Is Jesus Jehovah of the Old Testament?
When someone asks, “Who is Jesus Christ?”, the answer depends largely on where we look for that answer.
Many Christians would describe Jesus as the Son of God who was born in Bethlehem, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for humanity’s sins, and rose from the dead.
Others view Jesus primarily as a great moral teacher, prophet, or historical figure.
But the Bible presents a much greater claim.
According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ did not begin His existence in Bethlehem. He existed before His incarnation and is presented as divine, eternal, and intimately involved in the creation of the universe.
This leads to one of the most fascinating questions in biblical theology:
Is Jesus Christ the same divine Person identified as Jehovah or Yahweh in the Old Testament?
The answer depends on how we understand several important passages concerning the Trinity, creation, God’s appearances to humanity, and the identity of the Ancient of Days.
Jesus Christ Before Bethlehem
The Gospel of John opens with one of the strongest biblical statements about the pre-existence of Jesus:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John then identifies this Word with Jesus Christ.
The remarkable implication is that Jesus did not begin at His human birth.
He existed before creation itself.
John 1:3 goes even further:
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
If everything that was created came through Christ, then Christ Himself cannot simply be another created being.
The New Testament repeatedly presents Jesus as existing before His incarnation and participating directly in creation.
Jesus Christ as Creator
One of the most important aspects of Jesus’ identity is His role as Creator.
John 1:3 says that all things were made through Him.
Colossians 1:16 declares that all things were created by Him and for Him.
Hebrews 1:2 likewise describes God as making the worlds through His Son.
These passages provide a remarkably consistent picture.
Jesus is not merely part of creation.
Jesus is presented as the One through whom creation came into existence.
This is essential to understanding Christian teaching about the deity of Christ.
If Jesus is the Creator of all things, then His identity reaches far beyond that of a human teacher who appeared in first-century Israel.
Is Jesus Jehovah or Yahweh?
The Old Testament frequently uses the divine name represented in English translations as LORD, traditionally associated with the Hebrew name Yahweh.
The New Testament, however, repeatedly applies Old Testament descriptions, titles, and passages concerning God to Jesus.
This is one reason many Christians throughout history have understood Jesus as sharing the divine identity of the God revealed in the Old Testament.
The question is not simply whether Jesus is called “God.”
The deeper question is whether the New Testament places Jesus within the unique identity of Israel’s God.
There are numerous passages that point in this direction.
John 8:58 records Jesus saying:
“Before Abraham was, I am.”
The statement echoes the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14 and was understood by Jesus’ opponents as an extraordinary claim.
Likewise, John 12 connects Jesus with Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory.
These passages form part of the biblical foundation for the Christian belief that Jesus is truly divine.
For a related study of Jesus as Jehovah in the Old Testament, see The Examination of the Passover Lamb.
Jesus and the Trinity
Christian theology traditionally understands God as one God existing eternally in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This doctrine is commonly known as the Trinity.
The Trinity does not teach that the Father is the Son or that the Son is the Holy Spirit.
Rather, it teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons who share the one divine nature.
This distinction becomes important when examining Old Testament passages describing God interacting directly with humanity.
If the Father is invisible and has never been seen by human beings in the ordinary sense, how should we understand the Old Testament appearances of God?
One theological interpretation is that some of these appearances were manifestations of the pre-incarnate Christ.
This concept is sometimes described as a Christophany—an appearance or manifestation of Christ before His incarnation.
Jesus in the Old Testament
The New Testament encourages readers to see Christ throughout the story of Scripture.
Jesus Himself taught His disciples to understand the Old Testament in relation to Him.
After His resurrection, Luke 24:27 says that Jesus explained the things concerning Himself in the Scriptures beginning with Moses and the Prophets.
This raises an intriguing possibility.
Could some of the Old Testament passages describing God interacting with people actually involve the pre-incarnate Christ?
Many Christian theologians believe the answer is yes.
Others interpret those passages differently.
Either way, the question opens an important avenue for understanding the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.
The Angel of the Lord
One particularly interesting figure in the Old Testament is the Angel of the Lord.
This figure appears in several passages and sometimes speaks as God while simultaneously being distinguished from God.
For example, in Exodus 3, the Angel of the Lord appears to Moses in the burning bush.
The passage moves between references to the Angel of the Lord and God Himself.
Christians have therefore sometimes interpreted the Angel of the Lord as a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ.
This interpretation is not universally accepted, but it provides a fascinating way of understanding how the New Testament’s revelation of Jesus can illuminate earlier biblical passages.
Jesus and the Ancient of Days
The Book of Daniel provides another fascinating clue when exploring the identity of Jesus.
Daniel 7 repeatedly refers to the Ancient of Days.
In Daniel 7:9–10, the Ancient of Days sits upon the throne while heavenly beings surround Him and judgment takes place.
Then Daniel 7:13 introduces another figure:
“One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven.”
The Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days and receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom.
Jesus frequently used the title Son of Man for Himself in the Gospels.
This creates an extraordinary connection between Daniel’s vision and Jesus’ own claims about His identity.
The Ancient of Days: Father or Son?
There has historically been discussion among Christians about exactly how the title Ancient of Days should be understood.
