Topical Bible: Christ is God: As Jehovah, the Messenger of the Covenant

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The identity of Christ as God, specifically as Jehovah, the Messenger of the Covenant, is a profound and central tenet of Christian theology. This concept is rooted in the understanding of the divine nature of Jesus Christ and His role in the fulfillment of God's promises to humanity.

Jehovah and the Divine Nature of Christ

The name Jehovah, often rendered as Yahweh, is the personal name of God revealed in the Old Testament. It signifies the eternal, self-existent nature of God. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is identified with this divine name, affirming His deity. In John 8:58 , Jesus declares, "Truly, truly, I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!" This statement echoes the divine name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, where God declares, "I AM WHO I AM." By using this name, Jesus asserts His eternal existence and divine identity.

The Apostle Paul further affirms the deity of Christ in Colossians 2:9 , stating, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form." This passage underscores the belief that Jesus is fully God, possessing all the attributes and essence of Jehovah.

The Messenger of the Covenant

The concept of the "Messenger of the Covenant" is rooted in Malachi 3:1 , which prophesies, "Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming, says the LORD of Hosts." This prophecy is understood to refer to Christ, who is both the messenger and the fulfillment of the covenant between God and His people.

In the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as the mediator of a new covenant. Hebrews 9:15 states, "Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." As the Messenger of the Covenant, Christ inaugurates a new relationship between God and humanity, characterized by grace and redemption.

Christ's Role in the Fulfillment of the Covenant

The role of Christ as the Messenger of the Covenant is intricately linked to His work of salvation. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus fulfills the promises of the Old Testament and establishes a new covenant. In Matthew 26:28 , during the Last Supper, Jesus declares, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Here, Christ identifies His sacrificial death as the means by which the new covenant is ratified.

The new covenant, prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34, is characterized by an internal transformation and a personal relationship with God. Jesus, as the Messenger of the Covenant, brings this promise to fruition, offering forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

Conclusion

The identification of Christ as Jehovah, the Messenger of the Covenant, is a foundational aspect of Christian belief. It affirms the deity of Christ and His central role in God's redemptive plan. Through His divine nature and His work as the mediator of the new covenant, Jesus fulfills the promises of the Old Testament and establishes a new relationship between God and humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Malachi 3:1
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, said the LORD of hosts.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 1:2
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare your way before you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 2:27
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
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Library

The Last Word of Prophecy
... prophets 'testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and of ... Grod, and was in
the beginning with God, became flesh, and that in Him Jehovah in very ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the last word of prophecy.htm

"The House of Israel"
... be prepared for the first advent of Christ, even as ... and that the covenant made by
Jehovah with the ... by heartfelt repentance could the blessing of God be realized ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 59 the house of.htm

The Sympathy of God
... ascribes to this 'angel of His presence' the praise of Jehovah's saving work ... The
crowning revelation both of the heart of God and of His ... (a) Jesus Christ is the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the sympathy of god.htm

The Lord Coming to his Temple
... The word here is not Jehovah, but Adonai. ... who asserts, that no man can say that Jesus
Christ is LORD ... if they did not know that He is over all, God blessed for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon iv the lord coming.htm

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
... the hand of that mighty angel"the angel Jehovah"come down ... the removal of the servants
of Christ from among a ... thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xi covenanting enforced by.htm

The Blood of Sprinkling (Second Sermon. )
... Jehovah our God hath said that we must sprinkle the blood ... loving heart at the back
of it, yet God the Holy Ghost is speaking, and Jesus Christ himself is ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the blood of sprinkling second.htm

Bands of Love; Or, Union to Christ. "I Drew them with Cords of a ...
... she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for He ... not, but are as the
angels of God; yet is ... cleaving unto the Church, for which Christ did leave His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/bands of love or union.htm

"The Fullness of the Time"
... the heathen there were men through whom Christ was working ... the unfallen worlds had
watched to see Jehovah arise, and ... And if God should do this, Satan was ready ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 3 the fullness of.htm

Joy Born at Bethlehem
... Now that the scepter is departed from Judah, behold the Shiloh comes, the Messenger
of the covenant suddenly appears in ... Our Saviour is Christ, God, Jehovah. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/joy born at bethlehem.htm

Kept by the Power of God
... Leave your heart, and look into the face of Christ, and listen to ... deep restfulness
of a man who rests on the living God, the omnipotent Jehovah"and try ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/absolute surrender/kept by the power of.htm