As any Bible-believing Christian already knows (assuming that he has actually carefully studied the entirety of Scriptures) the NT writers often apply OT passages which speak of certain characteristics or acts of Yahweh to the Lord Jesus. The only logical conclusion one can arrive at is that the NT writers clearly believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was the incarnation of Yahweh God, i.e. they believed that Yahweh God Almighty had become an actual human being in the historical person of the Lord Jesus.
In this article, we will present a host of the OT citations regarding the nature and works of Yahweh which are either quoted or alluded to by the NT authors in connection with the Lord Jesus. We will also address an objection which is often raised by anti-Trinitarians in trying to deny that the NT writers believed that Jesus was the visible manifestation of Yahweh. We will then conclude with a short summary.
We begin with our analysis.
YAHWEH
“Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.” Genesis 21:33
“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Yahweh, faithful God.” Psalm 31:5
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom Yahweh calls.” Joel 2:32
JESUS
“And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.’” Acts 7:59-60
“Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name’ … So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit’… And all who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?’” Acts 9:10-14, 17, 21
“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:9-13
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:” 1 Corinthians 1:2
YAHWEH
“Yahweh is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:2
“Salvation belongs to Yahweh; your blessing be on your people!” Psalm 3:8
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.” Psalm 62:1
“Yahweh is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation … I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14, 21
JESUS
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Hebrews 2:10
“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” Hebrews 5:9
“and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Revelation 7:10
YAHWEH
“You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, Yahweh, sanctify you.’” Exodus 31:13
“Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance. Only in Yahweh, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.” Isaiah 45:21-25
“Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:28
JESUS
“to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:18
“He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
“For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,” Hebrews 2:11
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10
“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” 2 Peter 1:1
YAHWEH
“And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.’” Exodus 33:14-15
JESUS
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
YAHWEH
“loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:20
JESUS
“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:3-4
YAHWEH
“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39
“Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” Isaiah 43:13
JESUS
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30
YAHWEH
“Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Yahweh God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.” 2 Samuel 7:21-24
“They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 37:23
JESUS
“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14
YAHWEH
“The Spirit of Yahweh speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.” 2 Samuel 23:2
“You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst … Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.” Nehemiah 9:20, 30
JESUS
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” 1 Peter 1:10-12
YAHWEH
“For you are my lamp, O Yahweh, and my God lightens my darkness.” 2 Samuel 22:29
“Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1
“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” Psalm 36:9
“The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” Isaiah 60:19-20
“I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:26-28
JESUS
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men… The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:4, 9
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12
“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5
“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” John 12:46
“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,” Revelation 21:22-24
YAHWEH
“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for Yahweh searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9
“If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” Proverbs 24:12
“But, O Yahweh of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.” Jeremiah 11:20
“I Yahweh search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10
JESUS
“Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5
According to Paul, the Lord that is coming is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ:
“so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:7-8
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first… and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.’” Revelation 2:18-19, 23
YAHWEH
“For the eyes of Yahweh range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
“Yahweh is in his holy temple; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test, the children of man.” Psalm 11:4
“So he said to me, ‘This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of hosts… Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. (These seven are the eyes of Yahweh, which range throughout the earth.)” Zechariah 4:6, 10
JESUS
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Revelation 3:1
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Revelation 5:6
YAHWEH
“You are Yahweh, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” Nehemiah 9:6
JESUS
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
“but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:2-3
YAHWEH
“O Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:1-2
JESUS
“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant, and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise“?’” Matthew 21:15-16
YAHWEH
“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glorymay come in. Who is this King of glory? Yahweh, strong and mighty, Yahweh, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? Yahweh of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah” Psalm 24:7-10
“And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares Yahweh, and I will be the glory in her midst.” Zechariah 2:5
JESUS
“None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:8
“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” James 2:1
YAHWEH
“Oh, taste and see that Yahweh is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8
“But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Isaiah 8:13-14
