Doctrine of God

THE DOCTRINE OF ELOHIYM

Sister White says: “We are not safe when we take a position that we will not accept anything else than that upon which we have settled as truth. We should take the Bible, and investigate it closely for ourselves. We should dig in the mine of God’s word for truth. “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” Some have asked me if I thought there was any more light for the people of God. Our minds have become so narrow that we do not seem to understand that the Lord has a mighty work to do for us. Increasing light is to shine upon us; for “the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” CW 34

When a doctrine is presented that does not meet our minds, we should go to the word of God, seek the Lord in prayer, and give no place for the enemy to come in with suspicion and prejudice. We should never permit the spirit to be manifested that arraigned the priests and rulers against the Redeemer of the world. They complained that He disturbed the people, and they wished He would let them alone; for He caused perplexity and dissension. The Lord sends light to us to prove what manner of spirit we are of. We are not to deceive ourselves. GW 301

The Lord calls upon all who believe His word to awake out of sleep. Precious light has come, appropriate for this time. It is Bible truth, showing the perils that are right upon us. This light should lead us to a diligent study of the Scriptures and a most critical examination of the positions which we hold.

It is God’s (Elohiym’s) method. He designed our brains; He knows the best way to teach us. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little,” Isaiah 28: 9, 10. Perhaps our attitudes and beliefs are only established by varied repetition; perhaps it provides time for the Holy Spirit to impress the mind, but “here a little and there a little” is a method of Bible study that increases the probability of finding truth unmingled with error. Seventh-day Adventists have long advocated this way to teach difficult doctrines like the state of the dead and the Sabbath. However, we are much less inclined to allow this type of study to effectually establish truth when a subject is unfamiliar or unpopular. Then, we want a plain “thus saith the Lord” or Ellen G. White. We tend to demand a clear, single statement rather than the process of digging for truth as for hidden treasure scattered throughout text and time.

The life death and resurrection of Yehoshua approves or disapproves almost all our doctrines and practices; for example the state of the dead. When Yehoshua resurrected on the first day of the week, He was met by Mary, who when she identified Him wanted to embrace Him, He said :   “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”  Yehoshua had not gone to heaven at death as some teach, but remained in the grave. He said nothing of  the period between the ninth hour of preparation day and the morning of the first day, as He knew nothing as scripture says:  “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Ecc. 9:5. When Christ died, His spirit did not have a state of consciousness all of its own. That incident with Mary on resurrection morning confirms our belief on the state of the dead. If the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ is carefully studied, it will approve many of our beliefs and practices, and also disapprove many of our beliefs and practices. In this study we will look at the doctrine of Yehovah (God).

The doctrine of Yehovah: the exchange between Mary and Yehoshua on resurrection morning sets the doctrine of Yehovah. Yehoshua says, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” This statement of Yehoshua establishes Yehovah as the Father and Elohiym of Yehoshua. Yehoshua does not mention another to whom He had to appear first. This clearly establishes Yehovah as Elohiym and Yehoshua as His Son, making what is called the Godhead or Theotes. This term appears three times in the Bible, all of them in the New Testament only, in Ac. 17:29; Ro. 1:20 and Col.2:9; it does not appear in the Old Testament. What does the rest of the Bible say about the Theotes? In our study we shall proceed as Yehoshua did, when opening the scriptures to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27.

Moses establishes the plurality of the Theotes early:” And Elohiym 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Gen. 1:26.  Clearly in this statement Elohiym is talking to another. The prophetess says: “The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (Elohiym), and the Word was God (Elohiym).” . . . Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God (Elohiym), was one with the eternal Father—one in nature, in character, in purpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God (Elohiym)”. Please note what the prophetess says: Elohiym had an associate, not associates, a co-worker not co-workers, and that this associate is the only (one)  being that could enter in all the counsels and purposes of Elohiym, clearly this makes Elohiym and His associate/ co-worker the only beings of the Theotes.

Before the world was, the Bible says of the Theotes:  “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth, When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.” Prov. 8:22-30. These texts refer to a single being, who was with Elohiym before creation, if there were another, wouldn’t it be in the plural e.g. instead of “I was set up from everlasting” but” we were set up from everlasting?”  The scripture refers to Yehovah and His associate/ co-worker, single, who is the Word, the Elohiym, Yehoshua His Son.

 In Zechariah 6:12-13 we are told:” And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD(YAHWEH)  of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD( YAHWEH). Even he shall build the temple of the LORD (YAHWEH); and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”  This man called the Branch is a priest-king , just like Melchizedek  King of Salem and Priest of the Most High Elohiym. Paul says:” Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Ro. 6:20. Jeremiah says: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD( YAHWEH), that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD (YAHWEH) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Jer. 23:5-6. Zechariah says the counsel of peace shall be between them both. The word translated both is shenayim in Hebrew, meaning two. That is Yehovah and Yehoshua; Elohiym and the Associate/ Co-worker; Yehovah and the Branch; Yehovah and the Priest-King, after the order of Melchizedek. In the work of creation it was Yehovah and His associate, only two. In the work of redemption it was/is Yehovah and the Branch, the Priest –King who is THE LORD (YEHOVAH) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, the Word of Elohiym, and the Son of Elohiym, Yehoshua; only two. If there were a third he would have been mentioned as taking part in creation and the counsel of peace, apparently the third one was neither an associate /co-worker of Yehovah at creation nor a part to the counsel of peace, therefore cannot be co-eternal and co-equal with Elohiym and Yehoshua.

