelius how to find Peter, one of the Lord's disciples, who could tell him the truth about salvation. See Acts 10:43. When a "spirit guide" communicates a message, we can unmask the veil by learning what such a spirit being says about the Lord Jesus and the salvation he provided for all of mankind when he shed his precious, cleansing blood on the cross. If such is denied in any way or would promote any unscriptural message or practice, then that spirit being is a demon trying to deceive people. Hence, there exists an incredible need to know the Bible to safeguard against such. The end result of the angelic visitation to Cornelius was Biblical salvation for him and all of his household!Angels are immortal:
And they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:36)One solitary angel of God will seize Satan, the great deceiver, and throw him into the Abyss during the 1,000 year reign of Christ:And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended (Rev. 20:1-3).During the Perfect Age, angels will be stationed as guards at the twelve gates entering New Jerusalem:It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Rev 21:12)There are multitudes of angels in heaven in joyful assembly:But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,(Heb 12:22)Some people in Jesus' day did not believe in the existence of angels like in our day:The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. (Acts 23:8)False teachers can be involved in the worship of angels, which is always forbidden:Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angelsdisqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. (Col 2:18)It is also important to know that you should NEVER CALL ON AN ANGEL for guidance, deliverance, etc. To do so will open yourself up for spiritual deception. According to the Bible, we should ONLY call on God. We are also to TRUST ONLY IN GOD for deliverance, NOT AN ANGEL. While it is true that God might deliver us with angels it is still God who is our Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, etc. God commands his angels what to do and they obey Him.At least some of the angels that sinned long ago have been bound and put away: What Does the Bible say about Demons?
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned , but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; (2 Pet 2:4)And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home -- these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 1:6)It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who arebound at the great river Euphrates." (Rev 9:14)Pagan religions "sacrifice to demons":They sacrificed to demons, which are not God -- gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. (Deut. 32:17)They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (Psa. 106:37)Thousands of demons grouped together inside one person begged Jesus:The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." (Mat 8:31)A Christian has spiritual authority to drive out demons:He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (Mat 10:1)Some people know this as "exorcism." Note: a wooden cross and/or holy water is NEVER used, in the Bible, to drive a demon out of a person.Some spirits (demons) are more wicked than other ones:
Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation. (Mat 12:45)Jesus cast out demons or evil spirits:The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching -- and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." (Mark 1:27)For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. (Luke 8:29)Jesus drove out demons by the Spirit of God:But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God , then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Mat 12:28)Demons know Jesus is the Son of God, unlike some people:Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." (Mark 3:11)Evil spirits can speak through a person! In our dark day, some might call this by the New Age term "channeling" and the person with the [evil] spirit a "channeler." Devotees of "spirit guides" need to ponder what Scripture says about a spirit being speaking through a person.A fortune teller might be possessed by a demon spirit:
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl whohad a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone ... (Acts 16:16-19)When the demon spirit was cast our of that girl, her special powers to predict the future were totally gone. This was also apparent to the owners of that slave.Unlike some people, demons believe there is a God and "shudder":
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder. (James 2:19)Mary Magdalene had seven demons in her before she became a Christian:When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. (Mark 16:9)And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out (Luke 8:2)Evil spirits can torment people:Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and thosetormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. (Acts 5:16)Worshiping demons will be a characteristic of the end of this age:The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons , and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood -- idols that cannot see or hear or walk. (Rev 9:20)Evil spirits in John's vision looked like frogs:Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (Rev 16:13)This does not mean that a frog is a demon!Demons can perform miracles:
They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. (Rev 16:14)Again, demons can produce miracles! See our other article entitled, Miracles -- Two Sources.Not all spirits are from God. Some spirits are deceitful and are trying to mislead us:The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Tim 4:1)There are many ways in which demons can deceive people, but the more common ones are through occult involvement, Ouija boards and seances. Dear reader, don't ever dabble with such, even out of curiosity or amusement. If you have already, ask God to forgive you and renounce all such behavior.The devil has one general goal for you, your family and friends -- "to devour": What the Bible says about Satan:
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Pet 5:8)The preventatives cited are clear and twofold: (1) We must be self-controlled. (2) We must be alert to his clever schemes.Do NOT give the devil an opportunity to tempt you or lead you away from God:
And do not give the devil a foothold. (Eph 4:27)Satan tempted the Lord Jesus by quoting Scripture which mentioned angels:"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " (Mat 4:6)The devil can quote Scripture! This is a disturbing but important truth to know about our chief, spiritual adversary! To make matters even worse, false teachers can do the same! Therefore, we must make sure Scripture is not used out of context. To do this we must consider the verses before and after the verse in question. Also, when trying to arrive at the proper interpretation of Scripture, we must consider all verses on any given subject.Satan can transform himself into looking like an angel from God:
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (2 Cor 11:14)This shows that the devil can disguise his appearance to appear as an angel of God. This explains alleged visions in Mormonism, Catholicism and Seven-Day Adventism. The crux of the message found in these visions contradict the other visions found in these other groups! In other words, the visions in Mormonism contradict visions in Catholicism which also contradict the visions in Seven-Day Adventism. Since God does not change (Mal. 3:6; Jam. 1:17), it is impossible for the source of these visions to be God, especially since they have an unscriptural message!If even an angel from heaven would declare a salvation message different from that found in Scripture, that angel is not only wrong but accursed for doing so:
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! (Gal 1:8)Dear reader, don't believe any plan of salvation that varies from the message found in Scripture, even if an angel named Moroni allegedly came to a person named Joseph Smith, Jr. or a personage claiming to be Mary appeared and declares that she is "the way" to God, as occurred at Fatima, Portugal. Scripture clearly declares Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Since Jesus is Mary can't be.Satan's Final End Is Everlasting Torment:
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev 20:10)Eternal fire beyond the grave was prepared for "the devil and his angels":Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mat 25:41)The same fire that will claim the devil and his angels will also torment people who die in a spiritually lost condition. Dear reader, do not be deceived: There is no reincarnation! The ultimate authority on all spiritual matters, Lord Jesus, taught a judgment and an afterlife in either the kingdom of heaven or eternal fire, but not reincarnation. Also, there is no Purgatory or annihilation of the wicked, according to Jesus. He taught there are only two roads, two gates, two destinies and two groups of people.Because there are false teachers, deceitful spirits, visions and dreams from the devil, miracles performed by demons, etc. we are advised to do the following:
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)Test everything. Hold on to the good. (1 Th 5:21)Our standard of truth is the Word of God, which is used for testing all teachings (2 Tim. 3:16,17). The Bible alone is final authority. Through it, we can be made "wise unto salvationthrough faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15).******************************************************************* Where will YOU spend eternity?
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Is It Appropriate to Worship Jesus?
“Some of the songs we sing in worship address Christ. Is it appropriate to worship Jesus?”
It is not surprising that some cultists, who deny the deity of Christ, should eschew the worship of the Lord.
What is shocking is the fact that some—who are quite sincere, but who ought to know better, and hopefully will learn better—are expressing themselves in opposition to the idea that Christ is worthy of worship. One man has compiled a significant list of songs which he feels ought to be expunged from church hymnals because they address Christ in sentiments of worship. In fact, a recently-published hymnal has removed those songs which reflect any direct address to the Savior!
Is the criticism valid? We confidently deny that it is.
(1) A divine being, i.e., one who possesses the nature of deity, is worthy of worship. Both Testaments repeatedly affirm this concept (see Psalm 18:3; Matthew 4:10; Revelation 22:9). If it is alleged that only the Father is under consideration in such passages, we reply that such is an unwarranted assertion which not only lacks proof, it contradicts other biblical references.
The truth is, God, as a being, is deserving of praise. If it is the case that Christ is divine (John 1:1; 20:29; Hebrews 1:8), and if deity is worthy of worship, then it follows that Christ is worthy of Christian praise.
