Jehovah’s Witnesses are an international religious organization that rejects much of modern mainstream Christianity in favour of what they believe is a restored form of first-century Christianity. Jehovah's Witnesses are governed by their understanding of Scriptural laws and principles based on instructions received from the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. is a legal organization in use by Jehovah’s Witnesses for their ministry work.
The religion was developed in response “to what they saw as compromise and corruption in mainstream Christianity.” They dispute doctrines such as the Trinity, hellfire, immortality of the soul, and clergy-laity divisions as illegitimate additions to the original Christian teachings. The name "Jehovah’s Witnesses" is based on Isaiah 43:10, and was adopted in 1931. The Watchtower Society has been publishing religious materials since the late 19th century, its most widely known publications being the magazines The Watchtower and Awake!
Jehovah’s Witnesses count as adherents the number attending its meetings, which as of 2006 is some 16.5 million. Of these adherents it counts as members those who report time preaching each month. As of August 2006 this membership is about 6.5 million.
The central theme of their preaching is the sanctification of God's name and the vindication of His sovereignty by means of His Kingdom, with Jesus Christ as its Ruler. The Witnesses believe that the reign of Jesus began with the Second Coming or presence of Christ which was marked prophetically as the end of the "Gentile Times." Originally, this was believed to have occurred invisibly in 1874, but this date was later revised to 1914.
Other Witness teachings include the use of God's personal name, Jehovah which appears more than 7,000 times in the original Bible manuscripts and is usually translated as YHWH – also Yahweh in English – and the belief that making his personal name known to others is an important part of worship. They believe that Jesus' death was necessary to atone for the sin brought into the world by the first man, Adam, thus opening the way for the hope of everlasting life for mankind. It is also taught that 144,000 people will receive immortal life in heaven as co-rulers, with Jesus Christ, guiding the rest of mankind to perfection on a paradise earth during the 1000 year reign. Witnesses believe that during the war of Armageddon, which they believe to be imminent, the wicked will be destroyed, and that the survivors of this event, along with millions of individuals resurrected, will form a new society ruled by a heavenly government and have the possibility of living forever in an earthly paradise – that possibility based on their actions post-resurrection.