Jesus Is Jehovah
Clifford Henry Brown
Table of Contents
1. Jehovah-Jesus, the Creator
Early in the history of the professing church of God, a grave and significant controversy arose as to the Person of Christ. This came to a head early in the fourth century. Emperor Constantine called a council at Nice in Bithynia in the year 325. A powerful defender of the faith came forward in the person of the great Athanasius, later bishop of Alexandria, who was used of God to turn the tide of the conference in favor of an uncompromising defense of the absolute deity of Christ. His opponent was a certain Arius, presbyter in the church at Alexandria. As the result of the latter’s insistent denial of the deity of Christ, the term “Arianism” became a synonym for the blasphemy of reducing the Christ of God to the stature of a creature — “the greatest of creatures, but not equal to the Father.”
In addition to Athanasius, some of the other eminent church fathers down through the ages held and taught the deity of Christ. Among such we might list Irenaeus, Chrysostom and Augustine.
Down through the church’s history many sects, parties and denominations have arisen who were of Arian persuasion, as opposed to what is commonly called “orthodoxy,” which word means simply “right doctrine.” Today the most militant and aggressive of all such Arian groups is the one which takes the name of “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The present-day organization is the offshoot of a movement started some ninety years ago by a C. T. Russell, later superseded by J. T. Rutherford, and now headed by N. H. Knorr.
The whole Jehovah’s Witness credo may be said to be bifocal. The Witnesses have selected one passage of Scripture in the Old Testament and one passage in the New, to which they make frequent reference in their discussions, preachments and propaganda. We would refer to Isaiah 43:10-12 in the Old Testament and John 1:1-13 in the New.
Before discussing the above references, we would call attention to a helpful device used in the familiar King James Bible. When translating the Hebrew word “Yahwe” or “Jehovah,” they use all large and small capital letters and render it “LORD.” Thus, wherever we read “LORD,” we know the word in the Hebrew was “Jehovah,” which means “essential existence—self-existing.” The Hebrew word “Elohim” is consistently rendered “God” and means “supreme power, as in creation.”
Bearing these distinctions in mind, let us read now Isaiah 43:10-12.
“Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD [Jehovah], and My servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD [Jehovah]; and beside Me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD [Jehovah], that I am God.”
A parallel passage follows in chapter 44:
“Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah] the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and besides Me there is no God” (vs. 6).
Now verse 8:
“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”
Remember, as we read these portions of the prophet Isaiah, that there were no chapter divisions in the original document. Isaiah is here occupied with calling the attention of Israel to the folly of idolatry. If we read right on to chapter 45:11-12, we find:
“Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah], the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.”
Now to this add Isaiah 37:16.
“O LORD [Jehovah] of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubim, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth.”
Now it is as clear as language can make it that the One who calls Himself “the LORD [Jehovah],” beside whom is no God, is the One who “made the earth, and created man upon it.” Likewise He
“stretched out the heavens, and” commanded “all their host.”
Let us then turn to the New Testament for enlightenment as to who this “LORD [Jehovah]” is who
“made the earth, and created man upon it” and “stretched out the heavens.”
In John 1:13, we find ourselves at the second focal point of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ effort to demote the Christ of God to the status of a creature. We quote:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
Putting, then, these statements from Isaiah alongside those from John, we have the following startling parallel:
“Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah]...I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I...have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isaiah 45:11-12).
“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).
Surely any unprejudiced reader of the above citations must feel compelled to the conclusion that
Jesus is Jehovah.
Thus we can see that the two major Scripture citations of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ propaganda are mutually destructive of the Witnesses’ Arian attack on the Person of Christ. That the Creator of the earth and man upon it was the work of the “Logos,” the “Word,” the Christ of God, is so unequivocal that nothing less than blind infatuation with an Arian-inspired rationalization can escape seeing and owning it.
As a further attestation of Jesus’ creatorship, let us note the following parallels. We shall compare Jeremiah 10:10-16 with Colossians 1:12-17:
“The LORD [Jehovah] is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King [or (margin), King of eternity]:...He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion. . . . The LORD [Jehovah] of hosts is His name.”
