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:

High Priest Jesus Christ is God’s Witness. Notice that Jesus spoke in singular and not plural.

In the Book of Hebrews we are told to look to the Temple arrangement in the past that was constructed according to God’s instruction to understand the Heavenly temple arrangement.

Hebrews 8:1-6

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) in that what he was told from God and then he imparted what he was told to all others. It was the high priest who bore witness in God’s behalf. He was the “Amen” in that arrangement.

Christ being the Eternal High Priest is the “Amen” of God and serves as God’s Witness. So, it is improper for anyone else to ascribe to themselves the title “Jehovah’s Witness”.

Well then, who are Christ disciples to bear witness concerning?

The words spoken by Jesus 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 describe bearing witness of the things and events pertaining to Jesus and the message which He brought. They can be found in John 15:26-27 and Luke 24:46-48.

In addressing the apostles before He was crucified, Jesus explained the tasks ahead of them after his physical departure.

John 15:26-27

26 “When the Helper has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

27 And you will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

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 He said to them, “Thus it is written, for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at 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.

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 the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” they are usurping the role of Christ either consciously or unconsciously.

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.

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”, the Hebrew nation.

These words were stated long before the formation of the new covenant founded on Christ and God’s new arrangement with Christ installed as High Priest. Therefore, they are not applicable to the body of Christ.