Please explain how God rested on the 7th creative day.

Jehovah God rested his work of creation, ceased to prosecute it, because in his wisdom he foresaw that his designs could best be executed by another means. God saw best to permit his creature Adam to exercise his free will and fall under temptation into sin and its legitimate penalty, death–including a long period, 6,000 years of dying and battling, as a convict, with evil environment. God saw best to permit him thus as a convict to do a part of the subduing of the earth; that to bring it as a whole toward its foretold Paradisaic condition would be profitable to man under the circumstances; that it would be expedient that man realize the principles underlying divine righteousness and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and be thus prepared for the grace to be brought to the world in due time.

What does it mean to be “fearfully made?” – Psalm 139:14

In the King James Version (KJV) Bible the whole scripture Psalm 139:14 reads:  "I will praise thee:  for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:  marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

The Old Testament scriptures were originally written in Hebrew, later translated into English and other languages.  The word translated "fearfully" in this scripture comes from the Hebrew word yârê.  That is #3372 in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.  Sometimes yârê is translated "reverence," such as in Leviticus 19:30 – "Ye shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary:  I am the LORD."  To be reverent means, according to Webster, "to regard with profound respect and honor."    The meaning of Psalm 139:14 seems to be that we are so amazingly made that we should have a reverent fear of the Lord who created us.

Our Heavenly Father does not want us to have a timid or cowardly fear of Him or anyone else.  The Apostle Paul states in II Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  New International Version Bible (NIV) 

We also know that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"  Palm 111:10 (NIV)  Another place in the Bible where yârê is used is in Psalms 66:5, 6.  The King James rendering is:  "Come and see the works of God:  he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.  He turned the sea into dry land:  they went through the flood on foot:  there did we rejoice in him."  At first that sounds a little frightening, but the scripture shows that the "terrible" demonstration of God's power resulted in the Israelites being rescued and that they were joyous.  The NIV translates verse 5 as:  "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf."  One of Webster's definitions of "awe" is:  "reverent wonder tinged with fear inspired by the sublime."

When we see God's creation on earth and in the whole universe, we are filled with great wonder at His mighty power, majesty, and wisdom.  We see that He loves us and has provided all these things for us to enjoy, even though the earth is in an imperfect state at this time.  We recognize our own smallness and imperfection, and we fear to displease such a great God.  But this fear should bring us closer to God, instead of driving us away from Him.  It makes us want to have Him as our Father, and we want to praise and honor and serve Him.

Does God exist?

This question may be on the minds of a lot of people these days. Looking at the trouble that is happening around the world makes people ask “if God exists, why would he let this happen? If God exists, why is he so quiet?” After all, it has been over 2000 years since the last physical miracle of God…or has it?

A strong current miracle is prophesied in our Lord’s Great Prophecy. The Apostles (who knew that their Lord was to leave their midst) asked Jesus for the “signs of his returning”.

Christ’s response included: Matthew 24: 32  “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:” Christians in general recognize the Fig Tree is referencing Israel. The miracle that  happened occurred in 1948, when Israel was granted the right to be a nation again. Soon after the crucification of Christ, the Israelites were thrust out of their land, scattered around the world. The miracle is that they came back as a nation 1845 years later.

This modern miracle is a strong proof that not only God Exists, but that he is still in control.

If God exists, then why isn’t He healing this sin-sick world?

We have all prayed, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When Christ establishes God’s kingdom on earth, tremendous miracles of joy and gladness will fill the earth. All will be resurrected (John 5:28, 29), all will be receive perfect health (Isa. 35), all will know God (Jer. 31: 33, 34). “I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts,; and will be their God…and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me…” All mankind will then KNOW God exists!

Why is the God of the Bible the supreme God?

While some worship idols, images created by human hands, Paul declares, “…no idol is anything in the world…there is no God but one.”  (1Corinthians 8:4 ASV).  In 1 Corinthians 8:6, he continues by proclaiming that there is one God (chief, supreme being), the Father (not 2 or 3), and one Lord Jesus who made all things with God’s power.  God’s character and attributes are revealed in creation. Psalms 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Supreme wisdom and supreme power are manifested as who but an all powerful God could intelligently create the universe? Additionally, God’s love and justice may be recognized in the creation of man. When God created the living human race, justice would require that air, food, and water be provided for life. But God’s love made a huge variety of food which is delicious, colorful, aromatic, nutritious, and satisfying to eat. The fact that He designed and created the vast universe and all creatures informs us of His omniscience, omnipotence, absolute justice, and supreme love. The human mind cannot comprehend how God can give life, yet needs nothing to exist, and exists outside of time (which He created). 

