The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Edward Dalcour

The very context of the book of Acts was the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:24, 32; 4:10; 5:30; 13:30ff. et al.). The resurrection of Christ distinguishes Christianity from every “atheistic” religion (esp. Islam and JWs). The physical resurrection of Christ did not make Him the Messiah, but it proved that He was, and established that He was God incarnate.

The cross-work and its proclamation is essential to the Christian faith because of who performed it. Believing in the resurrection (and perpetual incarnation; cf. 1 John 4:2-3) is a condition for salvation:

“Because if you confess with your mouth Jesus is LORD, and believe in your heart that God [the Father] raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…. ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Rom. 10:9, 13, (NET[1], cf. Joel 2:32).

Significance & Necessity of Christ’s Resurrection

Raising Himself from the dead proved that He was God (John 2:19-22; 10:17-18; cf. also 20:28).

It established that God the Son, met all the requirements of the covenant law and ushered in the new covenant (Matt. 5:17–18; Rom. 10:4: “Christ is the end of the Law” (1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 7:23–24, 9:12). His substitutionary cross-work satisfied the requirements of God’s law.

It signifies what will happen to believers in their justification and future resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:4-5, 9; 1 Cor. 15:20-22:

²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. ²² For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

The atoning work of Christ is the fundamental cause of our justification. Rom. 4:25; Eph. 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”Rom. 5:6, 8-10: ⁶ “While we were still helpless, sinners, and enemies “we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?”

Jesus’ cross work was a substitutionary atonement: “In our place. The righteousness we have was the righteousness of Christ, credited to us: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as lutron anti pollōn [‘a ransom, in the place, on behalf, of the many]” (Mark 10:45).

The atoning cross-work of Christ (incarnation, life, death, resurrection) is how Paul defined the “gospel”: Rom. 1:1, 3: “The gospel of God … concerning His Son” (not concerning the so-called great works of man); 2 Tim. 2:8: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant [spermatos] of David; such is my gospel”; 1 Cor. 15:3-4:

³ “For [the gospel] I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….” (NASB)

Any rejection of the physical resurrection of Christ results in eternal consequence.

¹⁴“And if Christ has not been raised,” says Paul, “then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty…. ¹⁵ Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God…. ¹⁷ your faith is useless; you are still in your sins” (vv. 14-15, 17, NASB).

The following points clearly and biblically establish the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

The terms used to denote Jesus’ resurrection in the NT speak strictly of the resurrection of His dead body,
Jesus Christ was resurrected in the same physical body in which He had before He died, and
There are multiple eyewitness accounts confirming that Jesus was resurrected in His own physical body (even enemies of the church).

The “Resurrection” Defined

When the biblical authors spoke of the resurrection of Jesus, they spoke of a bodily resurrection. The Greek words anastasis and exanastasis (and egersis, but only at Matt. 27:53) are the specific words that are normally translated as “resurrection” in the NT. In Scripture, a resurrection refers exclusively to a bodily resurrection, not a spiritual one (cf. Job. 19:26-27; Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 9:18-25; 22:30-32; Luke 7:12-17; John 11:25-44; and Acts 9:37-). The idea of a resurrected noncorporeal spirit (as JWs teach) is biblically vacant.

Same Body

I. Personal Pronouns. Jesus used possessive personal pronouns
to affirm to His followers that His resurrected glorified body was indeed a physical body of “flesh and bones:

³⁷ “But they were startled and frightened and thought that they saw a spirit. ³⁸ And He said to them…. ³⁹ ‘See My [mou] hands and My [mou] feet, that it is I Myself^’. Touch Me [me] and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I [eme] have.’ ⁴⁰And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet” (Luke 24:37-40, ESV).

II. Physical Body.

John 2:19-21 presents two theological affirmations. Jesus declared in verse 19: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And verse 21 indicates that “He was speaking about the temple of His body [sōmatos ^{genitive of} ^{from sōma}]—proving it was a physical body raised from the dead.” Only as God, could He raise up His own body. Both points are extremely problematic for non-believers such as JWs.

