Jehoshua is on the throne of David in New Jerusalem and He is the King of a New Israel
Genesis 1:26
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" Jesus isn't mentioned here, many simply read him into the text. Nowhere does Jesus identify himself as the creator of the Genesis creation. In fact, Jesus identifies the Father as the one who made heaven and earth: Psalm 146:5-6 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in Jehovah his God:6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that in them is; Who keepeth truth for ever; Jehovah God is identified as the God of Jacob who is the creator of heaven, earth and the sea. Is Jesus the God of Jacob? What does scripture say? Acts 13:13 "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him" Jesus is the servant (son) of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob therefore he is not the Almighty Jehovah God who created the heaven, earth, sea and all that in them is. Let's now look at John 1 as many use this passage to link Jesus to the Genesis creation: John 1:1-7 1.In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. Please go and read all instances in the old testament when the word of God is mentioned and you will see that it never means a person. Here is a good verse that explains what the word of God is one for one: Psalm 33:6 "By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth" In Genesis when God spoke things came into existence. His word is His creative utterance. In the old testament, when it mentions the word of Jehovah it refers to his commandment, exhortation, rebuke, warning and prophectic utterance. In the new testament, the word of God is shorthand for gospel of the Kingdom. Acts 4:24-28 24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:25 who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed: 27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, 28 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass. This is often an overlooked passage that clearly shows how the apostlic church viewed the relationship between the Lord God (Jehovah) and Jesus. After Peter and John came back and reported what happened between them and the chief priests, the church praised God. Notice that in verse 24 they refer to the Lord as the one who made the heaven, earth and sea and all that in them is. Which Lord is this, the Father or the Son? In verse 27 we have the answer, as the church identifies Jesus as the servant of the Lord who made the heaven, earth and sea. The whole passage above we see the church praising the Father as the Lord who made heaven, earth and the sea. In verse 30, They again refer to Jesus as the holy servant of the LORD (Jehovah), clearly making a distinction between the Lord God who is the creator and Jesus who is the creator's servant. Here is what the early church clearly believes about the identity of God and Jesus: God is the Lord who made the earth, heaven and sea. Jesus is the holy servant (Son) of the Lord who is the creator of the earth and all things. Back to John 1:1, for one thing there is debate among bible students whether this is about the Genesis creation or the beginning of Jesus ministry. One noteworthy thing is that the versions of the bible that were before the KJV have the "word" as an "it" as opposed to a "he". Here is the 1599 Geneva bible version of John 1: 1 In the beginning was that Word, and that Word was with God, and that Word was God. 2 This same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made. 4 In it was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 And that light shineth in the wilderness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. Notice how the "word" in this early version of the bible is referred to as an "it" rather than a "he"? This shows that the early translators acknowledged that the "Word" here in the first few verses of John chapter 1 was non personal. They likely believed the "word" was God's actual "word" as noted above in Psalm 33:6. So is Jesus the word of God? Of course but He is not the word of God in the old testament, He is what the word of God became? John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth" Because of Platonic greek influence many read the above verse and make it metaphysical, in that Jesus as a pre-existing spirit being poured himself into the womb of Mary thereby becoming or taking on flesh. However, the Hebraic mindset isn't rooted in the metaphysical but rather the physical and metaphorical. We can best understand the above passage by going to Deuteronomy 18:15-21: 15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken.18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? The apostles attributed this passage to Jesus as that prophet Moses mentioned. Notice in verse 18 it says that Jehovah God would put His "words" in the mouth of that prophet (Jesus). But wait a minute! I thought Jesus was the pre existent word of God in the old testament. Or is Jesus called the word of God precisely because Jehovah God put His words in Jesus mouth? The second option has more biblical support and is more in line with Hebraic thought and what the bible prophesied about the nature of the Messiah. Regarding the nature of the prophet that Moses is speaking about, it is clear that this prophet would be a human being just like Moses (verse 15). Nothing here is said about the prophet (Jesus) being a god man or a pre-existent spirit being. Also, trinitarians teach that Jesus is Jehovah God but how is this so if it is Jehovah putting His words in Jesus mouth? That is utter confusion! There is a clear distinction here between Jehovah and Jesus and they are both identified clearly in regards to their nature: * Jehovah is referred to here as God. * Jesus is referred to here as a man like the Israelites and Moses. In verse 19, it says that Jesus would speak Jehovah's words in Jehovah's name. This fits perfectly with what is said in the new testament concerning Jesus ministry in that He came to declare the Father as the true God (John:18, John 17:3, 1 John 5:29). In fact in the book of Hebrews it says that it was Jesus primary function to declare the name of Jehovah God His Father to the congregation: Hebrews 2:12 "saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, In the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise" Jesus came to declare the Father and said that all true worshippers would worship the Father in spirit and in truth: John 4:23-26 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he]. These are Jesus words. All true worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Notice it doesn't say they worship a trinity god nor a binity god. The Father seeks such true worshippers to worship Him. Of course Jesus is saying this, because he himself has a God: Revelation 3:12 "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" Here in one verse Jesus says he has a God four times. Either Jesus is lying or the Pastor's and theologians are. I believe Jesus not the traditions of man. Back in John 4:23-24, Jesus clarifies His identity by affirming the Samaritan woman's statement that He is the Messiah (anointed one). Just the very fact that He is the Messiah means he is not God as Messiah means "the anointed one of God". The old testament makes a super sharp distinction between Jehovah God and his Messiah. John 3:33-36 33 He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to [this], that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure.35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Back to the concept of why Jesus is called the word of God. Here in verse 34 John the Baptist says that Jesus was sent by God to speak the words of God. John 12:49-50 49 For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak. Jesus he doesn't speak his own words but rather speaks the commandments given him by the Father. The commandment spoken by Jesus is life eternal and it is the commandment of the Father. This fits perfectly with Deuteronomy 18:15-21 and the concept that Jesus is the word of God because He speaks God's words as that final and true prophet (Hebrews 1:1-3). John 14:10 "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works" Jesus is clear He doesn't speak his own words but the words of the Father as the word of God is the commandments of the Father not a pre-existent divine being. The word of God is what Jesus became when He was anointed by the holy spirit to began his Gospel of the Kingdom ministry. The word of God in the new testament is short hand for gospel of the Kingdom.
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