Trinity, Oneness or None of the Above? – Part 1
06/16/12 Video Broadcast
Often a source of much disarray and confusion, we examine all of the pertinent scriptures on the issue and through examining the Hebrew we find that they all come together beautifully and in complete agreement.
This archive is from the EliYah.com Live Video Broadcast
Video Transcript
This is a direct transcript of a teaching that was presented via video. Due to the fact that we often speak differently than we write, the written text may not flow and/or sound strange in some places. There may also be grammatical errors and unintended mistakes. It is encouraged that you to watch the video to complement this written transcript.
I’ve been known to be a man of controversy from time to time, so I’m going to continue that trend today. Any time we are talking about things that have a lot of different kinds of different opinions on, then we are going to be controversial.
Well, I’m going to be controversial this week, and I’m going to be controversial next week as we try to get to the bottom of something that just is so, so divisive in the Body of Messiah today.
It’s a very challenging topic, actually, to dig into. There will probably inevitably be some who will watch this week’s study and next week’s study, and there will be people who just can’t agree with what I am going to share.
But there may be some who may have their thoughts at least influenced and changed in some capacity. The way I look at this is it is not something that I personally would divide over if you have a different view than me on this. The primary two issues that we need are repentance and the faith in the Messiah Yahushua for the forgiveness of sins.
Beyond that, we can talk. We can talk about anything, unless it’s an extreme of some kind, but we can talk about anything and not divide over whatever that might be.
So, the topic I want to talk today is about: Trinity, Oneness or None of the Above?
Some people are trinitarian. Some people are what categorize themselves as a “oneness believer.” Others would say, like me, “None of the above, actually.”
You see this symbol here in the background. There is something called a “triquetra.” I have a New King James Bible, and in this New King James Bible they call that triquetra “an ancient symbol for the Trinity.” I thought that was interesting, so I went ahead and included that in my graphic here today.
Actually, the triquetra is a symbol also found in pagan religions that have nothing to do with Yahweh. And there are a host of pagan religions that believe their gods are represented in a trinity. The concept is quite old, and some would put emphasis on the pagan origin of trinitarianism.
But for me, I don’t want to put a lot of emphasis on that, and I will tell you why.
In fact, one could argue that the reason why there is a trinity in pagan religions is because, if they believe in the Trinity, Satan is a copycat and he likes to counterfeit everything Yahweh does. And so, the presence of trinitarianism in ancient religions, to them, would actually bolster the idea that trinitarianism is actually right and true.
And so, I don’t get into that. To me, that’s a waste of time trying to argue one point or the other. So what I want to base my faith on is not on what the Enemy happened to do three thousand years ago, or whenever. I want to base my faith on the Scriptures.
When we start basing our faith on what the Enemy is doing, then the Enemy can actually use that to deceive us. But if we base our faith and our understandings on what Yahweh is doing and what He has inspired through His Word, then we are going to be delivered from deception.
I want to tell you that I’m not going to say anything about the Son, I’m not going to say anything about the Spirit, I’m not going to say anything about the Father, that Scripture itself doesn’t already, very plainly, very clearly and very obviously say. I’m not going to say anything different than what is already said in the Scriptures.
If I were to characterize what I believe, it would be: Yes, I agree with all of the Scriptures in what they have to say about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But I don’t call that a trinity. I don’t call that a oneness. I just don’t call it anything.
But the Trinity and Oneness are both reflections of different ideas as to the true character of Yahweh, the true character of His Son, the Holy Spirit, and so on. So, I want to discern what all the Scriptures say.
And there are going to be some which on the surface would appear, maybe, to be contradictory. But we are going to see where, no, they do not contradict.
Most Christians today that go to a typical run-of-the-mill everyday Sunday Church would tell you they believe in a trinity. In fact, some denominations and some teachers today would actually believe that unless you believe the Trinity that you cannot be saved. You have no salvation.
Some Christians will actually use, if you don’t believe in that doctrine of the Trinity, then (in their minds) based on that reason alone, you are in a cult.
And there are some of you maybe listening today, maybe some of you who are just your normal everyday Christian going to church every Sunday and are just tuning in to the broadcast, the minute you heard me say, “I don’t believe the Trinity,” you feel like you just want to shut the thing off. You don’t want to hear what I have to say.
That’s fully your choice. That’s what denominational, or not even non-denominational, Christians are told to do by the clergy: “If they don’t believe the Trinity, then you don’t want to listen to them because they are in a cult.”
They are straying from what one popular Bible teacher would say is the faith of the orthodoxy of the historical Christian church. You know, there are a lot of areas that I am going to stray from the historical Christian Church, orthodoxy, and so on.
If you are not comfortable with that and you are content just to follow what the church fathers teach rather than, “Let’s look at what the New Testament says. Let’s look at what the Old Testament says and go by that.”
If you’re more familiar and more comfortable with following church fathers and clergies of today, then you’re not going to be comfortable with my teachings today.
My paradigm, the foundation of what I am working off of, is not what any church father said. It’s not what a modern preacher says. It is what I see in the Scriptures, and if you see something different than what I see in the Scriptures, feel free, please, after today’s broadcast, tell it to everyone.
Deliver all of them from whatever you think I am being deceived by, and I will give you a voice to share what it is that you feel I am being deceived by. I’m not doing this and then “teach and run.” I’m going to teach something, and then we’re going to have some fun. We are going to go over it, and you can share with me your thoughts.
Some of the things you might share will actually be addressed in the next broadcast. And if it is, I will have you wait until then.
Now that that is out of the way–what is the Trinity? What is it?
Defining the Trinity–I guess they say there are a lot of different trinities out there, but the one that is most commonly believed in mainstream Christian America is: “The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God (I’m going to use their words, here) as three divine persons: the Father, the Son (whom they call Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are (what they call) co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial.”
This is Wikipedia and they have a pretty good reference there when they were quoting it. But the Trinity is defined as three divine persons within one “God,” within one Supreme Being. And yet, they are co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial, and they coexist in this unity. So, that is the doctrine I will be addressing today.
