of Him who was Jehovah in the flesh, and in that way Jehovah Himself, of Him in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. John was to make in the desert a "highway for our God." That this was so is shown by the statements which follow where it is told us that "the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." And this coming forth was Jesus—God in the flesh.
And the church revealed respectively as Zion and Jerusalem is commanded to lift up the voice with strength and say unto the cities of Judah, "Behold, your God." It is not the Suffering Servant spoken of in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, but the triumphant, All-Powerful God of heaven, the Creator of all things, who is to be seen in Jesus. "Behold, the Lord God (Jehovah) will come with strong hand, and his arm.—" Jesus in the flesh, seen by the Jews as the Suffering Servant, but seen thus because He took our nature upon Him and and fought for us against the hells and was therefore misunderstood,—"His arm, "Jehovah in the flesh," shall rule for him."
That this picture of Jehovah coming forth for the rescue of mankind from the hells is the revelation of Jesus is shown by the verse which follows: "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Jesus claimed to be the Good Shepherd here pictured, "I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Yes, He laid down His human life derived from Mary,—not His Godhead,—and so doing He was able to say: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them the me, is greater than all,—"the Divine Love,—"is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."
Thus he gained the victory for universal mankind, gained for them the power to choose the good and reject the evil. He did not make a propitiation to an angry God up in heaven. The word in the Bible translated "propitiation" means "mercy-seat". There was no God apart from Him, for He was Jehovah come forth to view.
