WE BELIEVE

An Exposition of the Doctrinal Statement

of The Association of Messianic Congregations

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Norman Manzon

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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WHAT WE BELIEVE Introduction AMC Doctrinal Statement: "WHAT WE BELIEVE"  THE TRI-UNITY PART 1: The Attributes of God PART 2: God the Father PART 3: God the Son PART 4: God the Holy Spirit PART 5: God the Tri-unity ANGELS SATAN AND DEMONS PART 1: The Nature and Positions of Satan and His Demons PART 2: Satan's Attacks and the Christian's Defense MAN SALVATION PART 1: Salvation is by Faith in Yeshua PART 2: The Narrow Way

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INTRODUCTION

The Association of Messianic Congregations was founded to promote sound doctrine and practice in Messianic circles and in the greater body of Messiah. We therefore consider the study of Scripture and the faithfulness of our doctrinal statement to Scripture to be of exceedingly great and fundamental importance.

With every issue of The Shofar, another study will be added to this page until it is complete. It is our hope that you will be greatly enriched as you allow the Lord to show you whether or not what is contained herein is faithful to His Word, as did the Berean Jews of Acts 17:11. 

The first point of our doctrinal statement reads:

The Nature of Inspiration
We are told in 2 Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is inspired by God. The Greek word translated 'inspired' is Theopneustos, which means "God-breathed," and emphasizes the exhalation of God. Inspiration, then, is really "outspiration". God "outbreathed" the Scriptures through human writers.

Peter adds clarification: 2 Peter 1:20-21: No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Prophecy is the ability to receive revelation directly from God. Revelation is "a divine act by which God communicates to man those things... which otherwise man could never know."(1) God inspired some of His prophets to write down their revelations as Scripture. He also inspired some of His compilers of records and researchers to write down the results of their labors as Scripture (cf. Luke 1:1-4).

But what does men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God mean? The Greek word for 'moved' is the same word used in Acts 27:15 and 17 to refer to a ship being "borne along" the water by powerful winds. Now, "no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will" reveals that God superintended the inspiration process so everything that God wanted written down was written, and that no human addition, deletion, or error crept in. A prophet, then, was one whom God moved upon in such a way that His Word was both heard and delivered by that prophet infallibly and inerrantly, that is, with unfailing accuracy and without error. We can therefore conclude that all who wrote the Scriptures - whether prophets, compilers or researchers - were "borne along" by the Holy Spirit of God as they wrote their revelations, compilations, and research results. God inspired - "outbreathed" - the powerful Word-bearing wind of His Spirit into the sails of His chosen vessels to bear them along in the writing of His Word. Yet, God allowed the flavor of each writer's personality and style to be richly evident.

Evidences for Inspiration
The evidences for inspiration are overwhelming:

1. Although the sixty-six books of Scripture were written in three languages over a period of 1600 years in at least six different countries spanning three continents by about forty men in at least eleven different occupations, they constitute a fully integrated Book that contains no contradiction and is consistent in the development of its central theme: the movement of history toward the unchallenged reign of Messiah unto the glory of God.
2. No other holy book declares how the universe came into existence, identifies sin as a condition of the human spirit, proclaims that deliverance from sin is a work of God, or that one's favor with God is predicated solely on faith in God and not on good or penitential deeds.
3. Scripture agrees with, and never contradicts, any proven scientific fact that it declares or implies.
4. On matters of science that are unobserved or unobservable (such as the origin of the universe and of living things), Scripture offers the most plausible explanation based on scientific evidence.
5. Scripture has profoundly changed multitudes of individual lives for the good.
6. Scripture has influenced nations and the world for the good.
7. Scripture is a literary masterpiece in a class of its own.
8. Scripture has inspired (so to speak) a multitude of the world's great works of art.
9. Scripture has declared numerous prophecies which have been fulfilled in history to the
minutest detail, including blueprints of history; the fates of nations and cities; the preservation
of the Jew against all odds; Yeshua's life, crucifixion and resurrection.
 

Revelation 22:18-19: I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away from his part in the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

This derives from the fact that the Scriptures are God-breathed, that God is true ( John 3:33; 2 Cor. 1:18) and that it is impossible for God to lie (Heb. 6:18). For evidences for biblical infallibility in matters of science: go to The Creation Research Institute at www.icr.org. For matters of history: go to www.christianbooks.com and type in the keyword "archaeology."