What is the basis upon which they have concluded that the one they worship is this triune Elohim, or triune “God” as they would say? Now, from what I have been able to gather, the strongest point that they bring out is this:
Deuteronomy 6:4 – Hear, O Israel: YAHWEH our Elohim, YAHWEH [is] one!
They see in the Scriptures, as do many Jewish people today, “Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our Elohim (or Yahweh our “God” they would say), Yahweh is one!” So, it comes from the understanding that they have to believe there is one Elohim, or one “God,” right? That’s what the Scriptures say, that there is one.
But they see these other scriptures, also. I’m going to use their words, here.
Titus 2:11 – For the grace of Elohim that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 – teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 – looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great Elohim and Savior Yahushua Messiah,
Here we have a scripture that would allude to the Messiah being our great “God,” or our great Elohim. There are other places–where Thomas says when he saw that Yahushua had the nails in His hand and He had the scar from His side, and when Thomas put his hand in that, he said, “My Master and (as they would quote it) my God.”
So, they make it very much a strong point that you have to believe that Yahushua is, or as they would say, “Jesus is God. He is God in the flesh.” That is how they would say it.
Now, what about the Holy Spirit? Acts 5, verse 3, this is one they quote:
Acts 5:3 – But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back [part] of the price of the land for yourself?
So, the Holy Spirit is the one being lied to there, right? It is talking about when Ananias tried to go forth and acted like he gave all the land and money to the Apostles, and he was lying.
Acts 5:4 – While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to Elohim.
As they would say it, “You’ve lied to “God” (Elohim).” Who did they lie to? Ah, the Holy Spirit, right? Up here, we see they are lying to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they are lying to “God.” Therefore, the Holy Spirit is also “God.”
And so, following the logic here, following what they are saying: The Heavenly Father is called “God.” The Messiah is called “God.” The Holy Spirit is called “God.” Therefore, what do you have? You have a trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all “God,” right? That’s what they say. That’s what they teach.
You know what? I have to say, it almost makes sense. And if that is as far as I went into the Scriptures, if that is as far as I thought I needed to go, it is not really a bad line of reasoning. It really isn’t, except there are some things about it… As you begin to think about this, how can three be one?
For instance, if I have three fruits–I have a lemon, a lime and an orange–how could you ever say that 1 + 1 + 1 = 1? You have the Father. That’s one. You have the Son. That’s one. You have the Holy Spirit. That’s one. They are each three individual persons, and yet, it is one “God.” That is exactly what trinitarians would have to have us believe.
I’m not trying to make fun of anybody, so please, don’t be offended. I’m just trying to ask, “Does this make sense?” Really. Does it really make sense?
And when you approach a trinitarian who is a staunch trinitarian with this, many times they will say, “Well, you know, it’s just one of the great mysteries. You can’t understand “God”. You can’t understand Him. He is beyond your comprehension, and only with Him could one plus one plus one still equal one.”
Or if you show a scripture that contradicts–“Oh, it’s just one of the mysteries, you know.”
Yes, it does seem like a mystery to me because I don’t understand how you can say three things are one, as in a cardinal number, a numerical number, that three is the same as one. Any child could tell you that that is impossible, for three to be one.
And yet, we are supposed to believe, by faith, that three are all one and one is still all three. I say, a great mystery, indeed! Honestly, to me, that doesn’t make any sense.
If they are just going to explain it away by saying, “Well, it’s a great mystery,” what if I decided to believe something that did make sense? Would that make me wrong if what I believe made sense? What if what I believe actually reconciled all the scriptures which speak of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?
What if I were like the Apostles and didn’t really put a name on it like “trinity”? The word “trinity” is not in the Bible. What if I were like the Apostles and didn’t really put a name on it like “oneness”? You don’t see them talking about, “Oh, you have to believe the Trinity,” or that, “You have to believe Oneness.” They don’t say that.
Maybe I shouldn’t even really need to explain anything, except a lot of us have a tendency that once we learn something, that even if it is wrong, it takes us awhile to unlearn it. And what we’ve learned, even if it’s wrong, has been ingrained in us. And people strike fear in you that if you don’t believe this you’re going to be lost and damned.
It becomes ingrained in you to the point where it’s hard for you to think differently. But if you don’t mind, I would like you to bear with me here for the next hour or so. Bear with me the next hour or so and see if what I’m about to share with you doesn’t make absolute perfect sense. And it is completely one hundred percent biblical.
Set aside any preconceived thoughts. (Maybe I’ve got mine, too, and you can question me afterward.) But take a moment and just relax. Don’t be afraid. No one is going to get too upset. No one is going to get too excited.
No one is going to condemn anybody, because some people do get very defensive when they feel like I’m going to take something away from what and who Yahushua is. But hopefully, you will see in this study that I will not say anything about the Messiah that the Messiah has not already said about Himself.
I will accept everything He says about Himself. I will accept everything Scripture clearly says about Him. And if there is something that causes you to think that I am not accepting Scripture, again, feel free to question me.
Now, much of the basis of both the Trinity and the Oneness doctrines have to do with titles and names and appellations and things that we call them. And to you, maybe you said, “What?” But you will understand here at the end of today’s broadcast what I am talking about.
See, the goal of both oneness and trinitarian believers is to look into the Scriptures and see who is called “God,” and then use that to determine who “God” really is. And that doesn’t sound like a bad line of reasoning, really, on the surface, until you start getting into, you know, three equals one.
Oneness believers believe really the same thing. They just say that there is one “God” who manifests Himself in three different ways, not three different personages, but just manifesting Himself in three different ways.
Sometimes He manifests as the Father. Sometimes He manifests as the Son. Sometimes the Holy Spirit. He is capable of manifesting in all three forms if He chooses. I don’t know about that. But anyway, in other words, Yahushua doesn’t really exist–just this shell of the Messiah that was there in the flesh.
