"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

Introduction

This is one of the most comprehensive Bible Studies on the Deity of Christ that you will find on the internet. Concise in nature, I have sought to focus on what the Bible says, adding only a few brief comments and additional quotations.

The Bible is quoted more than 380 times, though some of the passages are used more than once.

Carefully read the lines of evidence for the Deity of Christ at the beginning. 

I have been blessed by reading what other authors have written in the past, feedback given by friends, the support of my wife, but most of all the wisdom given in answer to prayer by the Holy Spirit.

Where there is blessing the Holy Spirit gets all the credit; where there are mistakes I take ownership of them.

I hope you are blessed learning about the Deity of Christ!

Dan

The Deity of Christ Part of Four-Part Godhead Bible Study

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The Lines Of Evidence

The lines of evidence for Christ's Deity will include... 

• Christ being one of three Persons who make up the Godhead; 

• Christ’s appropriation of the title “I Am”;

• Four irrefutable evidences of Christ’s Deity, given by Him in John 5: (1) the assertions of John the Baptist of His being the Son of God; (2) His Works; (3) the assertions of His Father of His "Sonship"; and (4) the Scriptures);

• Christ's clear identification as God throughout the Scriptures;

• Christ’s communicative role after the fall of man;

• Christ accepting the worship of many people in His day;

• The command to worship Christ, the Creator, in the last days.

• Christ being welcomed as God at the second coming;

• Christ being worshipped as God in Heaven;

• Christ fulfilling many Bible prophecies;

• Christ performing many supernatural works;

• Christ making many claims that only Deity could make;

• Christ giving many assurances that only Deity could give;

Scriptural and Spirit of Prophecy evidence will also be given for...

• His being a distinct Person in the Godhead;

• His pre-existence and everlasting life;

• His self-existence and equality with God;

• His non-communicable attributes of Deity;

• His human/divine life on earth;

• His supernatural, transformative work in our days;

• His welcoming our prayers;

• His soon return.

The Study

Christ is one of three Persons who make up the Godhead.

Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Christ applied the title “I Am” to Himself.

Exodus 3:14 “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

*John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Christ gave irrefutable evidence of four witnesses of His Deity to angry opposers in His day.”

• First Evidence: John the Baptist's Witness 

John 5:32-35 “There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.”

John 1:32-34 "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

See John 1:7,8,15-18,26,27,29-36.

• Second Evidence: His Works

John 5:36 “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.”

• Third Evidence: The Assertions of His Father

John 5:37 “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.”

See Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28.

• Fourth Evidence: The Scriptures

John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. ... 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”

Christ Is Clearly Identified And Referred To As God Throughout The Scriptures

*John 1:1,2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.”

Revelation 19:13 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

*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.”

Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

Isaiah 48:12 “Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.”

*Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Luke 8:39 “Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”

*John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”
*John 20:28-29 “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

*Romans 9:5 “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

*Philippians 2:6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

*1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

*Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

*Hebrews 1:8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

1 John 1:1-2 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;).”

*Jude 1:24-25 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 1:17-18 “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.”

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 21:6-7 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Christ Became Chief Communicator After The Fall Of Man

After the fall of man the Father no longer communicated with humankind. Christ accordingly took over all communication with humankind. As a result, we find numerous instances in the Old Testament Scriptures where Christ is revealed as God. Note the following:

“After the transgression of Adam, the Lord spoke no longer directly with man; the human race was given into the hands of Christ, and all communication came through him to the world.” Review and Herald, November 28, 1893, par. 4.

• No Man has seen the Father since the fall.

Exodus 33:20 “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”

*John 1:18 “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

*1 Timothy 6:16 “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. Amen.”

• Christ was anticipated and written about in the Old Testament. 

John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

*John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Luke 24:27 “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them [the disciples on the road to Emmaus] in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

• In Exodus 6:3 Christ spoke of Himself as “Almighty God” and YHWH.

In Exodus 6:3 Christ spoke of appearing as “Almighty God” to Abraham (Genesis 17:1), Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 35:11). In the same passage — Exodus 6:3 — Christ spoke of revealing Himself as YHWH — the most holy name of God — to Moses. Christ continued to communicate throughout the Old Testament period using a variety of names including YHWH.

It is significant that Christ revealed Himself as YHWH on the occasion of Moses’ calling to return and deliver His people from Egyptian oppression. The name YHWH was already familiar to Moses since he wrote the book of Genesis, which includes the name in several places. The contest with Pharaoh was entering a very serious phase, however, and the introduction of the name must have greatly encouraged Moses as he pursued the badly needed deliverance. Later, other highly relevant titles would be used for God.

Here is Exodus 6:2-3 along with some of the verses referred to the passage.