(1) Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Manuscript 34: The Bible and Divine Revelation (Tustin, CA: Ariel Press) www.Ariel.org.

Recommended listening: "Evidence that the Bible Is Reliable," by Steve Shermett in the audio section of www.ShalomTucson.com

The second point of our doctrinal statement reads:

The tri-unity of God, especially in the aspect of the diety of the Messiah, is a stumbling block for many Jewish seekers. This is an honest concern, and will be addressed below; but to lay a foundation, the basic nature of godhood must be established. We will do that by addressing those attributes of God that are declared in our statement. 

An attribute of God is a characteristic or quality innate to His very nature. His various attributes are not components of His nature; each attribute describes His entire being.

1. INFINITY. He is infinite. What is meant by infinity is that God is not excluded, bounded in or limited in any way as to the existence of His presence by any material thing, form of energy, soul, spirit, thought, emotion, place, or any other thing or phenomenon in the supernatural or natural realm. 1Kings 8:27: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house which I have built?

2. PERFECTION. He is perfect. There are various words in the Old and New Covenants that are translated perfect, and they generally have the meaning of being complete and without lack or defect. (What is meant by 'perfect' when applied to believers is maturity.) Matthew 5:48:  Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

3. ETERNITY. He is eternally existing. By eternity is meant the quality of existing endlessly in regards to time without interruption or limitation in the past, present and future. Psalm 90:2: Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God. Deuteronomy 33:27: The eternal God is thy dwelling-place, And underneath are the everlasting arms. 

4. PERSONHOOD. He is eternally existing in three equal persons. God is not a mere force though He exercises force; nor is He a pantheistic totality and unity of all that exists: He is, indeed, distinct from His creation and is a true Person: a triune Person - not a person of flesh and spirit as you and I, but a Spirit Person (John 4:24).

It is commonly held that there are three essential attributes to personhood, and God has them all:

1) INTELLECT: the ability to think, reason and plan. Isaiah 1:18: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.

2) EMOTION: the ability to feel affectively with one's spirit. Exodus 4:14: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses. Ephesians 4:30: And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God....

3) WILL: the ability to choose a course of action. Genesis 1:3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

I would add a fourth essential attribute to personhood: 

4) SPIRITUALITY, whether actual or potential. By spirituality I mean the ability to appreciate God and His works. Only God, holy angels and people are spiritual in this sense (fallen angels have lost the potential to appreciate God, having been confirmed in their unholiness), and only these three possess the three aforementioned attributes of personhood. All three, as well, and only these three, have the actual or potential ability to appreciate God and His works. That God appreciates His work is manifestly clear: Genesis 1:31: And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. Isaiah 53:10: Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the desire of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

5. OMNIPRESENCE. He is omnipresent. Whereas infinity addresses the location of God's presence in terms of limitations, omnipresence addresses the location of God's presence in terms of extent. "God is everywhere present with His whole being at all times" (Dr. Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology [Chicago: Moody Press, 1981], p. 41). Psalm 139:7-10: Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I go up into Heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the furthest parts of the sea; even there shall Your hand leads me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

6. OMNIPOTENCE. He is omnipotent. By omnipotence is meant that God is infinitely powerful and able to do all things within the confines of His nature. Genesis 1:1: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Act 5:30: The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed and hanged on a tree.

Although God is powerful enough to create out of nothing and to resurrect, He is impotent in regards to anything contrary to His nature. For example, He cannot cease to be God (Deuteronomy 33:27); He cannot deny Himself (go back on His word) (2 Timothy 2:13); He is impervious to sinful temptations (James 1:13); He cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). 

7. OMNISCIENCE. He is omniscient. Omniscience means having and being fully aware of all knowledge of all things actual and possible from the infinitesimal to the infinite in every realm at all times. Acts 15:18: All His works are known to God from eternity. Psalm 139:16: Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. Hebrews 4:13: Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

(8.) CREATOR. God is the creator of all things. 'Creator' is not one of God's attributes, but one of His titles. His creation of all things is an activity made possible by His attributes. God is not identical with the creation, but is distinct from it. There is the Creator and the created. God is the Creator. God existed before all else, and then He created all else. Genesis 1:1:  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Colossians 1:16: For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.

