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Jesus is Yahweh
Jesus is Yahweh
This is a collaboration of the work from the Answering Islam team dealing with the deity of Christ, my words along with Shamoun's among others are present here. The purpose of this paper is to collect as much information dealing with Christ being God in refutation to Islamic claims. It is just the beginning and is by no ways complete. I collaborated this paper in order for the reader to be able to go quickly to a page defending their faith when it is attacked by Islamic apologist who claimed that Jesus never said that he was God. It is a brief but yet long synopis and for other great information you can read many of the great articles on Answering Islam on the site. My thanks goes to Mr. Shamoun, Mr. Katz and the rest of the Answering Islam team.
1. All dominion, authority and heirship belongs to God, but Christ says that this also belongs to him!
Jesus of Nazareth is a very important figure in both Islam and Christianity. Christians reverance Jesus as the Son of God, and Muslims reverence Jesus as just one of the prophets of God.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'" Matthew 28:18
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Luke 10:22
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." John 16:13
"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 'Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." John 17:1-5
"All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them." John 17:10
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-3
Just in case the Muslim tries to water down the statements from the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to what they believe to be authoritative scriptures to show that the claims made by Jesus affirm that the Lord Jesus is God in the Bible:
"To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: It is He who gives life and death; and He has power over all things." S. 57:2
"To God belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth; And God hath power over all things." S. 3:189
"And certainly We! We it is Who give life, and cause death, and We are THE HEIRS." S. 15:23
"Lo! We, only We, inherit the earth and all who are thereon, and unto Us they are returned." S. 19:40
Yahweh (Allah for Muslims) is the one who controls and owns the earth, if the Muslim claims that Jesus never mentioned being Yahweh, why is he claiming that "All that God has is his? and that All that belongs to the Father God is also his? If this isn't a claim to deity, show us where any other prophet said that ALL WHAT GOD HAS IS THEIRS. This is the type of dilemma that Muslims try to avoid in discussing the deity of Christ. If any one of us was to say that all what God has is ours and that we were the heirs like Allah of the Quran, we would be killed for blasphemy in a Islamic country. However Jesus made these same statements and our Muslim friends swear up and down that he never claimed to be God.
2. Jesus says that God's words are his words!
In many places prophets of the bible spoke the words of God, but they always used the term "thus said the Lord". Jesus never does this which gives us one clue, but instead he says that God's words are his own words:
"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." John 12:49
We see that God in heaven is the authority that Christ is speaking and that it is his command of what he should say. But, in John 14:24 Jesus says that the words they hear is the fathers but yet he says that these words are "MY WORDS":
"He who does not love Me DOES NOT KEEP MY WORDS; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me." John 14:24
Even though Christ gave honor to the father in claiming that "the word which you hear is not mine" he yet verfies that these are MY WORDS. We see that God was the author of these words meaning that technically they came from the father but yet they are the words of Christ also. This is clearly telling us that God's words (the father in this case) are still Christ's words even though the person that they came through were different. Since no othe prophets ever claimed that God's words was their own, Jesus is explictedly saying that even though these come from the father, they are still his words, meaning that What God says is what I say or that God's words is his very own words, which makes him God. Jesus further authenticates this when he says that "HIS WORDS" must be obeyed, notice he didn't say God's words but his words. This is in clear contrast as to what both the Quran and Islam teaches about Christ.
"Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work." John 4:34
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 6:38
"saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Luke 22:42
These scriptures are used by Muslims to show that Jesus isn't God but however they affirm the postion about the Trinity working together. In Islam, Muslims believe that the Trinity is 3 seperate gods, but that is false error based on the defintion of Trinity and the Bible. Trinity comes from the word TRI-UNITY. The root word for this word comes from the Latin word UNIS, UNIS is the same word used to describe ONE! Therefore if we take the Islamic assertion on the Trinity then we would have to ignore the original defintion from history and this would constitute as Tritheism. The Trinity isn't 3 people working independtly but together. Muslims say that how can 3 be as ONE, in this scriptures we see that Jesus is working alone in UNITY with God to accomplish his divine will, this is the basic idea of trinity. The Quran is in gross error because it seems that Allah of the Quran didn't even know that the word trinity comes from same word as the word ONE. Therefore any statement showing Christ doing only what is commanded of him proves this point since Trinity is 3 in 1 which means 3 working as ONE and not 3 working seperately from each other which would be tritheism. The Gospel of John shows proof of this matter:
"Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, THE SON DOES LIKEWISE. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, SO ALSO THE SON GIVES LIFE TO WHOMEVER HE WISHES. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, SO THAT ALL MAY HONOR THE SON JUST AS THEY HONOR THE FATHER. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.’" John 5:19-23
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak ON HIS OWN; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." John 16:13
Neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit do anything on their own initiative. Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise, with the Holy Spirit being in perfect harmony and agreement. Much like the Father, Jesus is able to give eternal life, raise the dead and judge all men. In order for Jesus to be able to do all the works that his Father can do, he must be God since the Father does things that only God can do. This is precisely what Trinitarians believe, that Jesus works in perfect unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit since all three are equally God in nature, having the same infinite power to accomplish all that they desire. Which again refutes Islam and the idea about God not taking partners. Jesus himself said this above therefore we shouldn't hear anymore excuses about him not claiming to be equal with God or promoting the Trinitarian doctrine.
3. Jesus says that he comes from heaven!
"For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." John 6:33
"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." John 6:38
"At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven.’" John 6:41
Unlike what Islam claims, Jesus himself says that he comes from heaven, which shows us that he is preexistent. If Jesus was just a messenger or was created at birth, how can he be in heaven before he is created? This is the questions that begs to be answered when you compare Jesus of the Bible to the Jesus of the Quran. Muslims can't refuse to look at this because Jesus himself said it. The Gospels were written around the time of Jesus the Quran wasn't.
4. Believe in Jesus or Allah? What Jesus says on this.
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son AND BELIEVES IN HIM may have everlasting life; and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY." John 6:40
Most assuredly, I SAY TO YOU, he who believes in Me has everlasting life John 6:47
This is totally different from what the Quran says in Surah 17:49-51 and 16:38
And they say: When we are bones and fragments, shall we forsooth, be raised up as a new creation? Say: Be ye stones or iron. Or some created thing that is yet greater in your thoughts! Then they will say: WHO SHALL BRING US BACK (TO LIFE).
