Anti-Trinitarians, i.e. Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses etc., often make the assertion that the Holy Bible, especially the OT, differentiate the Messiah from Yahweh. Here are two specific OT texts where the Messiah is depicted as being distinct from God:
"‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.’ This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.’" Isaiah 42:1-7
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn," Isaiah 61:1-2
According to the NT writings these passages find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ whom God anointed with his Holy Spirit at his baptism:
"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’" Luke 3:21-22
"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’" Luke 4:16-21
"Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.’ Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’" Matthew 12:15-23
Anti-Trinitarians infer from this premise that the Messiah cannot be God since OT prophets teach that he is personally distinct from Yahweh.
This ignores, however, the fact that the Holy Bible depicts God as a paradoxical Being, One who is beyond human comprehension and unlike any created thing.
A paradox is something which, on the surface, seems contradictory or inconsistent but in reality isn’t. Since the Holy Bible teaches that God is beyond comprehension and unlike his creation:
"Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave — what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea." Job 11:7-9
"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Psalm 139:1-6
"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit." Psalm 147:4-5
"Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?" Isaiah 40:13-14
"‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’" Isaiah 55:8-9
"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:33-36
"may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:18-19
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that the inspired Bible writers would portray God as a Being who is paradoxical by nature.
As an illustration of the paradoxical nature of God, consider the NT teaching that Jesus in his prehuman existence was the Word who was with God and who was God (John 1:1), the Son of God who has a God and at the same time is Thomas’ Lord and God (John 20:17, 28, 31). Christ is also said to be God that reigns forever and who was anointed by his God above his fellows (Hebrews 1:8-9).
This paradox is not limited to the example of the Lord Jesus’ relationship with God (the Father) or the NT, since we find this same phenomenon within the inspired teachings of the OT writings. The Hebrew prophets refer to a specific Angel or Messenger who is personally distinct from and yet identified as Yahweh:
"The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I'm running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel added, ‘I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.’ The angel of the LORD also said to her: ‘You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.’ She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered." Genesis 16:7-14
In the above passage the Angel expressly tells Hagar that he has the ability to give her descendants too numerous to be counted, a Divine function. As if this wasn’t astonishing enough the writer then says that when the Angel spoke it was actually Yahweh speaking to Hagar! Hagar even calls this specific Messenger the God who sees, a clear witness to the Angel’s omniscience since her statement implies that he is the One who sees all that occurs and is aware of all the afflictions that God’s people endure.
Moreover, the Angel calls himself the God of Bethel, or the God of the house of God:
"In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’" Genesis 31:10-13
Thus, the Angel is both distinct from God and yet fully God as well.
{Note: There is strong Biblical support for this specific Angel being none other than the Lord Jesus Christ in his prehuman existence. For the details please consult these articles (1; 2; 3; 4; 5}
In a similar manner, the OT writers – specifically the prophet Isaiah – state that the Messiah is both personally distinct from Yahweh, as we saw above and as we see once more in the following citation where we are again told that Yahweh will place his Spirit upon him:
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist… In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious." Isaiah 11:1-4, 10
While at the same time affirming that the Davidic King is also Yahweh in some sense and therefore fully Divine.
With the foregoing in mind, our purpose in this particular article will be to focus on the witness of Isaiah in order to document how this inspired prophet didn’t merely believe that the Messiah was God’s Servant who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to accomplish the will of Yahweh. We will set out to prove that this blessed prophet also believed that the Messiah is God in the flesh. We will further examine certain statements from the book of Isaiah such as references where Yahweh is said to be coming in order to carry out specific functions, whether to save or judge, and show how the NT writers take these very passages, or their specific language, and apply them to the Lord Jesus.
The prophet announced that a time would come when a virgin maiden would give birth to a son who would be God coming to dwell with his people:
"Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:13-14
The prophet further stated that this child would come from Galilee and rule on David’s throne as the Mighty God,
"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan- The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7
It is rather interesting that in the very next chapter the prophet applies one of the names of the Messiah, specifically the title Mighty God, to Yahweh himself!
"In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God." Isaiah 10:20-21
This male child, according to the NT, is the Lord Jesus Christ:
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ — which means, ‘God with us.’" Matthew 1:18-23
"When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.’ From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’" Matthew 4:12-17
For a further discussion of Isaiah 9:6-7 we recommend these articles (1, 2).
