AN
Thanks for your message. As is my stated policy when I get a private message on a topic that is relevant to one of my blogs,
[Above: "... and is seated at the right hand of the Father": Godzdogz:
"The key Scriptural text is Psalm 110:1 - `The Lord says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool"' - which the Church sings in her liturgy every Sunday. Inspired by this, we find nascent expressions of belief in Christ seated at the Father's right in the New Testament letters attributed to St Paul (e.g. Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1). This psalm verse is the most cited Old Testament text in the New Testament and it also has the distinction of being the only one commented upon by Jesus in the Synoptic gospels (Mt 22:41-46; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44). Here, the point being made is that Jesus, the Messiah, is both greater than David and is Lord. As we have seen earlier in this series of posts, to call Jesus `Lord' indicates his divinity."
in this case my JesusisJehovah! blog, I respond publicly via that blog after removing the sender's (your) personal identifying details. Your words are bold to distinguish them from mine. Brief quotes are hyperlinked to fuller quotes towards the end of this post.
----- Original Message -----
From: AN
To: Stephen E. Jones
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 2:54 PM
Subject: jesusisyhwh.blogspot.com
>Greetings respectful sir,
You don't say what your position is, but I assume you are a Jehovah's Witness. Even if you are not, I have responded as though you are, because my posts on this my Jesus is Jehovah! blog are primarily intended for the benefit of Jehovah's Witnesses (existing, former or would-be).
>Can you please explain Psalms 110:1
>
>American Standard Version
Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstol
>
>World English Bible
Yahweh says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet."
>
>Darby Bible Translation
{Psalm of David.} Jehovah said unto my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies as footstool of thy feet.
>
>Who is this "Lord" mentioned on the above texts?
As I presume you already know, the "Lord" (Heb. adoni) of Ps 110:1 (ASV):
Jehovah saith unto my Lord [Heb. adoni], Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
is identified by Jesus, and the New Testament writers, as "Christ," "Jesus" and "the Son":
Mt 22:41-46. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." ' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Mk 12:35-37. While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." ' David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Lk 20:41-44. Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
Acts 2:32-35. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '
Heb 1:13.To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
Note that the last of these, Heb 1:13, even in the NWT, distinguishes Christ ("the Son" - v.8) from "the angels":
Heb 1:8,13 NWT. But with reference to the Son ... to which one of the angels has he ever said: "Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet"?
Which proves that Jesus is not Michael the archangel, as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society claims:
"Likewise, the Bible indicates that Michael is another name for Jesus Christ, before and after his life on earth." (WB&TS, 2005, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.218).
As do other verses in Hebrews 1 prove that Jesus is not Michael the archangel, "... the author of Hebrews not only separates Jesus from angels [Heb 1:5], he even commands the angels to worship him" [Heb. 1:6] (my emphasis):
"Perhaps the most peculiar Watchtower doctrine is the idea that Jesus is really Michael the archangel. ... The clearest contradiction of such an idea can be found in the book of Hebrews ... where the sacred author asks, `For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son"' (1:5, citing Ps. 2:7) and `When he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him"' (1:6, citing Deut. 32:43). ... Here the author of Hebrews not only separates Jesus from angels, he even commands the angels to worship him (Heb. 1:6; cf. Rev. 5:13-14, 14:7)." (Evert, J., 2001, "Answering Jehovah's Witnesses," pp.72-73).
The writer of Hebrews in Heb. 1:13 quotes Ps 110:1 to prove that Jesus is "greater than the angels" (my emphasis) which includes Michael the archangel:
"[Ps 110:1] ... Now follows God's oracle to David's lord. Sit at my right hand. The authority and power conferred by such an address will be illustrated in the remaining verses of the psalm; but it will take the New Testament to do it justice. a. He is not only greater than David (Acts 2:34., `for David did not ascend into the heavens') but greater than the angels (Heb. 1:13, `to what angel has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand..."?'" (Kidner, D., 1975, "Psalms 73-150," p.393. Emphasis original).