In this study, we will examine what the Scriptures say concerning God the Father.

Let's begin by again reading the relevant section of our statement:

By personality in our statement is meant "personhood", the essential attributes of which are: intellect, the ability to think, reason and plan; emotions, the ability to feel affectively with one's spirit; and will, the ability to choose a course of action.

GOD THE FATHER
Our statement continues: 
Part 1: God the Father - We believe He is Father over all creation, and thus its sovereign ruler; Father of Israel, whom He has chosen as His unique people; Father of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), whom He sent into the world to redeem mankind and creation; and Father of all who trust in His gracious provision. (Exodus 4:22; Matthew 3:17; John 1:12, 3:16; Acts 17:29; Galatians 3:26)

1. The Father is God. Galatians 1:3: Grace to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

2. The Father is a Person. He posseses intellect, emotions, and will, as can be seen in John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

a. The Father Possesses Intellect. It is plainly evident that any being who could devise a plan for the simultaneous satisfaction of justice and redemption of mankind has an intellect.

b. The Father Possesses Emotion
God's love for the world reveals that He possesses emotions.

c. The Father Possesses a Will
That He gave His only Son for the purpose of saving sinners reveals that He possesses an iron will.

3. Other Points About the Father

1 Corinthians 8:6: ... there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being
and for whom we live.

Job 9:5-7: [He] removes the mountains, shakes the earth out of its place. Speak[s] to the sun, and it does not rise; and seals up the stars.

Exodus 4:22: Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born:

Deuteronomy 7:6: Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Matthew 3:17: And lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 8:21: That the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God,
even to them that believe on his name:

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Our doctrinal statement on God the Son reads as follows:

Does the Tanach declare a God the Son? Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Became implies that God the Son pre-existed His human birth. Does Scripture support this? Psalm 2:6-9:  6. 'Truly it is I that have established My king upon Zion, My holy mountain.' 7. I will tell of the decree: the LORD said unto me: 'Thou art My son, this day have I begotten thee. 8. Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession. 9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'

This passage is also clearly Messianic and is called by the Son a decree. The decree contains the   declaration by the LORD, Thou art My son.... By this declaration, God the Father addresses the Messianic God the Son of Isaiah 9:6 as My son. So we see that the Messianic God the Son is also the Messianic Son of God. This decree of God is from eternity past, and it is from eternity past that God the Father conversed with God the Son. It is plain, then, that the Messianic God the Son pre-existed His human birth.

Indeed, Yeshua implied His pre-existence in this declaration He made to Nicodemus. John 3:13: And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven. If He came down from Heaven, then He pre-existed His human birth.

Bringing it all together, thus far, and moving ahead,

This most amazing and detailed prophecy of Isaiah was written 700 years before the birth of Yeshua: Isaiah 53:1-11.  1. Who has believed our report? 2. For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He has no form nor majesty that we should see Him, nor an appearance that we should desire Him. 3. He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4. Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people He was stricken. 9. And He put His grave with the wicked and with a rich one in His death; although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth 10. Yet it pleased the LORD to crush Him; to grieve Him; that He should put forth His soul as a guilt-offering. He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11. He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities.