Say: HE WHO CREATED YOU AT THE FIRST. Then will they shake their heads at thee, and say: When will it be? Say: It will perhaps be
soon; S.17:49-51
And they swear by Allah their most binding oaths (that) ALLAH WILL NOT RAISE UP HIM WHO DIETH. Nay, but it is a
promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not, S.16:38
From these Quranic verses, we clearly see that Allah gives everlasting life and resurrection. Compared to these verses, since Allah only does this, Jesus himself, is clearly saying that he is the one whose going to do the very actions of God himself, therefore again claiming deity. By his own admission, Jesus makes himself God with these statements. Who can raise the dead in both Islam, Judaism and Christianity? Only God. Since Jesus claims to do what only God does then he is claiming to be God. If Muslims object to this then tell them to show you one verse from any of the books (Bible and Quran) in where other people along with God can raise the dead by their OWN POWER.
5. No one has seen God, but Jesus has!!
Muslims assume that God is unipersonal and
therefore whenever the NT says that God has never been seen
this proves that Jesus is not God. Yet, if they quote
passages accurately they would have realized that the NT teaches
that God the Father has never been seen. That is why God
the Son became flesh in order to reveal God to man:
"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,
who is at the FATHER'S side, has made HIM known." John 1:18
Many Muslims quote this passage to give the impression
that Jesus was not God. Yet, the whole point of this verse is
that the only way Jesus could reveal God to man is because he
himself is God in nature.
"And the FATHER who sent me has himself testified concerning
me. You have never heard HIS voice nor seen HIS
form," John 5:37
"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives
in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live
in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And
we have seen and testify that the FATHER has sent his Son
to be the Savior of the world." 1 John 4:12-14
These verses state that God the Father has never been seen.
That is why God the Son became man, in order to reveal the
nature and character of God to man. Interestingly, Christ claims
to be the only person who has seen the Father:
"No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;
only he has seen the Father." John 6:46
Therefore since Christ was the only one to see God this shows us that the person Moses saw at the burning bush wasn't God the father but the God the One and Only, Jesus Christ. More on this later.
6. The Quran tells you to worship God. Christ says to worship him & God.
Muslims assume, that Jesus' worshiping
the Father as the only true God somehow diminishes Christ's Deity.
Yet, what they fail to see is that Jesus also demanded that his
followers worship him as God in the same way that they worship
the Father:
"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment
to the Son, that all may honor the Son JUST AS they honor the
Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father,
who sent him." John 5:22-23
Jesus does not say to honor him as a prophet, but rather to honor him
just as one would honor the Father.
And when Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind: Take me and my mother for two
gods beside Allah? he saith: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. IF I USED TO SAY IT, then Thou
knewest it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy Mind. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower of
Things Hidden? S. 5:116
The Jesus of the Bible is telling you to worship him while in the Quran, it is Allah. Notice the phrase beginning with "IF". Now if Allah was all powerful why not just come out and say that Jesus never said what he said instead of telling us about IF Jesus said it. If Allah knew Jesus heart then surely he wouldn't have to add this in, he would've just came out and said it. This lets us know that this was Muhammad's indeciveness on this issue dealing with Jesus. In the Bible, Jesus equates himself to God, which again is the exact opposite of what both Muslims and the Quran claim. Jesus said honor "HIM" just as you would honor God. If you honor God like you honor a man, like Jesus wants you to do with him, then you are making him God and making him equal with God. To sum it up, Jesus says basically to Honor him like God since he is equal to God. If he didn't mean it this way, he never would've spoken it.
7. Only God gives life in both Quran & Bible, So why does Jesus claim to do what God only does?
When Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour unto thee and unto thy mother; how I
strengthened thee with the holy Spirit, so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught thee the
Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and how thou didst shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird by My
permission, and didst blow upon it and it was a bird by My permission, and thou didst heal him who was born blind and the
leper by My permission; and how thou didst raise the dead by My permission; and how I restrained the Children of Israel from
(harming) thee when thou camest unto them with clear proofs, and those of them who disbelieved exclaimed: This is naught else
than mere magic; S. 5:110
Here, in the Quran, we see that the only way Christ was able to give life was by Allah's permission. This verse also shows that Allah only gives life and resurrection (from the dead):
How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then He will give you death, THEN LIFE AGAIN, and then unto Him ye will return. S. 2:28
However, Jesus in the Bible NEVER SAYS THAT GOD IS THE RESURRECTION, read:
Jesus said to her, "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. He WHO BELIEVES IN ME, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever
lives and BELIEVES IN ME shall never die. Do you believe this?"
She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, [Kurios in Greek, Yahweh in Hebrew] I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." John 11:25-27
Jesus said to him, "I AM the way, the truth, and THE LIFE. NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and FROM NOW ON YOU KNOW HIM AND HAVE SEEN HIM." John 14:6-7
Jesus said that HE, NOT GOD, is the resurrection. Now if God is the resurection and life in both the Quran and the Bible, and Jesus says that he is the same thing, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that he is clearly claimg to due what only God does and therefore claiming to be God. This is verfied by what Jesus says in this verse:
Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
Jesus SAID TO HIM, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER; so how can you say, "Show us the Father'? John 14:8-9
No other prophet ever claimed that when a person looked upon them, that they were seeing God himself. This would be utter blasphemy, which Jesus clearly knew and said anyway which is in clear contradiction to the Quran.
8. Jesus verifies that he knows all things, like Allah of the Quran
In the Quran, only Allah claims to know everything (same claim made by Yahweh in the Bible). This scripture from the Quran helps to illustrate this:
And keep your opinion secret or proclaim it, lo! He is Knower of all that is in the breasts (of men). Should He not know what He created? And He is the Subtile, the Aware. S. 67:13-14
Yahweh says this in Psalms 44:21:
Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
These previous verses authenticate the idea that God knows all things. But Jesus verifies that he also knows all things:
"Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.’ 'You believe at last!’ Jesus answered." John 16:30-31
"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?’ He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep." John 21:17
"I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds." Revelation 2:23
Compare,
"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 17:10
These passages establish that Jesus is omniscient and knows all. He even verified it in John 16:30-31 in saying that those who knew this BELIEVED AT LAST. Also Jesus in Revelation explictedly claims that He is the one like Yahweh in Jeremiah that searches the heart and mind. This clearly tells us that Jesus is claiming to be Yahweh almighty, which again is in contrast to Islamic theology.
