| Concordance.
Contact larryv
The
Letters:
# 1. Faith,
Discipleship &
Spiritual
Warfare.
# 2. Prayer,
Judgmentalism
&
Forgiveness.
# 3. The
Ekklesia
(Church)
-vs-
Religion.
# 4. Elohim,
His
Love &
His
Discipline.
# 5. Spiritual
Gifts, Humility
& Elohim's
Power.
# 6. The
Holy Spirit
and Elohim's
Word.
# 7.
Reconciliation
& Sin - The
curse
and our
need.
# 8.
Reconciliation
& Sin - The
consequence
of the curse.
# 9.
Reconciliation
& Sin - Sin's
cure.
#10.
Reconciliation
& Sin - Our
Choice.
#11.
Discipleship.
#12.
Works
of Faith.
#13. The
Gifts
of The
Holy Spirit
-
and a Test.
#14.
The Sign
Gifts.
#15. The
Support Gifts.
#16. The
Service Gifts.
#17. Living
as Disciples.
#18.
The Snatching
(Rapture) &
Tribulation.
#19.
Prophesy & a
Closing.
#20.
Beware
the
false
prophets
and teachers.
#21.
The
Signs
of Messiah's
Return.
#22. Oneness
&
The Trinity,
and the Names
of Elohim!
#23.
Understanding
Righteousness,
While
Acknowledging
The enemy.
#24. The Matter
of the Sabbath.
About
the
Author.
Support.
|
|
Letter 22 -
Oneness & The Trinity - and The Names of Elohim (God)!
Dearest Disciple;
I wholeheartedly pray that
this letter finds you well and growing in the knowledge and love of
our most gracious Master, Messiah and King,
YEHOSHUA
ha Mashiach. We thank
Elohim each and every day for the love, warmth and comfort that we
have found in you, and we are especially covetous of your prayers on
our behalf. Our heavenly
Father has truly been gracious unto us in you, and our hearts overflow
with praise and thanksgiving.
Beloved,
we have received a steady stream of letters over the past years,
inquiring about our position on the Trinity, or Triune Essence, of
God.
It appears that for many, the concept of the Father, the Son
and The Holy Spirit each possessing unique Personalities, while
remaining and maintaining a united Oneness, is difficult to grasp.
Originally, it was my intent to specifically address the matter
of the Trinity in this letter, but in the course of my study in
preparation for this writing, I discovered significant information
that requires our attention as well.
Fortunately, this newly discovered information contributes
substantially to Scripture's overall declaration of the Triune Nature
of our Elohim, so in all of these things I am rejoicing in the
fullness of Him, and shall endeavor to reveal all of the information
that has been gained.
May He be glorified!
The paragraph that you just read was written in
early January, 2002, and it accurately depicts the original motivation I had to
investigate the fullness of the Trinity of “God”, and the manner in which
They are explained throughout Scripture. In
the course of my studies in preparation for this letter though, I came across a
vast number of very significant 'issues', which totally diverted my initial
purposes, and which set me on a ten year quest to learn the fullness of Elohim
(God), and the fullness of His Names. Toward
the end of the eighth year of that work, I was forced to pull The Letters of
Faith offline, simply because I could no longer allow a second-rate piece of
work to remain online; I could not allow this work to utilize and / or teach
names and / or phrases that I (now) knew were incorrect.
It is now early May, 2011, and my quest is drawing near an end.
One massive task was completed on April 30, 2011, which I will discuss in
a moment, and the second task, the editing of all The Letters, and the
republishing of this work, is almost complete.
Naturally, when you read this, the edit will be complete, and this work
will be in your hands through e-book technology.
Nevertheless: Simply stated, back in 2002, when I began this letter, I
was ultimately shown where over twelve thousand areas of Scripture were suspect
in their presentation. These
suspect areas revolved around a phrase, or phrases, which had been
substituted - to replace Names - or where names had been changed - or where
'titles' were either substituted or misinterpreted.
In the reality of all those errors, or omissions, or substitutions, or
whatever else one might choose to call them, I was moved to labor for nine years
on a project now entitled, The
Exalted Name Bible™ (ENB).
In this online version of this particular letter, I am referring you to links
which will take you to the outline I have prepared at The Exalted Name Bible™
website. From those links you can read the results of my findings.
Please know that this matter is not one that can be abbreviated.
And also please know that The
Exalted Name Bible™ is available in
e-book format as well!
Without further delay therefore, let us discover the truth and fullness of
“Oneness, The Trinity, and the Names of Elohim (God)”…
 The
Exalted Name Bible™ Home Page...
The
Exalted Name
The
Name YEHOSHUA instead of Jesus
The
Title "Christ" -VS- Messiah
The
word "God" -VS- EL and ELOHIM
Proper
uses for the words, Master and lord
The
Holy Spirit
Concordance
of Names
Perhaps the most significant thing I can say at the outset of this
study is that IF you have read
The Letters of Faith, you will truly know, understand and
acknowledge my approach to the Scriptures; how adamant I am about
our studying and upholding His Written Word.
The Exalted Name Bible™ is a product of that passion, and these newly edited Letters
of Faith now utilize all of the knowledge that I have gained over the
past nine years, because these
are not flippant or half-hearted insertions of Hebrew words.
Significant to this study is the additional fact that just as
in every other instance of my teaching, a
concordance is provided
to Scripturally support the matters that are being presented.
Now, you will also find a complete Concordance
of Names attached
to the end of this work, which includes every name used within the
Bible, as well as the interpretation / meaning of those names
(wherever that information is known).
The concordance for this letter however, is quite extensive,
because the topic is so very detailed and significant.
I wholeheartedly pray that you find both The Exalted Name Bible™
and The Letters of Faith™
to be relevant and useful in your search for truth and/or in your
ministry unto our Messiah, Master and King, for that is the intent of
both works.
Let us now
(after a ten year delay) complete our study on the Oneness of Elohim, and The
Trinity. Although some of the
material to be discussed below has already been touched upon above, in the
revelation and proper use of His Name (s) and titles, I will show below why our
understanding of The Trinity, and especially our knowledge and comprehension of
The Person of The Holy Spirit is so important – and therefore, worthy of some
repetition… Please be patient with me!
