I watched a podcast about a Biblical scholar named Jay Hess
Introduction
Occasionally the doctrine of the Trinity is described as a "mystery" and as "incomprehensible". To many thinking persons these terms imply that the doctrine is illogical and unbelievable. But any doctrine that is held by so many should be logical, easy to understand and easy to explain. It should not require one to be a language scholar or even to wrestle with language issues. Any appeal to language considerations should be only to add clarity to the message that is already present. Did the fishermen and shepherds in first century Palestine need to acquaint themselves with obscure language issues in order to understand the doctrinal basics? I do not think so. True, they were already familiar with the original language in which the text was written but I doubt they had to concern themselves with fine points of grammar.
Further, a doctrine that is considered to be fundamental to the Christian faith should not have to stand on isolated verses here and there that only give hints. It should be clearer than that. We should be able to find extended passages that demonstrate the point. If a doctrine is to be held with conviction, then it should be able to respond to Scriptural challenges logically and simply and not have to repeatedly resort to statements like "it is a mystery" or "God is beyond our comprehension". While it is true, of course, that there are things that are true of God that are beyond our comprehension - I still cannot conceive of what `from eternity' means - but, at the very least, those doctrines that we choose to hold firmly should not appear contradictory.
For example, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 shows that after his reign, Christ submits to his Father. How does this fit into the Trinity doctrine? 1 Corinthians 11:3 teaches that the head of Christ is God. Since Revelation 3:12 shows that the Father is the God of Jesus, how do we answer the series of questions: `Does God have a God? If Jesus is God and Jesus has a God, then does that not mean God has a God? How many Gods are there?' How can Jesus be God and at the same time be a servant (Acts 4:27)? And what about Hebrews 5:8, which implies that Jesus had to come to earth to learn obedience. Why would God have to learn anything? 1 Corinthians 8:6 seems to say that the Father is the one to call God while Jesus is distinguished as Lord. - All these issues should be explainable.
Finally, it is preferable that doctrines be based on the most straight-forward reading of a Biblical text without reading something into a text. If the straight reading of a text seems difficult to reconcile with other texts, this is not a sound reason to immediately assume it cannot mean what it says. If this sounds hard to do, just think of this as an `experiment' where we will just accept the texts for what they say and see if, in the end, we have something that is easy to understand or whether we have an incomprehensible mystery. There will be two presentations in this booklet, one using the first part of the book of Hebrews and another using the Gospel of John chapter 5. Both of these passages assume that the reader is familiar with Jewish beliefs. So as the discussion proceeds it will be necessary to refer to Old Testament texts. Because a JW will only accept the New World Translation and because non-JWs often do not realize the significance of the differences between the NWT and other Bibles, this presentation will quote mainly from the NWT.
The Deity of Christ
Would you consider the belief that Jesus is the "Christ" to be a fundamental belief? Would you say that this belief was clearly taught by Jesus?
Generally Jesus did not openly claim that he was the Christ (John 10:24,25,37,38; Luke 22:67) but wanted to be recognized based on his teachings and his works (John 5:36; 14:10,11). Only rarely did he admit to being the Christ (John 4:25,26). He normally did not want others to proclaim that he was the Christ (Matthew 16:20; Luke 4:41). A few recognized him as the Christ (John 1:41; 7:31; 11:26,27; Matthew 16:13-16; 27:17,22), but most had misconceptions about what to expect of the Christ and did not recognize him (John 7:27,40-43; 12:34; Luke 23:39).
Why do some people today believe Jesus is the Christ?
The claims Jesus made imply that he was the Christ.
The works Jesus did imply that he was the Christ.
Persons close to Jesus professed him to be the Christ.
Why do some people doubt Jesus is the Christ?
Jesus did not actually claim to be the Christ.
Some misunderstand the implications of the title, leading to false expectations.
I believe that the same is true for Jesus' Deity. Although his claims and works show him to be God and some persons close to him even professed him to be God, because he never actually claimed to be God and because some misunderstand the implications of the title, many today are unable to believe that he is God. So in the examination that follows, ask yourself, do the claims and works of Jesus imply that he is God? Do the scriptures actually call him "God"? If you doubt that Jesus is God, could it be that the title "God" causes you to expect things about Jesus that are not actually taught in Scripture? If a first-century Jew were curious about who Jesus was and wanted a description of this new Christian religion in terms that would utilize Jewish beliefs and heritage, what ONE book of the Bible should he read? The book "to the Hebrews".
