We now jump into the heart of the matter https://islamunmasked.com/2018/10/09/jesus-is-jehovah-god-according-to-the-jehovahs-witnesses-bible-pt-1/.

Who, then, is Jesus?

Astonishingly, the NT writings identify Christ as the Lord of heaven who rules over all creation, and whom all must serve and honor.

For example, Jesus claims to be the Lord of David who sits enthroned at Jehovah’s right hand:

“However, as Jesus continued teaching in the temple, he said: ‘How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is David’s son?’  By the holy spirit, David himself said, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet. David himself calls him Lord, so how can it be that he is his son?’” Mark 12:35-37

According to the Apostles such as Peter, this occurred after Jesus’ physical resurrection and ascension into the Father’s heavenly presence:

“‘Men, brothers, it is permissible to speak with freeness of speech to you about the family head David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one of his offspring on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in the Grave nor did his flesh see corruption. God resurrected this Jesus, and of this we are all witnesses. Therefore, because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you see and hear. For David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”’ Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you executed on a stake.’ Now when they heard this, they were stabbed to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: ‘Men, brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them: ‘Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.’” Acts 2:29-38

What makes these statements from Peter so amazing is that the blessed Apostle ascribes to the risen Christ the very same roles and characteristics that the prophet Joel attributed to Jehovah God:

“On the contrary, this is what was said through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out some of my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams, and even on my male slaves and on my female slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. And I will give wonders in heaven above and signs on earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and illustrious day of Jehovah comes. And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.’” Acts 2:16-21

Hence, the God who pours out his Spirit upon his followers, the Jehovah whose name a person must call upon for salvation, is none other than Jesus Christ since he is the One who poured forth the Holy Spirit from heaven, and it is his name alone that saves mankind and heals all physical and spiritual infirmities:

“Now Peter and John were going up into the temple for the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, and a man who was lame from birth was being carried. Every day they would put him near the temple door that was called Beautiful, so he could ask for gifts of mercy from those entering the temple. When he caught sight of Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking for gifts of mercy. But Peter, together with John, looked straight at him and said: ‘Look at us.’ So he fixed his attention on them, expecting to get something from them. However, Peter said: “Silver and gold I do not possess, but what I do have is what I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Naz·a·reneʹ, walk!’ With that he took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up.b Instantly his feet and his ankles were made firm; and leaping to his feet, he began walking and went with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they began to recognize him, that this was the man who used to sit waiting for gifts of mercy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were completely astonished and ecstatic about what had happened to him. While the man was still holding on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at what was called Solʹo·mon’s Colonnade, completely surprised. When Peter saw this, he said to the people: ‘Men of Israel, why are you so amazed at this, and why are you staring at us as though by personal power or godly devotion we have made him walk? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his Servant, Jesus, whom you handed over and disowned before Pilate, even though he had decided to release him. Yes, you disowned that holy and righteous one, and you asked for a man who was a murderer to be given to you, whereas you killed the Chief Agent of life. But God raised him up from the dead, of which fact we are witnesses. And through his name, and by our faith in his name, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. The faith that is through him has made this man completely healthy in front of all of you.’” Acts 3:1-16

“While the two were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came up to them. These were annoyed because the apostles were teaching the people and were openly declaring the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day, for it was already evening.  However, many of those who had listened to the speech believed, and the number of the men became about 5,000. The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, along with Anʹnas the chief priest, Caʹia·phas, John, Alexander, and all who were relatives of the chief priest. They stood Peter and John in their midst and began to question them: ‘By what power or in whose name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with holy spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today about a good deed to a crippled man, and you want to know who made this man well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Naz·a·reneʹ, whom you executed on a stake but whom God raised up from the dead, by means of him this man stands here healthy in front of you. This is “the stone that was treated by you builders as of no account that has become the chief cornerstone.” Furthermore, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.’ Now when they saw the outspokenness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were astonished. And they began to realize that they had been with Jesus. As they were looking at the man who had been cured standing with them, they had nothing to say in answer to this.” Acts 4:1-15

What’s more, Jesus Christ is identified as the Son who sits enthroned on high, far above all creation, and is the exact representation of God’s infinite substance, being the One whom the Father employed to create and sustain the entire creation:

“and how surpassing the greatness of his power is toward us believers. It is according to the operation of the mightiness of his strength, which he exercised toward Christ when he raised him up from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE EVERY government and authority and power and lordship and EVERY NAME that is named, not only in this system of things but also in that to come. He also subjected all things under his feet and made him head over all things with regard to the congregation, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills up all things in all.” Ephesians 1:19-23

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold on to our public declaration of him.” Hebrews 4:14

“For it is fitting for us to have such a high priest who is loyal, innocent, undefiled, separated from the sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” Hebrews 7:26

“For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears before God on our behalf.” Hebrews 9:24

“Long ago God spoke to our forefathers by means of the prophets on many occasions and in many ways. Now at the end of these days he has spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power. And after he had made a purification for our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: ‘And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.’… But about the Son, he says: ‘God is your throne forever and ever… At the beginning, O Lord [the Son], you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; and just like a garment, they will all wear out, and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as a garment, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never come to an end.’ But about which of the angels has he ever said: ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet’?” Hebrews 1:1-3, 6, 8a, 10-13

Amazingly, Jesus is said to be the exact copy of God’s eternal, uncreated Being, which makes him identical to God, even though the Hebrew Bible clearly teaches that there is no heavenly being that even comes close to being like Jehovah in his essence and works:

“There is none like you among the gods, O Jehovah, There are no works like yours. All the nations that you made Will come and bow down before you, O Jehovah, And they will give glory to your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; You are God, you alone.” Psalm 86:8-10

“The heavens praise your marvels, O Jehovah, Yes, your faithfulness in the congregation of the holy ones. For who in the skies can compare to Jehovah? Who among the sons of God is like Jehovah? God is held in awe in the council of holy ones; He is grand and awe-inspiring to all who are around him. O Jehovah God of armies, Who is mighty like you, O Jah? Your faithfulness surrounds you.” Psalm 89:5-8

What makes this all the more astonishing is that the author of Hebrews took the following Psalm, which describes Jehovah as the unchanging Creator and Sustainer of all creation,

“Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth, And the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; Just like a garment they will all wear out. Just like clothing you will replace them, and they will pass away. But you are the same, and your years will never end.” Psalm 102:25-27

And applied it to the Son, thereby identifying Jesus as Jehovah God Almighty!

That’s not all. The 1984 edition of the NWT has a note to verse 6, which points its readers to Deuteronomy 32:43 https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/bi12/books/hebrews/1/#v58001006. When we go to that particular OT reference, we find the following footnote:

“Be glad, O heavens, together with him, and let all the angels of God worship him. Be glad, you nations, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him,” LXX^Bagster. Compare Heb 1:6. https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/bi12/books/deuteronomy/32/#v5032043

This means that Hebrews has taken another verse about Jehovah and applied it to the Son. In this case, the inspired writer has attributed to the risen Lord the very worship that the angels are to give to Jehovah, showing that Jesus receives the same exact worship that Jehovah does!

To say that this is amazing, in fact astonishing, would be putting it mildly.

With that said we are now ready to turn to the final part of our examination https://islamunmasked.com/2018/10/09/jesus-is-jehovah-god-according-to-the-jehovahs-witnesses-bible-pt-1c/.

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