ku>riov kyrios explicitly refers to God as “the Lord” in a number of places.
Many of these are quotations from Old Testament sources — for example, Mat. 22:37 (Deu. 6: 4 ff.); Luk. 3: 4 (Isa. 40: 1 ff.); Luk. 4:12 (Deu. 6:16); Act. 7:33 (Exo. 3: 5); Rom. 10:16 (Isa. 53: 1); Heb. 8: 8 (Jer. 31:31); Heb. 10:30 (Psa. 135:14). God is described as “the Lord of heaven and earth” in Mat. 11:25. The Day of the Lord is indicated in Act. 2:20. Jam. 5: 4 affirms that God is “Lord of hosts.” He is declared the “Lord of the harvest” in Mat. 9:30; Luk. 10: 2. The title “Lord God” is frequently cited in the book of Revelation (cf. Rev. 4: 8, 11; 11:17; 15:3 ff.; 16:7; 18:8; 19:1,6; 21:22; 22:6). Other general references to God as Lord are found in Mar. 16:20; Luk. 1:16; Act. 2:21; Rom. 4: 8; Heb. 1:10. At the human level, ku>riov kyrios indicates an “overlord,” or “master” (cf. Mat. 6:24; 18:34; Mar. 13:35; Luk. 12:36; Act. 16:16; Gal. 4: 1; Colossians4:1; 1Pe. 3: 6).
The term ku>riov kyrios is found around seven hundred times in the New Testament and usually refers to Jesus Christ as God incarnate. The title “Lord,” when applied to the Messiah, signifies his divine nature. As the New Testament Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term why YHWH , normally transliterated as Yahweh (SEE GOD;), it transfers to the person of Christ all those characteristics that the Hebrew title attributes to the person of God. In approximately five hundred places, ku>riov kyrios refers to Jesus as “Lord,” “the Lord Jesus,” “the Lord Jesus Christ,” or “Jesus Christ our Lord” (including slight variations in word order). The term ku>riov kyrios is also used in the expression “angel of the Lord” on twelve occasions (cf. Mat. 1:20, 24; 2:13, 19; 28:2; Luk. 1:11; 2:9; Acts5:19; 7:30; 8:26; 12:7, 23).
Only in Mat. 1:24 is the definite article used to specify “the angel of the Lord” as the divine messenger to Joseph, instructing him to take Mary as his wife.
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