*Exodus 6:2-3, 6 “And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD (YHWH): 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (emphasis added), but by my name JEHOVAH (emphasis added) (YHWH) was I not known to them. ... 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD (emphasis added) (YHWH), and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.”

Abraham: Genesis 17:1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (emphasis added); walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

Isaac: Genesis 28:3 “And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people.”

Jacob: Genesis 35:11 “And God said unto him, I am God Almighty (emphasis added): be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.”

• Christ is referred to as “YHWH” on numerous additional occasions.  

- When Adam and Eve were hiding in the garden.

*Genesis 3:8-9 “And they heard the voice of the LORD (YHWH) God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD (YHWH) God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”

- When Abraham was told to go to a land that God would show Him.
Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD (YHWH) had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”

*Genesis 18:17 “And the LORD (YHWH) said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do.”

- When Jacob was fleeing from his home.

Genesis 28:13-16 “And, behold, the LORD (YHWH) stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; ... 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, ... 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD (YHWH) is in this place; and I knew it not.”

- When Moses turned aside to see the burning bush and was called by God to lead His people back to Canaan.

Exodus 3:4-5 “And when the LORD (YHWH) saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”

“When Moses saw the burning bush in Mount Horeb, and turned aside to see why the bush was not consumed, Christ revealed Himself to Moses and told him what he must do to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt.” Letter 38, 1907.15.

Exodus 4:2 “And the LORD (YHWH) said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.”

- Christ is seen as YHWH, leading the people through the desert.

*Exodus 13:21 “And the LORD (YHWH) 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.”

*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.”

- When God was calling Moses to receive the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 24:12 “And the LORD (YHWH) said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”

- Following the worship of the golden calf.

Exodus 32:9 “And the LORD (YHWH) said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.”

Exodus 32:33 “And the LORD (YHWH) said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.”

- When Joshua received assurances on two occasions of God’s blessings.

Ellen White provides helpful direction in identifying an angel visitor as Christ. Referring to Joshua's experience, “The angel had veiled the divine glory of his presence, but it was no other than Christ, the Son of God. When a prophet or an angel delivered a divine message, his words were, “The Lord saith, I will do (emphasis added) this,” but it is stated of the Person who talked with Gideon, “The Lord said (emphasis added) unto him, I will be with thee.” Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881, Art. A, par. 16. 

*Joshua 3:7 “And the LORD (YHWH) said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.”*1*
Joshua 5:14 “And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD (YHWH) am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?”

- When the people were seeking direction for the conquest of Canaan.

Judges 1:1-2 “Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD (YHWH), saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? 2 And the LORD (YHWH) said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

- At the time of Gideon’s calling.

Judges 6:14 “And the LORD (YHWH) looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”

- When David was seeking direction.

2 Samuel 2:1 “And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD (YHWH), saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD (YHWH) said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.”

2 Samuel 21:1 “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD (YHWH). And the LORD (YHWH) answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.”

- Responding to Solomon’s dedicatory prayer.

*2 Chronicles 7:12 “And the LORD (YHWH) appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.”

- In connection with the promise of the Messiah in Isaiah.

Isaiah 43:10-11 “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD (YHWH), and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD (YHWH); and beside me there is no saviour.”

- In the book of Malachi

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD (YHWH) of hosts.”

• Parallel Old and New Testament references point to Christ.

*Psalms 45:6-7 “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Compare

*Hebrews 1:8-9 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” 

*Psalms 102:25-27 “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

Compare

*Hebrews 1:10-12 “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

• Sometimes the people involved recognized the presence of God.

- When Jacob was wrestling with an unknown assailant.

Genesis 32:29-30 “And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

- Delivering Israel from the Egyptians

Exodus 14:19 “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.”

- When Moses and a group of men went up on Mt. Sinai.

Exodus 24:9-10 “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.”

Christ is also referred to as the Angel of the Lord and other similar names.

Christ, Heaven’s primary communicator after man’s fall, is sometimes referred to as the angel of the Lord. Christ also gave ongoing direction. Proof of Christ’s presence is shown in a variety of ways, the primary ones being (1) the messenger being seen could not have been the Father, as noted in the texts that immediately follow; (2) the supernatural assurances given; and (3) the worship accepted. There is further confirmation in the writings of Ellen White. Within the conversations that take place one can often tell that Christ is speaking through the personal assurances given. Note the following:

“It was Christ who spoke with Abraham under the oaks at Mamre; with Isaac as he went out to pray in the fields at the eventide; with Jacob on the hillside at Bethel; with Moses among the mountains of Midian; and with the boy David as he watched his flocks.” The Desire of Ages, 290.3.

• Humans, celestial beings, and Christ, are all referred to as “angel” messengers.

- Human.

Galatians 4:14 “But received me [Paul] as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.”