“Giving thanks unto the Father...who . . . hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son [or (margin), Son of His love]: . . . who is the image of the invisible God, . . . for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible....All things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”
The Apostle Peter speaks of those who “wrest...the...Scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). No better example of this truth could be given than by citing the manner in which the Jehovah’s Witnesses wrest the Scriptures in their fallacious rendering of John 1:1. We quote:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”
The unwarranted and gratuitous insertion of the indefinite article before the word “god” in the third clause of this sentence shows an utter disregard of the context and is, moreover, at variance with the best scholarship of the ages, both Catholic and Protestant. Not one of the reputable translations that have appeared during the past one hundred years has had the effrontery to insert the indefinite article and thus render it “a god.” It would seem the Witnesses got their cue for this vulgarism from Benjamin Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott, published in 1864, a work filled with gross errors and misrepresentations. In 1926 Wilson’s translation found a rival in another of similar irresponsible character, The Concordant Version of the Sacred Scriptures by Adolph E. Knock of Los Angeles. Both became very popular with the Witnesses because they were both in agreement in denying the deity of our Lord.
Now, having vitiated this statement as to Christ’s being God and having reduced Him to the level of “a god,” the Witnesses are willing to accept Him as the creator of all things. But we shall see, as we follow on in our study, that such a view is in stubborn contradiction to many other statements as to the Person of our Lord.
No, the Word of God is crystal clear:
Jesus-Jehovah is the Creator God.
2. Jehovah-Jesus of Isaiah 6 and John 12
One of the most striking parallels is that between Isaiah 6:13 and John 12:37-41. We quote:
“I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up...Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory...Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts....And He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:1-10).
“Though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him....Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him” (John 12:37-41).
With what precision John lets us know that the One of whom he was writing, Jesus, was none other personage than the LORD (Jehovah) whom Isaiah had seen. Yes, Jesus is Jehovah.
3. Jehovah-Jesus Introduced by John the Baptist
Anyone with even an elementary knowledge of the Scriptures is aware of the fact that the Old Testament abounds with prophetic announcements of the eventual coming into the world of the promised Messiah. Of all these promises one of the most glorious is that found in Isaiah 40:15. Now, in order that we may see that it was of Christ that Isaiah was prophesying, we shall put in parallel the promise and its fulfillment as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel:
“Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S [Jehovah’s] hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD [Jehovah], make straight in the desert a highway for our God...And the glory of the LORD [Jehovah] shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD [Jehovah] hath spoken it.”
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Matthew 3:1-3).
If you will note carefully the above comparison, you will see that here the Spirit of God has definitely identified the Jehovah of Isaiah with the Jesus of Matthew. Then add to this Luke’s word in chapter 1:76:
“Thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.”
Thus is John the Baptist called the prophet of the Highest. Who can this be but the Lord Himself, Jehovah. Yes, Jesus is Jehovah.
4. Jehovah-Jesus, the Stumbling Stone
Of all the Old Testament prophets, perhaps Isaiah is the most noted for his many and detailed announcements regarding the coming of Messiah. Repeatedly he identifies this Messiah with Jehovah. Witness the following from Isaiah 8:13-15 and note the identity of this One with Jesus as recorded by Peter in his first epistle, chapter 2:7-8:
“Sanctify the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for . . . a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel...And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken.”
“Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient.”
How patent is the conclusion from the above comparison that Jesus is Jehovah.
5. Jehovah-Jesus, the Rock
Another of the majestic titles of Jehovah in the Old Testament is “the Rock.” The same is applied unreservedly to Christ in the New Testament.
“I will publish the name of the LORD [Jehovah]: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment” (Deut. 32:34).
“And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4).
Thus we see again that Jesus is Jehovah.
6. Jehovah-Jesus, the Shepherd
Our next parallelism between Jehovah in the Old Testament and Christ in the New Testament is the well-known Shepherd character of our Lord. Let us cite some of the passages:
“The LORD [Jehovah] is my shepherd; I shall not want...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me...Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD [Jehovah] forever” (Psa. 23:1-6).
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth” (Psa. 80:1).
“Hear the word of the LORD [Jehovah], O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock” (Jer. 31:10).
“Thus shall they know that I the LORD [Jehovah] their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezek. 34:30-31).
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep....I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine....And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold [flock], and one shepherd. . . . My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:11-16,27-28).
“The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
After reading the above comparisons we can well understand why
“Christian piety in every age has identified the Good Shepherd of John 10 with the Shepherd of whom David sang, and the Shepherd of Psalm 23 is Jehovah.”
7. Jehovah-Jesus, the Lawgiver
Let us now notice another striking identification of Jehovah with Jesus. We refer to His being the One who spoke at Sinai. Note how carefully the Word of God identifies the Speaker on Sinai with the Lord Jesus in the New Testament.
“Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD [Jehovah] descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD [Jehovah] came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: . . . and the LORD [Jehovah] said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD [Jehovah] to gaze, and many of them perish” (Ex. 19:18-21).
“Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet....But ye are come...to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling....See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven” (Heb. 12:18-26).
The above quotation from Hebrews 12 positively identifies Jesus as the One “whose voice then shook the earth,” referring to Exodus 19:18, “The whole mount quaked greatly.” There it was the LORD (Jehovah), but the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us it was Jesus. Yes, Jesus is Jehovah.
8. Jehovah-Jesus and the Sabbath
Closely related to our last identification of Jesus as the giver of the ten commandments at Mount Sinai is His own claim to being Lord of the Sabbath. Note the parallel:
“He said unto them, This is that which the LORD [Jehovah] hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD [Jehovah]....See, for that the LORD [Jehovah] hath given you the sabbath” (Ex. 16:23,29).
“Keep My sabbaths: I am the LORD [Jehovah] your God” (Lev. 19:3).
“It is the sabbath of the LORD [Jehovah] in all your dwellings” (Lev. 23:3).
“When the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But He said unto them, . . . I say unto you...the Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (Matt. 12:28).
Is it not true that the only legitimate way in which Jesus could claim supremacy to God’s sabbath was in consideration of the fact that He was the One who gave the sabbath?
Yes, how plain it is: Jesus is Jehovah.
9. Jehovah-Jesus Feeds His People
Psalm 132 describes the blessing that will ensue under the reign of Messiah in the coming day. Jehovah is mentioned six times in this psalm. One of His many kindnesses is His tender consideration for the poor of His people. Let us compare this with the heart of our Lord when He was here upon earth.
“The LORD [Jehovah] hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread” (Psa. 132:13-15).
“He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled” (Matt. 14:19-20).
Yes, Jehovah-Jesus was there present to meet the need, and it was so abundantly met that there were twelve baskets of fragments remaining after all were satisfied.
10. Jehovah-Jesus, the Healer
In no area of His life is Jesus more frequently recognized as the Jehovah of the Old Testament than in His long continued healing ministry. Note a few selected parallels:
“I am the LORD [Jehovah] that healeth thee” (Ex. 15:26).
“Bless the LORD [Jehovah], O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psa. 103:23).
“They shall see the glory of the LORD [Jehovah], and the excellency of our God...Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped” (Isa. 35:2,5).
“They bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech;...and He took him aside...and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue; . . . and straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain” (Mark 7:32-35).
“A certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple....Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk...And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked” (Acts 3:2,6-8).
Thus we see that not only did Jesus personally do what was accredited to Jehovah in the Old Testament, but also through the power of His name similar miracles were wrought. The above parallels could be multiplied many times over, but space forbids. We recommend that you trace the parallels yourself.
11. Jehovah-Jesus Knows the Heart
Omniscience is one of the exclusive prerogatives of deity. Only God can read the hearts of His creatures. Let us note some of the Old Testament statements as to Jehovah’s knowledge of the heart and compare the same with those of a similar nature applied to our Lord in the New.
“Job answered the LORD [Jehovah], and said, I know that Thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee” (Job 42:12).
“The LORD [Jehovah] searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee” (1 Chron. 28:9).
“The LORD [Jehovah] knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity” (Psa. 94:11). “By fire and by His sword will the LORD [Jehovah] plead with all flesh....For I know their works and their thoughts” (Isa. 66:16,18).
“O LORD [Jehovah], Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off ” (Psa. 139:1-2).
“The LORD [Jehovah] said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature;...for the LORD [Jehovah] seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD [Jehovah] looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
“Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD [Jehovah] my God....For Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men” (1 Kings 8:28,39).
“When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?” (Luke 5:22).
“He knew their thoughts, and said to the man,...Rise up” (Luke 6:8).
“There arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by Him” (Luke 9:46-47). “Others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven. But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them” (Luke 11:16-17).
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:47-49).
“Immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” (Mark 2:8).
“Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25).
“They prayed, and said, Thou, Lord [Christ], which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two Thou hast chosen” (Acts 1:24).
Can any reader of the above parallelism fail to see that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New? Yes, Jesus is Jehovah.
12. Jehovah-Jesus Commands the Elements
Not only was our Lord superior to sickness, disease and deformity of all kinds, but He showed Himself repeatedly as in command of the very elements themselves. In this He showed Himself the Jehovah of the Old Testament. We here present a parallel on this point:
“O LORD [Jehovah] God of hosts, who is
“There arose a great storm of wind, and the
a strong LORD [Jehovah] like unto Thee?...Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them” (Psa. 89:8-9).