9. Yahweh is the one who calms the storm but wait, Christ does the same!
"Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'" Mark 4:36-41
Again, Jesus' ability to control the waves and storms is remarkably reminiscent of what the OT says Yahweh can ONLY do:
"You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. Psalm 65:5-8
"For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven." Psalm 107:25-27
Psalms tells us that they CRIED OUT TO YAHWEH AND HE STILLED THE STORM. No other prophet ever did this, Moses parted the read sea with God's help but Christ calmed the sea by his mere words! Now if Muslims claim that Jesus isn't God then please explain why these verses were fulfilled with Christ only and then the scripture calls this person Yahweh? This clearly means that Jesus was none other that Yahweh almighty of the Old Testament.
10. Yahweh curses the Fig tree, but wait, Christ does the exact same thing!
Read from these verses:
"I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, AND THEIR LEAVES WILL WITHER. What I have given them will be taken from them.'" Jeremiah 8:13
"You may say, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,' but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all the people who remain in this city, your countrymen who did not go with you into exile- yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like poor figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth and an object of cursing and horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. For they have not listened to my words,' declares the LORD, 'words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 29:15-19
"When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, IT WAS LIKE SEEING THE EARLY FRUIT ON THE FIG TREE. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved... Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring."" Hosea 9:10, 16
"What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire- they all conspire together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion. Micah 7:1-4
"All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater." Nahum 3:12
Hence, Christ sought after what the OT says Yahweh was searching for, namely the spiritual fruit that national Israel owed God. Yet, instead Christ found them spiritually dead.
"Then he told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, "For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?" "Sir," the man replied, "leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down."'" Luke 13:6-9
11. Only Yahweh can forgive sins right? Nope Christ can too!
"... And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men... And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, `My son, your sins are forgiven.' But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, `Why does this man speak that way? HE IS BLASPHEMING; WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS BUT GOD ALONE?' And immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, `Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven"; or to say, "Arise take up your pallet and walk"? But in order that you may know that THE SON OF MAN HAS AUTHORITY ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS'- He said to the paralytic- `I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.' And he rose and immediately took up the pallet and went out in the sight of all; so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, `We have never seen anything like this.'" Mark 2:3, 5-12
The scribes correctly understood that for Jesus to claim that he could forgive sins meant that he was identifying himself as God. Instead of correcting their understanding, Jesus reinforces it by affirming his authority to both heal and forgive the paralytic. This is astonishingly reminiscent of what the OT attributes to Yahweh:
"Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-WHO FORGIVES ALL YOUR SINS AND HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES," Psalm 103:2-3
The Jews clearly understood that Jesus was identifying himself with God, Muslims of today want us to deny this fact when the people who lived with Jesus at that time knew exactly what he was saying. Basically their best defense is if he doesn't say in MODERN terms "I AM GOD WORSHIP ME" he didn't claim to be God at all. However the Bible wasn't written in MODERN times but in ANCIENT first century Palestine, therefore we must look at Jesus claims in the context of that time. Tell the Muslim to show you anywhere in the Quran where it says Muhammad was the seal of prophets and that he is the final messenger of Allah. They believe this but yet if we use a MODERN approach to this, this would disprove this fact.
12. Jesus calls God HIS OWN FATHER making himself equal to God in the eyes of the Jews, who wanted to kill him for this statement!
“But Jesus answered them, My father has been working until now, and I have
been working. Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God
was HIS FATHER, making himself EQUAL WITH GOD.” John 5:17-18
Literally, “His own Father”-Greek- patera idion. It is clear that
the Jews understood that Jesus was claiming to be God.’” (NKJV, footnote, pg 843, Scoffield, 1989).
Since Jesus by his own admission, is claming that God is his OWN (note: not metaphorically, the words pateria idion differentiates from metaphorically) Father then based on Judaism at this time, he is claiming to be equal with God.
"Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, AND THE NAME OF HIS SON? Tell me if you know!" Proverbs 30:4
We see that Jesus claimed to be THE SON OF GOD what are we suppose to do with him?
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. Psalms 2:11-12
In Proverbs 30:4 the challenging question is presented to mankind: "Who has gone
up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the
earth? What is his name, and the name of his Son? Tell me if you know!" Does God have
a Son?
In Psalm 2 we have a prophetic picture which should be read in its entirety. In it is
described ~(vv. 2 and 3) the time when the nations will declare themselves against God,
and against his Anointed One (Mashiho, from which our English word Messiah comes).
God says in verse 6 that he will nevertheless establish this Messiah as his King on Zion,
his holy hill.
In verse 7 Messiah steps forward to declare the decree by which his coronation
shall be accomplished saying: "I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: "He said
to me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the
nations (goyim) your inheritance."'
Furthermore, in Psalm 2:11-12 we are solemnly instructed: "Serve the Lord with
fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (nashqu bar), lest he be angry and
you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who
take refuge in him."
The Hebrew for "kiss the Son" is nashqu bar. Even if this is
translated, as some would have it, "Do homage in purity," the homage is to the
Lord of verse II and to the Son of verse 7. The Tenach clearly indicates that there
is a divine personality who is called the Son of God, who is worthy of homage, and if we
put our trust in him, we are blessed.
13.Who establishes the Earth? God! Does he have a Son? Yes, it is Jesus, by his own admission
For thus says the LORD,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
WHO HAS ESTABLISHED IT,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
"I am the LORD, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:18
"Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? WHO HAS ESTABLISHED ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH? What is his name, AND THE NAME OF HIS SON? Tell me if you know!" Proverbs 30:4
From Isaiah we see that God established the earth and from Proverbs we see that God has a son. Notice he didn't say SONS which can't be used as a defense by Muslims to claim that Jesus was one of the many sons. Jesus himself further authenticates this:
For God so loved
the world that He gave HIS ONLY begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have everlasting life. For
God did not send HIS SON into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
We see that Jesus says to believe on him and you will have everlasting life which brings us to the next section.