It is very clear that some people see the Word of Elohim as an entirely
metaphoric presentation, with every word, sight and sound to be interpreted by
any means other than literal. Others
see symbolism in every aspect of the Bible, and view Scripture through a maze of
signs, numbers and symbols, frequently ignoring even the most obvious and
literal translation of His presentation. And
then there are those who view Scripture as if every utterance was solely to be
taken literally, ignoring even the most obvious symbolic and metaphoric
presentation. While I personally
believe that the literalists are more often correct in their understanding of
what Elohim initially intends to tell us, I also think that by ignoring the
metaphors and symbols, a great deal is being lost as well.
While my first inclination is to look at Elohim's Word literally, I am
extremely thankful that in most instances, through The Holy Spirit, my eyes are
occasionally open to all three aspects of His Inspired Word.
I do not understand much of the symbolism, but I see it.
I do not comprehend all of the metaphors, but I know that as I faithfully
study His Word, He will continue to open my eyes to the fullness of His
revelations. The viewpoint I see
regarding the Nature and Essence of Elohim though, is taken from all three
angles of interpretation: literal, metaphoric and symbolic, and I wholeheartedly
pray that I can convey these viewpoints amply to you today.
Prayerfully,
therefore, I submit the remainder of this Letter for your consideration and
discernment. May your eyes, ears,
heart and soul be open to the fullness of YEHOWAH (The
"Master" of Israel throughout all of the Old Covenant); YEHOSHUA
(The
Full New Covenant Name for the Son of Elohim); and The Holy Spirit (whose Old
Covenant name should more appropriately read: The Holy Spirit), because in the
proper utilization of Their Names, we can more easily comprehend the Triune ELOHIM
whom
we serve.
In a typical conversation with any
who do not fully accept the One Nature / Essence presentation of
"God",
the Old Covenant passage of Deuteronomy
6:4, spews forth as an indelible line in the sand of their
understanding. Truly though, in stating, "Hear, O Israel! YEHOWAH
is our Elohim, YEHOWAH is
one!" Deuteronomy 6:4 is declaring the Triune Oneness of
Elohim in undeniable terms.
How so? In my studies preparing for the writing of this teaching, two things
have come to light about Deuteronomy 6:4, and the Hebrew words used in
this verse, and these two facts demand our consideration. Although the passage undeniably speaks of the
Oneness of Elohim, we must fully understand exactly what the
Word is saying in this
passage, in order to fully comprehend precisely what sort of Oneness is
being discussed.
The
first
matter to come to light in my study of this verse is found in the
Hebrew word, ECHAD, that is interpreted as 'one'.
ECHAD
(tc)
is a very interesting word! Although we interpret ECHAD as one,
or single, it is used throughout the Old Covenant to infer,
"One amongst a group" or, "A single portion of a larger
part". In context, the word ECHAD almost always signifies
that the item being discussed is something, "Of an exact
type - of a greater amount"...
For instance, in Numbers 13:23, ECHAD is used to describe a
"single cluster of grapes... carried on a pole between two
men"... One cluster of grapes - all exactly the same! The
cluster is one! The amount of individual grapes carried by these
two men, however, numbered (perhaps) in the hundreds or thousands! Two
men to carry one cluster of grapes!?
Surprisingly (and significantly) it is this very same ECHAD that is used throughout
Scripture to discuss the oneness of a married couple - as in Genesis
2:24, where Elohim says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father
and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one
flesh" (ENB).
In
the accompanying concordance, I
have provided dozens of Old Covenant passages
supporting the fact that ECHAD is a very special word; a word
which conclusively substantiates the fact that
Elohim is One, in that the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit all
possess the exact same "Essence", and that in possessing
that exact Essence, They are in fact One!
Therefore, everything that makes the Father (El - God), can be found in the Son
(El - God), and in The Holy Spirit (El - God). And, everything that is not of Elohim will not be
found in Any of Them. In these things, They are truly and fully
a Plurality of One. They are also One insomuch as They Each possess the same
goals and ambitions, which are always: To Glorify our Heavenly Father! (See John 17).
The second thing I have learned through the study of
Deuteronomy 6:4, is that the Word for "God", ELOHIM, is a
PLURAL word, while there are also many Scriptural references to
El, God).
Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, in his New Covenant Word
Study Dictionary (World Bible Publishers, 1992) offers this learned conclusion on the Word, Elohim: "The Septuagint constantly translated the
Hebrew plural name ELOHIM, when used for the true
God, by the singular THEOS, God, never by the plural
THEOI, Gods. The reason for this
was that at the time the Septuagint translation was made, Greek
idolatry was the prevailing superstition, especially in Egypt under
Ptolemies. Their gods were regarded as demons, i.e., intelligent
beings totally separate and distinct from each other. If the
translators rendered the name of the true God by the plural, THEOI,
they would have given the heathen under Greek culture an idea of God
inconsistent with the unity of the divine essence and conformable to
their own polytheistic notions. However, by translating the
Hebrew ELOHIM as "God", they inculcated the unity of God and
at the same time did not deny a plurality of persons in the divine
nature." (Emphasis mine).
Sadly, those who translated the Septuagint did not concern themselves
with any latter time misunderstandings that might be wrought through
their translation, because if they had translated this Word properly
in the first place, the confusion we see today would not exist.
Nevertheless, when we comprehend that ELOHIM denotes a plurality,
then the passage of Deuteronomy 6:4 (and every other applicable verse)
takes on a greater significance to us, because we must know that in
saying,
"YEHOWAH is our Elohim,
YEHOWAH is One", Scripture is absolutely correct, and
in this conclusion we cannot waver. They are One in Essence - exactly alike in the make-up
of Their heart's desires - just as we, the Body of YEHOSHUA, are to be
one in Him, and just as a married couple are to be one flesh.