Yahweh told Isaiah that he would lay a Stone, even a Cornerstone, for his people to trust and believe in:
"So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.’" Isaiah 28:16
According to Isaiah this Stone is actually Yahweh God whom the people are called to fear and honor as holy, and yet the prophet states that not all would believe in him and that God would therefore become a Stone of stumbling to the unbelievers:
"Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." Isaiah 8:12-15
Amazingly, the NT takes these same statements and applies them to the Lord Jesus, identifying him as the Stone of stumbling whom believers are exhorted to honor as holy:
"if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,’ and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the message — which is also what they were destined for." 1 Peter 2:3-8
"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter 3:14-16
Yahweh promised to send a herald to prepare for his coming when all people would see his glory:
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 40:1-5
The NT teaches that John the Baptist was that voice of Isaiah 40 who was to come to prepare for the coming of God. The authors further state that John actually came to prepare for the coming of Christ, and that the Lord whose glory would be seen by all is none other than Jesus!
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. here came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, ‘This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me."’… John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the desert, "Make straight the way for the Lord."’ John 1:1-9, 14-15, 23
This isn’t the only place where the apostle John claims that Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus:
"Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: ‘Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: ‘He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.’ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, ‘When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.’" John 12:37-46
The Evangelist asserts that Isaiah announced that the Jews would reject Jesus since the inspired prophet saw Christ and spoke of him. Interestingly, one of the passages that John sources to prove that the OT prophet had seen the glory of Christ is Isaiah 6:10, a verse which in context speaks of Isaiah seeing Yahweh seated on his throne in glory:
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people: "Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving." Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’" Isaiah 6:1-10
Thus, according to John the blessed prophet actually saw the Lord Jesus when he spoke of seeing Yahweh in Isaiah 6!
Isaiah also informs us that when God appears to save and judge the peoples he would perform certain miracles:
"The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." Isaiah 35:1-6
The NT records how Jesus performed the very same miracles that Isaiah claimed God would do when he arrives on the scene!
"Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don't cry.’ Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ they said. ‘God has come to help his people.’ This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’ When the men came to Jesus, they said, ‘John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"’ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.’" Luke 7:11-22
The crowd’s response to Jesus’ miracle of raising the widow’s son to life that God had come to help his people is rather ironic. These individuals may have not fully known at this point in time how true their words were since Jesus wasn’t merely a prophet, but God’s very own unique Divine Son who had come to do the very works of God. In other words, the statement of those witnessing the miracle was more correct than they may have realized since Jesus was actually God Almighty who had come in the flesh to visit his people!
Isaiah further noted that God would come to also gather his flock together and to recompense the people for all that they had done:
"You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:9-11
And yet according to the NT, it is the Lord Jesus who carries out all of these exclusively Divine functions:
"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." Matthew 16:27
"‘Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.’ … He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:12, 20
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." John 10:11, 14-16
Yahweh announced to his people that he alone would justify them since it is in him alone that a person receives justification or the righteousness that results in salvation:
"They will say of me, ‘In the LORD ALONE are righteousness and strength.’ All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult." Isaiah 45:24-25
The NT, however, expressly teaches that believers are justified through faith in Christ and by their personal union with him:
"but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God… It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11
"God made him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that IN HIM [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Moreover, Isaiah further announced that God would save and justify by sending forth his Servant, the Messiah as a light of salvation for all the earth:
"‘Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor." But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength– he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."’ This is what the LORD says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: ‘Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’ This is what the LORD says: ‘In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, "Come out," and to those in darkness, "Be free!" They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.’" Isaiah 49:1-10
The prophet went on to explain that this Messianic Servant saves mankind by dying as a vicarious or atoning sacrifice for the sins of God’s people:
"Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the Arm of the LORD been revealed? For HE grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, 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 has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my Servant/my righteous Servant, justify the many/make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:1-12
Here, Isaiah identifies the Messianic Servant as the Arm of Yahweh, a quite significant title as we shall see in the next section.
