Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Is Jesus Elohim? Part 1

Are Yeshua and the Father two individuals or one person? Is Jesus just a prophet? As believers we say, "Jesus is Yehovah in flesh!" But have you ever looked at scripture to support this?

[Note: I'm ignoring the human concept of the Trinity for this study.]

These questions are ones that people have argued about for what, two thousand years or more. A Jewish brother or sister will say, emphatically, no, the two cannot be the same. After all, scripture plainly says He is One! Every religious Hebrew child says the "Shema" every morning. It is also a prayer and verse that I believe. Why wouldn't all of us - it is the Word of God!

Deut. 6:4  Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

Sh'ma, Yisrael! Yehovah Elohaynoo, Yehovah echad!

And in a Synagogue the following additional phrase is usually added:

Ba-rooch shame k'vode mahl-choo-toe l'oh-lahm vah-ed.

Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.

So, if you believe in the "whole book", all of the Bible, and I do - you cannot get away from the fact that Yehovah is One! Interestingly, the Hebrew word, "echad", can mean "united" as one. But if you argue for two distinct and separate beings, Yehovah, the spirit Father, and Yeshua, the flesh son, and you worship each apart from the other, you are guilty of polytheism! So, what's going on here? Instead of me giving my opinion, let's see what scripture says.

The following verses and commentary are for your own consideration, study, and discussion. I do not presume to teach anyone. This blog is an open expression of my personal study on this subject. You are free to disagree or make comment.

My comments on verses will be shown in brackets. I will use bold text for emphasis. The NASB is being used. I recommend using Brenton's Online Septuagint and Bible Hub's Lexicon pages to cross reference word meanings as needed. Both can be accessed on the right side of my blog.

Isa. 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

[Note: I don't believe in modern-day "prophets". If the prophets from the Tanahk, like Isaiah, are not good enough for you to believe, then you will never believe. How could this be any clearer? This prophecy is about Yeshua. The child's name will be; "Mighty God, Eternal Father". The prophecy says the Father will give us a Son, and, share His attributes!]

Pro. 30:4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you know!

[Note: Proverbs, Psalms, Lamentations, etc. and all those books we tend to gloss over should be treated with great respect. You'll never know what you'll find! "His son's name?"]

Gen. 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

[Note: The Hebrew word here for "God" is Elohim, a plural. When reading the context it very much means a real "Us" and "Our". A Rabbi once told me it only means God is referring to Himself in a stately, princely way, like, "Let Us have some tea!". But even when I listen to the spoken Hebrew (I have audio files of a native Hebrew speaker reciting the entire Tanahk) it seems clear it's really "Us" and "Our"! Am I denying the Shema? No, I'm suggesting that a plurality, or rather, a duality exists in God. The Father is referred to, in verse, as Spirit. He must have a personage to relate to His created beings - to be seen and to be interacted with. This "duality" becomes clear when you see verses that consistently refer to Father and Son. It's also interesting that "man", in Hebrew, is "A-dam". Adam is of the "ground", "A-damah". The word for earth is "eh-rets".]

Heb. 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Heb. 1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

[Note: I have had people ask me, "Tiger, are we in the last days?". "Yes!" I answer, "and we have been since the advent of Christ!" : ) Of course, they probably meant the "end of days". This verse indicates we have been in "the last days" for over 2000 years now. "Through whom also He made the world." Yeshua has been there since the beginning and is our Creator!]

Heb. 1:3 And He [Yeshua] is the radiance of His glory [Yehovah's] and the exact representation of His [Yehovah's] nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He [Yeshua] had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Heb. 1:4 having become as much better than the angels, as He [Yeshua] has inherited a more excellent name than they.

[Note: You should read Heb. Ch. 2 for a companion piece. Yeshua is described as "a little lower than the Angels" in Ch. 2, but having then been exalted, becomes "much better". Luke Ch. 2 describes how Yeshua "grows in wisdom" and "stature". Please notice, Yeshua is "the exact representation of God's nature".]

Heb. 1:5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"? And again, "I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"?
Heb. 1:6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM."

[Note: A quote from 2 Samuel 7:14. Ah! The question of WORSHIP! Examples occur in Scripture where Angels tell humans, "Don't worship me!" "I am a fellow servant like you!" (Rev. 19:10, Rev. 22:9,) and other examples where worship is allowed (Exo. 3:5, Acts 7:33 - referring to Exodus, Joshua 5:13). Yehovah does not allow worship of humans or Angels. Here, in Hebrews, Yeshua is being worshipped! Also. see this inserted verse:

Isa. 42:8 "I am the LORD [Yehovah], that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

Our Father will not give His glory to another, so why does Yeshua get His glory? There is only one possible answer - Yeshua IS Yehovah!]

Heb. 1:7 And of the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."
Heb. 1:8 But of the Son He says, "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.
Heb. 1:9 "YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS [being without Torah]; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS."

Heb. 1:10 And, "YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

[Note: The word "LORD" here is "kurios" which means supreme authority, or God. Hebrews literally states that Yeshua made the earth and heavens. It is equating Yeshua with Yehovah! And, did you notice, He HATES being without Torah!]

Heb. 1:11 THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,
Heb. 1:12 AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END."
Heb. 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET"?


[Note: Hebrews is quoting Psalms 110, written by King David:

Psalms 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

The B'rit Hadashah consistently equates Yeshua with Yehovah. Even David refers to; "Yehovah says to my Adonai". Adonai (Lord) is referring to God's Holy name without saying His Holy name. The inference is clear. Yehovah is saying to Yehovah, "Sit at My right hand". The author of Hebrews is telling us Yeshua is that Adonai! One cannot believe in Yeshua without understanding He is Yehovah. Otherwise, we Christians are believing in a Usurper! Not to go on a rant at this point, but it's bad enough when my fellow Christians believe in an antinomian Christ and ignore Torah, but some also believe Jesus is a different "God" than that "Old Testament" vengeful God! This kind of teaching is HERESY folks! The two CANNOT be different! One can understand why a Jewish brother doesn't believe a witnessing Christian when the Christian states (perhaps unknowingly) Jesus has usurped God's authority!]

Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, ...

[Note: Remember when God visited Abram at his tent (with two Angels) and told him he and his wife would have a child even though Sarai (Sarah) was old? They took physical form and ate a meal. Abram bowed down to "the Lord". Later the two Angels left for Sodom and Gomorrah to save Lot and his family. Here, in verse 24, it states literally that Yehovah, on earth, in context the one who had been speaking with Abram, rained down brimstone and fire from Yehovah, in heaven! Over and over the dual nature of God rings out!]

... End, Part 1
The Observer