Let's look at it once again, but with a little exegesis: Isaiah 53:1-11.  1. Who has believed our report? Truly, until this day, many Jews do not believe this report - but not for biblical reasons. 2. For He [Messiah] comes up before Him [God His Father] as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground [that is, as a little shoot proceding from a tree stump. Yeshua was of David's royal line; but He was from a poor family in a nation oppressed by the Roman Empire]; He has no form nor majesty that we should see Him, nor an appearance that we should desire Him. 3. He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not [His own Jewish people, incited by their leaders, rejected Him to the uttermost]. 4. Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed. [The New Testament declares Yeshua's scourging and bruising: "…. And when (Pilate) had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified" (Matthew 27:26). It also clearly declares a substitutionary suffering and death for sin, as does this Isaiah passage. 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For he (God) hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."] 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. [When the Roman Governor, Pilate, interrogated Jesus, he said to Him, "Do you not hear how many things they witness against you? And He did not answer him a word, so that the governor greatly marveled" (Matthew 27:13-14).] 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation [or, who could tell His fate]? For He was cut off out of the land of the living [killed]: for the transgression of My people He was stricken. 9. And He put His grave with the wicked [Hebrew scholars Keil and Delitzch say that this phrase would be better translated, And they assigned Him His grave with sinners] and with a rich one in His death [Matthew 15:43-46 declares that a wealthy disciple of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, buried Jesus in his own tomb]; although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth [2 Corinthians 5:21: "...He... knew no sin...."] 10. Yet it pleased the LORD to crush Him; to grieve Him; that He should put forth His soul as a guilt-offering. [This is the fulfillment of Leviticus 17:11: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it to you on the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul."] He [Messiah] shall see His seed [His spiritual descendants], He shall prolong His days [live a prolonged life], and the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11. He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many [How can Messiah be killed and buried, and then see His future disciples, live a prolonged life, and prosper the LORD's work? There's only one possible answer: Resurrection!]; and He shall bear their iniquities.

1. in the person of Yeshua of Nazareth, ...
3. who was conceived of the Spirit of God
4. and born of the Jewish virgin, Miriam (Mary)."

I'll present a series of scriptures that together substantiate these claims: Luke 1:30-35.  30 And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Yeshua. 32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? 35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God.

Verse 31 affirms that God the Son was born in the person of Yeshua; verse 35, that He was conceived of the Spirit of God; and verses 30-31, that He would be born of... Miriam (Mary). That Mary was Jewish is brought out in verse 32 by the phrase by His father David. Verses 32 and 33 also make it plain that this Son was Messiah.

We still need to demonstrate that Miriam was a virgin and that Yeshua was of Nazareth.

Though Miriam was not named in the Tanach, a virgin birth is certainly prophesied there: Isaiah 7:14: So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.

According to the passage, the birth of the son would be a sign, a telltale miracle, that miracle being, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son. In addition, Immanuel, meaning God with Us, is expressive of His dual divine and human nature.

Matthew 2:23. And he came and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene".

The verse speaks of Miriam's husband, Joseph, bringing Yeshua to Nazareth. He shall be called a Nazarene will not be found in the Tanach, but it summarizes an aspect of Yeshua's life that was prophesied in the Tanach that was, indeed, fulfilled in His life. (This method of summarizing portions of the Tanach, called "summation," is found elsewhere in the New Testament, as well.) In Yeshua's day, residents of Nazareth were looked down upon by other Jews, and so it was with Yeshua. He was looked down upon because He was of Nazareth but, more significantly, He was rejected by His own people who also delivered Him to pagans to be crucified. As Isaiah declared, He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not (53:3). Indeed, Yeshua was a two-fold Nazarene: firstly, because . He was raised in Nazareth, and secondly, because He was despised and rejected of men because of His Messianic claims.

That Messiah would be simultaneously divine and human was intimated in Isaiah 7:14, which prophesied His virgin birth, and was made as plain as day in Luke 1:31, in which the angel tells Miriam, You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Yeshua.

 And in verse 34: Then Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I do not know a man? 35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God."

The human virgin-born Yeshua was called that Holy One and Son of God.

Yeshua declared the same. As He was standing bodily on earth speaking with Sanhedrin member Rabbi Nicodemus, He declared, And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven. (John 3:13) ... the Son of Man who IS in Heaven. The Son of Man was simultaneously on earth and in heaven: fully human and fully divine.

The sinlessness of the prophesied Messiah's life is implicit in the Tanach. As we have seen, Isaiah 7:14 speaks of the future virgin bearing a Son named Immanuel, God with Us; and Isaiah 9:6 declares that the Son will be given names that declare His deity: Mighty God and Everlasting Father (or Father of Eternity).

That God is sinless hardly needs to be proven; but what about the man Yeshua? Let's take a look at Luke 1:35, again: And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God.

It is the flesh and blood baby of Miriam that is called that Holy One, meaning absolutely sinless in His very nature. Yeshua was not born with a sin nature, but with an absolutely holy nature, and this was accomplished by the overshadowing of God the Holy Spirit upon Miriam. And as to the actual outworking of this holy overshadowing in His life, Yeshua said to the scribes and Pharisees who had been dogging Him all of His ministry, Which of you convicts Me of sin? -(John 8:46)

John 3:1: And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Yeshua by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him."

