Revelation 2:23 – He who searches hearts

I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. — Revelation 2:23

Then hear in heaven, your dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;) — 1 Kings 8:39

Jeremiah 11:20 - But, Yahweh of Hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, I shall see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause.

The above scriptures are sometimes cited as proof that Jesus is his God, especially since it stated in 1 Kings 8:39 that only Yahweh knows the hearts of all the children of men, and since Jesus says that he is the one who searches the hearts of men, then this is offered as proof that Jesus is Yahweh.

However, if this is so, then Yahweh has another who is the God of Yahweh, since in Revelation 3:12, Jesus, the one who is speaking in Revelation 2:23, speaks of another as “my God”. So if the one speaking in Revelation 1:18 through Revelation 3:22 is Yahweh, the only Most High, then the only Most High has one who the Supreme Being over the only Most High, which is self-contradictory.

Rather than assuming the self-contradiction, we should examine the scriptures closely so that the scriptures may be seen to be harmonized without adding the assumption that Jesus is Yahweh.

When Solomon spoke the words as recorded 1 Kings 8:39, the word that he used, which is translated as “alone” or “only”, is a form of the Hebrew “bad” (Strong’s Hebrew #905). This word does not, of itself, take on the meaning of total exclusivity that our trinitarian neighbors would like for us to apply to it in 1 Kings 8:39.

For instance, in Job 1:15,16,17,19, the servants of Job a each express their being alone. However ,the context shows a relationship regarding that aloneness. They were not each saying that they alone, of all people in the universe, had escaped, rather their aloneness was in relationship to the others who were destroyed in whatever destruction was being referred to.

Likewise, in 1 Kings 8:39, Solomon is contrasting Yahweh with the rulers and judges of Israel — men on earth; only Yahweh — not the judges/rulers on earth — could know the hearts of men.

However, even assigning it the exclusivity as related to the universe at that time, Solomon did not say that Yahweh could not grant to another the ability to search the hearts of men. Indeed, this is exactly what the scriptures tell us that the Most High did. Jesus stated that his ability to judge had been given to him by his God and Father.  (John 5:22) And Jesus said that he judged in accordance with the will of the only true God who had sent him. (John 5:30; 17:1,3) Thus, when Yahweh comes to judge the world (Psalm 96:13; 98:9), he comes to judge the world by means of the one whom he has appointed, as we read in Acts 17:31. Seeing then, that Jesus has been given all power in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:19 — excluding the power of being the Most High — 1 Corinthians 15:27) to carry out such judgment, he would of necessity need the power to know and read the hearts of men.  Thus, the plenitude of might has been given to him bodily, so that he may fulfill his role as “the head of all principality and power.” — Colossians 2:9,10.

However, the fact that all of the power and authority has been given to Jesus does not mean that Jesus became Yahweh, the only Most High.

Revelation 22:13 – Response

One has responded to our discussion of Revelation 22:13, with the claim that we “engage in the most bizarre mental contortions.”

Our earlier examinations of Revelation 22:13 include the following:

http://godandson.relslight.net/alphaomega.html
http://sonofyah.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/ao-03/
http://sonofyah.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/rev-2213-obj/

We are not told exactly how it is that we allegedly engaged in bizarre mental contortions. We have endeavored to lay out as simply as possible the logical conclusion as related to the context, the rest of the book of Revelation, as well as to show who is saying what in harmony with the entire Bible. The thought given seems to indicate that Jesus remains the speaker from Revelation 22:13 to verse 16, where it is definitely Jesus who says, “I Jesus.” However, we should note that Revelation 22:14 definitely gives sure indication of not being spoken by the same person who was speaking in Revelation 22:13, since it refers back to “his commandments.” Thus, the most logical conclusion is that whoever is speaking in verse 14 is not the one who identifies himself as Alpha and Omega in verse 13. There is nothing bizarre or contorted in that.

Additionally, Alpha and Omega is identified in Chapter 21:5,6 as the one sitting on the throne, who is not the Lamb (Jesus), since Jesus is the one who takes the scroll from the One sitting on the throne. (Revelation 5:7) We have no reason to think that Alpha and Omega in Revelation 22:13 is not the same person who speaks in Revelation 21:5,6.

Before, it is definitely the angel, not Jesus or Yahweh, speaking in verses 9 through 11. Verses 12 and 13 are most certainly not the angel, although directly there is nothing to show any break from the angel to someone else. It is Yahweh –  the God and Father of Jesus, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the only true God who sent Jesus — of whom it prophesied in the Old Testament: “Yahweh; for he comes, For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, The peoples with his truth.” (Psalm 96:13) “Let them sing before Yahweh, For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9) Paul lets us know that Yahweh comes to judge by means of the one that Yahweh ordained. (Acts 17:31) In the Old Testament, Yahweh judged Israel by means of many judges whom he sent; likewise, He judges the world by means of His Son, whom he has ordained, appointed, as judge. So while there is indeed a very close connection between Jesus and what Jesus’ God performs through Jesus, this does not mean that Jesus is his God.

Regardless, even if it were Jesus who used the term Alpha and Omega in Revelation 22:13, it still would not mean that Jesus is his God. It would only mean that in some way the term Alpha and Omega is applicable to both Jesus and to his God. One would have to assume the idea that Jesus is Yahweh; and then assume and add to that assumption that the Jesus is a person of Yahweh, in order to have the trinitarian view added to the scripture.

Jesus, of course, is never presented in the Bible as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus was sent by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. — Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4); Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16); Matthew 4:10 (Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8); Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23); Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.

http://godandson.reslight.net/jesusnotyhwh.html