May the Name Jehovah be Correctly Applied to the Lord Jesus?

This study is written by George Zeller and provides some help with respect to the erroneous teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.  Jehovah's Witnesses deny that the Lord Jesus Christ is God and they deny that He is Jehovah.  They teach instead that He is a mere creature, an exalted angel that God created.  They wrongly teach that He was the first creature that God created, and then God, through Him, created everything else.

Those belonging to the cult known as "Jehovah's Witnesses" are taught that Jesus Christ is not God. They are taught that Jesus is a mere creature and that He was created by the Jehovah God. To indoctrinated Jehovah's Witnesses, the name "Jehovah" is the most sacred name of God. They would agree that this name can only be applied to the one, true God. But since they deny that Jesus is God, they strongly maintain that the divine name JEHOVAH is never used of Christ. To them it is unthinkable to refer to the Lord Jesus as JEHOVAH because they believe that this term belongs to God alone (and they do not believe that Jesus is God).

In this study we want to ask the important question, "May the name JEHOVAH be correctly applied to the Lord Jesus?" Does the Bible itself ever apply this divine name to Jesus Christ? Let us carefully go to the Scriptures and find the answer.

First, we must agree with the Jehovah's Witnesses in saying the Name JEHOVAH (written with all capital letters as "LORD" or "GOD" in the KJV Old Testament) is a name that is applicable to none but Deity. As Serle has said, "The title Jehovah is the grand, the peculiar, and incommunicable name of God. It neither is applied to any created being throughout the Scriptures, nor can be applied in reason, for it imports the necessary, independent, and external existence of the Most High."

The LORD Himself is very jealous over this Name as seen in the following two passages: 1) Psalm 83:18 – "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." 2) Isaiah 42:8–"I am Jehovah, that is my Name: and My glory will I not give to another."

No greater proof of Deity could be presented concerning Christ than to show that He may rightfully be called JEHOVAH. In other words, if we can show that the Name JEHOVAH is sometimes applied to Christ then we have proved that Christ is God (because none but God can be called by God's Name!).

Consider the following:
 

1. In Zechariah 12 JEHOVAH is speaking (verses 1 and 4). In verse 10 Jehovah says, "They shall look upon ME whom they have pierced." This can refer to no one other than Christ (compare John 19:37 and Revelation 1:7).
    

2. The Jehovah of the Old Testament declares Himself to be the First and the Last: "Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel and his redeemer the Jehovah of hosts; I am the first and I am the last; and beside me there is no God: (Isaiah 44:6 and see Isaiah 41:4; 48:11-12). Who is declared to be "the first and the last" on the pages of the New Testament (see Revelation 1:8,11,17,18; 22:13)?
    

3. In Isaiah 6:5 the prophet said, "Mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD (Jehovah) of hosts." Isaiah saw JEHOVAH! The Apostle John referred to this same event and made it very clear that the Person whom Isaiah saw was actually Jesus Christ: "These things said Esaias [Isaiah], when he saw His [Christ’s] glory, and spake of Him (referring in the context to Christ)" – John 12:41.
    

4. In Psalm 23:1 David declared that JEHOVAH is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. According to the New Testament, Who is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep (John 10:11,14: Hebrews 13:20)? Also, the Old Testament repeatedly refers to Jehovah as Israel's ROCK (Deuteronomy 32:3, 4, 18; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 62:1-2; etc.). The New Testament clearly identifies this ROCK as Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4)!
    

5. In Exodus 3:14-15 we learn that JEHOVAH is the great "I AM." According to the Gospel of John, Who is the great "I AM" (see John 6:35; 8:12; 8:24; 8:58; 10:9; 10:11; 11:25; 14:6; 18:5-6)?
    

6. In Isaiah 43:10-11 and 45:21 JEHOVAH declares Himself to be the ONLY SAVIOUR. There is no other Saviour besides Him! According to the New Testament, Who is the ONLY SAVIOUR (Acts 4:10-12)?
    

7. In Isaiah 45:21-22 JEHOVAH says, "Look unto ME and be ye saved...there is none else." In John 3:14-16 we are told to look unto the crucified One to be saved!
    

8. In Isaiah 45:21-23 JEHOVAH says, "that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." In Philippians 2:9-11 this passage in Isaiah is applied to Christ, the One before Whom all shall someday bow!
    

9. In Isaiah 24:23 and Zephaniah 3:15-17 we learn that JEHOVAH Himself will reign in Jerusalem during the coming kingdom age and will be in the midst of His people. What does the New Testament tell us about the identity of this future, millennial King (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4,6)?
    

10. In Isaiah 40:3 we learn that John the Baptist was to prepare the way for the coming of Jehovah. In Mark 1:1-3 the same passage is applied to Christ (John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ).
     

11. In Isaiah 8:13-14 prophetically states that JEHOVAH will be "for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence." In 1 Peter 2:7-8 these verses in Isaiah are applied to Jesus Christ.
     

12. Compare Joel 2:32 with Acts 2:21,36 and Romans 10:9,13. Who is the LORD (Jehovah) upon whose Name sinners should call ?

Finally we shall quote from Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer:

"A distinct and extensive proof that Christ is Jehovah is to be seen in the New Testament title of Lord which is applied to Him upwards of a thousand times. Jehovah is a Hebrew term which is not brought forward into the New Testament. Its equivalent is the Greek term kurios (Lord), which title is also applied to the Father and the Spirit. It is a justifiable procedure to treat the name Jehovah of the Old Testament as continued in its specific meaning into the New Testament by the name Lord (kurios). Such would be the natural meaning of many exalted declarations: ‘Lord of all’ (Acts 10:36).‘Lord over all’ (Romans 10:12), ‘Lord of glory’ (1 Corinthians 2:8), and ‘King of Kings, and Lord of Lords’ (Revelation 17:14; 19:16)."

In light of this it may be said that someday all shall confess that Jesus is LORD – see Philippians 2:11. It may be rightfully said that He is JEHOVAH JESUS!

If Christ is really God, as the Scriptures so clearly teach, then how can we do less than believe on Him and love Him and obey Him and serve Him and worship Him? Can you say as Thomas did (John 20:28), "My Lord and My God"? IS THE ONLY LIVING GOD YOUR PERSONAL GOD AND SAVIOR?

For another excellent study showing that Jesus Christ is Jehovah, click here [PDF file].

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