To me, that is more confusing because the Son is the Father, and the Father must also be the Son. And that means the Son would be His own Father, and the Father would also be His own Son. So, how could He be the Son if He is the Father? Something doesn’t completely make sense to me on that. And don’t start telling me mystery stuff again.
But we will examine this. Please, please think with me in detail. And we will go over all your favorite Scriptures, I think. I’ve heard a lot of them. I think I’ve heard all of them. We will look at them, and we will reconcile every single one. Hopefully, you will see that.
Now, one thing you will notice about me is I never use (except for this opening monologue, or whatever you call it) this title “God.” I don’t call Him “God.” I am saying this is what you call Him, or what others call Him.
Instead, I prefer to use the Hebrew word that is most translated “God,” which is the Hebrew word “Elohim.” I think I have a very good reason for that, and one of the big reasons I don’t use it is because of the amount of confusion that this word has caused (not Elohim, but the word “God”) when it comes to the Trinity and the Oneness doctrines.
And actually, it is not a very good translation of the Hebrew word Elohim. Because when someone in our language hears this word “God,” what typically comes to mind is the Supreme Being. And that is what we see here in this dictionary definition.
According to the Random House Dictionary, the first definition: God [god] – 1. The one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe.
And most people, when they think of, “I worship God,” that is who they are thinking of–the one Supreme Being, creator and ruler of the universe.
Now, I want to look at the same term in the popular Easton Bible Dictionary: God definition – (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ‘El,’ from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ‘Eloah’, plural ‘Elohim’. The singular form, ‘Eloah’, is used only in poetry.
Interesting, that’s not really His name. So, this word “El” or “Elohim” is a word which means “to be strong.” Why, then, was it translated “God” if it just means to be strong? Speaking of Strong’s, look in your Strong’s Concordance.
It is Hebrew word #430. What they have there is, it is plural of #433. Here is their definition: #430 ‘elohiym (el-o-heem’) plural of #433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative.
Do you get that? Occasionally this word is applied in deference to magistrates. That is people who are judges. Judges of the land. This word is used in reference to men as well as to the Supreme Being. And this word “Elohim” is rooted in #433, right here. You see at the very top where it says “plural of #433.”
This word is rooted in #433, so we are going to go down here to #433 and look and see what they’ve got.
Eloah. Eloah, and there’s elohim. Eloah is the singular. It says: #433 ‘elowahh (el-o’-ah); rarely (shortened) eloahh (el-o’-ah) probably prolonged (emphat.) from #410; a deity or the Deity.
All right. You have to get to the root meaning here. So, we are going to look up word #410 in your Strong’s. And we see that it is shortened from #352.
#410 ‘El (ale) shortened from #352; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity).
So, the root meaning of this word, just like the Easton’s Bible Dictionary told us, has to do with strength, with might. And so, this word “el” (right here) is used in a lot of words like names.
#3478 Yisra’el (yis-raw-ale’) from #8280 and #410; he will rule as God. We would say “Elohim” or “El.” It is from #410. We have #410 over here, if you look right there.
And then there is Miykael. The word means “who is like Elohim, or El (ale).” That’s how you pronounce it–“ale.” It almost sounds like a southern twang there–“ale.”
#4317 Miyka’el (me-kaw-ale’) from #4310 and (the prefix derivative from) #3588 and #410; who (is) like God?
But we are going to look at this word now. How is this word used in Scripture? How are the words “Elohim” and “El” used in Scripture?
Exodus 22:7 – If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double.
8 – If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges [to see] whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.
Now, in the Hebrew, the word translated “judges” is “elohim.” Same word translated “god.” So, the judges of the land, just like the Easton’s Bible Dictionary mentioned earlier, are literally given the title “elohim.”
How about Jonah, chapter 3:
Jonah 3:3 – So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of YAHWEH. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey [in extent].
Interesting. The word “exceeding” is actually the word “elohim.” Nineveh was an “elohim” great city of three day’s journey. What? I know some of you are saying, “Are you sure about this?” Please, take the time if you have it. Go look this up. Look this up in your e-Swords. Look it up in your Strong’s Concordance.
You will find that this word is indeed not just something that means “exceeding.” It is actually the word “elohim” here. Also, Proverbs chapter 3, verse 27:
Proverbs 3:27 – Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do [so].
The word translated “power” in the Hebrew is the word “el (ale),” which we say “el” sometimes. So, the word “el” means “power,” “strength,” “might.” So, that’s why the word “el,” from which most people would say that word means “God,” is actually translated “power” there. Another example:
Nehemiah 5:5 – Yet now our flesh [is] as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and [some] of our daughters have been brought into slavery. [It is] not in our power [to redeem them], for other men have our lands and vineyards.
There it is–actually, the word “el,” once again. “It is not in our “el” to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.” We do see clearly, the word “el” means “power.” That is what the word means.
Now, I want to get back to explaining why this matters. It matters because of the doctrinal stance that many have taken that this word translated “God” is actually a word that would be a word exclusively given to the one Supreme Being. This word “El” or “Elohim” is not such an exclusive term. It is not necessarily a divine title.
And so, we are trying to get to the bottom or the foundation upon which the trinity doctrine finds itself. And it is finding itself on this foundation (and actually the Oneness doctrine, also) that this term, this word translated “God,” is a word that can only be used in reference to the Supreme Being.
And it’s that foundation that they are building off of. But if we find out this word “God” is not a good translation of the Hebrew word “elohim” and it actually has a different meaning, then that becomes very significant.
If “el” or “elohim” can refer to the strength of a city, the mighty judges of the land, the power in somebody’s hand to do good or to do evil, those are just contexts which our English word “God” would not make sense. So, it is not a divine title.
So, let’s go back to our analogy here. The Heavenly Father is called “God.” They think that is significant. The Messiah is called “God.” They think that’s significant. The Holy Spirit is called “God.” And they take that as being significant.
