Revelation 3:14 - Is Jesus the Beginning, Ruler or Beginner of Creation?

The Message translation renders Revelation 3:14 as:

"Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God's Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God's creation, says:"

The King James Version has:

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;"

It is claimed by some that "beginning" in Revelation 3:14 is a title meaning source or one who begins, i.e. Creator. It is also claimed that Jesus is called the arche in the sense of "ruler," in Col. 1:18. Some claim that the Greek word *arche* should be translated as "origin" rather than "beginning" in Revelation 3:14. Thus some translations present this verse accordingly: "prime source of all God's creation." (New Enlgish Bible translation) "The source through whom God's creation came." (Knox) "The beginner of God's creation." (Williams, Goodspeed) "The Origin and Beginning and Author of God's creation." (Amplified New Testament) In all these translations, however, it should be pointed out that the one being spoken of still represented as a different person from God, and thus not God himself. In other words, regardless of the meaning given to "arche" in Revelation 3:14, the word "God" refers to only one person, and he who is the "arche" in Revelation 3:14 is not being said to be "God". "God" in Revelation 3:14 is the same one person who is God in Isaiah 61:1,2; Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 1:6; 2:7; 3:2,12. Jesus is not presented as "God" in Revelation 3:14, and there is definitely nothing in Revelation 3:14 that presents God as being more than one person, or that Jesus is a person of his God.

Some have claimed that *arche*, as used in Revelation 3:14, means "ruler" of God's creation. We are given the following scriptures where the plural of arche (archai) is used in sense of rulers (as having principality, or first place over others): Luke 12:11; 20:20; Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21; 3:12; 6:12; Colossians 1:16; 2:10, 15, Titus 3:1. Jude 1:6. We do not deny that the Greek word *arche* can be used figuratively of ones in authority [based on the sense of first position, or the higher positions in the realm being spoken of], but is that what is meant in Revelation 3:14? In Revelation 3:14, what we have is one who is spoken of as "the beginning" of God's creation. It is not a possessive nominative followed by what is possessed, as it should be if it meant "ruler" of God's creation. Similar Greek construction of *arche* can be found in Mark 10:6; 13:19 and 2 Peter 3:4, where beginning refers, not to a person, but a point in time when the creation of the world of mankind started. There is no doubt in these verses that *arche* does not mean "ruler". Usually the word *arche* is translated as "beginning" except in those cases where the context shows that figurative meaning of the word is meant. There is no reason to think that in Revelation 3:14 there should be any different translation, except that one, in keeping with preconceived beliefs, would like for this scripture to say other than what it says, that Jesus is the first creation of God.

Below we present the translations in the King James Version of the Greek arch (arkee, arche) in italics.

The reader may see how the word is used throughout the New Testament. Please note how John 1:1 and Revelation 3:14 use the word "beginning" in common usage. Also note especially Matthew 24:21, Mark 10:6, and 2 Peter 3:4, wherein the beginning of creation is referring to the beginning of the world of mankind. By studying the various uses of the Greek word arch, the reader may be properly informed.

• Mt 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
• Mt 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
• Mt 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
• Mt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be
• Mr 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
• Mr 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
• Mr 13:8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
• Mr 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
• Lu 1:2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
• Lu 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
• Lu 14:9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 
• Lu 20:20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
• Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
• Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
• Joh 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
• Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
• Joh 8:25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
• Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
• Joh 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
• Joh 16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
• Ac 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
• Ac 11:5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
• Ac 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
• Ac 26:4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
• Ro 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
• 1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
• Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
• Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
• Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
• Php 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
• 2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth
• Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
• Heb 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
• Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
• Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
• Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
• Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
• Heb 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
• 2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
• 1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
• 1Jo 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
• 1Jo 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
• 1Jo 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
• 1Jo 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
• 1Jo 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
• 1Jo 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
• 2Jo 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
• 2Jo 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
• Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
• Re 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
• Re 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
• Re 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
• Re 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Note that *arche* is not used as partitive genitive construction in Luke 12:11; Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Colossians 1:16; 2:10,15; Titus 3:1; Jude 1:6. In each of these verses, the word *arche* is used in the context where words are used describing authority or power (such is not the case in Revelation 3:14), and it is clear from the context that "beginning" of something is not what is meant. Luke 20:20 is genitive, but it is apparent that is not speaking of a beginning of something. Nevertheless, the normal word used for "ruler" is the Greek word *archwn* (Strong's #758). If "ruler" was meant in Revelation 3:14, it would seem likely that this word would have been used rather than *arche*, as it is used in Revelation 1:5.

