In the book of Isaiah it says, “In that day there shall be a sprout of Jehovah for beauty and glory” (Isa. 4:2, Darby). This sprout is Christ, who came forth from Jehovah God. Therefore, He, as the sprout that came out from God and possesses the Godhead, is for the manifestation of God’s beauty and glory. And we indeed see God’s beauty and glory manifested through Him. The prophet Isaiah declared, “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up [in the footnote Darby’s translation says that the Hebrew might mean, the Lord was high]...the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:1-3, Darby). John 12:38-41 says that here Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord Jesus. This shows us that the Lord Jesus is God who is high, who sits upon the throne in heaven, being praised by the seraphim, and whose glory fills the whole earth. Hallelujah! Our Lord is the most high God who sits on the throne and whose glory fills the universe! He is worthy not only to receive praises from the heavenly angels, but much more, to be praised and worshipped by us!
The Old Testament prophecy, “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [that is, God is with us]” (Isa. 7:14) was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus (Matt. 1:20-23). Although the Lord was a man conceived and born through a virgin, men called Him “God is with us,” for when He was in the flesh He was God with men. He is God who became a man and dwelt with men; hence, He is the very God who is with men. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:...his name shall be called...Mighty God, Eternal Father [or Father of Eternity]...” (Heb.). This word cannot be more clear and emphatic in saying that our Lord is not only the very God, but also the Father. He was born in the flesh as a child, yet He is the “Mighty God”; He came into time as a son; yet, He is the Father in eternity. Jesus who became flesh is God! The Son who came into time is the Father! He is our God, and He is also our Father.
Isaiah 11:10 says, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people....” Here “the root of Jesse” refers to Christ (cf. Revelation 22:16 which says He is the root of David). In verse 1 of this chapter it says that He is a shoot that came out of the stock of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (ASV). This indicates that He became a man and was a descendant of Jesse; He came forth from Jesse. But in this verse it says that He is the root of Jesse, indicating that He is God who is the root of Jesse, and Jesse came out of Him. Isaiah 40:3-11 says, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.... And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed....Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand....He shall feed his flock like a shepherd....” Based upon Matthew 3:3 which quotes the word “the voice of him that crieth,” we understand this passage here in Isaiah 40 refers to Christ. He is God’s expressed glory just as Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who [Christ] being the effulgence of His glory.” He is the God of God’s people, when He comes, it is the Lord coming to His people, as a Mighty One, and also as a Shepherd. Of course, these words will be fulfilled even more at His second coming. But when He came the first time, it was also the manifestation of God’s glory, the coming of the very God Himself, for He is God, the very Lord God Himself.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 says, “I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [or, shoot or bud]...and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness” (cf. 33:15, 16). This means that Christ on the one hand is a righteous shoot or bud that came out from David, that is, a descendant of David, and on the other hand He is The Lord who has become our righteousness. He is God as well as man.
Micah 5:2 says, “But thou, Bethlehem...out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Matthew 2:4-6 clearly points out that this passage speaks of Christ. Although He was born in Bethlehem and came out from there, His root or source is from of old, from eternity. Only God is from of old and from eternity. Hence, this proves that He is God, the very God who is from of old, from eternity.
Furthermore, the angel of the Lord, as mentioned in Exodus 3:2-12, Judges 6:11-24, 13:15-24, Zechariah 1:11-12, and 2:8-11, refers to Christ. These places clearly indicate that the angel of the Lord is The Lord God Himself. (Zechariah 12:8 which says, “As God, as the angel of the Lord,” proves this.) This shows us that Christ, who was sent of God as the angel of the Lord to accomplish God’s will, is the God who sent Him, the very Lord God.
In the above quoted passages, the Old Testament clearly reveals that Christ is God, having the Godhead, God’s status, God’s position, and divine power-He is nothing less than God Himself.