Exodus 3:14 (NASB) states, “…I AM WHO I AM…” which is a translation of the Hebrew word “Jehovah.” Jehovah, reigns supreme because He is the self-existing one, on whom all our existence depends. In Exodus 6: 3 (KJV) God tells Moses, "And I appeared unto Abraham…by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known…" By this name, God was known to His people, the Israelites. Moses said to the people, "Hear, O Israel:  Jehovah our God is one Jehovah…thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ASV).  The King James Version states, “…The LORD our God is one LORD.” Usually, whenever the Hebrew word is Jehovah, the KJV translates it as LORD in all capital letters.

“LORD…before the mountains were brought forth, or…thou…formed the earth…from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2 KJV). Our supreme heavenly Father, the embodiment of love, justice, wisdom and power, is the one, true God.  He assures us of His love in James 1:17 (Weymouth), “Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light.  In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.” His ways and thoughts are necessarily higher than ours (see Isaiah 55:9).  Surely, only a righteous, benevolent, supreme God would lovingly assure his human family, “For I know the plans I have for you,” … “plans to prosper youand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).      

“But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide forever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.” (Psalms 102:12 ASV). 

Please explain Psalm 8:5. Has God created us only a little lower than Himself or the angels?

This is a scripture that needs thoughtful consideration.  The translators of the various Bible versions seem to disagree somewhat as to exactly what the scripture says. 

The King James reads:  "For thou hast made [man] a little lower than the angels…" 

The Jerusalem Bible reads:  "Yet you have made him little less than a god…" with a footnote that says:  "The author is thinking of man in comparison with the mysterious beings that constitute the court of Yahweh [God]… the 'angels.' "

The New International Version says:  "a little lower than the heavenly beings," with a footnote:  Or "than God."

The differences in these Bibles is due to the Hebrew word elohim, which has been translated in the KJV  as "angels,"  "God (or gods)"  or "judges," depending on the context.

We know from looking around at God's wonderful creation that He is far greater than we are.  From contemplating the infinite number of stars in the universe to exploring the secrets of the microscopic realm, we realize that we cannot compare ourselves to God's almighty wisdom and power.

The scriptures confirm this.  God asked Job, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?  Tell me, if you understand."  (Job 38:4)  And throughout chapter 38 God reminds Job how small he is.  Psalm 104 praises the power and majesty of God, and Isaiah 55:9 emphasizes the superiority of God:  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  

So, it seems that this scripture tells us that God made us "a little lower than the angels," not Himself.  The angels themselves are mighty messengers and helpers of God, spirit beings that have greater powers than we have.  But they all obey, worship, and serve our God. If our Heavenly Father has created man only a little less than angels, how much greater must God be than allbeings.  And yet He cares for us.  "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;"  Psalm 103:11

Yet, in some ways God has made us also like Himself.  He has given man language, which lets him reason at a level much higher than the other creatures on earth. Man can also speak, read, and write, which lets him communicate information and feelings.   Man has a sense of social justice and love, even though these are imperfect since Adam's sin.  And God originally gave man dominion over His creation.

After Adam's fall, man's dominion over God's creation became corrupted by sin and selfishness.  Man has thrown off the balance of nature, shown cruelty to other humans, as well as to animals, and caused species to become endangered or even extinct.  "The earth mourns and withers….  The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes…  Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt…"  (Isaiah 24:4-6, RSV)

But Jesus came to die for and to ransom Adam and the whole human race.  God has promised a "new heavens and a new earth."  (Isaiah 65:17, Rev. 21:1)  When mankind comes back in the resurrection, and God's judgments are in the earth (Psalm 96:13; Isaiah 26:9), they will learn righteousness.  If they then obey God, the Lord will bring them up to perfection and restore the dominion as it was under Adam.

The God (Supreme Being ) Jesus-Son of GOD (Scriptures)

There is only one Mighty One (God, EL, THEOS) who is the source of all might in the universe, and who is the only true Supreme Being as being that Mighty One. (John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6) The following scriptures, obtained from the World English Bible translation, directly speak of the God of Jesus; please note that the God of Jesus of necessity has to be unipersonal, not tripersonal:

Psalms 45:7 – You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

Micah 5:4 – He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh [Jehovah], In the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: And they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 27:46 – About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mark 15:34 – At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus and Jehovah (Yahweh)

Psalm 110:1 – The “Lord” Of David

Psalms 110:1 - Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

 -- American Standard Version.