III. Remains in the Flesh: In this anti-gnostic polemic, the apostle clearly affirms the perpetual incarnation:

1 John 4:2-3: ² “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God….” The verb translated “has come” is elēluthota, which is a perfect participle. The perfect tense describes a past completed action with effects felt to the present time, literally: ³ “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come and remains [elēluthota] in the flesh is from God ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus [as coming and remaining in the flesh] is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist.”

Correspondingly, 2 John 1:7, states: “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!” Here, the phrase “as coming” is from the present participle, erchomenon, which indicates a present continuous action—viz., Christ coming in the flesh. So, the one who denies the permanent incarnation, “is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Note the article “the” preceding “deceiver” and “antichrist”–marking the identity of such a person.

IV Eyewitness Accounts

1 Cor. 15:5-8: ⁵“and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; ⁷ then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;

⁸and last of all, as to one untimely born.”

Women’s Testimony

Joanna (wife of Chuza), among the first women to discover the empty tomb (Luke 24:10); Mary Magdalene who was a witness to the crucifixion and burial (Matt. 27:61; 28:1; John 19:25). She was with the women who went to the tomb on Sunday (Mark 16:1; John 20:1); the first person to see Jesus alive (Mark 16:9); Mary, mother of Jesus. She was present at Jesus’s death and burial as well as a witness to His resurrection; Mary, mother of James and Joseph [or Joses]; Mary, wife of Clopas.

In John 19:25, it seems most likely that grammar indicates “his mother’s sister” which would be, Mary the wife of Clopas,” and not two separate women being referenced (“his mother’s sister” = “Mary the wife of Clopas”). Salome (mother of James and John). She was one of Jesus’s followers in Galilee. She witnessed the crucifixion and went to the tomb on Sunday (Mark 15:40; 16:1). She is likely the mother of the sons of Zebedee (i.e., James and John).

They Worshiped the risen Christ as God incarnate

⁸ “And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His disciples. ⁹ And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Rejoice!’ And they came up and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go, bring word to My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me” (Matt. 28:8-10: NASB).

In response to the appearing of risen Lord Jesus, Thomas, the doubting disciple then, now declares: “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28; ho Kurios mou kai ho Theos mou, lit., “the Lord of me and the God of me”).

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is most fundamental doctrine of Christianity. Believing in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith and a condition for salvation (Rom. 10:9).

¹⁷ “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive – forever and ever – and I hold the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:17-18).

NOTES

[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all biblical citations are from NET.

Stated eternal penalties of denying these essential doctrines

Posted on July 12, 2025July 18, 2025 by Edward Dalcour

The Deity of Christ. John 8:24: “You will die in your sins.” Since Jesus is a distinct person, any denial of the Trinity would result in the same consequences (1 John 2:22-23).

The belief that Jesus is the Son of God. John 3:16, 36: “… The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.”

The physical resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:12-17. ¹⁷“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins.”

The perpetual incarnation. 1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 1:7: the one who denies the perpetual incarnation of the Son, is “the deceiver and the antichrist.”

And a denial of justification through faith alone. Gal. 1:8-9: “Let him be anathema.” A gospel apart from justification through faith alone is “a different gospel”—a gospel without Christ.

Daniel 7:9-14: The Son of Man

Posted on June 15, 2020October 17, 2025 by Edward Dalcour

“I kept looking, until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat. . . . I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days, and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one, which will not be destroyed (vv. 9, 13-14).

Daniel 7:9-14 offers additional evidence to the preexistence of Christ. It additionally indicates that the Messiah would receive true worship in the same sense as the Father. In Daniel’s vision, he describes two distinct objects of divine worship—the Ancient of Days and the “Son of Man” particularly in verses 9, 13-14. These passages are quite problematic for unitarian groups such as Oneness Pentecostals who deny any real distinction of persons between the Christ and the Father. The grammar of the passages denoting this distinction cannot be missed: two objects of praise, religious worship, and real interaction between the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man.

