There are specific cults that believe that Christ is an angelic creature who became man. These religious movements claim that Jesus, in his prehuman existence and in his post-resurrection exaltation, is actually Michael the archangel!⁽¹⁾

In this post I will show the readers an effective manner of how to use the God-breathed Scriptures to refute this false teaching.

MICHAEL IN THE BIBLE

To begin with, I list all the passages where Michael is mentioned:

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing against me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Now I had been left there with the kings of Persia… However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Now there is no one who exerts strength with me against these forces except Michael your prince.” Daniel 10:13, 21

“Now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will stand. And there will be a time of distress such as never happened since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.” Daniel 12:1

“But Michael the archangel, when he, disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!’” Jude 1:9

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12:7-9

The aforementioned passages describe Michael as one of the ruling spirit creatures or archangels who had been assigned the role of guarding and overseeing Israel. Michael is also depicted as that particular angel whom God appointed to oppose Satan, having been given the authority to bar the Devil from accessing heaven.  

THE REFUTATION

The Bible is explicitly clear that Jesus is not a created angelic being. Rather, Christ is the divine Son of God by whom all things, including all the epochs of time, have been created, being the very One who preserves all creation by his powerful word:

“God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins.’” Hebrews 1:1-3

Here, the inspired writer of Hebrews assigns to the Son the very same functions and worship, which the OT scriptures attribute to YHWH God alone.

For instance, it is YHWH who created and sustains all creation by his word, provides cleansing for sins, and whom all the angelic host are to worship:

“And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, ‘Rise up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! O may Your glorious name be blessed And exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are Yahweh. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down to You.’” Nehemiah 9:5-6

“Because of him, each messenger succeeds, and all things hold together by his word.” Sirach 43:26 Common English Bible (CEB)

In fact, Hebrews even takes the following OT passages, where the angelic gods of the nations are commanded to worship God,

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh— with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy. Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.” Deuteronomy 32:39-43 English Standard Version (ESV)

“Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him; for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purge the land of his people.” Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX

“Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, Who boast of idols; Worship Him, all you gods! Zion heard this and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced Because of Your judgments, O Yahweh. For You are Yahweh Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.” Psalm 97:7-9

“Let all that worship graven images be ashamed, who boast of their idols; worship him, all ye his angels.” Psalm 96:7 LXX

And has the Father applying this command to Christ:

“And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘And let ALL the angels of God worship Him.’” Hebrews 1:6

I.e., the Son is the YHWH whom all the angels are commanded to worship!

This in itself poses a dilemma for these anti-Trinitarian cults. Since ALL (not some, not most) of the angels are to worship the Son as YHWH, the Son cannot possibly be one of these angelic creatures. Otherwise, the Son would have to be worshiping himself if he were in fact a created angel, which in turn means that YHWH is a spirit creature who worships himself!

Note how this works out logically:

1. All the angels are commanded to worship the Son as YHWH God (Cf. Deut. 32:43; Psalm 97:7).
2. Therefore, if the Son were a spirit creature then this means that YHWH God is a created angel who worships himself.
3. The Son, therefore, cannot be an angelic creature but is rather the very Creator and Sustainer of all creation, which includes his having created and giving life to the entire host of heaven.

The writer reinforces this point of the Son being YHWH by having the Father glorify Christ as the God who rules forever, and even quotes the following Psalm, where YHWH is identified as the unchangeable Creator and Sustainer of all creation,

“A Prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before Yahweh. O Yahweh, hear my prayer! And let my cry for help come to You… But You, O Yahweh, abide forever, And the remembrance of Your name from generation to generation… I say, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your years are from generation to all generations. Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You will remain; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.’” Psalm 102:1, 12, 24-27

And applies it to his Son!

“But of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God (ho theos), is forever and ever, And the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.’ And, ‘You, Lord [the Son], in the beginning founded the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will wear out like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.’” Hebrews 1:8-12

In other words, Hebrews has the Father glorifying and praising Jesus as YHWH God Almighty, magnifying his Son for being the immutable Creator and Life-giver of the entire creation!

The inspired author then contrasts the Son’s divine transcendence and immutability with the transient and mutable nature of angels, whom God created to serve rather than to be served:

“… sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, ‘I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me’?… But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies As a footstool for Your feet’? Hebrews 1:3b-5, 13

“And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.’… Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:7, 14 New King James Version (NKJV)

Hebrews cites the following OT texts, all of which speak of God’s promise to David that his physical seed would reign on God’s throne forever and ever:

“So now, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; and the unrighteous will not afflict them any more as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh also declares to you that Yahweh will make a house for you. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up one of your seed after you, who will come forth from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will reprove him with the rod of men and the strikes from the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not be removed from him, as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”’” 2 Samuel 7:8-17

“Why do the nations rage And the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against Yahweh and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord mocks them. Then He speaks to them in His anger And terrifies them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.  will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like a potter’s vessel.”’ So now, O kings, show insight; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Serve Yahweh with fear And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:1-12

“Of David. A Psalm. Yahweh says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.’ Yahweh will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Have dominion in the midst of Your enemies.’ Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of Your power; In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, The dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours. Yahweh has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord (Adonay) is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His anger. He will render justice among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will crush the head that is over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.” Psalm 110:1-7

The writer to Hebrews is claiming that these promises to David were fulfilled in Jesus Christ who became a physical offspring of David in order to reign on David’s throne for all eternity (Cf. Lk. 1:26-35; 20:41-44; Acts 2:29-36; 13:22-23, 32-35; Romans 1:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8; Revelation 5:5; 22:16).

