Who are the Witnesses at Isaiah 43:10-12?
“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
"Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
"I have revealed and saved and proclaimed
—I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God."
(Isaiah 43:10-12, NIV)
According to this, the purpose of being a witness of YHWH is to know, believe and understand that he is God. When a person is witnessing YHWH, they are seeing him, and they perceive that he is unique, and their only saviour. They have witnessed for themselves that he is indeed God.
These verses are from a poem that commences at Isaiah 40:1. It was composed at the time of Judah’s subjection to the might of the neo-Babylonian empire. In all probably it was written by scribes living in exile, since Nebuchadnezzar focused on removing Judah’s elite, the power brokers.
As the context from the beginning of the poem shows, these words were part of YHWH’s repeated plea to the peoples he had formed:
“But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’ ” (Isaiah 43:1, NIV)
At Isaiah 43:14-20, YHWH reminds them of his mercy towards them, of the manner in which he cared for them. He had done this so that his people would praise him. Yet these people who had witnessed for themselves that he is God, turned their backs on him, and for that reason they were suffering at the hands of the Babylonians. Despite witnessing YHWH, they offended him. For this reason he will destroy his witnesses, Jacob and Israel, as the direct context shows.
“Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.
You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands for incense.
“You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your offenses.
“I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;
state the case for your innocence.
“Your first father sinned;
your spokesmen rebelled against me.
So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple,
and I will consign Jacob to destruction
and Israel to scorn.”
(Isaiah 43:22-28, NIV)