Metaphorically speaking, therefore, the Body of YEHOSHUA
is an exact representation of the
fullness of ELOHIM, because just as we are millions
of individuals - all
possessing unique and distinct personalities - we who have been
justified and sanctified
by The Blood of His cross, and who proclaim and abide in Him as our
only Messiah, Master and King, are truly one Body in Him. One Body - One
Essence - all in One Messiah, yet possessing millions of unique
personalities!
Similarly, the metaphoric example of a married couple applies to these
truths as well, because the plurality
of THEOI / ELOHIM is exactly the same. The Father, the Son and
The Holy Spirit are not the same Person, but They do possess the same Essence,
and in Their Essence. They most certainly are One!
Furthermore, in Letter 4, I said, "Elohim's nature permeates
Scripture…but particular passages contain monumental clues into His
very essence. 1 John 4:8, says that, "Elohim is
love," 1 John
1:5 teaches that, "Elohim is light," and John 3:33 reveals
that, "Elohim is true." The wisdom attainable from these and
supporting passages, therefore, provide everything we need to know of
the nature of Elohim at this time, and everything we need to know to
expose every false deity.
We begin then with the fact that, "Elohim is
love." And in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, The Holy Spirit tells us
that, "Love is patient, love is kind, and is
not jealous; love
does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act
unbecomingly; it does
not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account
a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the
truth; bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all
things,
endures all things. Love never
fails."
Sixteen attributes define who Elohim is, or is not, in relationship to
the fact that, "Elohim is love". The definitions of love's
attributes, therefore, will certainly provide any seeker with insight
into the very essence of Elohim."
(The links provided above will take you to Letter 4 for a complete breakdown on the definitions of
love's attributes).
Letter 4 continues this conversation with a discussion
on the fact that, "Elohim is light", and in that part of the
letter we find that, "Of His essence, we are also told that, "Elohim
is light" (1 John 1:5). The entire passage says, "This
then is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that Elohim is
Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship
with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not the truth; but if we walk
in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of YEHOSHUA ha Mashiach His Son cleanses us from
all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not
sinned, we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us" (1 John 1:5-10ENB).
Sin is darkness, but Elohim is Light. Unrighteousness abides in the
darkness, but "In Him there is no darkness at all." Elohim wants us to know that His essence is pure of all unrighteousness, evil
and sin. He also wants us to know that we too can walk this same path,
because, "blood of YEHOSHUA ha Mashiach His
Son cleanses us from all sin". This passage is also significant, in that it offers us an
insightful look into Elohim's love. He says, "If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." Seeing as Elohim is Light, as
His children, the Light must abide in us as well. He has provided the
light for us.
Finally, Letter 4 wraps up this conversation on the
essence of Elohim by zeroing in on the fact that, "Elohim is
true". In that discussion we said that, "Another thing that
makes every passage we read significant, is the fact that, 'Elohim
is true' (John 3:33). Where love rejoices with the truth (ALETHEIA)
the word we interpret as true in John 3:33, ALETHES,
speaks solely of one who cannot lie. Rejoicing with the truth is not
the same as being the truth, but because Elohim is true, we can
understand why He rejoices when He hears the truth spoken.
(Further on, as we discuss the teachings of YEHOSHUA, I am going
to remind you of the fact that Elohim is true, and challenge you to
uphold His Words to the fact that He cannot lie. Why? For the simple reason that
YEHOSHUA would be lying in almost every reference to the
Father and to The Holy Spirit, if in fact He personally was also the Father and
The Holy Spirit. Read on, beloved, and you will see what I mean).
The fact that Elohim is love, light and truth, should paint a very clear
picture for us of His true nature. And in this knowledge, we
should also be able to understand what He desires for us, because He
has openly stated that we, 'Are to grow up in all aspects into
Him' (Ephesians 4:15). Believing on Messiah YEHOSHUA, and accepting
Him as Master and Messiah, means that we are His children. Even though
each child possesses a unique personality, and we each appear somewhat
different, the basic nature remains the same between parent and child,
by just so much as is seen between the Father, the Son, and The Holy
Spirit… Elohim's children are to be one with Him, but we are not He…
Elohim's children, purchased by The Blood of the Lamb, are one body in
the Messiah, but we are not the Messiah. One in purpose! One in
love, One in light, And One in truth! United under the Headship of
YEHOSHUA our Messiah
and Master, and yet each member retains a unique individuality; a
unique personality. (This is truly a Metaphor).
Elohim is one in His essence.
The Person of the Father is separate and unique from the Person
of the Son, and They are both separate and unique from the Person of
The Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless, they
each possess the same Essence, and in that Essence
They are truly One.
Similarly, just as Elohim is one in Essence, we
- His children - are
instructed to be one with Him as well.
Being united to Him does not mean that we lose our personal
identities. We are not clones or machines.
What He desires for us to become, however, is conformed to His
essence; to abide as love, light and truth, and in that abiding to be
one with Him, His Father and The Holy Spirit - for eternity.
Moving on from Letter 4, we can now proceed to Letter
6, where we discussed the Person of The Holy Spirit. In that
letter my goal was, "To offer
a Scriptural introduction to Him that is brief, yet relevant to everyday
life. Through this introduction, I hope you will see that from the first
chapter of the Book of Genesis, to the last chapter of the Book of
Revelation, The Holy Spirit is presented in an indelible portrait of
unity with the Father and the Son. And in all love, revelation and
regeneration, His existence, relevance and Deity is proven."
It would be silly to copy the whole of Letter 6 here, but the
significance of the points made throughout that teaching, in relation
to the Oneness and Individuality of the Persons of the Trinity, is so relevant,
that I could do just that. I trust you to go back to
Letter 6 though, and apply that teaching to this expanded study,
because it will add tremendous clarity to our discussion this day!
One issue discussed in Letter 6, however, must be reiterated here,
because it contains vital information for this study. In
discussing the unpardonable sin,
YEHOSHUA drew a very distinct line between Himself and
The Holy Spirit and in drawing this line He made two things very clear:
 The first thing He made
clear was that while He possessed The Holy Spirit, and was One with
Him in Essence, He was
NOT The Comforter.