“The LORD [Jehovah] on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea” (Psa. 93:4).
waves beat into the ship....And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:37,39).
“The ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Matt. 14:24-25).
Can it be otherwise than that Jesus is Jehovah?
13. Jehovah-Jesus Commands the Creatures
Not only did Jehovah-Jesus have complete control over the elements, but He also was the LORD (Jehovah) of Psalm 104. Let us note the parallel.
“O LORD [Jehovah], how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts” (Psa. 104:24-25).
“He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake” (Luke 5:46).
See also the case of Jonah.
“The LORD [Jehovah] had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD [Jehovah] his God out of the fish’s belly...And the LORD [Jehovah] spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 1:17; 2:1,10).
“Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes” (John 21:56).
Here we append a note from the pen of another:
“In other days, the God of Israel had commanded the creatures of the great deep, and a ‘great fish’ was prepared to swallow up Jonah and give him a burying place for the appointed time. And so in His day, Jesus approved Himself the Lord of the fullness of ‘this great and wide sea,’ summoning a host of ‘small . . . beasts’ thereof into the net of Peter (Psa. 104:25; Luke 5:46). ‘Both small and great beasts,’ that find their pastime therein, thus earlier and later days owned the word of Jehovah-Jesus.”
How precious this testimony that Jesus is Jehovah.
14. Jehovah-Jesus Forgives Sins
One of the prerogatives of Jehovah is to forgive sins; our Lord assumed this prerogative on numerous occasions. We herewith list a few of such instances.
“I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD [Jehovah]; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (Psa. 32:5). “Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah],...I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isa. 43:16,25).
“The LORD [Jehovah] is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Num. 14:18).
“If Thou, LORD [Jehovah], shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared” (Psa. 130:34).
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5).
“That ye may know that the Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house” (Luke 5:24).
“He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?” (Luke 7:48-49).
What a solemn matter it would be for any creature to assume the prerogative of a holy, holy, holy God to forgive sin. Truly Jesus is Jehovah.
15. Jehovah-Jesus, the Husband of His People
In the Old Testament Jehovah repeatedly takes the place of being the husband of His people Israel. A similar relationship is denoted with reference to Christ and His people in the New Testament. Note the following:
“Thy Maker is thine husband; The LORD [Jehovah] of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 54:5).
“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD [Jehovah]; for I am married unto you” (Jer. 3:14).
“My covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD [Jehovah]” (Jer. 31:32).
“It shall be at that day, saith the LORD [Jehovah], that thou shalt call Me Ishi [or (margin), my husband]...And I will betroth thee unto Me forever” (Hos. 2:16,19).
“I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2).
“While they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Matt. 25:10).
“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom . . . rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice....He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30).
“Let us be glad and rejoice,...for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready....Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:7,9).
If Israel is the bride of Jehovah in the Old Testament, how blessed is our portion to be part of the heavenly bride of our Jehovah-Jesus!
16. Jehovah-Jesus, Our Righteousness
Another blessed identity of Jesus with Jehovah is found in the title, “Our Righteousness.” Note the following:
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [Jehovah], that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD [JEHOVAH] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jer. 23:56).
“Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30).
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).
“He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Yes, none other than Jesus is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
17. Jehovah-Jesus, Salvation Through His Name
Closely related to the above is the fact that salvation as the result of calling upon the name of the LORD (Jehovah) is equally predicated of Jehovah in the Old Testament as of Christ in the New. Note the parallel:
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD [Jehovah] your God....I am the LORD [Jehovah] your God, and none else....And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD [Jehovah] shall be delivered [saved]” (Joel 2:23-32).
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth....For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:4,13).
Note carefully that the passage cited from Romans 10:4,13 is a direct quotation from the prophecy of Joel in the Old Testament. Another has well said:
“It is as Jehovah that God became the Saviour of Israel, and as Jehovah He saves the world. And this is the truth embodied in the name Jesus, which is, literally, Jehovah-Saviour.”
How simple to faith is the identity of Jehovah in the Old Testament with Jesus in the New.
18. Jehovah-Jesus, the Judge
Another patent parallel between Jehovah in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New is in the solemn matter of judgment. We append just a few of the many parallels.
“The mighty God, even the LORD [Jehovah], hath spoken...Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people...For God is judge Him- self ” (Psa. 50:16).
“Behold, the LORD [Jehovah] hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him....Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save....I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart” (Isa. 62:11; 63:1,34).