That Yeshua did miracles was a fulfillment of Messianic prophecies in the Tanach: Isaiah 35:4: Say to those of a hasty heart, "Be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the full dealing of God. He will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing...."

1 Corinthians 15:3:  ...Messiah died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures....

Among the scriptures referred to here is the prophecy of Psalm 16:10: For You will not leave My soul in hell; You will not allow Your Holy One to see bodily decay.

Act 1:9: And saying these things, as they watched, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight. Romans 8:34: It is Messiah that died, but rather also was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

That Messiah is at the right hand of God is a fulfillment of prophecy. Psalm 110:1:  ...the LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand until I place Your enemies as Your footstool."

David the Psalmist declared that the LORD, God the Father, said to David's Lord, Sit at My right hand until I place Your enemies as Your footstool. Who might David's Lord be? God prophetically bids thisLord of David to ascend to His right hand of power, and also promises to place all His enemies under His feet. Who else could God be speaking to other than Messiah?

That Messiah would return to earth after His ascension is not foreign to the Tanach, either. Hosea 5:15: I will go; I will return to My place until they confess their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me diligently.

Revelation 19:11-16.  11. And I saw Heaven opened. And behold, a white horse! And He sitting on him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12. And His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head many crowns. And He had a name written, one that no one knew except Himself. 13. And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14. And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God. 16. And He has on His garment, and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

That the personage in this passage is Messiah Yeshua is evident from verse 13, in which He is called The Word of God. Let's look at John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.

The Word of verse 1 became flesh, and dwelt among us. In other words, The Word, who had a divine pre-existence, was born a human. We've already seen Who that was: The Messianic Word of God of John 1 and Revelation 19:13: Yeshua.

Revelation 21:4: And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away. 5 And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

These blessings were prophesied in the Tanach. Isaiah 61:1-3.  1. The Spirit of the Lord the LORD is on Me; because Jehovah has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2. to preach the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3. to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness; so that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.

That the kingdom will last a millennium, a thousand years, is brought out in Revelation 20:4: And they lived and reigned with Messiah a thousand years.

Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua! - Revelation 22:20
 

An outstanding study of Messianic scriptures in the Tanach and their fulfillment in HaB'rith HaChadashah (the New Testament) is Messianic Christology by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministries.
 

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THE TRI-UNITY
Part 4: God the Holy Spirit

Our statement on the Tri-unity concludes:

It is important to be able to defend the facts of the personality and deity of the Spirit, as the following statement reveals: "The Sacred Name Movement also denies the existence of the Spirit as a person of the Godhead, but describes him only as an impersonal manifestation of the power of God." (The Sacred Name Movement, Pete Koziar, Shofar 2)

1. The Holy Spirit is a Person
a. The Holy Spirit Possesses Intellect. Romans 8:26: ... the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Intercession requires intellect.

b. The Holy Spirit Possesses Emotions. Ephesians 4:30: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

c. The Holy Spirit Possesses a Will. Luke 2:26: And it had been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. To actively reveal something is an act of the will.

2. The Holy Spirit is God. Acts 13:12: As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, So, then, separate Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them.

John 16:13-14: However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive of Mine and will announce it to you.

John 16:8: And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment.

John 3:6-7: That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.

Ephesians 4:30: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.

Galatians 5:16: I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of flesh.

1 Corinthians 12:13: For also by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, even all were made to drink into one Spirit.

John 14:16-17: And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you.

1 Corinthians 12:7-8: And to each hath been given the manifestation of the Spirit for profit; for to one through the Spirit hath been given a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit.

In what sense are they equal? They are all equally endowed with all of the attributes of Personhood and Deity. Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit....
 

The second point of our doctrinal statement declares our belief in a Tri-unity, a triune God, which seems to fly in the face of the Sh'ma, the universal credo of Judaism, in which God declares Himself to be one. Let us therefore take a careful look at Scripture:

The Sh'ma:

D'varim 6:4. Sh'ma Yisrael, YHVH eloheinu YHVH echad.

Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.

