I and My Father Are One, Part 1
“I and My Father Are One”
Part 1, Sequel to: The Origin of Heresy
Chapter 29 Preview, Part 1) A controversy has raged for nearly two thousand years: “How can Jesus (actually Yeshua*) be God”? Many theories have been proposed over the centuries concerning the “nature” of Yeshua. These ideas are at extreme variance with the Bible concerning His identity and they are quite dangerous. Bible prophecy says that heresy [literally: sectarianism] would be an unbridled problem. It is not just the cults that are a problem tho they do provide very convenient “whipping boys” for more traditional deceivers. This four part sequel to The Origin of Heresy explains the “Nature of God” directly from the Bible in a way that harmonizes the passages that have baffled heretics for nearly two millennia.
Proverbs 30:4 Who has ascended up into Heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has captured the water in His clothing? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and WHAT IS HIS SON’S NAME? Surely you know! —The Word of Elohim, Gabriel Version (WE)
The universe is filled with many stars, sort of an immense cosmological “family”, but it is still ONE universe. The very nature of God is actually “revealed from heaven”, He is “clearly seen”. He is actually “perceived through the things that are made”.
Romans 1:18-20 Yehovahs wrath is revealed from Heaven against all the unrighteousness and depravity of people who in their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 An awareness of Yehovah is easily discerned, because Yehovah has made it apparent to them. 20 The supernatural things of Yehovah have been apparent to the intellect, since the creation of the cosmos [kosmos], because the physical creation reveals His eternal power as the Supreme Being, leaving them no excuse. GV
In time we mortals—those of us who overcome sin, will literally be made a part of that celestial Family and “will shine... like the stars forever and ever”.
Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. But Daniel, keep this message a secret, and put a seal on the book til the time of the end, many will travel around quickly, and knowledge will greatly increase [literally shoot!] GV
We are told straight out concerning “Your heavens, the work of Your fingers” that “You make him ruler over the works of Your hands”.
Psalm 8:3-6 When I consider your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ‘ordained’ [established]; 4 what is man, that You think of him? What is the Son of Man, that You care for Him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than [your holy messengers], and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You make him ruler over the works of Your hands. You have put all things under his feet.... WEB
One of the many mysteries of God is that the life and teachings of Yeshua the Messiah (Messiah is not His last name) include the central truths that will enable the Saints) to become literal sons of God. The Saints were made to be “ruler” of the universe! We will literally become resurrected members of God’s own family, a family that has always been to this point only made up of two members.
Messiah means “Anointed”, with the understanding that He was anointed to the office of the Messiah. True Saints understand that the Messiah (Yeshua) was a man but that He was also the Son of God. Questions should come to mind, such as why would God have a Son? When did that relationship begin? And if God had a Son, wouldnt there be two Gods?
Our knowledge of God is almost entirely dependent upon revelation. We can acknowledge a Creator by seeing His creation, but knowledge of His identity is only discerned by His written word. We need to know not only that there is a God but who He is and what He has in mind for us!
Men have been devising scenarios to separate Messiah from the Father for nearly two millennia. From the early chapters of Genesis it is clear that God made us in the very form that He Himself had. Later we see God walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden. There are several places in the Bible where God is even thought to be a Man by those present.
“Supernatural” evidence proves that the Bible is God’s word. Fulfilled prophecies are a primary proof of God’s identity. The prophets of ancient Israel received very specific inspiration and recorded the written word in the Bible. They essentially took dictation. The things that these men witnessed inspired most of them to die for the messages that they announced to the public.
Prophets such as the Apostle John and the Messiah Himself recorded considerable information that will ultimately change the course of history as people begin to respond to those prophecies—when they begin to unfold. Ultimately, the people who really come to know God are the people “who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled.”
God responds to sincere peoples desire for eternal knowledge by “calling” those individuals. That simply means that He tweaks their minds with a far keener awareness of spiritually discerned things, allowing them to learn about Him. They to varying degrees become, as a famous man calls it, a “truth detector”. Such people crave to study God’s word. With persistence, these individuals slowly begin to get a clearer picture of God and His reason for creating us as the years pass by. Unfortunately, careless assumptions about God, passed on by others often greatly slows our learning. If you can learn to never assume anything, by questioning everything, you will advance spiritually much more effectively.
Most of the Bible is about the people of Israel—past, present and future, but this chapter focuses on what God says about Himself. So lets jump in and look at the verses that explain who God is. Typically, people read right over the statements that Messiah said about Himself, shrug their shoulders and then ask a familiar “professional” what they should believe. The actual Bible verses seem so strange to us that we unconsciously reject them without even realizing what we are doing. The real solution tho is to believe those things that the Father and the Son actually say about themselves. Anything else is creating a false God in our own imagination.
An Elementary Explanation of the Nature of Yeshua
What if Yeshua was serious! Can we simply believe Yeshua’s own explanation?
