In the Reasoning From the Scriptures book, the claim is made that the line of witnesses of Jehovah reaches back to faithful Abel. (p. 202)
Hebrews 11:4 says---"By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he
was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by
faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead."
And down through the entire chapter, individuals are listed. And examples of faith are given. So they think that this is establishing a line of descent based off of what Hebrews 12:1 states.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,"
Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses? The scriptures do not say that there was a line of witnesses reaching back to Abel. It merely gives examples of people that demonstrated faith.
Interestingly enough, it seems as though Abraham was looking forward to something different than what the witnesses teach.
Heb. 11:9, 10--By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign
land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same
promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Heb. 11:13-16---" All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not
receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a
distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared
a city for them.
This indicates that Abraham and his descendants desired a heavenly hope. This seems to throw a monkey wrench into the thought that this line of witnesses shared the exact same beliefs as modern day witnesses.
It also strikes me as odd that the witnesses make this claim, yet they deny the doctrine of Apostolic Succession. Lack of proof , yet the only proof they have established is based on faith mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11.
It appears once again that they pick and choose which scriptures to use to bolster their claims. But that is their mode of operation.