In previous studies, we examined how there were three in Scripture who each possess the attributes of divinity and personhood and whom Scripture identifies as God the Father, Yeshua the Son, and Ruach Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit. The heavy lifting in demonstrating the Tri-unity of God has thus been accomplished; yet there are matters that still need to be considered, not the least of which is the Sh'ma itself, which actually holds the key to understanding the Tri-unity of God.
 

That there are three divine Persons has already been established, but that they are clearly distinct from one another can be see in Isaiah 48:12-16: 12. Listen to me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.... 16. Come near to Me, hear this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning. From the time that it was, I was there; and now the Lord Jehovah, and His Spirit, has sent Me.

Verse 12 identifies the Me of verse 16 as the first and the last, a title of divinity declaring the attribute of eternity (from eternity past to eternity future), a title applied to Messiah Yeshua in Revelation 1:4-8. With this in mind, let's take a closer looks at verse 16: ...and now the Lord Jehovah (God the Father), and His Spirit (the Holy Spirit), has sent Me (Messiah Yeshua).

Also in Luke 3:22: And the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape, like a dove on Him. And a voice came from Heaven, which said, "You are My Son, the Beloved; I am delighted in You."

There are only three in all of Scripture who possess any of the attributes unique to divinity, such as, eternity, omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence.
 

If there are three distinct divine Persons,
why does the Sh'ma declare that YHVH (Jehovah)
is echad, one?

There are a great many places in which echad indicates an absolute oneness. Genesis 10:25 is an example: And two sons were born to Eber. The name of ha'echad, the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. And his brother's name was Joktan.

However, echad is elsewhere used to indicate a compound unit. A strikingly clear example is Genesis 2:24: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be 'basar echad', one flesh.

1 Corinthians 6:16, which refers back to Genesis 2:24, clarifies the concept of basar echad: Or do you not know that he being joined to a harlot is one body? For He says, "The two shall be one flesh."

It is clear from this passage that sexual union between a man and a woman, even apart from marriage or the bearing of a child, renders them basar echad in God's eyes. (For He says, "The two shall be one flesh." Also Matthew 19:4, immediately below.) The harlot and her lover become echad, a compound unit, by virtue of engaging in sexual union; because sexual union, the most intimate of physical relationships, is viewed by God as the very seal of marriage, which people must not "separate" (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9). Matthew 19:4-6.  4. And He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female", 5. and said, For this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall cling to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh? 6. Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.

D'varim 6:4. Sh'ma Yisrael, YHVH eloheinu YHVH echad.

Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.

2. There are two examples in the Tanach in which  YHVH refers to not just one person, but two. They are Genesis 19:24 and Zechariah 2:8-9. The clearest of the two is the latter: 8. For so says Jehovah of Hosts: He has sent me after glory, to the nations who stripped you; for he who touches you touches the pupil of His eye. 9. For behold, I will shake My hand over them, and they shall be a prize for their servants. And you shall know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me.

4. Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit....

Three Persons, one name. Jesus commissioned His disciples to baptize with a view to the unity of the three divine Persons.

To sum up:
1. Yachid, not echad, was the word used in Genesis 22:2 to emphasize the absolute oneness of Abraham's only unique son, Isaac.
2. A plurality of Persons is referred to in the Tanach as YHVH.
3. The Scriptures identify three Persons as divine.
4. Moses could have used yachid in the Sh'ma to indicate absolute oneness unequivocally, but he did not. He used echad.
5. Father, Son and Holy Spirit have one Name.

WHY "TRI-UNITY" AND NOT "TRINITY"?

Father and Son: One Essence

In John 10:30, Jesus said, I and the Father are one.

John 14:9-10: 9. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father? 10. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The Words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works.

Some commentaries on I am in the Father and the Father in Me:

Son and Holy Spirit: One Essence

2 Corinthians 3:14-17.  14. (But their thoughts were blinded; for until the present the same veil remains on the reading of the old covenant, not taken away.) But this veil has been done away in Christ. 15. But until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is on their heart. 16. But whenever it turns to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. 17. And the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

When Israel turns to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Verse 14 identifies the Lord as Christ. Verse 17 declares the Lord is that Spirit... the Spirit of the Lord.... In view of this, Dr. Charles Ryrie declares verse 17 to be "a strong statement that Christ and the Holy Spirit are one in essence" (Ryrie, Dr. Charles Caldwell. The Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody, 1978.)

