Featured Jesus Christ is Almighty God

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

Here Jesus Christ is the Speaker, Who calls Himself “ὁ Παντοκράτωρ”, THE ALMIGHTY.

It is very clear from this chapter, and from others, that the Speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ, and not as some suppose, God the Father.

In verse 1 we read, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”, and in verse 2, “and to the testimony of Jesus Christ”. Then in verse 5, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood”. Again, in verse 7 of the Lord Jesus, “ Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen”. Then we have the words in verse 8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty”. Then in verse 9 we read, “and patience of Jesus Christ…and for the testimony of Jesus Christ”. Verse 10, “the Lord’s Day”. And 11, “saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and, What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”. In the next chapter, in verse 8 Jesus is speaking, “‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life”. Again, in Revelation chapter 22, Jesus is the Speaker, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”.

There is no reason to take the words in verse 8, as spoken by God the Father. All of what we have read here, is about Jesus Christ, and spoken by Jesus Christ. It is only that some “theologically” cannot accept that Jesus Christ can be called “The Almighty”, who would have a problem with this passage as referred to Jesus as the Speaker. On the words, “the First and the Last”, it is interesting to note the remarks of Dr Thayer, in his Greek lexicon: “ὁ πρῶτος καί ὁ ἔσχατος, i. e. the eternal One, Rev 1:17; Rev 2:8; Rev 22:13”. Jesus Christ says of Himself, that He IS “The Eternal One”, how then can some say that Jesus was created at some time? As He IS “The Eternal One”, he must be Almighty God. Dr Thayer was a Unitarian, who denied Jesus Christ IS God. In Exodus 3:14 we read the Name that God gave to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX), made some 100 years before Jesus Christ was born, have rendered the Hebrew as “Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν”, that is, “I am The Eternal One”, which is what Jesus says of Himself in Revelation. In Isaiah 44:6 it says, “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”. The Speaker here is Yahweh. Jesus Christ uses these same words for Himself.

In Isaiah 9:6, the Prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ, one of the Names that He has, is “’êl Gibbôr”, which is correctly translated as “Mighty God”. Here too there are some who try to weaken this to “God-like Hero”. However, when the exact same Hebrew is used in chapter 10:21, for Yahweh, it is never translated as “God-like Hero”, but always as “Mighty God”. Why the difference? This is a theological block for some. Interestingly, that in 9:6, the Jewish Bible by Isaac Leeser, reads, “the mighty God”; and in the 2013 edition of the New World Translation, the Jehovah’s Witnesses translate the Hebrew, “Mighty God”. So the JW’s deny in their “theology”, that Jesus Christ is “God”, as they corrupt John 1:1 to read, “and the Word was a god”, yet here in Isaiah 9:6, they clearly call Jesus Christ, not just “God”, but, “Mighty God”. So it is clear that there are TWO, Who are equally called in the Old Testament, “’êl Gibbôr”. Surely this proves beyond any doubt, that a belief in the God of the Holy Bible, as being “UniPersonal”, is wrong.

Back to Revelation chapter 1, we go on to read from verses 12-16, a description of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Who here appears to the Apostle John. In verses 17-18, we have Jesus speaking, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen”.Again Jesus uses the words spoken by Yahweh in Isaiah, for Himself. Then He says, “I am He who lives”, which in the Greek is, “ο ζων”, which is in the present, continuance, literally, “The Ever-Living One”. As the LXX has in Exodus 3:14. Then Jesus continues, “and I am ever living for all the ages to the ages”.

In Revelation 5:12 we read about Jesus, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive: the power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”. In the Greek we have the definite article “την”, before the word “δυναμιν” (power), and the following words taken together “και” (and), all in the accusative case. ALL THE Power, Wealth, Wisdom, Might, Honor, Glory, Blessing”, belong to Jesus Christ! Impossible for anyone who is a created being, and not Himself Almighty God. In fact, in the next two verses in this chapter, we read, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the power forever and ever.” And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped”. Notice that this to directed to, “Him Who sits on the throne AND (και) to the Lamb”. BOTH TOGETHER. In chapter 22, verse 1 it says, “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”. The Greek here is very interesting, “του θρονου του θεου και του αρνιου”. We have the article “του”, with “God” and “The Lamb”, showing that there are TWO “distinct” Persons. And, “θρονου” (throne), is in the singular, which means that THEIR Reign is JOINT. Showing complete equality. The same is in verse 3. In Revelation 11:15, we read: “The kingdom of the world is become [the kingdom] of our Lord, and of his Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever”. “He shall Reign” is one word in the Greek, “βασιλευσει”, which is also in the singular, yet we have “Our Lord”, which is the Father, and “His Christ”, TWO. Clearly of Joint-Reign. The Father Who is Almighty God, will never jointly Reign with a lesser being.

No one who says that they believe that the Holy Bible is the Infallible, Inerrant, Word of God, can deny what the Bible actually says that Jesus Christ IS Almighty God, The Great I AM, Yahweh.

 

I thought that you said that you believe in the Trinity? The Father is Almighty God. The Son is Almighty God. The Holy Spirit is Almighty God. Three disctinct Persons, in One Godhead or Divine Being. I hold that Jesus Christ became known as "Son", at His Incarnation. This is what it says in Luke 1:35; Hebrews 1:5, etc

 

Luke 1:35 shows that the Word of God, was known as the "Son" at His Incarnation. I understand Hebrews 1:5, and Acts 13:33 to refer to the Incarnation, not the Resurrection

 

so where did I ever say that God is not Three Persons? And what has a pasage of Jesus' Reign as Mediator, got to so with anything? This passage in 1 Corinthians is NOT about the eternal future Kingdom.

 

Expositor's Greek Textament

Act_13:33. ἐκπεπλήρωκε: “hath fulfilled to the utmost,” cf. 3Ma_1:2; 3Ma_1:22, Polyb., i., 67, 1, τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἐκπ.—τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῶν ἡμῖν, see critical notes.—ἀναστήσας: “in that he raised up Jesus,” R.V.; “in that he hath raised up Jesus again,” A.V. The former rendering is quite compatible with the view that the reference of the word here is not to the resurrection of Jesus, but to the raising up of Jesus as the Messiah, cf. Act_3:22, Act_7:37, Deu_18:15. The first prophecy, Act_13:33, would be fulfilled in this way, whilst in Act_13:34-35 the prophecy would be fulfilled by the resurrection from the dead, ἀνασ. ἐκ νεκρῶν (see Knabenbauer in loco, p. 233 ff.). Wendt argues that Heb_1:5, where the same prophecy is quoted as in Act_13:33, also refers to the raising up as the Messiah, but see on the other hand Westcott, Hebrews, in loco.

A T Robertson, Word Pictures

Unto our children (τοις τεκνοις ημων). The MSS. vary greatly here about ημων (our), some have αυτων, some αυτων ημιν. Westcott and Hort consider these readings "a primitive error" for ημιν (to us) taken with αναστησας Ιησουν (having for us raised up Jesus). This raising up (from ανιστημ, set up) as in Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37 refers not to resurrection (verse 34), but to the sending of Jesus (two raisings up).
In the second psalm (εν τω ψαλμω τω δευτερω). Ps 2:7. D has πρωτω because the first psalm was often counted as merely introductory.

Bob Utley Commentary

This same verb, "raised up" (anistçmi), is used in Acts 3:26 of God raising up "His Servant"; in Acts 3:22 of God raising up the Prophet (cf. Acts 7:37; Deut. 18:19). This seems to be a distinct usage from "raised" from the dead (cf. Acts 13:30,34,37). Jesus was "raised up" before He died!

Read the next verse, which is clearly about the Resurrection

And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

First "Rising", is for the First Coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, which is in verse 33. The Second "Rising" is to the Resurrection of Jesus, which is in verse 34.

 

but NOT before His Incarnation

 

Only in Prophecy, like Isaiah 9:6. Jesus Christ is called Yahweh, and Malakh Yahweh. In John 1:1, which is eternity past, Jesus is "the Logos", not "the Son".