That is because, "In the religious and cultural milieu of Jesus' day, to claim to sit at God's right hand was tantamount to claiming equality with God" (my emphasis):
"Psalm 110:1, in which David says, The LORD [YHWH] says to my Lord ['adoni]: `Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' (ESV) ... Jesus ... is pointing out that ... the Messiah ...would not be a mere Davidic king but would be a universal sovereign, sitting at God's right hand, honored as Lord even by his ancestor David. A careful examination of Psalm 110:1, and Jesus' application of it ... to himself, reveals how remarkable Jesus' claim was and why it seemed to the Sanhedrin to be blasphemous. It was one thing to enter God's presence and yet another to sit in it. But to sit at God's right side was another matter altogether. In the religious and cultural milieu of Jesus' day, to claim to sit at God's right hand was tantamount to claiming equality with God. ... For Jesus to claim that he would sit at God's right hand was akin to claiming ... that he would be entitled to have his head as high as that of the king. Jesus, then, was claiming the right to go directly into God's `throne room' and sit at his side. The temerity of such a claim for any mere human would be astonishing to the Jews of Jesus' day ... The Holy of Holies could be entered only on a specific day in specific ways by one specific person. ... If entrance requirements to the earthly Holy of Holies were so strict, we can imagine what the Sanhedrin priests would have thought about Jesus claiming to have the right to enter God's heavenly presence. After all, the earthly temple was ... a model of the heavenly one ... Jesus was claiming that he was going to enter permanently into the heavenly Holies of Holies and sit down." (Bowman, R.M. & Komoszewski, J.E., 2007, "Putting Jesus In His Place," pp.243-245. Emphasis original).
Moreover, one of the clearest example's of the New Testament's teaching that Jesus is Jehovah, is a few verses earlier in Heb 1:8,10-11:
But about the Son ... He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end." .
where an Old Testament passage about Jehovah, Ps 102:24-27:
So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
is applied to Jesus "the Son."
This is clear even in the Watchtower Society's own New World Translation, that Heb 1:8,10-11 NWT:
But with reference to the Son: ... "You at [the] beginning, O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are [the] works of your hands. They themselves will perish, but you yourself are to remain continually; and just like an outer garment they will all grow old, and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as an outer garment; and they will be changed, but you are the same, and your years will never run out."
is a quote of Ps 102:24-27 NWT:
I proceeded to say: "O my God, Do not take me off at the half of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth itself, And the heavens are the work of your hands. They themselves will perish, but you yourself will keep standing; And just like a garment they will all of them wear out. Just like clothing you will replace them, and they will finish their turn. But you are the same, and your own years will not be completed.
in which the Psalmist is addressing "Jehovah":
Ps 102:1 NWT. A prayer of the afflicted in case he grows feeble and pours out his concern before Jehovah himself. O Jehovah, do hear my prayer; And to you may my own cry for help come.
That is, the "words in this psalm [Ps 102:25-27] are addressed to Yahweh (God), but are directly applied to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:10-12, thus indicating Christ's full deity" (my emphasis):
"Hebrews 1:10-12 is actually a quotation from Psalm 102:25-27. It is highly revealing that the words in this psalm are addressed to Yahweh (God), but are directly applied to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:10-12, thus indicating Christ's full deity. ... Psalm 102:25 says of Yahweh: `In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.' ... the writer of Hebrews directly applies this verse to Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:10)." (Rhodes, R., 1992, "Christ Before the Manger," pp.44,63).
So "What could be said of Yahweh, could be said of Christ" (my emphasis):
"The writer of Hebrews, likewise, used the words of Psalm 102:25-27, which celebrated Yahweh as Creator, equally of Christ (Heb. 1:10-12). .... What could be said of Yahweh, could be said of Christ. If the gospel was God's, then it was also Christ's. If the Kingdom was God's, then it was also Christ's. To have faith is, indiscriminately, to have faith either in God or in Christ, and God and Christ were alike to be praised, thanked, and worshiped." (Wells, D.F., 1992, "The Person of Christ," p.76).