The most common interpretation identifies the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9 with God the Father, while the “Son of Man” is understood as the Son.
However, there are other interpretations that explore whether the title can also be associated with Christ.
Daniel 7:22 says:
“And the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High.”
Because the New Testament repeatedly associates final judgment with Christ, some interpreters see a connection between this passage and Jesus’ return and reign.
Rather than treating the question as settled beyond dispute, it is better to recognize the richness of the biblical imagery.
Daniel presents a heavenly ruler, the Son of Man, who receives everlasting dominion.
Jesus identifies Himself with that Son of Man.
That alone is a remarkable statement about His identity.
Jesus and the Glory of God
Another important New Testament claim is that Jesus shares the glory associated with God.
John 17:5 records Jesus praying:
“Glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
Notice the timing.
Jesus speaks of having glory with the Father before the world existed.
This is not merely a claim that Jesus existed before His earthly ministry.
It points to a pre-existent relationship between the Father and the Son.
The Gospel of John consistently presents Jesus as existing before His human birth and sharing a unique relationship with the Father.
Why Jesus’ Identity Matters
The question of Jesus’ identity is not merely an academic theological debate.
It lies at the heart of Christianity.
If Jesus is merely a human teacher, Christianity becomes fundamentally different from what the New Testament describes.
But if Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became human, then His life, death, resurrection, and teachings carry an entirely different significance.
The Christian proclamation is that God entered His creation in the Person of Jesus Christ.
The Creator became part of His creation.
The eternal Word became flesh.
And the One through whom all things were made walked among the people He created.
Jesus as the New Testament Revelation of God
The opening of Hebrews makes a similar point.
Hebrews 1:3 describes the Son as:
“the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.”
Jesus is therefore not presented merely as someone who speaks about God.
He reveals God.
This helps explain why Jesus could tell Philip:
“he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
The New Testament’s message is that God has revealed Himself decisively through His Son.
From Creation to New Creation
The biblical story does not end with Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Scripture points toward the ultimate restoration of creation.
The New Testament describes a future in which God creates a new heaven and a new earth.
Revelation 21:1 says:
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.”
This creates a remarkable biblical arc.
Creation begins with God.
Creation is corrupted by sin.
Christ enters creation to accomplish redemption.
Creation ultimately moves toward renewal.
The One identified by the New Testament as the Creator is also central to the Bible’s story of redemption and restoration.
This pattern of creation, judgment, and restoration is explored further in How God Brings Order Out of Chaos.
Why Is There No More Sea?
Revelation 21:1 contains an intriguing statement: John sees a new heaven and a new earth, and “there was no more sea.”
This has generated considerable discussion among biblical interpreters.
The sea frequently carries symbolic associations throughout Scripture, including chaos, danger, judgment, and death.
The Flood is one obvious example of the sea being associated with divine judgment.
The Egyptian army was also destroyed in the sea during the Exodus.
In Revelation, the sea can likewise function symbolically in connection with death and chaos.
The absence of the sea in Revelation 21 may therefore symbolize the complete removal of everything associated with death, judgment, and chaos.
Whatever interpretation one adopts, the larger message is unmistakable:
God’s ultimate plan is restoration.
Knowing God Face to Face
Perhaps one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture is found in Revelation’s description of God’s presence with humanity.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12:
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.”
Our understanding of God is presently incomplete.
There are mysteries we cannot fully comprehend.
But Scripture points toward a future in which God’s people will experience His presence in a profoundly direct way.
Revelation 21:3 declares:
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men.”
The biblical story therefore moves from humanity’s separation from God toward restored fellowship with Him.
The True Identity of Jesus Christ
So, who is Jesus Christ?
According to the New Testament, He is far more than a great teacher or moral example.
He is presented as:
- The eternal Word.
- The Son of God.
- The Messiah.
- The Savior.
- The Creator.
- The One through whom all things were made.
- The One who existed before Abraham.
- The One who shares divine glory with the Father.
- The Son of Man who receives everlasting dominion.
- The One through whom God will ultimately restore creation.
For Christians, these truths lead to the central confession of the New Testament:
Jesus Christ is Lord.
The mystery of His identity is ultimately the mystery of the incarnation—the eternal Son entering human history as a man.
The Jesus who walked the roads of Galilee is presented by Scripture as the same divine Son who existed before creation itself.
And the story does not end at Bethlehem, the cross, or even the resurrection.
It points forward to the return of Christ and the renewal of all things.
Conclusion: Jesus Christ Is More Than We Imagine
The true identity of Jesus Christ is one of the most profound subjects in the Bible.
The New Testament presents Him as eternal, divine, pre-existent, Creator, Savior, and Lord.
When we read the Old Testament alongside the New Testament, additional connections emerge—between Jehovah and Jesus, between the Creator and the incarnate Son, and between Daniel’s Son of Man and the Christ revealed in the Gospels.
Not every interpretive question has a universally agreed-upon answer. But the central Christian claim is unmistakable:
Jesus Christ is not merely a man who became important. He is the eternal Son of God who became man.
The Creator entered His creation.
The Word became flesh.
And the One who created all things is also the One through whom God promises to make all things new.
To understand Jesus is to encounter the central Person of the biblical story—from creation, through redemption, and ultimately into the new creation.