“Behold, the day of the LORD [Jehovah] cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity” (Isa. 13:9-11).
“The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son....And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:22,27).
“Him God raised up the third day....And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:40,42). “I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war....And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God....And He hath on His vesture...a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:11,13,16).
“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:7-8).
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:29-30).
Yes, if language means anything, the above awe-inspiring words show beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is Jehovah.
19. Jehovah-Jesus, the Alpha and Omega
As a further and impeccable proof that Jesus is Jehovah, we place side by side the two scriptural portions below:
“Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah] the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts; I am the first, and I am the
“Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha
last; and besides Me there is no God” (Isa. 44:6).
“Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last” (Isa. 48:12).
and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last....I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches” (Rev. 22:12-13,16).
Herewith we append a comment from another:
“Who it is that announces that He is coming quickly is now declared, and declared as its solemn affirmation and certainty. He is the One who was before anything had its existence, who will be after all created things in this scene shall have passed away, and who exists through all time and eternity, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all existence, the eternally self-existent One who comprehends all being in Himself, for it is in Him that all live and move and have their being. The last two titles are found in Isaiah: ‘Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah] the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and besides Me there is no God’ (Isa. 44:6). No terms, therefore, could more distinctly convey the truth of the Person of our blessed Lord or more clearly assert His true and proper deity. And the significance of this, coming immediately after the promise of His coming, will, when their eyes have been opened, be at once understood by the tried and persecuted remnant of the last days. They will learn from it that the Messiah, for whose advent they long, is Jehovah Elohim, their Lord and their God.”
Let us then bow to this precious truth:
Jesus is Jehovah.
20. Jehovah-Jesus Is the I Am
Now we come to the grand climactic claim of our Lord Jesus to His being the LORD (Jehovah) of the Old Testament. When God commissioned Moses to go unto Pharaoh to negotiate with him regarding his permission to the children of Israel to leave Egypt, Moses asked God a direct question and received a direct answer. Let us note the portion:
“The LORD [Jehovah] said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry....And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians....And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?” (Ex. 3:78,13).
Let us put God’s reply to Moses’ question alongside a leading challenge that was put to our Lord Jesus by the Pharisees in John’s Gospel, chapter 8. We list the two passages in parallel.
“God [the LORD (Jehovah); see verse 7] said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Ex. 3:14).
“Then said the Jews unto Him,...Whom makest Thou Thyself? Jesus answered, . . . Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad....Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. Then took they up stones to cast at Him” (John 8:52-59).
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
Yes, Jesus is Jehovah, and He did not hesitate to declare Himself the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14. Note a similar declaration also in John 18:46. We quote:
“Jesus . . . said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I AM...As soon then as He had said unto them, I AM..., they went backward, and fell to the ground.”
21. Jehovah-Jesus Accepts Worship
One of the most outstanding proofs of our Lord’s being Jehovah is in the matter of His repeatedly accepting worship. Let us note a few such instances, and as we do so, let us remember the well-known solemn warning to Israel in Exodus 34:14.
“Thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD [Jehovah], whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Turn now to Matthew 2:12.
“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.”
Now read verse 11:
“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Also note the following further similar instances:
“They that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God” (Matt. 14:33). See also Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 15:25.
“As they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him” (Matt. 28:9). See also verse 17.
“It came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:51-52).
“Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped” (Rev. 5:13-14).
“Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am” (John 13:13).
Let us take careful notice that in no case did our Lord ever refuse worship, yet He knew full well that none but God (Jehovah) was entitled to this honor. In contrast to this, let us note how decisively and peremptorily others, who were taught of God, refused worship. In Acts 10, when Peter was commissioned to go to Cornelius and his household with the gospel,
“as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man” (vss. 25-26).
When Paul and Barnabas visited Lystra, Paul healed the cripple who was impotent in his feet. Immediately the heathen concluded that the gods Jupiter (Barnabas) and Mercurius (Paul) were come down to visit them. Accordingly,
“The priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Acts 14:13-15).
Even the Apostle John in his apocalyptic vision of Revelation 19 is similarly rebuked by the angelic messenger for seeking to accord worship to the latter.
“I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God” (Rev. 19:10).
Again in Revelation 22 The Apostle John repeats his error and is again rebuked.
“I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not:...worship God” (vss. 8-9).
