PART 5 — THE GLORY AND WORSHIP OF YEHOVAH
In the previous part, we saw that the apostles applied to Yeshua things Scripture had already said about Yehovah.
Yehovah is Savior.
Yeshua saves.
Yehovah is Redeemer.
Yeshua redeems.
Yehovah is Shepherd.
Yeshua shepherds.
Yehovah forgives sins.
Yeshua forgives sins.
But Scripture does not stop there.
It also speaks of glory and worship.
And throughout Scripture, glory and worship belong to Yehovah alone.
Yehovah Will Not Give His Glory To Another
Yehovah declared:
"I am Yehovah: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another."
Isaiah 42:8
Yehovah does not give His glory to idols.
He does not give His glory to false gods.
He does not give His glory to another being beside Himself.
Yet Yeshua prayed:
"And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was."
John 17:5
Yeshua speaks of glory He had with the Father before the world existed.
So we have to ask the question.
If Yehovah will not give His glory to another, how can Yeshua have this glory?
John gives us the answer.
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory."
John 1:14
The glory seen in Yeshua was not the glory of another god.
It was the glory of the Father revealed in the Son.
This is why Yeshua said:
"He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father."
John 14:9
Worship Belongs To God
Worship belongs to Yehovah alone.
When Cornelius fell at Peter's feet and reverenced him, Peter immediately corrected him:
"Stand up; I myself also am a man."
Acts 10:26
Likewise, when John fell before an angel, the angel corrected him immediately:
"See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant... worship God."
Revelation 22:9
Men and created messengers refuse worship.
They know worship belongs to God.
Yet Yeshua received worship.
After Yeshua walked on the water and the wind ceased, His disciples worshiped Him:
"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God."
Matthew 14:33
After Yeshua rose from the dead, the women held Him by the feet and worshiped Him:
"And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him."
Matthew 28:9
Thomas said to Him:
"My Lord and my God."
John 20:28
Yeshua did not rebuke him.
He did not say, "Do not call Me God."
He did not say, "Worship God only."
Created angels refuse worship.
Yeshua received it.
Every Knee Shall Bow
Yehovah declared:
"Unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."
Isaiah 45:23
Paul applies this to Yeshua:
"That at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow."
Philippians 2:10
This is worship and submission that Scripture says belongs to Yehovah.
Yet Paul says it will happen at the name of Yeshua.
He does not present this as worshiping another god.
He presents it as the fulfillment of what Yehovah had already spoken.
The Glory Of The Lamb
Revelation also joins the glory of God and the Lamb together.
John wrote:
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne... saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain."
Revelation 5:11-12
Then he says:
"Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
Revelation 5:13
The Lamb receives glory and honor in the throne room of heaven.
This would be impossible if He were another god beside Yehovah.
Yehovah already said He will not give His glory to another.
So the Lamb is not another god.
He is the visible revelation of Yehovah, who came in flesh and gave His life for His people.
The Pattern
Yehovah will not give His glory to another.
Yeshua has the glory of the Father.
Worship belongs to God.
Yeshua receives worship.
Yehovah says every knee will bow to Him.
Every knee bows at the name of Yeshua.
The apostles were not careless with worship.
They were not confused about the glory of God.
They knew the Scriptures.
They knew Yehovah alone is to be worshiped.
So when they worshiped Yeshua, they were not worshiping another god.
They were worshiping Yehovah manifested in the flesh as Messiah.
In the next part we will look at the Torah test and ask whether Israel would ever be allowed to follow Yeshua if He were another god beside Yehovah.