14. Allah says to believe him, what does Jesus say?
In the Quran Muslims want us to believe that Jesus preached "follow God Only" this is in stark contrast to what Jesus actually said in the Bible. From the section above we see that Jesus says to believe ON HIM, not God. Muslims don't like this idea and that is the main difference between Islam and Christianity today. So in other words they don't want you to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus knew that these type of people would come so here is his words on this matter:
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE is condemned already, because he has not believed
in the THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. John 3:18
Notice in the Quran before virtually all the surahs, it says in THE NAME OF ALLAH. Jesus doesn't say in the name of God but in the NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, which was himself. Muslims don't believe this so according to Jesus own words they are condemened to eternal damnation. Why do Muslims not like this to be known by Christians? Jesus has the answer:
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For EVERYONE practicing evil hates the light and does not come
to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly
seen, that they have been done in God."
The condemnation talked about by Jesus was the idea of not believing in the ONLY SON of God. Since Muslims fall under this category Jesus says that people like this love evil and that this light revealed by him, which is rejected by Islam, hates the light and therefore is EVIL. This clearly tells us that people no matter how nice they are and how nice their religion claims to be, is viewed as pure evil in the sight of Jesus and God if they reject him as the SON OF GOD. Therefore we must conclude that Islam is evil.
15. God does anoint God
YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. Psalms 45:6-9
Muslims seem to have problems with this verse because it clearly shows that more than ONE who is called God is anointing another called God. Some Muslim apologists may say that this is just an expression and they will probably use David as being called Mighty ONE. But the term for ONE in Mighty one used for David earlier in this passage is Gibbowr, if the Psalmist wanted to portray this as David instead of God then he would've used this term. However Elohim, which itself means MIGHTY ONES and is used for God is present in this above scripture. Also this can't refer to David since the verse says that O GOD YOUR THRONE IS FOREVER. David died and his kingdom died with him, the Bible says that David's root (the Messiah Christ) would rain forever, not David personally, therefore, those Muslim apologist who try to use this as David would be hard press to explain how David can be forever.
As for the part dealing with anointing, "to anoint" means to appoint someone and set him aside for the service of God. God used a person to anoint another person all the time which is seen in this example from I Samuel 16:2-3, and 13:
And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me."
But the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Then invite Jesse to the
sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; YOU SHALL ANOINT FOR ME THE ONE I NAME TO YOU." 1 Samuel 16:2-3
Then
SAMUEL TOOK THE HORN OF OIL AND ANOINTED HIM IN THE MIDST OF HIS BROTHERS; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from
that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13
So we shouldn't find it hard to fathom on how God can anointed God (Jesus), this is what this verse says by itself.
16. Trinity Amenities: Jesus is the Lord of Hosts
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, A MAN STOOD OPPOSITE HIM
with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"
So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of YAHWEH I have now come."
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"
Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is
holy." And Joshua did so. Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And YAHWEH said
to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. Joshua 5:13-6:2
From reading this passage of scriptures we see that this figure is a heavenly figure and he is called "Commander of the army of the Lord" so he cannot be the same person as Yahweh but yet Joshua worships him. Notice that God didn't reprove Joshua anywhere in the Bible for doing this which shows us that this person although seperate from Yahweh was yet God. Notice that he instructs Joshua to remove his sandals, just as God did to Moses in Exodus 3:5. Continuing down into verse 6:2, this same person is still speaking to Joshua and he is called YAHWEH! This shows us that their was more than one in heaven who was called Yahweh, which fits right in with the Trinity. This Yahweh is called a man, notice no other man is called Yahweh. Therefore this man which is seperate from the other Yahweh who isn't a man is none other than the pre-existent Jesus Christ. Think that I am jumping to conclusions? Read on.
17. Jesus claims to be Yahweh of the Temple
Jesus claims to be greater than the temple of God. Just how much greater becomes evident from the following citation:
"I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Matthew 12:6-8
Jesus is greater than the temple because he himself is the Lord of the Sabbath, i.e. Jesus is Yahweh God. Therefore, Jesus is the very Lord of the Temple who had come to dwell visibly with his people. This point is brought out more clearly from Jesus' own words:
"As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: 'What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you."'" Matthew 11:7-10
Jesus claims that John is the Messenger that Malachi had predicted would come to prepare the way for the Messiah:
"'See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 3:1
According to Malachi the one whom John was preparing for was actually the very Lord of the Temple himself. Seeing that Jesus is the one whom John prepared the way for, this makes Jesus Yahweh God the very One to whom the temple had been erected! If Jesus knew that this referred to Yahweh God, then why would he liken John the Baptist to the messenger before Yahweh? Based on Jesus's statements John is the voice and Jesus is Yahweh. Also no prophet ever claimed to be greater than God's temple. The only person greater than the temple of God was God. Jesus says that he is greater which therefore in his eyes makes him God.
18. Jesus doesn't have to say he is God; people knew it and worshipped him.
"But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, Hosanna to the Son of David,' they were indignant. 'Do you hear what these children are saying?' they asked him. 'Yes,' replied Jesus, 'have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?"'" Matthew 21:15-16
Amazingly, Jesus applies to himself Psalm 8:2 where Yahweh is seen as receiving the praise of infants and children!:
"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Psalm 8:1-2
Jesus is therefore claiming that to praise him is to praise Yahweh God!
The only way for this quotation from Psalms to count as valid justification
for Jesus not to forbid, but to confirm and encourage the praise of his
own person from those children, is the assumption of his identity with
Yahweh God. For the Muslims who would try to object to this, please explain why Jesus used a passage of Psalms that was only to refer to Yahweh and then apply it to him? Reading the Quran and the bible you won't find any prophet before or after Jesus claiming that God's worship will apply to them. All of them said to worship God not to worship themselves by applying a verse of worship used for God only. Only Jesus did this. Another weird claim that Muslims want Christians to prove that Jesus said "I AM GOD WORSHIP ME", we have already seen from above that Jesus did explictedly claim to be God by his actions (Forgiving sins, healing, raising the death, claiming to be the promised messenger of Malachi who was none other than Yahweh) also we saw areas in where he allowed himself to be praised. One noted example in which Jesus actually told people to worship him was from this verse:
And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet,
AND WORSHIPPED HIM. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Matthew 28:8-10
The word for All Hail used is the Greek word Chairo this word is used for a salutation and in this verse only it is translated as ALL HAIL. This isn't a normal salutation since the Disciples didn't great him back but worshipped him. The word Hail, is used for Majestic figures such as Kings look at these examples to prove this matter:
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, HAIL, MASTER; and kissed him. Matthew 26:48-49
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, HAIL, KING OF THE JEWS! and they smote him with their hands. John 19:2-3
The Jews even used Hail as a mockery for Jesus before he was crucified. Therefore this word "hail" whish is Chairo in both examples proves that this is a sign of reverence for a king. Therefore When Jesus told his disciples ALL HAIL, he wasn't greeting but calling them to worship, which is why the text shows that his disciples worshipped him.