Hebrews 1: . . .
"1 God, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets,
2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, . . ."
The Hebrew Scriptures were revealed somewhat through angels but mostly through imperfect human agents. Now we are introduced to someone called the "Son". Who is he? Can he be described in terms already familiar to the Jewish believer? Will the Son be described as a human, a prophet, as an angel or what?
" Hebrews 1:2 . . . whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things."
Notice that this says the Son made the systems of things. This is plural and emphasizes that he made everything in the universe.
This is echoed in . . .:
John 1 "3 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence."
So through this Son, God (as mentioned in Hebrews 1:1) made the universe. Nothing that was made came into existence without him. This would probably cause a devout Jew a little puzzlement. Was there anyone in the Hebrew scriptures that was revealed to have shared in making the universe? Who could this be? Angels, also called sons of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; Psalm 29:1; 89:5-7), cannot do what God can do, they did not participate in making the universe, they were part of the creation:
Deuteronomy 3 "24 O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, you yourself have started to make your servant see your greatness and your strong arm, for who is a god in the heavens or on the earth that does deeds like yours and mighty performances like yours?"
Psalm 71 19 Your righteousness, O God, is up to the height; As respects the great things that you have done, O God, who is like you?"
Psalm 86 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Jehovah, Neither are there any works like yours. 10 For you are great and are doing wondrous things; You are God, you alone."
Isaiah 44 24 This is what Jehovah has said, your Repurchaser and the Former of you from the belly: `I Jehovah, am doing everything, stretching out the heavens by myself, laying out the earth. Who was with me?' "
Isaiah 45 18 For this is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited: `I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. 21 . . .Who has caused this to be heard from a long time ago? Who has reported it from that very time? Is it not I, Jehovah, besides whom there is no other God; a righteous God and a Savior, there being none excepting me? 22 Turn to me and be saved, all you at the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no one else."
So how many Gods made the universe? One or two? Notice what Jesus' Jewish disciples thought . . .
Acts 4 "24 Upon hearing this they with one accord raised their voices to God and said: "Sovereign Lord, you are the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them."
Acts 17 "24 The God that made the world and all the things in it, being, as this One is, Lord of heaven and earth."
Only ONE God made the universe! Who? If God made the universe by himself and no other God can do what He can do, who is this Son that was used to make the universe? Will the rest of the book to the Hebrews answer this? Will it name someone that has already been revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures as this Son that made the universe? continuing with Hebrews 1: . . ."3 He is the reflection of [his] glory . . ."
So this "Son" is the reflection (other translations say "radiance") of God's glory! This too is a puzzlement. For the Hebrew Scriptures say:
Isaiah 42 "8 I am Jehovah. That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory, neither my praise to graven images."
Isaiah 48 "11 For my own sake, for my own sake I shall act, for how could one let oneself be profaned? And to no one else shall I give my own glory." (Compare Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; John 16:14,15; 17:5; Revelation 5:13,14)
So who is it that is the reflection and radiance of the glory of God himself? Is it really true that God will not share his glory with another? Since we are in Isaiah for the moment, consider another passage where Isaiah saw Jehovah's glory. As you read it, ask yourself "Are Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 true here? Is God's glory being shared with another God? How many glories are mentioned here?" . . .
Isaiah 6: "1 . . . I, however, got to see Jehovah, sitting on a throne lofty and lifted up, and his skirts were filling the temple. 2 Seraphs were standing above him. . . . 3 And this one called to that one and said: "Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of armies. The fullness of all the earth is his glory." . . . 5 And I proceeded to say: "Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!" . . .8 And I began to hear the voice of Jehovah saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I proceeded to say: "Here I am! Send me." 9 And he went on to say: "Go, and you must say to this people, `Hear again and again, O men, but do not understand; and see again and again, but do not get any knowledge.' 10 Make the heart of this people unreceptive, and make their very ears unresponsive, and paste their very eyes together, that they may not see with their eyes and with their ears they may not hear, and that their own heart may not understand and that they may not actually turn back and get healing for themselves." "
Well, how many glories did you see? Did you see the glory of anyone else described here? Did Jehovah share his glory with anyone else? Now compare . . .