JESUS
“if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.” 1 Peter 2:3-8
“but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15
YAHWEH
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” Psalm 66:16
JESUS
“‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:39
YAHWEH
“Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work. Psalm 62:11-12
“For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,” Psalm 95:7-8 ESV
“Behold, the Lord Yahweh comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:10-11
“Behold, Yahweh has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’” Isaiah 62:11
JESUS
“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:27
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” John 10:11, 14-16
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28
“‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done’ … He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:12, 20
YAHWEH
“You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that Yahweh God may dwell there.” Psalm 68:18
“Am I a God at hand, declares Yahweh, and not a God afar off? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares Yahweh. Do I not fill heaven and earth? Declares Yahweh.” Jeremiah 23:23-24
JESUS
“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)” Ephesians 4:7-10
YAHWEH
“Your word, O Yahweh, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
JESUS
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Mark 13:31; cf. Matthew 24:35
YAHWEH
“O Israel, hope in Yahweh! For with Yahweh there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” Psalm 130:7-8
“Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’” Isaiah 35:4
JESUS
“‘She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:21-23
YAHWEH
“‘O my God,’ I say, ‘take me not away in the midst of my days – you whose years endure throughout all generations!’ Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.” Psalm 102:24-27
JESUS
“But of the Son he says … And, ‘You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.’” Hebrews 1:8a, 10-12
YAHWEH
“And it came to pass in the year in which king Ozias died, that I saw the Lord [eidon ton kurion] sitting on a high and exalted throne, and the house was full of his glory [tees doxees autou]. And seraphs stood round about him: each one had six wings: and with two they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one cried to the other, and they said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory [tees doxees autou]’. And the lintel shook at the voice they uttered, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said, Woe is me, for I am pricked to the heart; for being a man, and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; and I have seen with mine eyes the King, the Lord of hosts… And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said, behold, I am here, send me. And he said, Go, and say to this people, Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand; and ye shall see indeed, but ye shall not perceive. For the heart of this people has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” Isaiah 6:1-5, 8-10 LXX
JESUS
“Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: ‘Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: ‘He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn-and I would heal them.’ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory [eiden teen doxan autou] and spoke about.” John 12:37-41
In a footnote, the translators of the NET Bible state:
88 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent supplied here is “Christ” rather than “Jesus” because it involves what Isaiah saw. It is clear that the author presents Isaiah as having seen the preincarnate glory of Christ, which was the very revelation of the Father (see John 1:18; John 14:9).
sn Because he saw Christ’s glory. The glory which Isaiah saw in Isa 6:3 was the glory of Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). Here John speaks of the prophet seeing the glory of Christ since in the next clause and spoke about him, “him” can hardly refer to Yahweh, but must refer to Christ. On the basis of statements like 1:14 in the prologue, the author probably put no great distinction between the two. Since the author presents Jesus as fully God (cf. John 1:1), it presents no problem to him to take words originally spoken by Isaiah of Yahweh himself and apply them to Jesus. (Source)
YAHWEH
“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last; I am he.” Isaiah 41:4
“Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” Isaiah 44:6
“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.” Isaiah 48:12
JESUS
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” Revelation 1:17-18
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.’” Revelation 2:8
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12-13
YAHWEH
“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.’” Isaiah 43:10
JESUS
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
YAHWEH
“I am Yahweh; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” Isaiah 42:8
“For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” Isaiah 48:11
JESUS
“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed… Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:5, 24
YAHWEH
“for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13
JESUS
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”’” John 7:37-38
YAHWEH
“Thus says Yahweh: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from Yahweh. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, whose trust is Yahweh. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.’” Jeremiah 17:5-8
JESUS
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1
“which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” 2 Timothy 1:12
YAHWEH
“And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.” Ezekiel 43:2
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
JESUS
“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” Revelation 1:12-18
YAHWEH
“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day HIS FEET shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Zechariah 14:1-5
JESUS
“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.” Acts 1:9-12
“May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” 1 Thessalonians 3:13 NIV
“and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
YAHWEH
“For I Yahweh do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6
JESUS
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
In light of the foregoing, is it any wonder that the Church from its inception believed that the Lord Jesus Christ is Yahweh God Almighty?
AN OBJECTION CONSIDERED
It is unfortunate that there are many groups that claim to believe in the Holy Bible and yet deny the position taken here regarding Jesus being Yahweh God. They assert that the NT applying OT passages that speak of the functions and characteristics of Yahweh to Jesus does not prove that the latter is Yahweh God Almighty.
