The doctrine of the Person of Christ has ever been and will ever be at the forefront of Satanic attack. If Jesus Christ is not God the biblical plan of salvation crumbles. Is it possible to prove from the Scriptures that Jesus of Nazareth is Yahweh or Jehovah of the Old Testament? What light shines from the Old Testament to indicate this?
When the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek in about 250 B.C., the translation was called the Septuagint (LXX). In it the sacred name of God YHWH, usually rendered Yahweh or Jehovah was translated into the Greek word Kyrios (Lord). There are almost 7000 instances of this. This sacred and exalted title was attributed directly to Jesus (Rom. 10:9; I Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11 etc.) Indeed the confesion Jesus is Lord is probably the earliest confession of faith.
Because early Christians refused to say "Caesar is Lord" they were martyred. They understood well the implications of applying that word to Jesus.
When Thomas said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God," it must be remembered that Thomas was a confirmed monotheist. He knew only one Lord and one God, and for him to apply that title to Jesus meant that he was identifying the YHWH of the Old Testament with the Jesus of the New.
On several occasion New Testament writers apply Old Testament passages concerning Yahweh directly to Jesus. "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of teh LORD shall be delivered...." (Joes 2:32). This is applied to Jesus in Romans 10:13. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
"Unto me ever kneee shall bow and every tongue shall swear" (Is. 45:23). This is applied to Jesus in Phil. 2:9-11. "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and that every tongue should confess..."
"I heard the voice of Jesus saying....Lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart (Is. 6:8-10). This is applied to Jesus in John 12:40, 41, "These things saith Esaias when he saw His glory and spake of Him."
"Thou hast ascended on high, thou has led captivity captive: thou has received gifts for men" (Ps. 68:18). This is applied to Jesus in Eph. 4:8, "Wherefore He saith, when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." These passages clearly identify Jesus with Yahweh.
Another link is provided by the self-designations of God appropriated by Jesus or referred to Him. Supremely significant is the I AM of Yahweh (Ex. 3:14). It is applied to Jesus in the New Testament. "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58); "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35); "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12); "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25); "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6); see also Mark 12: 61, 62.
Another is the Bridegroom. "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee" (Is. 62:5). Jesus asked "Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?" (Mark 2:19). John the Baptist said, "the friend of the bridegroom....rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled" (John 3:29). "The marriage of the Lamb is ready." (Rev. 19:7)
The word "shepherd" is applied both to Jehovah and to Jesus. "The LORD is my shepherd" (Ps. 23:1). "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel" (Ps. 80:1). This is applied to Jesus in the New Testament. "I am the good shepherd" (John 16:11). "Our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep" (Heb. 13:20).
The term "the first and the last" refers to both Yahweh and Jesus. "I the LORD, the first and the last; I am he" (Is. 41:4). "Thus saith the LORD, the king of Israel...I am the first and I am the last; and beside me there is no God (Is. 44:6). "I am the first, I also am the last" (Is. 48:12). This title refers to Jesus in the New Testament. "Fear not, I am the first and the last" (Rev.1:17); "These things saith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive" (Rev.2:8); "I am...the first and the last...Jesus have sent mine angel..." (Rev.22:13, 16).
The Alpha and Omega is yet another. It refers to God in Rev. 1:8, "I am Alpha and Omega....the Almighty" but in Rev. 22:13, the title refers to Jesus, "I am Alpha and Omega...Jesus" (Rev. 22:13, 16).
Note also the Divine Attributes which are applied to Jesus. His eternity is seen in Micah 5:2 "But thou Bethlehem Ephratah...out of thee shall he come forth...whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." If He is everlasting, He was not created.
His omnipotence is seen in creation. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). We also read that "all things were made by Him" (Jesus) (John 1:3). God and Jesus are identified in creating all things.
His immutability is observed. "The heavens...shall perish, but thou shalt endure...Thou art the same and thy years have no end" (Ps. 102:25-27). This scripture which is here applied to God, is applied to Jesus in Heb. 1:3-12, "Unto the Son He saith...thou art the same."
The prophecy of Is. 7:14 is highly significant, "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Immanuel means "God with us"! This is confirmed in the prophesy to Mary, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon theee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
The final blow to these modern Arians, the Jehovah's Witnesses, comes in the magnificent statement in Is. 9:6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." No amount of wriggling or spiritual gymnastics can explain that away. Here Christ is called "the mighty God, the everlasting Father." What more proof do we need?
The staggering truth is unfolded: Jesus, the man who walked the streets of Nazareth and died on Calvary, is to be identified with Yahweh, the Creator-redeemer, God Almighty. Jesus is God.
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Colin Peckham (1936 - 2009)
Was Principal of Faith Mission Bible College, Edinburgh. Mary Peckham (nee Morrison) (1932-2010) was born on the Isle-of-Lewis and was converted in the 1949 revival. She spent fourteen years in evangelistic ministry, seeing true revival on two occasions in her ministry, before marrying Colin in 1969. They are both survived by three adult children and two grandchildren.A life of blessing and fullness stretched before me; a life to be maintained as a constant walk in the Spirit by the vital elements of faith and obedience. On Monday 9th November 2009 at his home in Broxburn near Edinburgh, Scotland, Rev Dr Colin Peckham was suddenly and quietly called home to be with the Lord. There was a service of thanksgiving at Charlotte Chapel, West Rose Street, Edinburgh on Monday 16th November 2009 at 10.30am.