John 12:36-43: "36 . . . Jesus spoke these things and went off and hid from them. 37 But although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, . . . 39 The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and he has made their hearts hard, that they should not see with their eyes and get the thought with their hearts and turn around and I should heal them." 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. 42 All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not confess [him], in order not to be expelled from the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory of men more than even the glory of God."
From the context it is clear that this is referring to Jesus, the Son of God, the one that many would not believe. Yet John quotes Isaiah 6:10 (in John 12:40) and says that Isaiah saw the glory of the Son of God! So how many glories did Isaiah see?
Since Isaiah heard Jehovah say "who will go for us?", does this imply that there was another separate glory present but not mentioned? Or does this imply only that there was another person present but only ONE glory shared by both? Is Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 contradicting Isaiah 6:1-10? So whose glory did Isaiah see - Jesus' or Jehovah's? Did he see the glory of one God or two? Does verse 43 answer the question when it refers to "the glory of God"? Actually the answer is simple and easy to understand but that will have to wait until later . . .
continuing with Hebrews 1:3 . . .
". . . and the exact representation of his very being,"
As a side reference, this thought is echoed in . . .
Philippians 2 "6 who, although he was existing in God's form, . . ." (Although translations differ over how the end of this verse should be translated they agree on the first part saying that Jesus, while in heaven, existed in God's form.)
John 14 "9 Jesus said to him: "Have I been with you men so long a time, and yet, Philip, you have not come to know me? He that has seen me has seen the Father [also]. . . ."
Jesus has God's appearance, he looks exactly like God even in his "very being". But who looks like God? Do angels look like God? Is there another God that looks exactly like God? Here is another puzzle for the Hebrew trying to understand who the Son is in terms of the Hebrew Scriptures:
Psalm 89 "6 For who in the skies can be compared to Jehovah? Who can resemble Jehovah among the sons of God? 7 God is to be held in awe among the intimate group of holy ones; He is grand and fear-inspiring over all who are round about him. 8 O Jehovah God of armies, Who is vigorous like you, O Jah? And your faithfulness is all around you. 9 You are ruling over the swelling of the sea; When it raises up its waves you yourself calm them." - [What would a Jew that was familiar with this verse think of the account in Matthew 8:24-27 (Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)?]
Note that this implies that the "sons of God" of verse 6 are the ones who are around him in verse 7. So even the angels that are around Jehovah, these sons of God, cannot compare nor do they even resemble Him. Then WHO is the Son that is the reflection of God's glory "and the exact representation of his very being"?
1 Kings 8: 23 and he went on to say: `O Jehovah the God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens above or on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the loving-kindness toward your servants who are walking before you with all their heart' " (2 Chronicles 6:14 reads the same.)
Isaiah 46: 5 To whom will you people liken me or make [me] equal or compare me that we may resemble each other? . . . 9 Remember the first things of a long time ago, that I am the Divine One and there is no other God, nor anyone like me."
(Other verses that also say there is no God like Jehovah, are:
Exodus 8:10; 9:14; 15:11; Deuteronomy 33:26; 1 Samuel 2:2;
2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Psalm 113:5;
Isaiah 40:18,25; 44:6-8; Jeremiah 10:6; Micah 7:18.)
Would a Jew familiar with these texts conclude that the Son, the one who is "the exact representation of his very being" must be an angel or a second and distinct God? Just who is this book to the Hebrews, chapter 1 verse 3, describing here?
continuing with Hebrews 1:3
". . . and he sustains all things by the word of his power;"
Again, as we saw in verse 2, the Son can do what God can. But who can do the works of God? WHO sustains the universe? Not the angels:
Psalm 148 "1 Praise Jah, you people! Praise Jehovah from the heavens, Praise him in the heights 2 Praise him, all you his angels. Praise him, all you his army. 3 Praise him, you sun and moon. Praise him, all you stars of light. 4 Praise him, you heavens of the heavens, And you waters that are above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of Jehovah; For he himself commanded, and they were created. 6 And he keeps them standing forever, to time indefinite. A regulation he has given, and it will not pass away."
So how is it that the Son sustains the universe?
continuing with Hebrews 1:3 . . .
". . . and after he had made a purification for our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty in lofty places."
