1– Jehovah´s Witness or Witness of Jesus?
25.12.2016
Sometime in the year 1996, I dedicated myself to Jehovah by promising to do his will; two years later, I got baptised publicly. Since then, I am a Jehovah's Witness.
" ... you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts of Apostles 1:8)
Witnesses for Jehovah
We call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses and refer to Isaiah 43:10-12:
“You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “Yes, my servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and have faith in me And understand that I am the same One. Before me no God was formed, And after me there has been none. I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior. I am the One who declared and saved and made known When there was no foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “and I am God."
and to Isaiah 44:8:
"Do not be in dread, And do not become paralyzed with fear. Have I not told each of you beforehand and declared it? You are my witnesses. Is there any God but me? No, there is no other Rock; I know of none.’ ”
The Israelites were indeed Jehovah's Witnesses, because they could testify to Jehovah's powerful deeds that they had experienced with their own senses, e.g. the ten plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and the river Jordan, the fall of the walls of Jericho ...
The Greatest Jehovah's Witness
Jesus came as the greatest Jehovah's Witness in order to fulfill the old covenant and to introduce the new covenant.
It is interesting that from this point, the expression "Jehovah's Witnesses" doesn't ever appear again in the Christian Greek scriptures!
Instead it says:
"[Jesus said:] "You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be WITNESSES OF ME in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
"I John, your brother and a sharer with you in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in association with Jesus, was on the island called Patmos for speaking about God and bearing WITNESS concerning JESUS." (Revelation 1:9)
"So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of BEARING WITNESS concerning JESUS." (Revelation 12:17)
So why don't we call ourselves WITNESSES OF JESUS?!
The name "Jesus" (originally "Yahusha" or "Yahshua" in Hebrew) contains the name of God (in the short form "Yah" or "Yahu"). The name of Christ means "YHWH is salvation".
A "Witness of JESUS" testifies not only to the past acts of power of Jehovah but also to the fact that
- JEHOVAH is the originator of salvation
- which has been enabled and conveyed by JESUS!
The biblical term "Witness of JESUS" is so to speak the UPDATE of the older biblical term "Jehovah's Witness", just as the New Covenant is the UPDATE of the Mosaic Covenant, builds upon it and replaces the Old Covenant.
This is why from now on I consider myself a WITNESS of JESUS
and of course still a worshipper of Jehovah.
Does Jehovah agree with this change?
Oh yes, he even demands it:
"HONOR THE SON, or [Jehovah] God will become indignant and you will perish from the way, for His anger flares up quickly. ... " (Psalms 2:12)
And the affirmation in the New Testament, where John said under inspiration:
"The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. The one who exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; the one who DISOBEYS THE SON will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." (John 3:35, 36)
What does it mean, to "honor the son"?
Does it maybe even have to do with worship?
Read the follow-up article: "2 – Do You Kiss the Son?"