But is it significant that the three are called “God”? They say there is a trinity. But is that really what foundation we can build off of? No, because we cannot use that kind of thinking to prove anything one way or the other.
The Hebrew word “elohim” is too broad for us to conclude that just because the Messiah happens to be called Elohim or just because the Holy Spirit is called Elohim, that doesn’t necessarily make a trinity. So, we can’t use that as any way of proving anything in regards to the so called divinity or co-equal nature of the Messiah and the Father.
It would be like using the word “master.” We know that Sarah called Abraham “her master,” but that doesn’t mean that Abraham is a Supreme Being. Why? Because there are many masters. That doesn’t mean they are “The” Master. There is “The” One Master, and that is different. But it is just a title of respect, and it is a broad title.
Suppose for a moment that the entire Bible–just let me entertain you for a minute–that the entire Bible, let’s pretend, was written in the English language, inspired in English (Yahweh forbid!), and then it got translated into another language.
But whenever the term “master” appeared in English, part of the time it would be translated into the super, super, special divine title that could only belong to the Supreme Being, but then part of the time it wouldn’t.
And the translators would only use the super special divine title when referring to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Other times they might translate “master” as some other word. If you can understand that analogy, that is what has happened with this Hebrew word “elohim.”
The term “elohim” is not a divine title belonging to the Supreme Being alone. Part of the time the word is translated into the super special divine title that can only belong to the Supreme Being alone. That’s just the word “God.” Other times it is not translated that way. And so, I can see why there would be the confusion that we have.
And so, for me, if we are going to talk about this topic, it is a waste of time trying to pull out scriptures that refer to the Messiah as Elohim because it is not a divine title belonging only to the Supreme Being. We need to look elsewhere.
If you are wanting to try to prove that the Messiah is part of a trinity, and you are trying to prove that the Messiah is actually the Father Himself manifested in the flesh, you are going to have to find other ways of doing that because your foundation is not of anything that proves that this is the divine title at all.
Only when you read it in English do we say, “Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” But when you read it in Hebrew, it is not that way. And the translators have mixed and matched. We will see that even without understanding this, it will become clear. You don’t have to know the Hebrew. I’m not saying you need to know the Hebrew to have salvation.
Now, oneness believers also will do this with this term “savior.” We all call Yahushua the Messiah our Savior. Well, here is Isaiah 43, verse 11. It says:
Isaiah 43:11 – I, [even] I, [am] YAHWEH, And besides Me [there is] no savior.
Whoa! It is concluded based on this–“besides Me there is no savior”–that the Messiah actually is the Heavenly Father. How could He be called the Savior if there is no Savior but the Heavenly Father?
Another scripture:
Isaiah 45:21 – Tell and bring forth [your case]; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? [Who] has told it from that time? [Have] not I, YAHWEH? And [there is] no other Elohim besides Me, A just Elohim and a Savior; [There is] none besides Me.
Get that? No other Elohim besides Him and no other Savior.
Hosea 13:4 – Yet I [am] YAHWEH your Elohim Ever since the land of Egypt, And you shall know no Elohim but Me; For [there is] no Savior besides Me.
No Savior besides Yahweh, the Father. Therefore, what are you doing, sir, when you are referring to the Messiah as the Savior? You have to say, based on these scriptures, that He has to be the Father because there is only one Savior. And the same thing with Elohim. There is only one Elohim.
So, if you refer to the Messiah as Elohim, He must also be equal to the Father or He must actually be the Father or maybe part of some trinity. That’s the logic.
It sounds plausible on the service. I’m not putting it down. I’m not saying that it’s silly or it’s laughable. It’s sound logic, except we have other scriptures we have to look at. For instance:
Obadiah 1:21 –
Wait a minute. Yahweh is referring to men… other men… multiple men… as being saviors? I thought there was only one Savior. How could a man be called a savior if there is only one Savior? Let’s look at Psalm 82, verses 1-5:
Whoa! He judges among the elohim? Who are the elohim? False gods? Idols? He goes on to say:
Psalms 82:2 – How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 – Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Psalms 82:4 – Deliver the poor and needy; Free [them] from the hand of the wicked.
5 – They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.
Psalms 82:6 – I said, You [are] gods, And all of you [are] children of the Most High.
What? “You are elohim.” Who? Man. Man is called elohim.
Psalms 82:7 – But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.
8 – Arise, O Elohim, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.
Now, how can we reconcile all the Scriptures because Yahweh said He’s the only Savior. He’s the only Elohim. And yet, men are called saviors and men are called elohim? Common men, not Messiah, just common men are called elohim. Common men are called saviors. And that’s a legitimate title. How do we reconcile all of this?
Now, to me the answer is quite simple. Whenever men saved others, they could do nothing except Yahweh had enabled them to save. So, Yahweh is the one who is actually enabling others and giving the power to others to enable men to participate in saving other men.
And so, Yahushua is our Savior because Yahweh used Him to save mankind. But it is Yahweh the Father who did the works in the Messiah Yahushua to save us. And so, really, ultimately speaking, He is the only Savior because He is the one who is doing the actual saving. He is using men to do so. He is using the Messiah to do so.
Now, the same is true when it comes to this word “elohim.” The word “elohim” means “power” and “might.” There would be no power or there would be no might within man except it be from the true source of all power and all might–Yahweh, who had given it.
So, the source of all salvation, the source of all strength and power and might, is Yahweh. But because He has chosen certain people to be in positions of strength and might, He has chosen certain people to become saviors to save others, then it is okay, because of the ability which Yahweh gives, to refer to men as being savior, as being elohim.
Same is true of the word “master.” Really, there is only one Master over all the earth. It is not blasphemy to call men who are in a position of power “master,” and it is not a contradiction.
I mean, didn’t Sarah call Abraham “her master”? Was that blasphemous? No. She recognized the authority of the household was Abraham’s. And it’s not blasphemous. Yahweh is the one who put men in that position as the head of household.