The most important work of Elohiym and Yehoshua is the salvation of man, they are occupied 24/7 in this work. If a third being were part of the Godhead wouldn’t he be so engaged with the Father and Son?

 Moses says:” Hear, O Israel: The LORD (YEHOVAH) our God (Elohiym) is one LORD (YEHOVAH):” Duet. 6:4.that the Father is the only Elohiym (God) is confirmed by Yehoshua:” And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true Elohiym (God), and Yehoshua Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Joh. 17:3. Speaking of His relationship with Elohiym, He says:” I and my Father are one.” Joh 10:30. If there were a third, He would have mentioned him, as being one with Him and the Father. He mentions only Himself and Yehovah.  That He did not mention the third does not mean He forgot, but there is no third one. Eternal life is knowing the only true Elohiym (God) and Yehoshua, the only two who have been together since eternity past, if there were a third, eternal life will also be knowing him. Yehoshua is the sent of Elohiym (God), the Angel of Elohiym of the Old Testament, who accompanied and guided the Israelites on the exodus. In the camp of Israel there was the Father in the holy of holies, and the Angel over the camp, as the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, throughout the wanderings they remained with Israel.” In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” Isa. 63:9. Paul says the pillar of cloud is Christ. 1Cor. 10 :1. If there were a third it is clear that he is not co-equal with Yehovah and Yehoshua nor is he co-eternal, for he is not mentioned as defining eternal life, nor is he mentioned as being with Yehovah from eternity past, as the Branch, who is Yehoshua is mentioned.

So far we have heard the testimony of Moses and the prophets and Yehoshua (Christ) Himself; we will proceed to hear the testimony of the apostles. Paul says: “For there is one God (Elohiym), and one mediator between God (Elohiym) and men, the man Christ Jesus Yehoshua).” Note he does not say one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit but one God, the Father only. Paul also says there is one Lord Jesus Christ, whereas the trinity doctrine states that: “the Father is Lord: the Son is Lord: the Holy Spirit is Lord” (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Student’s Source Book, p. 299).” Here are seen two distinct beings; there is one God who is the Father and one Mediator, the one Lord Yehoshua the Christ between the one God the Father and man. 1Tim. 2:5 “Blessed be God (Elohiym), even the Father of our Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God (Elohiym) of all comfort.”  2Co.1:3 “Now our Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ himself, and God (Elohiym), even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” 2The. 2:16.  “That the God (Elohiym) of our Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” Eph. 1:17.  “Blessed be the God (Elohiym) and Father of our Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Eph. 1:3. In these texts and many others Paul addresses the Father and Christ, the Father being Elohiym and Christ the Son; this is in agreement with Moses, the prophets and Yehoshua. Here are seen two distinct beings; there is one God who is the Father and one Mediator, the one Lord Yehoshua the Christ between the one God the Father and man.

James says: “James, a servant of God (Elohiym) and of the Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” James 1:1, this greeting of James’s, mentions the Father and Son only, no mention of the third. Peter in like manner says:” Elect according to the foreknowledge of God ( Elohiym) the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God (Elohiym) and Father of our Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ from the dead.” 1Pt. 1:2,3. He continues:” Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God (Elohiym) by Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ.” 1Pt. 4:14.  “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God (Elohiym) and our Saviour Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God Elohiym), and of Jesus (Yehoshua) our Lord.” 2Pt 1:1,2. Peter addresses himself as a servant and an apostle of Yehoshua and Yehovah the Father of Yehoshua. He says Grace and peace be multiplied through the Knowledge of Yehovah and Yehoshua. The knowledge of Yehovah and Yehoshua is enough to give one grace and peace that leads to salvation. Peter mentions the Spirit, some will say this proves the third member of Theotes, John says:” And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” Yahushua says:  “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” In 1 John 4:12 we are told:  “No man hath seen God (Elohiym) at any time. If we love one another, God (Elohiym) dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” The Father has given us His Spirit; the Spirit is the Father and the Son, living in us. This is collaborated by the layout in the camp of Israel, which typifies each believer, guiding Israel was Yehoshua as pillar of cloud and fire, inside in the temple in the Holy of Holies was the Father. Today Christ guides each believer and the Father dewells inside the believer. He is the Holy Spirit:” Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”  “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1Co. 3:16, 17.