Verse 9: “I kept looking, until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat.” Note that Daniel sees “thrones” that were set up, rather than one single throne. Apparently, both the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man each have thrones as also indicated in the New Testament. This is not an isolated occurrence. In Revelation 3:21 both God the Father and the Lamb have thrones: “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (cf. Heb. 1:8) We also see that God the Father and Lamb share the same throne (cf. Rev. 5:13; 22:1, 3), but yet they are always presented as distinct persons.

Verse 13: “behold, with the clouds of heaven, One like a Son of Man was coming and He came up to the Ancient of Days.” Daniel sees the Son of Man coming up to the Ancient of Days. First, note how the Son of Man is coming: “with the clouds of heaven.” In the Old Testament, only YHWH is said to be coming in/with the clouds of heaven (cf., Exod. 19:9; Lev. 16:2; Isa. 19:1; Jer. 4:13). In the New Testament, only the Son, Jesus Christ, is said to be coming the clouds of heaven. In Mark 14:62 (cf. Matt. 26:64), when the high priest asked Jesus if He were the Messiah, the Son of God, He answered as affirmed:

“I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (also see Matt 24:30-31; John 3:13; Rev. 1:7).

“Ancient of Days.” Unquestionably, the identity of the Ancient of Days (Aram. Atik Yomin; LXX, palaios hēmerōn) is God Himself. The CEV translates the title of “Ancient of Days” as “the Eternal God” and the TEV translates it as “One who had been living for ever.”

“Son of Man.” In the Old Testament, the title “son of man” (Heb., ben adam) is a common phrase used at times to underline the difference between God and human beings; used primarily though as a synonym for “man” or mankind in general (cf. Num. 23:19; Ps. 8:4; Isa. 51:12 ). It is used almost exclusively of Ezekiel. The Prophet Ezekiel is addressed as “son of man” by God at least ninety times in the Old Testament (e.g. Ezek. 2:1). Thus, predominately, the usage is used of the Prophet Ezekiel. However, in the New Testament, “Son of Man” was exclusively applied to Christ. Thus, it is well established that the phrase, “Son of Man,” as applied to Christ, was derived from Daniel 7:13f.

Jesus used this epithet of Himself more than any other title (in the gospels, it was used of Christ about eighty-eight times). Further, in the Gospels or gospels, the title is connected with both His humanity and His deity. In Mark 14:61-62, when the high priest had asked Jesus is He were the Messiah, the Son of the God, Jesus said: “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Note these New Testament references related to the divine nature of the “Son of Man.” That is, things that are attributed to the Son of man that only can be attributed to God:

“And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom.” In Matthew 28:18-19, the Son of Man declares: “All authority has been given to Me, in heaven and earth.” He had stated this after “they worshiped Him” (v. 17). Thus, it seems that Daniel prophetically envisaged Matthew 28:18, the Son of Man not only receiving all authority, honor, and sovereignty, but, as we will see below, as in Matthew 28:17, Daniel sees the Son of Man being worshiped “by all people, nations, and languages.” The parallel here to Matthew 28:17-19 are striking.

In Daniel 7:9-14, Daniel presents two objects of divine worship, the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man who “was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom.” First, we read in in verse 9 that Daniel saw “thrones,” not a single throne: “I kept looking, until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat.” Second, in verse 13, Daniel sees the Son of Man coming “with [LXX, epi] the clouds of heaven . . . to the Ancient of Days.”[1]

In especially the LXX, [2], note verse 14: “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom and all the nations of the earth according to their kind, and all glory to Him worshiping [λατρεύουσα, present act. participle of λατρεύω, from the imperfect Arm. verb pelach], and the dominion of Him is an everlasting dominion, which οὐ μὴ ἀρθῇ [‘never never, not even a possibility, shall pass away’], and the kingdom of Him, which οὐ μὴ φθαρῇ [never never, not even a possibility, shall be destroyed].”