Perhaps the most outstanding witness to Christ’s being worthy of worship is found in Hebrews 1:6, where it is God Himself who says,
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Now if He be not the Jehovah of the Old Testament, how shall we reconcile the solemn prohibition of Exodus 34:14,
“Thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD [Jehovah] . . . is a jealous God,”
with God’s command that all angels should worship Him? The only logical reconciliation of the two passages is in the simple, yet blessed fact that Jesus is Jehovah.
22. Jehovah-Jesus, the Pierced One
When our Lord shall appear for the deliverance of Israel in the coming day, we read of Him as the pierced Jehovah. This statement is quoted by John in the New Testament and applied to our Lord.
“In that day shall the LORD [Jehovah] defend . . . Jerusalem; . . . and I will pour upon the house of David . . . the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zech. 12:8-10).
“One of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water...For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled . . . They shall look on Him whom they pierced” (John 19:34-37).
No doubt is left to us as to the identification:
Jesus is Jehovah.
23. Jehovah-Jesus, Acknowledged As God
As the high point of our meditation on the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, we would call special attention to the fact that He did not hesitate to accept the acclamation of being God. The following parallel seals irrevocably that Jesus is Jehovah.
“Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD [Jehovah], that I am God” (Isa. 43:12).
“Then saith He to Thomas,...Be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:27-29).
Oh, in view of the abundant proof in the Word of God that Jesus is Jehovah, are you not willing to fall on your knees before Him and repeat out of an adoring heart,
“My Lord and my God”?
“Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father” (1 John 2:23)!
There is no other name than Thine,
Jehovah-Jesus! name divine;
On which to rest for sins forgiven,
For peace with God, for hope of heaven.
Name above every name, Thy praise
Shall fill yon courts through endless days;
Jehovah-Jesus! name divine,
Rock of salvation — Thou art mine.
Notes
1 J. N. Darby, Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, G. Morrish, London, Vol. 9, pp. 475478.
2 T. W. Carron, Christian Testimony Through the Ages, G. Morrish, London, p. 50.
3 Evangelical Quarterly, James Clark and Co. Ltd., London. Article by Prof. Dr. W. Childs Robinson, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia, Vol. 5, pp. 275-282.
4 “In Colossians 1:1517 the Jehovah Witnesses’ translation falsifies what Paul originally wrote, rendering it, ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, because by means of Him all other things were created in the heavens and upon the earth...All other things were made to exist.’ Here the word ‘other’ has been unwarrantably inserted four times. It is not present in the original Greek and was obviously used by the translators in order to make the passage refer to Jesus as being on a par with other created things” (Bruce M. Metzer, “Jehovah’s Witnesses and Jesus Christ,” Theology Today, April 1953, Princeton, New Jersey, p. 76).
5 For a fuller discussion of the fallacious rendering of John 1:1, see Jehovah of the Watchtower by Martin and Klann, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1956, pp. 50-54.
6 Dr. W. Childs Robinson, “Jesus Christ Is Jehovah,” Evangelical Quarterly, Vol. 5, p. 153.
7 J. G. Bellett, The Son of God, The Bible Truth Press, New York, p. 25.
8 See the Greek Septuagint Version, S. Bagster and Sons, Ltd., London, and James Pott and Co., New York, in loco.
9 Robert B. Girdlestone, Old Testament Synonyms, p. 64.
10 Edward Dennett, The Visions of John in Patmos, Being Notes on the Apocalypse, G. Morrish, London, p. 306.
11 We are aware that many later translations have rendered Zechariah 12:10, “And they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced,” but we believe this to be a mistake. On this point we quote from the able expositor, William Kelly.
“There is really no serious doubt that the true reading is the latter (‘to Me’), not the former (‘to Him’)....It was, in fact, originally nothing but a marginal correction, due to the desire partly of eliminating so strong a testimony to the deity or Jehovah title of the Lord Jesus”; et. seq. pp. 422424 (W. Kelly, An Exposition of the Gospel of John, F. E. Race, London, 1898).
Also see the author’s further note on the same point in his Lectures Introductory to the Study of the Minor Prophets, G. Morrish, London, pp. 483-484. Also see Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary on Old and New Testament, in loco.
Printed in U.S.A.
2001
(Original printing: 1963)
“To me it is as clear as the sun at noonday that Christ was the Jehovah of the Old Testament.”
John Nelson Darby1
The publisher strongly urges Christians to meditate on the precious truths contained herein. It is a scriptural answer to the basic error on which the heresy of the so-called Jehovah’s Witnesses is built. The same Arian heterodoxy is inherent in all modernistic teaching which affects the truth of the deity of the Lord Jesus.