Seeds of Control

Written by John Carson

• I shall put enmity between you (the Serpent) and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel. Genesis 3:15 (NWT)

What is meant by the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent? What is the significance of one bruising the head and the other bruising the heel? You may be surprised at what the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society teaches. Their Watchtower book, ‘Revelation - Its Grand Climax At Hand!’ (pages 10-14), reveals how their teachings on Genesis 3:15 is vastly different from what the Bible actually teaches.

The seed of the woman:

• “Was this (woman) Eve? Possibly she thought so… the woman also belongs to the spirit realm… indicating that this figurative woman is Jehovah’s heavenly organization of spirit creatures. … Would the woman’s seed be simply one prominent person?… It should not surprise us, then, to learn of God’s purpose to select 144,000 integrity keepers from among mankind…. (The woman’s seed is) God’s wifelike celestial organization. They (the 144,000) become a secondary part of the seed, Christ Jesus being the primary part. The congregation of these spirit-begotten Christians on earth make up God’s visible organization that serves under his womanlike organization in the heavens.”

The seed of the woman summarized:

The Watchtower Organization uses Genesis 3:15 to teach that the 'seed of the woman' means that Jesus Christ is a primary part of the seed. The Watchtower Organization is a secondary part that rules from heaven (heavenly organization) by a select 144,000 from among mankind. They rule over the congregation (known today as "Jehovah's Witnesses"). Jehovah Witnesses are to "serve under" the Watchtower.

The seed of the Serpent:

• “It surely includes those other spirit creatures who joined Satan in his rebellion… Since Satan, or Beelzebub, is “the ruler of the demons,” it is apparent that they make up his invisible organization… Jesus told Jewish religious leaders of his day: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father.”… Many other humans throughout history have similarly identified themselves by doing Satan’s will … Collectively, these humans may be described as making up Satan’s visible organization on earth.”

The seed of the Serpent summarized:

The Watchtower uses Genesis 3:15 to teach that the 'seed of the Serpent' is talking about Satan's demonic organization; that 'seed' here identifies demons as being part of Satan’s invisible organization. Also, religious leaders and many others that do Satan’s will, are part of his seed that make up his organization on earth.

We can see from the Watchtower's interpretation of Genesis 3:15, that the 'seed of the woman' and 'the seed of Serpent', are viewed as separate organizations that are opposed to each other. As the 'seed of the woman', the Watchtower Organization sees itself as having rulership over their congregation (Jehovah's Witnesses) through its Governing Body.

Is Genesis 3:15 actually teaching submissiveness to an organization? Not a chance! Nowhere in the Holy Scriptures is 'seed' found to mean organization in any sense. This meaning had been conjured up by the Watchtower to try to give Biblical support for their rulership position over their people. A quick word study will reveal the word 'seed' comes from the Hebrew זָ֫רַע (Zera). It means: "a sowing, seed, offspring". 

Also, the Watchtower's explanation of the Lord Jesus Christ being a "primary part” of the 'woman's seed', is terrible. Jesus is the seed, not part of it! There's only one seed of the woman, and that seed is Christ alone! The Watchtower’s announcement of them sharing in an identity meant exclusively for the Messiah, is not only heretical, it's blasphemous.

'Revelation - Its Grand Climax At Hand!' continues its theme of submissiveness with their explanation of the last half of Genesis 3:15.

• "He will bruise you (Serpent) in the head and you will bruise him in the heel." (NWT)

Note: Pay particular attention to the Watchtower Organization's explanation of the different timings of these two bruisings, as well as the context. 

The bruising of the heel:

• “… the most reprehensible part of the seed of the Serpent, the scribes and the Pharisees in first-century Judaism took the lead in persecuting and finally murdering the primary representative of the seed of the woman. Thus, the Serpent was able to “bruise him [the “seed”] in the heel.”

The bruising of the heel summarized:

The Watchtower uses Genesis 3:15 to teach that the 'bruising of the heel' occurred during the first-century when God’s representatives were being persecuted and murdered.

The bruising of the Serpent's head:

• (Those from the visible organization of the Serpent) "... are all part of the earthly organization that God and Christ judge as deserving of execution … ancient Babylon became a fountain of religious idolatry. Its priests taught God-dishonoring doctrines … Finally, the Seed of God’s woman, Jesus Christ, will bruise Satan … “in the head,” and that will mean his complete annihilation and his total removal from the affairs of mankind." 
  
  
• In harmony with what had been published since the 1920’s, the book Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand!, now printed in 65 languages, identifies corrupt political rulers and greedy, unprincipled commercial traffickers as being among the foremost members of the visible seed of the Serpent. (Watchtower, June 1, 1996)

The bruising of the Serpent's head summarized:

The Watchtower uses Genesis 3:15 to teach that the 'bruising of the Serpent's head' is still a future event. They teach Jesus will bruise Satan’s head at the end when He will bring about execution and annihilation.

The Watchtower uses different timings for the two bruisings. By placing the bruising of Satan’s head in the future, the Watchtower retains total control over its people. If the head of the Serpent is yet to be bruised, then those who are not yet part of the 'seed of the woman' (the Watchtower Organization), are in danger of God’s execution and judgement. To be connected to the right 'seed' (organization), the Watchtower teaches you must become a Jehovah's Witness and be fully submissive to what its Governing Body tells you without question. 

But isn't the 'bruising of the Serpent's head' a future event? No. Genesis 3:15 is the first prophesy in the Bible to give us the message of Salvation. This was accomplished through Jesus’ death on the cross. Just as the seed of the woman is not an organization, the seed of the Serpent is not an organization either. Satan’s head was fatally bruised when Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished!” Satan could only bruise the Messiah’s heel because Jesus had the power to rise again from the dead… and He did! Jesus won the victory! Satan was defeated at the cross; he has no power over those who belong to Christ. Isaiah 53:5 reads:

• But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 

Praise God for His unfailing love!

Jehovah's Witnesses are not taught that there is freedom in Christ. The Watchtower twists and mutilates Scripture verses in order to keep control over these people. Many are afraid to question anything the Watchtower teaches, because they believe eternal destruction awaits them if they do. But the word of God is powerful. Take the time to learn and share. A Jehovah's Witness’s freedom may be only one verse away.