(2) During his earthly ministry, Jesus frequently allowed himself to be worshiped. There are numerous passages which portray the Lord in this light (see Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; Mark 5:6-7; John 9:35-38). It will not do to argue that these texts only show that some merely “reverenced” Jesus in much the same way one would honor any important dignitary.
Consider, for instance, the case of the disciples’ demeanor after Jesus had walked upon the Sea of Galilee. When the Lord entered the boat, these men “worshipped him, saying, Of a truth you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). They were honoring him as a divine being—that is beyond dispute.
Further it is not without great significance that when folks bowed before the Lord and worshiped him, in not a single case did he ever rebuke the worshipers and suggest that he was unworthy of such adoration. Christ thus stands in dramatic contrast to Peter, who refused worship (Acts 10:25-26), and even to angels, who similarly did not allow themselves to be so revered (Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9).
(3) Even the angels worship Christ. In one of his foundational arguments designed to show the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old, the writer of Hebrews affirms that all of the angels (through whom the Mosaic law came) worship Christ (the author of the new law): “Let all the angels of God worship him” (1:6).
Since angels worship Christ, and as we are “lower” than they (Hebrews 2:7), it follows that our worship of the Lord is entirely appropriate. Surely no one can carefully study the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation and not see that the Lamb of God is worthy of the worship of the entire creation. In fact, Jesus is given the same sort of adoration as the Father (see 5:13b).
(4) Paul explicitly states that Christ is so exalted that, in his name “every knee should bow” and every tongue confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The reference to bowing the knee is an obvious allusion to worship (cf. Isaiah 45:23; Romans 11:4).
Clearly, Christ is worthy of worship. Those who are voicing objections to such are in error.
About the Author
Wayne Jackson has written for and edited the Christian Couriersince its inception in 1965. He has also written several books on a variety of biblical topics including The Bible and Science,Creation, Evolution, and the Age of the Earth, The Bible on Trial, and a number of commentaries. He lives in Stockton, California with his dear wife and life-long partner, Betty.

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Should Christians Worship Jesus? |
The Watchtower Society’s position on who we should render worship to is clear. They teach that we must worship Jehovah and to give worship to anyone other than Him is erroneous. Certainly Christians all over the world accept this as biblical. Exodus 34:14 says, “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (NKJV) and Jesus said, “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service”. (Matthew 4:10 NWT) But, what about Jesus? Does Jesus rank as One who is worthy to receive our worship? After all, Christians for thousands of years have worshiped Him. Are they in gross error? Are they to blame of a serious sin? The best way to find out is to approach the bible and see what it says about this topic. Let’s start with some verses out of the New King James Version of the bible. Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:11 “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.” Matthew 14:33 “Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, Rejoice! And they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” Matthew 28:17 “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” John 9:38 “Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him.” Hebrews 1:6 “But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” The Greek word for worship that is used in all the above verses is proskuneo. Obviously, the NKJV chose to translate this word as worship. The New World Translation (NWT), however, chose to translate this word as obeisance (honor, respect) in all the above verses. What becomes interesting about the NWT, is that whenever the same Greek word, proskuneo, is used in relation to the Father, the translators translated it as worship, even though they rendered it differently in relation to Jesus. (This can be verified by looking in the Watchtower’s own Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures.) Is this a double standard? Is the NWT justified in translating this word 2 different ways; as obeisance to Jesus and as worship to the Father? Peter’s Response Let’s look in the NWT at what Peter did when he was given obeisance. Acts 10:24-26 “On the day after that he entered into Caes·a·re'a. Cornelius, of