1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, the water, and the blood“. But here is the controversy, a very few newer manuscripts were found that someone added a verse – which is not in the original old manuscripts! This is called verse 8, which then adds the words “and these are one”, and that “these three witnesses are on earth, but there are also three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one”.

Please note, the original manuscript did not include the “earth” or “heaven”. This addition of verse, is to bring in a new concept that was not taught by Yeshua or the Apostles, about a “Trinity”. The Trinity concept is something that comes from the Roman Empire, and was brought with the Roman Catholics. Do some research on this, but if the Scriptures did teach about the “trinity”, then we will have posted about it. This word “trinity” is not found in scripture anywhere, it was only a concept that has stuck, and is now taught and enforced today.

So what is a Witness? This “Witness” concept have been introduced since Creation! And the Witness theme is repeated in the old testament. The Hebrew word for Witness is Ed H5707 – ʿēḏ, also meaning testimony or evidence. See this verse about Yeshua and the sun and moon witnesses, from Psalm 89:36-37 “His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” We also see in Deuteronomy 31:28 “YHWH is calling heaven and earth as witness when He speak the words”. Click here to see our previous posts on “The Witness”.

As a matter of fact, did you know the Torah is called “The Witness”, it is the Covenant, the agreement between YHWH and His people. YHWH said to Moses when He gave the Torah for Israel in Genesis 31:44, “Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”. The Torah was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant – the “box of the covenant”, and it is called many times in scripture the “Ark of the Testimony“, or the “Ark of the Witness“. But being a Witness is such an important thing, that even a Law is given for not ever being a false witness – do you know which Law that is? It is the 9th commandment! Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” And in Deuteronomy 17:6 we learn about the Law how someone’s death or life can be determined by 1, 2 or 3 witnesses.

Here in John he talks about 3 witnesses and in verse 11, “And this is the testimony/witness: that YHWH has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” These three witnesses, Spirit, Water and Blood have been present before.

• With Creation : The Spirit moved over the Waters, and YHWH created Adam (blood/life).
• With Israel : The Torah given through YHWH’s Spirit, the Waters that Israel went out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, the Sacrifices at the Tabernacle.
• With Yeshua : Obeying Yeshua’s teachings on Torah (Spirit), Baptism (by water declaring as Witness to lay off old life), Blood of Yeshua that only He could give and believing in Him.