Once again, since God never enthroned an angelic creature to rule forever at his right hand the Son, therefore, cannot be a created spirit being. If Jesus were a created angel then the inspired author would be contradicting himself since this means that God did in fact call a particular angelic creature his Son and did indeed exalt a specific spirit creature to reign alongside of himself in heaven.  

Moreover, since the Son became superior to the angels in position and status as a result of his post-resurrection heavenly exaltation, it is not possible that Jesus could be an angelic creature. Otherwise, we would have to believe that Jesus became superior to himself.

Again, note the logic behind the inspired statements of Hebrews:

1. God never exalted an angelic creature to reign alongside of him in heaven.
2. God never took a created spirit being to be his royal Son in fulfillment of the promises found in 2 Samuel 7, Psalms 2 and 110 that David would never fail to have a physical descendant ruling on his behalf.
3. God, on the other hand, did enthrone Jesus as his Son in order to fulfill the Davidic covenant.
4. Jesus, therefore, cannot be a created angelic being.

There’s simply no way around this.

Therefore, the inspired Scriptures do not describe Christ as an angelic creature, nor do they ever identify the Son as the archangel Michael. Rather, the God-breathed writings explicitly declare that Jesus Christ is YHWH God Almighty who became Man, being the uniquely begotten Son of God who is essentially one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

FURTHER READING

Is Jesus Christ the Archangel Michael?

Jesus as the First Creature and the Irrationality of Arianism

Proving that Jesus is not the Archangel Michael

EVEN MORE PROOF THAT MICHAEL CANNOT BE JESUS

Is Michael the Ruler of Israel? Further Proof that Jesus isn’t an Archangel Pt. 1

Is Michael the Ruler of Israel? The Witness of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Michael’s Contention With Satan

CREATED ANGELIC BEINGS AS JEHOVAH GOD?

ARIAN CULTIST PROVES JEHOVAH IS A COPY OF JESUS!

ENDNOTES

(1) Not all groups who believe that Jesus is the archangel Michael think that this makes Christ a created being. Certain reformers such as John Calvin and seventh day Adventists believe that Jesus is God Almighty, the Second Person of the Trinity, while also affirming that he is Michael the Archangel. To them, Michael is not a creature but one of the names of the uncreated, eternal Son of God. For more on this point please read the following post: JOHN CALVIN ON MICHAEL BEING JESUS CHRIST.  

The Apostle Paul wrote to exhort believers to pray for the salvation of all men since God desires to save the whole human race, which is why he sent Christ to become a human mediator who offered up his life as a ransom for mankind:   

“First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the witness for this proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:1-6

Paul is merely echoing the words of the Lord himself:

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

“Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it. And giving it to the disciples, He said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.’” Matthew 26:26-28

“This is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and also the bread which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” John 6:50-51  

Unfortunately, there are some who use the Apostle’s inspired words to deny the Deity of Christ and the Trinity. They focus in on the fact that Paul states that Jesus is a Man who mediates between the one God and mankind. Unitarians interpret this to mean that since Jesus is not the one God but is distinguished from him, he therefore cannot be divine in any sense. Others do not take it this far but instead argue that this verse shows that the Son can only be a lesser divine being.

The problem with this assertion is that it completely ignores both the immediate and overall contexts of this particular section of the inspired Scripture. Once Paul’s statements are examined in light of the entirety of the biblical writings it will, thus, become clear that this blessed Apostle is actually affirming the Deity and essential co-equality of Christ with the One God, who is the Father, specifically the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Take, for instance, Paul’s stating that Jesus has ransomed all mankind:

“who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the witness for this proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:6

This in itself affirms that Christ cannot be merely human since Jesus plainly taught his disciples that no mortal human creature is capable of saving himself, let alone others:

“The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, “With MAN this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” Mark 10:26-27 New International Version (NIV)

The prophetic writings concur that it is impossible for a finite human being to ransom and save anyone, which is why God chose in his love and mercy to personally bring about salvation:

“Truly, no man can redeem his brother; He cannot give to God a ransom for him—For the redemption price for their soul is costly, And it ceases forever—That he should live on eternally, That he should not see corruption… But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.” Psalm 49:7-9, 15

“And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.” Isaiah 59:16

“I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished, and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me.” Isaiah 63:5

Paul himself knew that God alone is capable of ransoming anyone from the power of sin, which is why in another epistle he describes Christ as the Great God and Savior who came to redeem a people to be his very own holy possession:  

“looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (tou megalou theou hemon soteros ‘Iesou Christou), who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:13-14  

This happens to be one of the clearest and most explicit verses identifying the risen Lord as God in an absolute sense. As the New English Translation (NET Bible) text note explains:

tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on Sharp’s rule see ExSyn 270-78, esp. 276. See also 2 Pet 1:1 and Jude 4. (Ibid. https://netbible.org/bible/Titus+2; emphasis mine) (1)

This explains why the inspired Apostle depicts the risen Son doing exactly what the Hebrew Scriptures portray YHWH Almighty doing, namely, redeeming a people from their sins in order to make them his cherished possession:

“‘So now then, if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6

“If You should keep iniquities, O Yah, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, That You may be feared… O Israel, wait for Yahweh; For with Yahweh there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And it is He who will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.” Psalm 130:3-4, 7-8

Hence, the reason why Jesus is able to redeem individuals from their sins for the express purpose of making them his very own is because he is the great God and Savior YHWH Almighty that became human!

The logic is inescapable:

1. No mere human being can save or redeem anyone from sin and death.
2. Only YHWH is able to ransom sinners from the power of sin and death.
3. Jesus Christ has redeemed an innumerable host of human lives from sin and death (Cf. Rev. 7:9-17; 1:5-6; 5:8-14).
4. Jesus must, therefore, be YHWH God Almighty in the flesh.

The inspired Apostle provides further indication that he didn’t intend to relegate Jesus to the status of a mere human creature.

In this same epistle Paul went on to once again describe Christ in a language that is reminiscent to the way the Hebrew Bible depicts YHWH:

“that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which HE will bring about at the proper time—HE who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, WHO alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To HIM be honor and eternal might! Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:14-16

The context shows that it is Jesus whom the inspired Apostle portrays in such lofty terms since Christ is the nearest antecedent of what follows immediately thereafter.

Astonishingly, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society admit that the blessed Apostle is referring to Jesus in 1 Timothy 6:15-16,

Jehovah is the “happy God” and his Son Jesus Christ is called “the happy and only Potentate” (1 Tim. 1:11; 6:15)… (Aid to Bible Understanding [Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1971], p. 711 http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001868?q=Jehovah+is+the+%E2%80%9Chappy+God%E2%80%9D+and+his+Son+Jesus+Christ+is+called+%E2%80%9Cthe+happy+and+only+Potentate%E2%80%9D+%281+Tim.+1%3A11%3B+6%3A15%29&p=par; bold emphasis mine)

Despite making an effort to undermine the implications that such exalted language has on our understanding of who God’s Son truly is:

How can Jesus be “the one alone having immortality”? The first one described as being rewarded with immortality is Jesus Christ. That he did not possess immortality before his resurrection by God [sic] is seen from the inspired apostle’s words at Romans 6:9: “Christ, now that he has been raised from the dead, dies no more; death is master over him no more.” (Compare Re 1:17, 18). For this reason, when describing him as “the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords,” 1 Timothy 6:15, 16 shows that Jesus is distinct from all other kings and lords in that he is “the one alone having immortality.” The other kings and lords, because of being mortal, die, even as did also the high priests of Israel. The glorified Jesus, God’s appointed High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, however, has “an indestructible life.” – Heb 7:15-17, 23-25. (Insight on the Scriptures [Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., Brooklyn, NY 1988], Volume 1. Aaron-Jehoshua, p. 1189 http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002155#h=6– see also p. 1032)⁽²⁾

1 Timothy 6:15-16 isn’t the only place where Paul offers a doxology, or an ascription of praise, to the risen Christ:

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom… In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing… At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the preaching might be fulfilled, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save me unto His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:1, 8, 16-18

Jesus is said to be the Lord who will judge the living and the dead when he appears at his second coming.

Nor is Paul alone in speaking of Christ in such a manner, since the apostle John did likewise:

“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and elect and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; having a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself, and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, His name is also called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wrath of the rage of God, the Almighty. And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’” Revelation 19:11-16

“‘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

Now contrast this with the way the inspired prophets speak of YHWH Almighty:

“For Yahweh your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the fearsome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.” Deuteronomy 10:17

“Vav But Yahweh abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, Vav And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will render justice for the peoples with equity.” Psalm 9:7-8

“Say among the nations, ‘Yahweh reigns; Indeed, the world is established, it will not be shaken; He will render justice to the peoples with equity.’ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, as well as its fullness; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Before Yahweh, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.” Psalm 96:10-13 – Cf. 62:12; 98:9

“Bless Yahweh, O my soul! O Yahweh my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, Wrapping Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out the heavens like a tent curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He sets up the clouds to be His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind;” Psalm 104:1-3

“Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness endures forever.” Psalm 136:3

“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 40:10-11 – Cf. 62:11

“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 – Cf. 11:20; 29:23

“The king answered Daniel and said, ‘Truly your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries since you have been able to reveal this mystery.’” Daniel 2:47

It is YHWH who clothes himself with light, reigns as Lord of lords and who comes to judge the nations in righteousness. And yet both Paul and John attribute all of these roles and characteristics to Jesus!