course, was expecting them and had called together his relatives and intimate friends. As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet and did obeisance to him. But Peter lifted him up, saying: “Rise; I myself am also a man.” (NWT) Interestingly, Peter refused this act of obeisance. Why did Peter so strongly oppose this act if obeisance only means honor and respect? Because, according to Peter, this act is reserved for God only, not man. Note, however, that unlike Peter, Jesus never sought to correct His followers when they bowed down and gave him obeisance. Jesus considered this act perfectly appropriate. Do the Angels Worship Jesus? Hebrews 1:6 “But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all God’s angels worship him.” NWT, 1970 edition In the past, up to and including the 1970 edition, the NWT translated proskuneo as worship in Hebrews 1:6. What was their reasoning behind this? “In the New World Translation we note that when this Greek verb pros·ky·ne'o is applied to Jesus as a man on earth or materializing as a man after his resurrection, it is translated “do obeisance.” However, when referring to the glorified Jesus in the invisible heavens in the presence of the holy angels, the New World Translation makes a change and renders pros·ky·ne'o as applied to him by the English word “worship.” (Heb. 1:6) This is properly and consistently done....Well, then, since the angels are commanded to worship the glorified Jesus at his second coming, should not we, who, as humans, are so much less than angels, likewise worship him? In answer we say, We must render to him what God’s Word says we must.” The Watchtower, May 15, 1954, p.318 Keep in mind that the Watchtower never taught it’s followers to worship Jesus as God, but they did teach that we should, in some confusing way, worship him. New World Translations published after 1970 made the change from worship to obeisance. Again, we see another puzzling doctrinal and textual change within the Watchtower Society. One has to wonder to what extent early Witnesses were bewildered about this issue. To read more on this topic see our article, Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? What About the Book of Revelation? If we compare Revelation 4 with chapter 5, what do we learn about the object of our worship? Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.” 1) In Revelation 4:11, Jehovah is said to be worthy of receiving glory, honor and power. By comparing this to Revelation 5:12, we see that Jesus is worthy to receive not only glory, honor and power, but riches, wisdom, strength and blessing. So, Jesus gets twice as much worship as Jehovah according to this verse! (Keep in mind that Revelation 4:11 is used in the booklet, What Does God Require of Us?, p. 4, as a proof text for worshipping the one true God.) 2) Revelation 5:13 goes on to say that every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth and on the sea gives worship to the One sitting on the throne and to the lamb. If every creature in existence is worshipping, this must mean that Jesus is not a creature. So, the only other option left is that Jesus is the Creator who is certainly worthy to receive all worship. 3) Revelation 5:13-14 make it obvious that the One sitting on the throne and the Lamb are both given equal worship by the heavenly occupants. What does all this conclude about whether or not worshipping Jesus is appropriate? The testimony of the New Testament is clear: Jesus accepted worship. Obviously, this says a whole lot about His identity. If Jesus is not equal to the Father, like the Watchtower teaches, then He is guilty of blasphemy in the first degree. But, if He is God manifested in the flesh, He then rightly is laudable of all our praise and worship. No wonder why Jesus said, “ .... in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him”. (John 5:23) |
Should We Worship Jesus?
| Who worshipped Jesus? | Reference |
|---|---|
| Angels | Hebrews 1:6 |
| Disciples | Matthew 14:33 Matthew 28:9 Matthew 28:17 Luke 24:52 |
| Wise men | Matthew 2:2 Matthew 2:11 |
| Leper | Matthew 8:2 |
| Ruler | Matthew 9:18 |
| Woman of Canaan | Matthew 15:25 |
| Mother of Zebedee's children | Matthew 20:20 |
| Blind man | John 9:38 |
God has commanded us to worship only him (Deuteronomy 6:13). Even Jesus knew this, since he quoted this to Satan when he was tempted (Matthew 4:10). Why did he never admonish anyone when they worshipped Him? Even God commanded the angels to worship Jesus (Hebrews 1:6).
Both Jehovah and Jesus are given the same worship by the 24 elders in the book of Revelation. Jehovah is "worthy to receive glory and honor and power" (4:11). Jesus is "worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing" (5:12). Every creature in heaven and on the earth give identical praise and worship to both God and Christ in verse 5:13-14.