It is claimed by many trinitarians and some others that Jesus had to be a person of Jehovah, since David spoke to him inPsalm 110:1. Some claim that one person of Jehovah speaks to another person of himself as David’s Lord, and that since the New Testament identifies Jesus as David’s Lord, then Jesus is Jehovah (some prefer "Yahweh").

Since the scriptures do show that Jesus was in existence before the world of mankind was made (John 1:1-3; 17:5), we can say that David could have spoken to Jesus. However, Psalm 110:1 offers no evidence of such, and even if David were speaking to the pre-human Jesus at that time, it would still not mean that David’s Lord is Jehovah.

David spoke prophetically in Psalm 110:1, just as he does in many of the Psalms.

When did Jesus sit at Jehovah’s right hand, as this speaks of? The Bible tells us that it was after he was raised from the dead.

Mark 16:19 – So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Peter says:

Acts 2:34 For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, 'Jehovah said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand,

Acts 2:35 Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”'

Acts 2:36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

This certainly lets us know that David is speaking prophetically, just as he was speaking in Psalms 16:8-11. See Acts 2:22-33.

Paul tells us:

Ephesians 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;Ephesians 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his mightEphesians 1:20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

Hebrews 1:3 tell us that Jesus,

when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

1 Peter 3:22

who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Jesus was exalted to Jehovah’s right hand when he ascended to his God.

Jesus raised the question of who David’s “Lord” was in Matthew 22:42-45:

Matthew 22:42-45 (New King James Version) saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ‘? “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”

See also Mark 12:35-37 and Luke 20:41-44.

Jesus said: “I am the root *and* the offspring of David.” (Revelation 22:16) How so? Because the promised Son of David, David’s offspring, also in his resurrection became the “life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:25), and as such, the ruler of and restorer of life to the human race, which includes David. “For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:9) Thus when David is raised to life again by Jesus, Jesus will be David’s Lord.

But it is also well to remember that angels in olden times, sent to bear messages to mankind, were addressed by men as Lord — that is, superior or master. In a similar sense Jesus before he became a man was man’s superior; and when a man he was sinless, since his body of flesh was prepared by his God (Hebrews 10:5), and hence -- in his regard -- was superior to those about him; and in addition to this as the agent or messenger of Jehovah, he was a Lord, a master, a teacher, among men.

Thus he said to his disciples, “You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.” (John 13:13.) But he was not then Lord in the sense which David’s prophecy of Psalm 110:1 implied, and to which our Lord’s question referred, except in a reckoned sense, until he had finished his trial and sacrifice, and was raised from the dead, and sat at Jehovah’s right hand in heaven. — Romans 14:9

The sense in which it is used is made clear by Revelation 22:16, “I am the root of David,” that is, the father or progenitor of David in the coming day of regeneration, when he will sit on his throne of glory (thus, as David’s Lord) with his disciples. — Matthew 19:28.

The Lord Said to My Lord

Most translations have the Holy Name of God changed to “The Lord” inPsalm 110:1, making it appear that two “Lords” are being spoken of. Being ignorant themselves of the fact that the translators have changed the Holy Name to “the Lord”, or else preying on the ignorance of the reader regarding this, some trinitarians and others thus make much ado about there being two who are both addressed as “Lord” in Psalm 110:1, and they falsely claim  that the two are both the one only true God. Having a good translation of the verse helps to clarifiy this, and it also helps to realize that Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:14,15), is being depicted, not as three persons, but as only one person, and that the one that David speaks of as “my lord” is depicted as separate and distinct from the unipersonal Jehovah.

We quoted the American Standard Version above. Some other translations that show some English form for the Holy Name in Psalm 110:1:

Jehovah said unto my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet. — Darby Translation

The affirmation of Jehovah to my Lord: `Sit at My right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.’ — Young’s Literal

A declaration of Jehovah to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I place Your enemies as Your footstool. — Green’s Literal

The declaration of Yahweh to my Lord - Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

 — Rotherham’s Emphasized

Yahweh says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, Until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet." 

-- World English.

Was David  Speaking of Himself as “Lord”?