Despite the fact that the Greek word *arche* is sometimes translated "magistrate", "power", or "ruler", note that in the writings of John, the King James Version consistently translates the Greek word *arche* as "beginning."

Regarding the idea that "arche" in Revelation 3:14 or in any other verse means "originator" or "source", one has to look outside the New Testament Greek for such usage, for in the New Testament one cannot find such usage anywhere. Nevertheless, translators who wish to make arche anywhere in the Bible to mean "origin" (as meaning "originator") or "source", etc., do so in Revelation 3:14 (and some have suggested the same for John 1:1), whereas they usually translate "arche" elsewhere as "beginning" in all the same places where the King James Version does so. Indeed, the same can be said about those translators who wish to translate these verses with anything but "beginning". Therefore, it can be seen that they are translating these two verses to suit their doctrine.  This kind of argument is what is often called circular reasoning. And yet still Jesus could be said to be the originator of his God's creation, since God creates through, by means of, his firstborn son. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15,16; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 3:9) Such would not call for us to imagine and assume that Jesus is his God, and/or further imagine and assume that God is more than one person and that Jesus is a person of his God, etc.

Regardless, the verse should be viewed in harmony with 1 Corinthians 8:6. Only the Father is the "one God" of whom are all. Jesus is the "one Lord: through whom are all. Jesus is not the absolute source of the creation of the angels and the world of mankind, but the one God who is the source of all created all through, by means of, the one whom He has made the "one Lord through whom are all." The creation spoken of in Colossians 1:16,17 is evidently regarding living beings, and Jesus is the first living being that God created. Thus, it is evident that all the dominions, invisible and visible, earthly and heavenly, that God created through the firstborn creature do not include the firstborn creature himself. -- Colossians 1:15,16.

Of course, by acceptance of man's trinity dogma, which is claimed to be the center of Christian faith, trinitarian scholars cannot accept that Jesus is actually the first of God's creation, thus they seek ways to make Revelation 3:14 as well as Colossians 1:15 mean something else.  Since the Bible does definitely say that Jesus is the firstborn of God's creation (Colossians 1:15), this is the way it should be viewed in Revelation 3:14.

Furthermore, "God" in Revelation 3:14 is only one person. There is absolutely nothing in this verse, or anywhere else in the Bible, that speaks of Jehovah as being more than one person, or that Jesus is a person of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Links to some of our studies related to Colossians 1:15.

Links to some of our studies related to Revelation 3:14.

The following was written by one who states that he is no longer a member of the JW organization:

A check of all the occurrences in NT of arkhe followed by a genitive expression...show that it always denotes a beginning or first part of something. -- Greg Stafford, Jehovah's Witnesses Defended, An Answer to Scolars and Critics, First edition, page 109.

Some comments by Greg Stafford at BGreek:

http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2001-May/016793.html

http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2001-May/016795.html

http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2001-May/016796.html

http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2001-May/016797.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/test-archives/html4/2001-05/5495.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/test-archives/html4/2001-05/5509.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/test-archives/html4/2001-05/5511.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/test-archives/html4/2001-05/5512.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/test-archives/html4/2001-05/5513.html

The following is written by one of the Jehovah's Witnesses:

In the NT archē occurs 53 times, and 26 of these must have the meaning "beginning," because they are preceeded by a preposition (as "from the beginning"). In 8 instances (123) the word occurs in a genitive construction, where the meaning is also, clearly, "beginning." In 6 instances (124) the meaning "beginning" is also appropriate. In 2 instance (125) it has the meaning "corner." In 11 instances ... archē has the meaning "government" or "ruler." The final uses of this word are in Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 3:14, which are both theologically significant.