- Angels.

When we come to angels, we must recall that each person has an angel assigned to them (Matt 18:10). They are working on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is also working. Knowing the difference between their work can be challenging, but doesn't negate the activity of either party. Note the following: “Brother Haskell, you need never feel that you are alone. Angels of God are your companions. The Holy Spirit is your Comforter.” Letter 100, 1895.9.

Daniel 8:16 “And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.”

Luke 1:26 “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.”

- Pre-incarnate Christ was sometimes referred to as the “angel of the Lord.”

Genesis 16:10 “And the angel of the LORD (emphasis added) said unto her, I will multiply (emphasis added)  thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”

• Pre-incarnate Christ communicated as the “angel of God” or “angel of the Lord.”

Recall that “I” statements indicate Christ communicating. I have italicized short phrases of some of the Scriptures in this regard.

- Hagar, when she was being encouraged.

*Genesis 21:17-18 “And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God (emphasis added) called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him (emphasis added) a great nation.”

- Abraham when he was stopped from sacrificing Isaac. 

*Genesis 22:11-12,17-18 “And the angel of the Lord (emphasis added) called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. ... 17 That in blessing I will bless thee (emphasis added), and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed (emphasis added) as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (emphasis added).

- When Jacob was told to return home.

*Genesis 31:11-13 “The angel of God (emphasis added) spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel(emphasis added), where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.” 

- Moses at the burning bush.

Acts 7:30-33 “And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord (emphasis added) in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God(emphasis added) of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.” 

- When the angel of God was guiding the Israelites through the desert.

Exodus 14:19 “And the angel of God (emphasis added), which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.”

- When Christ was communicating with the children of Israel during their wilderness wanderings.

Judges 2:1-4 “And an angel of the LORD (emphasis added) came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt (emphasis added), and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers (emphasis added); and I said, I will never break my covenant (emphasis added) with you. ... 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.” 

- Gideon, when he was being called to his mission.

*Judges 6:20-23 “And the angel of God (emphasis added) said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes.... 22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.”

- Manoah and her husband.

Judges 13:19-22 “So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended (emphasis added) in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. 21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”

• Christ is also referred to as Michael the Archangel.

The Archangel Michael.

- A mention of Michael in Jude 1 parallels a mention in Zechariah 3.
Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

Compare

Zechariah 3:1-2 “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan.”

- Other verses mentioning Michael the Archangel.

*Daniel 10:13 “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one (ʼechâd) of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

The word “one” comes from the Hebrew word ʼechâd and can be translated in multiple ways including “first,” as in Genesis 1:5 and Genesis 8:13.

Compare

Genesis 1:5 “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first (ʼechâd) day.”

Genesis 8:13 “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first (ʼechâd) day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.”

Daniel 10:21 “But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”

Compare 

Daniel 9:25: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

*Daniel 12:1 “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

Compare

Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

Other verses referring to Christ as “Prince”: Isaiah 9:6 (Prince of Peace), Acts 3:14-15 (Prince of Life), Acts 5:30-31 (Prince and Saviour).

• Christ will descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel at the time of the second coming. 

*1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

Compare

John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
 

Christ Accepted the Worship Of Many People

• There were numerous clear prohibitions against worshipping anyone or thing but God.

*Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

*Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Acts 10:25-26 “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.”

Acts 14:13-15 “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."

Revelation 19:9-10 “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 22:8-9 “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship 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 God.”

• Christ allowed individuals to worship Him in Old Testament times.

Genesis 17:3 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.”

Exodus 3:4-6 “And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”

*Exodus 34:8 “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.”

*Joshua 5:14-15 “And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.”

• Christ allowed individuals to worship Him during His earthly sojourn.

Matthew 2:10-11 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

*Matthew 8:2 “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped 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 him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.”

*Matthew 14:30-33 “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

*Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.”

*Matthew 28:16-17 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.”

Mark 5:5 “And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.”

*Luke 24:51-52 “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

*John 9:35-38 “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”

John 11:32 “Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

• Christ accepted Peter’s confession and worship.

*Matthew 16:15-17 “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 Jesus 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.”

 “Peter did not speak these words in an ordinary tone, but with inspired fervor, as if he indeed beheld the glory of Christ. ... Peter felt the glory of God shining into his soul. His heart burned with him. He could not keep silent, and in language of adoration said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ ... He had commended Peter for his belief in his divinity, and had assured him that God had led him to make this acknowledgment. He had accepted the title of Son of God.” Manuscript 202, 1899.3 and 11.

Demons Recognized The Deity Of Christ.

*Mark 3:11 “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.”

*Luke 4:34 “Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.”

Luke 4:41 “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.”
We are called to worship Christ the creator as His second coming approaches.

