There is so much evidence for the divinity of Jesus according to his own words in the Bible, I am only covering just a fraction of it, so don't be disappointed.
A Muslim told me Jesus cannot be claiming to be God in Revelation 1:8 because the book of Revelation introduces Jesus as having being given revelation from God:
The first problem is there is nothing intrinsically in the above verse that implies Jesus didn't already possess knowledge of end events or the Revelation he then gave to John. When studying the verse more carefully you can observe:
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him TO SHOW his servants what must happen very soon. He made it clear by sending his angel to his servant John Rev 1:1In other words Jesus was appointed or assigned and allocated a task to show his servant what must soon take place. While God is presented as certainly above Jesus in authority and rank (in this particular verse) there is no indication from these verses that Jesus is ignorant of his own Revelation: "The revelation of (belonging to) Jesus Christ" makes that clear and therefore "given" should be understood in terms of God's appointing of Jesus, as we shall shortly see there is more evidence Jesus is omniscient in the book of Revelation.
Mohammed Bakir said: "gave this to Jesus, and Jesus sent an angel to reveal it to St.John". Thank you for admitting that it was Jesus who sent his angel to John. But we know, no other being other than God can claim ownership, sovereignty and possession over and above angels! Further Revelation 22:6 says: "The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel". And notice John intended on saying this specifically as Jesus in the very same chapter says:“I, Jesus, sent mine angel” (22:16) the very same thought he began with! John has especially connected the dots for us: Jesus, the Lord God Almighty who sent his Angel.
Further more in Revelation 1:7-8 Jesus claims to be almighty God. The context is verse 7, where the one coming on the cloud is the Son of Man (an epithet for God in the Tanakh and Gospel), thus in verse 8 the one coming is Jesus as John has deliberately gone out of his way to point out one verse earlier in his introductory message. The one coming in the book of Revelation is always Jesus (Rev 3:4) and never the Father (who dwells, resides and remains in heaven) which is also confirmed by the end of the book in Revelation 22:20-21. Notice the author employed the "book end" literary technique common to Jewish genre of this day. He begins by asserting the one coming is the Son of Man, the Lord God. And he ends by claiming the Alpha and Omega the Lord God, Jesus is coming (Rev 22:12-13;20).
In Revelation 21:6-7 Jesus claims to be God. How do we know? Several reasons. Firstly we can tell from one chapter after in Revelation 22:12-16;20, Jesus claims to be the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last (just like the speaker in 21:7). But in addition 21:5 tells us the voice speaking in 21:6-7 came from the throne. We can tell from Revelation 3:21; that Jesus is conjoint to the same throne as his Father. In fact in the book of Revelation the Lamb is always conjoint with God’s throne even in worship (e.g. Rev 5:13;6:16;7:10), all of these verses teach a co-equality, what God can do, the Lamb can do, God and the Lamb are always conjoint together on the throne, even peered in union with every omnipotent and omniscient ability. The book of Revelation solidifies this when it teaches the Lamb is: “In the middle of the throne” (Rev 7:17) and shows us he has the full authority to make these claims as a prerogative given to him from the Father (Rev 2:27).
Jesus asserts such divine titles (first and the last) in the last chapter, but this is not unusual to the overall book since Jesus already made this claim earlier on in Revelation 1:17-18;2:8 and then again in Revelation 22:12-16. Further more in Revelation 21:6 (before the speaker claims divinity in verse 7) the speaker says:
In Revelation 21:6-7 Jesus claims to be God. How do we know? Several reasons. Firstly we can tell from one chapter after in Revelation 22:12-16;20, Jesus claims to be the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last (just like the speaker in 21:7). But in addition 21:5 tells us the voice speaking in 21:6-7 came from the throne. We can tell from Revelation 3:21; that Jesus is conjoint to the same throne as his Father. In fact in the book of Revelation the Lamb is always conjoint with God’s throne even in worship (e.g. Rev 5:13;6:16;7:10), all of these verses teach a co-equality, what God can do, the Lamb can do, God and the Lamb are always conjoint together on the throne, even peered in union with every omnipotent and omniscient ability. The book of Revelation solidifies this when it teaches the Lamb is: “In the middle of the throne” (Rev 7:17) and shows us he has the full authority to make these claims as a prerogative given to him from the Father (Rev 2:27).
Jesus asserts such divine titles (first and the last) in the last chapter, but this is not unusual to the overall book since Jesus already made this claim earlier on in Revelation 1:17-18;2:8 and then again in Revelation 22:12-16. Further more in Revelation 21:6 (before the speaker claims divinity in verse 7) the speaker says:
"To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life."
In conclusion I must ask Mohammed Bakir if he knows of a single Islamic prophet who has complete dominion over all creatures like humans and angels (his servants), who is worshiped along side of God from his throne by all creation, who is equated with God in every possible way in authority and ability, who is the source and ruler of creation ,who claims to be omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and benevolent, who repeatedly applies titles that belong to God alone to himself, who claims to provide spiritual fullfillment and sustenance and who even has the audacity to call himself Lord and God?
Interesting seeing that this is exactly the claim Jesus made in the Gospel of John:
"Jesus replied, "Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 NET)".
However, this theology is also applied to Jesus in the book of Revelation: “They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat, because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and GOD will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Rev 7:15-17 NET). Once again we see the Lamb with God performing the exact same function. This is repeated in the final chapter again: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life– water as clear as crystal– pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, flowing down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. (Rev 22:1-2)
John bows down in worship to the Angel who gave him this revelation, and the angels answer is to rebuke him and correct him (22:8-9). Yet Jesus is prostrated to and worshipped by all creation in heaven and earth along with God (Rev 5:12-14) yet no correction is made because: "Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!" And: "Every creature– in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them– singing: "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever! And: "the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped". And he is conjointly worshiped with God the Father in the last chapter: "And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him, and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. (Rev 22:3-4) Why is Jesus the object of worship? What makes him worthy of worship? That is because Jesus according to the book of Revelation is the “Author/Source/Beginning/Originator of Life” or the “Ruler of Creation” (Rev 3:14) who is the judge of God’s entire creation both in punishment (“I have given her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality” Rev 2:20-21, “I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness” Rev 2:22, “I will repay each one of you what your deeds deserve”-Rev 2:23) and reward ("I will give him authority over the nations"-Rev 2:26;3:21).
Jesus here is making the exact same omnipotent claims to pronounce and carry out judgement as Yahweh made in the Old Testament: "I, the LORD, probe into people's minds. I examine people's hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done. (Jer 17:10 and Isa 61:8;Joel 3:7 etc). But how does he know the hearts and minds of every single living creature? How does he know how to judge righteously and with justice? Jesus claims to be completely and utterly omniscient (“all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts” Rev 2:23, 'I know your deeds: your love, faith, service... your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones.”-Rev 2:19). Like Yahweh does in the Old Testament: " O LORD who rules over all, you test and prove the righteous. "You see into people's hearts and minds. Pay them back for what they have done because I trust you to vindicate my cause. (Jer 20:12;11:20)" Just like in the Old Testament, Yahweh's vengeance and omnipotent ability to judge people is always associated with his perfect knowledge of all human hearts and minds.
Jesus asserts humans are his servants (Rev 1:1;2:20;22:3;6), where as messengers/angels don't' have servants in the book of Revelation. And while Jesus in the book of Revelation still has his Resurrected and glorified human body: "I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God" (Rev 3:12) he is still omnipotent: "The one who conquers I WILL MAKE A PILLAR in the temple of my God, and HE WILL NEVER DEPART FROM IT." (Rev 3:12). Jesus has the omnipotent ability to save and preserve his people as alluded to earlier in the Gospel of John (John 10:28-30). And while Jesus is certainly human he is both "the root and the descendant of David" (Rev 22:16 NET). Jesus is both the source and offspring of King David (Jesus makes the same type of illusion in an earlier gospel: Luke 20:41-44), which is what we Christians refer to as Jesus duel nature namely the hypostatic union. Perhaps this is why he is called: "King of kings and Lord of lords." (Rev ;19:15-16) which in the Bible is a title reserved for God alone. Indeed Jesus is the ruler of kings on earth and we must agree with John's words about Jesus as fellow servants and heirs: "to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! Amen" (Rev 1:6) And we must agree with John's words: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!" (Rev 4:10-11)
In conclusion I must ask Mohammed Bakir if he knows of a single Islamic prophet who has complete dominion over all creatures like humans and angels (his servants), who is worshiped along side of God from his throne by all creation, who is equated with God in every possible way in authority and ability, who is the source and ruler of creation ,who claims to be omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and benevolent, who repeatedly applies titles that belong to God alone to himself, who claims to provide spiritual fullfillment and sustenance and who even has the audacity to call himself Lord and God?
I leave you with a striking passage of Jesus complete divinity:
"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished bronze: 'I know your deeds: your love, faith, service, and steadfast endurance. In fact, your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones. But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, unless they repent of her deeds. Furthermore, I will strike her followers with a deadly disease, and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay each one of you what your deeds deserve. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching (who have not learned the so-called "deep secrets of Satan"), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you. However, hold on to what you have until I come. And to the one who conquers and who continues in my deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations– he will rule them with an iron rod and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, just as I have received the right to rule from my Father– and I will give him the morning star. The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' (Rev 2:18-29 NET)What astonishing claims to make for a so called mere-prophet!
Finally Jesus even points out that Jezebel misleads the servants of Jesus into eating food sacrificed to idols, which in context means Jesus himself cannot be an idol and all food ought be offered to the true Lord Jesus:
Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance OF ME." (Luke 22:18-19)
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