


                     JESUS AND JEHOVAH---AN UNDENIABLE LINK

                                  INTRODUCTION

        Thanks to some overly-pious Jews, the pronunciation of God's name
    has been lost forever. Out of fear that they might accidently violate
    the third commandment (i.e., "You shall not take the name of Jehovah
    your God in vain..."---Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 24:16), ancient Jews
    refused to pronounce the word which represented God's name (`YHWH').
    Instead, they would say the word `adonai' (i.e., "my Lord").

    Mistaken Piety
        This move on the part of the Jews was a mistake for at least two
    reasons. First, they did not succeed in protecting themselves from
    violating the third commandment. The commandment is broken whenever one
    calls on the Lord to witness an oath which he does not keep (Leviticus
    19:12; James 5:12). So, it did not matter that the Jews refrained from
    speaking the actual name of God; the fact that they often showed little
    regard for His authority, and swore falsely by Him, was condemning
    enough. Second, by avoiding the name of God (and providing a substitute
    for it) they violated---in essence---the divine charge: "You shall not
    add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it..."
    (Deuteronomy 4:2).

                                 BIBLICAL USAGE

    God is "Jehovah"
        Vowels were added to the Hebrew language about A.D. 1000.  Since by
    that time the pronunciation of `YHWH' was lost, the Jews were unable to
    add the correct vowels; hence it remained unutterable. To remedy this,
    the vowels from `adonai' were inserted into `YHWH', producing the word
    `Yahweh'. This has been Anglicized to read Jehovah. Most English
    versions of the Bible represent `YHWH' with the word LORD, while a few
    employ "Jehovah." Throughout the Old Testament, the name is applied to
    the monotheistic God. When Moses demanded that Pharaoh release the
    Israelites, he did so in the name of "Jehovah." To this Pharaoh
    responded "Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice...?"
    (Exodus 5:1-2). A psalmist once wrote: "That they may know that thou
    alone, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the
    earth" (Psalm 83:18). The name occurs in this way thousands of times in
    the Hebrew Scriptures. Clearly, God wanted men to know that His "name
    is Jehovah" (Jeremiah 16:21).

    "Jehovah" Applied to the Father
        In the majority of its occurrences, "Jehovah" is applied to the
    first person of the Godhead (i.e., the "Father"---Matthew 28:19). For
    example: "Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I
    make thine enemies thy footstool" (Psalm 110:1). Jesus explained that
    this verse pictures the Father addressing His Christ (Luke 20:42). In
    speaking of Jesus, Peter reminded his audience: "For Moses truly said
    to the fathers, The Lord (Jehovah) your God will raise up for you a
    Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things,
    whatever He says to you" (Acts 3:22). Hence, this passage pictures the
    Father (Jehovah) foretelling the coming of His Prophet (the Son).

    "Jehovah" Applied to the Son
        Although these applications of "Jehovah" are common in the
    Scriptures, they do not exhaust its usage; the name is also
    occasionally applied to Jesus. First, notice the prophecy concerning
    the mission of John: "The voice of one that crieth in the wilderness:
    Prepare ye the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for
    our God (Isaiah 40:3; see Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4;). John was
    sent to prepare the way of Jesus Christ---he made that abundantly clear
    (John 1:29-34). But, Isaiah said that John would prepare the way of
    Jehovah. Plainly, Jesus and Jehovah are one and the same in these
    passages.
        Second, the book of Hebrews quotes the Father as addressing His Son
    in this way: "You, Lord [Jehovah---Psalm 102:25], in the beginning laid
    the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your
    hands" (Hebrews 1:10). Not only does this verse apply the word
    "Jehovah" to Jesus, but it attributes the quotation to the mouth of
    God. Again, Jesus and Jehovah are synonymous in these verses.
        Third, while describing his vision of Jesus, John exclaimed: "And
    when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand
    on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last"
    (Revelation 1:17). The phrase "First and Last" is a clear reference to
    Isaiah 44:6 which says: "Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and
    his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts; I am the first and I am the last; and
    besides me there is no God." By saying that He is "First and Last"
    Jesus claimed to possess the nature of Jehovah. The Lord's statement
    was either true or blasphemous! Who among His friends will charge the
    Christ with blasphemy?

                                   CONCLUSION

        Although the Bible has much more to say on this topic, these three
    examples clearly identify Jesus with Jehovah. It is only when one
    recognizes this truth, that he can truly appreciate the Savior's nature
    and the extreme cost of His sacrifice.



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