  The beloved apostle John says: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God (Elohiym) is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in 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 Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1John 1:3, 5-7. Clearly this passage says our fellowship is with the Father and the Son. He continues:  “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus (Yehoshua) is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.” If we deny that there is only the Father and the Son and add a third, we are liars. “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.” 1 John 1:22-24. We have heard from the beginning that there was Elohiym and His Son only.” In this was manifested the love of God (Elohiym) toward us, because that God (Elohiym) sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1John 4:9. God (Elohiym) is the source of everything, man’s redemption could not be accomplished by any creature but by Him who in nature was God (Elohiym), and scripture says, He is the only begotten Son of God, so if there is a third who is in the nature of God, i.e. co-eternal with God and co-equal with God, he must be begotten of God, making the statement, only begotten of God, false: “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;” Ro. 3:4. So God is true, there is no other begotten of Him except His Son, Yehoshua the Messiah.

Jude says of himself:  “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God (Elohiym) the Father, and preserved in Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ.” Jude 1:1. He continues giving a warning:” Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God (Elohiym) into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God(Elohiym), and our Lord Jesus(Yehoshua) Christ. Jude 1:3,4. He advises us: Keep yourselves in the love of God (Elohiym), looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus (Yehoshua) Christ unto eternal life.” Jude: 21. Jude is warning us that specious doctrines will creep into the church unawares; this calls us to be vigilant in prayer and study of the word. Tertullian is the first to teach the doctrine of the trinity in the fourth century, this period coincides with the church period of Pergamos, to which Christ wrote:” I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” What Yahushua is saying is that Satan has entered the church of Pergamos; could it be by the doctrine of the trinity, which clearly is not supported by scripture?

The last word comes from John on the Island of Patmos: he sees the new heaven and new earth, and the New Jerusalem and God (Elohiym) taking residence among His people: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God (Elohiym) out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God (Elohiym).” God dwells with His people, He (singular) is their God and they (plural) people will be His people.

John is further carried away and shown the New Jerusalem, he proceeds to describe its beauty. He notices there is no temple:” And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God (Elohiym) Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Rev. 21:22.  Please note God (Elohiym) and the Lamb (Yehoshua) are the temple of it, just two not three.  He continues:” And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God (YAHWEH) did lighten it, and the Lamb (Yehoshua) is the light thereof.” Rev. 21:23. Note the glory of YAHWEH and the Lamb Lighten it, just two not three. “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God (Elohiym) and of the Lamb (Yehoshua). And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God (Elohiym) and of the Lamb (Yehoshua) shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:” Rev.22:1, 2.). There are the thrones of Elohiym and the Lamb, just two not three.  In the new heaven and new earth and in the New Jerusalem after sin has been eradicated, there will be God (Elohiym) and the Lamb (Yehoshua) being  the temple, light and rulers of them, which means in eternity future as in eternity past there will be just two, God (Elohiym) the Father and the Son (Yehoshua).

From this study emerges that the Godhead (Theotes), is composed of one God (Elohiym) the Father, one Being with the tittle God (Elohiym): Hear, O Israel: The LORD (YEHOVAH) our God (Elohiym) is one LORD (YEHOVAH), and the Son who is also the Angel of  YEHOVAH (LORD), the Branch and the Priest-King, who with the Father YEHOVAH make up the counsel of peace : and the counsel of peace shall be between them both(shenayim-two). Zec.6:13. In the new heaven and earth there will be YEHOVAH and the Lamb (Yehoshua), only two.

The prophetess says:” God does not compel men to give up their unbelief. Before them are light and darkness, truth and error. It is for them to decide which they will accept. The human mind is endowed with power to discriminate between right and wrong. God designs that men shall not decide from impulse, but from weight of evidence, carefully comparing scripture with scripture. Had the Jews laid by their prejudice and compared written prophecy with the facts characterizing the life of Yehoshua (Jesus), they would have perceived a beautiful harmony between the prophecies and their fulfillment in the life and ministry of the lowly Galilean.  {DA 458.3}. She continues: Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe. {CCh. 93:4}

The S D A church in its  special issue of the Adventist review volume  158,  number 31, of July 1981 says: “While no single scriptural passage states formally the doctrine of the Trinity, it is assumed as a fact by Bible writers. . . . Only by faith can we accept the existence of the Trinity.” This is a confusing statement, how can an important doctrine be based on an assumption or assumptions of writers without the  word of Elohiym? Doesn’t it open doors to all spurious doctrines based on faith built on  assumptions? While the trinity doctrine is based on faith built on assumptions, the doctrine of the Father and His Son is based on a cloud or forest of  Bible facts. Shall we ignore the forest of witnesses and evidences and concentrate on one or two aberrant trees?  The bible says:” So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Ro. 10:17. Faith comes only by hearing the word of Elohiym, not by assumptions. There is no true faith except that which comes from hearing the word of Elohiym. If Elohiym is silent on an issue it is dangerous to build on human assumptions. The weight of scriptural evidence is overwhelming in support of the Father and Son Godhead, while the trinity is built upon assumptions.  Elohiym guide each of us to arrive at the right conclusion based on the weight of evidence.

Elohiym bless you!