Romans 8:27: And He [the Father] Who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because He [the Spirit] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God [the Father].

Colossians 2:9 says of Jesus, For in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

SINCE THE THREE PERSONS ARE ONE IN ESSENCE,
MAY WE SAY THAT THE THREE ARE ONE PERSON?

The Essence of God the Father

Jesus said, God is a Spirit (John 4:24). The essence of God the Father is divine Spirit.

As in English, in the Hebrew, Spirit is the noun and Holy is the modifying adjective. The essence of the Holy Spirit is obviously divine Spirit.

One is 2 Corinthians 3:14-17, which contains the statement, The Lord is that Spirit. As has been shown, Dr. Ryrie says that this is "a strong statement that Christ and the Holy Spirit are one in essence" (Ryrie Study Bible). If the essence of the Holy Spirit is divine Spirit, then the essence of the Son is divine Spirit. The other is Colossians 2:9: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

The Nature of the Essence of the Tri-unity: Divine Spirit

Dr. Chafer writes, "In the case of Deity, there are but three consciousnesses and but one nature..." (Chafer, 275). "The Trinity is composed of three united Persons without separate existence - so completely united as to form One God." (Chafer, 276) 

The Tri-unity consists of Three divine Persons mutually consisting of one divine Spirit.


DOES ONE DIVINE PERSON EVER TAKE THE FORM OF ANOTHER?

Have you ever heard statements like these? Well, they are simply not true. You will never find a scripture that says that one of the divine Persons comes in the form of another. They mutually consist of the same essence, but they are always and forever distinct Persons. They do not swap or transfer or transform their identities. Never. The closest statement in Scripture that might suggest that they may is Luke 3:22a: And the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape, like a dove on Him.

The Holy Spirit assumed the shape of a dove, but He never ceased being the Holy Spirit. In fact, the full passage demonstrates the three Persons working in harmony with one another with each retaining His individual identity: 22. And the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape, like a dove on Him. And a voice came from Heaven, which said, You are My Son, the Beloved; I am delighted in You.

One Person never takes the form of another.
 

How are we to fathom the fact that the divine Spirit of Jesus shares omnipresence with the Father and the Holy Spirit while His human spirit and body, though He be ascended, do not? Friends, I think we've hit the limits of revelation here, and we'd better not try to venture further! Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong to Jehovah our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our sons forever....
 

John 6:38: For I came down from Heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.

John 14:26: But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.

John 16:13-14:  13. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. 14. He will glorify Me, for He will receive of Mine and will announce it to you.

Matthew 3:17: And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying,This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Psalm 2:7: I will declare the decree of Jehovah. He has said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. 8. Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession.

in What Spirit OF HEART Do They Serve and Bless one Another?

In a flawless, effulgent, blissful Spirit of love. John 4:7-8: 8. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. 8. The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love.

The third point in our doctrinal statement declares our beliefs concerning Satan and demons, and the fourth, on the holy angels. Inasmuch as the Bible informs us that all angels were once holy, including those we now refer to as Satan and demons, we'll continue our series with a study of the holy angels, and address the doctrine of Satan and demons in our next study.

Here is our statement on the holy angels:

* the Torah (Five Books of Moses), as in Genesis 19:1: And there came two angels to Sodom at evening.

* the Nevi'im (Prophets), as in Zechariah 2:3: And behold, the angel who talked with me went out,
and another angel went out to meet him.

* the Ketuvim (Writings), as in Psalm 91:11: For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways.

The New Testament, in:

* the Gospels, as in Matthew 16:27: For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works.

* the Books of Acts, as in Acts 7:52-53: Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now been the betrayers and murderers; who received the Law through disposition of angels, and did not keep it.

* the Epistles, as in 1Timothy 5:21: I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you guard these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.

* and The Revelation, as in 5:11: And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and the living creatures and the elders. And the number of them was myriads and myriads, and thousands of thousands....

It is obvious that the writers of Scripture take the existence of angels for granted, as does the Son of Man, Himself. Speaking of Himself, He said, For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works (Matthew 16:27).