Indeed, "This single passage in Hebrews suffices to prove that Jesus is God-Jehovah-since an Old Testament reference to God is now applied to him" (my emphasis):
"God the Creator (Hebrews 1:10) Psalm 102:24-25 [NWT] reads, `O my God... Your years are throughout all generations. Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth itself. And the heavens are the work of your hands.' Ask any Witness, `Who are these verses talking about?' Witnesses unanimously assert that they are speaking of Jehovah. And they are right. Verses 1, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, and 22 all make it clear - by using the divine name - that the God in question is indeed Jehovah. However, the author of Hebrews takes the Psalmist's words and applies them to Jesus: `But with reference to the Son... `You at [the] beginning O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are [the] works of your hands' (1:8, 10). This single passage in Hebrews suffices to prove that Jesus is God- Jehovah-since an Old Testament reference to God is now applied to him." (Evert, 2001, p.79. Emphasis original).
For "If the Son was not Jehovah, then it was illegitimate for the writer of Hebrews to quote these words about Jehovah and apply them to Jesus" and "what these verses say about Jesus can only be true of Jehovah" (my emphasis):
"In any case, the next quotation from the Psalms leaves no room for doubt. Continuing to speak about the Son, the writer of Hebrews quotes these words (Heb. 1:10-12 NWT):You [at] the beginning, O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are [the] works of your hands. They themselves will perish, but you yourself are to remain continually; and just like an outer garment they will all grow old, and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as an outer garment; and they will be changed, but you are the same, and your years will never run out.In the context of Psalm 102:25-27 from which this is quoted, these words are spoken of Jehovah. If the Son was not Jehovah, then it was illegitimate for the writer of Hebrews to quote these words about Jehovah and apply them to Jesus to try to prove that he was greater than the angels. Moreover, what these verses say about Jesus can only be true of Jehovah-namely, that he created the heavens and the earth (cf. Isa. 44:24) and is unchanging and eternal by nature." (Bowman, R.M., 1989, "Why You Should Believe in the Trinity: An Answer to Jehovah's Witnesses," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Third printing, 1990, pp.107-108. Emphasis original).
Again (see my "I sincerely believe that Jesus is not Jehovah, but that he is Jehovah God's Son #2", "Main reasons why Jehovah's Witnessism is false" and "Re: `So, Who sent Jesus? if he is Jehovah, did he send himself to earth?', etc" on Isa 45:23 about Jehovah quoted of Jesus in Php 2:9-11) if the Watchtower was consistent in translating Gk. kyrios in the New Testament as "Jehovah" where it is a quote from the Old Testament that refers to Jehovah (Heb. Yahweh) or God:
"How is a modern translator to know or determine when to render the Greek words κυριοσ [kyrios] and Θεοσ [theos] into the divine name in his version? By determining where the inspired Christian writers have quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures. Then he must refer back to the original to locate whether the divine name appears there. This way he can determine the identity to give to Ky'ri-os and the-os' and he can then clothe them with personality. Realizing that this is the time and place for it, we have followed this course in rendering our version of the Christian Greek Scriptures." (WB&TS, 1969, "The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, p.18).
then it would translate Heb 1:8,10 NWT as (my emphasis):
But with reference to the SON: ... And: "You at [the] beginning, O JEHOVAH, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are [the] works of your hands
>If you had already explained that on your posts please send me the link so I can check it, thanks
I had already explained that in my posts, " Re: Jesus is not Jehovah ... such a thing is unthinkable" (2008) and " Re: Is Jesus Jehovah? Please answer the following #3" (2009). But as it was in conjunction with other issues, I have here expanded on my explanation of Ps 110:1.
The Watchtower claims that, because "Jesus explained that he himself was David's `Lord,' referred to in this psalm. So Jesus is not Jehovah but is the one to whom Jehovah's words were here directed" :
"Is Jehovah in the `Old Testament' Jesus Christ in the `New Testament'? ... Ps. 110:1: `The utterance of Jehovah to my [David's] Lord is: `Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.' (At Matthew 22:41-45, Jesus explained that he himself was David's `Lord,' referred to in this psalm. So Jesus is not Jehovah but is the one to whom Jehovah's words were here directed.)" (WB&TS, 1989, "Reasoning from the Scriptures," pp.197-198).