So, from what I can gather in all this, brothers, way, way, way too much is made of this kind of thing, and it is a waste of time and energy to argue over who is called “master,” who is called “savior,” who is called “elohim,” because none of those titles are exclusive in belonging to the Supreme Being alone.
Scripture itself gives those titles to men, and it is not called blasphemy. It doesn’t mean that men are part of this Supreme Being. So, you cannot base an entire doctrine, whether it’s trinity or “oneness,” on who is called by these titles because none of these titles are divine titles that only belong to Yahweh the Father.
And so, I felt like I needed to spend an extra amount of time on this because it is one of the first things a trinitarian or oneness believer will point to when trying to prove their belief. Up goes this quote: “Messiah is called Elohim.” Yeah… and? “Messiah is called Savior.” “Yahweh says, ‘I’m the only Elohim. I’m the only Savior.'” Yeah… and?
Those men who were called saviors in Scripture are saviors because Yahweh used them as saviors. If I’m building a house, I can call myself the builder, but I may use people–a carpenter, a plumber–to put the house together. But no one says I’m not the builder anymore.
So, if you are holding onto trinitarian or oneness belief because of this, I hope you at least acknowledge this particular point (maybe your other ones have some error), but this particular point you cannot use to prove anything. You can’t use it to prove your doctrine.
You are going to have to find some other scriptures to show me that this is a true doctrine.
Now, from what I can gather in the Scriptures, Father Yahweh is the giver of all life. He is the source of all things, and from Him all things flow–all love, all life, all Spirit. Everything flows from Him.
Deuteronomy 6:4 – Hear, O Israel: YAHWEH our Elohim, YAHWEH [is] one!
Now, I hear this scripture being quoted from both trinitarians and oneness believers to promote and say, “This is why we believe in Trinity.” “This is why we believe in Oneness.” And they quote the scripture. They both use it, and a lot of people believe that proves it right there.
Well, yes, Yahweh is one. But was Yahweh making a doctrinal statement? What is He saying here? Well, this word translated “one” is the Hebrew word “echad.” And it doesn’t necessarily mean one as in a number, like “1” as in a number. I will show you a place where that is shown to be true:
Genesis 2:24 – Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
One flesh. Now, they are not one person, but they are one flesh. And this word “one” doesn’t necessarily mean one as in a number. It’s a plural unity here. A plural unity.
Another example:
Genesis 11:6 – And YAHWEH said, Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
This is interesting because, actually, I believe, if I’m not mistaken (let me take a quick look, here), the word “echad” is used to describe how the people are one, but (yes, it is true) they also have one language. And that would be the number one.
So, they have one language, but the people are one, as in a plural unity. And so, the word “echad” can refer to either one.
So, how do we understand this? What I see in Deuteronomy 6, verse 4, is that Yahweh is not divided within Himself. There are not a whole bunch of elohim that come out of Him that we need to worship as a Supreme Being.
What I do see is often the case, we can actually find a pretty good explanation of what “oneness” really means just by reading the words of Yahushua our Savior, our Master, our King and Redeemer.
In John chapter 17, verse 20, Yahushua is praying to His Father:
John 17:20 – I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
Contextually here, the “their” is the Apostles. He is not just praying for the twelve Apostles and the disciples of that era. He is also praying for us. We are the ones who will believe in Him through the words of the Apostles. And His prayer is that they all may be one. All of us may be one. He says:
John 17:21 – that they all may be one, as You, Father, [are] in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Do you get this? He is praying that our oneness as believers would be just like the oneness between the Father and the Son. And then it says, “that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
That means that He wants us to be one with the Father and the Son. That’s the kind of oneness that the Father and Son are and is the oneness they want us to be with them. That is His prayer.
So, for the purposes of illustration here, let’s look at what the oneness of the Bible is: Yahushua’s prayer is that we would all be one. He says, “… as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You…” And so, there is this oneness between Yahweh and Yahushua. So, the Messiah and Yahweh share a oneness together.
This is one of the big things that oneness believers will say–“See, they are one.” But, there is also a oneness He desired there to be between believers. He says He wants us to be one with one another.
Then He goes on to say, “… that they also may be one in Us…” And so, the oneness doesn’t just include Yahweh and the Messiah, but it also includes us.
Now, I would hope that none of you would dare say that we are all part of the Supreme Being or equal to the Father. No. And so, we cannot say that the oneness between Yahushua and Yahweh are a co-equal trinitarian or oneness, like one as in a number.
If we are to be one as Yahweh and Yahushua are one, then are we all the same person? That is my question for oneness believers. Are we all the same person? No.
Are we all just another manifestation of Yahweh the Father? Are we all the Father? That is my question for oneness believers. Are we just some other manifestation of Him, because Yahushua’s prayer is that we would be one like Yahweh and Yahushua are one?
Well, if Yahweh and Yahushua are one in the sense that Yahushua is just a manifestation of Yahweh the Father, then we join in that oneness, and we are just another manifestation of Yahweh the Father. We aren’t really a distinct person from Him. We are Him.
What true oneness is, is to be one in will, one in desire, one in purpose. One in unity, not one numerically. So, we can be one with eachother. We can be one with Yahweh in terms of our unity, our will, our desire, our purpose. We have a oneness with Yahweh in that respect.
There is no disunity within Yahweh. There are no disagreements between Yahweh and Yahushua. Even some have suggested that the Holy Spirit is the wife of Yahweh, and the Holy Spirit brings the feminine side out. You know, when Yahweh gets too mad, the Holy Spirit comes along and gets Him to calm down.
I’m sorry, I just don’t buy that. Yahweh and Yahushua–there is no difference in their will, desire, purpose. None. Everyone is submitted to the will of the one Supreme Being, Yahweh the Father.
Now, Yahushua did express this one thing that shows Him to be a different person than the Father. Just as you and I are capable of expressing a will that is different than the will of the Father–we have that capability of expressing that and actually going against our Father’s will–the Messiah also had that capability.