Revelation 14:7 “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

Christ Will Be Welcomed As God At The Second Coming.

*Isaiah 25:9 “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 1:7-8 “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.”

“Shall we not strive to be among that number who will welcome Christ with the words, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Signs of the Times, April 12, 1905, par. 18.

Christ Will Be Worshipped As God In Heaven.

*Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

“As the saints in the kingdom of God are accepted in the beloved, they hear: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” [Matthew 25:34.] And then the golden harps are touched, and the music flows all through the heavenly host, and they fall down and worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Manuscript 139, 1906.32.

Christ Fulfilled Many Bible Prophecies 

Christ was the object of many Old Testament prophecies.

Some of the strongest evidence of the Deity of Christ is found in the many prophecies pointing to Him, of which there are more than 200 — one well known writer of the past actually lists more than 400 prophecies pointing to Christ. This is but a small sampling of such prophecies. Note the following:

“The miracles of Jesus are a proof of His divinity; but the strongest proofs that He is the world’s Redeemer are found in the prophecies of the Old Testament compared with the history of the New.” Signs of the Times, October 6, 1909, par. 1.

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Genesis 26:4 “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Genesis 49:8-10 “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Jude 1:14 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.”

*Numbers 24:17 “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and all the children of Sheth.”

Job 19:25 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”

Psalms 16:10 “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Psalms 22:1 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

Psalms 22:16 “Dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands.”

*Psalms 22:18 “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”

*Psalms 34:20 “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked.”

Psalms 55:12-14 “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.”

*Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 11:1-2 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”

Isaiah 9:2 “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”

Isaiah 42:2-3 “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.”

*Isaiah 53:4 “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.   All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”

*Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”

Jeremiah 33:15-16 “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”

*Daniel 9:24-27 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

*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.”

Haggai 2:7 “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come:’ and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Zechariah 11:12-13 “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.”

Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”

Supernatural Works

• Christ created/sustains. 

*John 1:3 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Colossians 1:16-17 “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.”

Hebrews 1:2 “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.”

• Christ performed numerous miracles.

Around 40 specific miracles are recorded, but there were many more, since scores of people came to be healed, whose stories were not given individually. There were miracles having to do with nature as well. Here is a sampling of these supernatural feats.

• Water being turned into wine: John 2:1-11.

• Healing of the official’s son: John 4:46-54.

• Healing the demon-possessed man in Capernaum: Mark 1:21-28.

• Healing of Simon Peter’s mother: Luke 4:38-39.

• Healing the great crowd of sick people: Luke 4:40.

• Healing a leper: Luke 5:12-15.

• Healing the centurion’s servant: Luke 7:1-10.

• Healing a withered hand: Luke 6:6-20.

• Raising a widow’s son back to life: Luke 7:11-17.

• The healing of many women: Luke 8:2,3.

• Feeding thousands people: Matthew 14:15-21; 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-19, Luke 9:10-17.

• Scores of people were healed in the crowd of 5,000 men: Luke 9:11.

• Healing a woman of an 18 year illness: Luke 13:10-13.

• Restoring Lazarus to life: John 11:1-44.

• Withering the fig tree that failed to yield fruit: Mark 11:12-14.

• Restoring the ear that was cut off: Luke 22:45-54..

• Miracles were performed following Christ’s ascension to heaven.

• Peter healed the lame man: Acts 3:7-11.

• God used an earthquake to free Peter from prison: Acts 4:31.

• Signs and wonders were done by the apostles: Acts 5:12-16.

• Stephen was greatly used of God: Acts 6:8.

• Philip performed miracles: Acts 8:6,7.

• Elymas was made blind by Paul: Acts 13:11-12.

• In Lystra Paul healed a crippled man: Acts 14:8-18.

• Paul healed a demon-possessed woman: Acts 16:18.

• Paul raised Eutychus from the dead: Acts 20:8-12.

• Many were healed on the island of Malta: Acts 28:8,9.

• Christ was able to grant supernatural power to others. 

*Matthew 10:1 “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Matthew 14:28-29 “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”
Luke 9:1,6 “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. ... 6 “So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

*Ephesians 1:19 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.”

Colossians 1:11 “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”

2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
Christ commanded demons to depart from people.

*Luke 4:35 “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.”

• Christ raised the dead.

John 11:43-44 “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

Find additional stories of Christ raising the dead in Luke 7:12-17 and Luke 8:50-56.

• Nature obeyed Him.

*Mark 4:41 “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Matthew 17:27 “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”

John 21:6 “And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”

Supernatural Claims and Assurances 

Christ made claims only Deity could make

Christ claimed to have seen the Father.

John 5:19 “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

Christ claimed to know the Father.

John 1:18 “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 10:15 “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Christ claimed to share the Father’s glory. 

Matthew 16:27 “27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Luke 9:26 “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.”

Christ claims to command angels.

Matthew 13:41 “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.”

Christ claimed to have all power.

Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

Christ claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath. 

Luke 6:5 “And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”

Christ claimed the role of judge. 

John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

Christ claimed the right to be lifted up — idolatry if He had not been God.

John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Christ claimed the right to call people to come to Him.

John 5:39-40 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

Christ claimed the right to forgive sins.

Mark 2:5 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”

Christ claimed to be the “Bread of Life.” 

John 6:48 “I am that bread of life.”

Christ claimed to be the “Light of the World.” 

John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Christ claimed to be “the Good Shepherd.”

John 10:14 “ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

Christ claimed to have perfect comprehension of the Father’s will. 

John 5:21 “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.”

Christ claimed to have power to raise the dead.

*John 5:21 “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.”

John 5:25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”

John 11:43 “ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”

Christ claimed the rejection or acceptance of His teachings was salvific.

John 15:24 “ If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.”

Christ claimed that those who did not honor Him, did not honor the Father.

John 5:23 “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

Assurances of Deity

Christ gave many assurances that only Deity could make.

Christ promised rest. 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Christ promised keeping.

John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Christ gave assurances of salvation.

*Luke 23:42-43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Acts 10:43 “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
Christ promised life that resided in Himself.

John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Christ promised to save to the uttermost.

John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Christ promised to answer prayer.

John 16:23-24 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Christ promised to prepare a heavenly home, to which He would bring His followers one day.

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Christ is a Distinct, Eternal, Deity, Equal With God   

Christ is a person.

Hebrews 1:2-3 “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; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Christ Is Clearly Distinct From His Father.

• The Distinctness is seen in some Old Testament Scriptures that are paired with their New Testament Counterparts.

Psalms 45:6-7 “Thy throne, O God ('ĕlōhîm), is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

(Two persons share the name of God in Psalms 45:6-7.)

Compare

*Hebrews 1:8-9 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Psalms 110:1 “The LORD (YHWH) said to my Lord ('āḏôn), “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

Compare

Matthew 22:41-45 “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?”

Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD (YHWH) is upon me; because the LORD (YHWH) hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD (YHWH), and the day of vengeance of our God ('ĕlōhîm); to comfort all that mourn.”

Compare

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

• The distinctness is seen in the Gospels.

*Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 17:5 “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

*John 6:38-39 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”

John 8:17-18 “It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”

*John 17:1 “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.”

• The distinctness is seen in Revelation.

There are about 80 references to Christ in Revelation, using a variety of names, according to a study by Edwin Reynolds of Southern Adventist University. These are only a sampling of references in Revelation where the distinctness between Christ and the Father is seen. See Edwin Reynolds, “The Trinity in the Book of Revelation,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 17/1 (Spring 2006):1-3.

*Revelation 1;1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”

Revelation 1:2 “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”

Revelation 3:12 “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

*Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Revelation 5:13 “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Revelation 6:16 “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:10 “And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

Revelation 21:22 “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

Christ was pre-existent.

Revelation 19:13 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

*John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.”

Regarding John 1:1’s “In the beginning,” “The Greek phrase lacks the definite article, but is nevertheless definite in meaning. If the definite article were used in the Greek it would tend to imply some particular point of time, or “beginning.” Without the definite article, and in the context of vs. 1–3, the phrase denotes the most remote time conceivable, before the creation of “all things” (v. 3), before any and every other “beginning,” that is, eternity past.” See Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary on John 1:1.

John 1:29-31 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

*John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

*John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

*Colossians 1:17 “And he is before all things….”

 Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Christ is eternal.

*Psalms 90:1-2 “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 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 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.”

*John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

When Christ made the claim of equality to the Jews in John 5:17-18 they became exceedingly angry at his assertion. When Christ made the “I am” claim in John 8:58, they responded by taking up rocks to stone Him. Either Christ was saying the truth both times or He was lying. If it is true, then we must take His equality and Eternal existence as true. If it is not true, we must entirely reject Christ!

*Hebrews 1:8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

*Hebrews 7:1-3 “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.”

*Hebrews 7:15-16 “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”

*1 John 1:1-2 (KJV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

1 John 2:13 “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.”

*Revelation 1:10-11 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”

 Ellen White used phrases like “from all eternity,” “from eternity,” existed from eternity,” “from eternal ages,”  “from the beginning,” “never was a time,” “everliving,” “Eternal Presence,” “Eternal Word,” “Everlasting Father,” “Eternal Son of God,” “Eternal Godhead,” “Eternal Wisdom,” “eternal throne,” “everlasting throne,” “from everlasting,” “from everlasting to everlasting,” “set up from everlasting,” “A life unreckoned by human computation or measured by figures,” “never a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God,” “in the presence of the Father from the beginning,” “who from the beginning was equal with the Father,” “Never-ending life that existed before the worlds were made,” “familiarity and ease of eternal habitude,” “One of the eternal dignitaries” and “uncreated Lord” to establish the “everlasting to everlasting” limitless nature of His existence.

Christ is the Alpha and the Omega.

Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

*Isaiah 48:12 “Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.”

Revelation 22:13 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

Christ is self-existent, with “original, unborrowed, underived” life.

*John 1:4 “In him was life.”

John 2:19 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

John 5:21, 26 “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. ... 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”

The Father “giving” to the Son to have life in Himself is by way of permission, since Christ had so fully humbled and submitted Himself before the Father, that He would only use the self-existent power resident within Himself with the permission of His Father.

*John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

*John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

What did Ellen White mean when she spoke of life that was "original, unborrowed and underived"?

• The "Original, unborrowed and underived" statement was used seven times.

*One of the best known statements on the self-existence of Christ by Ellen White is found in the The Desire of Ages, page 530.1, where she speaks of Christ's life being “original, unborrowed and underived.” The statement, which was repeated in other writings of hers, was considered astonishing and revolutionary, so much so, that one of the leading theologians of the church at the time, M. L. Andreason, traveled to Elmshaven to see for himself if she had really written the words. Examining the documents, finding her handwritten notes, he realized she had indeed written the statement. Ellen White did not refute what he was saying, and in fact had already used the phraseology in other writings (1896 and 1897), and would continue to do so: twice in 1898, a letter in 1905, and in 1912 and 1914. Accordingly, we have strong evidence that Ellen White believed in the self-existence of Christ. Recounting his experience, Andreason stated: 

• Pastor Andreason's Experience
“I remember how astonished we were when Desire of Ages was first published, for it contained some things that we considered unbelievable, among others the doctrine of the trinity which was not then generally accepted by the Adventists. . . . I was particularly interested in [the] statement in Desire of Ages (page 530) which at one time caused great concern to the denomination theologically: ‘In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.’ That statement may not seem very revolutionary to you, but to us it was. We could hardly believe it, but of course we could not preach contrary to it. I was sure Sister White had never written, ‘In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.’ But now I found it in her own handwriting, just as it had been published.” Andreason would later publish a marvelous collection of quotes on Christ as a member of the Godhead in his book on Hebrews. M. L. Andreasen, “The Spirit of Prophecy,” Chapel Talk, Loma Linda, California, November 30, 1948.

Christ is equal with God.

*John 5:18 “The Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

*Philippians 2:6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

“Christ did not seek to be thought great, and yet He was the Majesty of heaven, equal in dignity and glory with the infinite God. He was God manifested in the flesh.” White, Letter 8a-1890.9 “Only One equal with the Father could make the sacrifice for the lost race. Divinity alone could exalt the sinner to sonship with God and make him a partaker of the divine nature.” Manuscript 139, 1907.4.

Christ had previously shared the glory of the Father.

John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

Christ was in perfect unity with His Father.

*Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”

*John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.”

John 17:21-23 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

“Believers are to [have] a confirmed, settled faith in a personal God and a personal Christ. The Father and the Son are perfect in their individual identity, and at the same time, they are perfect in their oneness.” Letter 343, 1905.15.

Christ was the Father’s only begotten, “one-of-a-kind,” Son.

*John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

*1 John 4:9 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

Hebrews 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.”

Note that Isaac was conferred “only begotten” status even though Abraham had another son.

• Thoughts on “begotten” from the SDA Bible Commentary.

“The only begotten. Gr. monogenēs, from two words meaning “only” and “kind,” and thus properly translated “unique,” “only,” “only one of a kind.” As with the title Logos (see on v. 1), only John uses the word monogenēs of Christ (see John 1:18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). Absence of the definite article in the Greek either makes monogenēs indefinite, “an only one,” or makes it an expression of quality, in which case John would be saying, “glory as of an only one [who had come] from beside the Father.” This seems evidently the sense here. See on Luke 7:12; 8:42, where monogenēs is translated “only.” In Heb. 11:17 monogenēs is used of Isaac, who was by no means Abraham’s “only begotten,” or even his first-born. But he was the son of the promise, and as such, the one destined to succeed his father as heir to the birthright (Gen. 25:1–6; Gal. 4:22, 23). “Similarly in respect to the five texts in John’s writings of Christ, the translation should be one of the following: ‘unique,’ ‘precious,’ ‘only,’ ‘sole,’ ‘the only one of his kind,’ but not ‘only begotten’” (Problems in Bible Translation, p. 198). The translation “only begotten,” here and elsewhere, apparently originated with the early Fathers of the Catholic Church, and entered early English translations of the Bible under the influence of the Latin Vulgate, the official Bible of the Catholic Church. Accurately reflecting the Greek, various Old Latin manuscripts which antedate the Vulgate read “only” rather than “only begotten.” ... The idea that Christ was “begotten” by the Father at some time in eternity past is altogether foreign to the Scriptures.… Properly understood of Christ’s unique status as the Son of God, the word monogenēs distinguishes between Him and all others who, through faith in Him, are given “power to become the sons of God” (v. 12), and who are specifically declared to be “born … of God” (v. 13). Christ is, and always has been, very “God” (see on v. 1), and by virtue of this fact we “become the sons of God” when we receive Christ and believe on His name.” —  Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, p. 902. 

The Attributes of Christ 

Like the other members of the Godhead, Christ's attributes included the non-communicable attributes of Deity. These include eternal (from everlasting to everlasting), self-existence (life is not dependent upon any other entity), immutability (unchanging), omnipotence (all powerful), omnipresence (ability to be present everywhere at the same time), and omniscience (all knowing). The lack of any of these attributes would preclude an entity from being Deity. Some of these attributes have already been looked at in this study.

• In Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead.

*Colossians 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the ful[l]ness of the Godhead bodily.”

• Christ is unchanging (immutable).

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

• Christ is all-knowing (omniscient).

Matthew 11:27 “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.”

*John 21:17 “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

Colossians 2:3 “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

“Christ had not ceased to be God when He became man. Though He had humbled Himself to humanity, the Godhead was still His own.” The Desire of Ages, 663.5. “Christ was seeking to lead them from their low condition of faith to the experience they might receive if they truly realized what He was,—God in human flesh.” The Desire of Ages, 664.2.

• Christ is all-powerful (omnipotent).

Hebrews 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

• Christ is infinitely good.

Acts 3:14 “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you.”

• Christ searches hearts and minds.

1 Kings 8:39 “Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;).”

Revelation 2:23 “And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”

• Judgment has been committed to Christ.

*John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

John 5:26 “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

John 8:7-11 “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

• Christ shares the glory of God.

*John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

*Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

Compare

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

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.”

Christ’s Human Life 

• Christ came to fulfill a plan ordained before the foundation of the world.

1 Peter 1:19-20 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” 

• Christ came to perfectly reveal the Father, offer a perfect sacrifice and provide a perfect example of victorious dependent living.

John 1:18 “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

Hebrews 1:2 “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 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

1 Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”

• Christ voluntarily humbled Himself in coming to earth.

*Isaiah 53:2-3 “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.”

*John 1:14 “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.”

Romans 1:3 “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.”

Romans 8:3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

*Philippians 2:6-8 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Hebrews 2:14 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Hebrews 2:16-17 “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

“After Christ had condescended to leave His high command, step down from an infinite height and assume humanity, He could have taken upon Him any condition of humanity He might choose. But greatness and rank were nothing to Him, and He selected the lowest and most humble walk of life.” White, Manuscript 9, 1896.12. 

• Christ took upon Himself our infirmities.

*Matthew 8:17 “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” 

Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

“For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of degradation.” Manuscript 113, 1902.8.

• Christ had two distinct natures while He was on earth.

*Romans 1:20 (NASB95) “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

“Christ had two natures, the nature of a man and the nature of God. In Him divinity and humanity were combined. ... He exhibited a perfect humanity, combined with Deity; and by preserving each nature distinct He has given to the world a representation of the character of God and the character of a perfect man. He shows us what God is and what man may become—Godlike in character.” Manuscript 94, 1899.47. “Our Lord was tempted as man is tempted. He was capable of yielding to temptations, as are human beings. His finite nature was pure and spotless, but the divine nature that led Him to say to Philip, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father” also [John 14:9], was not humanized; neither was humanity deified by the blending or union of the two natures; each retained its essential character and properties.” Manuscript 57, 1890.

*2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

“He came to this earth to work in behalf of men, that they might no longer be under the control of Satanic agencies. But while bearing human nature, he was dependent upon the Omnipotent for his life. In his humanity, he laid hold of the divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of doing. Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature.” Signs of the Times, June 17, 1897, par. 8.

• Christ’s incarnation is a mystery.

Luke 1:31-35 “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

*John 1:14 “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.”

1 John 1:1-2 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;).”

Colossians 1:15 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”

*1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

“The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries.” Letter 216, 1906.21.

• Christ fully entered into our experience.

Matthew 4:1-3 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

*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.”

• Christ constantly received the Holy Spirit during His time on earth.

*Luke 4:1 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”

Luke 4:14 “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”

“The same Holy Spirit that abode in Christ was, by divine promise, to be imparted constantly to every disciple of His. Even Christ, during His ministry, was in His divine-human nature constantly receiving the Holy Spirit and imparting blessings as He went about doing His appointed work.” Letter 218, 1906.

• Christ’s life was accompanied by supernatural signs.

Galatians 4:4 “But when the ful[l]ness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

*Luke 2:8-15 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

*Matthew 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

*Luke 3:22 “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

John 7:46 “The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.”

*Matthew 17:5-7 “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.”

John 12:27-29 “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.”

*Matthew 27:50-54 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

Matthew 28:2-4 “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.”

*Acts 1:9-11 “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

• Christ Suffered.

Isaiah 50:6 “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”

*Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

*1 Peter 2:22-23 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”

Hebrews 5:8 “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”

• Christ Died.

*John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”*1*

1 John 3:16 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.”

"He died, not through being compelled to die, but by his own free will. This was humility.” Review and Herald, July 5, 1887, par. 5.

Christ in Our Day

• Christ is still forgiving sin.

*Luke 5:20-26 “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. 25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”

*Luke 7:47 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

• Christ is still bringing transformations.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

“The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and his delusions. They are to an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to co-operate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven.” Letter 2d, 1892.10 and 21.

• Christ is still calling us to take up our cross and follow.

Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

• Christ's death is still bringing salvation.

*Isaiah 53:5 “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.”

*John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

*John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Romans 5:8-9 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

*Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

*2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

• Christ still welcomes our prayers.

Jesus loves to have us pray to Him. Children are also encouraged to pray to Him.

*Acts 1:24 “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen.”

*Acts 7:59-60 “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

“If we believe in Jesus, we will love to think of him, love to talk of him, love to pray to him.” Review and Herald, May 30, 1882, par. 10. “The Lord loves to have children pray to Him, and the dear Saviour will hear that prayer that is offered in sincerity.” Letter 22a, 1879.15.

• Christ is now interceding for us in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

*1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Romans 8:34 “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

*Hebrews 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.”

“When Christ ascended into the heavens, He ascended as our Advocate, and we have a friend at court. He has sent His representative, the Holy Spirit, and will give divine anointing to all who believe in Jesus Christ.” Manuscript 50, 1895.3.

Christ is Returning Soon

• Christ is King of Kings.

Revelation 17:14 “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”

Compare

Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.

1 Timothy 6:15 “Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

• In Revelation 14:4 firstfruits are offered to God and the Lamb.

*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.”

• Those saved will be priests of God and Christ.

*Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

• Christ retains His humanity in heaven.

*Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

“Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages he will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God the One who has pleaded before the Father, “I have graven them upon the palms of my hands.” Review and Herald, March 9, 1905, par. 6.

Denying the Godhead of Christ 

• Denying Christ's Godhead also denies the Father's Godhead.

*1 John 2:22-23 “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

• Those who do not honor the Son, do not honor the Father.

*John 5:23 “That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” 

Some Final Thoughts 

• Look forward to worshiping the Eternal Three.

Matthew 25:34 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

“As the saints in the kingdom of God are accepted in the beloved, they hear: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” [Matthew 25:34.] And then the golden harps are touched, and the music flows all through the heavenly host, and they fall down and worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And then what? What next did I see? One meets another; and they say, as they fall right upon their necks with their faces shining with the glory of God, “It was you, it was you that brought the truth to me, and I would not hear it at first, but, O I am so glad.” Now that will be acted all through the heavenly courts, thanksgiving and praise to God for those that have been the means of winning others to the truth, that they should come and have an interest for them, and then they are united among the saved. O what a meeting! what a meeting!” Manuscript 139, 1906.32. 

• Hasten His coming.

2 Peter 3:8-12 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

• Will you respond to Christ's appeal?

*John 6:68-69 “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”

• Will you follow Paul’s Example?

*Acts 9:3-6 “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Bibliography

Reynolds, Edwin. “The Trinity in the Book of Revelation,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 17/1, Spring 2006.

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Washington, D.C,:  Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980.

White, Ellen. The Desire of Ages, Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898.

______. Letters. egwwritings.org. (accessed May 11, 2021).

______. Manuscripts. egwwritings.org. (accessed May 11, 2021).

______. Present Truth and Review and Herald Articles (facsimile reproduction). Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1962, 4 vols.

______. The Signs of the Times Articles (facsimile reproduction). Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1974, 4 vols.

This study was compiled by Dan Augsburger. © Use for personal study purposes only; commercial use is prohibited. This is a work in progress. Therefore no scanning and posting on other internet sites is allowed without Dan's permission. 

You can reach Dan by writing via email: discipleheart@protonmail.com or

Write via post: Path2Prayer Ministries, PO Box 244, Berrien Springs, MI 49103.

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