The deity of the person of the Son of Man is most expressed. After the Ancient of Days gives to the Son of Man “dominion, Glory and a kingdom,” then, He decrees that “all the nations of the earth according to their kind, and all glory to Him worshiping [or “serve /serving” in some trans; “worship Him,” Holman, NLT, NIV et al.]

As noted above, the LXX translates the Aramaic pelach as latreuō (cf. Isa. 56:2; Jer. 50:40; Ps. 8:4; 80:17; 146:3; Job 25:6). In a religious context the term denotes service or worship reserved for God alone (Exod. 20:5 [LXX]; Matt. 4:10; Acts 26:7; Rom. 1:9; 12:1; Gal. 4:8; Phil. 3:3; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 22:3; etc.).[3] Although in some editions of the LXX, have the term douleuō (“to serve”), but as with latreuō, in a religious context (which Dan. 7:9-14 undeniably are), douleuō denotes religious worship, signifying service or worship reserved for God alone.[4] ” (Gal. 4:8). [5]

Since Daniel’s vision was clearly within a religious context (i.e., in the heavens), the worship (latreuō/douleuō) that the Son of Man receives from the “peoples, nations and men of every language” is religious worship reserved for YHWH alone (cf. v. 27). That the Messiah, the Son of Man, rightfully received religious worship here is wholly consistent to the New Testament revelation there are many places where the Son was worshiped in a religious context (e.g., Matt. 14:33; John 9:35-38; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:13-14). It is the Son of Man that is coming in the clouds whose “dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (cf. Eph. 1:20-21; Heb. 1:8-12).

Furthermore, to avoid the implications of the Messiah receiving true religious worship, some have argued that the title “Son of Man” refers exclusively to humanity collectively In response, however, it is true that many places in the Old Testament does convey that meaning—but only where the context warrants. However, in Daniel 7:9-14 this designation cannot be true contextually. The Son of Man in Daniel receives “dominion, Glory and a kingdom,” and “all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him.” This description cannot be said of men collectively.

More than that, while modern Jewish commentators deny the Messianic import of this passage, this was not the case with the earliest Jewish exegetes (cf. the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, 96b-97a, 98a; etc.). Further, as noted, the testimony of early church Fathers connected the Son of Man in Daniel 7 with Jesus Christ— and not with men collectively.

Conclusion

In Daniel 7:9-14, Daniel presents two objects of divine worship, the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man who “was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom.” In Revelation 5:13 and 22:1, 3 the Father and the Lamb are presented as distinct persons. According to the rules of Greek grammar (viz. Sharp’s rule #6), tou theou (“the God”) and tou arniou (“the Lamb”) are two different/distinct persons. Each noun is preceded by the article (tou, “the”) and both nouns are connected by the copulative conjunction (kai, “and”; as in Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3; etc.; see Edward L. Dalcour, A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology: In the Light of Biblical Trinitarianism, 4^thEdition, Revised, Updated, and Expanded [NWU, Potchefstroom, SA, 2011], 88, note 5).

Jesus has asked: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Jesus spelled out His Messianic task as the Son of Man precisely in terms of three situations: Severing (Mark 10:45); Suffering (Luke 22:48) and Glory (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 8:38; 14:61-64; John 8:28).

The person of Christ is identified as the Son of Man (Mark 14:61-62; John 8:28; 9:36 et al.).

He is the divine Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 14:61-64).

The Son of Man preexisted and came from heaven and became man (Mark 10:45; John 3:13).

The Son of Man was worship (Dan. 7:13-14; John 9:38).

The Son of Man is the king of a kingdom and the angels belong to Him” and they “all” worship Him (Matt. 13:41; Heb. 1:6).

The Son of Man vicariously gave His life as a ransom for the many (Mark 10:45).

The Son of Man was killed and raised from the dead (Matt. 17:9, 26:2; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22).

And When the Son of Man comes, He will execute judgment “because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27).

At the end, the Son of man will gather “His elect” (Mark 13:27).

And Who ever believe in Him shall have Life eternal

Not a generic Son of Man, – – But God the Son the object of Divine worship in Dan. 7:14 – the Lord, the eternal Word, Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity.

1 JOHN 5:20: “This [the Son of God] ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος. ²¹ Little children, guard yourselves from idols

Notes

[1] In the OT, only YHWH is said to be coming in/with the clouds of heaven (cf., Exod. 19:9; Lev. 16:2; Isa. 19:1; Jer. 4:13). In the NT, only the Son, Jesus Christ is said to be coming the clouds of heaven (Matt. 26:64; Mark 14:62).

[2] Cf. the LXX editions of H. B. Swete and Alfred Rahlfs.

[3] Latreuō would have the same linguistic force as that of the frequently used term for “worship,” proskuneō in a religious context (e.g., Exod. 20:5 [LXX]; John 4:24; Rev. 7:11).

[4] For example, in Galatians 4:8, Paul says, “When you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.” The phrase “were slaves” (or “you served”) is from the verb douleuō. Paul was clear, “to serve” (douleuō) in a religious service, anyone other than God in a religious context is idolatry.

[5] In the NT, there are many places where the Son was worshiped in a religious context (e.g., Matt. 14:33; John 9:35-38; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:13-14).

Jehovah’s Witnesses – Hebrews 1:6: “Worship” or “Obeisance” (Brief Look)

Posted on September 21, 2019December 19, 2025 by Edward Dalcour

Hebrews 1:6 (last clause):

NASB: “But when He again brings His firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!”

NWT: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him” (*in all NWT eds. post 1970 ed.).

Greek NT (TR, WH, NA): Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ, Kai proskunēsatōsan autō pantes aggeloi Theou (lit., “And worship Him all [the] angels of God”).

LXX[2] (Deut. 32:43 – the author’s OT source [also cf. Ps. 96:7]): Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ, Kai proskunēsatōsan autō pantes aggeloi Theou (Brenton’s ed., same rendering as the GNT above).

Dead Sea Scrolls (location cave 4) 4Q44 Deut. 32:43- (100 BC) – as with LXX Heb 1.6: “and let all the angels of God worship Him.”

Justin Martyr – (A.D. 150) Dialog with Trypho – (chap 130) cites Deut. 32:43: Rejoice, O you heavens, with Him, and let all the angels of God worship Him.”

Last week, in our weekly First Love Radio Show, Pastor James Tippins (Grace Truth Church, Claxton, GA) and I had a fantastic discussion regarding some of the specific places in which “worship” (proskuneō and latreuō)[3] was applied to the person of the Son in a “religious” context[4] (esp. Dan. 7:14; Matt. 14:33; John 3:38; Heb. 1:6 and Rev. 5:13-14).

Hebrews 1:6 – a few noteworthy points:

The Father’s command to all the angels to worship the Son was in the aorist imperative (proskunēsatōsan). Linguistically, this was the strongest and most “urgent” way to issue a command in biblical Greek—appearing in both the Greek NT (all eds.) and in the LXX (see above).

The NWT. As most of us know, that the JWs’ unique and distorted translation, the NWT, replaced the word “worship” (as in virtually all recognized Bible translations) with “obeisance” (honor, respect, etc.).

Lexically. The verb proskuneō is from pros (“toward”) and kuneō (lit., “to kiss”). Thus, “prostrating oneself before persons and kissing their feet. . . . to express … submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and) worship, do obeisance … do reverence to, welcome respectfully” (BDAG).

Context. The verb could mean either religious “worship” (reserved for God alone, cf. John 4:24) or “obeisance” with no connotation of religious worship at all. But as we know: Context always governs!—thus it determines the verb’s meaning. The defining and surrounding context of Hebrews 1:6 is clearly in the heavenlies(it does not get more “religious” and holier than that!) and the affirmation of the eternal Son. Moreover, in the prologue of Hebrews (viz. chap. 1), the author presents a vivid contrast between all things created (angels, heavens, and the earth) and the eternal Son, Creator of all things (vv. 2, 3, 10-12[5]). It is this defining context, therefore, that indicates the meaning of proskuneō in verse 6—namely, divine religious “worship.”

