The God

OF

 Jesus

Jesus in the Revelation

       Revelation 1:1-2:  “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word (logos) of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  

 

       John writes that God gave Jesus the Revelation. Since God is commonly used throughout the NT to designate the Father, we can assume John sees the Father as giving the Revelation to Jesus.  As discussed in Chapter Four, the word of God is the thoughts of God expressed in speech and creative activity. John writes of testifying to the word (logos) of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  John makes a distinction between the logos of God and Jesus. This shows the logos of God is not Jesus as is often claimed.  Trinitarians will argue that when John writes it is God who gave Jesus the Revelation, it is God as Father giving the Revelation to Jesus within the Trinitarian relationship of Father, Son and Spirit. The following passage dispels such a notion.

        Revelation 1:4-6:  John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:   Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.   To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.      

       In this passage John gives greetings from “him who is, and who was, and who is to come” and from the seven spirits before his throne and from Jesus Christ who is identified as the firstborn from the dead who has made us a kingdom of priests to serve His God and Father.  Here we see distinction not only between the Father and Jesus but between God and Jesus.  If distinction was only being made between the Father and Jesus, it could possibly allow for some kind of single Being, indwelling relationship as found in Trinitarianism. Distinction, however, is made between God and Jesus. John is clearly saying that the Being who is to be praised is both God and Father of Jesus, not just the Father of Jesus.  If God is seen as the God of Jesus, how can Jesus be that same God?  Remember, we are seeing Jesus after His ascension. Jesus still relates to God as His God after he has ascended to God. In Revelation 3:12, Jesus is quoted four times as referring to God as His God. Therefore to postulate that God and Jesus are a single Being and equally God is a virtual oxymoron. 

       Distinction is made between the one associated with the throne before which are seven spirits and the person Jesus.  Who is associated with the throne?  In chapter four is a description of the throne on which sits the Lord God Almighty who is characterized as “who was, and is, and is to come."

        Revelation 4:2b, 8b:  before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.  Verse 8b: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

        In Revelation chapter five, the one who sits on the throne is seen as handing the scroll to Jesus Christ who is represented by a lamb.  In chapter eleven, the Lord God Almighty is identified as “the one who is and who was”

        Revelation 5:6-7: Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne; ---- He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

 

       Revelation 11:16-17: And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

        It is apparent the one who sits on the throne is the Lord God Almighty. The one sitting on the throne is seen as interacting with the Lamb (Jesus) in various ways throughout the Revelation.            

       Revelation 7:10: And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

 

      Revelation 12:10b: Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.

 

       Revelation 20:6c: but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

       Christ is seen as separate from the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne and is identified as the Christ of God. Therefore, Jesus is not one and the same God who sits on the throne as the Lord God Almighty. It is the Lord God Almighty who is seen as “him who is, and who was, and who is to come.”   Therefore, this title is not referring to Jesus.  Since God the Father is seen as the God and Father of Jesus in 1:5, it should be apparent Jesus is the servant of the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne.   

 

      Some believe Revelation 1:8 refers to Jesus as the Alpha and the Omega and “him who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."  Therefore, Jesus is believed to be the Almighty God no less than the Father.  

       Revelation 1:8: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

       In this passage reference is made to the Almighty as the "who is, and who was, and who is to come.”  This title is associated with the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne (compare Revelation 4:2 and 4:8c).  In Revelation 5:6-7, the one who sits on the throne is seen as separate from the Lamb (Jesus).  Therefore, it should be apparent the Almighty of 1:8, the Lord God Almighty of 4:2 and 8c and the one who sits on the throne in 5:6-7 is the same Being and a different Being from the one seen as the Lamb.  Since the Lord God Almighty is identified in Scripture as the Father, He who sits on the throne is God the Father and is the Alpha and the Omega of 1:8.  Since it is the Father and not the Lamb (Jesus) who sits on the throne, Revelation 1:8 is speaking of the Father and not Jesus. In Revelation 21:5-7 the one who sits on the throne is specifically identified as the Alpha and the Omega.      

       Revelation 21:5-7: He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

       In this passage it is the one seated on the throne who will be the God of those who overcome and they will be his sons.   Since the scriptures speak often of we becoming sons of God the Father and since becoming a son implies a Father/son relationship, it is evident we become sons of God the Father which further verifies that the one seated on the throne is God the Father who is the Lord God Almighty and the God and Father of Jesus.