How would a first-century Jew react to this claim that the Son removed his sins? The same situation occurred at Mark 2:1-12 (Luke 5:18-26) where Jesus showed he had the authority to forgive sins before his death (Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24). The Jews replied (Mark 2:7) "He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except one, God?" or (Luke 5:21) "Who is this that is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins except God alone?" There reaction to saying that someone, other than God, removed sin was blasphemy! So what would a Hebrew, reading this book written to the Hebrews, conclude as to the identity of the Son of God? Would he say `Of course, the Son must be a second God (or an angel) that made the universe, does everything God does, looks exactly like God, has the glory of God, sustains the universe and forgives sins.'?
Up to this point the Son has been compared to God. Would you say that the comparisons show the Son to be different, somewhat similar or exactly like God? Well, now we will see how the Son is compared to angels. Will we find that the writer of Hebrews identifies the Son with some special angel that was revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures? Will we see a parallel between the Son and any angel mentioned in the New Testament,such as Revelation 20:1? No. From this point on we will see the Son contrasted with angels and shown to be VERY different. If the Son is to be identified with some Old Testament angel, this is THE place to show it so that our Jewish reader of this book to the Hebrews will understand who the Son is in familiar terms.
"Hebrews 1:4 So he has become better than the angels, to the extent that he has inherited a name more excellent than theirs."
For clarity compare this rendering from the New Revised Standard Version
"4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."
This is echoed in . . .
1 Peter 3 "22 He is at God's right hand, for he went his way to heaven; and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him."
We learn from Hebrews 2:9,17 that the Son had to take on the nature of humans and become, temporarily, lower than angels. But at his resurrection he was exalted to heaven, and received a position superior to that of angels (compare John 17:5) and received another superior name, the "only-begotten Son" that had its fullest meaning after his resurrection (Romans 1:3,4; Acts 13:33).
"Hebrews 1:5 For example, to which one of the angels did he ever say: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father"? And again: "I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son"?"
There are two Old Testament references here, the first is from Psalm 2:7, the second is from 2 Samuel 7:14 (that these apply to Jesus, the Son, compare Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 5:5). Following the line of reasoning here, we see this is a rhetorical question, that is, the answer is supposed to be obvious to the informed reader. God never said these things to any angel.
"Hebrews 1:6 But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: "And let all God's angels do obeisance to him." "
This is similar to Psalm 148:2 (quoted above) where the angels praise God. It could be considered somewhat like Daniel 7:14 where all people are to serve the "son of man". It is possibly a quotation from Psalm 97:7, which is ver
Occasionally the doctrine of the Trinity is described as a "mystery" and as "incomprehensible". To many thinking persons these terms imply that the doctrine is illogical and unbelievable. But any doctrine that is held by so many should be logical, easy to understand and easy to explain. It should not require one to be a language scholar or even to wrestle with language issues. Any appeal to language considerations should be only to add clarity to the message that is already present. Did the fishermen and shepherds in first century Palestine need to acquaint themselves with obscure language issues in order to understand the doctrinal basics? I do not think so. True, they were already familiar with the original language in which the text was written but I doubt they had to concern themselves with fine points of grammar.
Further, a doctrine that is considered to be fundamental to the Christian faith should not have to stand on isolated verses here and there that only give hints. It should be clearer than that. We should be able to find extended passages that demonstrate the point. If a doctrine is to be held with conviction, then it should be able to respond to Scriptural challenges logically and simply and not have to repeatedly resort to statements like "it is a mystery" or "God is beyond our comprehension". While it is true, of course, that there are things that are true of God that are beyond our comprehension - I still cannot conceive of what `from eternity' means - but, at the very least, those doctrines that we choose to hold firmly should not appear contradictory.
For example, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 shows that after his reign, Christ submits to his Father. How does this fit into the Trinity doctrine? 1 Corinthians 11:3 teaches that the head of Christ is God. Since Revelation 3:12 shows that the Father is the God of Jesus, how do we answer the series of questions: `Does God have a God? If Jesus is God and Jesus has a God, then does that not mean God has a God? How many Gods are there?' How can Jesus be God and at the same time be a servant (Acts 4:27)? And what about Hebrews 5:8, which implies that Jesus had to come to earth to learn obedience. Why would God have to learn anything? 1 Corinthians 8:6 seems to say that the Father is the one to call God while Jesus is distinguished as Lord. - All these issues should be explainable.