References
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matthew 2:2)
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (Matthew 8:2)
While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. (Matthew 9:18)
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. (Matthew 14:33)
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. (Matthew 15:25)
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. (Matthew 20:20)
And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. (Matthew 28:9)
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17)
And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: (Luke 24:52)
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. (John 9:38)
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Colossians 2:18)
And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (Hebrews 1:6)
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:7)
4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:9-11)
5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:11-14)
http://www.godandscience.org/cults/worship.html
Last Modified June 14, 2008
| BLACK | BLUE | RED | OTHER | |
| my words | SCRIPTURE, or Scriptural perspective | WT view / quotes / info | EMPHASIS | |
| Worship (proskuneo) JESUS ? | ||||
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| WT says it is OK to Worship JESUS (1879 - 1954) | WT says it is NOT OK to Worship JESUS (as of 1954) |
| Let all the angels of God worship him. (WT 11/1879, p. 48) to worship Christ in any form cannot be wrong. (WT 3/1880, p.83) And although we are nowhere instructed to make petitions to him, it evidently could not be improper to do so; for such a course is nowhere prohibited, & the disciplesworshiped him. (WT 5/15/1892, p.1410)“Yes, we believe our Lord Jesus while on earth was really worshipped, & properly so. While he was not the God, Jehovah, he was a God.” (WT 7/15/1898, p.2337) | |
| All creatures in heaven & earth shall worship Jesus as he worships the Father.(WT 8/15/1941, p.252) You must worship & bow down to Jehovah’s chief one, namely Jesus Christ.(WT 10/15/1945, p.313) Well, then, since the angels are commanded to worship the glorified Jesus at his second coming, should not we, who, as humans, are so much less than angels, likewise worship him? In answer we say, We must render to him what God’s Word says we must. (WT, 5/15/1954, p.318) | No distinct worship is to be rendered to Jesus Christ, now glorified in heaven. (WT 1/1/1954, p.31) Do not erroneously conclude that Christians are to worship Christ. That is not what the Bible taught. (WT 7/15/1959, p.421) it is unscriptural for worshipers of the living & true God to render worship to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. (WT 11/1/1964, p.671) Jehovah, & no one else, is ‘the true God & life everlasting.’ He alone is worthy to receive exclusive worship from those whom he created—Revelation 4:11. (WT 10/15/2004, p.31) |
| when but again he may lead in the first born into the habitable, he says: And letworship him all messengers of God. (Heb.1:6 ~ Emphatic Diaglott interlinear NT,1942, p.728) But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: ’And let all God’s angels worship him.’ (Heb.1:6 ~ 1st NWT, NT only, 1950, p.634) But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: ’And let all God’s angels worship him.’ (Heb.1:6 ~ NWT, 1961, revised edition, complete Bible, p.1293) But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: ’And let all God’s angels worship him.’ (Heb.1:6 ~ NWT in The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, 1969, p.965) But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: ’And let all God’s angels worship him.’ (Heb.1:6 ~ NWT, 1970, ) | But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: ’And let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.’ (Heb.1:6 ~ NWT, 1971, p.1244 / 1293) But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: ’And let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.’ (Heb.1:6 ~ NWT, 1984, p.1172 / 1438 / 1490) |
