From: af664@yfn.ysu.edu (Frank DeCenso, Jr.)
Subject: Jesus Said He is the Almighty God
Organization: Youngstown State University/Youngstown Free-Net
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:18:09 GMT


                  Jesus Is The Almighty God
 
Did Jesus ever claim to be Almighty God?
Let's examine the Word of God.
 
REV 1:8 ""I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the
End," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to
come, the Almighty."
 
The immediate context suggests that this is Jesus Christ
speaking here...
REV 1:7 "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will
see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the
earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen."
 
The One who is coming with clouds, the One who was pierced,
is the One speaking in REV 1:8.
 
We'll deal more with this later.
 
For now, "The Almighty" "Lord God" is speaking in this verse.
He says: 1) He is "the Alpha and the Omega"
         2) He is "the Beginning and the End"
         3) He is the One "who is to come"
 
REV 21:5-7 "Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I
make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these
words are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It is done!
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I
will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him
who thirsts. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and
I will be his God and he shall be My son."
 
Who is speaking here?
The One "who sat on the throne".
Who is pictured on a throne in the book of Revelation?
 
REV 19:4 "And the twenty-four elders and the four living
creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne,
saying, "Amen! Alleluia!"
REV 20:11-12 "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat
on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.
And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead,
small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And
the dead were judged according to their works, by the things
which were written in the books."
God is pictured on the throne.
 
God, who is on the throne, says,
         1) He is the "the Alpha and the Omega"
         2) He is the "the Beginning and the End"
         3) The One who "will be his [overcomers] God"
 
From these verses we see that "the Almighty" "Lord God", who
sits on the throne, says He is,
         1) "the Alpha and the Omega"
         2) "the Beginning and the End"
         3) the One "who is to come"
         4) the One who "will be his God"
 
REV 1:11 "saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First
and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send
it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to
Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia,
and to Laodicea."
 
Who did we see claimed to be "the Alpha and the Omega"?
"The Almighty" "Lord God".
Who is speaking here claiming to be "the Alpha and the
Omega"?
 
REV 1:12-13 "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with
me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in
the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man,
clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the
chest with a golden band."
 
Who is pictured in the NT as the "Son of Man"? Jesus, 80
times.
 
REV 1:17 "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But
He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be
afraid; I am the First and the Last."
 
Here we see the "Son of Man" claiming to be "the First and
the Last".
Who else in Scripture has claimed that title?
 
ISA 41:4 "Who has performed and done it, Calling the
generations from the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first;
And with the last I am He.'"
ISA 44:6 ""Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his
Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the
Last; Besides Me there is no God."
ISA 48:12 ""Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I
am He, I am the First, I am also the Last."
 
The LORD (Jehovah) claims to be "the First and the Last".
How many Firsts and Lasts can there be? Only one. Ever see a
race? (Although there are such things as ties!).
 
REV 2:8 ""And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,
'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and
came to life"
 
Here, "the First and the Last" claims to have been dead, but
came to life. Obviously Jesus.
 
REV 22:12-13 ""And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward
is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. "I am
the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First
and the Last."
 
Here, the One who is "coming quickly" and says his "reward is
with" him also claims to be "the Alpha and the Omega", "the
Beginning and the End", and "the First and the Last".
 
Who is speaking ?
 
REV 22:16 ""I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you
these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring
of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
 
Jesus is the One speaking in Rev. 22:13,14.
 
Who does the NT picture as "coming"?
 
MAT 23:39 "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till
you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"
MAT 24:42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour
your Lord is coming.
MAT 26:64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.
Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of
Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the
clouds of heaven."
MAR 11:9 Then those who went before and those who followed
cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the
name of the LORD!'
MAR 11:10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That
comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
MAR 14:62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the
clouds of heaven."
LUK 7:19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent
them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look
for another?"
LUK 13:35 "See! Your house is left to you desolate; and
assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time
comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of
the LORD!'"
1CO 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the
Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of
darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each
one's praise will come from God.
1CO 15:23 But each one in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
1TH 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised
from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to
come.
1TH 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ
at His coming?
1TH 3:13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in
holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints.
1TH 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that
we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will
by no means precede those who are asleep.
1TH 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1TH 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you
completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be
preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2TH 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2TH 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the
Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy
with the brightness of His coming.
JAM 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of
the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of
the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the
early and latter rain.
JAM 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the
coming of the Lord is at hand.
2PE 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great
noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the
earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
JUD 1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about
these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten
thousands of His saints,
REV 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings,
were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day
or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who
was and is and is to come!"
REV 11:17 saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You
have taken Your great power and reigned.
 
And in the context of Rev. 22:13,14...
REV 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am
coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
 
Recall REV 1:7-8...
"Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see
Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the
earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.  "I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the
Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
 
The One who was pierced is coming, and speaking in Rev. 1:8.
 
Not to mention...
REV 19:11-16 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were
like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He
had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was
clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called
The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out
of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should
strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod
of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His
thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
 
This is abundant evidence that it is Jesus Christ Who is
"coming quickly".
 
Well, what about...
REV 4:8 "The four living creatures, each having six wings,
were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day
or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who
was and is and is to come!"
REV 11:17 "saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You
have taken Your great power and reigned."
 
Well, Who's coming...Jesus or the Lord God Almighty?
YES! Jesus is the Lord God Almighty!
 
So, we have LORD Jehovah claiming to be:
  1) "the Alpha and the Omega" (Rev. 1:8 [context favors
     Jesus speaking here]; Rev.  21:5-7),
  2) "the Beginning and the End" (Rev. 1:8 [context favors
     Jesus speaking here]; Rev. 21:5-7),
  3) "the First and the Last" (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12)
 
We have Jesus claiming to be:
  1) "the Alpha and the Omega" (Rev. 1:8 [context favors
     Jesus speaking here]; Rev. 1:11; Rev. 22:13),
  2) "the Beginning and the End" (Rev. 22:13),
  3) "the First and the Last" (Rev. 1:11; Rev. 1:17; Rev.
     2:8; Rev. 22:13)
 
We have overwhelming Scriptural evidence stating that Jesus
is the One Who is coming, and 2 passages in Revelation
stating that it is Lord God Almighty Who is coming.
 
It should be clear to the unbiased observer that Jesus Christ
is the LORD God Almighty!
-- 
Frank
....
"Forever, O LORD, your word is settled in heaven."  PSALM 119:89
"The entirety of Your word is truth."  PSALM 119:160
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