Is Jehovah The Mighty God?
Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Society rejects Jesus Christ as God. The original Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Society argument against the deity of Jesus Christ was that there was only one God, Jehovah, therefore Jesus could not be God. They had a problem with Isaiah 9:6 and John 1:1, in which He is clearly referred to as “mighty God” and “God”, so The Watchtower Society adapted their teaching; they now say that Jesus is the mighty God, but Jehovah is Almighty God. In other words, in order to support their argument that Jesus is not God because there is only one God, they assert at least two Gods: Jesus the mighty God and Jehovah the Almighty God.
It is necessary to examine the Scriptures in order to determine whether it is valid to consider that the Mighty God is a different person from Almighty God, whether either of these titles are clearly used in reference to either Jesus or “Jehovah” , and whether either title is used in reference to both Jesus and “Jehovah”.
An examination of the text of the King James Version English Bible and a Strong’s Concordance or Bible search software reveals only eight instances of the term “mighty God”, all occurring in the Old Testament. “The Mighty One of Israel ” occurs twice, as does “the mighty one of Jacob”. Four Hebrew words or phrases are translated into these two English terms.
On the other hand, there are several instances of the title Almighty God, or the Almighty. All Old Testament references are translated from the single Hebrew word Shadday, derived from the root shadad which means to be powerful, or to be impregnable. Shadday translates literally into “almighty”.
By first examining the instances of “mighty God”, or “the Mighty One of Israel “, we shall see what Hebrew words are so translated, what the verses say, and to whom they refer. Strong’s numbers at the end of the verse indicate which Hebrew word(s) were translated into the italicized word or phrase:
Gen 49:24 But his (Joseph) bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel 46 only
Deut 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward 1368, 410
Ps 50:1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof 410, 430
Ps 132:2 How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob 46
Ps 132:5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. 46
Is 1:24 Therefore saith the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies 46
Is 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 1368, 410
Is 30:29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel. 6697
Is 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. 46
Is 60:16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob 46
Jer 32:18 Thou showed lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name… 1368, 410
Hab 1:12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. 6697 *
In each of: Ps 50:1, Jer 32:18, and Habbakuk 1:12, “the mighty God” is identified as YHWH, the name of the only Living and True God. In Gen 49:24, Ps 132, the LORD is referred to as “the mighty God of Jacob”, and in Is 1:24, 30:29, 49:26, and 60:16, He is referred to as “the mighty one of Jacob” or “of Israel”. In other words, in every reference to “the mighty God” or “the mighty one”, the party to whom it refers is specifically stated to be YHWH, or “Jehovah”.
Yet Jehovah’s Witnesses have been persuaded that the reference in Isaiah 9:6, in which the anticipated Messiah is prophesied to be “called the Mighty God”, is necessarily distinguished from Jehovah, not because of language, or because YHWH is only identified as Almighty God and never as mighty God, but because of a vacuous argument based upon a pre-determined position that Jesus Christ is not God Himself, and a failure to consider the logical extension of the claim that Christ is another God.
The four Hebrew terms translated into the variations of “the mighty God” follow in order of Strong’s reference numbers:
46 ‘abyir ( fr. 82: ‘abar – to soar; fly) mighty (spoken of God); mighty (one)
410 ‘el (short for 352: ‘ayil ) (fr. same as 193: ‘ uwl: to twist, to be strong; the body (as being rolled together) also powerful; mighty, strength) properly: strength; anything strong, esp. chief, also ram, pilaster, oak or other strong tree …) strength, mighty, esp. the almighty (but also used of any deity), God, god, goodly, great, idol, might(y)(one)power, strong.
1368 gibbowr / gibbor (same as 1397 geber valiant man or warrior) generally a person…powerful, by impl. Warrior, tyrant, champion, chief, X excel, giant, man, mighty(man/one), strong(man),valiant(man).
6679 tsuwr / tsur a rock or boulder, figuratively: refuge, also an edge (as precipitous), X mighty, God, rock, sharp, stone, X strength, X strong.
