The Everlasting Covenant - 8.4 Who is Jehovah?.

Home > Abraham to Sinai >
Email | Print | 
.

8.4 Who is Jehovah?

by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, February 17, 2010

Topics:
Monotheism
The Triune Godhead
Jehovah
Jesus is the Creator
Jesus Led Israel out of Egypt
No Man has Seen the Father
Some Have Talked with God
Promise of Future Fellowship

Monotheism

Very little is said of the Trinity in the Old Testament. Because of the idolatrous thinking of the time, ancient Israel would have made three gods separately of the Trinity. Very little is said even of Satan. There was danger that the people would have made of him an evil deity.

There is general consensus among Christians that God, the Godhead, is one, made up of three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is sharp differences with Jews, Muslims, and some Christian bodies over this concept. This is an important subject, as a person’s religion is directly affected by his concept of God. This will not be discussed at length, but I will offer a short list of Bible texts.

Father, Son and Holy Ghost are named in the following verses:

   • “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16, 17).
   • “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19-20).
   • “I (Jesus) have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me” (Isaiah 48:16).
   • “... No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3-4).
   • “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14)
   • “For through him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).
   • “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost” (1 John 5:7).

To speak of God as three persons in one seems an oxymoron to many people. In the Bible this concept is declared, but not explained. There are some things about God that are beyond human understanding. Monotheism was emphasized in the Old Testament as a barrier against the idolatry prevalent at that time. Yet at the same time, the name of God is often plural, and there are passages that indicate the Son and the Spirit.

Jehovah

Many names are attributed to God as a means to impress human kind with all the things He means to us. One of those names is Jehovah (Yahweh) from the four consonants of Hebrew script. In the King James Bible this is first used with Abraham (Genesis 12:7; 17:1). This is usually written as LORD in “small caps.”  The actual name “Jehovah” is first recorded in Exodus 6:3  “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” The name Jehovah means the “Eternal or self-Existent One.” This was when God came to Moses in the burning bush.

Transliteration: yhwh Pronounced: yeh-ho-vaw'
Vine's Words: Lord
English Words used in KJV: LORD 6510, GOD 4, JEHOVAH 4, variant 1, [Total Count: 6519]
from <H1961> (hayah); (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God :- Jehovah, the Lord. Compare <H3050> (Yahh), <H3069> (Yehovih).
—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary
The name “Jehovah” is used just four times in the Bible, all in the Old Testament. The name “LORD” is used 6757 times, and is translated from “Jehovah (yhwh)” making it the most common name for God. God is seen 4628 times and is translated from “elohim” a plural term! Almighty God three times, and almighty in other uses for God sixty times, translated from “shadday.”

While these facts are interesting, the most important issue is: Who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament? Here is the evidence that the second person of the Godhead is the Jehovah of the Old Testament:

Jesus is the Creator (John 1:1-3, 14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Col 1:13-18)
Jesus led Israel out of Egypt (Christ was the rock that followed them. 1 Corinthians 10:4)
Jesus spoke through the prophets (1 Peter 1:10-11; Revelation 19:10)
At the burning bush, God is introduced to Moses as Jehovah. (Exodus 6:2,3)
And Moses did see God as He passed by. I think this was the second person of the God head, Jehovah, Jesus Christ to come. (Exodus 34:6,7)
Jesus is the Creator

These well known verses are easy to understand:

     "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
      "The same was in the beginning with God.
      "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
      "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3, 14).
    "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
    "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Jesus Led Israel out of Egypt

      "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed (went with) them: and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). See also Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8; Deuteronomy. 32:3,4; 1 Samuel 2:2; 22:1-3, 47; Psalm 18:2; 62:2; 89:26; 95:1; Matthew 16:18.
   21 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
   22 “He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22).
   “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:24).

No Man has Seen the Father

     "NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18).
      44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
     45 “It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God'. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.
     46 “NO ONE HAS SEEN THE FATHER EXCEPT the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father" (John 6:44-46 (NIV)).
     "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the LIGHT WHICH NO MAN CAN APPROACH UNTO; whom NO MAN HATH SEEN, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting." (1 Timothy 6:16).
     "NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:12).
     “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).

These are all New Testament verses. With Jesus on earth, all references to God would refer to God the Father. No man has seen the Father, and the implication is that even in the Old Testament, no man had ever seen the Father. Moses was given a brief glimpse of the glorified Jehovah (the Son) in Exodus 34:6,7. In the New Testament, many men saw Jesus Christ, God in human form. A few also saw him glorified on Mr. Tabor. Also note 1 John 4:14 where the Father and the Son are both mentioned in the same verse.

Some Have Talked with God

     "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I HAVE SEEN GOD FACE TO FACE, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30).
     "Manoah said unto his wife, 'We shall surely die, because WE HAVE SEEN GOD'" (Judges 13:22).
     "Then said I, 'Woe is me! for I am undone (cut off, perish); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, the Lord of hosts'" (Isaiah 6:5).

In each of these three verses we glimpse the reaction of men when they THOUGHT they saw God. In two occasions it was angels who were seen; and in Isaiah, it is not stated who was seen, but we know that it was Jehovah or Jesus, the God of the Old Testament.

     "And the Lord SPAKE UNTO MOSES FACE TO FACE, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exodus 33:11).
     "Then Moses said unto the Lord, 'Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)'
      "'And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord ART SEEN FACE TO FACE, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night'" (Numbers 14:13-14).
     "The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
      "The LORD TALKED WITH YOU FACE TO FACE in the mount out of the midst of the fire" (Deuteronomy 5:3-4).
     "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD KNEW FACE TO FACE" (Deuteronomy 34:10).
     "And he said, 'Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
      "MY SERVANT MOSES IS NOT SO, who is faithful in all mine house.
     "WITH HIM WILL I SPEAK MOUTH TO MOUTH, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses'" (Numbers 12:6-8).
      "And he said, 'I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.'
     "And he said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.'
     "And he said, 'Thou canst not see my face: for there shall NO MAN SEE ME, AND LIVE'." (Exodus 33:18-20).

Even after this close communion, Moses asks to 'see' God. Moses is not able to see even the undimmed glory of His face. From other references, we know that this was Jesus.

Promise of Future Fellowship

       14 "And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which SAW THE KING'S FACE and which sat the first in the kingdom;) Esther 1:14          8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for THEY SHALL SEE GOD." Matthew 5:8
     10 "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven THEIR ANGELS DO ALWAYS BEHOLD THE FACE OF MY FATHER which is in heaven." Matthew 18:10
      12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then FACE TO FACE: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
      12 "Now we see but a poor reflection; then WE SHALL SEE FACE TO FACE. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)

To 'see his face' is an idiomatic expression that the person has access to the king. Not necessarily that he merely looked into his face.

     3 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
     4 "And THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE; and his name shall be in their foreheads." Revelation 22:3-4

These verses could apply either to seeing the face of God the Father, or of Jesus the Lamb; or to both.