I continue with my discussion of the NT witness to Jesus being the prophesied God-Man who reigns over all creation (https://islamunmasked.com/2020/03/08/the-enthronement-of-the-god-man-pt-2a/).

David’s Exalted Lord and God’s Begotten Son

The Christian Scriptures directly quote both Psalm 2 and 110 in reference to Christ:

“Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, ‘How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.’” Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?’ The common people heard him gladly.” Mark 12:35-37

“whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:24-36

“Being let go, they came to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, ‘O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.” For truly, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen. Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.’ When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:23-31

“We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’” Acts 13:32-33

“God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high… For to which of the angels did he say at any time, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father?’ and again, ‘I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?’… But which of the angels has he told at any time, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?’” Hebrews 1:1-3, 13

“So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’ As he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’” Hebrews 5:5-6

Apart from direct citation, the inspired NT writers allude to the language of these specific Psalms in describing Christ’s exaltation and glorification, often with Daniel’s divine Son of Man figure:

“So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.” Mark 16:19-20

“As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people were gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us.’ But he said to them, ‘If I tell you, you won’t believe, and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go. From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ They all said, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’ He said to them, ‘You say it, because I am.’ They said, ‘Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!’” Luke 22:66-71

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” Acts 7:55-56

“Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,” Hebrews 8:1

“but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet.” Hebrews 10:12-13

“looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

In this next passage, Jesus is portrayed as doing what the anointed King of Psalm 2:8-12 and 110:5-7 does to all the earthly kings who oppose him and refuse to submit to his rule:

“The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of HIS wrath has come; and who is able to stand?’” Revelation 6:15-17

The God-breathed Christian scriptures further proclaim that Christ is exalted far above the entire creation as the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, who alone possesses immortality and absolute sovereignty:

“and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE rule, authority, power, dominion, and EVERY NAME that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:19-23

“For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power… If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.” Colossians 2:9-10, 3:1-4

“I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in its own times HE will show, WHO is the blessed and ONLY Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. HE ALONE has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, WHOM no man has seen, nor can see: to WHOM be honor and eternal power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:13-16

“This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.” 1 Peter 3:21-22

“These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him are called chosen and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

“I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called ‘The Word of God.’ The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’” Revelation 19:11-16

Christ is even said to possess the name that is above every name that exists:

“Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Remarkably, Paul has attributed the language of Isaiah 45:23 (cited in pt. 1), where Yahweh swears that every human being will worship him, to the homage that every creature in existence is demanded to render to Jesus in their recognition of his being Lord!

Noted liberal NT textual critic Dr. Bart D. Ehrman helps to bring out the significance of such an attribution:

“… The casual reader may not realize this, but these lines allude to a passage in the Hebrew Bible. And a striking passage it is. According to the original passage as found in Isaiah 45:22–23, it is to Yahweh alone, the God of Israel, that ‘every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess’…

“The prophet Isaiah is quite explicit. There is only one God, no other. That God is Yahweh.12 That God has sworn that to no other shall every knee bow and every tongue make confession. Yet in the Philippians poem, it is not to God the Father—apart from whom, according to Isaiah, ‘there is no other’—but to the exalted Jesus that all knees will bow and tongues confess. Jesus has been granted the status and honor and glory of the One Almighty God himself.

“This interpretation of the Christ poem in Philippians shows that very early in the Christian movement the followers of Jesus were making audacious claims about him. He had been exalted to equality with God, even though God himself had said that there was ‘no other’ apart from him. Somehow, Christians were imagining that there was indeed ‘another.’ And this other one was equal with God. But it was not because he was God ‘by nature’—to use the later philosophical/theological term that came to be applied to discussions of Christ’s deity. He was God because God had made him so. But how could he be God, if God was God, and there was only one God? This became the key question of the Christological debates in later times, as we will see. At this stage, all we can say is that early Christians were not bothered enough by this dilemma, or this paradox, to have written anything about it, so we don’t know exactly how they dealt with it.” (Ehrman, How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee [HarperOne, Reprint edition 2015], p. 140; bold emphasis mine)

12. The Tetragrammaton in the Hebrew Bible, YHWH (= Yahweh), which serves as the personal name of God, was translated in the Greek version by the term Kurios, which comes into English as “Lord.” And so, when the text indicates that every tongue will confess that “Jesus is Lord,” it appears to mean that everyone will acknowledge that Jesus has the very name of Yahweh himself. It is important to note, however, that Jesus is still differentiated from God the Father, since all this is to happen to the Father’s “glory.” (Ibid., p. 199; bold emphasis mine)

To confirm that the poem/hymn, which is cited in Philippians, is essentially describing the risen Christ as the very incarnation and physical embodiment of Yahweh, note what the blessed Apostle writes elsewhere:

“But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he says, ‘When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.’ Now this, ‘He ascended’, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” Ephesians 4:7-10

Astonishingly, Paul has taken this specific Psalm about Yahweh,

“You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.” Psalm 68:18

And adopted what the following prophet states concerning Yahweh’s omnipresence and omniscience,

“‘Am I a God at hand,’ says Yahweh, ‘and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I can’t see him?’ says Yahweh. ‘Don’t I fill heaven and earth?’ says Yahweh.” Jeremiah 23:23-24

To describe Christ’s descent from and ascension back to heaven!

What we have in the foregoing words of Paul is a clear affirmation of Christ’s eternal existence as Yahweh God Almighty who descended into the earth and became man, precisely what the first half of the Philippians poem/hymn states!

“Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

The Apostle John joins Paul in his proclamation that Christ eternally exists as God who then voluntarily chose to enter the world and become a flesh and blood human being:

“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 through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men… The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him… The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth… No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14, 18

“‘For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’ The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, ‘I am the bread which came down out of heaven.’ They said, ‘Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, “I have come down out of heaven?”’” John 6:38-42

“‘I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.’ His disciples said to him, ‘Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’” John 16:25-31

“Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed… for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me… Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:5, 8, 24

This explains why after his physical, bodily resurrection God the Father exalted Jesus to the highest position of authority and granted him the worship and glory belonging to Yahweh. I.e., Jesus is Yahweh God Almighty who set aside his status for a season for the express purpose of entering the world to become a man in order to take on the position of a slave.

As such, Jesus isn’t a creature who was granted the status of Yahweh God. Rather, Christ received glory and honor that intrinsically belonged to him by nature, but which he voluntarily relinquished.

This also helps us appreciate why the kingdom of God is said to be Christ’s kingdom:

“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of HIS Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and those who do iniquity… Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:41, 43

“Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.” Ephesians 5:5

“who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

And why the Father and Son are described as possessing one and the same divine throne:

“The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!’” Revelation 11:15

“She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne… I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:5, 10

“He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the THRONE of God AND OF THE LAMB… There will be no curse any more. The THRONE of God AND OF THE LAMB will be in it, and his servants will serve him.” Revelation 22:1, 3

Since Jesus is God, and one with the Father in essence, glory, and honor, it only makes sense that God’s kingdom would also be his kingdom.

Hence, the NT proclamation is that the God-Man has come and is now enthroned in heaven alongside God the Father. And his name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, come! We love and eagerly await your return since we love and adore you, O Risen Son of God! Amen!

Unless noted otherwise, Scriptural references taken from the World English Bible (WEB).

 

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