On any given day of the week countless thousands dress up in a suit and tie and head off to perform “kingdom work”. These individuals walk the streets and neighborhoods visiting with strangers in order to persuade them of the importance of their message. You know them as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The Jehovah’s Witnesseses have many beliefs and practices which are not supported in Scripture. Yet, what separates them from all others is their insistence upon using the name “Jehovah” as the rightful name of God and their unusual belief of Jesus. They do not deny His personhood and recognize Him to have been fully human. They also in a sense do not deny His deity in the fact that they do believe that He was a “god” or “spirit creature”. However, they do not and will not recognize Him to be Jehovah God. Therefore, they believe that Jehovah created Jesus as His first creation and that Jesus pre-existed before the world but with God not as God. They like to useColossians 1:15 as evidence for such a position even though Paul’s use of the term “first born” is a reference to Jesus’ primacy, privilege, and unique position and not a statement about His origins. In the Old Testament, first-born sons were given special honor and often special rewards. Paul uses this as a metaphor for Jesus.
However, the real tragedy is that in taking such a stance, the Jehovah’s Witnesses flat out deny many, many passages of Scripture in which Jesus Himself claims to be be Jehovah and which the New Testament authors confirm it. Several could be used in support of this point. In fact, the entire book of John goes to extreme lengths to validate such a claim and so that “you may believe” (Jn 20:31). For example, the Jews attempting to kill Jesus because He claimed God as His own Father (Jn 5:18) and later identified Himself as Jehovah (Jn 8:58). Jesus stated that He and the Father are One (Jn 10:30, 14:10). He stated that if you have known Him you have known the Father and if you have seen Him you have seen the Father (Jn 12:45, 14:7). He prayed that through His death that both He and the Father would be glorified (Jn 17:5), the same glory He had before the world began. He prayed that His disciples would be one with Him as He is to the Father (Jn 17:20-21). He even accepted worship from others (Jn 20:28).
Yet, what struck me recently was John 12:38-41 (NASB) which states:
“This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: ‘LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?’ For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,”HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.
John states that when Isaiah says that he saw “His glory” and that he spoke about “Him”. When did Isaiah see God?
In Isaiah 6:1 Isaiah said that he saw the Lord. Thus, according to John 12:41 Isaiah saw Jesus. Interestingly, however, the New World Translation (which is the official translation of the Watchtower organization and the Jehovah’s Witnesses) translates Isaiah 6:1 in the following manner:
“In the year that King Uzziah died I, however, got to see Jehovah, sitting on a throne lofty and lifted up, and his skirts were filling the temple.”
Therefore, by John’s inspired testimony, Isaiah saw Jesus and Jesus is God. Jesus is Jehovah.
As you read the New Testament make it a goal to identify the many, many times in which Jesus is declared to be God. This practice will not only convince you of His deity but it will also enable you to be well-prepared to speak to anyone who may approach your door and tell you otherwise.
Jesus is Jehovah. He has conquered sin and death and He alone has the capability to take away our sins. He is worthy of our allegiance, submission, and worship.
Why? Because He is Jehovah God.
Joshua