The second thing He
made clear was that while The Holy Spirit possessed the Spirit of Messiah, and was
One with Him in Essence, The Holy Spirit was
NOT the Messiah. (Matthew 12:31-32, Luke 12:8-10 and John
16:7-15).
If Elohim is true, as we discussed above, and if YEHOSHUA
is
Elohim,
which we KNOW is true, then blaspheme against the Father or the Son would have the same punishment as blaspheme against
The Holy Spirit, IF the Father, the Son and The Holy
Spirit were
the same Person. Clearly, however, the Father, the Son and The
Holy Spirit are different
Personalities, because one can blaspheme the
Father or the Son and still receive forgiveness. Blaspheme
against The Holy Spirit is unforgivable, however, which in and of
itself tells us that HE IS
UNIQUE!
Many might be wondering why I am so concerned with
bringing clarity to this matter of the Trinity, because it really does not appear to be significant to salvation.
Appearances are deceiving! In short,
I believe that the unforgivable sin is at issue here,
because if the unique nature of the Trinity is misunderstood, we run
the risk of blaspheming The Holy Spirit.
Think about that for a moment... If the unique nature of
the Trinity is misunderstood, we run the risk of blaspheming The Holy
Spirit!
YEHOSHUA always gave credit to The Holy Spirit for His works.
Always! If we deny the unique nature of The Holy Spirit though, aren't
we running the risk of denying His place in the actions of Messiah? And, if we deny His place in the actions of
Messiah,
aren't we denying Him in just the same way as the religious leaders
of YEHOSHUA'S age?
To blaspheme The Holy Spirit is to deny Him!
To think that The Holy Spirit is merely a different manifestation of
the Father or the Son - Who, by the way, in this form of
thinking is merely another different manifestation of the Father
- is
to deny that The Holy Spirit exists as a unique Personality. If
we deny His Personality, we deny Him!
My prayer is that we never deny any portion of His workings,
and that we embrace Him - as well as His actions and Gifts - so that
together, like YEHOSHUA, and one with Him - we can glorify our Father in
heaven.
(Please see Letters 5, 13,
14, 15 and 16
for extensive teachings on the Gifts of The Holy Spirit).
Leaving Letter 6, please permit me to add this
thought: In John 17, YEHOSHUA offered a prayer to His Father
in heaven. In that prayer He made two things very clear:
The first thing He made
clear was that while He possessed a Oneness of Essence with the Father,
He was NOT the Father.
The second thing He
made clear was that while He and the Father were united; that they
were One in Essence, the Father was NOT the Son.
(John 13:16, coupled with 16:5, 14:10, 14:28, 15:1-2
and
17 all).
In a recent exchange of letters, I was told to go to a
particular website where I could gain a better understanding for
the singular (Instead of Trinitarian) oneness of God. As I was perusing the site,
however, a
number of highly unusual and contradictory teachings and statements leapt
off the pages. In one such incident, the author made the
following statement in regard to Deuteronomy 6:
"Orthodox Jews literally obey these commands today by binding
tefillin (phylacteries) on their left forearms and on their foreheads
when they pray, and by placing mezuzzah on their doors and gates.
(Teffilin are small boxes tied to the body by leather straps, and
mezuzzah are scroll-shaped containers.) Inside both types of
containers are verses of Scripture handwritten in black ink by a
righteous man who has observed certain purification rituals. The
verses of Scripture usually are Deuteronomy 6:4-9,11:18-21, Exodus
13:8-10 and 13:14-16."
Furthermore, this person said, "During a trip to Jerusalem, where we gathered the above
information, we attempted to buy tefillin. The Orthodox Jewish
merchant said he did not sell tefillin to 'Christians' because they do
not believe in and have the proper reverence for these verses of
Scripture. When we quoted Deuteronomy 6:4 and explained our total
adherence to it, his eyes lit up and he promised to sell to us on the
condition that we would treat the tefillin with care and respect. His
concern shows the extreme reverence and depth of belief the Jews have
for the concept of one Elohim. It also reveals that a major reason for
the Jewish rejection of 'Christianity' throughout history is the
perceived distortion of the monotheistic message."
I could not disagree more!
The Jewish rejection of 'Christianity' throughout history has absolutely
nothing to do with the perceived distortion of the monotheistic
message. (That is unless the
author of this false teaching is saying that the Jews rejected the
Messiah because He was trying to teach them the fullness of Elohim, as a
Triune Entity, and they rejected Him on those grounds)... The Jewish rejection of
'Christianity' has everything to
do with an absolute stiff-necked, religious and faithless approach to
the Word of Elohim and His messengers (the Prophets) by the nation of
Israel as a whole, and in this instance, by the Jewish people (tribe of
Yehudah); and more importantly, by the Jewish rejection of the Person
and Position of YEHOSHUA as the Messiah!
In my reply to the sister sending the website recommendation, I was
led to tell her that, "Any 'Christian' who turns to the Jewish
nation for comprehension of the topic of the Oneness of Elohim, while
that same Jewish nation denies the existence of the Very Messiah in
which we believe, is truly making a grave mistake. The eyes of
Israel have been closed to YEHOSHUA ha Mashiach for centuries, and until
He opens those eyes in the latter days, they will continue to be
closed. The Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4, to which the Jewish nation
clings so tightly, is NOT being taught correctly by them, because as
soon as they admit their error, then they must recognize the fullness
of Elohim in YEHOSHUA ha Mashiach - and they must repent."
My heart is for the Jewish nation (so is a large part of my
ancestry). I take great solace though, in the fact that Elohim has promised
to revive His chosen ones at the end of the Ekklesiastic age. In this
day and age, however, my call is to the Body of YEHOSHUA, and for
however long He permits, I will teach the fullness of His Word
to that Body. The Jewish nation has been blind to the Word of
Elohim for centuries, however. Their hearts have been hardened to
His truth - so that the lost sheep of the body of YEHOSHUA
can receive the fullness of our
Father's grace through Messiah YEHOSHUA. For the
Ekklesia,
however, who alone possess the indwelling Holy Spirit, to turn to the Jewish
nation for understanding of Elohim's Word, is a huge step backwards - and
a monumental slap to the face of The Holy Spirit as well!