Luke 22:41 – And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed,
This is when He was praying that He wouldn’t have to go through the death on the tree.
Luke 22:42 – saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.
“Not My will, but Yours, be done.” Now, if the Messiah is just some other manifestation of the Father, why does He have His own will, which is, actually, potentially, a separate will than the will of the Father?
And so, we have two different wills being expressed here. The Son did not want to do it. He said, “Remove this cup from Me, please.” Nevertheless, He submitted to His Father’s will. He said, “… Yours be done”
The fact that He expressed two different wills–I mean, how else could you possibly define what a different person is except that they have two different wills? They have two separate visible entities. If you have two separate wills, you have two separate persons.
They certainly seem like two separate persons to me. Yahushua referred to Yahweh, the Heavenly Father, as His Father, just like we do. Yahweh the Father is the giver of life. He is the One who is the source of all life. You don’t call someone your Father unless they gave life to you somehow.
And so, He would have to be, by nature, just the fact that the Messiah calls Him “His Father,” the One who gave Him His life. And the One who is the ultimate giver of all life is, by nature, superior to everything–to all that has been created through that giving of life.
So, Yahweh the Father would have to be the Supreme Being because He’s the giver of life. He is the source of all life, all love, all Spirit. The fact that the Messiah would call Him “Father” indicates life giver.
Now, look here. This is His prayer to the Father:
John 17:3 – And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true Elohim, and Yahushua Messiah whom You have sent.
What about the Messiah? Isn’t He Elohim? Some might say, “Well, verbally, maybe the Messiah is referring to Himself there.” I don’t know. He called the Father the only true Elohim.
Now, Yahushua is called Elohim and that’s okay. We can see that. Is this a divine title necessarily? No. But when He says that the Father is the only true Elohim, I believe Him. I believe Him.
What does the word “elohim” mean? The word “elohim” means “might” and “power.” The only true source of might and power is the Father. All power proceeds from Yahweh the Father.
The Messiah, therefore, is inferior to the Father. Now, I’m not telling you this because I say so. Yahushua said so:
John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 – You have heard Me say to you, `I am going away and coming [back] to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, `I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
Am I wrong if I believe this verse, right here? Am I going amiss if I believe Yahushua’s words here, where He said, “My Father is greater than I”?
He was expecting His disciples and those around Him to rejoice when He goes to His Father because His Father is so much greater than He is. That’s what He said. Do we believe that? Do we believe what He said here?
Now, maybe there are some listening who have heard this before that, “Well, that’s just the Messiah speaking from His earthly state. He’s not this way, now. That was before He was glorified, and He is only speaking from His earthly condition.”
But wait a minute. I thought He was fully “God” even in His earthly state. That is what I’ve been told.
Now, they believe Yahushua lowered Himself, like He wasn’t Elohim for a time. He wasn’t the Supreme Being for a time. This is human reasoning. I don’t see it in Scripture. There is no scripture saying He is only speaking from His earthly state.
This is just trying to explain away a scripture that will contradict the status quo belief, whether it be oneness or trinity.
Let’s look at a verse that they use to suggest this. In Philippians chapter 2, verse 5, they use this for co-equalness. This is the New King James Version I’m going to read from.
New King James Version:
Now, trinitarians will often quote this scripture to say, “Look! He didn’t consider it robbery to be equal with Elohim.”
All right, then I ask you: If that is really what is meant here, then why when He was on the earth being in the form of Elohim, why was He considering it to be robbery to be equal with Elohim when He said, “My Father is greater than I”? That is my question for you.
He is talking about when He was on the earth, here: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yahushua.” So, it is talking about His earthly state. Back then, He didn’t consider it to be robbery to be equal with Elohim? What I read was, He said, “My Father is greater than I.”
Brothers, what we have here is a mistranslation. I found this through studying the Greek. It didn’t take very long. Other translations have corrected this. And I will show you why even the context screams out that this is a more correct translation.
New American Standard Version:
So, that makes a whole lot more sense when you look at this verse, here (verse 5). It says, “Have this attitude in yourselves…” What? That we don’t “regard equality with Elohim something to be grasped.”
Instead, He says empty yourself. Take on the form of a bondservant. You’re in the likeness of men.
And if you go back to the King James, here, or the New King James (both happen to have this), it couldn’t be a right translation because it is saying, “Let this mind be in you…” What? That you don’t consider it to be robbery to be equal with Elohim.
Unless Paul is telling us, “Yeah, make sure you have this mind in you, that you don’t mind saying that you are equal with Elohim.” No, it is saying just the opposite. It is saying, “He did not regard equality with Elohim something to be grasped, but (did what?) emptied Himself.”
You are not going to empty yourself if you are saying, “I can be equal with Elohim.” And so, it is pretty obvious that this (the New American Standard Version) is the correct translation.
In fact, the NIV (the New International Version (1984)) reflected this in Philippians 2:5.
New International Version (1984):
Now, the translators of the New International Version (1984) caught a lot of heat, especially from the King James Only people, for quoting it this way. So, in the 2011 New International Version they bend it a little bit, and I read some of their reasonings.
Here is what they added. They added: “In your relationships with one another…” They added this phrase, right here, which is nowhere in the text, nowhere in the Greek. They added that–just decided that was what they were going to say.
New International Version (2011):
You see? Because that’s not in there.
New American Standard Version:
New International Version (2011):
Ah! Complete mistranslation. But they caught the heat and they bended to the status quo. They felt they had to bend and make their translation friendly to the trinitarian crowds.
I can solve this whole thing just by looking at another. And I don’t say “I”… I mean, Scriptures can solve this whole thing, but I want to share with you where it does.
When they say that when the Messiah was on the earth, “Yes, He called the Father His Elohim; yes, He said the Father was greater than He was, but that was before He was glorified,” fast forward to the book of Revelation.
Here is John the Revelator:
Revelation 1:10 – I was in the Spirit on the Master’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 – saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and, What you see, write in a book and send [it] to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
12 – Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
That’s a menorah.
