In this post I will provide further evidence from the inspired Scriptures that Christ is the true God, even though he is not the Father or the Holy Spirit.
The Hebrew Bible describes YHWH as the God of truth, i.e., the God who is the truth, to whom believers entrust their spirits, e.g., entrusting their lives to him who is faithful.
“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Yahweh, God of truth (El emeth).” Psalm 31:5
Note how the Greek versions called the Septuagint render this verse:
“Into thine hands I will commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth (Kyrie ho theos tes aletheias).” Psalm 30:6 LXX
According to the inspired [N]ew [T]estament writings, Jesus is the very truth and life whom believers commit their spirits/lives to:
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth (he aletheia), and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6
“They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ And having said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:59-60
Shockingly, Stephen who was a Spirit-filled Jew steeped in the Jewish Scriptures prayed to Jesus in the exact same manner that the Psalmist prayed to YHWH!
The [O]ld [T]estament further depicts YHWH as being the Amen, meaning the God who is faithful to always carry out his promises:
“Those who pronounce a blessing in the land will do so by the God called Amen (belohe amen); those who make a solemn pledge in the land will do so by the God called Amen(belohe amen). Past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my sight. Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth: past events won’t be remembered; they won’t come to mind.” Isaiah 65:16-17 Common English Bible (CEB)
Pay attention to the fact that YHWH is said to be the Amen in the context of his creating a new heavens and earth for the righteous to dwell in.
Once again, here’s the Greek rendering of this text:
“which shall be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God (ton theon ton alethinon): and they that swear upon the earth shall swear by the true God (ton theon ton alethinon); for they shall forget the former affliction, it shall not come into their mind.” Isaiah 65:16 LXX
The translators took the expression Amen as a reference to YHWH being the true God, the only Deity whom the nations are to swear by and bless.
YHWH is even identified as the true and faithful witness, an expression which brings out the implicit meaning of his being the God of truth and the Amen:
“And they said to Jeremiah, ‘May Yahweh be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which Yahweh your God will send you to us.’” Jeremiah 42:5
Remarkably, it is the glorified Christ who identifies himself as the Amen, and the true and faithful witness, and does so in the very Revelation which speaks of God ushering in the new heavens and earth!
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: This is what the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says:” Revelation 3:14 – Cf. 21:1-7
Here’s another translation:
“To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: ‘The Amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the originator of God’s creation, says this:’” International Standard Version (ISV)
It is evident that the risen Jesus is claiming to be the true God by ascribing to himself the very unique titles and functions, which the OT attributes to YHWH.
Note how this works out logically:
- YHWH is the Amen and the faithful and true witness.
- The Jews interpreted YHWH’s title Amen as an affirmation of his being the true God.
- The glorified, heavenly Jesus claims to be the Amen and the true and faithful witness.
- The risen Christ is, therefore, claiming to be the true God.
This is further confirmed by some of the other names and roles which Revelation assigns to the risen Lord:
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not fear; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” Revelation 1:17-18
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: This is what the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says:” Revelation 2:8
The glorified Jesus claims to be the First and the Last and the Living One who has power over life and death. And yet according to the Hebrew Bible, these are abilities and titles that belong to YHWH alone:
“Who has worked and done it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, Yahweh, am the first; and with the last, I am He.’” Isaiah 41:4
“Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.’” Isaiah 44:6
“Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.” Isaiah 48:12
“When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever: For his sovereignty is eternal, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation. All who live on the earth are nothing compared to him. He does what he wishes with the heavenly armies and with those who live on earth. No one can hold back his power or say to him, ‘What did you do?’” Daniel 4:34-35
Jesus further refers to himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End who comes to judge and reward every single individual for what s/he has earned:
“‘Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end… I, Jesus, sent My angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’… He who bears witness to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Revelation 22:12-13, 16, 20-21
Not only does the immediate context affirm that these are the words of the risen Christ, this is also corroborated by the following biblical texts:
“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:22-23
“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.” Matthew 16:27
Since the Father judges no one, but rather it is the Son who comes to judge and reward all men, this only reinforces the point that it is Christ that is speaking in Revelation 22:12-13.
This means that Jesus does what the prophets explicitly testify is the very thing that YHWH himself comes to personally do!
“Behold, Lord Yahweh will come with strength, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.” Isaiah 40:10
“Behold, Yahweh has announced to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.’” Isaiah 62:11
“And that to You, O Lord, belongs lovingkindness, For You repay a man according to his work.” Psalm 62:12
“If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ Does not He who weighs the hearts understand? And does not He who guards your soul know? And will not He render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12
“For God will bring every work to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14
The risen Christ even takes the following words of YHWH,
“I, Yahweh, search the heart; I test the inmost being, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10
And applies them to himself in order to highlight the fact of his being the One that beholds all things and determines who lives and dies!
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: This is what the Son of God, the One who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like burnished bronze, says: ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your last deeds are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and deceives My slaves so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent, and she does not wish to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.’” Revelation 2:18-23
The foregoing merely reinforces the fact that the NT writings do indeed describe Jesus as the only true God, the Son who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit in essence, power, glory and honor (but not in Person). It is only those who refuse to let the Bible speak, or do not allow God to be who says he is, that seek to deny and/or explain away this unambiguous teaching of the God-breathed Scriptures.
Unless indicated otherwise, scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
FURTHER READING
Jesus Christ: The God Whose Glory Isaiah Beheld
JESUS CHRIST: TRUE GOD FROM TRUE GOD
REVISITED: JESUS THE TRUE GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE
REVEALING THE IDENTITY OF ISRAEL’S LORD GODJesus is Jehovah God According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible! Pt. 4
Answering Islam Blog 