But this is fallacious. Who was David's "Lord" (Heb. 'adon) but Jehovah?:
Ps 16:1-2. Michtam of David ... O my soul, thou hast said unto Jehovah, Thou art my Lord ...
Ps 35:1,22-23. A Psalm of David. Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me ... my God and my Lord.
Ps 38:1,15,22. A Psalm of David ... O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath ... For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope: Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God. ... Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Ps 51:1,15. ... A Psalm of David ... Have mercy upon me, O God ... O Lord ... my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Ps 55:1,9 ... Maschil of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God ... Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue ...
Ps 59:1,11. ... A Psalm of David. ... Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God ... bring them down, O Lord our shield.
Ps 62:1,12 .... A Psalm of David. My soul waiteth in silence for God only ... unto thee, O Lord, belongeth lovingkindness ...
Ps 69:1,6,8 .... A Psalm of David. Save me, O God ... Let not them that wait for thee be put to shame through me, O Lord Jehovah of hosts ... There is none like unto thee among the gods, O Lord ...
Ps 86:1,3,4,8-9,12,15. A Prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O Jehovah, and answer me ... Be merciful unto me, O Lord ... For unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul ... There is none like unto thee among the gods, O Lord ... All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord ... I will praise thee, O Lord my God ... But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious ...
That is why Psalm 110:1 was such an unsolvable puzzle to the Jews with their un-Biblical unitarian view of God. They could not understand how Jehovah could be talking to Jehovah. And that is why it is still a puzzle to Jehovah's Witnesses, who also have an un-Biblical unitarian view of God.
The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus is Jehovah come in the flesh (see above on Ps 102:25-27 about Jehovah quoted of Jesus in Heb 1:8,10-12) and also see my post "Jesus is Jehovah! and my series "Jesus is Jehovah in the New Testament."
Therefore the right approach is not the Watchtower's method of playing Bible verses off against each other (`wresting the Scripture to their own destruction' - 2Pet 3:16), but the Christian approach of trying to see how both can be true: 1. Jesus is Jehovah; and 2. Jehovah was speaking to David's Lord who is Jesus.
The problem is solved within a Christian Biblical trinitarian view of God, where "YHWH is a compound unity ... the Father ... the Son ... and ... the Holy Spirit ..." as Messianic Jews also acknowledge:
"YHWH [the LORD] is our Elohim. He is echad [One]. He alone is YHWH. Deuteronomy 6:4. .... The nature of YHWH is a compound unity expressed in the aspects of Abba [God, the Father], Yeshua [Salvation, Jesus, the Son, Messiah] and the Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Spirit/Breath] in this age. Matthew 28:19." ("Torah Observant Followers of Yeshua - Statement of Beliefs," December 28, 2006).
That is, Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, are "Jehovah: the one Triune God":
"That the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in the New Testament as being Jehovah (Heb. Yahweh) of the Old Testament come in the flesh, does not preclude the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity (Mt 28:19; 2Cor 13:14; 1Pet 1:2): the Father (Dt 32:6; Isa 63:16; 64:8; Mal 1:6) and the Holy Spirit (Lk 4:18 = Isa 61:1; Acts 5:3-4,9; 2Cor 3:17), also being, as revealed in the New Testament, Jehovah: the one Triune God." (Jones, S.E., "Jesus is Jehovah in the New Testament: Index," January 11, 2009).
So to answer your first question, "Can you please explain Psalms 110:1?" Yes, it is Jehovah God the Father speaking to Jehovah God the Son:
"Psalm 110:1... Jehovah's Witnesses ... argue ... that the Lord Jesus must be a mere created being, since Jehovah God is addressing a person distinct from himself. ... Knowledgeable Christians who read this verse will grasp that God the Father is speaking to the Son. " (Reed, D.A., 1986, "Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse," pp.35-36. My emphasis).
"... Psalm 110 shows God, the Father in heaven, talking to the Son (also God) upon the earth." (Reed, 1986, pp.36-37. My emphasis).