The Hebrew words in Isaiah 9:6 are the exact same – gibbowr ‘el – as in both Deut 10:17 and Jer 32:18, in which they specifically refer to YHWH God Himself. On what authority then does the Watchtower Society declare that the Isaiah passage does not confirm the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as being one and the samegibbowr ‘el – mighty God – as YHWH Himself? They have no authority; it is a predetermined position based not on the Bible text, but on their own doctrines. Jesus had harsh words for those who taught the “traditions of men” as “doctrines”. (1)
The fact is, the Isaiah passage directly parallels all the other passages in which God is referred to as “the mighty God”, and the only appropriate conclusion from the text is that the child to be born and the son to be given would indeed be God Himself, come in the flesh.
Now we will look at the use of the title “almighty God”. As stated earlier, shaddayis the only Hebrew word translated into “almighty God” in the Old Testament. Occasionally, it is translated simply as “Almighty” and is a clear reference to God in every instance. Only God could be called “almighty” as only God is almighty. Therefore we see that God is both “the Almighty” and “the Mighty God”.
In Revelation we have an important interchange between John and a “speaker” revealing to him many things. Rev 1:8 shows the speaker saying, “‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,’ says the Lord who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty … (John) … hear(d) behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last … ‘” When John “turned to see the voice that spoke to me” he saw “one like the Son of Man …” who continued by saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, I am he who lives, and was dead, and behold I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”[2]
We know by this description that the speaker is Jesus – He is described as being like “the Son of Man”, a term Jesus used to refer to Himself during His earthly ministry. And only Jesus could say that He had been dead but was alive forever; clearly the Father had never died and only Christ had risen eternally from the dead. Yet, this Speaker identifies Himself as being “the beginning and the end”, “the first and the last”, and John identifies the one who says “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,” as being the Almighty. Here in chapter one, we have “the Lord … the Almighty” calling Himself “the first and the last” and He “who was dead, and behold, I live forever more …” also declaring Himself to be “the first and the last”.
Again in Rev 2:8, the Speaker’s message to the church in Smyrna begins with, “These things says the first and the last, who was dead and is alive”. Again He who is “first and last” is also He who was dead and is now alive.
Later in chapter 21, verse 6, we have Him who “sat on the throne” in heaven declaring “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him who is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.” So the Alpha and Omega is also the beginning and the end, and is the God of those who come to Him. But in Chapter one, the one who called Himself Alpha and Omega, first and last is also He who was dead, and is now alive forevermore. Clearly the Father was never dead. Only Jesus was dead and resurrected. So He who was dead and resurrected, Jesus, is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and the God of him who thirsts.
Finally, in Rev 22, we have the speaker saying that He will come quickly, and His reward is with Him, to give to everyone according to his work. He also says of Himself that “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last …. I Jesus have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star …” Here the speaker is clearly identified as Jesus, being also Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last – exactly the same titles claimed by the speaker in chapter one who John says is the Lord, the Almighty. Either John is wrong or the Watchtower Society is wrong. Either Jesus Christ is the Lord God Almighty, as the Book of Revelation and the entire Bible makes very plain, or John along with the other Biblical authors were wrong, and the Bible is of no value to us in understanding anything about God, ourselves, or the world in which we live.
Very clearly from these few verses, Jesus Christ, Messiah who is the mighty God, is also the Almighty God, YHWH of all the earth. God (Elohyim) declares throughout the Old Testament that there is no other God but YHWH. There are no lesser gods and greater gods, but there is one God, the only living and true God, of which Jesus Christ is one member, to which fact the entire Scripture attests abundantly and irrefutably. We urge – indeed plead with – Jehovah’s Witnesses to let the Bible be their only guide and authority to know what God has revealed of Himself to men.
[1] In addition, each of Gen 49:24, Psalm 50:1, Ps 132:2 & 5 also refer to YHWH as the mighty God and in Is 1:24, Is 30:29, Is 49:26, Is 60:16, YHWH is called ‘the mighty One’ of either Jacob or of Israel. The literal translation of these latter several verses is “YHWH … the mighty (of Jacob / Israel).” YHWH is clearly said to be ‘the mighty’ God of Jacob and of Israel. “Jehovah” therefore is the mighty God
(2) Further references to God being the first and the last: Is. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12
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