19. Jesus is "God with us"!
Here is a sample of a common Muslim argument made against the name of Jesus being "IMMANUEL" It comes from Mr. Shabbir Ally, a guy in which a good deal of Muslims use in their arguments against this matter.
Shabir
Second, the name given to an individual in the Bible cannot prove that he is God. "Elijah" means "Jehovah God." Does that prove that Elijah is Jehovah God? Absolutely Not. Similarly, the name Immanuel does not prove that Jesus is God with us. Neither does the name "Elihu" (meaning "God himself") prove that the name Elihu is God himself (see I Sam 1:1).
Muslims love to copy this argument, but the weakness of this approah, which is easily answered is due to the fact that these are proper names and not TITLE NAMES which describes a person's character or nature. Elijah and Elihu are personal names of the perspective persons while Immanuel is not a peronal but rather A TITLE NAME OR DESCRIPTION OF THE CHILD'S NATURE. The name describes the nature of Christ and function which is show by this quote:
"Who is this Child? In chapter 7 the mother named Him Immanuel. Here, the subject is impersonal and the verb will be rendered in English by the passive, 'and his name will be called.' The thought is that the Child is worthy to bear these names, and that they are accurate descriptions and designations of His being and character. In the Bible the name indicates the character, essence, or nature of a person or object." (Young, Commentary on the Book of Isaiah [Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1974], p. 331)
Therefore, Shabir's and the Muslims that use this argument crumbles since the passage in Isaiah is not predicting the Messiah's personal name. Rather, Isaiah is indicating that the Messiah would be the complete embodiment of what the name actually represents. Hence, Immanuel signifies that the Messiah would be God himself coming to dwell with his people in visible form, being the fullness of Deity in the flesh. (cf. Matthew 1:22-23, 28:20; John 1:18; Colossians 2:9)
20. Jesus claims to be the sovereign Yahweh who determines everyone's eternal destiny
In the Quran, it is Allah and only Allah alone that judges during the day of Jugment
The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (to stand)
upon." Yet they (profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; BUT ALLAH WILL JUDGE
between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment. S. 2:113
Behold! Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who
blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all
return unto Me, and I WILL JUDGE between you of the matters wherein ye dispute. S. 3:55
(These are) the ones who wait and watch about you: if ye do gain a victory from Allah, they say: "Were we not with
you?"- but if the unbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain an advantage over you, and did we not guard
you from the believers?" BUT ALLAH WILL JUDGE BETWIXT YOU on the Day of Judgment. And never will Allah grant to the unbelievers
a way (to triumph) over the believers. S. 4:141
This lets us know that the person who will judge in the days of the day of Judgement (sometimes mentioned as "that day" in the bible) would be God. Therefore if Jesus said that he would judge and both the Quran and the bible says that God judges during the day of judgment then Jesus is clearly claiming to be God. Did he do this? The answer is clearly yes:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons
and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly,
'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:21-23
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep
on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to
those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take
your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of
the world'... Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart
from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the
devil and his angels.'" Matthew 25:31-34, 41
According to the OT it is God who will gather the nations in judgment,
separating them as one separates the sheep from the rams:
"As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams
and goats." Ezekiel 34:17
"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of
Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them
down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment
against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for
they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land...
Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of
Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on
every side." Joel 3:1-2, 12
Jesus said to honor him as you would honor the father, the reason why is because the Yahweh God who will judge everyone is none other than Jesus himself:
FOR THE FATHER JUDGES NO ONE, BUT HAS COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT TO THE SON, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Matthew 5:22-23
Jesus own words mentioned above claimed that he will judge everyone and that God gave all judgment to him! If Jesus is claiming to Judge all and then the O.T. and the Quran says that only God judges then apparently Jesus is saying that HE IS GOD. If he isn't they why say that God judges and then say that he is the one to judge. In a court of law this would be an explicit statement or claim.
21. Yahweh is to save Israel from their sins
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalms 19:14
Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer. Psalms 78:35
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Isaiah 43:4
Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O LORD, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. Isaiah 63:16
However, Yahweh the redeemer is different from Yahweh:
"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
AND HIS REDEEMER, the LORD of hosts:
"I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God. Isaiah 44:6
Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Isaiah 35:3-5
However, Yahweh the redeemer is different from Yahweh:
"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
AND HIS REDEEMER, the LORD of hosts:
"I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God. Isaiah 44:6
Notice here in this verse we see that their is NONE besides God but yet Yahweh says that the LORD OF HOSTS. in the third person, is HIS REEDEMER.
"Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases," Psalm 103:2-3
"O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." Psalm 130:7-8.
From the above verse it clearly says that God himself will come and save the people of Israel from their sins. However the angel Gabriel says this to Joseph:
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin
shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Matthew 1:20-23
Not only do we find out that Jesus was to be the name of this child who was equated to God, but it was Gabriel not Joseph who interpreted the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 to refer to Jesus, calling him God with us!!! Muslims believe that Gabriel appeared to Muhammad but he also appeared to Joseph and called Jesus “GOD WITH US”. This totally debunks Islamic argument about Christians intentionally making the New testament apply to the O.T. We have Gabriel himself to thank for this. Unlike Gabriel in the Quran, this angel's visit is authenticated by more than one witness.
