"Isaiah 48:12-13, 17 "
"Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I AM THE FIRST AND I AM THE LAST". My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. [17] This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God."
It is clearly Understood when God spoke of being the first and the last, it meant his eternal state. It was not a metaphor.
However, In Revelation, Jesus claims the same thing.
Revelation 1:17-18 "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
So why should we believe that he is speaking metaphorically? Also, how can two things be the first and last at the same time relatively speaking? Unless they are the same thing.
2.
Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, Prince of Peace."
Obviously this was referring to Jesus, the prophesied son, "will be calledMighty God and Everlasting Father.
Even though kings in the Bible shared the title "God" they were NEVER given the title Everlasting Father. That title was only given to God alone and would be considered blasphemy.
3.
Micah 5:2 (New International Version)
2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans [a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
WHOSE ORIGINS [B] ARE FROM OF OLD,
FROM ANCIENT TIMES. [c] "
Micah 5:2 (New American Standard Bible)
2But as for (A)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (B)you One will go forth for Me to be (C)ruler in Israel
His goings forth are (D)FROM LONG AGO,
FROM THE DAYS OF ETERNITy."
Once again it is referring to Jesus. However its stating that his origins are from ancient times.
4.
John 10:30-33 "I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me? We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, "A MERE MAN, CLAIM TO BE GOD"."
The Jews here made it clear that they charged Jesus with blasphemy for claiming to be God. John the author makes no mistakes when mentioning that the Jews thought that Jesus WAS CLAIMING TO BE GODnot an angel of heavenly courts, not a great prophet, but God.
5.
John 5:17-18 "Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself "EQUAL" with God."
Once again John the author is clearly stating that the "Son of God" is considered equal with God the Father. John uses the word "equal" making it distinct.
7.
Acts 20:28 "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which HE BOUGHT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD."
How can God purchase the church with his own blood?
8.
Isaiah 40:3 "A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway FOR OUR GOD."
Mark 1:1-3 "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" - "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD, make straight paths for him.'"
John the Baptist is obviously the messenger in Mark who is preparing the way for God by making it straight in the wilderness. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.
9.
Deuteronomy 10:17 "For the LORD your God is GOD OF GODS AND LORD OF LORDs, the great God, mighty and awesome"
1 Timothy 6:15 "which God will bring about in his own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDs."
Revelation 17:14 "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
God is called Lord of all Lords. That is an absolute statement. Yet, Jesus is also called Lord of all Lords. How can they both be Lord of all Lords at the same time? That is a logical contradiction. No two absolutes can occur at the same. Its like comparing two things with each other but being the best at the same time. Only one can be the best unless they are the same thing.
10.
1 Timothy 3:14-16
"14Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:"
"HE[C] APPEARED IN A BODY,[d]"
"was vindicated by the Spirit,"
"was seen by angels,"
"was preached among the nations,"
"was believed on in the world,"
"was taken up in glory."
based on the content of the preceding verses, Paul was only talking about God and makes no mention of Jesus at all. But how is it that he clearly says that He (God) manifested in the flesh?
11.
Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another"
Isaiah 48:11c" I will not yield my glory to another."
John 17:5 [Jesus prayed] "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
God says that he will not give any glory to one another. Interestingly enough, he gives it to Jesus. Also Jesus makes an interesting statement when he requests to receive glory he had with him "before" the World began.
12.
John 1 & 14"1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning."14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."So here we have it. In the beginning was the Word, which was God, who came down in the flesh and dwely among us. This Word came from the Father. This was obviously talking about Jesus.Revelation 19:13"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God."
This verse only reinforces that. Jesus is also names the "Word of God".
13. Here is the prophet Zechariah recording God's own Words in Zech 12:10
"In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem....and they will look on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son"
God is foretelling that he is going to be pierced from his enemies. When did God get pierced?
14.
"In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem....and they will look on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son (Zech 12:8a, 10b).
How can a finite created being take on the sins of the entire world let alone one man especially if the Bible says that no man can die for another.
Deuteronomy 24:16 it specifically says this:
The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the father. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
In Exodus 32:30-35, Moses tries to offer himself as an atonement for the sins of the people. To be written out of God's book, means to be written out of the Book of Life, which means Moses was asking to die for the sins of the People. God's response was "No, it does not work that way, each man dies for his own sin:"
"And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Eternal; perhaps I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Eternal, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Eternal said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the Eternal plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. [Exodus 32:30-35]"
"The word of the Eternal came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Eternal God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Eternal God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."
"When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. [Ezekiel 18:1-4; 20-24; 26-27]"
It's very clear that a man can not die for another. The definition of a "man" meant that he was finite and created. However, if Jesus was just a finite man, he couldn't have died for your sins. But since he did, he cannot be finite and therefore an infinite being, being able to take on infinite sins!
He cannot "just" be a created finite man. He is God.
More related Blogs:
Historical Jesus and what the early Church Christians believe he was
Did Jesus die on the Cross and Resurrect?
Was Jesus a copy of the other gods like Horus?
Why does God allow Evil and Suffering?
Where did Morals come from?
What the Bible says about Reincarnation
What the Bible says about Astrology
Did Mary assume into Heaven?
Nephilim, Fallen Angels, Giants, and sons of God
Book of Mormon VS The Bible
Why Won't God Answer my Prayers?
Why I CAN'T be an Athiest. Athiesm is illogical
