The word ‘Almighty’ is God’s term for himself, as it means unlimited
in might; omnipotent; all-powerful; irresistible; omniscient;
omnipresent; eternal … and with the capital ‘A’ standing
for deity.
The word ‘sovereign’
can only ever be used for a human monarch; the ruler of a country;
exercising power of rule; superior to all others. The word
‘sovereign’ does not have a capital ‘s’, and therefore is not deity.
The word
‘sovereign’ is a title for people here on earth, and the coins minted in their
honour. There are many earthly sovereigns, comparing and measuring themselves
with and amongst themselves (2 Corinthians 10:12), but there are none that are
Almighty that possess all power, omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.
Furthermore, the Almighty God compares himself to no thing nor nobody.
For the
mathematically minded using Venn diagrams of sets and subsets, the general
understanding is that ‘sovereign’ is a subset of ‘Almighty’. However, the
reality is, that ‘the Almighty God’ is a discrete, that is, an entirely
separate set, from ‘the sovereign God’, and not even to be associated, in any
way shape or form, with the word ‘sovereign’.
SOME OF
GOD’S NAMES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
God (Genesis 1:1); God Almighty (Exodus 6:3); LORD (Isaiah 26:4); Jehovah (Exodus 6:3; I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14); LORD JEHOVAH (Isaiah 26:4); the Almighty God (Genesis 17:1) as the following four scriptures
state …
“And when
Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and
said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou
perfect.” (Genesis 17:1)
“And I
appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God
Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” (Exodus 6:3)
“Trust ye
in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting
strength:” (Isaiah 26:4)
“And God
said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus Christ, being God manifest
in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), uses the same name (John 8:58).
The name ‘I
AM THAT I AM’ denotes what God is in himself, and this is why God
Almighty CAN NOT call himself ‘I AM WHAT I AM’ or ‘I AM WHO I
AM’.
‘I AM THAT
I AM’ explains
his name of JEHOVAH, and signifies that God is not created; is self-existent;
has his being of himself; has no dependence upon any other; is self-sufficient;
is all sufficient; is eternal; is unchangeable; and is always the same,
yesterday, today and for ever; and “He will be that he is” … and not “he
will be what he is.”
Sovereign
rulers here on earth may say “I am what I am”, but none may say “I am that
I am” as this is more than any creature, man or angel is permitted to
utter, and thereby make themselves God Almighty. Let’s look at six time
periods to describe his being the Almighty.
1. WAS GOD
ALMIGHTY, JESUS CHRIST, BEFORE CREATION?
When Jesus
Christ created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17), there were no other gods to
be compared to. Therefore to call God, before creation, a sovereign God, would
be stupidity in the highest as “ … he is before all things…” (Colossians 1:17), therefore, his correct title
must be Almighty God and God Almighty (Genesis 17:1) … that is the “I AM THAT I AM”
… and not sovereign God.
Dear
Reader, the word ‘sovereign’ means ‘above’ or ‘superior’ to all others. Now if
there aren’t any others at the time of creation, using the word ‘sovereign’ for
God, before creation, makes no sense. So the title of ‘sovereign God’ cannot be
used for God, Jesus Christ, at the time of creation.
2. WAS GOD
CALLED ALMIGHTY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?
To call God
‘sovereign’ in the Old Testament is to say there are other gods that he
compares himself to … which there are not, as the scriptures say …
“Thus saith
the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the
first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. …. Is there a
God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6-8).
As stated …
“The Almighty God compares himself to no thing … nor to nobody … creature,
angel or man.”
3. WAS
JESUS CHRIST, AS THE SON OF MAN, CALLED GOD ALMIGHTY?
When
speaking to the Jews in the temple, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast
at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the
midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:58-59), thereby stating that he was the ‘I
AM THAT I AM’, God Almighty of the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14).
Furthermore,
much to the burning hatred of the Jews, we know that Jesus Christ, in forgiving
sins, was God (Mark 2:7) … that is, God Almighty manifest in the flesh (1Timothy 3:16). Indeed, they stoned him “…saying,
For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou,
being a man, makest thyself God.” (John 10:33)
In
addition, Jesus Christ, as the Son of man, was the Lord Almighty as follows …
“And will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18).
Dear
Reader, as you will know, all throughout the scriptures, God Jehovah is called
the LORD, and Jesus Christ in the New Testament is called the Lord …
notice the difference in the capitals.
4. IS JESUS
CHRIST CALLED THE LORD ALMIGHTY IN PAUL’S DISPENSATION?
He is, as
the following verse states …
“And will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18)
5. IS
CHRIST IN HEAVEN CALLED GOD ALMIGHTY?
God
Almighty in heaven, loves talking to God Almighty in heaven, as follows …
“Thou hast
loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Hebrews 1:9)
6. IS THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST CALLED GOD ALMIGHTY AT ARMAGEDDON?
“And out of
his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15)
So Dear
Reader, above are some examples that may help you understand the ‘I AM THAT
I AM’ … and that he CAN NOT be untrue to himself, by calling himself
a wormy, sin-ridden sovereign.
Harley
Hitchcock
March 2023
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