22. Jesus is the Angel of Yahweh
In the Bible and the Quran, we all know about Moses and the Burning Bush. Who was this person that appeared to Moses? It was God. Watch closely because Muslims, even though they deny that Jesus is God, both them and the Quran will affirm that Christ is God. Read these Quranic verses on Moses and the Burning Bush:
Has the story of Moses Reached Thee? BEHOLD HE SAW A FIRE: So he said to his family, "Tarry ye: I perceive a fire; perhaps I can Bring you some burning brand Therefrom, or find some guidance At the fire." But when he came to the fire, a voice Was heard: "O Moses" "VERILY I AM THY LORD! Therefore (in My presence) Put off thy shoes: thou art In the sacred valley Tuwa. "I have chosen thee: Listen, then, to the inspiration (Sent to thee). "VERILY, I AM GOD: There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), And establish regular prayer For celebrating My praise. Verily the hour is coming- My design is to keep it Hidden- for every soul To its reward By the measure of its endeavor. Therefore let not such as Believe not therein But follow their own Lusts, divert thee therefrom, Lest thou perish!" "And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?" He said, "It is My rod: on it I lean; with it I beat down fodder For my flocks; and In it I find Have Other uses." (God) said, "Throw it, O Moses!" H
e threw it, and behold it was a snake Active in motion. (God) said "Seize it And fear not: We shall return it at once To its former condition... Now draw thy hand Close to thy side: It shall come forth white (And shining), without harm (or stain),- As a another Sign,- In order that we may show thee (Two) of our Greater Signs. Go thou to Pharaoh For he has indeed Transgressed all bounds." S. 20:9-24
Behold! Moses said to his family "I perceive A fire; soon will I bring you From there some information, Or I will Bring you A burning brand to light our fuel That ye may Warm yourselves." But when he came To the (Fire), a voice Was heard: "Blessed are those In the Fire and those around: AND GLORY TO GOD, THE LORD OF THE WORLDS. "O Moses! VERILY I AM GOD, THE EXALTED IN MIGHT, THE WISE!... "Now do throw thy rod!" But when he saw it Moving (of its own accord) As if it had been a snake, He turned back in Retreat, And retraced not his steps: "O Moses!" (it was said), "Fear not: truly, in My presence, Those called as apostles Have no fear,- But if Any have done wrong And have thereafter substituted Good to take the place of the evil, Truly, I am Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. "Now put thy hand into Thy bosom, and it will Come forth white without stain (Or harm): (These are) among The nine Signs (thou wilt take) To Pharaoh and his people: For they are A people Rebellious in transgression." But when
Our Signs came To them, that should opened their eyes, they said: "This is Sorcery manifest!" And they rejected those Signs In iniquity and arrogance, Though their Souls were convinced Thereof: so see what was The end of those Who acted corruptly. S. 27:7-14
Now when Moses had fulfilled The term, and was traveling With his family, he perceived A fire in the direction of Mount Tur. He said To his family: "Tarry ye; I perceive a fire; I hope To bring you from there Some information, or a burning Firebrand that ye may warm yourselves." But when he came To the (Fire), a voice was heard from the right back Of the valley, from a tree In hallowed ground: "O Moses! VERILY I AM GOD, THE LORD OF THE WORLDS... Now do thou throw thy rod! But when he saw it Moving (of its own accord) As if it had been a snake, He turned back in retreat and retraced not his steps: "O Moses!" (It was said), "Draw near, and fear not; For thou art of those Who are secure. "Move thy hand into thy bosom, and it will Come forth to thy side (To guard) against fear. Those are the two credentials From thy Lord to Pharaoh And his Chiefs: for truly They are a people Rebellious and wicked." S. 28:29-33
Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;- AND TO MOSES ALLAH SPOKE DIRECT;- S. 4:164
Here we clearly see that this was God that appeared to Moses. Very interesting, the Quran shows that God appeared directly to Moses, but yet in this scripture of Exodus 3:2-6 says that the ANGEL OF YAHWEH APPEARED TO MOSES:
"And THE ANGEL OF THE LORD appeared unto him IN A FLAME OF FIRE OUT OF THE MIDST OF OF A BUSH: and he looked,
and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and
see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when THE LORD saw that he turned aside to see, GOD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE BUSH, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not
nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I
AM THE GOD OF THY FATHER, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. And Moses hid
his face; for HE WAS AFRAID TO LOOK UPON GOD."
The text clearly shows that it was the Angel of Yahweh that appeared at the burning bush. This angel calls HIMSELF the "God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." The scripture also calls the Angel "God". Very interesting because we see clearly again that
there is more than one person called Yahweh. We see that God WAS THE ANGEL OF YAHWEH!!! Read this about the Angel of Yahweh:
ANGEL OF THE LORD-An oft-recurring phrase in the O.T., usually referring to a deity and yet
distinguished from Jehovah. ("Handy Dictionary of the Bible"-by Merrill C. Tenney, 1965, pg. 9)
Angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord, sometimes the angel of 'God' or 'my' (or 'his') angel; is represented in
scripture as a HEAVENLY being sent by God to deal with men as his personal agent and spokesman.
In many passages he is virtually identified with God and speaks not merely in the name of God, BUT AS
GOD IN THE FIRST PERSON SINGULAR...He is not recognized at once in Jdg. 13:3ff, and is not even visible
to Balaam (Nu. 22:22ff); but mostly when appearing to men he is recognized as a DIVINE BEING, even
though in human form, and is addressed as God (Gn. 16:13,etc.). (Tyndale, "New Bible Dictionary" 2nd
Edition, 1982 [there were at least 3 editors of this book with Ph.d's]).
For centuries the angel of the Lord has been known as God, but yet separate from him as well as having the ability to appear in
human form. Nowhere in the Bible (Old or New Testament) has any angel or any prophet spoke the God's words as their own
without using phrases like "thus said the lord." The only one who did this was God and Christ.
An angel is a messenger that is sent by God (i.e. Gabriel or Michael). Angels have never identified themselves as God nor have
they claimed God's words as their own. An angel is a divine man, not a human created man. In contrast, the Angel of the
Lord is a special case. Now if God said that he won’t share his glory with no other, then this angel from Yahweh was simply
God also, since you didn't hear any warning talking against him in the Old Testament.
"The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, 'Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?' 'I'm running away from my mistress Sarai,' she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, 'Go back to your mistress and submit to her.' The angel added, 'I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.' The angel of the LORD also said to her: 'You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.' She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.' That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh an
d Bered." Genesis 16:7-14
The Angel of the LORD claims to be able to personally bless Hagar by giving her descendants too numerous to count. The author of Genesis (Moses) addresses the Angel as Yahweh/LORD, with Hagar herself calling the Angel the God who sees her.
"Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: 'I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.' He was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.' Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.'" Genesis 28:10-22
According to this passage, Jacob saw Yahweh and anointed a pillar to him. Yet, elsewhere the one who appeared to Jacob is identified as the Angel of Yahweh:
"In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' And he said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'" Genesis 31:10-13
Another time where the Angel appears is in Genesis 32:24-30
"So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.' Jacob said, 'Please tell me your name.' But he replied, 'Why do you ask my name?' Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'"
Hosea identifies the man whom Jacob wrestled with as the Angel of Yahweh:
"The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds. In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God. He struggled with the ANGEL and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there- the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name of renown!" Hosea 12:2-5
The Angel again is identified as Yahweh God. Another time where the Angel's deity is affirmed is at Exodus 23:20-23:
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out." Exodus 23:20-23
Not only does the Angel forgive sins and has the power to destroy Israel's enemies, but he also embodies within his very own being the Divine nature and character of Yahweh! We saw above that only GOD has the power to forgive sins, and then Jesus says that HE forgives sins! Hmm, very interesting. Lets continue. The Angel of Yahweh was worshipped.
The interesting thing about this is that angels never allow anyone to worship them, nor are they ever addressed as God. In fact, angels often give their names unlike the Angel of Yahweh who never gave out his personal name:
"While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.'" Daniel 8:15-16
"While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice." Daniel 9:20-21
"A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, 'Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.' And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come'… but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince." Daniel 10:10-14, 21
"The angel answered, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news." Luke 1:19
"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27
"Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions." Colossians 2:18
"Then the angel said to me, 'Write: "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.' At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'" Revelation 19:9-10
"I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, 'Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!'" Revelation 22:8-9
Who was this Angel of Yahweh? HE IS THE PRE-INCARNATE JESUS CHRIST, want proof? Lets give it to you.
Proof that the Angel of Yahweh is actually the preincarnate Christ can be seen from the following OT passages:
"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger (Hebrew- angel) of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 3:1
According to this messianic passage the One who was to come to his temple is none other than the Angel of the Covenant, the very same Angel who is referred to as Yahweh:
"The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, 'I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, "I will never break MY COVENANT with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars." Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be [thorns] in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.' When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the LORD." Judges 2:1-5
Seeing that Malachi 3:1 has been traditionally viewed to predict the advent of the Messiah, this affirms that Jesus is the Angel of Yahweh. The other proof comes from Judges 13:3-23:
And THE ANGEL OF THE LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne
no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a
Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."
So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A MAN OF GOD came to me, and His countenance was like the
countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me
His name.
And He said to me, "Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything
unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death."'
Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us
again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born."
AND GOD LISTENED to the voice of Manoah, and THE ANGEL OF GOD came to the woman again as she was sitting
in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.
Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, "Look, the Man who came to me the other
day has just now appeared to me!"
So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, "Are You THE MAN who
spoke to this woman?" And HE SAID, "I AM."
Manoah said, "Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy's rule of life, and his work?"
In explaining the first half of this passage, we see that THE ANGEL OF YAHWEH (LORD) appeared to the woman. This
same Angel appeared to Moses in Exodus and he calls himself the GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB. Notice that
the woman calls THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB (THE ANGEL OF THE LORD) a man!!!! Also notice
that in Numbers 23:19 it doesn’t say that Yahweh is not a man but EL which just refers to just one person on the Godhead.
No other angel in the entire bible is called THE ANGEL OF YAHWEH or THE ANGEL OF GOD! The definite article “the”
differentiates him from “a”!! Also this angel was the only angel to ever call himself THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND
JACOB, unlike any other angel. The scriptures in this passage also shows that this is God because look at verse 8 and 9.
Here we see that Manoah prayed to Yahweh (LORD) to send the Angel of God, then in verse 9 we see that GOD
LISTENED TO THE VOICE OF MANOARH AND THE ANGEL OF GOD CAME TO THE WOMAN!!! In the bible God
always differentiates when he sends someone else. But we don’t see at all about God sending someone else (a regular angel)
but we see that this Angel of Yahweh (also known as the Angel of God) listened and then came. Note how the text shows that
this was God who listened without showing that God sent a regular angel. Also note the words “I AM” mentioned here also,
this is the same words that this angel spoke to Moses!! Read the second half from Judges 13:13-23:
So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything
unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe."
Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for
You."
And THE ANGEL OF THE LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a
burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD." (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the
LORD.)
Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may
honor You?"
And THE ANGEL OF THE LORD said to him, "Why do you ask MY NAME, seeing it is WONDERFUL?"
So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to THE LORD. And He did
a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on
it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the
altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.
When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the
ANGEL OF THE LORD.
And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because WE HAVE SEEN GOD!"
But his wife said to him, "If THE LORD [YAHWEH in Hebrew] had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering
and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told
us such things as these at this time."
Now lets look at the second half closely. We see that the Angel of Yahweh is talking to Manoah, then he tells them to offer a
burnt offering. Note: it was to be offered only to the LORD or Yahweh. In the Hebrew Bible we see that Manoah didn’t
know that He was the Angel of Yahweh, which shows that this Angel of Yahweh and Yahweh are both the same person!!! If
they weren’t then why mention this matter when the Bible already showed that this Angel was the Angel of God? In verse 21
we see that Manoah recognized this Angel as the Angel of Yahweh because of his actions on the altar. Manoah said that WE
HAVE SEEN GOD. Now who is the Angel of Yahweh? He is the Pre-existent Jesus Christ which is shown by the Name WONDERFUL:
18 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask MY NAME, seeing it is WONDERFUL?"
