JESUS OF NAZARETH IS JEHOVAH GOD OF THE HEBREWS Webster s New International Dictionary, published 1929, on page 1161 gives the name Jesus and defines it as follows: (Latin Jesus Greek Iesous from Hebrew Yeshua ; Yah Jehovah + hoshia to help.) 1. Literally probably, Jehovah or Yahweh is salvation or deliverance; Latin-Greek form of the Hebrew proper name Joshua later Jeshua, used as a masculine personal name
JESUS OF NAZARETH IS JEHOVAH, GOD OF THE HEBREWS There are persons who undertake to teach us that, though Jesus is very great and very high, Jehovah is greater and higher than Jesus. Let us see what the inspired Scriptures say. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah, writing 700 years before the birth of Jesus, mentioned three characters in which Jehovah appears. He says, Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king; He will save us (Isaiah 33:22).
1. JUDGE. In John 5:22,23 Jesus is seen as Jehovah, the Judge. He says, For neither doth the Father judge any man, but He hath given all judgment unto the Son that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent Him. 2. LAWGIVER. In Matthew 5:21 Jesus is presented as Jehovah our Lawgiver: for he says, Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.
3. KING. In Luke 1:31-33 we learn that Jesus is Jehovah, Israel s King: for we read, And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call His Name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Jesus, then, is Jehovah, God of the Hebrews, Who fulfills in His own person the prophecy of Isaiah 33:22. Let us compare some additional Scriptures.
Isaiah 43:11 says, I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside Me there is no Saviour. Acts 4:10-12 declares, Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel that in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in Him doth this man stand here before you whole. And in none other is there salvation. Since besides Jehovah there is no Saviour and in none other than Jesus is there salvation, it follows that Jesus is Jehovah, God of the Hebrews.
Isaiah 43:13 declared, Thus sayeth Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Ephesians 1:5-7 reveals that God has foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace. 1 Peter 1:18-19 gives a similar testimony, Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ. Jesus, then Who shed His blood on the cross for our redemption, is Jehovah God, Redeemer of Jew and Gentile alike.
Hosea 13:4 says, Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me, and beside Me there is no saviour. This testimony, given more than seven centuries before the birth of Jesus, shuts us up to one of two conclusions. Either Jesus is Jehovah, God of the Hebrews, that One who said to Moses in Exodus 3:14, I AM THAT I AM. (A footnote to this verse reads, Or, I AM BECAUSE I AM, or, I AM WHO AM or, I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE ), or we are forbidden to know Him as a god or a
If we deny that Jesus is Jehovah, then we must conclude that Thomas was wrong when he said, My Lord and my God (John 20:28). Yet Jesus said in verse 27 of this same chapter, Be not faithless but believing. Thus to condemn the faith of Thomas would be to condemn our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 149:1 reads, Sing unto Jehovah a new song. In Revelation 4 and 5, John saw a door opened in heaven and heard one saying, Come up hither. He saw there in the midst of the throne, a Lamb standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God.
And the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with Thy blood men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests and they reign upon the earth. The worthiness of the Lamb is, accordingly, the theme of the
The following texts give further proof that Jesus of Nazareth is Jehovah: The First and the Last... Jehovah I am the first and I am the last (Isaiah 44:6). I am Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8). And he laid His right hand upon me, saying, Fear not: I am the first and the last (Rev. 1:17). King for ever and forever... Jehovah is king for ever and ever (Psa. 10:16). Jesus Son of the Highest He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:31-33). The Rock... Jehovah is my rock (Psalm 18:2). And the rock was the (Gr.) Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).
Redeemer... O Jehovah, my rock and my redeemer (Psa. 19:14). But Christ being come by His own blood He entered in having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11,12). All flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 49:26). Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). Advocate... Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is His Name; He will thoroughly plead their cause (Jeremiah 50:34). An advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ( John 2:1). An advocate pleads our
Shepherd... Jehovah is my shepherd (Psa. 23:1), I (Jesus) am the good shepherd (John 10:11). Strong and Mighty... Who is the King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty (Psalm 24:8). A white horse (symbol of a conqueror) and He that sat thereon called Faithful and True the Word of God (Rev. 19:11-13). In the beginning the Word Word became flesh (John 1:1,14). Here we have the strong and mighty Conqueror. The Creator... For all the gods of the peoples are idols (things of nought): but Jehovah made the heavens (1 Chronicles 16:26). All things were made through Him (Jesus); and without Him was not anything made that hath been made (John 1:3).
Our Hope... Thou art my hope, O Lord Jehovah (Psa. 71:5). Christ Jesus our hope (1 Timothy 1:1). The Most High... Thou whose Name alone is Jehovah art the Most High (Psalm 83:18). Jesus spake saying, All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). The Cause of Joy... My soul shall be joyful in Jehovah (Psa. 35:9). He made haste and came down and received Him (Jesus) joyfully (Luke 19:6). God With Us... Jehovah of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:11). His Name Jesus call His Name Immanuel interpreted, God with us (Matt. 1:21-23).
The Righteous... I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Jehovah. I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only (Psa. 71:16). Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). Acts 7:2 tells us that the God of glory appeared unto Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia. And in Exodus 6:2,3 we read, I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as God Almighty; but by My Name Jehovah I was not known; (or, as the footnote says, made known ) to them. Thus we learn that, when God was about to redeem Israel from the house of bondmen, He was pleased to make Himself known to Moses under this Name Jehovah, saying to Him, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you (Ex. 3:14). *
Now a striking fact is that this Name, I Am, is one that no idol can take, for the simple reason that all idols are mute (1 Cor. 12:2). The prophets of Baal (1 Kings 118:19-40) could speak to Baal, thus putting Baal in the second person. Elijah could say, Cry aloud: for he is a god and thus put Baal in the third person, saying, I AM. Thus has God marked Himself off from all false gods by this Name Jehovah. It is by this Name that He speaks the Name that is above every name and it is the Name given to the virgin s son Jesus Jehovah, God of the Hebrews (Phil. 2:9). John the Baptist (Luke 7:19,20) sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus, Art Thou He that cometh, or look we for another? At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding and didst reveal them unto babes. All things have been delivered unto Me of My Father. Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matt. 11:25-30).