Jesus is Jehovah!: 2C. Jehovah promised that He would come to Jerusalem in Person

Continuing from part #6, "2B. Jehovah seen in the Old Testament was the pre-incarnate Jesus" with this part #7, "2C. Jehovah

[Above (click to enlarge): "The Procession in the Streets of Jerusalem," (1886-94), by James Joseph Jacques Tissot (1836-1902), Brooklyn Museum: Wikipedia, 4 May 2011. This depicts Jesus' coming to Jerusalem as its King, riding a donkey, as predicted in Zec 9:9 = Mt 21:5; Jn 12:15.]

promised that He would come to Jerusalem in Person." This is part of my series, "Jesus is Jehovah!" by topic, which is based on my morning `quiet time' Bible reading. See the Contents page for more details.

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JESUS IS JEHOVAH!
© Stephen E. Jones

Jesus is Jehovah!: Contents

2. JESUS IS JEHOVAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

2C. Jehovah promised that He would come to Jerusalem in Person

i. Israel was warned that Jehovah God was coming

Isa 40:3. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

This prophecy states that YHWH 'Elohim was coming. Yet it was applied to Jesus' coming by all four Gospels (Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4 and Jn 1:23).

"Old Testament passages about Yahweh were directly applied to Jesus ... Isaiah 40:3 says: `In the desert prepare the way for the LORD [Yahweh]; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God [Elohim].' ... fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus Christ (Mark 1:2-4)":

"It is also highly revealing that Old Testament passages about Yahweh were directly applied to Jesus in the New Testament. For instance, Isaiah 40:3 says: `In the desert prepare the way for the LORD [Yahweh]; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God [Elohim].' Mark's Gospel tells us that Isaiah's words were fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus (Rhodes, R., 1993, "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses," Harvest House: Eugene OR, Reprinted, 2006, p.64).

"Old Testament descriptions of God are applied to ... Christ .... Mat. 3:3 = `Make ye ready the way of the Lord'-is a quotation from Is. 40:3 = `Prepare ye ... the way of Jehovah'":

"Old Testament descriptions of God are applied to him. This application to Christ of titles and names exclusively appropriated to God is inexplicable, if Christ was not regarded as being himself God. The peculiar awe with which the term 'Jehovah' was set apart by a nation of strenuous monotheists as the sacred and incommunicable name of the one self-existent and covenant-keeping God forbids the belief that the Scripture writers could have used it as the designation of a subordinate and created being. Mat. 3:3 = `Make ye ready the way of the Lord'-is a quotation from Is. 40:3 = `Prepare ye ... the way of Jehovah.'" (Strong, A.H., 1907, "Systematic Theology," Judson Press: Valley Forge PA, Twenty-fifth printing, 1967, p.309).

"Perhaps the most famous such statement in Isaiah is the following: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: `Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.' (40:3 NKJV) The Synoptic Gospels quote this passage and apply it to John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord Jesus (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-6)":

"Isaiah, then, refers to the future Messiah as Immanuel, meaning `God is with us,' [Isaiah 7:14] and as `Mighty God' cf (Isa. 10:21). These are not the only statements in Isaiah that suggest that the Messiah will be God. Later in the book, Isaiah states repeatedly that God is coming to redeem, restore, and rule over his people (Isa. 40:9-11; 43:10-13; 59:15-20). Perhaps the most famous such statement in Isaiah is the following: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: `Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.' (40:3 NKJV) The Synoptic Gospels quote this passage and apply it to John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord Jesus (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-6). The New Testament teaching that Jesus is God, then, has significant precedent in Isaiah." (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.137-138).

"... there is the statement in verse 3 that Jehovah God would be coming. .. Jehovah God was prophesied to come, and John the Baptist prepared the way for Jehovah Jesus":

"ISAIAH 40:3 ...: A voice of one calling: `In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God....' This is a remarkable passage for several reasons. First, there is the statement in verse 3 that Jehovah God would be coming. This found fulfillment when John the Baptist prepared people for the Lord. Jesus Christ. He was the `voice' (cf. Matthew 3:3) preparing the way for Jehovah. Jehovah God was prophesied to come, and John the Baptist prepared the way for Jehovah Jesus. ... the entire chapter is rich in exalting Jehovah Jesus." (Humber, P.G., 1997, "Jehovah Jesus: A Reference Handbook and Study Guide on the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ," Skilton House Ministries: Philadelphia PA, pp.34-35. Emphasis original).

"In Isaiah 40:3 the way of Yahweh is being `made straight' ... in Matthew 3:3 it is the way of Jesus. This sort of identification of Jesus with Yahweh is common in the NT":

"[Mt 3:3] In Isaiah 40:3 the way of Yahweh is being `made straight' (a metaphor using road building to refer to repentance); in Matthew 3:3 it is the way of Jesus. This sort of identification of Jesus with Yahweh is common in the NT (e.g., Exod 13:21 and 1 Cor 10:4; Isa 6:1 and John 12:41; EPs 68:18 and Eph 4:8; Ps 102:25-27 and Heb 1:10-12) and confirms the kingdom as being equally the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Jesus." (Carson, D.A., "Matthew," in Gaebelein, F.E., ed., 1984, "The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Volume 8 - Matthew, Mark, Luke," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.102).

ii. Jehovah will come and dwell in Jerusalem

Zec 2:10. "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD."

"It is clear that Jehovah is the one coming and residing in Jerusalem ... God the Son":

"Zechariah 2:10-12 `Cry out... O daughter of Zion; for here I am coming, and I will reside in the midst of you,' is the utterance of Jehovah... And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me to you. And Jehovah will ... yet choose Jerusalem (NWT). It is clear that Jehovah is the one coming and residing in Jerusalem, not Zechariah as some Witnesses will try to say. But it is also clear that Jehovah of armies has sent Him. A clear case of two Jehovahs in the NWT. The only possible answer is that God the Father is sending God the Son." (Harris, D. & Browning, B., 1993, "Awake to the Watchtower," [1988], Reachout Trust: London, Revised, p.156. Emphasis original).

"For I am coming, and I will live among you,' declares the LORD. .... But who was it who eventually came to `live among' us? Was it, not the Lord Jesus, Jehovah God the Son in human flesh?":

"ZECHARIAH 2:10-11: `Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,' declares the LORD. `Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.' This passage clearly indicates the speaker to be `the LORD.' But who was it who eventually came to `live among' us? Was it, not the Lord Jesus, Jehovah God the Son in human flesh? He was indeed sent by `the LORD' (Jehovah the Father), and peoples of `many nations' have been `joined to the LORD.'" (Humber, 1997, p.41. Emphasis original).

iii. Jerusalem's King (who is Jehovah) will come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey

Zec 9:9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

In Zep 3:15 this coming King was identified as "The LORD" i.e. Jehovah:

Zep 3:14-15. 14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.

"A similar call to exult in Zephaniah 3:14 is linked with a proclamation of the presence of `the King of Israel, the Lord' (3:15) in the city":

"[Zec 9:]9. Rejoice greatly.... shout. A similar call to exult in Zephaniah 3:14 is linked with a proclamation of the presence of `the King of Israel, the Lord' (3:15) in the city. In Zechariah 2:10 there is a call to sing and rejoice because the Lord has promised to come to reside in Jerusalem, and now His arrival is to be accompanied with wild joy." (Baldwin, J.G., 1972, "Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary," Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries," Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester UK, Reprinted, 2003, p.164. Emphasis original).

The New Testament confirms that Jesus is that King (who is Jehovah):

Mt 21:1-11 (NIV). 1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 "Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Jn 12:12-16. 12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

iii. Jehovah (Heb. ha 'adon) will come to His temple (before 70 AD)

Mal 3:1. "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord (Heb. ha 'adon) whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple ..."