| Should proskuneo be translated as worship or obeisance in Heb.1:6 ? 1. The WT itself decided that worship was the best translation of proskuneo in Heb.1:6 in the momentous publication event of the 1950 NT. 2. The WT still believed that, even after reversing their long-held view (1879-1954) that: "You MUST worship & bow down to... Jesus Christ". 3. So, the NWT of Heb.1:6 remained unchanged in the 1961 Revision, the 1969 Revision, & the 1970 Revision. 4. The change in translation of proskuneo from worship to obeisance was done in 1971 because of theological bias, not translation protocol. 5. Click here: Phronema was translated as "meaning" (in 1 of 4 occurrences) instead of "minding" or "mind" because of admitted theological bias. 6. Click here: Ruach was translated as "active force" instead of "spirit" because of mind-conditioning, theological bias. 7. More examples could be documented, but you already get the point. | |
| We are not a prophet; we merely believe that we have come to the place where the Gentile times have ended. [Light, vol.1, 1930, p.194] This pouring out of God's spirit upon the flesh of all his faithful anointed witnesses does NOT mean those now serving as Jehovah's Witnesses are inspired. It does NOT mean that the writings in this magazine The Watchtower are inspired & infallible & without mistakes. It does NOT mean that the president of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society is inspired & infallible, although enemies falsely charge us with believing so.... [WT 15/05/1947, p.157] The Watchtower does NOT claim to be inspired in its utterances, nor is it dogmatic. It invites careful & critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures. [WT 15/08/1950, p.262] It is NOT claimed that the explanations in this publication are infallible. Like Joseph of old, we say: "Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Genesis 40:8).[Revelation - Its Grand Climax at Hand, 1988, p.9] Those who make up the one true Christian organization today do NOT have angelic revelations or divine inspiration. But they do have the inspired Holy Scriptures,{Who doesn't ?!?} which contain revelations of God’s thinking & will. As an organization & individually, they must accept the Bible as divine truth, study it carefully, & let it work in them. [Jehovah’s Witnesses - Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, 1993, p.708] ~ {WOW, authority without responsibility! The WT does NOT claim to be infallible, it just claims to be "the ONE true Christian organization"!!! ~ { Any group (e.g. Mormons) can make that claim. But only Jesus is the ONLY Way. See Jn.14:6; Acts 4:12. } Although the slave class is defined as "faithful & discreet," Jesus did NOT say that it would be infallible. This group of faithful anointed brothers still consists ofimperfect Christians. Even with the best of intentions, they can be mistaken, as such men sometimes were in the first century. [WT 1/12/2002, p.17] | |
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| "To each major word we have ASSIGNED ONE MEANING & have held to that meaning as far as the context permitted." (Kingdom Interlinear - Foreword, p.10, 2nd para.) | |||
A strong bias AGAINST CHRIST was made for the word proskuneo where it applies to JESUS.
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Kingdom Interlinear translation of PROSKUNEO (verb, worship 60x) | Translated | Translated | Re: |
| Mt.2:2,8,11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17; Mk.5:6; 15:19; Lk.24:52; Jn.9:38; Heb.1:6 | 15 | JESUS | |
| Mt.18:26 | 1 | king | |
| Acts 10:25 | 1 | Peter | |
| Rev.3:9 | 1 | conquerors | |
| Mt.4:10; Lk.4:8; Jn.4:21,22,23,23,24,24; 12:20; Acts 8:27; 24:11; 1Cor.14:25; Heb.11:21; Rev.4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 11:1,16; 14:7; 15:4; 19:4,10; 22:9 | 23 | The Father | |
| Jn.4:20,20,22 | 3 | Deity | |
| Acts 7:43 | 1 | idols | |
| Rev.19:10; 22:8 | 2 | angels | |
| Rev.9:20 | 1 | demons | |
| Mt.4:9; Lk.4:7 | 2 | Satan | |
| Rev.13:4 | 1 | Dragon | |
| Rev.13:4,8,12,15; 14:9,11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4 | 9 | Beast/Image | |
Kingdom Interlinear translation of PROSKUNEETEES (noun, worshippers 1x) | |||
| Jn.4:23 | 1 | The Father | |
New World Translation of proskuneo & proskuneetees = the same as the Interlinear translation, except for Heb.1:6 | |||
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JESUS:
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| Bottom Line: JESUS is GOD & is to be worshipped (Heb.1:6). |
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| ANGEL REJECTED PROSKUNEO - OBEISANCE from John |