THE NATURE OF ANGELS

What Angels Are Not

All three members of the Tri-unity cooperated in the creation of all things; but Colossians 1:16 focuses on Christ as Creator of all things, including, invisible things, namely, thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, which are rankings of angels: For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him.

God chides Job, Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding! 5. Who has set its measurements, for you know? Or who has stretched the line on it? 6. On what are its bases sunk, or who cast its cornerstone, 7. when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-6)

Verse 7 tells us that the morning stars, the sons of God, that is, angels, rejoiced as God created and established the physical universe. It is clear, then, that God created the angels before He created the physical universe. And inasmuch as the Scriptures say nothing about the creation of angels at any other time, and that Messiah did say that angels are incapable of reproduction (Mark 12:25), it is fair to conclude that they were all created at the same time before the creation of the heavens and the earth.

There are three classes of beings that either are spirit, or have spirits. God is a Spirit, people have spirits, and angels are spirits. That angels are spirit beings is clearly stated in Hebrews 1:14: 13. But to which of the angels, did He say at any time, "Sit on My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool?" 14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be the heirs of salvation?

The attributes of personality are intellect, emotions and will. 

* Angels Possess Intellect.  1 Peter 1:12 tells us that the angels desire to look into salvation.

They desire to ponder it. This cannot be done without intellect.

At creation, the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy (Job 38:7). Joy is an emotion.

Jude 1:6 speaks of certain angels having deserted their dwelling place; and that requires free will.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are each divine Spirit and possess the attributes of personality. They are Persons. People have spirits and possess the attributes of personality. People are persons. Angels are spirits and possess the attributes of personality. Angels are persons, also.

As we have seen in Hebrews 1:14, angels are...spirits; and yet the Scriptures present them as having bodies. This is difficult for us to comprehend because the only kinds of bodies we are familiar with are material bodies; but even among material bodies there are vastly different kinds. There are bodies of flesh, blood and bone, but there are also jellyfish bodies; and let's not forget that after the resurrection, we, ourselves, will have vastly different kinds bodies than we have now, immortal bodies suited for life in the heavenlies (1 Corinthians 15:50). So God can be quite versatile in the creation of bodies.

Angels do not have bodies of flesh and bones. In His glorified state, Jesus declared, a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have (Luke 24:39).

In Luke 8:30, an entire legion of fallen angels had entered into the Gadarene: And Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; because many demons had entered into him.

Angels are immortal: They are incapable of dying. In Luke 20:36, Jesus said, Nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels....

Angels are exceedingly powerful. In 2 Chronicles 32:21, a single angel destroyed the entire Assyrian army: And Jehovah sent an angel to cut off all the mighty men of power, and the leaders and commanders in the camp of the king of Assyria.

Holiness, in this case meaning sinlessness in nature and action, is an attribute that applies only to those angels who did not follow Lucifer in his rebellion against God and have consequently retained their unblemished holiness ever since. In Luke 9:26, Jesus said, For whoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words, the Son of Man shall be ashamed of him when He shall come in His own and in His Father's glory, and that of the holy angels.

All of the holy angels are unflagging servants of God and of the saved of all ages. Hebrews 1:14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation?

Cherubim are intimately associated with the Shechinah, the glorious, visible manifestation of the presence of God, as in Ezekiel 1:26-28; 9:3 and 10:1-22. In Ezekiel 10:1, we see the throne of God burning with glory and hovering above the cherubim: And I looked, and behold! In the expanse over the head of the cherubs was seen the appearance of the form of a throne, like a sapphire stone, above them.

We can see this association, as well, in the multiple representations and associations of the cherubim in the Solomonic Temple (Exodus 25:18-22; 26:1; 37:7-9; 1 Kings 6:23-28; 1 Kings 7:29, 36; 1 Kings 8:6-7; 1 Chronicles 28:18; 2 Chronicles 3:7; Ezekiel 9:3; 10:1-22) and Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20).

Cherubim are also employed by God in matters of guardianship. For example, cherubim were assigned to guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden after the expulsion of Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:24: And He drove out the man. And He placed cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Angels also appear to be guarding the twelve gates of New Jerusalem, the future and eternal abiding place of the saved of all ages: Revelation 21:12: And it had a great and high wall, with twelve gates. And on the gates were twelve angels, and having names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel: