Peter and John were often in each other's company. They also shared the same ideas about their Saviour.
I Peter 1:10-11, The Spirit of the Prophets. Do I need to prove to my readers that it was Jahweh, the Covenant God of Israel, who sent and spoke through the prophets? No? Good. But there is a piece of information that we are not given until the Apostle Peter shares it with us in his letter; listen carefully: "Of (your) salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently...searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify..." But wait. There's more to the mystery. Peter continues (II Peter 1:21) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Yahweh, Christ, Holy Ghost. One.
I John 5:7, Simply One. That's right, John, keep it simple for us. " For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." With a statement like this, we want to say with the disciples, "Now speakest Thou plainly, and speakest no proverb..." (John 16:29) These three are one. Not to be understood. To be believed!
I John 5:20, True God. John, in typical zest for this topic, ends his first epistle thus:(5:20) "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. THIS is the true God, and eternal life." Jesus, the true one, is the true God.
Revelation 1:8, God of the visions. At the beginning of the feverish activity of this book, John sees one that he claims is like "the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass...and His voice as the sound of many waters." Later Jesus identifies Himself more clearly by stating, "I am He that liveth and was dead." (1:18)
But others in the line of prophets have seen similar men. They did not call them Jesus, but we always assumed they were God. For example, Daniel's "ancient of days." (Daniel 7:9) "...the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool..." Then there's Daniel's "certain man," found in 10:5-6 "...and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a multitude."The same Divine Being .
Revelation 5:13, Equally Praised. You will notice a praise service going on. "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. Same equation here. We can't stretch so far as to say that there are two separate entities here, both receiving these adulations. Neither can we deny the dual character of the One God. Marvelous mystery!
Revelation 22:13, Alpha and Omega . We can do no better than to end with these famous words from Jesus. Or are they from the Father? Even the "red-letter-makers" of my King James Bible get confused on this one! Clearly it is Jesus calling Himself "Alpha and Omega" in the first chapter of the book, verses 8 and 11. By the time we get to chapter 21, and the same words are spoken, the editor shies away from his red letters when he comes to verse 6. Here the context speaks of God, the God who shall "wipe away all tears", and "make all things new", and "give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." This One says "I will be his God, and he shall be my son," to that same thirsty one. But no red letters! I ask you, Who is the "Alpha and Omega"? All you have to do to find out is go to chapter 22, where , in the brightest of red letters , in verse 13, following a verse that says "Behold I come quickly," is the statement, I am Alpha and Omega..."
The inconsistency is understandable, but hardly justifiable. This God of the New Jerusalem is none other than Jesus Himself! And if every word that was ever spoken by this God known as Jesus were to be colored red, would not the entire set of Holy Scriptures have to be of this hue? The Book is "God-breathed", is it not? To be God-breathed means to be Jesus-breathed. I think you've probably got the point by now!
Jesus is God.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.
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