"Psalm 110:1-Jehovah and `My Lord'. ... This verse makes perfect sense within the scope of trinitarian theology. .... Scripture not only teaches that the Messiah would be the Son of David in terms of His humanity, it also teaches that He is God ... Here we have the first person of the Trinity speaking to the second person of the Trinity." (Rhodes, 1993, pp.161-162. My emphasis).
"Psalm 110:1 records a conversation between the Father and the Son ... [who is] God" (Geisler, N.L., 1999, "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics," p.130).
>Regards,
>
>AN
My regards to you too. If you are a Jehovah's Witness, I hope you can now see that the Watchtower Society is wrong in its claim that Jesus is Michael the archangel, and that Jesus actually is Jehovah, come in the flesh!
Stephen E. Jones.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & The Shroud of Turin
"Sitting in the Big Chair (Psalm 110:1) ... Psalm 110:1, in which David says, The LORD [YHWH] says to my Lord ['adoni]: `Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' (ESV) The Hebrew makes it clear that by `the LORD' and `my Lord' two different persons are in view. Jesus identified the second person ('my Lord') as the Messiah when he applied the text to himself. Earlier in Mark, Jesus points out something peculiar about this statement. The Jews typically expected the Messiah simply to be a descendant of David who would prove to be the ultimate human warrior-king. Yet David calls the future Messiah his `Lord:' How, Jesus asks, could the Messiah be David's son and also be his Lord (Mark 12:35-37)? Some modern readers of the Bible have suggested that Jesus was here denying that the Messiah would be a descendant of David, but this really misses the point. Jesus is not denying that the Messiah would be a descendant of David but is pointing out that somehow the Messiah would be much more than that. The Messiah would not be a mere Davidic king but would be a universal sovereign, sitting at God's right hand, honored as Lord even by his ancestor David. A careful examination of Psalm 110:1, and Jesus' application of it (in conjunction with Daniel 7:13) to himself, reveals how remarkable Jesus' claim was and why it seemed to the Sanhedrin to be blasphemous. It was one thing to enter God's presence and yet another to sit in it. But to sit at God's right side was another matter altogether. In the religious and cultural milieu of Jesus' day, to claim to sit at God's right hand was tantamount to claiming equality with God. ... For Jesus to claim that he would sit at God's right hand was akin to claiming, in an `Oriental' cultural context, that he would be entitled to have his head as high as that of the king. Jesus, then, was claiming the right to go directly into God's `throne room' and sit at his side. The temerity of such a claim for any mere human would be astonishing to the Jews of Jesus' day. The priests of the Sanhedrin, to whom Jesus made this claim, could not, as a rule, even go into the inner sanctum of the temple, known as the Holy of Holies. Many of them probably had never been inside it. The Holy of Holies could be entered only on a specific day in specific ways by one specific person. Failure to follow the instructions exactly resulted in death. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, carrying. the blood of a bull as offering for personal purification and the blood of a ram as offering for atonement for the people. This was followed by a change of garments and ritual washings (Lev. 16). In other words, one entered into God's presence in the temple cautiously. If entrance requirements to the earthly Holy of Holies were so strict, we can imagine what the Sanhedrin priests would have thought about Jesus claiming to have the right to enter God's heavenly presence. After all, the earthly temple was, according to Josephus, viewed as a model of the heavenly one [Josephus Antiquities 3.181-87]. Worse still, though, Jesus was claiming that he was going to enter permanently into the heavenly Holies of Holies and sit down. Jesus might as well have claimed that he owned the place! Indeed, that is what his statement amounted to. As Darrell Bock has put it, Jesus' claim `would be worse, in the leadership's view, than claiming the right to be able to walk into the Holy of Holies in the temple and live there!' [Bock, D.L., "Jesus According to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels," Baker: Grand Rapids, 2002, p.375]" (Bowman, R.M., Jr. & Komoszewski, J.E., 2007, "Putting Jesus In His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ," Kregel: Grand Rapids MI, pp.243-245).
"Perhaps the most peculiar Watchtower doctrine is the idea that Jesus is really Michael the archangel. This teaching is not typically mentioned when introducing the faith to a new recruit, as can be seen in the official overview of beliefs published by the Watchtower. If Witnesses have difficulty explaining any particular doctrine, it is this one. ... The clearest contradiction of such an idea can be found in the book of Hebrews (RSV:CE), where the sacred author asks, `For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son"' (1:5, citing Ps. 2:7) and `When he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him"' (1:6, citing Deut. 32:43). `Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire." But of the Son he says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever ..." and, "Thou, Lord, didst found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of thy hands"' (1:7-8, citing Ps. 104:4, 45:6, and 102:25). Here the author of Hebrews not only separates Jesus from angels, he even commands the angels to worship him (Heb. 1:6; cf. Rev. 5:13-14, 14:7). The first issue of Zion's Watch Tower magazine agreed: `"Let all the angels of God worship him" [that must include Michael] and "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever."' [Zion's Watch Tower, July 1879, p.9. Brackets and italics original]" (Evert, J., 2001, "Answering Jehovah's Witnesses," Catholic Answers: El Cajon CA, pp.72-73).
"Jesus Claimed to Be Messiah-God. ... But the Old Testament teaches that the coming Messiah would be God himself. So when Jesus claimed to be that Messiah, he was also claiming to be God. For example, the prophet Isaiah (in 9:6) calls the Messiah, `Mighty God.' The psalmist wrote of Messiah, `Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever' (Ps. 45:6; cf. Heb. 1:8). Psalm 110:1 records a conversation between the Father and the Son: `The LORD (Yahweh) says to my Lord (Adonai): 'Sit at my right hand.' Jesus applied this passage to himself in Matthew 22:43-44. In the great messianic prophecy of Daniel 7, the Son of Man is called the `Ancient of Days' (vs. 22), a phrase used twice in the same passage of God the Father (vss. 9, 13). Jesus also said he was the Messiah at his trial before the high priest. When asked, `Are you the Christ [Greek for `Messiah'], the Son of the Blessed One?' Jesus responded, `I am.... And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.' At this, the high priest tore his robe and said, `Why do we need any more witnesses? ...You have heard the blasphemy!' (Mark 14:61-64). There was no doubt that in claiming to be Messiah, Jesus also claimed to be God (see also Matt. 26:54; Luke 24:27)." (Geisler, N.L., 1999, "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics," Baker Books: Grand Rapids MI, pp.129-130).
"[Ps 110:1] The first line, after the title, runs literally, `The oracle of Yahweh to my lord'. It is an opening which stamps the next words as God's direct message to His King, on which verses 2 and 3 provide the inspired comment. ... The startling fact that David spoke of a king as my lord (cf. Knox, freely, `the Master I serve') was pointed out, as we have seen, by Christ, who left His hearers to think out its implications, and His apostles to spell them out. ... David here (so to speak) falls down and worships the Man who stands before him (cf. Jos. 5:14). Now follows God's oracle to David's lord. Sit at my right hand. The authority and power conferred by such an address will be illustrated in the remaining verses of the psalm; but it will take the New Testament to do it justice. a. He is not only greater than David (Acts 2:34., `for David did not ascend into the heavens') but greater than the angels (Heb. 1:13, `to what angel has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand..." ?'); b. God exalted Him as emphatically as man rejected Him (Acts 5:30f., `Jesus whom you killed ... God exalted ... at his right hand') c. It is as Saviour and Intercessor that He reigns (Acts 5:31 ; Rom. 8:34., `Christ ... who is at the right hand of God ... intercedes for us') d. ('Sit...') : In token of a finished task, He is seated (Heb. 10:11f., `every priest stands daily ..., offering repeatedly .... But ... Christ ... sat down at the right hand of God') e. (`till ...'): He awaits the last surrender (Heb. 10:13, `to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet'; cf. also 1 Cor. 15:25f.). So this single verse displays the divine Person of Christ, His power and the prospect before Him. Together with verse 4 it underlies most of the New Testament teaching on His glory as Priest-King." (Kidner, D., 1975, "Psalms 73-150: An Introduction and Commentary on Books III - IV of the Psalms," Tyndale Press: London, Reprinted, 2004, p.393. Emphasis and ellipses original).