Finally, it is preferable that doctrines be based on the most straight-forward reading of a Biblical text without reading something into a text. If the straight reading of a text seems difficult to reconcile with other texts, this is not a sound reason to immediately assume it cannot mean what it says. If this sounds hard to do, just think of this as an `experiment' where we will just accept the texts for what they say and see if, in the end, we have something that is easy to understand or whether we have an incomprehensible mystery. There will be two presentations in this booklet, one using the first part of the book of Hebrews and another using the Gospel of John chapter 5. Both of these passages assume that the reader is familiar with Jewish beliefs. So as the discussion proceeds it will be necessary to refer to Old Testament texts. Because a JW will only accept the New World Translation and because non-JWs often do not realize the significance of the differences between the NWT and other Bibles, this presentation will quote mainly from the NWT.
The Deity of Christ
Would you consider the belief that Jesus is the "Christ" to be a fundamental belief? Would you say that this belief was clearly taught by Jesus?
Generally Jesus did not openly claim that he was the Christ (John 10:24,25,37,38; Luke 22:67) but wanted to be recognized based on his teachings and his works (John 5:36; 14:10,11). Only rarely did he admit to being the Christ (John 4:25,26). He normally did not want others to proclaim that he was the Christ (Matthew 16:20; Luke 4:41). A few recognized him as the Christ (John 1:41; 7:31; 11:26,27; Matthew 16:13-16; 27:17,22), but most had misconceptions about what to expect of the Christ and did not recognize him (John 7:27,40-43; 12:34; Luke 23:39).
Why do some people today believe Jesus is the Christ?
The claims Jesus made imply that he was the Christ.
The works Jesus did imply that he was the Christ.
Persons close to Jesus professed him to be the Christ.
Why do some people doubt Jesus is the Christ?
Jesus did not actually claim to be the Christ.
Some misunderstand the implications of the title, leading to false expectations.
I believe that the same is true for Jesus' Deity. Although his claims and works show him to be God and some persons close to him even professed him to be God, because he never actually claimed to be God and because some misunderstand the implications of the title, many today are unable to believe that he is God. So in the examination that follows, ask yourself, do the claims and works of Jesus imply that he is God? Do the scriptures actually call him "God"? If you doubt that Jesus is God, could it be that the title "God" causes you to expect things about Jesus that are not actually taught in Scripture? If a first-century Jew were curious about who Jesus was and wanted a description of this new Christian religion in terms that would utilize Jewish beliefs and heritage, what ONE book of the Bible should he read? The book "to the Hebrews".
Hebrews 1: . . .
"1 God, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets,
2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, . . ."
The Hebrew Scriptures were revealed somewhat through angels but mostly through imperfect human agents. Now we are introduced to someone called the "Son". Who is he? Can he be described in terms already familiar to the Jewish believer? Will the Son be described as a human, a prophet, as an angel or what?
" Hebrews 1:2 . . . whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things."
Notice that this says the Son made the systems of things. This is plural and emphasizes that he made everything in the universe.
This is echoed in . . .:
John 1 "3 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence."
So through this Son, God (as mentioned in Hebrews 1:1) made the universe. Nothing that was made came into existence without him. This would probably cause a devout Jew a little puzzlement. Was there anyone in the Hebrew scriptures that was revealed to have shared in making the universe? Who could this be? Angels, also called sons of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; Psalm 29:1; 89:5-7), cannot do what God can do, they did not participate in making the universe, they were part of the creation:
Deuteronomy 3 "24 O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, you yourself have started to make your servant see your greatness and your strong arm, for who is a god in the heavens or on the earth that does deeds like yours and mighty performances like yours?"
Psalm 71 19 Your righteousness, O God, is up to the height; As respects the great things that you have done, O God, who is like you?"
Psalm 86 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Jehovah, Neither are there any works like yours. 10 For you are great and are doing wondrous things; You are God, you alone."
Isaiah 44 24 This is what Jehovah has said, your Repurchaser and the Former of you from the belly: `I Jehovah, am doing everything, stretching out the heavens by myself, laying out the earth. Who was with me?' "
Isaiah 45 18 For this is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited: `I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. 21 . . .Who has caused this to be heard from a long time ago? Who has reported it from that very time? Is it not I, Jehovah, besides whom there is no other God; a righteous God and a Savior, there being none excepting me? 22 Turn to me and be saved, all you at the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no one else."
So how many Gods made the universe? One or two? Notice what Jesus' Jewish disciples thought . . .
Acts 4 "24 Upon hearing this they with one accord raised their voices to God and said: "Sovereign Lord, you are the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them."
Acts 17 "24 The God that made the world and all the things in it, being, as this One is, Lord of heaven and earth."
