Who is God’s (Jehovah’s) Witness?
Revelation 1:4-5
4 From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace be yours from God, who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits in front of his throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first to be raised from death and who is also the ruler of the kings of the world. He loves us, and by his sacrificial death he has freed us from our sins
Revelation 3:14
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation, says these things:
Twice in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation Jesus is identified as the “faithful witness”. This means we can rely on every single thing he says. Jesus is perfect in all his ways. Not only are all of his words true, but according to John 14:6, he himself is the truth. In other words, if he says he will do something, we can trust that it will happen.
John 14:6
“Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me”.
High Priest Jesus Christ is God’s Witness. Notice in Revelation Chapter 1 that Jesus is spoken of in ‘singular’ terms and not ‘plural’.
In the Book of Hebrews, we are told to look to the Temple arrangement in the past to understand the Heavenly Temple arrangement. That physical temple was constructed according to God’s instructions as a shadow of the Heavenly Temple.
Hebrews 8:5
“The work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. It is the same as it was with Moses. When he was about to build the Sacred Tent, God told him, “Be sure to make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.”
Hebrews 8:1-6 teaches us about the unique role Jesus plays in God’s temple arrangement as High Priest:
1 Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, and not man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.
4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the Law;
5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.”
6 also said in another passage, You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
It was the high priest and he alone that was granted access into the Most Holy compartment of the Temple in order to receive instruction from God. He served as God’s spokesman (witness). What he heard from God he then communicated to the rest of the assembly of God’s people. He was the “Amen” in that arrangement.
Christ being the Eternal High Priest is the “Amen” of God and serves as God’s Witness. It is Christ who now communicated the word of God to His assembly by means of the Holy Spirit. This is no longer accomplished by a human being. Therefore, it is improper for anyone else to ascribe to themselves the title “Jehovah’s Witness” or “God’s Witness”.
Well then, who are Christ disciples to bear witness concerning?
What Jesus said to his apostles recorded in Acts 1:1-8 reveal the answer to this question:
1 The first account I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s kingdom.
4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me.
5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest part of the earth.”
Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses…”.
Rightly understood, we as disciples of Christ are to bear witness concerning him.
There are two other primary Scriptures in the Bible that also show us that we should be bearing witness of the things and events that pertain to Jesus and the message which He brought.
John 15:26-27
26 “The Helper will come—the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me”.
27 And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning”.
In addressing the apostles before He was crucified, Jesus explained the tasks ahead of them after his physical departure.
In this moment, Jesus tells the apostles that they will receive the Holy Spirit after His resurrection, and that they will also share their knowledge and understanding of the events pertaining to Jesus and His Work and Message with others.
Now let’s examine Jesus’ statement found at Luke 24:46-48:
46 and said to them, “This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later,
47 and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things
Clearly, Jesus informed them about the privilege they had regarding the knowledge and understanding they were blessed with, knowing the Truth about Jesus’ role in the Plan of God. Jesus clearly states, “You are witnesses of these things”.
We as disciples of Christ were never given the directive of bearing witness in behalf of God. Only the Faithful and True Witness, Christ Jesus, has that honor. However, we have been honored to bear witness concerning Christ.
When humans take on a name such as “Jehovah’s Witnesses” they are usurping the role of Christ either consciously or unconsciously. And they are neglecting Jesus’ commission to his disciples to bear witness concerning him.
God gave the name ‘Israel’ to Jacob. Isa. 43:10 is referring to the natural Israelites.
One may ask, “Well, what about Isaiah 43:10?”
Isaiah 43:10
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me”.
God’s words to His prophet Isaiah were directed to a specific group of people and not for everyone in general. This command was not given to the disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let’s examine the context in which God’s commandment found at Isaiah 43:10 was given in. Let’s read the first verse of Isaiah Chapter 43:
Isaiah 43:1
“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine”.
These words were directed toward “Jacob”, another name for the nation of Hebrews. The biblical nation of Israel was to be a “kingdom of priest” that was to lead the rest of humanity to a clean relationship with God.
Exodus 19:5-6
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
They as a nation were to serve as spokespeople of God’s truth to gentile nations. History shows that they failed miserably.
Nonetheless, the words recorded at Isaiah 43:10 were stated long before the formation of the new covenant founded on Christ and long before God’s new covenant arrangement with Christ installed as High Priest.
Therefore, they are not applicable to the body of Christ.
Jesus is God’s Witness and we as disciples of Jesus are to be his Witnesses.
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