| And ONE OF the 7 angels that had the 7 bowls came & spoke with me, saying: "Come, I will show you...." And he carried me away in [the power of the] spirit.... And so the angel said to me.... And he says to me... (Rev.17:1,3,7,15). And he tells me.... Also, he tells me: "These are the true saying of God." At that I FELL DOWN before his feet to WORSHIP him. But he tells me: "Be careful ! DO NOT DO THAT ! All I am is a fellow slave of you & of your brothers who have the work of witnessing TO Jesus. WORSHIP GOD..." (Rev.19:9,10). |
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| ANGEL REJECTED PROSKUNEO - OBEISANCE from John - a 2nd time ! |
| Well, I John, was the one hearing & seeing these things. And when I had heard & seen, I FELL DOWN to WORSHIP before the feet of the ANGEL that had been showing me these things. But he tells me: "Be careful ! DO NOT DO THAT ! All I am is a fellow slave of you & of your brothers... WORSHIP GOD."(Rev.22:8,9) |
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| PETER REJECTED PROSKUNEO - OBEISANCE from Cornelius |
| They said: "Cornelius, an army officer, a man RIGHTEOUS & FEARING GOD & well reported by the whole nation of the Jews, was given divine instructions by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house & to hear the things you have to say."... As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, FELL DOWN at his feet & did OBEISANCE to him. But Peter LIFTED him up, saying: Rise; I myself am also a man." (Acts 10:22,25,26) Even if Cornelius was just showing him respect as God's mouthpiece, Peter saw a man falling down before him, & was discerning enough to correct him. |
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| Creator-JESUS ACCEPTED OBEISANCE from Peter |
| JESUS did not correct Peter when "Peter FELL DOWN at the knees of Jesus" (Lk.5:8). JESUS is THE CREATOR (Col.1:16). Is HE LESS AWARE or LESS DISCERNING of the significance of BOWING DOWN, & of PROSKUNEO - Obeisance - Worship THAN HIS CREATURES (Peter, & the angel) ?!? I don't think so ! -- What do you say ? Even on a human level, the 12 year old child Jesus amazed the Hebrew scholars with His knowledge of Scripture. Jesus had human & divine knowledge of Exodus 20:1-3,5 which states: And God proceeded to speak all these words, saying: "I AM JEHOVAH your God.... You MUST NOT have ANY OTHER GODS against my face.... You MUST NOT BOW DOWN to them NOR be induced to SERVE them, because I JEHOVAH your God am a God exacting EXCLUSIVE DEVOTION..." |
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| JEHOVAH endorsed & approved OBEISANCE - WORSHIP TO JESUS from Angels !!! |
| But when HE again brings HIS First-born into the inhabited earth, HE says (literally) : "PROSKUNEsatosan Him all angels of God."(Heb.1:6) PROSKUNesatosan is in the IMPERATIVE mood which states a thing as URGENT or EMPHATIC ! The fact that Jehovah COMMANDED ANGELS TO WORSHIP CHRIST, refutes the teaching that Jesus is the angel Michael, & Abaddon a.k.a. Apollyon. Questions from Readers - May 15, 1954 Watchtower states: "Are YOU an angel of God in heaven? If YOU are, then Hebrews 1:6 applies to YOU. If YOU are not one of God's angels in heaven, then Heb. 1:6 is not directed to YOU..." The issue is not WHO this incredible verse applies to. The issue is the profound doctrine-setting, doctrine-destroying, fact that JEHOVAH GOD COMMANDED ANGELS TO WORSHIP JESUS !!! Make Sure of All Things quotes Rev.19:10 & Rev.22:8,9 (on p. 135 & 138) in support of the following titles:
How can JEHOVAH COMMANDED ANGELS TO WORSHIP JESUS in view of the above titles & the WT's teaching that Jesus is "God's first creation" (Aid, p.918, para.1)??? |
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| JEHOVAH endorsed & approved OBEISANCE - WORSHIP TO JESUS from humans !!! |
| After Jesus had been born... astrologers... came to Jerusalem, saying: "Where is the one born KING of the Jews? For we saw his star when [we were] in the east, & we have come to do him OBEISANCE." ... Then Herod... said: "Go make a careful search for the young child, & when you have found IT report back to me that I too may go & do IT OBEISANCE." When they had heard the king, they went their way; &, look! the star they had seen when [they were] in the east went ahead of them, until it came to a stop above where the young child was. On seeing the star they rejoiced very much indeed. And when they went into the house they saw the young child with Mary ITS mothers, &, FALLING DOWN, they did OBEISANCE to IT. Mt.2:1,2,7-11 Jehovah KNEW the astrologers were specifically seeking to find & worship the Child. Jehovah LED them to His Son via the star. Jehovah ALLOWED them to worship. Jehovah did not warn them NOT to worship. Jehovah did warn them not to return to Herod (Mt.2:12) & then warned Joseph to flee by night (Mt.2:13). |