"... the word `Lord' (Heb. ha'adon ) used in verse 1c is singular and is preceded by the definite article. Since 'adon preceded by the definite article always refers to the divine Lord (e.g., Ex 23:17; 34:23; Isa 1:24; 3:1; 10:16, 33) [i.e. YHWH], he is certainly the one being referred to here":

"The Messiah As the Messenger of the Covenant (Malachi 3:1) The revelation of the character and work of the Messiah in Malachi 3 comes as an answer to the grievances of the complainers in the prophet's day who have wearied God with the old saws: `All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them.' Their punch line is: `Where is the God of justice [anyway]?' (Mal 2:17). It is as if they are saying, `God must love wicked people because he made so many of them!' But these crybabies will find out soon enough that God means business with evildoers, just as he means business with people who complain about them and in effect hide behind them to vindicate their own deeds of evil. God `will send [his] messenger, who will prepare the way before [him]' (Mal 3:1a). This messenger is a development of the preparer predicted in Isaiah 40:3-5. He is to be identified as John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and the power of Elijah (Mt 3:1-3; Mk 1:3; Lk 1:17, 76; 3:4; Jn 1:19-23). His job was to prepare the people morally and spiritually for the coming of the Messiah. Where, then, is the God of justice? The answer is surprising: `Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; [even] the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the LORD Almighty' (3:1c-e). There are a number of significant matters here. First, the word `Lord' (Heb. ha'adon ) used in verse 1c is singular and is preceded by the definite article. Since 'adon preceded by the definite article always refers to the divine Lord (e.g., Ex 23:17; 34:23; Isa 1:24; 3:1; 10:16, 33), he is certainly the one being referred to here. In fact, that was the Messiah's title in Psalm 110:1 ('The LORD says to my Lord')".(Kaiser, W.C., Jr., 1995, "The Messiah in the Old Testament," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, pp.227-228) .

"Jehovah ... spoke ... that He would be sending His messenger (John the Baptist, Matthew 11:10) to `prepare the way before me' (Jehovah). John actually cleared the way in preparation for ... the Lord Jesus Christ":

"MALACHI 3:1: `See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty. Jehovah Almighty ('LORD Almighty') spoke and indicated that He would be sending His messenger (John the Baptist, Matthew 11:10) to `prepare the way before me' (Jehovah). John actually cleared the way in preparation for `the messenger of the covenant,' the Lord Jesus Christ. In harmony with Isaiah 40:3 (above), the Lord Jesus is the Jehovah God who was to come." (Humber, 1997, p.44. Emphasis original).

"Jesus ... is called Lord in quotations from the Old Testament where the Old Testament word is Jahweh. In ... Malachi 3:1 ...`the Lord' is Jahweh ... Thus `the Lord,' whose ways John was to prepare, is none other than Jahweh Himself":

"Jesus Is Jahweh Not only is Jesus called God in the New Testament but he is called Lord in quotations from the Old Testament where the Old Testament word is Jahweh. In the prophecy of Zacharias (Luke 1:76) it is said of John the Baptist, `And thou, child, shalt be called Prophet of the Most High; thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.' It is obvious that Luke understood this prophecy as referring to John as the forerunner of Jesus. But Zacharias was alluding to Malachi 3:1 in which the word `the Lord' is Jahweh. `Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me, saith Jahweh of hosts:' Thus `the Lord,' whose ways John was to prepare, is none other than Jahweh Himself. Paul gives great emphasis to the prophecy of Joel. `Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved' (Rom. 10:13). It is clear in the context that Paul is calling Christ `the Lord,' but in Joel 2:32, in the phrase, `Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered,' `the Lord' in the Hebrew text is Jahweh. In the Romans 14:10 reference to the judgment of the saints, Paul adds a quotation from Isaiah 45:23. `As I live saith the Lord, every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess to God:' That Jahweh is the speaker in Isaiah's words is evident from verses 24 and 25. These passages indicate that Christ and God and Jahweh are one." (Buswell, J.O., Jr., 1962, "A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, Vol. I, Second printing, 1968, pp.104-105. Emphasis original).

The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society's own New World Translation admits that "the true Lord" [Heb. ha Adon`] in Malachi 3:1 is Jehovah: "... `the [true] Lord' This is the translation of the Hebrew expression ... ha-A-don' ... this prefixing of the definite article before the title a-don' limits the application of the title to Jehovah God. ... Malachi 3:1 Look! I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a way before me. And suddenly there will come to His temple the true Lord":

"Isaiah 1:24- `the [true] Lord' This is the translation of the Hebrew expression ... ha-A-don', this being the title A-don' ('Lord; Master') preceded by the Hebrew definite article ha. Although there are many lords or masters, this prefixing of the definite article before the title a-don' limits the application of the title to Jehovah God. (See Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, section 126, paragraph d, on pages 404, 405.) In the Hebrew Scriptures this expression ha-A-don' occurs nine times, as listed below: Exodus 23:17 On three occasions in the year every male of yours will appear before the face of the Lord Jehovah. 34:23 Three times in the year every male of yours is to appear before the true Lard, Jehovah, the God of Israel. Isaiah 1:24 Therefore the utterance of the true Lord, Jehovah of armies, the Powerful One of Israel, is: 3:1 For, look! the true Lord, Jehovah of armies, is removing from Jerusalem and from Judah support and stay, 10:16 Therefore the true Lord, Jehovah of armies, will keep sending upon his fat ones a wasting disease, 10:33 Look! The true Lord, Jehovah of armies, is lopping off boughs with a terrible crash; 19:4 `And I will deliver up Egypt into the hand of a hard master, and strong will be the king that will rule over them,' is the utterance of the true Lord, Jehovah of armies. Micah 4:13b and by a ban you will actually devote to Jehovah their unjust profit, and their resources to the true Lord of the whole earth.' Malachi 3:1 Look! I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a way before me. And suddenly there will come to His temple the true Lord, whom you people are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant in whom You are delighting." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1961, "New World translation of the Holy Scriptures," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, pp.1453-1454).

"In nine places in the Masoretic text, 'A•dhohn' has the definite article ha before it, so limiting application of the title to Jehovah. (... Mal 3:1) (my emphasis):

"The titles 'A•dhohn' and 'Adho•nim' are applied to Jehovah 25 times in the Scriptures. In nine places in the Masoretic text, 'A•dhohn' has the definite article ha before it, so limiting application of the title to Jehovah. (Ex 23:17; 34:23; Isa 1:24; 3:1; 10:16, 33; 19:4; Mic 4:13; Mal 3:1) At all six places where 'A•dhohn' without the definite article refers to Jehovah, it describes him as Lord (Owner) of the earth and so is not ambiguous. (Jos 3:11, 13; Ps 97:5; 114:7; Zec 4:14; 6:5) At the ten places where 'Adho•nim' is used of Jehovah, the immediate context makes certain his identity.- De 10:17; Ne 8:10; 10:29; Ps 8:1, 9; 135:5; 136:3; 147:5; Isa 51:22; Ho 12:14." ("LORD," in "Insight on the Scriptures: Volume 2: Jehovah - ZuZim," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1988, p.267. Emphasis original).

But the only Lord who came while the temple of Malachi's day ("slightly before Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in 445 BCE"-Malachi, Wikipedia, 20 November 2011 ) was still in existence (the Second Temple which was built in 516 BC and destroyed in AD 70) was the Lord Jesus Christ:

"To answer these questions, we turn to the next piece of prophetic evidence, coming from the Book of Malachi, written somewhere around 400 B.C.E. (i.e., less than 150 years after the rebuilding of the Second Temple). Here we have a more explicit statement: There was to be a divine visitation at the Second Temple- and for many of our people it would be bad news, not good news, a time of judgment rather than joy. ... Malachi 3:1-5 ...We see from this passage that the Lord (in Hebrew, ha'adon, always used with reference to God in the Hebrew Bible when it has the definite article), preceded by his messenger, would visit the Second Temple, purifying some of his people and bringing judgment on others. That is to say, there would be a divine visitation of great import that would occur in the days of the Second Temple ... the Messiah was to come to the Temple that stood in Malachi's day (and note also that it is called `his Temple'-pointing clearly to the divine nature of the `Lord' spoken' of here). .... the Messiah must have come before the Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E.; if not, God's Word has failed." (Brown, M.L., 2000, "Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: Volume 1: General and Historical Objections," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Eighth printing, 2007, pp.77-78. Emphasis original).

"The true Lord whom the people are seeking and the only one ever to come to the temple, is Jesus. The ... Hebrew for `true lord' is ha-Adon .... The 1970 NWT (p. 1455) explains further that ha-Adon is only ever used of Jehovah God ... Christ is the true Lord, Jehovah":

"Malachi 3:1 This verse and footnote in NWT, 1971 large print edition, gives the Witness all sorts of problems `Look! I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a way before me. And suddenly there will certainly come to His temple the [true] Lord, whom you people are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you are delighting. Look! He will certainly come,' Jehovah of armies has said (NWT). Clearly Jehovah is speaking about the true Lord whom He will send. The true Lord whom the people are seeking and the only one ever to come to the temple, is Jesus. The footnote says that the Hebrew for `true lord' is ha-Adon and cites eight other occurrences of the word. The 1970 NWT (p. 1455) explains further that ha-Adon is only ever used of Jehovah God. The nine Scriptures, Exodus 23:17; 34:23; Isaiah 1:24; 3:1; 10:16; 10:33; 19:4; Micah 4:13 and Malachi 3:1 are listed and every one of them links the name Jehovah with true Lord, usually `the true Lord, Jehovah'. Every one that is except Malachi 3:1! The reason is obvious- first, the verse would show that Jehovah was sending Jehovah, but more devastating it would show that Christ is the true Lord, Jehovah." (Harris & Browning, 1993, p.155. Emphasis original).