 From the above it is clear that archē, in more that 75% of its occurrences, means "beginning." Apart from "corner," which also is a "beginning," the word is used in some sense connected with "government." The word archē, with the meaning "source," is nowhere attested in the NT, and 7 of the instances with the meaning "government" are in the plural. Also, the four singular occurrences with this meaning are qualified, either by "every" (1 Cor 15:24: Eph 1:21; Col 2:10) or by a genitive construction (Luke 20:20).

======

Footnote 123: Matthew 24:8; Mark 1:1; 13:8,19; Hebrews 5:12; 6:1; 7:3; 2 Peter 3:4.

Footnote 124: John 8:25; Jude 1:6; Hebrews 2:3; 3:14; Revelation 21:6; 22:13. In several of these texts there is a contrast between the "beginning" and the "end."

Footnote 125: Acts 19:11; 11:15

-----Rolf Furuli, The Role of Theology and Bias in Bible Translation, 1999.

Did Jesus Need To Be Uncreated To Pay For The Sin Of The World?

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" -- John 1:29.

The claim is made that Jesus must not have been created, since, according to this reasoning, 'nothing created could pay the penalty of sin for everything was created and subject to corruption.' Many have stated this or something similar: "Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our debt." Thus the conclusion is that Jesus is the uncreated God.

Many say this as though such was written in the Bible. Actually, such a thought is not in the Bible at all. In reality, this thought has to imagined and assumed totally beyond what is written in the Bible. — 1 Corinthians 4:6.

On the other hand, if Jesus had to be the Most High in order to obey the Most High, then rather than condemning sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3), Jesus justified sin the flesh, for he would have proved that in order to obey the Most High, Adam would have needed to have been the Most High. Such, in effect, condemns the Most High for demanding of a being that is not the Most High obedience to the Most High. It would further imply that a sinless, incorrupt, yet corruptible, man could not possible have obeyed the Most High, and thus the Most High was unjust in demanding the death penalty for his disobedience.

However, what does the scripture actually say? Does it say that Jesus had to be the Most High in order to pay the price for sin? Absolutely not! “For since through man is the death, also through man is a rising again of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21, Young’s Literal Translation) It was “the man [not God], Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:5,6) Only could an incorrupt sinless man, as was Adam before Adam sinned, actually prove that such a mere man could obey God, and provide the offsetting price – antilutron – for sin (1 Timothy 2:5,6), thereby condemning sin in the flesh. (Romans 8:3) Not only that, unlike Adam, Jesus proved that such a man can put on incorruption (Greek, Aphtharsia; 1 Corinthians 15:54), having overcome even the possibility of dying the second death (Revelation 2:11; 3:21), thereby bringing life and incorruption (Aphtharsia) to light for man. — 2 Timothy 1:10.

How could one man pay the offsetting price for sin? Because all were condemned in one man, who was once incorrupt, but was corrupted through sin (Romans 5:12-19), and thus only one fully faithful incorrupt sinless man — not God — was needed to buy back that which was lost. — 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.

Jesus was not born of this world (John 8:23), the offspring of Adam that has been corrupted through the sin of Adam and Eve. (Romans 5:12-19; 2 Peter 1:4) Adam was not created corrupted; he was created incorrupt, upright, straight. (Ecclesiates 7:29) On the other hand, neither was Adam created incorruptible, for such would have meant that it would have been impossible to Adam to sin. Adam was created incorrupt, but he was created corruptible, that is, it was possible for him to become corrupted through sin.

Jesus was begotten of the holy spirit in the womb of Mary. (Matthew 1:20) His body was specially prepared by God. (Hebrews 10:5) Thus, he was not born under the condemnation of Adam , but he took upon himself the penalty of that condemnation, and suffered as though he were under that condemnation, as though he were under the bondange of corruption (Greek, phithora -- Strong's #5356), in order to pay the price as an offering to his God (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:14) to release man from that condemnation. Only in this manner is God found to be just, and yet the justifier of sinners. — Romans 3:26; 8:3,20-22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6.