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Review these PROSKUNEO - WORSHIP Scriptures (Your c
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| Acts 10:25 | Peter R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mk.5:6 | JESUS ACCEPTED proskuneo-WORSHIP from the demon Legion ! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mk.15:19 | Roman soldiers bowed before Jesus in mock proskuneo-WORSHIP. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lk.24:52 | RESURRECTED JESUS ACCEPTED proskuneo-WORSHIP from His disciples AS HE WAS ASCENDING INTO HEAVEN !!! (Where was the thunderousDISAPPROVAL??? It never came & JESUS CLAIMED: I ALWAYS DO THE THINGS PLEASING TO HIM - Jn.8:29.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jn.9:38 | JESUS ACCEPTED proskuneo-WORSHIP from a blind man (I put my faith in You Lord). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Heb.1:6 | GOD COMMANDED ALL ANGELS to proskuneo-WORSHIP JESUS !!! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Is it possible all these worshippers (the leper, Jairus, the disciples, the Phonecian woman, Zebedee's wife, Mary, Mary Magdalene, the blind man, plus the 11 disciples - Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholmew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot - Acts 1:13) DID NOT fully understand the significance of what they were doing, or that it was simply "an act of respect" (Aid, p.1241)? It seems to me they all knew. At least Peter knew. But more importantly, JESUS KNEW & ACCEPTED their proskuneo-worship. Jesus didn't rebuke or correct any of them - because what they were doing was correct. LEGION KNEW who Jesus was. Legion understood that he MUST bow before The Lord Jesus. Regardless, the main point is that JESUS FULLY UNDERSTOOD the significance of PROSKUNEO ! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aid to Bible Understanding (p.1242) reads: "Hence, if what we understand as 'worship' is apparently directed to the Son by ANGELS, it is in reality being directed THROUGH HIM to Jehovah God..." This is an extremely feeble attempt to explain away GOD'S COMMAND TO WORSHIP JESUS. "PROSKUNEsatosan HIM ALL ANGELS of God." (Heb.1:6) The WT would have you believe that GOD didn't mean or understand what HE Himself said. |
Let the reader understand that: JESUS said : PROSKUNEO GOD (Mt.4:10; Lk.4:8, Jn.4:21) ! GOD said : PROSKUNEO JESUS (Heb.1:6) ! that ALL may HONOR THE SON JUST AS they HONOR THE FATHER (Jn.5:23) so that in the name of JESUS EVERY knee should bend of those in heaven & those on earth & those under the ground, & EVERY tongue should openly acknowledge that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD to the glory of God the Father. (Phil.2:10,11) |
| Click here for a chart of interesting LINKS & tons of RESEARCH. Email me if you feel I've made any errors, or misrepresented Watchtower teaching in any way. © 1999 - 2009 ~ All rights reserved, but non-commercial use is OK with me ~ etalk99@hotmail.com |

The problem with this verse in the JW Bible is with the word "obeisance." In the Greek, the word is "proskuneo." It means, worship; fall down and worship, kneel, bow low, obeisance. Obeisance means, "bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame." While it is certainly true that people would bow down before Jesus in the Bible, the English word "obeisance" does not carry sufficiently the act of worship due Him because of His divine nature. Since the Jehovah's Witnesses deny that Jesus is God in flesh, they cannot have their Bible teach that Jesus was worshipped. Therefore, every single time that the word "proskuneo" is used in reference to Christ, it is translated as "obeisance" and never as worship. For proof of this, please see the CARM article The New World Translation and "Proskuneo" (worship) which has a chart of every occurrence of the Greek word and how the New World Translation renders it.