It is, therefore, clear that Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5 did not intend to deny that Christ is essentially equal to the one God for whom he mediates, i.e., the Father. The blessed Apostle plainly testifies in that same letter, and all throughout the rest of his writings, that Jesus is no mere human but is rather one in essence, nature, power, glory and worship with God the Father.

Unless noted otherwise, scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).

FURTHER READING

One Mediator and One God Pt. 1

One Mediator and One God Pt. 2

JESUS CHRIST: THE GOD-MAN WHO REDEEMS

CHRIST: THE DIVINE MEDIATOR AND SAVIOR

JESUS CHRIST: THE ONE LORD OF THE SHEMA

MURRAY HARRIS ON TITUS 2:13

NT SCHOLARSHIP ON JOHN 1:1 AND TITUS 2:13 PT. 2

GRANVILLE SHARP AND THE DEITY OF CHRIST

Ephesians 5:5: Another Example of Granville Sharp’s First Rule?

2 Thessalonians 1:12 and Christ’s Deity: Sharp’s Rule Triumphs Again!

ENDNOTES

(1) The Apostle Peter in his inspired letter also employed the same Greek construction that Paul did in reference to Jesus, and did so no less than five times! He even concludes his epistle with a doxology to the risen Christ!

“Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received the same kind of faith as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ (tou theou hemon kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou)… for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (tou kyriou hemon kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou) will be abundantly supplied to you.” 2 Peter 1:1, 11

“For if they are overcome, having both escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (tou kyriou kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou) and having again been entangled in them, then the last state has become worse for them than the first.” 2 Peter 2:20

“that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior (tou kyriou kai soteros) spoken by your apostles,” 2 Peter 3:2

“but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (tou kyriou hemon kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou). To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

And much like Paul did in Timothy and Titus, Peter attributes to the Son the same language which the Hebrew Scriptures ascribe to YHWH:

“Declare and draw near with your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has made this heard from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:21-22

In light of the Greek construction being the same as in Titus 2:13, it therefore comes as no surprise that the NET Bible also includes 2 Pet. 1:1 as one of the clearest NT testimonies to Christ’s Deity:

tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. In fact, the construction occurs elsewhere in 2 Peter, strongly suggesting that the author’s idiom was the same as the rest of the NT authors’ (cf., e.g., 1:11 [“the Lord and Savior”], 2:20 [“the Lord and Savior”]). The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on the application of Sharp’s rule to 2 Pet 1:1, see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290. See also Titus 2:13 and Jude 4. (NET https://netbible.org/bible/2+Peter+1; emphasis mine)

(2) That the explanation offered by the Society is rather desperate would be putting it mildly.

The NT doesn’t teach that Christ possesses immortality because of the indestructible life he received by virtue of his resurrection. Rather, Jesus has this quality due to his being Life itself who gives life to every person. The following passages are all from the NWT (https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/study-bible/books/):

“All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. What has come into existence by means of him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:3-4

“For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes alive whomever he wants to… Most truly I say to you, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD, and those who have paid attention will live… Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear HIS [the Son’s] VOICE and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.” John 5:21, 25, 28-29

“This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none out of all those whom he has given me, but that I should resurrect them on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day… No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him, and I will resurrect him on the last day.” John 6:39-40, 44

“My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is something greater than all other things, and no one can snatch them out of the hand of the Father. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

“Jesus said to her: ‘I am the resurrection and THE LIFE. The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; and everyone who is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all. Do you believe this?’ She said to him: ‘Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’” John 11:25-27

“Jesus said to him: ‘I am the way and the truth and THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6

“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.” Acts 3:13-15

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have observed and our hands have felt, concerning THE WORD OF LIFE, (yes, THE LIFE was made manifest, and we have seen and are bearing witness and reporting to you THE EVERLASTING LIFE that was with the Father and was made manifest to us), that which we have seen and heard we are reporting also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3

Therefore, since Christ is the Life, the Eternal Life, and the Chief Agent of Life, who raises the dead and gives everlasting life to all who trust in him, it was impossible for him to remain dead:

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Naz·a·reneʹ was a man publicly shown to you by God through powerful works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know. This man, who was handed over by the determined will and foreknowledge of God, you fastened to a stake by the hand of lawless men, and you did away with him. But God resurrected him by releasing him from the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held fast by it.” Acts 2:22-24

In fact, the Lord himself said that no one could take his life away and that he would personally raise himself up from the dead in three days:

“Jesus replied to them: ‘Tear down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said: ‘This temple was built in 46 years, and will YOU raise it up in three days?’ But he was talking about the temple of his body. When, though, he was raised up from the dead, his disciples recalled that he used to say this, and they believed the scripture and what Jesus had spoken.” John 2:19-22

“This is why the Father loves me, because I surrender my life, so that I may receive it again. No man takes it away from me, but I surrender it of my own initiative. I have authority to surrender it, and I have authority to receive it again. This commandment I received from my Father.’” John 10:17-18

Yet despite the Society’s erroneous interpretation, their position regarding 1 Timothy 6:15-16 shows that even this anti-Trinitarian cult clearly see and readily acknowledge that the Apostle Paul described the glorified Christ as the only Sovereign Lord and King, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light!