Isaiah 57:15 – Examining The Hebrew Word ‘Ad

Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

This is one of scriptures that is often used to show that Jehovah is eternal, to which we agree; however, it is often claimed that, by the usage here, that this proves that the Hebrew word ‘ad means eternity, not simply as meaning something different than eternal past, present and future, but it is often claimed that eternity exists outside of time altogether. Although eternal past is implied here, the Hebrew word ‘ad does not, of itself, necessarily mean this, as one can easily determine by looking up the how it is used in various verses.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/ad.html

Some read into Isaiah 57:15 that Jehovah exists outside of time; whether Jehovah actually dwells outside of time or not is not given in the Bible, nor is there anything in the Hebrew to warrant this conclusion. The Hebrew word ‘ad cannot be used to make such claim.

The Hebrew word ‘ad (Strong’s 5710) is also used of the dwelling of the righteous on earth in Psalm 37:29, where no thought would be placed in dwelling outside of time. In Numbers 24:20, the word ‘ad there certainly does not mean eternity outside of time, but it does refer to Amalek as having perished referring to future time? In the Bible, the Hebrew word ‘ad is usually used pertaining to future time.

In Psalm 41:13, 90:2; 93:2, Jehovah is said to be “from everlasting.”  These verses are often cited in connection with Isaiah 57:15. The word used in these verses, usually translated as “everlasting’, is not ‘ad, but rather the word often transliterated as ‘olam or ‘owlam. Does ‘owlam, of itself, designate eternal past, present and future, or an eternity outside of time? We have discussed this word elsewhere*, and have shown from the scriptures that it does not inherently mean either. The word can take on the meaning of eternal past or eternal future, depending on context. The very wording of the verses (Psalm 41:13, 90:2; 93:2) under discussion, however, indicates that it is not being used to mean eternity outside of time, since the time elements of “from” (past time) and “to” (future time) are given related to its use. Of itself, however, the Hebrew word ‘olam does not designate either eternal past or eternal future; the contextual usage in this verse, however, as applied to Jehovah, does give it the meaning of eternal past and eternal future.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/owlam.html

Nevertheless, returning to Isaiah 57:15, the New American Standard renders Isaiah 57:15 as: “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever.” The Hebrew word translated “lives” (Strong’s #7931) simply means to dwell, reside. The Hebrew is simply saying that Jehovah dwells forever, He continues to abide forever, that is, that he lives into the future without end.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/shakan.html

Nevertheless, “eternity” is claimed to be a supposed incommunicable attribute of Jehovah, and thus no one else should have it. We concur that having an eternal past only belongs to Jehovah, the "one God of whom are all" (1 Corinthians 8:6), the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. (John 17:3; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3) On the other hand, to live forever (as pertaining to the future) is not an incommunicable attribute of Yahweh. We gave Psalm 37:29 which shows that humans will dwell for eternity (‘ad) upon the earth; this certainly doesn’t mean that they will dwell in an eternity outside of time, or that they will share an incommunicable attribute of Jehovah. — See also: Psalm 21:4,6; 22:26.

Zechariah 11:12,13 – Thirty Pieces Of Silver

{Zechariah 11:12} I said to them, "If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them." So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
{Zechariah 11:13} Jehovah said to me, "Throw it to the potter, the handsome price that I was valued at by them!" I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in the house of Jehovah. -- Restoration Light Improved Rendering

According to many trinitarians and some others, Zechariah offers convincing proof that Jesus is Jehovah. One states: “In the passage beginning with Zechariah 11:4, “the LORD my God” said, “So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” It is claimed that in Zechariah 11:13, God says that 30 pieces of silver was paid for for him, but it is claimed that New Testament shows that thirty pieces of silver were paid for Jesus (Matthew 26:15; 27:3,9), and thus this comparison of scriptures is offered as proof that Jesus is Yahweh.

Let us break this down so as to ascertian who is speaking in Zechariah’s prophecy.

Zechariah 11:4
Thus says Jehovah my [Zechariah’s] God: “Feed the flock of slaughter.”

Zechariah is instructed by Jehovah to feed the flock that was to be sold for slaughter.

Zechairah 11:12
I [Zechariah] said to them [the shepherds of Israel and Judah], “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my [Zechariah’s] wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Jehovah said to me [Zechariah], “Throw it to the potter, the handsome price that I [Jehovah] was valued at by them!” I [Zechariah] took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in the house of Jehovah.

This scripture is often vaguely used to support the trinity doctrine, although there is nothing there about three persons in one God. Since Jesus was priced at 30 pieces of silver, and since Jehovah here says, “I was valued at by them,” they conclude that Jesus is here called Jehovah, and evidently this is supposed to give support to the trinitarian philosophy of three persons in one God. Let us look at this closer.

The above is all part of a prophetic dramatization. which has its fulfillment in the New Testament days. In the context the prophet takes two shepherd’s staves, named Beauty and Bands, and breaking them, shows the cessation of God’s pastoral relationship toward Israel. The staff, Beauty, depicts the cessation of his exclusive covenant relationship with them, while Bands indicates the deterioration of the relationship between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern monarchy of Judah. The prophecy of the potter’s field is a part of the former. It was this act, brought about by the treachery of Judas, that marked the termination of the law relationship to “them that believed”. — Colossians 2:14; Romans 10:4.

It was Zechariah, as Jehovah’s prophet, and thus the representative of Yahweh, who is depicted as asking for wages from the shepherds of Israel. The shepherds of Israel measured out for Zechariah thirty pieces of silver, for the care of the flocks. (Zechariah 2:7) The thirty pieces of silver was the price which, by the Mosaic law, a man was condemned to pay if his ox should gore a servant (Exodus 21:32), which, evidently fell far short of the price that would actually be due to for such care. In other words, the shepherds of Israel failed to pay the proper wages due for the job done, but instead insulted the prophet of Jehovah by paying the price of a gored bond-servant. By valuing the prophet of Jehovah as such, they were, in effect, valuing Jehovah in the same way.

Of course, all of this was done to provide a prophetic dramatization. The price paid to Judas for Jesus, the sacrifice for all mankind, was paid for out of the temple-money, destined for the purchase of sacrifices. He who “took on himself the form [outward appearance] of a slave”, in likeness of sinful flesh, (Philippians 2:7; Romans 8:3,21) was sold at the legal price of a bond-servant. Since Jesus was a prophet who had come in the name of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 18:15-22; Psalm 118:26; Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; 19:38; John 12:13; Acts 3:17-26), this is also considered as being done to the God and Father of Jesus. — John 5:23; 15:23; See also: Matthew 10:40; 25:40; 18:5; Mark 9:37,48; John 13:20.

If in the prophetic drama of Zechariah, the price valued is fulfilled in Jesus, and if this would prove that Jesus is Yahweh, we would need to consider the rest of the prophecy in the same manner. In the prophecy, it is Zechariah, representing Yahweh, who asks for the wages — “give me my wages”. In the fulfillment, however, who actually asked for the wages? Matthew records it was Judas: “What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver him to you?” (Matthew 26:15, World English) According to the reasoning often presented in trying to prove that Jesus is Yahweh through use of Zechariah 1:12,13, this would, in effect, prove that Judas is Yahweh.

Additionally, Matthew 27:5 says of Judas, “He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary…” Since in the fulfillment it was Judas who actually threw the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, should we then conclude that Judas is Zechariah, or if Zechariah represented Jesus (as some commentators claim), should we conclude that Judas is Jesus? No, for the prophetic drama does not have actual person-for-person correspondences, but rather prophetically depicts the events to occur.

However, actions are often attributed to Jehovah even though Jehovah himself does not carry out the actions. For instance, we read in Exodus 7:17 where Jehovah says He Himself will smite the waters with the rod in His own hand. Yet, it was Aaron that held the rod (Exodus 7:19,20). Should we conclude from this that Aaron is also Jehovah? And we read in Exodus 12:51 that Jehovah brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and in Deuteronomy 32:12, we read that Jehovah alone led Israel. However, we also read that “Moses led Israel” (Exodus 15:22) Does this mean that Moses is Jehovah?

Despite the claims, there is nothing in Zechariah 11 that offers any proof that Jesus is his God. There is certainly nothing anywhere in Zechariah, or anyplace else in the Bible, that ever presents the conept that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person, or that Jesus is a person of such a God.