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My next post in this series is part #8, "3. Jesus claimed to be Jehovah: 3A. Jesus claimed to be `I AM.'"

Stephen E. Jones, B.Sc., Grad. Dip. Ed.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & The Shroud of Turin

Re: `Jesus said, "The Father is greater than I am"'

Anonymous

Thank you for your comment under my post "Jesus is Jehovah!: Contents." As I briefly responded, I am answering your

[Above (click to enlarge): Some of the "34 mint-condition properties in Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo that the Jehovah's Witnesses spent decades accumulating and now are considering selling as they ponder a headquarters move upstate" which "All told, the portfolio spans 3.2 million square feet-more than the entire Empire State Building-and is worth well over $1 billion." (Amanda Fung, "Hallelujah! Jehovah's Witnesses' land sell-off has Brooklyn dreaming big," Crain's New York Business.com, October 16, 2011). Not bad for a religion that boasts, "we don't pass around the money basket like everyone else" (see below)!]

comment in a (this) separate post. Your words are >bold to distinguish them from mine.

>Jesus said, "The Father is greater than I am."

This is an example of how Jehovah's Witnesses play `Bible ping-pong', that is, "pit one part of Scripture against another part to force the Bible to agree with their [the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's] doctrine":

"In short, Jehovah's Witnesses pit one part of Scripture against another part to force the Bible to agree with their doctrine. This is one of the most frequent errors of Jehovah's Witness biblical interpretation. John 14:28 is said to rule out the possibility that John 1:1 makes Jesus God, regardless of the particular language used in John 1:1 (and indeed, without careful consideration of the precise language and context of John 14:28). In personal dialogue with Jehovah's Witnesses I have seen this error committed repeatedly. One rather naive Jehovah's Witness even presented me with a list of Scriptures `pro' and `con' on the Trinity, with texts such as John 1:1 listed as `pro' and John 14:28 listed as `con'!" (Bowman, R.M., Jr., 1991, "Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses: Why They Read the Bible the Way They Do," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, p.107. Emphasis original).

The correct approach is the Christian one, which is to accept what the Bible teaches, that is, both:

1) Jesus is God (Mt 1:23; Jn 1:1; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 9:5; Php 2:5-6; Col 2:9; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2Pet 1:1; 1Jn 5:20):

"A Summary of ... Theos, as a Christological Title In light of this overwhelming amount of evidence for Jesus' full, unabridged deity, it is not at all surprising, as noted, that upon occasion the New Testament writers actually refer to him as ... theos, the title normally reserved for the Father. For example, 1. Exactly one week after Jesus' resurrection, in the presence of the other ten disciples, Thomas worshiped him by his acclamation: `[You are] my Lord and my God' (John 20:28). 2. In his letter to the Romans Paul speaks of him as `over all, the ever-blessed God' (Rom. 9:5). 3. In his letter to Titus Paul speaks of Christ as `our great God and Savior' (Titus 2:13). 4. In his farewell address to the Ephesians elders at Miletus, Paul charged: `Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood' (Acts 20:28). 5. In his second letter Peter refers to him as `our God and Savior Jesus Christ' (2 Pet. 1:1). 6. In the Letter to the Hebrews God himself is represented as referring to the Son as `God' (Heb. 1:8). 7. In the first verse of his Gospel John informs us: `In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,' [Jn 1:1] and then he writes: `And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us' (John 1:24). 8. In John 1:18, the closing verse of his prologue, John writes: `No one has seen God at any time. But his only [Son, himself] God, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.' 9. In 1 John 5:20, John writes: `we are ... in his Son, Jesus Christ. This One is the true God and Eternal Life.' Thus the New Testament intends to teach that Jesus Christ is divine in the same sense that God the Father is divine." (Reymond, R., "A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith," [1997], Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville TN, Second edition, 2002, p.311. Emphasis original);

and

2) Jesus' statement that, "the Father is greater than I":

"You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." (Jn 14:28).

Here are some quotes that explain how Jesus can both be God (i.e. share God the Father's God-nature), and yet the Father was greater than Jesus:

"How can the Father be greater if Jesus is equal to God? The answer is that, as a man, Jesus subordinated himself to the Father and accepted limitations inherent with humanity":

"The second supposed counter-example is found in John 14:28, where Jesus said, `My Father is greater than I' How can the Father be greater if Jesus is equal to God? The answer is that, as a man, Jesus subordinated himself to the Father and accepted limitations inherent with humanity. So, as man the Father was greater. Further, in the economy of salvation, the Father holds a higher office than does the Son. Jesus proceeded from the Father as a prophet who brought God's words and a high priest who interceded for his people. In nature of being as God, Jesus and the Father are equals (John 1:1; 8:58; 10:30). An earthly father is equally human with his son, but holds a higher office. So the Father and Son in the Trinity are equal in essence but different in function. In like manner, we speak of the president of a nation as being greater in dignity of office, but not in character." (Geisler, N.L., 1999, "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics," Baker Books: Grand Rapids MI, pp.130-131. Emphasis original).

"... then Christ could speak of the Father as being `greater than I.' The Son had even become `lower than the angels,' in order to act as the Savior of mankind (Heb. 2:9)":

"John 14:28 `... If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I' (KJV). This is a favorite verse for Jehovah's Witnesses arguing against the deity of Christ. They begin by quoting from the Athanasian Creed: `And in this Trinity none is afore, or after an other; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three persons are co-eternal, and coequal.' Then they will read Jesus' words about the Father being greater than the Son, rather than `equal,' as that creed says. Don't let JW's lure you into this trap. Remind them that Jesus was speaking at a time when he had done as stated at Philippians 2:6-7: `Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men' (KJV). Naturally, then, Christ could speak of the Father as being `greater than I.' The Son had even become `lower than the angels,' in order to act as the Savior of mankind (Heb. 2:9)." (Reed, D.A., 1986, "Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Thirty-first printing, 2006, pp.79-80).

"When Jesus said, `My Father is greater than I,' [Jn 14:28] `He spoke .... in the form of a servant (Phil 2:7) and as a man, the Son was subject to the Father":

"When Jesus said, `My Father is greater than I,' [Jn 14:28] `He spoke the truth; for in the form of a servant (Phil 2:7) and as a man, the Son was subject to the Father willingly; but upon His resurrection and in the radiance of His glory (vv. 9-11*), He showed forth His deity when He declared, `All authority is surrendered to me in heaven and in earth' (Mt 28:18) ... [and] that `all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father' (Jn 5:23, KJV)." (Martin, W.R. & Klann, N., 1953, "Jehovah of the Watchtower," Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington MN, Reprinted, 1974, pp.44-45. *Typo corrected).

"Christ ... was `positionally inferior' to His Father ... However, in essence and in glory the Son is equal with the Father":

"The Father greater Christ said, `I go unto the Father, for my Father is greater than I' (John 14:28). Christ here is speaking as a man. We must remember that in the Incarnation our Lord voluntarily limited Himself. While upon earth the Saviour's attributes of Deity were held in abeyance; namely, His omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. The miracles which Christ performed were done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ performed His mighty works not as God (which He ever remained) but as man. Even though the attributes of Deity were not fully used by Christ during His earthly ministry, He was still God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). When the Son of God was upon earth, the Father was indeed greater than the Son. However, it is equally as true that when God's Son walked this fallen world, He was even less than Himself! This truth is made abundantly clear when we recall that Christ `took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' (Phil. 2:7). It would be sheer arrogance for a mere creature to say, `THE ETERNAL FATHER IS GREATER THAN I AM.' In what way was the Father greater than the Son? And we might also ask, `In what way was the Son of God even less than Himself?' Christ here is certainly not comparing His own human nature with the Divine nature of the Father. The context clearly reveals that Christ is speaking words of comfort to His disciples. What Christ is comparing here is His present earthly condition with the celestial glory which would soon be His once again [Jn 17:5]. In other words, Christ is saying here that His glorification and return to the Father would enable Him to bestow greater blessing and greater power unto His disciples. `Greater works than these shall he (the believer) do; because I go unto my Father' (John 14:12). Christ said unto His disciples: `If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I' It is thus clear that while Christ was on earth as a humble servant, He was `positionally inferior' to His Father and for this reason could say: `My father is greater than I' However, in essence and in glory the Son is equal with the Father." (Thomas, F.W., 1972, "Masters of Deception: A Christian Analysis of the Anti-Biblical Teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Third printing, 1973, pp.16-17. Emphasis original).