Inasmuch as translation styles can interfere with an
understanding of the Nature and Essence of Elohim, as relates to the
fullness of the Trinity, I thought that I would offer a few examples
of each style of interpretation for you, so that even through the diverse writing styles
used by those inspired by The Holy Spirit you will be able to see Him in all of His splendor and
glory - United!
Literal Translation Dictating the
Trinity of Elohim:
Genesis (all).
Daniel 7.
John (all).
Revelation (all).
While I could spend a
tremendous amount of time listing hundreds of specific passages for
you to read, I am choosing to summarize the literal translation
viewpoint for the Trinity of Elohim in the fullness of three books and
one chapter from Daniel. If
Elohim cannot lie, and if we look at His Word LITERALLY,
then we must pay strict attention to every “I”; “We”;
“Us”; “He”; “Him” and “They”, that He sets before us.
Nearly every word
uttered in the Book of Genesis reveals the fact that there was more
than One Personality present at the creation.
If not, just WHO was YEHOSHUA
speaking
to when, "He said" all those things? Even if we choose to
ignore the obvious, Genesis 1:26-27 must mean something, because when
He said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according
to Our likeness", while also telling us that, "Elohim
created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created
him; male and female He created them," we must know that
literally, metaphorically and symbolically, Elohim is ONE in essence,
but Plural in Personalities!
The Book of John is
perhaps the most significant offering that Elohim has given to us for
understanding the Unique Nature of The Personalities, and Oneness of
Essence, of Himself. When YEHOSHUA says that the
Father is greater than He, He is not saying that He is a mere
manifestation of the Father. Throughout
His teachings, YEHOSHUA
said that He and the Father were One (in essence), but He also reminds
us that the Father came first, and that what He does, He does in
service to the Father. He
repeatedly says that the Father is greater than He.
Greater and lesser does not denote 'manifestation' or
similarity.
In 255 instances
throughout the New Covenant, the Son spoke of, and revealed, the
Father. In each and every
instance, the Son made it perfectly clear that He was not the Father,
that the Father was Spirit, that no man has ever fully seen or spoken
to the Father (which eliminates the Father as being the One who spoke
and walked with Adam and Eve, or with Moses, or with Abraham, or with
any other Old Covenant Patriarch or Prophet) and that everything that
the Son does and says on this earth, has been given to Him by His
Father in heaven...
In another step toward pointing to the difference between Himself and
His Father, YEHOSHUA also said
that He was from eternity past - but, brethren, think about this for a
moment: How far back in eternity past did the Son have to exist,
in order for Him to say that He is from eternity past? It is
impossible to know time-lines, but the Father is the Originator of all
things, and it is only the Father Who is referred to as "The
Ancient of Days" (See Daniel 7).
And it is the Son, the Lamb, who serves the Father in all that
He does. YEHOSHUA
ha Mashiach made this very clear when He told us that He does nothing
of His own accord; that He does nothing that He did not see His Father
do in heaven - before the creation.
Finally, in the
literal viewpoint of Scripture, the Book of Revelation is extremely
enlightening as well. Sadly,
however, many are choosing to ignore the very facts that this Word of
Elohim presents to us. The
Son, the Lamb, is shown throughout this Book as a completely Unique
and Separate Person from the Father.
The Holy Spirit (Numbered as Seven in this Book, by the way) is
being ignored here as well. Choosing
to view the Lamb as the metaphoric, "Right Hand of Elohim",
I fear that many who hold to this form of translation are truly
denying the One sent to save us; denying the One who is prophesied to
return, and at the same time, denying The Comforter Who has been sent
to abide within us!
The ending of the Book of Revelation also reveals
a great deal about the uniqueness of the Persons of the Father, Son
and The Holy Spirit, but this too is often overlooked.
Taken literally, however, Revelation 20 - 22 leaves no room for
doubt that the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit are entirely Unique
and Separate Individuals. Let
us move on:
Metaphoric Translation Depicting the Trinity of Elohim:
The Body of
YEHOSHUA - the Ekklesia.
The body of YEHOSHUA is a perfect metaphor
for the Triune Relationship. The Ekklesia clearly represents YEHOSHUA's relationship to the Father and
The Holy Spirit. Therefore,
every teaching submitted by YEHOSHUA that speaks thus: "I and the Father are
one", must be viewed in light of His relationship to His Body. We are each individual members of His body - we
remain unique personalities - and yet we are one with Him!
Matthew 13:33 presents a
Parable that metaphorically supports the
Triune nature of Elohim…
The oneness of a married couple, a cluster of grapes and countless
other "ECHAD", ones, throughout Scripture, are all metaphor's, provided for our understanding.
Symbolic Translation Favoring the
Trinity of Elohim):
At the baptism of
YEHOSHUA - Matthew 3:16 & 17.
At the mountaintop with Peter,
James and John -Matthew 17:1-8.
Upon issuing the great
commission -Matthew 28:18-20.
Daniel 7. (This
is a great chapter FOR the Trinity)...
Some choose to speak
of the Messiah and The Holy Spirit as mere manifestations of the Father.
I find this very disturbing, because it makes it appear as if Elohim
needed to project Himself in different lights for us, simply because we would be
incapable of grasping His fullness in any other way.
In other words, no matter how hard He might try to present or explain
Himself, Elohim (if you buy into the manifestation concept), is incapable of
presenting His fullness to us without some sort of sleigh of hand.
Elohim is not incapable, brethren. Nor
can He lie...
In a recent letter I received, a sister quoted Galatians 4:4, and interpreted
this passage to mean that YEHOSHUA,
the Son, was not an eternal being. In
her thinking, paraphrased for brevity, the Father merely willed a physical
manifestation of Himself for our benefit, and at the moment of His conception,
the Son took life. She also said
that nowhere in Scripture could she find evidence of the eternal existence of
the Son. This is a sad testimony for
our understanding of the Scriptures, because four times in the Gospel of John -
alone - YEHOSHUA
Personally testified to His eternal existence: John 6:62, 8:58, 17:5 and 17:24.