Revelation 1:13 – and in the midst of the seven lampstands [One] like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14 – His head and hair [were] white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 – His feet [were] like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
Revelation 1:16 – He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance [was] like the sun shining in its strength.
17 – And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 – I [am] He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Whoa! Who do you think that is? Obviously, this is Yahushua the Messiah.
Revelation 1:19 – Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
20 – The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
(Angels or messengers.) He is going to write something to seven assemblies and in this, obviously, highly glorified state, post resurrection, powerful appearance unto John. Let’s listen to what He says. This is one of the things He writes to one of the congregations:
Revelation 3:11 – Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
12 – He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My Elohim and the name of the city of My Elohim, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim. And [I will write on him] My new name.
“My Elohim.” Whose Elohim? Yahushua’s Elohim. Now, it is one thing to be called Elohim. It’s quite another for Him to say that Yahweh the Father is His Elohim, the One from whom He gets power, strength. The One that is a Supreme Being above all. Even Yahushua in His completely glorified state is still referring to the Father as His Elohim.
You worship Elohim, right? You worship your Elohim. That’s just how it goes. And so, Messiah, here, is referring to the Father as His Elohim.
“Never again will he leave it,” He says (this pillar).
“I will write on him the name of My Elohim…” There it is again. He calls Him a second time. He calls Yahweh the Father His Elohim. “… and the name of the city of My Elohim…” Who is His Elohim? Yahweh the Father. “… the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My Elohim…” Four times.
So, four times, the heavenly Father Yahweh is being called His Elohim. Now, would you ever find a scripture (no, you won’t) where Yahweh the Father refers to the Messiah as His Elohim? No! or refers to anyone as His Elohim? No! Only the Son would call Yahweh the Father His Elohim.
Only we can call One whom we worship as our Elohim, the One through whom we live and breathe and have our being, the source of strength.
And so, if Yahushua is part of a trinity or just another manifestation of Yahweh the Father, how is it possible that He would even need an Elohim? Think about that question. Why would He even need one? He is the one Supreme Being. Why would He need an Elohim?
Is Yahushua some trinity godhead thing? I don’t see that in this verse. I just don’t see it. I don’t see Him being the Supreme Being if He has another “God,” if you want to call it that, that He has to serve or another Elohim that He has to serve.
So, next time someone tells you they believe in Oneness or Trinity, watch them dance around, as they don’t really answer why this verse says what it says. Oh, they might say it’s from His earthly state. No it isn’t. Look how He appeared to John.
He is obviously highly glorified, and in that state while He is standing there with fire in His eyes and bronze feet and a sword coming out of His mouth, He is saying, “I have an Elohim.” I don’t know how you get around it. I don’t know how you get around that.
Like I said, I’m not saying anything about the Messiah that the Messiah Himself hasn’t already said. And if the Scriptures clearly say Father Yahweh is still the Elohim of Yahushua, than He has to be greater. The Father has to be greater. And I have to accept that. And I have to believe that.
And if Yahushua needs an Elohim, He has to be some point, somehow, someway, lower than, less than (not as great as), Yahweh the Father.
Now, looking at this scripture, I want to show you something a little different. Very fascinating.
Revelation 3:12 – He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My Elohim and the name of the city of My Elohim, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim. And [I will write on him] My new name.
We will have Yahweh’s name written on us, and He says, also, “… the name of the city of My Elohim.” Does that mean we are going to have Yerushalayim also written on us? “And I will write on him My new name.” So, are there three names that are going to be written on us?
Let’s take a look at Jeremiah 23, verse 5. We will find out what the Messiah’s new name is. What is the Messiah’s new name? It say’s He has a new name. What is the new name?
Jeremiah 23:5 – Behold, [the] days are coming, says YAHWEH, That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 – In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this [is] His name by which He will be called: YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Obviously, the Messiah here. What? He is called YAHWEH? And then, “OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” which is Yahweh Tzidkenu. T-z-i-d-k-e-n-u. Tzidkenu. Yahweh our Righteousness. Yahweh Tzidkenu.
So, what we have here is a very clear Messianic prophecy–a righteous Branch (this is the Messiah) is raised to David, a King that would reign and prosper, who will execute judgment and righteousness in the earth, all of Israel will be saved, and His name will be called: Yahweh our Righteousness. So, the Messiah actually bears the name Yahweh.
Why is He called Yahweh our Righteousness? Because it is through Him that Yahweh gives us the righteousness and cleansing we need to become righteous. Yahweh places His righteousness in the Messiah. The Messiah places that righteousness in us, so He becomes our righteousness.
Yahweh becomes our righteousness through this Messiah. The whole world will call Him “Yahweh Tzidkenu.” And so, here is that new name. He says, “I will write on him My new name.” That new name is: Yahweh Tzidkenu. That is what the prophets teach.
Now, what about the city of Yerushalayim? It says up here (Rev. 3:12), “I’m going to write on him the name of the city of My Elohim.” Well, what is the name of the city of His Elohim? Take a look:
Jeremiah 33:15 – `In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
It sounds like the same thing.
Jeremiah 33:16 – In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this [is the name] by which she will be called: YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’
Who is “she”? Remember when Paul said Jerusalem is the mother of us all (in, I think, Galatians 4:26)? Jerusalem, here, is going to dwell safely. “And this is the name by which SHE will be called (the city will be called): Yahweh our Righteousness.” That will be the name of the city.
And so, the Messiah’s new name, the one spoken of in Revelation, the name He said is the name of the New Jerusalem and the name He said He would have as His new name is: Yahweh our Righteousness.
Now, why does it say that the Messiah and the new city of Jerusalem are carrying the same name and that this new name will be written on us? Why is it saying that? We can find the answer to this, though, in Revelation.
Revelation 21:9 – Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Hey! That’s us, right? Aren’t we the Bride of Messiah? Aren’t we the ones who are the Bride and He is the Bridegroom? That is what we read in many scriptures throughout the New Testament, and so on.