"Psalm 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (KJV) Jehovah's Witnesses ... open their New World Translation and read the same verse: `The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is... .' They go on to argue (1) that the New World Translation is a superior Bible to use, because it does not have the Lord talking to himself; and (2) that the Lord Jesus must be a mere created being, since Jehovah God is addressing a person distinct from himself. To answer the first argument, it is only necessary to look at the text more closely. It does not say that `the Lord' was talking to `the Lord.' Most translations render the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH as `the LORD' (all capital letters), who is talking to the psalmist's `Lord' (both capital and small letters), the Messiah. .... Knowledgeable Christians who read this verse will grasp that God the Father is speaking to the Son . The second Witness argument-that Jesus cannot be God because `the LORD' spoke to him-is also a faulty one. The New Testament records many conversations between Jesus and the Father, but this does not disprove the deity of Christ. The Bible reveals that the Father is God (John 6:27, etc.) and that the Son is God (Isa. 9:6, John 20:28, etc.), yet there is only one God (1 Cor. 8:4)." (Reed, D.A., 1986, "Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Thirty-first printing, 2006, pp.35-36).
"In explaining to Witnesses the fact that Psalm 110 shows God, the Father in heaven, talking to the Son (also God) upon the earth, it may help to invite them to turn to Genesis 18 and 19 in their own New World Translation. There it says that `Jehovah appeared to him' [Abraham] as `three men' or angels (18:1-2). Abraham addressed the three as `Jehovah' (18:3). Two of them left Abraham and went toward the city of Sodom, but Abraham continued to address the remaining individual as `Jehovah'(18:22, 19:1). When the other two reached Sodom and spoke with Abraham's relative Lot, he addressed the two of them as `Jehovah' (19:18). And, when the city of Sodom was destroyed, the New World Translation says at Genesis 19:24: `Then Jehovah made it rain sulphur and fire from Jehovah, from the heavens ... .' So, unless the Witnesses want to claim that there is more than one Jehovah, they will have to admit that God can be in more than one place at the same time, and that he can hold simultaneous conversations with different people in different places. This should make it easier for them to grasp that the Father can talk to the Son, without calling into question the deity of Christ ." (Reed, 1986, pp.36-37).
"Hebrews 1:10-12 is actually a quotation from Psalm 102:25-27. It is highly revealing that the words in this psalm are addressed to Yahweh (God), but are directly applied to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:10-12, thus indicating Christ's full deity. ... Psalm 102:25 says of Yahweh: `In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.' ... the writer of Hebrews directly applies this verse to Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:10). Here we can do no better than to quote Robert Reymond, who in his book Jesus, Divine Messiah: The Old Testament Witness, comments: `We have to acknowledge that, apart from the use to which it is put in Hebrews 1, we probably would not have been quickly drawn to this psalm and to this particular passage in order to find a direct allusion to the divine Messiah. But the writer of Hebrews having done so, we not only can see immediately his rationale for doing so, but are also instructed by his method regarding the correct way to read and to interpret the Old Testament. What he ascribes to Christ by applying these verses in Psalm 102 to Jesus accords perfectly with what Paul (Col. 1:16-17) and John (John 1:3,10-11) teach elsewhere; and here he simply affirms what he himself had earlier affirmed in Hebrews 1:2: "... through whom [the Son] He made the universe." The Christian is thus reminded that the Old Testament Creator is the Son of God who acted as the Father's agent in creation.... We can only guess how many other such references there are to the divine Messiah in the Old Testament corpus.' [Reymond, R.L., Jesus, Divine Messiah: The Old Testament Witness Christian Focus Publications: Fearn, UK, 1990, p.16]" (Rhodes, R., 1992, "Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of the Preincarnate Christ," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, pp.44,63).