Elsewhere, Scripture provides near unlimited evidence (testimony) of the
eternal existence of the Son of Elohim. I
am listing a few significant passages here for your edification: John 1:1-5, 15;
Colossians 1:15-19; Revelation 21:6; Daniel 7.
In declaring the Son
as a mere manifestation of the Father, we dilute the humanity of His
incarnation, and diminish the significance of His suffering and sacrifice.
I cannot rebuke this thought with more vigor or zeal.
If we deny the fullness of YEHOSHUA’S
man-ness, then we deny the fullness of His suffering and sacrifice on our
behalf. The Son of Elohim,
YEHOSHUA
ha Mashiach, abided in the fullness of Elohim in eternity past, before the
creation, and He chose to come and live among us - fully man - in order to offer
Himself a sacrifice on our behalf. Elohim
- made man - died on that cross for us!
If we diminish this
fact in any way, shape or form, then we diminish our deliverance and
sanctification through His sacrifice; diminish His Mastership by transferring
our attention away from the only "Way, Truth and Light" that has been
provided for us, and diminish the significance of the fact that today He stands
next to the Throne of our Father in heaven on our behalf, as our High Priest;
the Lamb of Elohim!
In very much the same way that denial of the Trinity runs the risk of denying
the fullness of The Holy Spirit, and committing the unpardonable sin, denial of
the Trinity also runs the risk of denying the fullness of the Son of Elohim, as
Elohim, as Man, as Master, as Messiah and as King - and in that denial, loss of
salvation and eternal life becomes a distinct possibility.
I wholeheartedly pray
that this writing sheds light on the Wholeness and Oneness of Elohim, and ever
so slightly advances our comprehension of the Master we serve.
My heart's desire is that we will all draw nearer unto YEHOSHUA
our Messiah - in The Holy Spirit - to the glory of our eternal Father in heaven.
We serve One Elohim. I pray
that we will serve Him as one EKKLESIA
(Body) as well.
I remain faithfully
yours in YEHOSHUA
our Messiah,
larryv
PS.
As my study of these issues has progressed, and as I have responded to
letters from many of the brethren regarding these matters, YEHOSHUA
has given me another passage to share with you, and I believe that this Word is
extremely significant to our knowledge of the Truth:
The current incorrect
reading of Numbers 6:22-26 in the NASB says, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses,
saying, 'Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons
of Israel. You shall say to them:
'The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be
gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you
peace'."
In the fullness of His Name, the blessing to be given to the sons of Israel is,
"YEHOWAH
bless you, and keep you; YEHOWAH
make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; YEHOWAH lift up His
countenance on you, and give you peace."
AND THIS IS
SIGNIFICANT - WHY?
Because of what is said in Numbers 6:27, where His instructions add the
following vital data that:
"And
thus shall they invoke My Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
them."
Beloved, if we are
not invoking HIS
NAME
in our blessings, but are invoking a Title instead, then we are not issuing or
receiving the blessings that He has authorized or desires.
My prayer for you
through YEHOSHUA
our Messiah, Master and King, is:
“YEHOWAH
bless you, and keep you; YEHOWAH
make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; YEHOWAH
lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”
In His service, I
remain faithfully and humbly your servant,
larryv
Topical
Concordance:
Concordance
of Names - at the ENB site
Discipleship:
Old Covenant: Deuteronomy 31:6; 2 Chronicles 15:2, 16:9; Ezra
7:10; Job 8:5-7, 11:13-19, 22:21-30; Psalms 119; Proverbs (all);
Ecclesiastes 1:18; Isaiyah 14:12-17; 50-51, 55:8; Jeremiyah 15:16;
17:5-8; Ezra 28:11-19; Zephaniyah 2:3.
New Covenant: Matthew 5:11-12; 8:18-27, 10:24-42, 13:52,
16:24-26, 28:18-20; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 6:40, 10:1-20, 12:33, 14:26-35,
18:18-30; John 3:3,5,30, 8:31-32, 13:5-17, 13:31-35, 14:12-27, 15, 16,
17; Acts 7:2-53; 8:5-40, 11:26, 13:52, 14:9-19, 18:9-10, 28:22; Romans
8:31-32; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, 10:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:10,
4:15, 6:12; Philippians 3:8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; Timothy
2:24-26, 3:16-17; Hebrews 12:8, 13:5-6; James 4:3-4; 1 John 2:27,
3:9-11, 4:1; Revelation 2:7,11,17,26-28, 3:3,12,21, 5:14, 12:11,
14:9-16, 18:4.
ECHAD - (One): "Hear, O Israel!
YEHOWAH is our Elohim, YEHOWAH
is one"
(Deuteronomy 6:4). ECHAD is used in numerous settings
throughout Scripture. Listed below are a number of applications
that contribute significantly to our comprehension of this word:
Alike – Ecclesiastes 11:6; Alone –
Yehoshuwah 22:30, 1 Chronicles 29:1; Altogether – Jeremiyah 10:8; Another (31) – Exodus 26:3, 36:26, and every
other use of "another"; Any (17) Leviticus
4-6, refers to 'any' number of sins; Anyone Leviticus
4:27; Each (55) in 'each' instance, this word speaks of 'each' amongst
a group; Every – Exodus 36:30 (amongst a group); Everyone
– Numbers 15:12, (According to their number); First
(38) Exodus 26:24, 28:17, 36:11, 36:29, 39:10, and signify (There are
others); Once (15) – Exodus 30:10, (Amongst a group or
within any number); Only – 1 Kings 4:19, 55:6-9; Same
(26) Genesis 11:1, ('Same' language = same words); Exodus 26:2,
('Same' measurements); Together – Ezra 6:20; Isaiyah 65:25;
Nehemiyah 7:66 (The whole assembly together equaled 42,360, and
yet they were one 'together'); Unique – Job 23:13;
Song of Solomon 6:9; Ezekiel 7:5; Zechariyah 14:7.
One (610) – One Day, One Place, One Rib, One Flesh,
One People, One of the bushes, One of the Mountains, One of any
number, One of the Tribes – and in most uses of this Word 'One', it
is used to speak of 'One' within any number of others.
Throughout the Book of Numbers we read statements like:
"One bowl of seventy shekels" – Numbers 7:13; or "One
Gold bowl of ten shekels" Numbers 7:14.
Likewise, throughout the Book of Deuteronomy we read statements like: "One
man of each tribe" 1:23; "One of these cities" 4:42;
"One of your brothers" 15:7.
Finally, throughout the Book of Yehoshuwah we read statements like, "One
heap" 3:13 and 3:16; "One accord" 9:2; and in Yehoshuwah
12, every use of the word 'One' is ECHAD, and every use specifically
denotes One
of many.
Other (33) – Exodus 25:18, Here,
'ECHAD' is used three
times, 'one', 'another' and 'other'.
Single (15) – Genesis 41:5, 41:22; Numbers 13:23; Song
of Solomon 4:9; Jeremiyah 51:60. (Numbers
13:23 is a wonderful passage for understanding 'ECHAD', because we are
told that the spies brought back a 'Single' – and very large –
cluster of grapes. A
single cluster containing a vast number of individual grapes, and each
grape possessed countless seeds).
Elohim:
Old Covenant: Genesis 1:1, 4:1-15, 16:16, 17:1, 21:22, 24:3,
31:5, 38:9-10; Exodus 20:5, 34:14; Numbers 16:22, 23:19; Deuteronomy
3:20-22, 4:24-39, 6:4, 6:15-16, 7:9, 7:21, 13:3, 33:2-3; 2 Chronicles
6:18, 6:30, 16:11; Ezra 1:1; Job 38(all); Psalms 1:6, 5:4, 6:2-9, 7:1,
8(all), 10:16, 11:7, 18:30, 23:1, 24:7-10, 29:4-9, 31:5, 33:5,
33:13-14, 44:20-21, 46:10-11, 63(all), 75:7, 89(all), 94:8-11,
99(all), 103:8, 145:8, 147:8; Isaiyah 30:18, 42:5, 43:8-13, 44:6,
44:24; Ezekiel 18:4; Hosea 7(all), Amos 4:13; Jonah 4:5-11; Nahum
1:2-7; Habakkuk 3(all).
New Covenant: John 3:16 ff, 3:33; Acts 10:34, 17:24-29; 1
Corinthians 13:4-8; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Colossians 1:6, 1 Timothy
6:13-16; 1 John 4:8; Hebrews 6:10-18, 12:29; 1 Peter 1:5, 3:20, 5:7.
Essence of Elohim:
Old Covenant:
New Covenant: John
3:33; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; 1 John 1:5, 4:8.
Love:
Old Covenant: Leviticus 19:34; Deuteronomy 10:19; Psalms
(all); Proverbs (all).
New Covenant: Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-33; Luke 6:31-35;
John 13:34, 15:12; Romans 12:9-21; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 16:13-14;
Galatians 5:13-14; Ephesians 5:2,25-27; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 John
4:7-8; 1 Peter 4:8.
The Holy Spirit, Ruach ha Qodesh:
Old Covenant: Genesis 1:2; Exodus 20:1-7; Numbers 11:16-17;
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 19:15; 2 Chronicles 15:1-2; Psalms 51:10-13, 105,
143:10; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiyah 63; Joel 2:28-29; Jonah 3; Zechariyah 4:1-6, 7:12.
New Covenant: Matthew 3:16-17, 12:22-32,43-45, 18:16,
28:18-20; Luke 11:13, 12:8-10, 24:49; John 14:16-18,26, 15:26-17,
16:1-17, 17(all), 20:22; Acts 1:4-8,16-18, 2:2-13,38, 4:8, 5:3-9,32,
6:1-6, 7:51, 8:14-17,21, 9:31, 10:44-47, 13:2,52, 15:8, 16:6, 19:1-7;
Romans 5:5, 8:11,26-27, 10:9-10, 12(all), 15:13; 1 Corinthians 2:6-13,
3:16, 6:19, 12:1-11,27-30; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 11:13-15, 13:14;
Galatians 3:2, 5:16-26; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4(all), 6:17; Philippians
1:19, 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 2:4, 6:4-6,
9:8,14, 10:15-17,26-31, 11:1; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John
3:24, 4:1-3,7; Revelation 1:10-20.
Resurrection:
Old Covenant: Job 19:25-17, 30:23; Psalms 118:15-21;
Isaiyah
26:19, 30:20-22; Ezekiel 37:1-14.
New Covenant: Matthew 22:29-32; Mark 9:30-32, 12:18-27,
16:1-14; Luke 20:34-38, 24(all); John 20(all); Acts 1:1-11, 2:24,
24:15, 26:8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 15:23-25, 15:35-44; 2 Corinthians
5:1-3; Philippians 3:20-21; Hebrews 9:27; 1 Peter 1:3-5.
Revenge:
Old Covenant: Exodus 22(all); Leviticus 19:18; Psalms 79(all),
94(all), 109(all).
New Covenant: Matthew 5:38-40, 26:52; Luke 6:29; Romans
12:17-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 3:8-9.
Ruach ha Qodesh, The Holy Spirit:
Old Covenant: Genesis 1:2; Exodus 20:1-7; Numbers 11:16-17;
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 19:15; 2 Chronicles 15:1-2; Psalms 51:10-13, 105,
143:10; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiyah 63; Joel 2:28-29; Jonah 3; Zechariyah 4:1-6, 7:12.
New Covenant: Matthew 3:16-17, 12:22-32,43-45, 18:16,
28:18-20; Luke 11:13, 12:8-10, 24:49; John 14:16-18,26, 15:26-17,
16:1-17, 17(all), 20:22; Acts 1:4-8,16-18, 2:2-13,38, 4:8, 5:3-9,32,
6:1-6, 7:51, 8:14-17,21, 9:31, 10:44-47, 13:2,52, 15:8, 16:6, 19:1-7;
Romans 5:5, 8:11,26-27, 10:9-10, 12(all), 15:13; 1 Corinthians 2:6-13,
3:16, 6:19, 12:1-11,27-30; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 11:13-15, 13:14;
Galatians 3:2, 5:16-26; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4(all), 6:17; Philippians
1:19, 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 2:4, 6:4-6,
9:8,14, 10:15-17,26-31, 11:1; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John
3:24, 4:1-3,7; Revelation 1:10-20.
Sin, Unpardonable:
New Covenant: Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 12:8-10.
Trinity of Elohim:
Old Covenant: Genesis 1:1-3, 26; Numbers 6:24-27;
Judges 13:8-23; Proverbs 8:22-31; Isaiyah 6:3, 40:13, 48:16.
New Covenant: Matthew 3:16-17, 28:18-20; Mark 1:10-11;
Luke 3:21-22; John 14:26, 28, 15:26, 16:5-15; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2
Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 4:4-7; James 2:19.
YEHOWAH:
Throughout the
Old Covenant, in
6399 uses, the Name YEHOWAH
has been replaced with the title, 'Lord'. Furthermore, in another
315 places, the Name YEHOWAH
has been replaced by the word, 'God', and finally, in another 111
instances, the Name YEHOWAH
has been translated as, 'Lord's'. See especially though, Exodus
3:13-15...
YEHOSHUA:
Understand the O/T name, YEHOWAH, “I AM”, when you study the N/T
passages, because after the time of Moses, the nation of Israel never said, “I am”
- they never said, "HAYAH", because that was the name
given to the nation of Israel in Egypt -
when they asked Moses the name of the Elohim who sent him to them. Moses
was to say, “I AM WHO I AM” - or in the
Hebrew, "'HAYAH ASHER HAYAH" (Exodus 3:14). Many false teachers
want you to believe that YEHOSHUA never declared His Deity, while He
lived. In fact, however, not only did He openly declare His Deity, His Name declared
it as well... Thank Elohim!
Old Covenant: Exodus 3:13-15; Psalms 2:12, 23 (all), 78 (all), 99 (all), 100
(all); Micyah 7:7-20.
New Covenant: Matthew 9:2-7, 11:27-30, 16:13-17, 22:41-45,
26:63-66; Mark 2:5-11, 5:19-26, 14:61-62, 15:2; Luke 1:26-38, 8:26-39,
22:66-70, 23:3; John 3:16-21, 4:25-26*, 5:37, 6(all)*, 8(all)*,
10(all)*, 11:25-26, 12:44-50, 13:12-20, 14:6,9-11, 15(all), 17:6; Acts
2:36; Romans 1:4; Colossians 1:13-20, 2:9; Hebrews 1:3,8-9; 3:6, 4:14,
5:8-10, 13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-21; 1 John 2:22-23; 4:2-3,15; 5:1;
Revelation (all) see: 1:4-7,8,17-18, 22:12-16*.
YEHOSHUA, Crucified:
Old Covenant: Leviticus 17:11; Psalms 22(all), 34:20,
118:5-14.
New Covenant: Matthew 20:18-19, 26:2, 27(all); Luke 1:74-75;
John 1:9; Romans 3:23-26; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4;
Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 2:9-18.
YEHOSHUA, Currently:
Old Covenant: Psalms 110:5; Habakkuk 26:62.
New Covenant: Matthew 26:64; Mark 16:20; Acts 2:32-33, 5:31,
7:56; Ephesians 1:18-21; Colossians 2:9-10, 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 2:9-11,
2:18, 3:1, 4:12-16, 6:17-21, 7:3, 8:1-2, 9:11-12, 10:11-13, 12:2; 1
Peter 3:21-22; Revelation (all).
YEHOSHUA, Deity:
Old Covenant: Psalms 2:12, 23(all), 78(all), 99(all),
100(all); Micyah 7:7-20.
New Covenant: Matthew 9:2-7, 11:27-30, 16:13-17, 22:41-45,
26:63-66; Mark 2:5-11, 5:19, 14:61-62, 15:2; Luke 1:26-38, 8:26-39,
22:66-70; John 3:16-21; 4:25-26, 5:37, 6(all), 8(all), 10(all),
11:25-26, 12:44-50, 13:12-20, 14:6, 14:9-11, 15(all), 17:6; Acts 2:36;
Romans 1:4; Colossians 1:13-20, 2:9; Hebrews 1:3-9, 3:6, 4:14, 5:8-10,
13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-21; 1 John 2:22-23, 4:2-3, 4:15, 5:1; Revelation
(all), see: 1:4-8, 17-18, 22:12-16.
YEHOSHUA, In Prophecy:
Old Covenant: Genesis 3:15, 22:8, 22:18; Exodus 17:8-13;
Leviticus 14:49-53; Numbers 7:89, 21:6-9; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; 2
Samuel 7:12-13; 1 Chronicles 17:12-14; Psalms 16:8-12, 21-22(all),
45:2-7, 68:18, 69:7-9, 69:20-21, 72(all), 78:2, 91:11-12, 110(all),
118:22-26; Proverbs 8:22-31; Isaiyah 2:2-4, 7:14-16, 8:14, 9:1-7,
11:1-5, 28:16-18, 30(all), 35(all), 40:3-11, 42(all), 5:22-25,
49:4-10, 50:6, 52:13-53:12, 59:16-21, 60:1-3, 61:1-3, 62:11, 63:14;
Jeremiyah
23:5-6, 31:15, 33:15-16; Daniel 7:13-14; Hosea 11:1; Micyah 5:1-4, Hg. 2:6-7;
Zechariyah
6:12-13, 9:9-10, 11:12-13, 12:10, 13:1,
14:1-11.
.
Copyright © 1991-2013
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Lawrence T. Vosen
All Scripture quotations are taken from The
Exalted Name Bible™; Copyright © 2010-2012,
Lawrence T. Vosen, Ph.D. Used with permission.
|