And so, you might be expecting to see… okay, He is going to show John the assembly. But there is a deep connection. There is a deep connection between the city and the people of the city. Let’s read:
Revelation 21:10 – And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from Elohim,
There is the Lamb’s wife, right here.
Revelation 21:11 – having the glory of Elohim. Her light [was] like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
“Her” light. Her. Her. She. The mother of us all.
You see, the city of Jerusalem will be the dwelling place of Yahweh. We are also the dwelling place of Yahweh. And so, the city is called the Lamb’s wife. And then there are the names of the twelve Apostles on there. It says:
Revelation 21:12 – Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 – three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 – Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And so, there is a deep connection between the city and the people of Yahweh, the Bride of the Messiah. There is a deep connection because we are all (the city will be and the people will be) the dwelling place of Yahweh.
And so, the people, collectively, are the city. We see this in Ephesians 2:19. (I meant to share this last week about the wall of partition.)
Ephesians 2:19 – Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of Elohim,
20 – having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahushua Messiah Himself being the chief [cornerstone],
21 – in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in Yahweh,
Ephesians 2:22 – in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of Elohim in the Spirit.
And so, the city will be called Yahweh Tzidkenu. The people will have this name written on them–the name of the New Jerusalem, the city of His Elohim.
He will have the name written on Him, the name of Elohim. That is Yahweh. The name of the city of “My Elohim”: Yahweh Tzidkenu. And then, Messiah’s new name: Yahweh Tzidkenu. That will be written on us.
Now, look at Daniel chapter 9. It says:
Daniel 9:18 – O my Elohim, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 – O YAHWEH, hear! O YAHWEH, forgive! O YAHWEH, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my Elohim, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
Wait a minute. This is something he knew. He knew about the city called by the name, and he also knew that the people are called by His name. The same thing we read in Revelation chapter 3. The same thing we read in Jeremiah 33 and 23. We also see this in Acts 15, verse 14:
Acts 15:14 – Simon has declared how Elohim at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 – And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 – `After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;
Acts 15:17 – So that the rest of mankind may seek YAHWEH, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says YAHWEH who does all these things.’
So, the gentiles are called by the name of Yahweh–Yahweh Tzidkenu. Yahweh our Righteousness. And so, when we look at this, we also see that His name is written on the foreheads in Revelation 14.
So, what is the significance of all this? What does this have to do with Trinity and Oneness? My main focal point today is what are things called, and what does that mean when they are called that.
If you run around physically with the name of Yahweh written on your forehead, what do you think people would call you? “Oh, is that your name?” They would maybe even call you Yahweh. Now, that’s not because you are Yahweh the Father, but because you are called by His name.
Now, sometimes you see that, where other people might refer to us as “those Yahweh people over there.” Is that blasphemous? Is it blasphemous for the city to be called Yahweh, collectively, not individually? We are the city, collectively, as the Body of Messiah.
Is it blasphemous for Jeremiah 33 to predict that the city would be called Yahweh, Yahweh Tzidkenu? Is it blasphemous for the Messiah to be called Yahweh Tzidkenu, even though He has the Father as being His Elohim? It’s not blasphemous. It’s just a declaration that this is the place where Yahweh dwells.
He dwells in the Messiah. He dwells in the city. He dwells in His people. If He is dwelling in us by His Spirit, it is not blasphemous for us to be called by His name. Actually, some people have Yahweh’s name within their own personal name, like my son’s name is Kolayah. It means voice of Yahweh.
If your name is Joshua or Obadiah or Isaiah, part of Yahweh’s name is within your name. It’s not blasphemous. It’s a testimony of who He is dwelling in you.
So, before you hang me, don’t think for a moment I’m suggesting we can call eachother Yahweh, the full form–Yod-Heh-Waw-Heh. I’m not saying that. We don’t see any examples of believers being called Yahweh. I don’t believe we should be called Yahweh.
But what I am saying is what the Scriptures say. The Scriptures say we are a people who are called by His name. The Messiah is called Yahweh Tzidkenu. And even the city is called Yahweh Tzidkenu. So, collectively, as a Body of Messiah together, spiritually speaking, we are that city, that Lamb’s wife.
Individually, we are just part of the Body. But collectively, we have to be a full part of the Body of Messiah. Only collectively, all of us together, is that possible.
Yahushua, though, He is a complete package. He is a complete package.
Colossians 2:9 – For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Elohimhead bodily;
Elohim dwells in Him completely. For us, we are not there. Messiah we see in this Scripture. It says:
Hebrews 1:1 – Elohim, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 – has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 – who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
So, the Messiah is the express image of His person, and He is also having the fullness of Elohim dwelling in Him bodily. Now, for us, it says:
1Corinthians 12:12 – For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] Messiah.
13 – For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 – For in fact the body is not one member but many.
So, none of us can say, “You can call me Yahweh.” No, we can’t do that. We are part of a city, though. A city that will one day, when the fullness of Elohim dwells in that city, be called Yahweh Tzidkenu. And next week I will be showing you some scriptures where Messiah Himself actually is called Yahweh in a number of places.
And I will also continue to show that this does not make Him equal to the Father. I found that a lot of the confusion over the question of Trinity and Oneness has to do with titles and names that most of us, maybe, have thought to be exclusive only to the Supreme Being.
So, I felt that I needed to devote a lot of the broadcast today to address that. It’s important. It’s important that we understand what it means to be called by these titles, by these names.
And so, I look forward to sharing more next week. And for those of you who have questions or doubts about what I’m sharing with you, I would encourage you, please, hold off drawing a conclusion until I share again next week. I don’t have time to share everything. I have a lot more to share on this topic, actually.
I’m looking forward to examining many other scriptures on this, and we can reconcile all of them together. In the meantime, I hope this segment has been enlightening to you and a blessing.
May Yahweh bless you, and may Yahweh have mercy on us all.