Some others claim that “lord” in the phrase “my lord” in Psalm 110:1refers to David himself, which really makes no sense. It would mean that the David was saying that he was the “lord” of himself. However, some Jewish authors claim that David wrote this to be sung by the “Levitical singers.” From this it seems that their reasoning is they assume that “my” in the phrase “my lord” would apply to each singer individually as saying “my lord” to David. This would mean that David was sitting at God’s right hand.

Psalm 110, however, never mentions the Levitical singers, nor is there anything in the context that would indicate that “my” in the phrase “my lord” is referring to anyone other than David, and thus our conclusion is that David refers to a “lord” over himself, who is not himself. Furthermore, David died. How could David be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4) if David is dead? Why would the Levites wish to call a dead priest “my lord”? It should be evident that the one who was to become priest after the order of Melchizedek must be one who is not dead, but alive. David, however, speaks prophetically in Psalm; he is not speaking of what was actually the present, for Jesus is not such a priest until after his ascension, for he is not such a priest while in the days of his flesh on earth. (Hebrews 6:20; 8:4) Jesus fits this role, for since he has been raised from the dead, he dies no more. — Romans 6:9. 

David wrote of God speaking to his — David’s — lord, there is no indication that David was speaking of himself as the lord of someone else.

How thankful we should be for further revelation of who this is, that David was speaking prophetically of the coming Messiah, who, now living forever, has an eternal inheritance of the throne of David, by means of which he will soon bring the promised blessings to the whole earth to all peoples of all nations!– Genesis 3:15; 2:18; 2 Samuel 7:11-13; Psalm 2:6-8; 110:1-4; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6,7; 11:1-9; 16:5; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Ezekiel 34:23; 37:25; Daniel 7:27; Luke 1:32,33; 2:14;20:41-44; Acts 2:22-36; 3:13-26; 13:32-39; Ephesians 1:20-22;Hebrews 1:3,5,13; 5:5,6; 6:20; 7:28; 8:4; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 22:16.

Yes, we have no reason to think that “my” in the phrase “my lord” means any other than David. David wrote of Jehovah as speaking to the Lord of David. It is David’s Lord who becomes the firstborn son from the dead to live forever, and who is thus the one who becomes a priest after the manner of Melchizedek. David is not now alive, and has certainly not been serving as the everlasting priest of the Levites for the past 3,000 years or so, so that these priests would call him “my lord”.

JEHOVAH OUR GOD IS ONE

"To us there is but one God, the Father, of
whom are all things."--1 Corinthians 8:6.

NOTWITHSTANDING the wide-spread acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity, we have held closely to the Bible teaching that there is but one God. Jesus called God His Father, and spoke of Himself as the Son of God. A father is a life-giver. A son is an offspring, one who receives life from a father. This distinction implies that the father existed first. And so Jesus says of Himself, "I proceeded forth and came from God."--John 8:42.
In our writings we show the clear teachings of the Bible, that Jesus in His pre-human condition was the Logos, the Word, or Message, from the Father; and that as such He was called a god, but not the God--the Father. On so important a question as the equality of the Father and the Son, we must not rely upon any man's testimony except that of the inspired writers of the Scriptures. We should accept no dictum save that of the Divine Word itself. Let us ask Jesus. He replies, "My Father is greater than I"; "I can of Mine own self do nothing; as I hear I judge"; "My Father is greater than all"; "I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God"; "This is life eternal, that they [R5748 : page 247] might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."--John 14:28; 5:30; 10:29; 17:3;20:17.
In our writings we point out that Jesus was the first of God's creatures, the only being directly created by Jehovah; and that Jehovah did all subsequent creating through the Son. Thus we read that Jesus was "the beginning of the creation of God," "the First-born of every creature," "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" of the Father's direct creation. (Revelation 3:14; 22:13; Colossians 1:15.) The Apostle John declares (John 1:1-3), "In the beginning [not Jehovah's beginning, for He had no beginning; but the world's beginning, or man's beginning] was the Word [the Logos], and the Word was with the God and the Word was a god. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." Could this subject be made plainer? Why confuse ourselves needlessly? Why fight against the plain statements of God's Word to uphold a theory which is without Bible support and was formulated in the Dark Ages?
We teach, as does the Bible, that the Lord Jesus came from Heaven to earth; was born of a virgin mother; that He, "the Logos, was made flesh and dwelt among us," and His disciples "beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth!" (John 1:14.) Jesus had not two natures, but one nature, having changed the higher, the spiritual nature, for the human nature. As the Scriptures declare, "He who was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9.) And as He grew to manhood He grew in favor with God and man. He was perfect--"holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners."--Luke 2:52; Hebrews 7:26.