Now here is the good part, in verse 17, Manoah asked
the Angel of Yahweh his name. And the angel revealed it to him. He said his name was WONDERFUL!!!! Compare this,
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And HIS NAME
shall be called WONDERFUL, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase
of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and FOREVER. The zeal of THE
LORD ALMIGHTY will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7
In verse 18 of Judges 13 we see that the ANGEL OF YAWHEH (WHO WAS THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND
JACOB) revealed his name to Manoah!!! This word for Wonderful in Judges 13:18 is “Pil'iy” and it’s first definition is
1.wonderful, incomprehensible, extraordinary. The word for Wonderful in Isaiah 9:6 is “Pele'” which is the Noun form of the
Adjective in Judges 13:18!!!! Both are from the same word verb form “Pala'” The defintion of Pele is also Wondeful!!! In
Judges 13:18, the Angel of Yahweh told Manoah that his name is secret, the other meaning of this word “Piliy but yet by telling
him that his name was secret he was actually telling him his NAME!!! In Isaiah 9:6, all Christians and orthodox Muslims know
that this verse refers to Jesus the Messiah. This shows that Jesus was the Angel of Yahweh who was the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, which spoke to Moses and led the Hebrews before his incarnation!! If we see that Allah spoke to Moses directly
(the only place this happened was at the burning bush) as the Quran claims then this clearly shows that Allah is a man, which
refutes everything in the Quran about Allah not having partners, since this Angel of Yahweh who is the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, was clearly a separate being from Yahweh the Father!!! If Muhammad prophet of Allah could read then he would’ve never made this glaring mistake!!!
This shows that Jesus was the Angel of Yahweh who was the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob which spoke to Moses and led the Hebrews before his incarnation!! So by rejecting Jesus as God both
Muslim and Jews are rejecting the one that their own religions try to talk about!!!
22. History authenticates Christ Deity and Gospel account of him being God
The Old Testament and Christ's claim show that Jesus was God and did claim diety, and for Muslims who try to use the defense that these ideas were inserted and then corrupted into the Bible have nothing to stand on. Even history within the the first 100 or so odd years prove that people followed Jesus as God:
For instance, Pliny the Younger (c. A.D. 62-113), Governor of Bithynia in northwestern Turkey, writing a letter to the emperor Trajan about the Christian movement, dated A.D. 111 noted:
"I have never been present at an examination of Christians. Consequently, I do not know the nature of the extent of the punishments usually meted out to them, nor the grounds of starting an investigation and how far it should be pressed... I have asked them if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the question a second and third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution; for, whatever the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness and unshakable obstinacy ought not to go unpunished... They also declared that the sum total of their guilt or error to no more than this: they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately amongst themselves in honor of Christ as if to a god, and also bind themselves by oath, not for any criminal purpose, but to abstain from theft, robbery, and adultery... This made me decide that it was all the more necessary to extract the truth by
torture from two slave-women whom they call deaconesses. I found nothing but a degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths."
Lucian of Samosata, Second-century Satirist, speaks scornfully of Christ and the Christians, connecting them with the synagogues of Palestine alluding to Christ as,
"the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world... Furthermore, their first lawgiver persuaded them that they were all brothers one of another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and worshipping the crucified sophist Himself and living under His laws."
We find the Rabbis implicitly affirming the testimony of the Evangelists, solidifying the fact that the followers of Christ all believed Jesus was indeed God. Author Michael Green quotes a rabbi named Eliezar, writing about AD 160, who writes:
"God saw that a man, son of a woman, was to come forward in the future, who would attempt to make himself God and lead the whole world astray. And if he says he is God he is a liar. And he will lead men astray, and say that he will depart and will return at the end of days." (Green, Who is this Jesus? [Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992], p. 60- cited in We Believe Series-Basics of Christianity, Jesus Knowing Our Savior, author Max Anders [Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995], p. 136)
And,
"Rabbi Eliezer ha-Kappar said: God gave strength to his (Balaam's) voice so that it went from one end of the world to the other, because he looked forth and beheld the nations that bow down to the sun and moon and stars, and to wood and stone, and he looked forth and saw that there was a man, born of a woman, who should rise up and seek to make himself God, and to cause the whole world to go astray. Therefore God gave power to the voice of Balaam that all the peoples of the world might hear, and thus he spake: Give heed that ye go not astray after that man, for is written, 'God is not a man that he should lie.' And if he says that he is God, he is a liar; and he will deceive and say that he departed and cometh again at the end. He saith and he shall not perform. See what is written: And he took up his parable and said, 'Alas, when God doeth this.' Balaam said, Alas, who shall live- of what nation which heareth that man who hath made himself God." (Yalkut Shimeon, [Salonica] sec. 725 on wayissa mishalo [Num. 23. 7], according to Midrash Y'lamm'denue)
Another rabbi, writing a hundred years after Eliezer, states:
"Rabbi Abahu said, If a man says 'I am God,' he lies; if he says, 'I am the Son of man' he shall rue it; 'I will go up to heaven,' (to this applies Num. xxiii 19) he saith, but shall not perform it." (Jerusalem Talmud Taanith-65b)
Archaeology has also reinforced the point that the historical Jesus is the Jesus of biblical faith. One of the most outstanding archaeological findings took place during the Fall of 1945, when Dr. Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University uncovered a First Century Jewish Catacomb at the southern end of the Kidron Valley on the road to Bethlehem.
He found several osssuaries with the sign of the cross, Greek inscriptions, and a coin minted in A.D. 41 for King Herod Agrippa I. This would seem to indicate that the tomb was sealed no later than at least A.D. 42.
Professor Sukenik stated that the ossuaries "contain almost the whole dictionary of names in the New Testament."
One of the coffins had an amazing inscription in Greek to Jesus followed by the exclamation "y'ho." When translated the inscription actually says, "Jesus is Jehovah (or Lord)."
Keeping in mind that these tombs and the inscriptions date back to 42 A.D., this would mean that within 10 years of Christ's death, resurrection and ascension the eye and ear witnesses of Christ were proclaiming that Jesus was indeed Jehovah God!
Christian theologian, Professor Alexander Hopkins, comments on the impact that this inscription has on modern New Testament scholarship:
"The inscription which was hidden for almost 2,000 years and inscribed at least two decades before any part of the New Testament was written... bears a personal testimony of faith... a message from the past with a very modern meaning for the present."
Evangelist Grant Jeffrey writes:
"In light of the A.D. 42 date for the sealing of this tomb, the presence of this dedication to 'Jesus, the Lord' attests to the acceptance by Christians of Jesus Christ as God within ten years of the death and resurrection of Jesus." (All quotations taken from Grant Jeffrey's book Final Warning [September 1996 Harvest House Publishers, Inc.; ISBN: 1565074793], p. 321)