John 14:9-11 Yeshua replied, “Have I been with you all this time, and you still dont known Me, Philip? Anyone who sees Me, sees the Father, so why would you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Dont you believe that I am in My Father, and that My Father in Me? The truths that I tell you, I dont say on my own authority, but My Father, who lives in Me does these works! 11 Believe that I am in My Father, and My Father is in Me. But if not, at least believe because of the works. GV
What are the ramifications of believing that to see Yeshua is to see the Father? And what exactly did Yeshua mean when He said that He was “in the Father”?
And how about this:
John 10:30 I and My Father are one. GV
Truly there is but one God, as the “One Godders” who deny Yeshua’s Deity insist, but the one God consists of two “persons”! (There are many good articles on the web that thoroly discredit the Trinity, I would recommend checking these out if you have never looked into it, however they will usually come with baggage).
People who believe in the Biblical Satan have no trouble believing that his evil spirit permeates and influences billions of human “bodies”. However, some of those same people have trouble believing that God can “operate” from two bodies. That is the reason why the literal statement has been rejected almost from the moment that the words left His mouth. So is there a simple way to make this concept understandable? Absolutely! There is a physical counterpart to two being one. The principle was stated in the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. WEB
Yeshua restated the thought:
Matthew 19:4-6 He replied, “Havent you read that the One who created them, originally made them male and female”? 5 He said, ‘That is the reason why a man should leave his father and mother and be “glued” to his wife, and the TWO will be ONE being’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one being. So what Yehovah has yoked together shouldnt be separated by humans”. GV
We have now seen two of several examples of where two are one, in the favorable context of a marriage. Marriage is, or at least can be, a foretaste of a Divine condition! It is very analogous to the family relationship between the Father and the Son. There could be no better way to explain the “nature of Messiah”!
The Oneness of God refers to the One mind of God, it’s not a “body count”!
With a little bit of thought and meditation on these passages we can even envision that the Messiah and the Father want to have a family! Why wouldnt the Father and the Son want to share the wonders of eternity with more of their own Kind? You can be a part of it!
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peace makers; because they will bear the title Sons of Yehovah! GV
Romans 8:14 Those who are led by the spirit of Yehovah are the children of Yehovah. GV
Romans 8:19 The entire creation is hoping and waiting for the appearance of the children of Yehovah. GV
Galatians 3:26 You are all the children of Yehovah, by faith in Yeshua the Messiah. GV
Luke 20:34-36 Yeshua responded, “The men of this world take wives, and wives are given to husbands. 35 But those who are worthy of the next world, and of the resurrection from the dead, dont take wives, nor are wives given to husbands. 36 Nor can they die anymore; because they are like the spirit Messengers, and are Yehovahs children, because they are children of the resurrection. GV
Why are there no daughters of God mentioned? Some translations use “children of God” instead of “sons of God”, which is right in principle but wrong technically. Those who are accounted worthy to be in God’s family will apparently not be sexual beings; but rather similar to the angels. Gender terms are merely a convenience. Being compared to angels is somewhat of a loose comparison because even the Angels are not necessarily immortal. They could conceivably suffer destruction as the demons will ultimately suffer, if they choose to become evil:
Luke 4:33-34 In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he called out loudly, GV
However, we can attain immortality, as our Father has, and actually become one with Him:
1 Timothy 6:12-16Work very hard in the honorable struggle for your religious beliefs; and Rescue your genuine eternal Life from peril. This is why you were called by name, and declared your honorable testimony before many witnesses. 13 In the presence of Yehovah, who gives life to everyone, and before Yeshua the Messiah, who declared His honorable testimony before Pontius Pilate, I transmit the message: 14 You should KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS [1] spotlessly and blamelessly, until the epiphany [Gr. epiphaneia: return] of our Master Yeshua the Messiah. 15 At the time of crisis, Yehovah will demonstrate who the blessed and only Sovereign is, the King of kings, and the Master of masters; 16 who alone has immortality, living in unapproachable light, who no one has ever seen or even can see. To Him be honor and dominion forever and ever. Aw-mane’. GV (Also 1 Corinthians 15:53-54)
Notice, hidden within the following dreadful but related analogy, that our destiny as Saints is to also be joined to the One Spirit:
1 Corinthians 6:15-17 Dont you know that your bodies are the members of the Messiah? Will someone take away a member of the Messiah, and then make it a member of a prostitute’s body? Absolutely not! 16 Dont you know that whoever unites with a harlot, is one body with her? For it is said, “The two will be one body”. 17 Anyone who unites themself with Yehovah is one spirit! GV
True, a sexual relationship forms something akin to a marriage in God’s eyes, and there are consequences. But Saints can literally become “one spirit” within the family of God, once in the spirit realm, and have an existence on par with God! Just as when the Messiah said: “I and My Father are one”, in like manner we can be a part of this same eternal family.
The following words, among Yeshua’s very last words, are some of the most profound words ever to be spoken! We can share the same destiny as Yeshua and the Father. We can also be a part of the same “One”.
John 17:20-23 I’m not asking just for them, but also for those who will believe in Me thru their teaching; 21 so that they can all be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; so that they can also be one with Us; so that the world can believe that You sent Me. 22 The magnificence that You gave Me, I have given to them; so that they can be one, just as We are One. 23 I in them, and You in Me; so that they will be perfected into one; and so that the world can know that You sent Me, and that You loved them, just as You loved Me. GV
Did Yeshua really expect that “they may be one in Us”? Was He rambling under the pressure of impending death, or was He more focused than He had ever been? If Yeshua was merely hoping for unity among His physical followers, then His dying wish never even came close to being reality.