      Trinitarians point to Revelation 22:12-13 referring to Jesus as the "Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End," as Jesus being YHWH. 

 

      Revelation 22:12-13: "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

 

      In Revelation 11:16-18 the Lord God Almighty (YHWH) is seen as being worshiped on his throne and is identified as the “one who is and who was.” He is also seen as bringing reward to his servants (verse 18). In Matthew 6:1-4, reward is seen as derived from the Father.  As already discussed, the Lord God Almighty is the Alpha and Omega sitting on the throne and is seen as separate from the lamb (Jesus) and as the God (YHWH) of Jesus throughout the Revelation. Therefore, references to the coming of Jesus must be seen in the context of Jesus acting as the agent of His God (YHWH) and Father. Matthew writes that Jesus comes in the glory of the Father. It is the Father who facilitates reward and judgement through the Son. The Son is seen as coming in the presence of God the Father.       

       1 Thessalonians 3:13: May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 

 

       God the Father is seen as the one coming through His agent Christ Jesus. Jesus, as the "Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End,” as seen  in Revelation 22:12-13, is Jesus coming as the representative of His God and Father and as such is given these titles.  Application of these titles to Jesus does not define Jesus as being the one He consistently calls His God.      

       YHWH is identified as the first and last in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12. In Isaiah 44:6, YHWH is identified as the Almighty and the one and only God.  It should be apparent from our discussion to this point that YHWH, as the "first and the last" and the one and only God is the God and Father of Jesus which precludes Jesus being this same God. Therefore, Jesus is not the first and the last in the same manner as YHWH is.  Any reference to Jesus as the "first and the last" must be seen in the broader context of who God is versus who Jesus is.

       In Revelation 1:17 and 2:8, Jesus is seen to be the "first and the last."  Do these passages identify Jesus as YHWH?  In both these passages Jesus associates being the first and the last with His death and resurrection and not as being without beginning or end as is true of YHWH. Jesus died. Jesus is identified as the Lamb of God (YHWH) slain for the sins of the world and not as the Almighty God who sits on the throne as the Alpha and Omega.  In Revelation 1:19 Jesus is quoted as saying “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!”  In Revelation 2:8, John speaks of Christ who died and came to life again. As previously discussed, God can't die.

      The designation, "first and last" is being applied in two different ways in the Revelation. In relation to the one who sits on the throne, it signifies the eternally existing YHWH, the one and only Almighty God the Father.  In the case of Jesus, it signifies His death and His resurrection to eternal life through YHWH who is the God and Father of Jesus.  

 

       The very language of the passages we have considered from the Revelation should make it clear Jesus is not God but is the glorified servant of God.   If you carefully read the entire Revelation and pay careful attention to the flow of narrative, it will become abundantly clear God and Jesus are separate Beings and not separate persons of the same Being.  Jesus is not the YHWH who sits on the throne but is the anointed of YHWH who sits on the throne. The Father is the Eternal Almighty Creator God and Jesus is the resurrected Son of this God unto whom this God has granted eternal life, great power, authority and glory.

 

The Melchizedek Issue

       Because of the manner in which Melchizedek is portrayed in scripture, some believe Melchizedek is one and the same with a pre-incarnate Christ.  It is believed it was Jesus Christ who appeared to Abraham as the priest Melchizedek.  

       Genesis 14:18-20: Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.  

 

      Melchizedek is seen as bringing bread and wine. Bread and wine were used by Christ to represent his body and blood at the Passover meal He shared with His disciples prior to His crucifixion.  Melchizedek, as priest of the Most High God, is seen blessing Abraham.  Abraham is seen as giving a tenth of everything to Melchizedek.  In Psalm 110:4, the LORD (YHWH) is seen as declaring to the lord (adoni), “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."  As earlier discussed, adoni pertains to Christ and YHWH is God the Father.   

 

      The writer to the Hebrews discusses the issue of Christ becoming a priest after the order of Melchizedek. 

       Hebrews 5:5-6,9-10: So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." Verse 9-10: Once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:20: He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.      

       Hebrews 7:1-4: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!  Verse 8: In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 

       The writer explains the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” and “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”  Some believe “king of righteousness” and “king of peace” are designations applied to Christ in scripture.  These designations, however, only appear in scripture in association with Melchizedek.  The passages, "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever” and “by him who is declared to be living” are seen by some as referring to Christ since Christ is believed to reflect the properties here associated with Melchizedek. The Greek for "remains" and the Greek for "is living" are both in the present tense and therefore signify an ongoing existence for Melchizedek. 

