The first discussion of God's special name Jehovah is found in the book of Exodus where we read about God instructing Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. It is one of the most used names for God in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is in the Bible over 5,000 times. In that passage we read, Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you and they shall say to me', 'What is His name? What shall I say to them?' And God said unto Moses, 'I AM THAT I AM [Jehovah]: and He said, thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM [Jehovah] has sent me to you [EXO 3:13, 14].

In the New Testament we see Jesus apply this very name to Himself. On one occasion as Jesus was talking to the Jews He said, Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM [Jehovah]. Then they [the Jews] took up stones to cast at Him [JOH 8:58, 59]. The Jews understood very well that Jesus had just claimed to be Jehovah (the I AM) of the Old Testament. It was for this claim that they were going to stone Him to death. This passage is a plain assertion by Jesus Christ that He is the eternal God. Whatever infidel theologians, Unitarians, and various cults may believe, the Jews KNEW at once that this Jesus Who spoke to them claimed to be Jehovah, the great I AM, and one far greater than Abraham. Jesus is Jehovah God.

Jesus also solemnly declared, if you believe not that I AM, you shall die in your sins. In the King James Version it reads, I am He but the "he" is in italics to show that the translators added the "he". Literally the Greek simply reads I AM. In these words, Except you believe that I AM, Jesus meant nothing short of this: except you believe that I am Jehovah you shall die in your sins. Why will you die in your unbelief? Unbelief leads to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire which was originally prepared for the Devil and his angels. Flee the wrath to come.

Jesus in another place said of Himself, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord God, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty [REV 1:8]. There is no getting around this passage and its meaning. Verses 5, 11, 17, 18 state that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the One Who was dead and is now alive for evermore. Jesus said, I am . . . the Lord God [or Jehovah God] . . . the Almighty.

In the prophet Isaiah we read, The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord [Jehovah], make straight in the desert a highway for our God [ISA 40:3]. John the Baptist quotes this verse and then claims that he is the voice referred to by Isaiah and that Jesus is Jehovah God [See JOH 1:6-34 especially verses 29, 30]. Jesus is Jehovah.

Return To Main Page

This Page Last Updated: 12/09/98 A. Allison Lewis aalewis@christianbeliefs.org