Isaiah reiterates the point of Yahweh alone justifying and saving people by mentioning the fact that Yahweh could not find any intermediary to assist him since there is no one worthy enough to mediate before God on behalf of the people:
"… The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was NO ONE, he was appalled that there was NO ONE TO INTERVENE; so HIS OWN ARM worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. ‘The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,’ declares the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them,’ says the LORD. ‘My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,’ says the LORD." Isaiah 59:15b-21
"Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? ‘It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.’ Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? ‘I have trodden the winepress ALONE; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. I looked, but there was NO ONE TO HELP, I was appalled that no one gave support; so MY OWN ARM worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.’" Isaiah 63:1-6
The foregoing indicates that by calling the Servant "the Arm of Yahweh" in 53:1 the inspired prophet was again confirming that the Messiah is more than a man. Isaiah saw no contradiction with his statement that Yahweh alone saves, vindicates, judges etc., and with his assertion that Yahweh will do so through the agency of the Messianic Servant since the latter is not some created being but is Yahweh’s very own Arm, the visible manifestation of God’s own Power who was sent to redeem his people by his death on their behalf.
In other words, by applying the phrase Arm of Yahweh to the Messianic Servant Isaiah was affirming that he is an intrinsic part of God’s very own eternal Being, the Agent of God’s Power, or the One who fully possesses Divine Power to bring salvation to the world:
"but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Corinthians 1:24
Thus, Yahweh does save alone even though he does so through the Messiah since the latter is not a creature but the Mighty God sent to atone for the sins of mankind!
And since Jesus is the Messiah it should not come as a surprise that the NT would describe his appearance in the same way that Isaiah described the coming of Yahweh in Isaiah 63:1-6, i.e. the One whose garments are red from the blood splatter of the enemies which he tramples under his feet as he treads upon them in the winepress of God’s fury:
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16
Nor should it surprise us that the NT writers also identify Jesus as Israel’s Redeemer, the One who comes to deliver the inhabitants of Zion, the descendants of Jacob:
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’" Romans 11:25-27
Since he is the Lord God who comes from heaven to save his elect:
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21
"for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:27-28
Yahweh prophecies that a day will come when everyone will bow before him since he alone is the Savior of the world:
"Declare what is to be, present it— let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear." Isaiah 45:21-23
A prediction which the NT says will be fulfilled when every person bows before Jesus and confesses him as Lord:
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
In the book of Isaiah Yahweh identifies himself as the First and the Last:
"Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD — with the first of them and with the last — I am he." Isaiah 41:4
"This is what the LORD says — Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Isaiah 44:6
"For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another. Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together." Isaiah 48:11-13
As the context indicates, the meaning of First and Last is that Yahweh has been there from the very beginning, since he created the universe, and he shall also continue to be there till the end. In fact, Yahweh will continue to be there forever since he is the I AM or the One who exists, having neither a beginning nor an end and is therefore eternal.
Amazingly, the Lord Jesus applies the title "the First and the Last", as well as the name I AM, to his own Person:
"Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I AM!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds." John 8:56-59
"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’" Revelation 1:17-18
"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again." Revelation 2:8
Jesus could see Abraham since, as the I AM, he has always been there, even before the beginning of creation,
"And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." John 17:5
And shall continue to be there forever:
"and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20
Our examination of the Biblical data showed that the inspired authors of the Holy Scriptures believed that the Messiah is both personally distinct from God and yet fully God in nature. For instance, we read in Isaiah certain verses where the prophet referred to the Messiah as Immanuel, or God with us, and as the Mighty God who rules on David’s throne forever. We further looked at the NT writings to show how the authors took specific statements from the book of Isaiah concerning the nature and deeds of Yahweh and applied all of them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the Anti-Trinitarian assertion that Jesus cannot be God, since he is depicted as being personally distinct from God, is nothing more than a false dilemma and a non sequitur. It is based on the erroneous assumption of unitarianism, i.e. God is a single Person as opposed to a plurality of Divine Persons who exist as a single Being.
This is a view which the Holy Bible does not support since the consistent teaching of the inspired Scriptures is that, even though there is only one eternal God, there are three eternally distinct Persons who are fully God in nature, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Related Articles
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/jesus_is_yahweh.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_yahweh.htm
http://forananswer.org/Top_JW/Bowman_Isa44_24.pdf
Articles by Sam Shamoun
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