In this post I will be citing Dr. David H. Stern’s Jewish New Testament Commentary, published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. 1992, pp. 42-43, where Stern explains how Joseph made Jesus his legal heir by accepting him as his son, thereby conferring upon the Lord his legal descent from David. Stern even acknowledges that the Greek of Matthew 1:25 provides no conclusive proof against Mary’s perpetual virginity, even though he denies that she remained such after giving birth to the Messiah. All emphasis will be mine:

24–25 Yosef’s behavior shows that he accepted Yeshua as his son. According to the Mishna, “If one say, ‘This is my son,’ he is to be believed” (Bava Batra 8:6). The Gemara explains that he is believed “as regards the right of inheritance” (Bava Batra 134a). Thus Yeshua, as a legally acknowledged son, is entitled to inherit the throne of King David from Yosef, a descendant of David (v. 8). (This point is made in Phillip Goble, How to Point to Yeshua in Your Rabbi’s Bible, New York: Artists for Israel, 1986.)

25 Until she had given birth. Protestants generally affirm that Miryam was a virgin when Yeshua was born, but that “his sisters” (plural: at least two) and four brothers (13:55–56, Mk 6:3) were Miryam and Yosef’s natural children. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Miryam remained a virgin all her life, and that the terms “brothers” and “sisters” are used loosely to refer to more distant relatives (compare Genesis 14:12–16, 31:32, Leviticus 10:4). The Greek phrase “eôs ou” (“until”) is inconclusive because it does not necessarily imply a change; that is, the Greek could mean either that they did not have relations during the period before she gave birth but did afterwards, or that they remained celibate afterwards as well. But celibacy in particular and asceticism in general, though regarded by pagans as spiritually meritorious, were and are the exception in Judaism and in New Covenant faith, as both Yeshua and Sha’ul teach (see 19:10–12&N, 1C 7:1–40&NN, Co 2:18–23&NN, 1 Ti 4:3a&N).

Here are the citations from Bava Bathra, which Stern alluded to:

MISHNA: One who says: This is my son, is deemed credible. One who says: This is my brother, is not deemed credible with regard to his other brothers’ obligation to share the inheritance with the subject of his statement. When one claims that this man is his brother, this claim is accepted with regard to the speaker’s own portion, and the man in question takes a share of their father’s inheritance with him, i.e., from his portion…

GEMARA: The mishna teaches that one who says: This is my son, is deemed credible. With regard to what halakha is this stated? Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: It is stated with regard to inheriting from him, i.e., the son inherits from the speaker, and with regard to rendering his wife exempt from levirate marriage. Because he claims that the person in question is his son, his wife is not required to enter into levirate marriage after his death, as he has a child…

The Gemara asks: Isn’t it obvious that his claim is deemed credible with regard to someone inheriting from him? Since he could have given this person his property as a gift, it need not be stated that his claim is accepted with regard to his inheritance. The Gemara responds: It was necessary for the mishna to state that his claim is deemed credible with regard to rendering his wife exempt from levirate marriage despite the fact that it is not in his power to render her exempt, but the halakha of inheritance is not a novelty…

The Gemara asks: We already learned this in a mishna (Kiddushin 64a) as well: One who said at the time of his death: I have children, is deemed credible, and his wife is thereby exempt from levirate marriage. If he said: I have brothers, and his wife therefore must enter levirate marriage, he is not deemed credible. (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Bathra 134a https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Batra.134a.10?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en)

Stern further explains Matthew’s statement in 2:23 that Jesus would be called a Nazarene:  

23 This is a problematical verse. In every instance where Mattityahu is showing the fulfillment of a Scriptural prophecy (see list in 1:23N), a specific writer — Isaiah, Jeremiah, David — is named, or “the prophet,” or “the Tanakh” followed by a verse or passage. Here the prophets (uniquely plural) are mentioned, and no text is quoted. This is clear from the fact that Mattityahu leaves out “legontos” (“saying”), the Greek keyword he uses to cite Scripture. Rather, he seems to be alluding to a general concept found in several prophets, capable of being fulfilled by the Messiah’s being what the Greek text here calls a Nazôraios (in some other places the word is “Nazarênos”). The questions: Which prophets? What did they actually say? And what is a Nazôraios/Nazarênos?

Some have suggested that the verse has to do with Yeshua’s taking the vows of a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1–23). But this is improbable, since there is no record that Yeshua, who was not an ascetic (11:16–19), ever did such a thing.