The JWs argue in a theological circle, which starts with unitarianism and ends with a denial of the deity of Christ. Hence, the NWT arbitrarily removes “worship” at the places applied to Christ (e.g., Matt. 2:11; 14:33; 28:8-9; John 9:38; and of course, Heb. 1:6). Interestingly, from 1950 to 1970, in Hebrews 1:6, the NWT read, “And let all God’s angels worship him.” Consequently, for over twenty years, the JWs actually taught that “all the angels” worshiped Jesus (who they identify as Michael, the “created” archangel)—a frustrating fact they cannot deny. It was not until the 1971 ed. that “worship” was finally removed being replaced with “obeisance” in Hebrews 1:6.

Furthermore, from 1898 to 1964, the Watchtower (the JWs leadership), has taught that “worship” is properly given to Jesus—it’s a matter of (accessible) record. Note these examples:

“Yes, we believe our Lord Jesus while on earth was really worshiped, and properly so. It was proper for our Lord to receive worship in view of his having been the only begotten of the Father and his agent in the creation of all things, including man” (Zion’s Watch Tower, 1898, July 15, p. 216).

“Jehovah God commands all to worship Christ Jesus because Christ Jesus is the express image of his Father, Jehovah….” (Watchtower, 1939, Nov 15, p. 339).

“[W]hosoever should worship Him must also worship and bow down to Jehovah’s Chief One in that capital organization, namely, Christ Jesus….” (Watchtower, 1945, p. 313).

In the 1945 Yearbook, it clearly defines the purpose of the Watchtower Society (in part):

“The purposes of this Society are…. to go forth to all the world publicly and from house to house to preach and teach Bible truths. … and send out to various parts of the world Christian missionaries, teachers and instructors in the Bible and Bible literature and for public Christian worship of Almighty God and Christ Jesus.”

In 1964, they finally changed their view and taught that worshiping Christ was idolatrous: “It is unscriptural … to render worship to the Son of God” (Watchtower, 1964 Nov 1, p. 671). The inconsistencies of the Watchtower are and have been astounding!

Jesus Worshiped as God

Jesus received “worship” in a religious context[6] on several occasions. These are some of the clear and explicit examples of the Son receiving religious worship by both men and angels:

Dan. 7:13-14 [LXX, Swete, Rahlfs eds.]: 13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man [anarthrous – hō s huios anthrōpou] was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom and all the nations of the earth according to their kind, and all glory to Him worshiping [λατρεύουσα, latreuousa, present act. participle of latreuō, trans from the imperfect Arm. verb pelach], and the dominion of Him is an everlasting dominion, which ou mē arthē [‘never never, not even a possibility, shall pass away’], and the kingdom of Him, which ou mē phtharē [never never, not even a possibility, shall be destroyed].”

The same term (pelach) applied to the Son of Man in verse 14 is applied to Yahweh in verse 27: “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve [pelach] and obey Him.” Further, the LXX translate pelach in verse 14, as latreuō, which, in a religious context, denotes service or worship reserved for God alone (cf. Exod. 20:5 [LXX]; see also Matt. 4:10; Rom. 1:9, Phil. 3:3; Heb. 9:14). Even though some editions of the LXX, pelach is translated as douleuō (“to serve”), but in a religious context (which vv. 9-14 undeniably are), douleuō like latreuō denotes service or worship reserved for God alone (cf. Gal. 4:8).[7]

MATTHEW 14:33: “And those who were in the boat worshiped [proskuneō] [8] Him saying [legontes – pres. participle], ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’” Matthew 14:22-34 is a narrative of the Jesus’ miraculous walking on the water. This event is also recorded in Mark 6:45-51 and John 6:16-21. What is remarkable is that the narrative supplies ample references to the deity of Christ (i.e., His repeated “I am” claims and the religious worship given to Christ by the men in the boat). This event follows the feeding of the 5,000. In verse 26, we read that after the disciples who were in the boat saw Jesus “walking on the water,” they were terrified for they thought they saw a phantasma (“ghost/ apparition”). At which point Jesus comforted them by stating: Tharseite, egō eimi, mē phobeisthe (lit. “Take courage, I am, [do] not [be with] fear” (v. 27).

