ThussaiththeLORDtheKingofIsrael,andhisredeemertheLORDofhosts;Iamthefirst,andI amthelast;andbesidemethereisnoGod.Isaiah44:6. Answer: TherearemanytitlesandnamesintheBiblethataresharedbyboththeFatherandtheSon,andthe title,thefirstandthelastisoneofthem.PeopleimmediatelyapplythistexttoJesusbecausethe speakercallshimselfredeemerandthendeclaresbesidemethereisnoGod. Letusexaminethetexttofindoutwhoisspeaking.Thespeakersays,besidemethereisnoGod, andinverse8,hesays,IsthereaGodbesideme?yea,thereisnoGod;Iknownotany.Thisis verypreciselanguagetoindicatethatthespeakerisalone.Allofthepronounsaresingular, indicatingthatonlyonepersonisspeaking.Whoisthisoneperson?TheNewTestamentclarifies this. In1Corinthians8:4,Paulwrote,weknowthatthereisnoneotherGodbutone.Andhemakes itveryclearwhohewasreferringtobyaddingtousthereisbutoneGod,theFather(v.6).Paul understoodtheoneGodoftheBibletobeGodtheFatherandnooneelse. Theword"redeemer",usedinthetext,isthoughttoreferonlytoChrist.

Actually,theFatherisalso calledbythistitle. Isaiah63:8,9Forhesaid,Surelytheyaremypeople,childrenthatwillnotlie:sohewastheir Saviour.Inalltheirafflictionhewasafflicted,andtheangelofhispresencesavedthem:inhislove andinhispityheredeemedthem;andhebarethem,andcarriedthemallthedaysofold. TheFatheriscalledtheSaviouranditistheFatherwhoredeemedIsrael.Wecanbesure becauseinthesameversetheSonismentionedseparatelyastheangelofhispresence. Noticealsoverse16Doubtlessthouartourfather,thoughAbrahambeignorantofus,andIsrael acknowledgeusnot:thou,OLORD,artourfather,ourredeemer;thynameisfromeverlasting. Again,inIsaiah49:7GodtheFatherisspeakingandcallsHimselftheRedeemerofIsrael,andhis HolyOneWhatisinterestingaboutthispassageisthatChristspeaksthroughIsaiahinverses4and 5andtwiceaddressestheFatherasmyGod.TheseareallthetitlesoftheFather,whoisJehovah (YHWH),theselfexistentBeing,thegreatSourceofall,andfromwhomallhavetheirbeing;the redeemerofIsrael,beingconcernedwithhisSonintheredemption,ofhispeople;andhisHoly One,ortheHolyOneofIsrael. So,onecannotapplyIsaiah44:6ToChristsolelybecauseHecallsHimselftheredeemer,aswe haveseenthistitleisjustasrightfullyappliedtotheFather. Jesushadthesameunderstanding.Inansweringthequestionofthescribe(seeMark12:28)Jesus quotedDeuteronomy6:4,thescribetoldhim,Well,Master,thouhastsaidthetruth:forthereis oneGod;andthereisnoneotherbuthe(Mark12:32).WhoistheoneGodthescribewasreferring to?WashereferringtoJesusastheoneGod?No.HewasreferringtoGodtheFather. Atanothertime,whileJesuswastalkingtothescribesandPharisees,Hesaid,IfIhonourmyself, myhonourisnothing:itismyFatherthathonourethme;ofwhomyesay,thatheisyourGod.John 8:54.JesusknewthatwhenthescribesandPhariseessaidGod,theywerereferringtohisFather.

Whenthescribesaid,thereisoneGod;andthereisnoneotherbuthe,Jesusknewthathewas talkingaboutHisFather.Jesusdidnotcorrectthescribebysaying,Youarewrong,Iamreallythe oneGodoftheBible.Notatall!Tothecontrary,theBiblesaysthatJesussawthatheanswered discreetlyorwiselyandHetoldthescribeThouartnotfarfromthekingdomofGod.(Mark 12:34).Jesusknewthatthismanwascorrect,thatthereisoneGod,theFather,andthereisnone otherGodbuthim. WiththisclarificationfromtheNewTestament,wecanbecompletelysurewhoIsaiah44:6is talkingabout.ChrististheOnespeaking,forHeisthewordofGod,butHeisspeakingthewords ofHisFather. InExodus23:2022weread: Behold,IsendanAngelbeforethee,tokeeptheeintheway,andtobringtheeintotheplacewhich Ihaveprepared.Bewareofhim,andobeyhisvoice,provokehimnot;forhewillnotpardonyour transgressions:formynameisinhim.Butifthoushaltindeedobeyhisvoice,anddoallthatI speak;thenIwillbeanenemyuntothineenemies,andanadversaryuntothineadversaries. GodtheFatheristheultimatefirstandlast,HeisthegreatSourceofall,andHisSoninheritedthat titlebyvirtueofHisdivinebirth. ThepointofthepassageinquestionisthatGodiscontrastingHimselfwiththefalsegodsofthe heathen. Isaiah44:8Fearyenot,neitherbeafraid:havenotItoldtheefromthattime,andhavedeclaredit? yeareevenmywitnesses.IsthereaGodbesideme?yea,thereisnoGod;Iknownotany.Thisis thecasewhenyouexaminetherestoftheverses(920). SpiritofProphecy: Astheworld'sRedeemer,Christwasconstantlyconfrontedwithapparentfailure.He,the messengerofmercytoourworld,seemedtodolittleoftheworkHelongedtodoinupliftingand saving.SatanicinfluenceswereconstantlyworkingtoopposeHisway.ButHewouldnotbe discouraged.ThroughtheprophecyofIsaiahHedeclares,"Ihavelaboredinvain,IhavespentMy strengthfornought,andinvain:yetsurelyMyjudgmentiswiththeLord,andMyworkwithMy God....ThoughIsraelbenotgathered,yetshallIbegloriousintheeyesoftheLord,andMyGod shallbeMystrength."ItistoChristthatthepromiseisgiven,"ThussaiththeLord,theRedeemer ofIsrael,andHisHolyOne,toHimwhommandespiseth,toHimwhomthenationabhorreth;... thussaiththeLord:...IwillpreserveThee,andgiveTheeforacovenantofthepeople,toestablish theearth,tocausetoinheritthedesolateheritages;thatThoumayestsaytotheprisoners,Goforth; tothemthatareindarkness,Showyourselves....Theyshallnothungernorthirst;neithershallthe heatnorsunsmitethem:forHethathathmercyonthemshallleadthem,evenbythespringsof watershallHeguidethem."Isa.49:4,5,710.{DA678.3} He[GodtheFather]hadbeforecommunicatedwithhumanitythroughChrist;nowHe communicatedwithhumanityinChrist.{DA116.2} Sincethesinofourfirstparents,therehasbeennodirectcommunicationbetweenGodandman. TheFatherhasgiventheworldintothehandsofChrist,thatthroughHismediatorialworkHemay redeemman,andvindicatetheauthorityandholinessofthelawofGod.Allthecommunion

betweenheavenandthefallenracehasbeenthroughChrist.{TMK102.2}