Who Was the LORD of the Old Testament?
In the King James authorized version of the Bible the word "LORD" is frequently used, and usually in small capital letters. Wherever this word appears in the capital letters, it is translated from the Hebrew word "YHVH." The YHVH, when more literally translated, implies "The ETERNAL," or the EVER-living one.
Throughout the books of the Old Testament, the LORD appeared to various individuals, dealt particularly and personally with the ancient Israelites, and talked directly (though from the darkness of a cloud or the brightness of a fire) to Moses. This Person who spoke to Adam, to Enoch, and to Moses was the One who later became Jesus Christ.
Christ Himself said so.
"And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape" (John 5:37). This almost universally misunderstood truth has led many people to repudiate the Old Testament, to cast aside the Laws of God as having no binding force on them today.
"But what of the transfiguration?" Yes, what of the transfiguration? The disciples Peter, James and John, were with Jesus on a mountain, apart from the others, when a marvelous vision appeared — an actual foretaste, a view ahead into the soon-coming Kingdom of God. As the disciples stood, gazing with awe and wonder at the brilliance of the vision, there came a "voice out of the cloud, which said, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him' " (Matt. 17:5). But notice, did the scripture say it was God the Father who spoke? No! Read it in your own Bible.
Many have carelessly assumed the Bible says what it does not say. Notice above is a mere fragment of the evidence.
Yes, Jesus is also "Jehovah," although this word is a mistranslation used in the American Standard Version. The original name, in the Hebrew, contained the consonants "YHVH." The precise pronunciation of the name is not definitely known since it ceased being pronounced long before the time of Christ. The meaning, in English, is "THE ETERNAL," Or "THE EVER-LIVING," or the "SELF-EXISTENT." It is commonly supposed that YHVH, or, as commonly called, "Jehovah," or, as in the Authorized Version, "The LORD," of the Old Testament was God the FATHER of Jesus Christ. This is a flagrant error!
YHVH was the God of Israel, the only One of the Godhead known to ancient Israel. When He came in human flesh they did not recognize Him. "He was in the world, and the world was made by him and the world knew him not" (John 1:10). Neither did they know God the Father (Matt. 11:27 and Luke 10:22, Panin). "No one knoweth . . . who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to REVEAL him."
In Genesis 1, the Hebrew name translated "God" is Elohim. This is a uniplural word (a collective noun) such as "church," or "family." A church or a family consists of more than one person, yet is one church, or one family. In this same sense Elohim —the God kingdom — includes both God the Father and YHVH who was the Logos or the WORD of God, and also their Spirit emanating from them, the Holy Spirit, the LIFE, CHARACTER, and POWER of God. Jesus, in praying for the welfare of the Church, prayed that its many members might "be ONE, as we are one" (John 17:11, 21, Moffatt). The Church is ONE body, yet composed of many members (I Cor. 12:12). A husband and wife are ONE FLESH, yet two persons.
The word "God" has two meanings — the God kingdom or the family of God, AND the persons composing that kingdom or family. Christ and the Father are ONE God, not two Gods — one Elohim. That is why Elohim said, "Let us make man in OUR image" (Gen. 1:26).
YHVH was the "WORD" or Spokesman of the Godhead — its second member. As soon as God began to SPEAK to man, it was always YHVH who spoke (translated "LORD" in the Authorized, and "Jehovah" in the American Standard Version. See Gen. 2:16, 18 and Exodus 20:2). Almost always it is YHVH in the original Hebrew — the "WORD" who was made flesh. The proof of this is a long study involving hundreds of passages.
As a fragment of the evidence, compare Isaiah 8:13-14 with I Peter 2:7-8. Isaiah said, "The LORD of hosts" — YHVH — shall be "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." Peter said, in quoting this text in reference to Christ, He is "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence." Jesus is the LORD —the Eternal of the Old Testament.
Now compare Isaiah 40:3 with Matt. 3:3 and Mark 1:3. John prepared the way before YHVH (Isaiah 40:3) who was CHRIST (Mark 1:14-15).
In Rev. 1:17 we read, "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last.' " And in verse 8, " 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Again Rev. 22:13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Study also Rev. 22:16 for proof it was Jesus speaking. Jesus Christ calls Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Now compare these texts with Isaiah 44:6: "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no God.' "
Now turn to Isaiah 48:11-12. "For my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. 'Hearken to me O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am He, I am the first, and I am the last.'
Verses 17-18 show it was YHVH speaking. And also in Isaiah 41:4, "Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He." All of these scriptures show that YHVH is the First and Last. Christ is the YHVH of the Old Testament.
Who Is Our Redeemer?
The person of the Godhead who is Our REDEEMER is Jesus Christ. John 4:42 contains this: "They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the SAVIOR of the world.' " "But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:20). Read also Titus 2:10-14, Luke 1:68-69.
That Jesus, the Savior, is YHVH. See Isaiah 49:7 and Isaiah 60:16, where He — YHVH — is also "the mighty One of Jacob" — to be OF Jacob means a son, or descendant of Jacob — the Mighty One of all Jacob's children. Also in Isaiah 48:17, YHVH is called the Redeemer, and the Holy One of Israel — the One of Israel who is Holy! The same is expressed in Isaiah 43:14, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. . . ." Also note the next verse (15), YHVH is Israel's Holy One, Creator of Israel, Israel's King. Now notice in Acts 3:14-15 that the Christ who was denied was the same "HOLY ONE" — YHVH! "But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One . . . the Prince of life" (Panin). See also Acts 2:27 and Mark 1:24.
Christ Was David's Shepherd
Who was David's shepherd? (Psalm 23:1)
In John 10:11, Jesus said He was the Shepherd. Open your Bibles also to Heb. 13:20: "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep. . . ." Compare this text with I Peter 2:24-25, which says, "For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." We also read, "Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory" (I Peter 5:2-4, RSV).
It is JESUS CHRIST who is coming again in person as KING of kings to rule, and to RESTORE. In Rev. 19:13 John writes, "He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God." "From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty" (verse 15, RSV). And again in Rev. 17:14 John writes, "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb [Christ] will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." The Great Shepherd who is coming to RULE as King over all kings is YHVH. "And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Eternal" — YHVH or Christ! See Ezek. 34:11, 30-31.
Now notice Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-4. "It shall come to pass . . . that the mountain [Kingdom] of the YHVH's house shall be established in the top of the mountains [kingdoms]" — ruling the world. "And he [YHVH — Christ] shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people," and then they shall have PEACE.
In almost every Old Testament passage, the LORD YHVH — the Eternal — is Jesus Christ. Clearly, Jesus is the God of the Old Testament.
Summary
God is not merely one Person. God is a divine Family — only one Family — but more than one divine Person. Jesus Christ spoke of His divine Father as GOD. Jesus said He was the Son of God (Matt. 27:43; John 10:36). Jesus is called God in Hebrews 1:8 and elsewhere. All the holy angels are commanded to worship Jesus (Heb. 1:6) — and none but God may be worshipped.
The Eternal Father is a Person, and is God. Jesus Christ is a different Person and is God. They are two separate and individual Persons (Rev. 4:2; 5:1, 6-7). The Father is Supreme Head of the God Family — the Lawgiver. Christ is the Word — the divine Spokesman.
So God is presently a Family of two Persons — God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. And the wonderful truth is that human beings may be born into this same ONE God Family as distinct, separate Personalities by a resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ was the First born of many brethren (Rom. 8:29) — having been born again when God the Father resurrected Him from the dead (Rom. 1:4). The thorough details of these awe-inspiring Bible truths are in the Article Just What Do You Mean — Born Again?