Only ONE God made the universe! Who? If God made the universe by himself and no other God can do what He can do, who is this Son that was used to make the universe? Will the rest of the book to the Hebrews answer this? Will it name someone that has already been revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures as this Son that made the universe? continuing with Hebrews 1: . . ."3 He is the reflection of [his] glory . . ."
So this "Son" is the reflection (other translations say "radiance") of God's glory! This too is a puzzlement. For the Hebrew Scriptures say:
Isaiah 42 "8 I am Jehovah. That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory, neither my praise to graven images."
Isaiah 48 "11 For my own sake, for my own sake I shall act, for how could one let oneself be profaned? And to no one else shall I give my own glory." (Compare Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; John 16:14,15; 17:5; Revelation 5:13,14)
So who is it that is the reflection and radiance of the glory of God himself? Is it really true that God will not share his glory with another? Since we are in Isaiah for the moment, consider another passage where Isaiah saw Jehovah's glory. As you read it, ask yourself "Are Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 true here? Is God's glory being shared with another God? How many glories are mentioned here?" . . .
Isaiah 6: "1 . . . I, however, got to see Jehovah, sitting on a throne lofty and lifted up, and his skirts were filling the temple. 2 Seraphs were standing above him. . . . 3 And this one called to that one and said: "Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of armies. The fullness of all the earth is his glory." . . . 5 And I proceeded to say: "Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!" . . .8 And I began to hear the voice of Jehovah saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I proceeded to say: "Here I am! Send me." 9 And he went on to say: "Go, and you must say to this people, `Hear again and again, O men, but do not understand; and see again and again, but do not get any knowledge.' 10 Make the heart of this people unreceptive, and make their very ears unresponsive, and paste their very eyes together, that they may not see with their eyes and with their ears they may not hear, and that their own heart may not understand and that they may not actually turn back and get healing for themselves." "
Well, how many glories did you see? Did you see the glory of anyone else described here? Did Jehovah share his glory with anyone else? Now compare . . .
John 12:36-43: "36 . . . Jesus spoke these things and went off and hid from them. 37 But although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, . . . 39 The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and he has made their hearts hard, that they should not see with their eyes and get the thought with their hearts and turn around and I should heal them." 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. 42 All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not confess [him], in order not to be expelled from the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory of men more than even the glory of God."
From the context it is clear that this is referring to Jesus, the Son of God, the one that many would not believe. Yet John quotes Isaiah 6:10 (in John 12:40) and says that Isaiah saw the glory of the Son of God! So how many glories did Isaiah see?
Since Isaiah heard Jehovah say "who will go for us?", does this imply that there was another separate glory present but not mentioned? Or does this imply only that there was another person present but only ONE glory shared by both? Is Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 contradicting Isaiah 6:1-10? So whose glory did Isaiah see - Jesus' or Jehovah's? Did he see the glory of one God or two? Does verse 43 answer the question when it refers to "the glory of God"? Actually the answer is simple and easy to understand but that will have to wait until later . . .
continuing with Hebrews 1:3 . . .
". . . and the exact representation of his very being,"
As a side reference, this thought is echoed in . . .
Philippians 2 "6 who, although he was existing in God's form, . . ." (Although translations differ over how the end of this verse should be translated they agree on the first part saying that Jesus, while in heaven, existed in God's form.)
John 14 "9 Jesus said to him: "Have I been with you men so long a time, and yet, Philip, you have not come to know me? He that has seen me has seen the Father [also]. . . ."
Jesus has God's appearance, he looks exactly like God even in his "very being". But who looks like God? Do angels look like God? Is there another God that looks exactly like God? Here is another puzzle for the Hebrew trying to understand who the Son is in terms of the Hebrew Scriptures:
Psalm 89 "6 For who in the skies can be compared to Jehovah? Who can resemble Jehovah among the sons of God? 7 God is to be held in awe among the intimate group of holy ones; He is grand and fear-inspiring over all who are round about him. 8 O Jehovah God of armies, Who is vigorous like you, O Jah? And your faithfulness is all around you. 9 You are ruling over the swelling of the sea; When it raises up its waves you yourself calm them." - [What would a Jew that was familiar with this verse think of the account in Matthew 8:24-27 (Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)?]