Jesus declares His deity in contrast to their fear. Jesus is the One who created all things, the eternal God, who controls the winds and the sea (cf. Matt. 8:27)—why be afraid? In verses 28-32, Matthew provides additional information. However, we read that Peter attempted to walk on the water to meet Christ, but sank due to his weak faith. When Jesus helped him get back into the boat, verse 33 indicates, “Those who were in the boat worshiped [proskuneō] Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’” Note that act of worshiping is connected with the affirmation of Jesus being “God’s Son.”

The unique way in which Jesus claimed to be the Son of God was tantamount to claiming He was God the Son—, which was clearly understood by the Jews (cf. Mark 14:61-63; John 5:17-18; 10:30-36; 19:7), the apostles (cf. Matt. 16:18; Rom. 1:1, 3); the author of Hebrews (cf. Heb. 1:1-3); the devil (cf. Matt. 4:3-7); God the Father (cf. Matt. 3:17; Heb. 1:5-12); and the OT prophets (cf. Ps. 2:7; Dan. 7:9-14; Acts 10:43 et al).

JOHN 9:35-38: “[Jesus] said [to the blind man that He healed], “’Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ ³⁷Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.’ ³⁸And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshiped [proskuneō] Him.” As in Matthew 14:33, the worship was combined with the blind man’s affirmation that Jesus was the “Son of Man” and “Lord”—thus, a religious context (cf. Dan. 7:9-14).

REVELATION 5:13-14: “And every created thing … I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ ¹⁴ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen’ and the elders fell down and worshiped [proskuneō].” Here the Father and the Lamb received the same kind of blessing, honor, and glory and thus, the same kind of worship, from “every created thing.” Hence, the Lamb (Jesus) is excluded from the category of a “created thing.” Rather, as in Hebrews 1:6 et al, the Son was worshiped in a religious context. This revealing truth shows that the Son shares the very essence of God the Father. He is God in the same sense as that of the Father (cf. John 1:1, 18; Heb. 1:3).

In spite of the NWT’s devaluation of the Son, the denial of His cross work and a denial of the triune nature of the only true God, both the OT and NT affirm that Jesus Christ was properly worshiped as God. The Son is “the great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13); “the only Master and Lord” (Jude 1:4); the Theos-Christos (“God-Christ”) who saved a people out of the land of Egypt (Jude 1:5) whose atoning cross work is the very cause of our justification.

Let us, along with all the angels, worship Jesus Christ, “the Lord of glory,” unceasingly.

NOTES

[1] The NWT is the Bible translation of the JWs—published by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (i.e., the corporate name for the JWs).

[2] LXX is the abbreviation of the Septuagint (i.e., the Greek OT).

[3] These terms are the primary terms denoting worship or reverence, honor depending on the context (e.g., John 4:24; Rom. 12:1).

[4] A religious context is any such context where spirituality, holiness, and/or divinity exists.

[5] Verses 10-12 is a citation of Psalm 102:25-27 (LXX). Thus, the Father directly addresses the Son (cf. v. 8) as the Yahweh (LORD) of that Psalm—the unchangeable Creator of all things.

[6] See note 4 above.

[7] Many modern Jewish commentators deny the Messianic import of this passage. However, this was not the case with the earliest Jewish sources (cf. the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, 96b-97a, 98a; etc.). Furthermore, the testimony of early church Fathers connect the Son of Man in Daniel 7:9ff. with Jesus Christ— and not with men collectively.

[8] The Greek word proskuneō means divine worship in a religious context (as with Matt. 4:10 and John 4:24) or it can also mean to fall prostrate in front of another in honor and respect, thus, “obeisance.” Only the context determines the meaning. In Hebrews 1:6, the setting is in the heavenlies—hence, the Father commands “all the angels” to give religious worship to the divine Son.