In this post, I will employ the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Holy Bible to prove that Jesus is described as Jehovah God Almighty in the flesh.

The prophet Isaiah announced that the Mighty God will humble himself to be born as a human male baby in order to reign over David’s throne and give light to those who are steeped in darkness:

 “Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine… For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” Isaiah 9:1-7

That the child is none other than Jehovah God in the flesh is confirmed by the fact that Isaiah testifies that Jehovah is the only Mighty God that gives light to his people since there is no other god besides him:

“The LORD, the Light of Israel, will be a fire; the Holy One will be a flame. He will devour the thorns and briers with fire, burning up the enemy in a single night… In that day the remnant left in Israel, the survivors in the house of Jacob, will no longer depend on allies who seek to destroy them. But they will faithfully trust the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return; yes, the remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.” Isaiah 10:17, 20-21 – Cf. 37:16, 20; 43:10-11, 13; 44:6-8; 45:5-6, 21-22; 46:9-11

And according to the New Testament, the Child whom Isaiah spoke about is the Lord Jesus Christ (Cf. Luke 1:26-35; Matthew 4:12-16).

This explains why in the inspired Christian Scriptures Jesus is called and worshiped as God in an absolute sense. I.e., Jesus is the God of all believers, that reigns forever,

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.’” John 20:27-29

“Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” Romans 9:5

“This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior… Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:1, 11  

Possessing all the fullness of the divine essence in physical, bodily form,

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” Colossians 2:9

Humbling himself to die a shameful, excruciating death,

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

For the express purpose of redeeming and purifying a people by his blood, by his sacrificial death, in order to make them his own unique possession, e.g., the church:

“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.” Acts 20:28

“while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.” Titus 2:13-14  

Christ is also described as the eternal Creator and Sustainer, being God’s uniquely beloved Son and Word by and for whom all things were created:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone… The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him… So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son… No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14, 18

“So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.” 1 Corinthians 8:4-6  

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” Colossians 1:13-20

“But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.” Hebrews 3:3-6  

And yet the Hebrew Bible is quite clear that Jehovah created and sustains the whole creation all by himself:

“He ALONE has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.” Job 9:8

“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer and Creator: ‘I am the LORD, who made all things. I ALONE stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?’” Isaiah 44:24  

It gets even more remarkable. The inspired author of Hebrews applies the language of the following text,

“You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.” Nehemiah 9:6

And has God the Father ascribing the following Psalm,

“LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea!… But you, O LORD, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation… But I cried to him, ‘O my God, who lives forever, don’t take my life while I am so young! Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will live forever.” Psalm 102:1, 12, 24-27

To the beloved Son and Heir of all creation,

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven… And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, ‘Let all of God’s angels worship him.’… But to the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.’ He also says to the Son, ‘In the beginning, Lord, YOU laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with YOUR HANDS. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. YOU will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But YOU are always the same; YOU will live forever.’” Hebrews 1:1-3, 6, 8-12

Thereby identifying Christ as Jehovah God Almighty, the very unchangeable, eternal Creator and Sustainer of all creation!

As if this wasn’t astonishing enough, the God-breathed Scriptures testify that Christ is the One who returns to judge and recompense everyone for what s/he has done, being the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, and the Beginning and the End that died and came to life, and who has power over death and the afterlife:  

“In addition, the Father judges NO ONE. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him… And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.” John 5:22-23, 27-29

“For the Son of Man will come with HIS angels in the glory of HIS Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” Matthew 16:27

“‘But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by MY Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Then these righteous ones will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, “Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.” Then they will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?” And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.” And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.’ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’” Matthew 25:31-46; 26:1-2  

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation 1:17-18  

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:” Revelation 2:8

“‘Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End… I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.’… He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:12-16, 20

And yet the Hebrew Bible expressly testifies that Jehovah is the First and the Last who shall come to judge and reward every individual:

“Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.” Isaiah 40:10 – Cf. 62:11; Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10; 29:23

“This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: ‘I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.” Isaiah 44:6

 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last.” Isaiah 48:12

This explains why John saw the Son receiving the exact same worship that the Father receives from every created being in all of creation, and for the exact same duration:

“And then I heard EVERY CREATURE in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and TO THE LAMB forever and ever.’ And the four living beings said, ‘Amen!’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.” Revelation 5:13-14

This proves that Jesus is no mere creature, but separate and superior to all creation since he is the eternal Son of God.   

Therefore, the inspired Scriptures explicitly proclaim that Jesus is the eternal, unchangeable Creator and Sustainer of all creation, Jehovah God Almighty in the flesh, being the beloved Son who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit in essence!

FURTHER READING

The World English Bible

Christ’s Deity and the ISV Bible

NT Critic Bart Ehrman’s Favorite Bible Translation Proves That Jesus is God Almighty in the Flesh!

ERRATA: Iglesia Ni Cristo and the New Living Translation

Jesus – The God Who Knows All Things: Refuting Another Iglesia Ni Cristo Objection

Jesus Christ: The God Who is the All in All – A Response to Iglesia ni Cristo

What is the Messiah? Responding to Iglesia ni Cristo’s Misuse of Scripture Pt. 1

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