Note that this implies that the "sons of God" of verse 6 are the ones who are around him in verse 7. So even the angels that are around Jehovah, these sons of God, cannot compare nor do they even resemble Him. Then WHO is the Son that is the reflection of God's glory "and the exact representation of his very being"?
1 Kings 8: 23 and he went on to say: `O Jehovah the God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens above or on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the loving-kindness toward your servants who are walking before you with all their heart' " (2 Chronicles 6:14 reads the same.)
Isaiah 46: 5 To whom will you people liken me or make [me] equal or compare me that we may resemble each other? . . . 9 Remember the first things of a long time ago, that I am the Divine One and there is no other God, nor anyone like me."
(Other verses that also say there is no God like Jehovah, are:
Exodus 8:10; 9:14; 15:11; Deuteronomy 33:26; 1 Samuel 2:2;
2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Psalm 113:5;
Isaiah 40:18,25; 44:6-8; Jeremiah 10:6; Micah 7:18.)
Would a Jew familiar with these texts conclude that the Son, the one who is "the exact representation of his very being" must be an angel or a second and distinct God? Just who is this book to the Hebrews, chapter 1 verse 3, describing here?
continuing with Hebrews 1:3
". . . and he sustains all things by the word of his power;"
Again, as we saw in verse 2, the Son can do what God can. But who can do the works of God? WHO sustains the universe? Not the angels:
Psalm 148 "1 Praise Jah, you people! Praise Jehovah from the heavens, Praise him in the heights 2 Praise him, all you his angels. Praise him, all you his army. 3 Praise him, you sun and moon. Praise him, all you stars of light. 4 Praise him, you heavens of the heavens, And you waters that are above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of Jehovah; For he himself commanded, and they were created. 6 And he keeps them standing forever, to time indefinite. A regulation he has given, and it will not pass away."
So how is it that the Son sustains the universe?
continuing with Hebrews 1:3 . . .
". . . and after he had made a purification for our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty in lofty places."
How would a first-century Jew react to this claim that the Son removed his sins? The same situation occurred at Mark 2:1-12 (Luke 5:18-26) where Jesus showed he had the authority to forgive sins before his death (Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24). The Jews replied (Mark 2:7) "He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except one, God?" or (Luke 5:21) "Who is this that is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins except God alone?" There reaction to saying that someone, other than God, removed sin was blasphemy! So what would a Hebrew, reading this book written to the Hebrews, conclude as to the identity of the Son of God? Would he say `Of course, the Son must be a second God (or an angel) that made the universe, does everything God does, looks exactly like God, has the glory of God, sustains the universe and forgives sins.'?
Up to this point the Son has been compared to God. Would you say that the comparisons show the Son to be different, somewhat similar or exactly like God? Well, now we will see how the Son is compared to angels. Will we find that the writer of Hebrews identifies the Son with some special angel that was revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures? Will we see a parallel between the Son and any angel mentioned in the New Testament,such as Revelation 20:1? No. From this point on we will see the Son contrasted with angels and shown to be VERY different. If the Son is to be identified with some Old Testament angel, this is THE place to show it so that our Jewish reader of this book to the Hebrews will understand who the Son is in familiar terms.
"Hebrews 1:4 So he has become better than the angels, to the extent that he has inherited a name more excellent than theirs."
For clarity compare this rendering from the New Revised Standard Version
"4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."
This is echoed in . . .
1 Peter 3 "22 He is at God's right hand, for he went his way to heaven; and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him."
We learn from Hebrews 2:9,17 that the Son had to take on the nature of humans and become, temporarily, lower than angels. But at his resurrection he was exalted to heaven, and received a position superior to that of angels (compare John 17:5) and received another superior name, the "only-begotten Son" that had its fullest meaning after his resurrection (Romans 1:3,4; Acts 13:33).
"Hebrews 1:5 For example, to which one of the angels did he ever say: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father"? And again: "I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son"?"
There are two Old Testament references here, the first is from Psalm 2:7, the second is from 2 Samuel 7:14 (that these apply to Jesus, the Son, compare Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 5:5). Following the line of reasoning here, we see this is a rhetorical question, that is, the answer is supposed to be obvious to the informed reader. God never said these things to any angel.
"Hebrews 1:6 But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: "And let all God's angels do obeisance to him." "
This is similar to Psalm 148:2 (quoted above) where the angels praise God. It could be considered somewhat like Daniel 7:14 where all people are to serve the "son of man". It is possibly a quotation from Psalm 97:7, which is ver
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