       In view of all this, Melchizedek is believed to have existed eternally and since the Son of God is believed to have existed eternally (without beginning of days or end of life) and the writer says, “like the Son of God remains a priest forever,” it is believed Melchizedek and Christ are one and the same.  

       The phrase, "without genealogy" is translated from the Greek word agenealogeetos.  Thayer's Greek to English Lexicon defines this word as "of whose decent there is no account,"  which means there is no recorded genealogy. The Greek for "without Father" is apithia and according to Thayer's Lexicon means, "whose father is not recorded in the genealogies."  The phrase, "without mother" is the Greek ameetor which Thayer's defines as "born without a mother" and "whose mother is not recorded in the genealogy."  Jesus has a recorded genealogy and a mother of record as found in Matthew and Luke. Since Jesus has a recorded genealogy and mother of record and Melchizedek does not, it becomes problematical that Melchizedek and Christ are one and the same. The Scripture says he was like the Son of God in relation to being a priest forever and not that he was the Son of God. The relationship between Melchizedek and Christ is further defined in Hebrews 7:14-17. 

 

      Hebrews 7:14-17: For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like (after the similitude) Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."   

       The Greek word translated "like" (“similitude” in the KJV and “likeness” in many other versions) is homoioteta.  This word indicates being similar or like something but not being identical with that something.  Melchizedek represented an eternal priesthood that can never die out.  The writer compares this to the temporal priesthood under Moses that had to be continually replenished as priests died. The writer did not say Jesus is Melchizedek but that Jesus’ priesthood is similar to Melchizedek's. The writer speaks of another priest like Melchizedek appearing, one who becomes a priest, not on the basis of ancestry but on the basis of living forever. Christ is seen as becoming this priest.  Becoming a priest presupposes not having been a priest at some time in the past. 

       Melchizedek was a priest. If Jesus was Melchizedek, He would already be the priest Melchizedek. He would not have to become the priest Melchizedek or a priest like Melchizedek. The writer clearly shows that Jesus became a priest like Melchizedek.  It is contradictory to conclude Jesus became who He already was.  Some will argue the Son set aside being Melchizedek when He became the human Jesus.  As already discussed, the idea that the Son was able to divest Himself of eternal properties or add temporal properties to eternal properties to become the human Jesus and still die as the eternal God is highly problematical. 

       It is much more Scriptural to conclude that Jesus, as the humanly begotten Son of God the Father, became a priest in the order of Melchizedek upon completing His earthly mission.  This happened in association with His receiving authority, power and glory and an everlasting Kingdom as pictured in Daniel.  Admittedly, this doesn’t define or identify Melchizedek other than what we see in Genesis and Hebrews.  To conclude, however, that Melchizedek is the Son of God runs contrary to what we see the writer to the Hebrews recording and therefore becomes nothing more than speculations based on assuming the thing to be proved.   

       Those who hold to the position that Christ is Melchizedek often hold to the position Christ is YHWH.  In Psalm 110:1-4, YHWH is seen as addressing Christ (adoni).  As covered in Chapter Three, the Hebrew adoni is not a reference to deity but to man unto whom power and authority is granted. This passage of Scripture shows YHWH granting adoni the right to be at His right hand and declaring adoni to be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.  If YHWH is granting adoni (Christ) authority and power and declaring adoni to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek, how can Christ be YHWH?  Trinitarians often argue that Scriptures showing YHWH speaking to the Son are showing YHWH the Father speaking to YHWH the Son in a Trinitarian indwelling of Father, Son and Spirit.  Psalm 110 makes this argument untenable in so much as YHWH is not addressing Jesus as Adonai (Lord) but as Adoni (lord).  YHWH is not addressing Jesus as YHWH but as a glorified servant of YHWH to whom YHWH has granted great power and authority and the privilege of being at YHWH’s right hand as an eternal priest.

       In Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek is called the priest of God Most High.  In Luke 1:31-35, Mary is told she will be with child and give birth to a son, who will be called the Son of the Most High.  Throughout Scripture, the Most High is identified as YHWH. There can only be one Most High.  Melchizedek is shown as a priest of the Most High and Jesus is called the Son of the Most High.  This clearly shows both Melchizedek and Jesus are subservient to YHWH who alone is the Most High God.  YHWH, as the Most High God, is not God the Son but is the God of the Son as has been clearly shown throughout this discussion.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE