Who is Yeshua?
In messianic and Hebrew roots circles, there is some discord circling lately regarding the deity of Yeshua. Some say He IS Yahweh. Some say He is Yahweh/God, but as a separate person. Some say that He is part of Yahweh. Some say that while He is not Yahweh, He is Elohim (meaning judge, not deity) and Messiah and the Son of God. Some have gone so far as to deny Him entirely. This article is not meant to address that last group who have already chosen to reject the New Testament scriptures, but for those who hold that Yeshua is the Messiah, and that the New Testament is inspired scripture and testifies of Him, I present what I believe the scriptures teach on this topic.
The Revelation of Yeshua
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Matthew 16:13 When Yeshua came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Yeshua answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Romans 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
While anything that we know and believe is only because Yahweh has revealed it to us, this is a unique topic in that scripture specifically tells us that it is only through God that the knowledge of who Yeshua is can be revealed. So I don't expect that my words or logic will change hearts, but "How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14) means that someone needs to speak the truth even when God alone provides the revelation. I pray with all my heart that these words may bring truth and salvation, even if just to a few.
With that said, I see Yeshua as Yahweh, or if it is easier to comprehend, I see Him as a part of Yahweh. Maybe to be strictly accurate, I would say that Yeshua is one of the ways in which Yahweh interacts with us in this world through taking on a body of flesh, rather than assuming (or not assuming) a different form like He has at other times. Whether Yeshua is a distinct person from Yahweh while still being Yahweh, I do not claim to know for sure. It probably depends on the definition of "person" that is used. However it works, we do know that Yahweh is one. There is ONE God that we worship even though He has revealed Himself in various ways and taken on various forms over time.
The Arm of Yahweh
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Isaiah 40:10 Behold, the Lord Yahweh will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Revelation 22:12 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.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Isaiah 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Yahweh; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
11 Therefore the redeemed of Yahweh shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Romans 15:12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
Isaiah 52:9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for Yahweh hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 Yahweh hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of Yahweh revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Yahweh hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
John 12:37 But though [Yeshua] had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
Isaiah 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, and the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am Yahweh; and beside me there is no saviour
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Isaiah 59:15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and Yahweh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
19 So shall they fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh shall lift up a standard against him.
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Yahweh.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord Yahweh! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Isaiah 63:16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Yahweh, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting
To whom has the Arm of Yahweh been revealed? This is perhaps the most powerful scriptural theme I have come across (you really need to read the scriptures above on this one). When it is revealed to us who the Arm of Yahweh is, the picture falls into place so clearly. I think that this is the best analogy there is for clarifying that there is ONE God, but that He can interact with the world in ways that don't always seem quite God-like. To apply it to me for a moment as a word picture may help even more:
Joshua has a right arm. Is that arm Joshua? We know that Joshua can kick down a door, but the arm cannot. We know that Joshua cannot fit through a six-inch hole, but the arm can. In the context of my household, there is no salsa-jar-opener besides me. If my child sees an arm reach through a six-inch hole and open the jar of salsa, whose arm was it? Who did they see? If you have seen my arm you have seen me. I abide in my arm and my arm abides in me. My arm does nothing except what I tell it to. My arm does not seek its own repute, but my repute. My arm wants to have its mosquito bite scratched, but its will is subservient to mine. I know what time it is, but we wouldn't say that my arm does.
This analogy is a quite good one because it explains how Yahweh is ONE and how Yeshua is God at the same time. It is such a good analogy, it is hard to believe that I came up with it (because I didn't.) This is God's analogy, especially in Isaiah. Yeshua is the Arm who brings salvation, the Arm and Good Shepherd who gathers the sheep, the Arm who grows up as a tender plant and is not believed in, yet is bruised for our iniquities, the Arm that shall judge the peoples, and the Arm in whom they shall trust. Yeshua is the Arm who made the heavens and the earth.
So maybe saying that Yeshua is a piece of God, (like my arm is a piece of me) would make it easier for some to get a picture in their mind. Ultimately though, we still only see through a glass darkly and I doubt that we can see, let alone comprehend God in His fullness.
Yahweh, our Father and Redeemer is from everlasting and Yeshua our Redeemer, whose name shall be called "Everlasting Father," is the ruler from Bethlehem whose goings forth have been from everlasting. Why do they have the same titles and traits, if they are not the same Being?