JESUS BECAME A NEW CREATURE

At thirty years of age, this Perfect One, having reached the perfection of manhood according to the Law consecrated, or devoted, His life to God as the great Sacrifice for human sin, fulfilling the Scriptures, "a body hast Thou prepared Me," "for the suffering of death." (Hebrews 10:5; 2:9.) That consecrated sacrifice of the Man Jesus God accepted, indicating His acceptance by the anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit at Jordan. Thenceforth He was dual--a perfect human body with [R5748 : page 248] a newly begotten mind--spirit-begotten. He then, as a New Creature, was to complete the sacrifice of His flesh; and His new mind--the New Creature--was to go on to perfection. He prayed that the Father would restore Him to the glory which He had with the Father "before the world was." (John 17:5.) In His humility He asked no higher glory. His sacrifice was finished at Calvary, and His new mind, His spirit-begotten new nature was, in the resurrection, granted the new body which the Father had promised. "Sown in dishonor," He was "raised in glory"; "sown in weakness," He was "raised in power"; "sown a natural body," He was "raised a spiritual body."--1 Corinthians 15:43,44.
Our Lord was not originally created in the way the angels were; for He was the direct creation of the Father, whereas the angels were the indirect creations of God, through the Son. St. Paul declares that all things are of the Father, and all things are through, by the Son. (1 Corinthians 8:6.) He was the Father's honored agent in all other works of creation.
Our Lord Jesus became the Christ, the Anointed, when He received the anointing of the Holy Spirit at His baptism. He was perfected as the Christ at His resurrection. He was a god (Mighty One) before He came into the world; He also was a god from the time He received the begetting of the Holy Spirit at Jordan; and He is still a god, set down at the right hand of the Father. But He is not The God, He never was and never will be. Note again His own words after His resurrection, when speaking to Mary Magdalene: "I ascend to My Father and your Father; to My God and your God." (John 20:17.) Hear what St. Paul says, "To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, * * * and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by [or through] whom are all things." (1 Corinthians 8:6.) Again, in referring to Jehovah, the Apostle calls Him, "God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"; and again, "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," and "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ."--2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3,17.

THE LOGOS TRANSFERRED FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH

The Lord Jesus had a Heavenly nature before He came into the world. He exchanged that nature, as we have stated, for an earthly one, in order that He might give His flesh, His humanity, a Ransom-price for the sins of the whole world. Having accomplished this great work, He was granted by the Father an exaltation still higher than His previous glorious position and nature, even though His previous station had been second only to Jehovah Himself. St. Paul declares of the position given Christ at His resurrection: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth [those now in the tomb, but yet to be raised to learn the Truth as it is in Jesus]; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."--Philippians 2:9-11.
When on earth Jesus was not a sinful man in any sense. His birth of the Virgin Mary was miraculous. His holy life was transferred to human conditions. He was made a man--"holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," and fit, therefore, to be the great Sin offering for Adam and all his posterity. He was simply the Man Jesus up to the time of His immersion in Jordan; but the anointing He there received constituted Him the Anointed of God, the Christ, the Messiah.

MADE "PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE"

Jesus was a god, a Mighty One, higher than the angels, before He became a man. When born a babe, He was not a god at all, but a human being; and as the perfect man of thirty He was not a god. But when He received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, of Divine power, He became a Mighty One, because of this spirit-begetting. And since His resurrection He is a god, greater than ever before, "partaker of the Divine nature"; for His Church are called to this great exaltation, and they are called to the obtaining of the glory of their Lord, that they may be with Him, as His Bride, and be like Him, members of His glorious Body.--2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 21:2,9; 22:17; 1 Corinthians 10:16,17; 12:12,13,27; 2 Peter 1:4.
Our Lord is the great Head of His Church, and Head and Body must partake of the same nature in glory. He gave up His human nature in death to purchase the human race. For parts of three days He lay dead in the tomb--not alive in any sense; for death is the absence of life. He had given up His human life never to take it up again. It was the purchase-price for the world. He was resurrected to the Divine plane, an exaltation never before given to any creature of God. His Bride is called to the same glorious nature as her Head, whose inheritance she is invited to share. Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God.--Romans 6:4; 8:11; Acts 2:22,24,32,33. [R5749 : page 249]