"Thus, the Athanasian Creed states that Christ is `equal to the Father as touching his Godhead and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood'":

"Finally, something needs to be said about the question of the submission of the Son to the Father. No trinitarian questions that when Christ was on earth he lived in submission to God the Father. The Father in heaven was exalted while the Son was humble; the Father was greater than Christ (John 14:28). Christ's human nature was not itself divine; the manhood of Christ was created, and therefore Christ as man had to honor the Father as his God. Thus, the Athanasian Creed states that Christ is `equal to the Father as touching his Godhead and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood.' There is no question from a trinitarian perspective that, as man, Christ was in submission to the Father." (Bowman, R.M., Jr., 1989, "Why You Should Believe in the Trinity: An Answer to Jehovah's Witnesses," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Third printing, 1990, pp.14-15).

"Jesus specifically said, `The Father is greater [Gk. meizon] than I' not, `The Father is better [Gk kreitton] than I'. The word `greater' is used to point to the Father's greater position (in heaven), not a greater nature":

"John 14:28-'The Father Is Greater than I' .... The Watchtower Society concludes from this that because Jehovah is the `greater' of the two, Jesus cannot be God Almighty. The fact that Jesus is lesser than Jehovah proves that He cannot be God in the same sense that Jehovah is. ... It is critical to recognize that in John 14:28, Jesus is not speaking about His nature or His essential being (Christ had earlier said, `I and the Father are one' in this regard [John 10:30]), but rather about His lowly position in the incarnation. ... Now, it is important that you emphasize the distinction between the Greek words for greater (meizon) and better (kreitton). Jesus specifically said, `The Father is greater than I' not, `The Father is better than I'. The word `greater' is used to point to the Father's greater position (in heaven), not a greater nature. Had the word `better' been used, however, this would indicate that the Father has a better nature than Jesus. This distinction is made clear in Hebrews 1:4, where `better' is used in regard to Jesus' superiority over the angels. The word `better' in this verse indicates that Jesus is not just higher than the angels positionally; rather, He is higher than the angels in His very nature. Jesus is different (better) in kind and in nature from the angels. This distinction between `greater' and `better' can be illustrated in the president of the United States. The president is in a higher position than the rest of us. Therefore, the president is greater (meizon) than the rest of us. However, he is still just a human being-and thus he is not better (kreitton) than the rest of us. Notice that Jesus never used the word `better' regarding His relationship with the Father, for He is not inferior or lower in nature than the Father. Rather, Jesus used a word ('greater') that points to the Father being higher in position only. During the time of the incarnation, Jesus functioned in the world of humanity, and this necessitated Jesus being lower than the Father positionally." (Rhodes, R., 1993, "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses", Harvest House: Eugene OR, Reprinted, 2006, pp.146-147. Emphasis original).

"In fact, rightly understood this is a claim of the highest import ... No mere man or angelic being could ever say `God is greater than I'":

"John 14:28. `My Father is greater than I'. This can refer only to the self-imposed limitations of the Son in His incarnation. He has already claimed equality with God (John 5:18), and oneness with Him (John 10:30), but He was not only true God, He was now also true man. In fact, rightly understood this is a claim of the highest import, for only things of the same order of magnitude can be compared. No mere man or angelic being could ever say `God is greater than I', for created and uncreated are of different orders." (Bruce, F.F. & Martin, W.J., 1964, "The Deity of Christ," North of England Evangelical Trust: Manchester UK, p.22. Emphasis original).

>Jehovah God is our almighty God, and Jesus Christ is his son.

First, Jesus is Jehovah, come in the flesh:

"The New Testament writers, convinced that Jesus Christ was God, saw no conflict in ascribing to Jesus Old Testament passages that referred to YHWH (Jehovah)":

"The New Testament writers, convinced that Jesus Christ was God, saw no conflict in ascribing to Jesus Old Testament passages that referred to YHWH (Jehovah). Beginning his Gospel, Mark quoted Isaiah's reference to God: `A voice is calling, `Clear the way for the LORD [Yahweh] in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God' (Isaiah 40:3). Mark interpreted that passage as having its fulfillment in John the Baptist's preparing the way for Jesus (Mark 1:24; compare John 1:23). Paul quoted Joel 2:32, `And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD [Yahweh] will be delivered [saved].' Paul applied that quote to Jesus, writing about Him and saying, `for `Whoever will call upon the name of the LORD will be saved' ` (Romans 10:13). Peter quoted the same verse from Joel. `Every one who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved' (Acts 2:21). Then when the people asked what they had to do to be saved, Peter told them, `Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ ...' (Acts 2:38). Having just stated that calling upon the name of the Lord (Yahweh) was a prerequisite for salvation, Peter tells them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Had Peter not considered Christ God, one would have expected him to tell them to be baptized in the name of Yahweh, which would have been consistent with Jewish practice and belief." (McDowell, J. & Larson, B., "Jesus: A Biblical Defense of his Deity," Here's Life Publishers: San Bernardino CA, 1975, pp.23-24. Emphasis original).

"The New Testament writers show no hesitancy in applying to Christ Old Testament descriptions and privileges that are reserved specifically for Yahweh":

"Old Testament Yahweh Passages Applied to Jesus The New Testament writers show no hesitancy in applying to Christ Old Testament descriptions and privileges that are reserved specifically for Yahweh. For instance, (1) Moses' description of Yahweh as "King of kings" (Deut. 10:17) John applies to Christ (Rev. 17:14; 19:16); (2) the author of Hebrews applies the entirety of Psalm 102:25-27 to him (1:10-12); (3) Proverbs 18:10 provides the background for Peter's assertion in Acts 4:12; (4) Joel's summons to trust in Yahweh (2:32) Paul employs to summon men to faith in Christ (Rom. 10:13); (5) when Isaiah looked upon Yahweh (Isa. 6:1-3), according to John he was beholding the glory of the preincarnate Son of God (John 12:40-41); (6) Isaiah's call to sanctify Yahweh in the heart (8:12-13) Peter applies directly to Christ-he is the one who is to be sanctified as Lord in the heart (1 Pet. 3:14-15); (7) Isaiah's representation of Yahweh as a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall (8:14) Paul applies to Christ (Rom. 9:32-33); (8) Yahweh, whose coming would be preceded by Yahweh's forerunner (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1; 4:5), is equated with Christ (Matt. 3:3; 11:10; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 1:16-17; 3:4; John 1:23); (9) Jesus himself employs Yahweh's words in Isaiah 43:10 and 45:22 to summon men to be his witnesses and to rest in him (Acts 1:8; Matt. 11:28); (10) Isaiah's description of Yahweh as "the first and the last" (44:6) John employs to describe the glorified Christ (Rev. 2:8; 22:12-13); (11) Yahweh, `before whom every knee shall bow and by whom every mouth shall swear (Isa. 45:23), Paul identifies as Christ (Rom. 14:10; Phil. 2:10); and (12) Yahweh, the pierced One upon whom men would look and mourn (Zech. 12:10), John tells us is the Christ (John 19:37)." (Reymond, 2002, pp.311-312. Emphasis original).

See also my CED blog post, "Jesus is Jehovah!," my series "Jesus is Jehovah in the New Testament," and my new series, "Jesus is Jehovah!" (by topic).

Second, Jesus is "almighty God" in that, following His return back to His former place in Heaven, the Father has given Him all power over all things (my emphasis below):

Mt 28:18. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Eph 1:20-21. that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Jn 13:3. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,

1Cor 15:27. For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet."

Jesus is even called "the Lord God ... who is to come, the Almighty":

Rev 1:7-8. "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

The Father was not "pierced" and it is Jesus "who is to come" not the Father. Also, "the Alpha and the Omega" is "the Almighty" but Jesus is "the Alpha and the Omega":

Rev 22:12-13. "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."

Third, that "Jesus Christ is his [God's] son" means that Jesus shares God the Father's God-nature, just as a human son shares his father's human-nature.

