In this study I would like to examine what the Bible says about the person of Yeshua (Yeshua). Lets start by looking at a well known declaration:
Matityahu (Matthew) 16:13-20 When Yeshua came to the region of Caesarea
Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man
is?" They replied, "Some say Yochanan (John) the Baptist; others say
Elijah; and still others, Yirimiyah (Jeremiah) or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Tzefet (Peter) answered, "You are the Mashiach,
the Son of the living God." Yeshua replied, "Blessed are you,
Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father
in heaven. And I tell you that you are Tzefet (Peter), and on this rock I will
build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was
the Mashiach.
In this passage, Tzefet (Peter) declared and Yeshua acknowledged that he is the "Anointed One" (that’s what Mashiach means. "Mashiach" is another name for one who is anointed), the Son of the living God. So, we can now say that Yeshua is:
The Mashiach or Anointed One (The Mashiach).
The Son of the living God.
At His trial, Yeshua testified under oath, before God, as to Who He was:
Matityahu (Matthew) 26:62-64 Then the high priest stood up and said to
Yeshua, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these
men are against you?" But Yeshua remained silent. The high priest said to
him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the
Mashiach, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Yeshua
replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son
of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of
heaven."
In this passage, Mashiach swears that He is:
The Mashiach or Anointed One.
The Son of God.
Now remember that this is sworn testimony from Yeshua Himself. Notice also that Yeshua is claiming to be someone other than The Mighty One. This testimony is repeated in Mark 14:61.
Others had obviously heard whom Yeshua had claimed to be:
Matityahu (Matthew) 27:35-43 When they had crucified him, they divided
up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him
there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS
YESHUA, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were
crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by
hurled insults at him, shaking their heads And saying, "You who are going
to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save
yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In
the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He
saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King
of
Yeshua's testimony was repeated in:
Luqas
(Luke) 22:66-70 At daybreak the
council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests
and teachers of the law, met
together, and Yeshua was led before them. "If you are the Mashiach," they said, "tell us." Yeshua
answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, And if I asked you, you
would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right
hand of the mighty God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of
God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am."
At one point, Yeshua was nearly stoned for claiming to be the Son of God:
Yochanan
(John) 10:25-36 Yeshua answered,
"I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's
name speak for me, But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My
sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can
snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater
than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are
one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone
him, But Yeshua said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from
the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning
you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because
you, a mere man, claim to be God." Yeshua answered them, "Is
it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?
If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture
cannot be broken-- What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own
and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said,
'I am God's Son'?
From this we see that it is important to note that being god is different from being GOD. Notice, again, that Yeshua claimed to be:
The Son of God.
Mark, in his gospel, also tells us who Yeshua is:
Marqos (Mark) 1:1 The beginning of the gospel about Yeshua Mashiach,
the Son of God.
In this passage, Mark claims that Yeshua is:
The Son of God.
So far our witnesses have all been flesh and blood. Lets see what the spirit world has to say about Yeshua:
Luqas
(Luke) 4:41 Moreover, demons came
out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he
rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Mashiach.
So, demons claim that Yeshua is:
The Son of God.
And the demons "knew" that Yeshua was:
The Mashiach or Anointed One.
Lets see what other demons said about Yeshua:
Matityahu (Matthew) 8:23-29 Then he got into the boat and his disciples
followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the
waves swept over the boat. But Yeshua was sleeping.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to
drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so
afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was
completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this?
Even the winds and the waves obey him!" When he arrived at the other side
in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men
coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that
way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have
you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
The demons repeated this testimony in:
Marqos (Mark) 3:7-12 Yeshua withdrew with his disciples to the
lake, and a large crowd from
Marqos
(Mark) 5:2-9 When Yeshua got out
of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This
man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a
chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains
apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself
with stones. When he saw Yeshua from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees
in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want
with me, Yeshua, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture
me!" For Yeshua had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil
spirit!" Then Yeshua asked him, "What is your name?" "My
name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
So much for the testimony of the evil angels. Lets look at the testimony of the good angels:
Luqas
(Luke) 1:26-35 In the sixth
month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, To a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and
said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this
might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have
found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you
are to give him the name Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, And
he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never
end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am
a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be
born will be called the Son of God.
Gabriel, a good angel, testifies that Yeshua will be called:
The Son of God.
Lets look at the testimony of Yeshua's friends:
Yochanan
(John) 11:21-27 "Lord,"
Martha said to Yeshua, "if you had been here, my brother would not have
died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Yeshua
said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I
know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Yeshua said
to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; And whoever lives and
believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes,
Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Mashiach, the Son
of God, who was to come into the world."
Martha testified that Yeshua is:
The Mashiach or Anointed One.
Yochanan (John) also testified about Yeshua. Yochanan testified:
Yochanan
(John) 20:30-31 Yeshua did many
other miraculous signs in the presence of his
disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you
may believe that Yeshua is the Mashiach, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name.
Yochanan (John) testified that Yeshua is:
The Mashiach or Anointed One.
The Son of God.
Yochanan (John) repeated this testimony in:
Yochanan
(John) 1:29-34 The next day
Yochanan (John) saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the
one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he
was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with
water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
Then Yochanan (John) gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from
heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have
known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with
water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is
he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that
this is the Son of God."
1
Yochanan (John) 1:3 We proclaim
to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with
us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Yeshua Mashiach.
1
Yochanan (John) 2:22 Who is the
liar? It is the man who denies that Yeshua is the Mashiach. Such a man is the
antiMashiach--he denies the Father and the Son.
1
Yochanan (John) 3:21-23 Dear
friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God And
receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what
pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Yeshua
Mashiach, and to love one another as he commanded us.
Yochanan (John) also testified that Yeshua was the true God. This is the only place in scripture where this is spelled out:
1
Yochanan (John) 5:20 We know also
that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we
may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Yeshua
Mashiach. He is the true God [Judge] and eternal life.
Nathanael also testified as to who Yeshua is:
Yochanan
(John) 1:47-49 When Yeshua saw
Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom
there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Yeshua answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Then
Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the
King of
Nathanael testified that Yeshua is:
The Son of God.
Paul also testified about Yeshua. Paul testified:
Romans
1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Mashiach
Yeshua, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel
of God-- The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy
Scriptures Regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of
David, And who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the
Son of God by his resurrection from the
dead: Yeshua Mashiach our Lord.
Paul testified that Yeshua is:
The Mashiach or Anointed One.
The Son of God.
Paul repeated this testimony in:
1
Corinthians 1:9 God, who has
called you into fellowship with his Son Yeshua Mashiach our Lord, is faithful.
2
Corinthians 1:19 For the Son of God, Yeshua Mashiach, who was preached among
you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No,"
but in him it has always been "Yes."
Galatians
2:20 I have been crucified with Mashiach
and I no longer live, but Mashiach lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me.
Ephesians
4:13 Until we all reach unity in
the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God
and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Mashiach.
Now lets see what all of the disciples, in unison, called Yeshua:
Matityahu
(Matthew) 14:22-33 Immediately
Yeshua made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other
side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on
a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came,
he was there alone, But the boat was already a considerable distance from land,
buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch
of the night Yeshua went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples
saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost,"
they said, and cried out in fear. But Yeshua immediately said to them:
"Take courage! It is
The disciples said that Yeshua is:
The Son of God.
The centurian who watched Yeshua die also testified as to who Yeshua is:
Matityahu
(Matthew) 27:54 When the
centurion and those with him who were guarding Yeshua saw the earthquake and
all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was
the Son of God!"
Finally, lets see what God Himself testified concerning Yeshua:
Luqas
(Luke) 3:21-22 When all the
people were being baptized, Yeshua was baptized too.
And as he was praying, heaven was opened And the Holy
Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from
heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well
pleased."
So far the testimony has been remarkably consistent. Everyone agrees on who Yeshua is.
Just as an afterthought, there is only one other person who was ever called "the Son of God":
Luqas
(Luke) 3:38 The son of Enosh, the
son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
In conclusion, it is clear that Yeshua is the Son of God and The Mashiach. It is also clear that He is distinct from GOD, by His own, and others, testimonies. He is the Son of God!
One more observation: Nowhere in the Nazarean Codicil is there a Greek word used to translate the tetragrammaton, YHVH.- יהוה, Modern Hebrew translations of the Nazarean Codicil, and surviving Hebrew manuscripts, never use the YHVH name. This means that Yeshua is never associated with the covenantal name of God.
* * *
Ezra-Nechemiah (Nehemiah) 3:9 Then Yeshua arose, (and) his sons and
brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, as one, to sing before the
workers in the Temple of God; also, the sons of
Henadad, their Levite sons and brethren.
The word "and" is NOT in the Hebrew text, although it seems to be implied. Since Yeshua is the Kohen Gadol, He is perhaps prophetically mentioned in relationship to the historical priest.
* * *
I am investigating the claims made about Yeshua. I want to know what is true and what is false. I am going to start this investigation by examining the claims made by Ryrie. I am using the Ryrie study Bible, page 1937, as my reference point. Ryrie's first point is that Yeshua preexisted before His birth.
Does Micah 5:1-5, prove that Yeshua preexisted?
Micah 5:1-5 Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike
This passage plainly speaks of someone "whose origins
are from old, from ancient times". The text also indicates that HaShem
will be the God of the one whose origins are from old. He also will be a ruler
in
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 9:1-7 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom
for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and
the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles,
by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- The people walking in darkness have
seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light
has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice
before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the
plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that
burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every
warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be
destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to
us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God (Elohim), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of
the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice
and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of HaShem Almighty
will accomplish this.
This verse does not seem to indicate preexistence to me. By the way, the Hebrew word for "God" (Elohim), in this passage, is also used for judges and angels. We can see this in:
Tehillim (Tehillim (Psalms)) 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than
the angels (Elohim), and hast crowned him with glory and
honour.
Tehillim (Tehillim (Psalms)) 82:6 I have said, Ye [are] gods (Elohim); and
all of you [are] children of the most High.
(This was quoted by Yeshua in Yochanan (John) 10:34 as applying to men)
Shemot (Shemot (Exodus)) 21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the
judges (Elohim); he shall also bring him to the door, or
unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and
he shall serve him for ever.
Shemot
(Shemot (Exodus)) 22:7-8 If a man
shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out
of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. If the thief be
not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges (Elohim), [to see] whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.
Shemot (Exodus) 21:6; 22:7-8 states a judge is called Elohim, because a judge of Torah truly represents HaShem and has the authority to speak in His Name.
Thus we understand that Yeshua will rule (as a Judge) and we will rule (as judges) with Him. We will all be Gods (Elohim = Judges).
In Yochanan (John) 1, we have another indicator that Yeshua was living and working before his birth:
Yochanan (John) 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In
him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the
darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent
from God; his name was Yochanan (John). He came as a witness to testify
concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was
not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that
gives light to every man was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did
not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not
receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God-- Children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became
flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the
One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace
and truth.
While this passage seems conclusive, it could not have been used by the Bereans to prove the preexistence of Mashiach, because this passage had not yet even been written, much less validated as the word of God. This passage is therefore inconclusive.
Ryrie believes that Mashiach's preexistence is proven by the fact that he was mentioned in this passage:
Shemot (Exodus) 3:1-4 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro
his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led
the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the HaShem appeared to him in flames of fire
from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn
up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the
bush does not burn up." When HaShem saw that he
had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses!
Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
Ryrie sees "the angel of HaShem" as being Mashiach. Yet in this passage it does not give us any indication that this angel is also Mashiach.
Ryrie then goes on to say that Mashiach's preexistence is proven by his names of: Logos, Son of God, and Jehovah. He does not give any references for these names, however.
We have, in another paper, already seen that Mashiach did accept the title of "son of God". We also acknowledged that Yochanan (John) 1 seems to indicate that Yeshua was called Logos. I was unable to find any passage that indicates that he is HaShem. HaShem is NEVER used in the Nazarean Codicil, and I was unable to see any indication that Mashiach is HaShem in the Tanakh.
Ryrie believe that the deity of Mashiach is proven by his names: "God", from:
Bereans (Hebrews) 1:7-10 In speaking of the angels he says, "He
makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and
ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved
righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God,
your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of
joy." He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the
foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the
work of your hands.
While it is true that the Greek word "Theos" is used to translate "HaShem", it is also used to translate other Greek words like "Elokim", as in:
Yochanan (John) 10:34-36 Yeshua answered them, "Is it not
written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'? If he called them 'gods,' to
whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- What about the
one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then
do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am
God's Son'?
In the above passage, Theos is used to translate the Hebrew word Elokim, in Psalm 82:6, which is then used as a term which applies to all of God's people. The word Theos, therefore, can not be used to prove conclusively that Mashiach is HaShem.
Let's examine the term, Son of God, and see if it proves that Yeshua is HaShem. In the following verse, Yeshua is called the Son of God:
Matityahu (Matthew) 14:25-33 During the fourth watch of the night Yeshua
went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on
the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried
out in fear. But Yeshua immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is
This seems pretty conclusive until we see some of the other places where this term is used:
Luqas (Luke) 3:38 The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son
of Adam, the son of God.
In this verse we see that Adam is also called the son of God. Is Adam deity too? We can also note that the most conclusive way to prove that Yeshua is deity, is to prove that he is HaShem. Nowhere is this done, and in several places we see HaShem as a distinct entity which is separate from Yeshua.
Ryrie indicates that the yod-hay-vav-hay, HaShem, is applied to Yeshua. I am unable to find any such reference in the Tanakh, which is the only place we have the name of HaShem used unambiguously.
The next name that Ryrie uses is "Lord", in:
Matityahu (Matthew) 23:37-39 "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I
have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under
her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.
For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord.'"
When Matityahu (Matthew) says, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord", he is quoting:
Psalm 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of HaShem. From the house of
HaShem we bless you.
"Lord" is a translation of the Greek Kurios, which means "one in supreme authority". If Yeshua is the one who is coming, then he is not coming in his own name, he is coming in the name of HaShem, as Psalm 118:26 clearly shows. This is like an ambassador who comes in the name of a higher power, a state for example. The ambassador wields the authority of the higher power, yet he is a distinct entity from the higher power. So, Ryrie's argument does not hold any sway, here.
Ryrie's next terms are "King of kings", and "Lord of lords", as used in:
Revelation 19:11-16 I saw heaven
standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called
Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like
blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a
name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe
dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven
were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and
clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the
nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the
winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his
thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
In the above passage the name of the entity is "the Word of God". The Word has two titles written on him. The titles may or may not belong to him.
King of kings is not a title which is ascribed exclusively to God:
Ezra-Nechemiah (Nehemiah) 7:11-12 This is a copy of the letter King
Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the
commands and decrees of HaShem for Israel: Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra
the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
So, Artaxerxes was also king of kings. This title was not exclusive to God. King Nebuchadnezzar is also called the king of kings by Daniel:
Daniel 2:37-37 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.
You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion
and power and might and glory;
In the following passage, we have an unambiguous statement that God, not Yeshua, is King of kings and Lord of lords:
I Titus 6:13-17 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Mashiach Yeshua,
who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge
you To keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Yeshua
Mashiach, Which God will bring about in his own time--God,
the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone is immortal
and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him
be honor and might forever. Amen.
So, we have learned that the title "King of kings" does not always pertain to God. It can also pertain to earthly kings. There are several references to "Lord of lords", and all of them seem to apply to HaShem:
Tehillim (Psalm) 136:3, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:16.
Unfortunately, in Revelation 19:16, we can not tell that these names apply to the Word of God, or whether he was merely wearing them.
Ryrie next suggests that Yeshua is deity because he is omnipotent according to Matityahu (Matthew) 28:18:
Matityahu (Matthew) 28:16-20 Then the eleven
disciples went to
The NIV shows us that it is authority that Yeshua has received, not necessarily power. This reference is too ambiguous to be of any help.
Ryrie indicates that Yeshua was omniscience, according to:
Yochanan (John) 1:47-49 When Yeshua saw Nathanael approaching, he
said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing
false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Yeshua answered,
"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree
before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are
the Son of God; you are the King of
This passage only indicates that Yeshua could see Nathaniel while he was far away, not that he knows everything. Further, Yeshua, himself, plainly says that he does not know everything, that only God knows everything:
Matityahu (Matthew) 24:36 "No one knows
about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but
only the Father.
and:
Matityahu (Matthew) 6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows
what you need before you ask him.
Therefore, one must conclude that Yeshua does NOT know everything, he is NOT omniscient, only HaShem is.
Ryrie now proceeds to assert that Yeshua is omnipresent according to:
Matityahu (Matthew) 18:19-20 "Again, I tell you that if two of you
on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father
in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name,
there am I with them."
This assertion can not be true, unless Yeshua does not have a physical form, if he is not s son of man. I have prayed many times with two or more, in his name, and I have never seen him. He was not physically there. The scriptures plainly indicate that HaShem can be everywhere because He is spirit. We can further corroborate this idea by looking at:
Yochanan (John) 7:33-36 Yeshua said, "I am with you for only a
short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you
will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man
intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live
scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he
said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you
cannot come'?"
If Yeshua is omnipresent, then how can he not be where the disciples are? It does not appear that Yeshua is omnipresent. Since he is a man, we would see him, and as a man, he can not be omnipresent.
Ryrie now indicates that Yeshua is deity because he gives life:
Yochanan (John) 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the
light of men.
This verse does not indicate anything more than the fact that Yeshua was alive, and that his life gives light to men. I do not see anything that indicates that this is something that can not be done by Mashiach or by angels. I do not see any indication that this is something that can be done exclusively by HaShem.
The next attribute that Ryrie points to, to prove that Yeshua is deity, in truth:
Yochanan (John) 14:6 Yeshua answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Clearly, the above verse separates Yeshua from the Father. This passage clearly indicates that Yeshua is unique, it does not indicate that he is deity.
The last attribute that Ryrie uses to prove the deity of Yeshua, is immutability:
Bereans (Hebrews) 13:8 Yeshua Mashiach is the same yesterday and
today and forever.
So where does it say that immutability is trait of HaShem alone? Can angels be immutable? Are all resurrected people immutable?
At this point Ryrie begins to use the works of Yeshua to prove his deity. The first work that he points to is his ability to create:
Yochanan (John) 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Mashiach is the creator. It does not say that he created all things, it says that all things were created through him. HaShem spoke the ten sayings, and those words were endowed with the ability to create. HaShem can give anyone, any ability He chooses. The fact that we have an ability, does not make us deity. So it will be for each of the other works that Ryrie uses to prove that Yeshua is deity:
Sustains:
Colosians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Forgives sin:
Luqas (Luke) 7:48 Then Yeshua said to her, "Your sins
are forgiven."
Note: Because Yeshua has authority to forgive sins:
Luqas (Luke) 5:21-25 The Pharisees and the teachers
of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is
this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Yeshua
knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things
in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the
paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."
Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and
went home praising God.
This authority does not mean that it is him that we have wronged, only that HaShem has given Mashiach the authority to act on His behalf.
Raises the dead (We know that Elijah also had the authority to raise the dead. He is not deity too, is he?):
Yochanan (John) 5:25 I tell you the truth, a time
is coming and has now come when the dead will hear
the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
Shoftim (Judges) (Moses
judged; is he deity?):
Yochanan (John) 5:27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Sends the Holy
Spirit:
Yochanan (John) 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will
send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father,
he will testify about me.
Next, Ryrie uses worship to prove that he is deity:
By angels:
Bereans (Hebrews) 1:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn
into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels prostrate themselves
in homage to him."
Prostration is not the same as worship! When ever we see "worshipped" as it applied to Yeshua, it is always:
4352 proskuneo, pros-koo-neh'-o; from 4314 and a prob. der. of 2965 (mean. to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (lit. or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):-worship.
Keep in mind that Strong’s uses the colon (:) to terminate the definition and begin displaying the English translation as used in the KJV. So, worship is the translation, in the above definition, not the meaning!
This bowing down was something one did to HaShem and men. What one did ONLY to HaShem was:
3000 latreuo, lat-ryoo'-o; from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:-serve, do the service, worship (-per).
The word latreuo is defined as “religious homage” as opposed to just prostration.This word, latreuo, is used in all of the following verses. I have underlined the translation to call it to your attention:
Matityahu (Matthew) 4:7-11
Yeshua answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to
the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will
give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Yeshua
said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Bow to the Lord
your God, and worship him only.'" Then the devil left him, and
angels came and attended him.
Notice that the word “only” is applied to latreuo and that proskuneo is also used in the same verse. Notice also
that Yeshua does not tell us to bow to Yeshua or to worship Yeshua. It was the
perfect opportunity, but Yeshua pointed us to HaShem.
Notice in this next
verse that worship belongs to HaShem:
Luqas
(Luke) 1:67-75 His father
Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to
the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the
house of his servant David (As he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- To show mercy
to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
The oath he swore to our father Abraham: To rescue us from the hand of our
enemies, and to enable us to worship him without fear In holiness and
righteousness before him all our days.
Luqas
(Luke) 2:36-38 There was also a
prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe
of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven
years after her marriage, And then was a widow
until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple
but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about
the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption
of Jerusalem.
Luqas
(Luke) 4:4-8 Yeshua answered,
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" The devil led
him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the
world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me,
and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be
yours." Yeshua answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God
and serve him only.'"
II
Luqas (Acts) 6:15 – 7:7 All who
were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his
face was like the face of an angel. Then the high priest
asked him, "Are these charges true?" To this he replied:
"Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our
father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show
you.' "So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After
the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He
gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of
ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would
possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. God spoke to
him in this way: 'Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their
own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four
hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said,
'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this
place.'
II
Luqas (Acts) 7:37-42 "This
is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me
from your own people.' He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who
spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words
to pass on to us. "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they
rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, 'Make
us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of
Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!' That was the time they made an
idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a
celebration in honor of what their hands had made. But God turned away and gave
them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies.
This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you
bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the
desert, O house of Israel?
In this next passage, Paul has an opportunity to tell us to worship Yeshua, instead he himself only worships HaShem:
II
Luqas (Acts) 24:10-16 When the
governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a
number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my
defense. You can easily verify that no more than twelve
days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers
did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in
the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And
they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. However, I
admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way,
which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, And I have the
same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection
of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience
clear before God and man.
II
Luqas (Acts) 26:1-8 Then Agrippa
said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul
motioned with his hand and began his defense: "King Agrippa, I consider
myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the
accusations of the Jews, And especially so because
you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs
and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. "The
Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning
of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.
They have known me for a long time and can testify, if
they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived
as a Pharisee. And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise
our twelve tribes are
hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly worship God day and night. O
king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. Why should any
of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
II
Luqas (Acts) 27:21-25 After the
men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said:
"Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you
would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep
up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be
destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I worship stood
beside me And said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before
Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'
So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just
as he told me.
In this next passage we have Paul clearly telling folks the name of the One he worships. Notice:
Romans
1:7-10 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the
Lord Yeshua Mashiach. First, I thank my God through
Yeshua Mashiach for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over
the world. God, whom I worship with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I
remember you In my prayers at all times; and I pray
that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
In this verse Paul worships the Creator, which could be construed as either The Word or Elohim:
Romans
1:24-25 Therefore God gave them
over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading
of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the
truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather
than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
Philippians
3:2-4 Watch out for those dogs,
those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of
God, who glory in Mashiach Yeshua, and who put no confidence in the Though I
myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons
to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:
2
Timothy 1:1-4 Paul, an apostle of
Mashiach Yeshua by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in
Mashiach Yeshua, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the
Father and Mashiach Yeshua our Lord. I thank God, whom I worship, as my
forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly
remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with
joy.
Bereans
(Hebrews) 8:1-6 The point of what
we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,
who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, And who serves in the sanctuary,
the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.
Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and
sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to
offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men
who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They worship
at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is
in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was
about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that
you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
But the ministry Yeshua has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the
old one, and it is founded on better promises.
Bereans
(Hebrews) 9:7-15 But only the
high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never
without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had
committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into
the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle
was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating
that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the
conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external
regulations applying until the time of the new order. When Mashiach came as
high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the
greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a
part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and
calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood,
having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of
goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are
ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much
more, then, will the blood of Mashiach, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences
from acts that lead to death, so that we may worship the living God! For
this reason Mashiach is the mediator of a new covenant,
that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set
them free from the sins committed under the first
covenant.
Bereans
(Hebrews) 10:1-4 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not
the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices
repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to
worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers
would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for
their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, Because it is
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The writer to the Hebrews could have told us to worship Yeshua, but instead he told us to worship HaShem in a clear and unambiguous way:
Bereans
(Hebrews) 12:28-29 Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and
so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, For our "God is a
consuming fire."
Devarim
(Deuteronomy) 4:24 For HaShem (HaShem)
your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Bereans
(Hebrews) 13:9-10 Do not be
carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be
strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who worship
at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Revelation
7:13-15 Then one of the elders
asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come
from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are
they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before
the throne of God and worship him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his
tent over them.
Revelation
22:1-3 Then the angel showed me
the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of
God and of the Lamb Down the middle of the great street of the city. On each
side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will
there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.
Worship by men, angels, or by everyone, is always a different word than what is used for HaShem exclusively.
* * *
The following is an excerpt from an Email I responded to:
Your Excellency has asked me to prove that Yeshua is YHVH. The YHVH name is called HaShem by many pious Jews. I will be using HaShem instead of YHVH throughout this note.
To begin my answer lets look at a very familar passage and analyze it:
Yochanan
(John)1:1 In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In this passage, Yeshua is referred to a The Word. A word is a collection of sounds uttered by a speaker. The words of a speaker are distict from the speaker. Who is the speaker in this passage? Bereshit (Genesis) 1:3:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 1:3 And Elohim (God)
said, Let there be light: and there was light.
The speaker is Elohim. This seems simple till we note what was spoken through Yeshayahu (Isaiah):
Yeshayah
(Isaiah) 45:5-8 I [am] HaShem, and [there is] none else,
[there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That
they may know from the rising of the sun, and from
the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] HaShem, and [there is] none
else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I
HaShem do all these [things]. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the
skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth
salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I HaShem have created it.
In this passage we learn that HaShem created everything. So who created the world Elokim or HaShem? Are these two different names for the same entity?
The answer, of course, is that these are two names for HaShem. Elokim is used when judging / creating and HaShem is used when HaShem is exercising the attribute of loving kindness. As simple as this answer is, we have a problem:
Yochanan
(John) 1:3 All things were made
by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In this passage it says that The Word created everything. So, what is the answer? I will make it clear. Here is what happened: HaShem exercising the attribute of justice (using the name Elohim) spoke. The Word came out of His mouth and created that which HaShem commanded. In this way we see That HaShem created everything by His Word. The Word created that which HaShem commanded. This shows that HaShem and The Word are related, but, The Word is not the speaker, HaShem is the speaker.
Conclusion: HaShem is different from The Word. HaShem is the speaker who spoke The Word.
Taken together, the arguments
presented in this paper prove conclusively that Yeshua is NOT HaShem.
* * *
This study was
written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be
submitted to:
Greg Killian
7104 Inlay St SE
Lacey, WA 98513
Internet
address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page: http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
Return to The WATCHMAN home page
Send comments to Greg Killian at his email address: gkilli@aol.com