Psalm 110:1-Jehovah and `My Lord'. ... Psalm 110:1 in the New World Translation reads, `The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: `Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet' (emphasis added). The Jehovah's Witnesses say that since Jehovah is speaking in this verse, and since the `Lord' is a distinct person from Jehovah, then Jesus must not be God Almighty. Reasoning from the Scriptures explains that in Matthew 22:41-45 Jesus claims that He Himself is the `Lord' referred to by David in this psalm. They therefore conclude that Jesus is not Jehovah, but is the one to whom Jehovah's words were spoken. ["Reasoning from the Scriptures," 1989, p.198] ... This verse makes perfect sense within the scope of trinitarian theology. In the broader context of Matthew 22:41-46, we find Christ `putting the Pharisees into a corner' by asking them a question relating to the person of the Messiah. He asked, `Whose son is he?' (Matthew 22:42). They responded, `The Son of David.' Their answer was correct since the Old Testament thoroughly established the Davidic lineage of the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:14). But their answer was also incomplete. Scripture not only teaches that the Messiah would be the Son of David in terms of His humanity, it also teaches that He is God-and it is the latter fact that Christ wanted the Pharisees to acknowledge. Christ, of course, anticipated the Pharisees' half-answer. That's why in the next verse He quoted a Davidic psalm: `The LORD says to my Lord: `Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet' (Matthew 22:43; cf. Psalm 110:1). Now, the words `my Lord' are a reference to David's Messiah. This divine Messiah is invited to sit at the right hand of `the LORD' (God the Father). Here we have the first person of the Trinity speaking to the second person of the Trinity . [Reymond, R.L., "Jesus. Divine Messiah," Presbyterian & Reformed: Phillipsburg NJ, 1990, p.105]" (Rhodes, R., 1993, "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses," Harvest House: Eugene OR, Reprinted, 2006, pp.161-162. Emphasis original).
"Is Jehovah in the `Old Testament' Jesus Christ in the `New Testament'? Matt. 4:10: `Jesus said to him: `Go away, Satan! For it is written, `It is Jehovah ['the Lord,' KJ and others] your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.' (Jesus was obviously not saying that he himself was to be worshiped.) John 8:54: `Jesus answered [the Jews]: `If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifies me, he who you say is your God.' (The Hebrew Scriptures clearly identify Jehovah as the God that the Jews professed to worship. Jesus said, not that he himself was Jehovah, but that Jehovah was his Father. Jesus here made it very clear that he and his Father were distinct individuals.) Ps. 110:1: `The utterance of Jehovah to my [David's] Lord is: `Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.' (At Matthew 22:41-45, Jesus explained that he himself was David's `Lord,' referred to in this psalm. So Jesus is not Jehovah but is the one to whom Jehovah's words were here directed.)" (WB&TS, "Reasoning from the Scriptures," [1985], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, pp.197-198. Emphasis original).
"That a linguistic bridge was built early between Christ as kurios and Yahweh seems beyond dispute, and this bridge led naturally to a doctrinal identity between them. What could be said of Yahweh in the Old Testament could equally be said in many instances of Christ in the New Testament, and it was. Thus the words, 'before me every knee will bow, by me every tongue will swear' (Isa. 45:23), spoken of Yahweh, were seen to apply to Christ (Phil. 2:10, 11). The writer of Hebrews, likewise, used the words of Psalm 102:25-27, which celebrated Yahweh as Creator, equally of Christ (Heb. 1:10-12). These usages are, as we have already seen, but a small part of an extraordinary development which was characteristic of virtually the whole of the epistolatory section of the New Testament. What could be said of Yahweh, could be said of Christ. If the gospel was God's, then it was also Christ's. If the Kingdom was God's, then it was also Christ's. To have faith is, indiscriminately, to have faith either in God or in Christ, and God and Christ were alike to be praised, thanked, and worshiped. That being the case, the use of kurios became indistinguishable from the use of Theos in its content." (Wells, D.F., 1992, "The Person of Christ: A Biblical and Historical Analysis of the Incarnation," Bible Scholar Books: Alliance OH, p.76).
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