Tempting God?
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James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Acts 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before Yahweh our maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Yeshua answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt Yahweh thy God.
1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against Yahweh, and against thee; pray unto Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
This is an interesting one, because the fact that Yeshua was tempted is often used as proof that Yeshua is not God, since James says that God cannot be tempted, but a closer look shows the opposite. That same Greek word for "tempt" is used in many places to say that Yahweh was tempted as well. If James's statement disqualifies Yeshua from being God, then it disqualifies Yahweh from being God as well, which is absurd. Yeshua even refuses to cast himself down from the pinnacle because it would violate a command, "Thou shalt not tempt Yahweh thy God." If it is not even possible to tempt God, then why the command and why the refusal? Ultimately, we can know from all of the above that James's statement is not meant to say that temptation cannot be offered to God, but that God cannot be successfully tempted. Even the context in James 1:14 lends to this as it explains that "every man" is drawn away of his own lust when He is tempted.
In fact, once we realize this, James 1:13 leads to the conclusion that Yeshua is God, because He does not fall into the category of "every man" who is drawn away, but instead falls into the same category of Him who can never be successfully tempted. Yeshua was "tempted in every way, but without sin." That is a trait of God, not man.
Beyond that, 1 Corinthians 10:9 says that the people in the wilderness "tempted Christ" when they were punished with serpents, but looking at the story in Numbers, it says that they had spoken against God. This goes back to the Isaiah passages that talk about how it was the Arm of Yahweh, that led Israel through the wilderness and parted the sea. This is how Paul can say that they tempted Christ. Because He is Yahweh.
The Good Shepherd
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Genesis 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Numbers 27:15 And Moses spake unto Yahweh, saying,
16 Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 And Yahweh said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
Psalm 23:1 [A Psalm of David.] Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of Yahweh for ever.
Psalm 80:1 [To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph.] Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Isaiah 63:11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of Yahweh, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
11 For Yahweh hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.
Ezekiel 34:8 As I live, saith the Lord Yahweh, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
John 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Ezekiel 34:17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord Yahweh; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20 Therefore thus saith the Lord Yahweh unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
John 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Yeshua unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The type of Yeshua, Joshua, who also bore the name "Salvation" and who was the shadow, "prophet like unto Moses" only brought Israel into the physical promised land. The shepherd, and clearly a good one, in Psalm 23 is Yahweh. The one who divides between the sheep and the goats is Yahweh, but Yeshua says He will do that. There are other shepherds mentioned in the prophets, but they are not good shepherds, because the flock does not belong to them.
Yeshua, in calling Himself the Good Shepherd, was calling Himself God also. He knew all these scriptures and He spoke the truth. As far as we know Yeshua did not directly say, "I am God," yet Yeshua's parable of Him being the Good Shepherd shows Him claiming to be Yahweh. Again, as clear as these verses are, some will reject it. Yeshua said that He spoke in parables so that some would not understand. We need the revelation from God.
The Stone of Israel, Our Rock
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Genesis 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Isaiah 8:13 Sanctify Yahweh of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Luke 20:13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
2 Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2 The Spirit of Yahweh spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
Deuteronomy 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and Yahweh had shut them up?
31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
Psalm 18:31 For who is God save Yahweh? or who is a rock save our God?
1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
It doesn't even seem like I need to say anything, the connections are so clear. Yeshua is the Stone or Rock of Israel, the Stone at which many stumble, and even the Rock, that Moses referred to as Our Rock, in the wilderness. And in other places the Rock of Israel and Stone of Stumbling are called Yahweh. How can we conclude anything other than that Yeshua is Yahweh and God?
King, Redeemer, The First and The Last
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Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith Yahweh the King of Israel, and his redeemer Yahweh of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Yeshua answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
Luke 23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
John 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Psalm 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Yahweh: O Yahweh, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of Yahweh: we have blessed you out of the house of Yahweh.
27 God is Yahweh, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Luke 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I Yahweh, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Isaiah 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
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.
Mark 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Yeshua said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Zechariah 12:10 And I [Yawheh] will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Revelation 1:11 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.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17 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.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Again, I am not sure how this can be missed if we have eyes to see. Yahweh is King of Israel, Yahweh is the Redeemer, Yahweh is the First and the Last, Yahweh is the Pierced One whom the families of the earth will look upon and mourn, and "the Lord which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending. Yet all of these titles belong to, and are fulfilled by, Yeshua. So who is Yeshua?
