New Blog

Here is a link to the new blog I've been working on.

http://rev1919.blogspot.com/

Jehovah's Witnesses - part 4

This is probably my favorite proof of the deity of Jesus Christ. This is worth memorizing. Let a Jehovah's Witness read the texts, and then they can decide if they want to go with what the Bible actually says or with what the Watchtower claims the Bible says. You can even use their New World Translation for this one (although I don't recommend it).

We'll start in Isaiah.

Isaiah 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

First of all, notice that there seems to be two people involved here: "the LORD the King of Israel" and "his redeemer the LORD of hosts."¹ However this gets confused in the JW's New World Translation. So instead of trying to go down that path (which will probably lead to an endless and unprofitable argument), lets focus on the next phrase: "I am the first, and I am the last..." Students of the New Testament should recognize that phrase from the book of Revelation. We'll start in the last chapter of that book first.

Revelation 22:12-13  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Verse 13 uses three phrases. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last. So this establishes that these three phrases are synonymous and can be used interchangeably. The JW should have no problem with that, and they will contend that the one who is speaking, both in Isaiah and here in Revelation is Jehovah God. We can agree that God (the one true God) is indeed the speaker. Next we go to the previous chapter.

Revelation 21:5-7  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (6) And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Here the speaker uses 2 of the phrases, "Alpha and Omega" and "the beginning and the end," which we have already established is the same as "the first and the last." Just to make sure, ask the JW who is speaking here, and they should quickly tell you that the one who is sitting upon the throne is Jehovah. Now take them to the first chapter. This is the chapter that defines everything for the rest of the book. Start in verse 8.

Revelation 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Their version will say "Jehovah God" instead of "Lord." Either way, it is clear that "Alpha and Omega" refers to God. Now skip down to verse 10.

Revelation 1:10-13  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

First notice that after John heard the voice identify itself as "Alpha and Omega," he turned around and saw "one like unto the Son of man." This seems pretty clear to me that Jesus Christ, the Son of man, was the one who was speaking, but the JW's will sidestep this. So instead of getting bogged down here, keep going through chapter 1. The next few verses give a description of the "one like unto the Son of man." Now take careful notice of what verse 17 and 18 say.

Revelation 1:17-18  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

The next question you should ask is, "when did Jehovah God die?" There can be no other answer except that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, and He "was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Heb. 2:9). 

Be careful not to present this in way that says, "ha, I'm right, and you're wrong." Just let the Bible speak for itself, and let the Holy Spirit do the work of convincing them of the truth. The objective is not to prove they are wrong but to provide them with an opportunity to accept the truth and be saved. And don't be disappointed if they don't immediately admit that what they were believing was wrong. When the truth of the Word of God is presented to any of us and it conflicts with what we thought to be true, we come into a crisis. It's a terrifying but necessary experience.

In the next post, we'll look at some evidence that shows that God the Father and Jesus Christ must be one and the same.

---

1. "LORD" in all capital letters represents the Tetragrammaton, i.e. the Hebrew word comprised of four letters which are the equivalent of YHWH. This is where "Jehovah" comes from, although most modern scholars would say that "Yahweh" is probably a better rendering.