A second possibility is that since Natzeret (Nazareth, see Lk 1:26N) was a place people made fun of — as in Natan’el’s remark, “Natzeret? Can anything good come from there?” (Yn 1:46) — Mattityahu is referring to the many Tanakh prophecies that say the Messiah would be despised (e.g., Psalm 22, Isaiah 52:13–53:12) and is informing us that these prophecies would be fulfilled, in part, by his having the onus of being a Natzrati, a resident of Natzeret.

The third possibility is that Mattityahu is speaking of the prediction that the Messiah will be a netzer (“branch”) from the stock of Yishai, King David’s father (Isaiah 11:1); but compare Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15; Zechariah 3:8, 6:12, where the word is “tzemach” (“sprout”). Thus several prophets use the idea, though not the word “netzer.” (For more on “the prophets” see 5:17N.)

What I consider most probable is that Mattityahu is combining the second and third alternatives by means of wordplay, a technique very common in Jewish writing, including the Bible. Yeshua is both netzer and Natzrati.

Finally, although one of the earliest names for the Jewish believers was “Notzrim” (“Nazareth-ites,” that is, “followers of the man from Nazareth,” Acts 24:5&N), it would be odd for Mattityahu to use the same term for the one they followed. The Talmud refers to him as Yeshu HaNotzri (B’rakhot 17b, Sotah 47a). In modern Hebrew “Notzri” remains the everyday word for “Christian”; but it is wrong and confusing to speak of “Yeshua the Christian,” i.e., the follower of Christ — he could not follow himself! The Talmud’s expression should be understood as meaning “Yeshua the Natzrati, Yeshua from Natzeret.” I use the term “Natzrati” instead of “Notzri” (both are acceptable modern Hebrew) in order to get away from the modern connotations of “Notzri” in Hebrew. (Ibid., pp. 52-53; emphasis mine)

FURTHER READING

BIBLE ERRORS: THE ISSUE OF MATTHEW 2:23

The Davidic Branch in Rabbinic Judaism

One of the places in which Jesus is called God is in the inspired epistles to Hebrews:

“but of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God (ho theos), is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.’” Hebrews 1:8-9

tn Or possibly, “Your throne is God forever and ever.” This translation is quite doubtful, however, since (1) in the context the Son is being contrasted to the angels and is presented as far better than they. The imagery of God being the Son’s throne would seem to be of God being his authority. If so, in what sense could this not be said of the angels? In what sense is the Son thus contrasted with the angels? (2) The μέν…δέ (men…de) construction that connects v. 7 with v. 8 clearly lays out this contrast: “On the one hand, he says of the angels…on the other hand, he says of the Son.” Thus, although it is grammatically possible that θεός (theos) in v. 8 should be taken as a predicate nominative, the context and the correlative conjunctions are decidedly against it. Hebrews 1:8 is thus a strong affirmation of the deity of Christ. New English Translation (NET https://netbible.org/bible/Hebrews+1; emphasis mine)

The author speaks of Christ’s post-resurrection and physical ascension into heaven to begin his eternal reign as God.

The question before us is, in what sense does Hebrews identify Jesus as God, i.e., in the absolute sense of being essentially coequal with the Father? Or is the risen Son God in a functional, economic sense, where Jesus possesses the authority of God to rule over the universe without actually being divine? Or has Christ become divine, having been deified after his heavenly exaltation, where he reigns as a secondary, subordinate deity?

The context provides the answer.

The letter begins by describing Christ as the exact imprint of God’s infinite, uncreated substance, and the Agent of creation by whom all the ages were brought into existence who personally sustains the entire creation by his powerful word:

“But now in these last days God has spoken to us through ·his Son [or a son; 1:3]. God has ·chosen [appointed] his Son to ·own [be heir/inheritor of] all things, and through him he made the ·world [universe; ages; C comprising both space and time; John 1:3]. The Son ·reflects [or radiates; shines forth] the glory of God [John 1:14] and ·shows exactly what God is like [L is the exact representation/imprint/stamp of his being/essence/nature]. He ·holds everything together [sustains/upholds all things] with his powerful word…” Hebrews 1:2-3a Expanded Bible (EXB)

Here’s another translation:

“in these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages; who being the brightness of the glory, and the impress of His subsistence, bearing up also the all things by the saying of his might…” Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

According to the Hebrew Bible, there is no creature that resembles God or does the works God does in the way that God does them:

“There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10 Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

“The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Yahweh; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the sky is comparable to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the mighty is like Yahweh, A God greatly dreaded in the council of the holy ones, And fearsome above all those who are around Him? O Yahweh God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Yah? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” Psalm 89:5-8 LSB

And yet Hebrews states that the Son is exactly like God, being identical to the Father in essence.

The OT scriptures further attest that Yahweh alone created and sustains all creation:

“Who ALONE stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea;” Job 9:8 LSB

“Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, ‘I, Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,’” Isaiah 44:24 LSB

“Thus says the God, Yahweh, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,” Isaiah 42:5 LSB

“Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel [a]whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. Also, My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.” Isaiah 48:12-13 LSB

This next one is rather interesting:

“And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, ‘Rise up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! O may Your glorious name be blessed And exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are Yahweh. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down to You.’” Nehemiah 9:5-6 LSB

Here we are told that all the heavenly beings worship Yahweh in recognition of his being the Creator and Sustainer of all creation.

And yet, remarkably, Hebrews not only identifies Christ as the Creator and Sustainer of all things, it even cites an OT text, where the angelic gods of the nations are commanded to worship Yahweh,

“Praise, O heavens, his people; worship him, all you gods! For he will avenge the blood of his children and take vengeance on his adversaries; he will repay those who hate him and cleanse the land for his people.” Deuteronomy 32:43 New Revised Standard Version (NRSVUE)

“Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him; for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purge (kai ekkathariei Kyrios) the land of his people.” Septuagint (LXX)

“All servants of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.” Psalm 97:7 NRSVUE

“Let all that worship graven images be ashamed, who boast of their idols; worship him, all ye his angels.” Psalm 96:7 LXX

And has the Father himself ascribing this reference to Christ his Son!

“… who, having accomplished cleansing for sins (<di’> autou katharismon ton hamartion poiesamenos), sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘And let all the angels of God worship Him.’” Hebrews 1:3b, 6 LSB

Note how the worship that the angels are commanded to render to Yahweh is ascribed to Christ, thereby identifying the risen Lord as Yahweh that became a human being!

Further note that it is the Son who purges/cleanses from sin, which is precisely what Yahweh does according to the aforementioned passage in Deuteronomy 32:43!

This explains why the inspired author could take the following OT text, where Yahweh is glorified as the unchangeable Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and earth,

“A Prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before Yahweh. O Yahweh, hear my prayer! And let my cry for help come to You… But You, O Yahweh, abide forever, And the remembrance of Your name from generation to generation… I say, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your years are from generation to all generations. Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You will remain; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.’” Psalm 102:1, 12, 24-27 LSB

And have the Father applying it directly to his beloved Son:

“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 1:10-12 New Living Translation (NLT)

In other words, Hebrews has the Father glorifying and praising Christ as Yahweh Almighty Incarnate, being that very same immutable Creator and Sustainer of all things spoken of in Psalm 102 who then became a Man for our redemption!

As the NET note indicates:

sn You founded the earth…your years will never run out. In its original setting Ps 102:25-27 refers to the work of God in creation, but here in Hebrews 1:10-12 the writer employs it in reference to Christ, the Lord, making a strong argument for the essential deity of the Son. (Emphasis mine)

The foregoing helps us appreciate the sense in which Hebrews describes Jesus as God.

Christ is not God in a representational, functional sense.

Christ is not God in a secondary, inferior sense due to being deified after his exaltation.

Christ is God in the absolute sense of being Yahweh Almighty in the flesh, the eternal Son of God who is co-equal to the Father in substance, glory, power and majesty.

Noted Evangelical scholar Murray J. Harris does a fine job of summing up the testimony of Hebrews 1:

“One may therefore isolate the contribution of verse 8 to the argument of Hebrews 1-2 as being to show that the superiority of Jesus to angels does not reside simply in his having distinctive titles, an exalted status, or redemptive functions, but preeminently in his belonging to a different category-that of deity.⁷¹ Just as he is set apart from sinners because he is ‘holy and without fault or stain’ (7:26), so he is set apart from angels because he may be appropriately addressed as theos:⁷² to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘Your throne, O God, will endure for ever and ever’? No angel was ever dignified by the title theos because no angel shared intrinsically in the divine nature.⁷³ This use of theos in reference to Jesus is all the more significant because the author carefully avoids using the term unnecessarily in 1:1-14, preferring to use a circumlocution (1:3; cf. 8:1) and to leave the subject of successive verbs of saying unexpressed (1:5-7, 13).

“In addition, from one point of view 1:8a serves as a fulcrum within Hebrews 1. If 6 is a vocative, it is the first of three terms of address in this chapter, all referring to Jesus and all within OT quotations drawn from the Psalms: ho theos (v. 8 = Ps. 44:7 LXX), kyrie (v. 10 =Ps. 101:26 LXX),⁷⁴ and [su]⁷⁵ and kathou (v. 13 =Ps. 109:1 LXX). Whether these OT passages had already been associated in a ‘testimony book’ of christological texts or in the liturgical usage of the early church, it is impossible to say, but the christological confession of Thomas (ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou, John 20:28) shows how readily the titles theos and kyrios could be juxtaposed in the worship of Jesus.

“When the Son is said to be ‘the radiant light of God’s glory (on apaugasma te doxes)’ (v. 3 JB) and to bear ‘the imprint of God’s nature (charakter tes hypostaseos autou)’ (v. 3), he is being described as the intrinsic possessor of the nature of God⁷⁶ without actually being given the generic title of ‘God.’ What verse 3 implies, verse 8 makes explicit: the Son is rightly addressed as theos; inasmuch as he is the exact representation of the very being of ho theos. Verse 8 also alludes to the expression angeloi theou in verse 6,⁷⁷ where theos and auto refer to different persons.⁷⁸ It is wholly appropriate, indeed imperative, that the angels of God worship Jesus, the firstborn, for he is by nature included within the generic category denoted by theosand therefore is a legitimate and necessary object of adoration.⁷⁹” (Harris, Jesus as God: The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus [Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI 1992], pp. 221-222; bold emphasis mine)

He further states:

“But to suggest that verse 8a is pivotal within the chapter is not to claim that the address theos is the zenith or the principal affirmation of the chapter. Of the three main titles given to Jesus in Hebrews 1, hyios is the title on which attention is focused (vv. 2, 5 bis, 5a), so that theos (v. 8) and kyrie (v. 10) may be said to explicate two aspects of that sonship, viz., divinity and sovereignty. The principal point in the chapter is that the exalted Son is vastly superior to the angels (vv. 4-5, 13) as a divine King who is worshiped (vv. 6-9) and as a sovereign Creator who is changeless (vv. 10-12). In that verse 4 enunciates the theme of the superiority of the Son to angels that is to be developed, it forms the focal point of Hebrews 1-2.” (Ibid., p. 223; bold emphasis mine)

And:

“Sometimes the elements of this divine-human paradox are expressed elsewhere in the epistle in close juxtaposition,⁹⁴ but generally the author is content to stress one or other aspect as his argument demands. That he believes in the full deity of Jesus is clear: Jesus is described as the perfect representation of God’s glory and nature (1:3); he not only existed before he appeared on earth (10:5), before Melchizedek (7:3), before human history began (1:2), or before the universe was created (1:10), but he also existed and exists eternally (7:16; 9:14; 13:8); like his Father he may be called ‘Lord’;⁹⁶ he is creator (1:10), sustainer, (1:3), and heir (1:2) of the universe, that is, everything in time and space (tous aiona, 1:2); he is ‘Son’ (hyios)⁹⁷, and ‘the Son of God’ (ho hyious tou theou),⁹⁸ the timeless on of 1:3 pointing to a natural, not adoptive, sonship;⁹⁹ he is worshiped by angels (1:6) and is the object of human faith (12:2); he is sovereign over the world to come (2:5); and passages referring to Yahweh in the OT are applied to him.¹⁰⁰” (Ibid., p. 225; bold emphasis mine)

Harris concludes his discussion on Hebrews 1:8:

“Finally, Christ’s eternality. ‘Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever’ affirms that Christ’s personal rule is eternal and implies that Christ, as ruler, is also eternal.¹⁰⁴ Eis ton aiona eis tou aionos (v. 8a) anticipates the phrase eis ton aiona of Psalm 110:4 (109:4 LXX) cited three times by the author in reference to the eternity of the Melchizedekian order of priesthood (5:6; 6:20; 7:17).¹⁰⁵ Jesus is a priest ‘forever’ after the order of Melchizedek, and the treatment in Hebrews of the relationship between these two figures constitutes ‘the culmination of the epistle’s argument,’¹⁰⁶ ‘the kernel and focus of the entire Epistle.’¹⁰⁷ Other statements that are reminiscent of this theme of Christ’s eternal nature are ‘your years will never end’ (1:12); ‘the power of an indestructible life’ (7:16); ‘he continues for ever … he is able for all time (eis to panteles) to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them’ (7:24-25); ‘through his eternal spirit (dia pneumatos aioniou) (9:14);¹⁰⁸ ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (eis tous aionas)’ (13:8).¹⁰⁹…

“Two general conclusions may now be stated. First, although some slight degree of uncertainty remains as to whether elohim in Psalm. 45:7 (MT) is a vocative, there can be little doubt that the LXX translator construed it so (see chapter VIII) and that the author of Hebrews, whose quotations of the OT generally follow the LXX, assumed that the Septuagintal ho theos in Psalm 44:7 was a vocative and incorporated it in this sense into his argument in chapter 1, an argument that was designed to establish the superiority of the Son over the angels. The appellation theos that was figurative and hyperbolic when applied to a mortal king was applied to the immortal Son in a literal and true sense.¹¹⁰ Jesus is not merely superior to the angels. Equally with the Father he shares in the divine nature (ho theos, v. 8) while remaining distinct from him (ho theos sou, v. 9). The author places Jesus far above any angel with respect to nature and function, and on a par with God with regard to nature but subordinate to God with regard to function. There is an ‘essential’ unity but a functional subordination.” (Ibid., pp. 226-228; bold emphasis mine)

FURTHER READING

The Book of Hebrews and Jesus as Creator

JESUS AS THE ETERNAL CREATOR IN HEBREWS

The Supremacy of Jesus according to Hebrews 1

JESUS THE ETERNAL CREATOR AND SUSTAINER

CHRIST: THE UNCREATED CREATOR OF ALL CREATION

THE NWT TESTIFIES THAT THE TRINITY IS THE ETERNAL CREATOR!