They seek to undermine the identification of Jesus with Yahweh by turning to places in the NT where OT citations referring to specific individuals or groups are applied to others. Case in point:
“For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’?” Hebrews 1:5
Here, the inspired author applies a passage to Jesus which initially referred to Solomon:
“… Moreover, Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.” 2 Samuel 7:11b-15
According to 1 Chronicles 28:6 this son was Solomon:
“He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.’”
Anti-Trinitarians also appeal to the following example:
“This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:11-15
Jesus identifies John as Elijah and even applies to the former a passage from Malachi 3:1, which in context initially referred to the sending of Elijah. Cf. Malachi 4:5-6
The anti-Trinitarian seeks to demonstrate from the above examples that the Trinitarian hasn’t proven his case regarding Jesus being Yahweh God. They claim that if Jesus is Yahweh God solely because the NT applies Yahweh passages to the Lord Jesus, then this means that Jesus is Solomon since a passage initially referring to the latter is applied to the former. This would also mean that John the Baptist was actually Elijah.
The anti-Trinitarian then reasons from this that the methodology used by Trinitarians to arrive at their belief in the deity of Christ is biblically inconsistent and invalid.
The confusion here should be apparent to the reader. It is obvious that the preceding examples do not mean that Jesus is Solomon or that John the Baptist was Elijah. Rather, the applications of these passages show that Jesus and John share certain characteristics or functions with Solomon and Elijah; yet these characteristics are not unique to either Solomon or Elijah. For instance, Solomon is called God’s son due to his being chosen to rule over Israel. Yet this intimate relationship was not something unique to Solomon, since all of the Davidic kings enjoyed filial relations with God, much like their father David:
“Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: ‘I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him’… He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Psalm 89:19-20, 26-27
In fact, this same Psalm goes on to apply the warning given to Solomon in case he sins to all of David’s royal offspring:
“My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah Psalm 89:28-37
Therefore, for Hebrews to apply to Christ a passage originally referring to Solomon doesn’t mean that Jesus is Solomon since the characteristics that are mentioned are not unique to Solomon. All the Davidic kings shared them.
In the case of John and Elijah, the latter was to be given the privilege of preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah, on honor which was bestowed on John also. It is in this sense that John is considered to be Elijah since he heralded the Messiah, the very thing that Elijah is suppose to do. The similarity is one of function, not one of identity.
But these examples are in no way parallel with the Yahweh passages due to the fact that these citations all focus on characteristics that distinguish Yahweh from all creation and from every other so-called god. Unlike the examples of Solomon and Elijah, the NT writers apply passages to Jesus that speak of the unique characteristics and functions of Yahweh. In other words, the NT writers claim that Jesus performs the works and has the very same attributes that are only true of Yahweh; no one else shares these characteristics or is able to perform these works. Hence, the similarities are not simply that of shared characteristics that others may also share in, but of identity since Jesus does those very things and has the same attributes which identify one as Yahweh God Almighty.
Here is an example of what we mean:
- According to the OT, Yahweh alone created and sustains all things. Cf. Job 9:8; Isaiah 44:24; Nehemiah 9:6
- According to the NT, Jesus created and sustains all things. Cf. John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3, 10-12
- Therefore, Jesus is Yahweh God.
Again:
- According to the OT, Yahweh is immutable in contrast to creation which is mutable. Cf. Psalm 102:25-27; Malachi 3:6
- According to the NT, Jesus is immutable. Cf. Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8
- Therefore, Jesus is Yahweh God.
The foregoing shows that the attempt to deny Jesus’ identification with Yahweh is based on a faulty approach which does nothing to undermine the Trinitarian position. It only exposes the logical fallacies of those who will not allow the Bible to speak for itself, but seek to read their unbiblical traditions and erroneous views into the text of Holy Scripture.
CONCLUSION
The foregoing conclusively demonstrates that the NT writers believed the Lord Jesus was none other than Yahweh God in the flesh. The NT documents also show that the Father and the Holy Spirit are fully divine, and that these three are distinct persons. It is little wonder that the early Church was forced to formulate the doctrine of the Trinity since this is the only logical conclusion one can arrive at from a careful analysis and correct reading of the Holy Scriptures.
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