Who can ransom?
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Mark 10:45 (ESV) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Psalm 49:7?-?9 (ESV) Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.
Psalm 49:15 (ESV) But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah
A man cannot ransom another, but God can and Yeshua did. That makes Yeshua God.
Only Worship God
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Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship [proskuneo] me.
10 Then saith Yeshua unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship [proskuneo] Yahweh thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Luke 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship [proskuneo] me, all shall be thine.
8 And Yeshua answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship [proskuneo] Yahweh thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped [proskuneo] him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Matthew 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped [proskuneo] him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped [proskuneo] him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Matthew 15:25 Then came she and worshipped [proskuneo] him, saying, Lord, help me.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Yeshua met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped [proskuneo] him.
Matthew 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped [proskuneo] him: but some doubted.
Mark 5:6 But when he saw Yeshua afar off, he ran and worshipped [proskuneo] him,
Luke 24:52 And they worshipped [proskuneo] him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
John 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped [proskuneo] him.
Acts 10:25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped [proskuneo] him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
Re 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship [proskuneo] him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Yeshua: worship [proskuneo] God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship [proskuneo] before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship [proskuneo] God.
Acts 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
While in the Tanakh/OT the Hebrew words used for worship are broader and sometimes apply to men, the Greek word used in the NT for "worship" [proskuneo] is not that broad. Yeshua, when tempted by Satan to worship Him, refused based on a commandment to worship God only. Yet Yeshua accepted worship many times while He was on the earth. We also have the fact that no less than three times (four counting Acts 14) when someone tries to worship an apostle or angel that their response is to forbid that worship. Again, if this word simply meant a mark of respect rather than something that only belongs to God, then why would they need to do that? So, sometimes God does amazing things through His servants that cause someone to start to worship His servant (we see another mention of this in Revelation 3:9) and the proper response, unless you are God, is to deny that worship and explain that you are just a servant. Worship (the Greek word) is only for Yahweh, but Yeshua accepted it (without sinning.) Again, this indicates that He is Yahweh.
A Modern Parallel
I am a programmer by trade. I have created digital game worlds that reside in bits and bytes on computer chips. In those worlds, I am the all-powerful admin who created all things, but I often choose a character and interact with the game as if I did not have the power to see (or change) every stat and pixel if I choose. If I choose to play the hero-prince, named Joshua, and save the other (semi-sentient) game characters, is it accurate for them to say that Joshua did it or did Admin do it? Am I one person or two? None of those characters can see the human, 3D me and live, but they can see "me" when I "take on bytes and dwell among them." It isn't hard for me to picture Yahweh and Yeshua operating this way. In our "real" world, Yahweh is the Admin, and Yeshua is the Hero-Prince character played by the same being. There is not really any contradiction to it, but getting that concept across to the characters in the game (who cannot grasp what it is like to be outside of the computer world they exist in) could be challenging at times.
What are God's Limits?
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Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Yahweh.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; 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, Yahweh of hosts.
1 Kings 22:23 Now therefore, behold, Yahweh hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and Yahweh hath spoken evil concerning thee.
When it comes down to it, the main objections to Yeshua being God are based on limits that the objector has (probably unconsciously) placed on God. The arguments usually boil down to, "God cannot do X." So to name a bunch, God cannot lay aside omnescience, God cannot be a priest, God cannot take on flesh, God cannot talk to Himself, God cannot have more than one will, God cannot worship Himself, or God cannot obey Himself. These types of objections make God small and limited rather than infinite. There are other times in the scripture, (such as He can be seen but not seen), that God does things that look contradictory to human thinking and we accept them. He is Creator and He does what He wants. None of the, "God cannot do X," above are in any way unrighteous or immoral, so why would we claim that an infinite, righteous God is incapable of them? When we know that His thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways, why do we judge Him by our thoughts and ways?
Conclusion
I have many other notes and themes that show that Yeshua is Yahweh which I hope to add to this article over time. If you can already see that Yeshua is Yahweh, then praise be to God who revealed it to you! If a loved one or friend does not, then pray for revelation for them. Maybe this article could be used as an instrument in God's hands, but do not think that others can be argued into this belief by our cleverness or knowledge. Cry out to the One who can open the eyes of the blind; no one else can save.
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