Even the Watchtower's New World Translation correctly translates the first-century Jewish leaders' understanding that Jesus "calling God his own Father" meant that He was "making himself equal to God":

Jn 5:18 NWT. On this account, indeed, the Jews began seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

>J.W'S don't spin the Bible for enhanced eye candy like all the others do,

That "J.W'S ... spin the Bible" to make it conform to Watchtower doctrine was tacitly admitted by the Watchtower itself in its warning that if JWs "read the Bible exclusively" then they will come to believe what Christianity teaches:

"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those who ... say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago ..." ("Serving Jehovah `Shoulder to Shoulder'," Watchtower, Aug 15, 1981, pp.28-29, p.29).

>we simply practice our faith according to the true & pure form of Christianity.

If that were the case then you would be called Jesus' witnesses, which is what even the NWT admits Jesus commanded His followers to be:

"You will be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the most distant parts of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NWT).

And if JWism was "the true & pure form of Christianity," the Watchtower Society would not have stated that JWs are "a people, not for the name of Jesus":

"By means of his written Word upon which the light of fulfilled prophecy was shining Jehovah led the remnant to appreciate more the importance and preciousness of his name. They came to appreciate that they were a people, not for the name of Jesus, but for the name of Jehovah ..." ("Of Which God Are You a Witness?" The Watchtower, February 15, 1964, pp.104-111, p.109).

Nor would the Society have reduced in its songbook the number of songs praising Jesus from its 1905 edition where there were "twice as many songs praising Jesus as ... songs praising Jehovah" down to its 1984 songbook, where "Jehovah is honored by four times as many songs as is Jesus":

"In the songbook produced by Jehovah's people in 1905, there were twice as many songs praising Jesus as there were songs praising Jehovah God. In their 1928 songbook, the number of songs extolling Jesus was about the same as the number extolling Jehovah. But in the latest songbook of 1984 [Sing Praises to Jehovah], Jehovah is honored by four times as many songs as is Jesus." (WB&TS, 1988, "Revelation: Its Grand Climax At Hand!," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, p.36).

And in fact this is overstating it. I have read through that 1984 JW songbook, and there are no songs in it praising Jesus! So according to the Watchtower's own New World Translation, by failing to "honor the Son just as they honor the Father," the Watchtower "does not honor the Father who sent him":

Jn 5:23 NWT. "in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."

So JWism is not even Christianity, let alone being "the true & pure form of Christianity"!

>Also, we don't pass around the money basket like everyone else.

First, there is nothing wrong with Christian churches in their services passing around a "money basket" to enable those who want to to contribute to the Lord's work. The New Testament records the Apostle Paul directing the churches he founded regarding "the collection for the saints" that "On the first day of every week [Sunday], each of you is to put something aside and store it up":

1Cor 16:1-2. Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

This became the pattern of Christian giving in the Early Church. Second-century Christian apologist "Justin Martyr indicates (in his Apology, 1. 67-68) that in his time (c. A.D. 150) offerings were brought to the church on Sundays":

"[1Cor ] 16:1 Now about Again an answer to one of the questions of the Corinthians (cf. 7:1; 8:1; 12:1). God's people. His people at Jerusalem (cf. v. 3; Ro 15:26). Galatian churches. The fact that the Galatian and Macedonian churches (2Co 8:1; 9:1-4) are involved, along with the Corinthians, indicates that the collection of this offering was quite widespread. The Jerusalem saints may have become poverty-stricken because of the famine recorded in Ac 11:28 (c. A.D. 44 or 46), or because of the persecution of Jerusalem Christians (cf. Ac 8:1). 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside. Every Sunday each person was to bring what he had set aside for the Lord's work-an amount proportionate to his income. Since it was to be brought on Sunday, the new day for worship (cf. Ac 20:7; Rev 1:10), probably it was collected at the worship service, not at home. Justin Martyr indicates (in his Apology, 1. 67-68) that in his time (c. A.D. 150) offerings were brought to the church on Sundays." (Barker, K., et al., eds., 1985, "The NIV Study Bible," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.1758).

To the same church in Corinth, Paul laid down some principles of ongoing Christian giving in a church context, including it should be "a willing gift, not as an exaction" (or as the KJV put it "give; not grudgingly, or of necessity") "for God loves a cheerful giver":

2Cor 9:5-7. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. The point is this:whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Second, see above Crain's New York Business.com article that the Watchtower's Brooklyn buildings alone are "worth well over $1 billion." Clearly they were paid for by the forced `donations' and `slave labour' of millions of individual JWs.

A commenter to that article answers your boast above that the "Jehovah's Witness religion makes a big deal about it not 'taking collection plates' at assemblies or Kingdom Hall meetings":

"This Jehovah's Witness religion makes a big deal about it not 'taking collection plates' at assemblies or Kingdom Hall meetings. Yet they encourage brainwashed elderly people to leave their estates to its financial holdings and they `guilt goad guilt trip' everyone who is a member to do everything for the corporation for free. A collection plate is nickles and dimes compared to the charitable giving article they publish in the Watchtower suggesting that members donate their estate, jewelry, stocks and investments to the corporation. See the Watchtower of November 2007 and it will show that this is true. Go to a JW convention and see they have `contribution' boxes at every egress.Why settle for some meager chump change in a plate when you can go after the big bucks of an estate? What a religious racket!"

The reference above to "the Watchtower of November 2007" presumably includes the following from that issue, which outlines "Ways ... to give contributions" to the Watchtower Society, including "amount[s] ... place[d] in the contribution boxes," "donations of money sent directly to Watch Tower," "Jewelry or other valuables," the WB&TS "named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a retirement/pension plan," "Bank accounts ... made payable on death to" the WB&TS, donations to the WB&TS of " Stocks and bonds," "Salable real estate," "A gift annuity" and "Property or money ... bequeathed to" the WB&TS:

"WAYS IN WHICH SOME CHOOSE TO GIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLDWIDE WORK Many set aside, or budget, an amount that they place in the contribution boxes labeled `Contributions for the Worldwide Work-Matthew 24:14.' Each month, congregations forward these amounts to the office of Jehovah's Witnesses that serves their respective countries. Voluntary donations of money may also be sent directly to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Attention Treasurer's Office, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483, or to the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses that serves your country. Checks sent to the above address should be made payable to `Watch Tower.' Jewelry or other valuables may be donated as well. A brief letter stating that such items are an outright gift should accompany these contributions. CONDITIONAL-DONATION TRUST ARRANGEMENT Money may be placed in trust with Watch Tower for use worldwide. However, upon request the funds will be returned. For more information, please contact the Treasurer's Office at the address noted above. CHARITABLE PLANNING In addition to outright gifts of money, there are other methods of giving to benefit Kingdom service worldwide. These include: Insurance: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania may be named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a retirement/pension plan. Bank Accounts: Bank accounts, certificates of deposit, or individual retirement accounts may be placed in trust for or made payable on death to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, in accord with local bank requirements. Stocks and Bonds: Stocks and bonds may be donated to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania as an outright gift. Real Estate: Salable real estate may be donated either by making an outright gift or, in the case of residential property, by reserving a life estate to the donor, who can continue to live therein during his or her lifetime. Contact the branch office in your country before deeding any real estate. Gift Annuity: A gift annuity is an arrangement whereby one transfers money or securities to a designated corporation that is used by Jehovah's Witnesses. In exchange, the donor, or someone designated by the donor, receives a specified annuity payment every year for life. The donor receives an income-tax deduction for the year in which the gift annuity is established. Wills and Trusts: Property or money may be bequeathed to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania by means of a legally executed will, or Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania may be named as beneficiary of a trust agreement. A trust benefiting a religious organization may provide certain tax advantages." ("The Silver Is Mine, and the Gold Is Mine," The Watchtower, November 1, 2007, pp. 20-21. Emphasis original).

What HYPOCRISY ! The Watchtower Society (and JWs like you) criticise Christian churches for their Biblical financing of their Lord's work by taking up a freewill offering during the Sunday church service. Yet the Society has its "contribution boxes" which amounts to the same thing (I have even been in a Christian church which uses the same method in lieu of a collection). But in addition to its multi-million dollar book-publishing business using `slave labour', the Watchtower Society has many other ways (see above) of sucking money out of its impoverished and enslaved members, which has enabled it to build its multi-billion-dollar empire!

Stephen E. Jones, BSc., Grad. Dip. Ed.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & The Shroud of Turin

Jesus is Jehovah!: 2B. Jehovah seen in the Old Testament was the pre-incarnate Jesus

Here is part #6, "2B. Jehovah seen in the Old Testament was the pre-incarnate Jesus," of my series, "Jesus is Jehovah!" by topic, which is based on my morning `quiet time' Bible reading.

[Above (click to enlarge): "God Appears to Moses in Burning Bush" (1848), by Eugene Pluchart (1809-1880), St. Isaac of Dalmatia Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia: Wikipedia.]

My previous post in this series was part #5, "2A. Plurality in Jehovah was revealed in the Old Testament" See the Contents page for more details.

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JESUS IS JEHOVAH!
© Stephen E. Jones

Jesus is Jehovah!: Contents

2. JESUS IS JEHOVAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

B. Jehovah seen in the Old Testament was the pre-incarnate Jesus

i. No human has ever seen God the Father

The following verses make it clear that no human being has ever seen (or could see) God the Father:

Jn 1:18. "No one has ever seen God ...."

Jn 5:37. "And the Father .... his form you have never seen"

Jn 6:46."not that anyone has seen the Father ..."

1Jn 4:12. "No one has ever seen God ... "

1Tim 6:16. "[God] who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see."

Col 1:15. "He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God ..."

1Tim 1:17. "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God ...."

ii. Yet in the Old Testament some humans did see God

Gn 32:30. " So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered."

Ex 24:9-10. " Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness."

Jdgs 13:21-22. " The angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife.Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, for we have seen God."

Isa 6:1,5. " In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ... And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

iii. Who they saw was God the Son, the pre-incarnate Jesus

"... every visible manifestation of God in bodily form in Old Testament times was a preincarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity-Jesus Christ":

"From a theological perspective, it would seem unlikely that the Angel of the Lord was the Father or the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that God the Father is invisible (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17) and `lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see ...' (1 Tim. 6:16). John's Gospel tells us that `no one has ever seen God [the Father], but God the One and Only [Jesus Christ], who is at the Father's side, has made him known' (John 1:18, inserts mine). John 5:37 tells us that no one has ever seen God the Father's form. These passages indicate that it was the Son's unique function to make the Father, who has never been seen, known to man. We know that `the One and Only' is Jesus Christ, for John tells us: `The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth' (1:14, italics added). This One and Only, Jesus Christ, was sent to reveal and manifest the invisible God to the world. ... In view of the above factors, it is safe to assume that every visible manifestation of God in bodily form in Old Testament times was a preincarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity-Jesus Christ." (Rhodes, R., 1992, "Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of the Preincarnate Christ," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, pp.85-86. Emphasis original).

"Who did Isaiah see in Isaiah 6? Who walked with Abraham by the oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18:1)? None other than the preincarnate Jesus Christ, the eternal Logos":

"... John ... in John 1:18 he provides us with a summary statement ... for his prologue. Here's what he wrote: `No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.' (NASB). ... John tells us that no one has seen God at any time. Is this true? Are there not many instances of men seeing God in the Old Testament? Did not Isaiah say that he saw the Lord sitting upon His throne in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-3)? So what is John saying? How can we understand his words? The key is found in the final phrases of verse 18, specifically, `who is at the Father's side.' When John says `no one has seen God at any time,' he is referring to the Father. No man has seen the Father at any time. So how do we have knowledge of the Father? The monogenes `made Him known' or `explained Him .' ... Another important fact to note from this verse is that if indeed no one has seen the Father, then what does this tell us of the Son? Who did Isaiah see in Isaiah 6? Who walked with Abraham by the oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18:1)? None other than the preincarnate Jesus Christ, the eternal Logos. John will develop this thought later in his Gospel, as we shall see when we examine those passages that identify Jesus as Yahweh." (White, J.R., 1998, "The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering the Heart of Christian Belief," Bethany House: Minneapolis MN, pp.62-63. Emphasis original).

a. Only the "only begotten God," Jesus, has been seen by man

Jn 1:18 (NASB). "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."

Jn 14:9. Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Mt 11:27. "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

b. Jehovah whom Isaiah saw (Isa 6:1-10) was the pre-incarnate Jesus (Jn 12:37-41)

"The only `Him' in the context is Jesus; hence, for John, Isaiah, when he saw Yahweh on His throne, was in reality seeing the Lord Jesus":

"It is not hard to understand why there have been many who have not wished to make the connection that John makes between Jesus and Yahweh. One cannot make this identification outside of a Trinitarian understanding of the Gospel ... If Jesus is identified as ego eimi in the sense of the Old Testament ani hu ["I AM" - Isa 41:4; 43:10; 46:4], then one is left with two persons sharing the one nature that is God, and this, when it encounters John's discussion of the Holy Spirit, becomes the basis of the doctrine of the Trinity! An interpreter who is unwilling to dismiss the words of Scripture as ... nonauthoritative ... or to interpret Scripture in contradiction with itself ... will be hard-pressed to avoid the obvious conclusions of John's presentation. Lest one should find it hard to believe that John would identify the carpenter from Galilee as Yahweh himself, it might be pointed out that he did just that in John 12:39-41 by quoting from Isaiah's temple vision of Yahweh in Isaiah 6 and then concluding by saying, `These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory and he spoke about Him.' The only `Him' in the context is Jesus; hence, for John, Isaiah, when he saw Yahweh on His throne, was in reality seeing the Lord Jesus. John 1:18 says as much as well." (White, 1998, p.100).

"But if we ask the same question of John, `Whose glory did Isaiah see?' he would answer with the same answer-only in its fullness, `Jesus'":

"WHO DID ISAIAH SEE? ... These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. (John 12:37-41). ... what does John mean when he says that Isaiah `said these things because he saw His glory and spoke of Him'? Who is the `Him' to whom Isaiah refers? ... John cites two passages from the book of Isaiah. In verse 38 he quotes from Isaiah 53:1, the great `Suffering Servant' passage that so plainly describes the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. John says the unbelief of the Jews, despite their seeing signs, was a fulfillment of the word of Isaiah in Isaiah 53. He then goes beyond this to assert their inability to believe and quotes from Isaiah 6 and the `Temple Vision' Isaiah received when he was commissioned as a prophet ... (Isaiah 6:1-4). In this awesome vision, Isaiah sees Yahweh (the LORD) sitting upon His throne, surrounded by angelic worshipers. The glory of Yahweh fills his sight. Isaiah recognizes his sin and is cleansed by the Lord, then commissioned to go and take a message to the people. But the message is not one of salvation, but of judgment. ... (Isaiah 6:9-11). John cites the heart of the message of judgment given to Isaiah and sees the hard-heartedness of the Jews, who had seen the miracles of the Lord Jesus and heard His words of grace as the fulfillment of these words. Then John says, `These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him:' ... Therefore, if we ask Isaiah, `Whose glory did you see in your vision of the temple?' he would reply, `Yahweh's:' But if we ask the same question of John, `Whose glory did Isaiah see?' he would answer with the same answer-only in its fullness, `Jesus'.' Who, then, was Jesus to John? None other than the eternal God in human flesh, Yahweh." (White, 1998, pp.136-138. Emphasis original).

"It is therefore quite clear that ... John ... means that, when Isaiah had his vision of the Lord of Hosts in the Temple as described in Isaiah chapter six, it was the pre-existent Word whom he saw":

"We begin, however, with the one passage where John comes out into the open on this subject, even though the passage is to be found in the middle of the Gospel. After that, having shown that John undoubtedly believes the Lord [Jesus] to have appeared in OT times, we can go through the rest of the Gospel in order, prepared to find other allusions where such an assumption illuminates the meaning of the text. John 12.37-41 `Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: `Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said, `He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' Isaiah said this because he saw his glory ... and spoke of him.' John begins with a reference to Isaiah 53.1 ... John certainly takes this as a reference to Christ. ... It is therefore quite clear that, when John goes on in verse 41 to say `he saw his glory', he means that, when Isaiah had his vision of the Lord of Hosts in the Temple as described in Isaiah chapter six, it was the pre-existent Word [Jn 1:1,14] whom he saw." (Hanson, A.T., 1965, "Jesus Christ in the Old Testament," S.P.C.K.: London, pp.104-105. Emphasis original).

c. Jehovah of the Exodus was the pre-incarnate Jesus

(1) Jesus is the "I AM" who appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Jn 8:58-59; Ex 3:14)

Jn 8:58-59. "Jesus said to them, `Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.' So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple."

Ex 3:14 God said to Moses, `I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, `Say this to the people of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."'"

"`I AM' (God's name) in Exodus 3:14 as ego eimi... Jesus purposely used the phrase as a means of pointing to His identity as Yahweh":

"The Septuagint provides us with additional insights on Christ's identity as Yahweh. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that dates prior to the birth of Christ. It renders the Hebrew phrase for `I AM' (God's name) in Exodus 3:14 as ego eimi. On a number of occasions in the Greek New Testament, Jesus used this term as a way of identifying Himself as God. For example, in John 8:24 (NASB) Jesus declared, `Unless you believe that I am [I AM or ego eimi] He, you shall die in your sins.' The original Greek text for this verse does not have the word he. The verse is literally, `If you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins.' Then, according to verse 28, Jesus told the Jews, `When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [I AM, or ego eimi] He.' Again, the original Greek text reads, `When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM' (there is no he). Jesus purposely used the phrase as a means of pointing to His identity as Yahweh." (Rhodes, R., 1993, "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses," Harvest House: Eugene OR, Reprinted, 2006, pp.63-64. Emphasis original).

"The NT attributes to Jesus many of the perfections of Yahweh (or, Jehovah), the creator/redeemer God of the OT. ... . Supremely significant is the I AM (Ex. 3:14; cf. Jn. 8:58 ...)":

"JESUS' IDENTITY WITH YAHWEH/JEHOVAH The NT attributes to Jesus many of the perfections of Yahweh (or, Jehovah), the creator/redeemer God of the OT. .... Another link is provided by self-designations of God appropriated by Jesus or referred to him. Supremely significant is the I AM (Ex. 3:14; cf. Jn. 8:58; 6:35; 8:12,24; 11:25; 14:6; 18:5f.; Mk. 14:62)." (Milne, B., 1982, "Know the Truth: A Handbook of Christian Belief," Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester UK, Fifth printing, 1988, p.129. Emphasis original).

"Perhaps the strongest claim Jesus made to be Yahweh is in John 8:58, where he says, `Before Abraham was, I am.' This statement claims ... equality with the `I AM' of Exodus 3:14":

"Jesus Claimed to Be Yahweh. Yahweh (YHWH; sometimes appearing in English translations as `Jehovah' or in small capital letters as `LORD') is the special name given by God for himself in the Old Testament. It is the name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, when God said, `I AM WHO I AM.' ... Perhaps the strongest claim Jesus made to be Yahweh is in John 8:58, where he says, `Before Abraham was, I am.' This statement claims not only existence before Abraham, but equality with the `I AM' of Exodus 3:14. The Jews around him clearly understood his meaning and picked up stones to kill him for blaspheming (cf. John 8:58 and 10:31-33). The same claim is made in Mark 14:62 and John 18:5-6." (Geisler, N.L., 1999, "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics," Baker Books: Grand Rapids MI, p.129. Emphasis original).

"Jesus literally said to them, `I AM Jehovah' (I AM), and it is clear that they understood Him to mean just that; for they attempted, as the next verse reveals, to stone Him. ... [for] blasphemy":

"John 8:58, `Jesus said unto them ... Before Abraham was [born], I am' (KJV). In comparing this with the Septuagint translation of Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 43:10-13, we find that the translation is identical. In Exodus 3:14, Jehovah, speaking to Moses, said, `I AM,' which is synonymous with God. Jesus literally said to them, `I AM Jehovah' (I AM), and it is clear that they understood Him to mean just that; for they attempted, as the next verse [Jn 8:59] reveals, to stone Him. ... [for] blasphemy." (Martin, W.R. & Klann, N., 1953, "Jehovah of the Watchtower," Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington MN, Reprinted, 1981, p.52).

But "... the closest Old Testament antecedent to John 8:58 is to be found in the Isaianic `I am' sayings. ... the conclusion cannot be avoided that Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh":

"Jesus as Jehovah in John 8:58 Among biblical scholars a growing consensus has formed behind the opinion that John 8:58 deliberately echoes Yahweh's `I am' statements in Isaiah 40-55. The NWT obscures the parallels in Isaiah by rendering them `I am the same One' or `I am the same'; but the Hebrew in each case reads simply ANI.HU (literally, `I [am] he'), which the LXX renders as ego eimi (Isa. 41:4; 43:10; 46:4; 52:6; compare with Deut. 32:39). There is evidence, moreover, to show that in the Judaism of Jesus day these words were sometimes used as substitutes for the divine name Yahweh itself, in particular at the Feast of Tabernacles, which from John 7:2 was apparently the occasion of Christ's `I am' sayings in John 8. This suggests that the reason for the anger of the Jews at Jesus absolute use of the expression ego eimi was that on that occasion his language was instantly recognizable as that of Yahweh. ... Considerations such as these have led most scholars to conclude that the closest Old Testament antecedent to John 8:58 is to be found in the Isaianic `I am' sayings. If this is correct, the conclusion cannot be avoided that Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh. Notable in this light is Isaiah 45:18, where God says, `I am Yahweh' (Hebrew, ANI HU YHWH), and the LXX translates simply by the predicate absolute ego eimi. " (Bowman, R.M., Jr., 1989, "The Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of John," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Reprinted, 1995, pp.120-121. Emphasis original).

(2) Christ is the spiritual Rock who accompanied the Israelites in the Exodus (1Cor 10:4; Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:7-11)

1Cor 10:4. "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ."

Ex 17:5-6. "And the LORD said to Moses, `Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.' And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel."

"Paul places Christ himself in the desert: as the Rock who was with Israel, supplying them with `spiritual water'":

"Christ as Preexistent with Israel On his way toward a final word of prohibition regarding attendance at temple meals ([1Cor ]10:20-22), Paul sets out to establish the Corinthians' spiritual connectedness with biblical Israel, who are seen to have experienced God in a `baptism' and `Lord's Supper' analogous to their own. Thus `our fathers' were `baptized' unto Moses in the cloud and the sea (vv. 1-2), and they too had `spiritual food and drink' in the wilderness-manna and water from the rock (vv, 3-4). But God had not been pleased with them and overthrew them in the desert (v 5), which story is to serve as a warning to the Corinthians (v 6). From there, Paul launches into four specific ways Israel had sinned, which had brought about their demise: idolatry (v. 7); sexual immorality (v 8); testing God (v. 9); and grumbling against God and Moses (v. 10)-all of which sins are being repeated in Corinth. Our present interest is with the two instances where Paul places Christ himself in the desert: as the Rock who was with Israel, supplying them with `spiritual water' (v. 4), and as the one whom Israel thus put to the test (v 9). Both passages reflect not just analogies but, from Paul's perspective, actualities. That is, the same Christ who now supplies the Corinthians with the Spirit, and whom they are testing by going to pagan feasts, had already experienced such `testing' by Israel; and the Israelites had been overthrown in the desert so that they did not reach their goal. It is precisely the presence of Christ in Israel's story that will make all of this work as a warning to the Corinthians." (Fee, G.D., 2007, "Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study," Hendrickson Publishers: Peabody MA, pp.94-95. Emphasis original).

"Despite Christ's supplying Israel with `spiritual' water, they fell in the desert. Paul's point [is] in ... placing the preexistent Christ in Israel's own history":

"1 Corinthians 10:4 In retelling Israel's story, Paul alludes to the double narrative of water from the rock (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:7-11), and he does so by picking up a rabbinic tradition that `they drank from the (spiritual) rock that followed them.' But he replaces that tradition by interpreting the `spiritual rock' as the presence of Christ himself ... That is, this interpretation is not about how the biblical passage applies in the present but with how the Corinthians are to understand what was actually going on with ancient Israel. ... Paul is insisting that by their idolatrous actions, the Corinthians are in grave danger of repeating Israel's folly. Despite Christ's supplying Israel with `spiritual' water, they fell in the desert. Paul's point in making this association for the church in Corinth-placing the preexistent Christ in Israel's own history-seems clear enough. The Corinthians, too, face the same danger of testing Christ by their idolatry." (Fee, 2007, pp.95,97).

"... and the Rock was Christ'. [1Cor 10:4b] This is an example of ... what A. T. Hanson has called the `real presence' of Christ in Old Testament history":

"When Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that the Israelites in the wilderness had supernatural food and drink, he has in mind not only the bread from heaven and the water from the rock, but the spiritual and eternal reality to which these pointed. For them, as for the people of God today, Christ was the true source of strength and refreshment: `they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ'. [1Cor 10:4b] This is an example of a further New Testament principle of Old Testament interpretation - what A. T. Hanson has called the `real presence' of Christ in Old Testament history. [Hanson, A.T., "Jesus Christ in the Old Testament," London, 1965, p.7] " (Bruce, F.F., 1968, "This is That: The New Testament Development of Some Old Testament Themes," Paternoster: Exeter UK, p.35).

"Paul ...refers to Christ and sees him as following the Israelites and continually giving them drink. He transfers to Christ the title, 'the Rock', used of Yahweh":

"[1Cor 10:4] When he refers to their spiritual drink Paul adds an explanation, as he did not do with his reference to food. Moses got water from a rock at the beginning and end of the wilderness wanderings (Ex. 17:1-7; Nu. 20:2-13), and this apparently was the origin of a Jewish legend that a rock travelled with the people. Paul may have had this legend at the back of his mind, hut he does not refer to it. He refers to Christ and sees him as following the Israelites and continually giving them drink. He transfers to Christ the title, 'the Rock', used of Yahweh (Dt. 32:15; Ps. 18:2, etc.), a transfer that is significant for Christology, as of course is the clear implication of Christ's pre-existence." (Morris, L.L., 1985, "The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary," The Tyndale New Testament commentaries, [1958], Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester UK, Second edition, Reprinted, 1987, pp.139-140).

(3) Christ is Jehovah who was put to the test by the Israelites in the wilderness (1Cor 10:9; Num 21:5-6).

1Cor 10:9. "We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,"

Num 21:5-6. "And the people spoke against God and against Moses, `Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.' Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died."

"Here, Paul states that some of the Israelites in the wilderness `put Christ to the test,' ...what Paul says here about Christ is what the Old Testament said about the Lord [Jehovah] God: that the Israelites had put him to the test":

"The Israelites and Christ in the Wilderness Paul's rather enigmatic statement about the Israelites in the wilderness probably refers to Christ as having been involved in its earliest history: `For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ' (1 Cor. 10:4). This statement appears to be a reference to Christ's real preexistence ... A few sentences later, Paul warns the Corinthian Christians, `We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents' (v. 9). Here, Paul states that some of the Israelites in the wilderness `put Christ to the test,' and he warns the Corinthians not to make the same mistake. ... Therefore, we should understand Paul to have been affirming that Christ existed during the time of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness. Moreover, what Paul says here about Christ is what the Old Testament said about the Lord God: that the Israelites had put him to the test (Num. 14:22; 21:5-6; Pss. 78:18-20; 95:9). Once again, the New Testament affirms not only Christ's preexistence but also his divine preexistence." (Bowman, R.M., Jr. & Komoszewski, J.E., 2007, "Putting Jesus In His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ," Kregel: Grand Rapids M, p.95).

"Paul has no qualms in pointing out that the `Lord' whom they are putting to the test is the same Christ whom Israel tested in the desert and that the Israelites were overthrown because of it":

"1 Corinthians 10:9 The second instance where Paul asserts Christ's preexistence is equally striking. .... Paul's original text reads, `Let us not put Christ to the test ... as some of them tested [him] and were destroyed by the snakes.' This is an allusion to the event in Num 21:4-7,37 where Israel complained against God and Moses about the length, nature, and provisions of their long stay in the wilderness. Although the Numbers text does not have the verb ekpeirazo (put to the test), it does occur in the poetry of Ps 78:18, which refers to the similar events recorded in Num 14, 16, 20. Paul's use of this verb seems to be a deliberate echo of the Septuagint of Deut 6:16, `You shall not put the LORD your God to the test as you put him to the test at Peirasmos' ... As with v. 4, Paul's point in context seems clear. By insisting on their `right' ... to go to the temple meals (see 8:9-10), the Corinthian believers are putting Christ himself to the test, as Paul concludes in 10:21- 22. Thus he is once more tying the situations of Israel and of the Corinthians together christologically. Paul has no qualms in pointing out that the `Lord' whom they are putting to the test is the same Christ whom Israel tested in the desert and that the Israelites were overthrown because of it." (Fee, 2007, pp.97-98. Emphasis original. My transliteration).

(4) Jesus is Jehovah who saved a people out of Egypt and destroyed those who did not believe in Him (Jude 5; Ex 12:51; 13:21; Num 14:20-24; Dt 1:34-39)

Jude 1:5. "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe."

"...the remarkable statement in the Epistle of Jude, `that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed those who did not believe' [Jude 5]

"Another [example of ... what A. T. Hanson has called the `real presence' of Christ in Old Testament history. [Hanson, A.T., "Jesus Christ in the Old Testament," London, 1965, p.7] is the remarkable statement in the Epistle of Jude, `that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed those who did not believe' [Jude 5] True, the name `Jesus' is not read in all forms of the text: in its place some authorities read `the Lord', others `God' and yet others, giving us no name at all, read `he who saved...' .... But the principle that the more difficult reading is to be preferred points to `Jesus' as the original, and indeed the variety of other readings can best be explained as substitutions for `Jesus'. `Jesus' in this context cannot be understood as the Greek form of Joshua (as in Acts 7:45; Heb 4:8), for Joshua neither led Israel out of Egypt nor destroyed the unbelievers in the wilderness. It was Moses who led his people out of Egypt, but Moses did so under superior leadership. It was the Lord who `brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts', [Ex 12:51] it was the Lord who `went before them', [Ex 13:21] and it was by the decree of the Lord that the `evil generation' that came out of Egypt died in the wilderness [Num 14:20 ff.; Deut. 1:34 ff]. While Yahweh stands in the Hebrew text, the Greek version used by Jude, as by other New Testament writers, had Kyrios in its place, and for Greek-speaking Christians to whom Jesus was the kyrios or Lord par excellence it was an easy matter to understand Kyrios in the Greek Old Testament to refer to Him." (Bruce, 1968, pp.35-36).. Emphasis original).

"So it is ... virtually certain that it is to Jesus, in his preincarnate state as the Yahweh of the Old Testament, that he [Jude] ascribes, first, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and then the destruction of those within the nation who rebelled ...":

"But there is still more that Jude implies about Jesus. For in addition to the six direct references to Jesus by name, there is sound reason to think that he may well have had Jesus in mind when he refers to `the Lord' in verses 5 and 14. ... In the former verse (vs 5), apart from the fact that `Jesus' may well be the original reading instead of `Lord,' [Bruce M. Metzger... affirm[s] that `Critical principles seem to require the adoption of ... Iesous, [Jesus] which admittedly is the best attested reading among Greek and versional witnesses ... and some significant church fathers] even with the reading `the Lord,' there is every reason to believe that Jesus may still have been Jude's intended referent. Consider the following facts. First, there is no question that Jude employed `Lord' to refer to Jesus four times (vss 4, 17, 21, 25). Second, we have just seen that the almost certain referent of `Lord' in verse 14 is Jesus. And third, this occurrence of `Lord' in verse 5 comes hard on the heels of Jude's certain reference to Jesus in the immediately preceding verse as `our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.' So it is not only possible but also virtually certain that it is to Jesus, in his preincarnate state as the Yahweh of the Old Testament, that he ascribes, first, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and then the destruction of those within the nation who rebelled; second, the judgment of the angels at the time of their primeval fall; and third, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And if all this is true, Jude was clearly thinking of Jesus Christ in terms that encompass the Old Testament Deity." (Reymond, R.L., 2003, "Jesus, Divine Messiah: The New and Old Testament Witness," [1990], Mentor: Fearn UK, p.484).

"Also, whether the original reading in Jude 5 referred to `Jesus' or `the Lord,' ... this verse likewise portrays the preincarnate Jesus rescuing Israel from Egypt":

"In fact, the conviction that one could find Old Testament passages in which the preincarnate Jesus was manifested is reflected in first-century Christian texts. Most obviously, of course, the New Testament references to Jesus as the one through whom God created all things (1 Cor. 8:4-6; John 1:1-2; Col. 1:15-17) all reflect such a reading of Old Testament statements about the creation of the world. Furthermore, Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 10:4 that the rock from which Israel drank in their wilderness trek `was Christ' must surely be taken as asserting that in his preincarnate mode Jesus was the divine figure who engaged Israel in the Exodus narrative. Also, whether the original reading in Jude 5 referred to `Jesus' or `the Lord,' it is a good bet that this verse likewise portrays the preincarnate Jesus rescuing Israel from Egypt. Further, as we noted in an earlier chapter, John 12:41 asserts that the divine figure seen by the prophet in Isaiah 6:1 was `the Lord' Jesus. These references to passages in Exodus and Isaiah exhibit first-century christological interpretations of Old Testament theophanic passages." (Hurtado, L.W., 2005, "Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity," Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, pp.576-577).

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My next post in this series is part #7, "2C. Jehovah promised that He would come to Jerusalem in Person."

Stephen E. Jones, BSc., Grad. Dip. Ed.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & The Shroud of Turin