Did Yeshua really mean, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”? I believe that the Two of Them may be entirely identical. Perhaps They planned it that way. I can relate to that. I have even daydreamed about how nice it would be to have a “clone” to help me with my work. Also notice, in passing, that the Father is “invisible”, while of course the One who spoke to the Patriarchs, often spoke to them “face to face”!
Colossians 1:12-14and joyfully thank Yehovah the Father, who is qualifying us to receive a portion of the inheritance of the Saints in light. 13 Yehovah will rescue us from the government of darkness, and transfer us into the Kingdom of His greatly loved Son. 14 He has paid our ransom, and released us from the bondage of sin GV
While the frequently used term translated as “image” does not necessarily mean an exact duplicate; there is a Greek word, unique to Hebrews 1:3—“Charakter”—that is defined as “the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness, precise reproduction in every respect, i.e. facsimile”.
Hebrews 1:3 He brightly reflects His splendor, and is essentially identical in His Being. He sustains the universe by the power of His word. And He, in His own person, after He purified us of our sins, sat down at the right hand side of His Majesty on high. GV
Here is another reference to the destiny of Saints:
2 Corinthians 3:18 All of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Master, are undergoing a metamorphosis [metamorphoo] into His likeness, from our brightness to His brightness, just as the Master’s spirit. GV
Who is Our Father?
The Father and the Son even share the same names!
Yeshua is an “Everlasting Father”, yet He spoke of “His Father”:
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a Child is born. To us a Son is given; and the government will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. WEB
Matthew 16:27 The Son of Man will return in the splendor of His Father, with all His dedicated Messengers; and then He will COMPENSATE EVERYONE ACCORDING THEIR THEIR DEEDS. GV
Who is Our Master (Lord)?
Who is “the Master”; the Father or the Son? The quotation about Yeshua being David’s Master is mentioned four times by Yeshua and the Apostles! Perhaps we were meant to notice it. The point is that they are both Master!
Matthew 22:41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered there, Yeshua put a question to them, 42 “What is your opinion about, the Messiah? Whose Son is He? They replied, “The Son of David”. 43 So He asked them, “How then does David, by the spirit, call Him Yehovah? Because he said, 44 “Aloha said to my Master, ‘Seat yourself at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet’”. 45 So if David calls Him Master, how could He be His son? 46 No one was able to give Him an answer? And from that day on, no one even dared to question Him. GV
The following passage positively identifies Yeshua as being the “other Lord” that David spoke of!
Acts 2:29-35 Men and Friends, allow me to speak freely to you about the patriarch David. He died, and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this very day. 30 He was a prophet, and he knew that Yehovah had solemnly sworn to him, “Of the fruit of your body, I will seat a descendant on your throne”. 31 He foresaw, and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that He wasnt to be left in the grave, nor would His body undergo decay. 32 This Yeshua, Yehovah has resurrected; and we are all His witnesses. 33 He is the One who is lifted high by the right hand of Yehovah, and has received from the Father the promised sacred spirit, and has sent this gift that you see and hear. 34 David hasnt ascended into Heaven; because he himself said, “Yehovah said to My Yehovah, seat Yourself on My right hand side, 35 until I will make Your enemies a footstool under Your feet”. GV [Also Mark 12:36 & Luke 20:42]
Who is Our Savior?
Here is an example of many ways to demonstrate that sometimes God the Father is our Savior, while at other times Yeshua is referred to as our Savior, and Titus said that they both are:
1 Timothy 1:1 PAUL, an envoy of Yeshua the Messiah, by the will of Yehovah our Life Giver, and of the Messiah, Yeshua our hope; GV
Titus 1:3-4 At the appointed time, He revealed His message by the proclamation of heralds; the mandate that I was entrusted with, from Yehovah our Life Giver; 4 To Titus, a real son in our nonexclusive faith. May compassion and peace be granted to you from Yehovah our Father, and from our Master Yeshua the Messiah, our Life Giver. GV
Perhaps Obadiah intended to clue us in on the fact that there are two Saviors!
Obadiah 1:21 Saviors will go up on Mount Zion to ‘judge’ [or govern] the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be [Yehovahs]. WEB
Hebrew has no capitol letters. Translators determine when to use capitol letters by the context; so dont let the lack of a capital “S”, in some versions, throw you off. (The WEB Bible skirts the issue by putting the word “Saviors” first in the sentence.) My question is: which Saviors could come to Mount Zion—God’s own special place? How about two of Them!
Who is our Redeemer?
Who is our Redeemer? Isaiah said that “our Father” is our Redeemer; He also said that the “First” and the “Last”—the Messiah, is our Redeemer!
Isaiah 63:16 For you are our Father, though Abraham doesnt know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us: You, [Yehovah], are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name. WEB
Isaiah 44:6 This is what [Yehovah {#1}], the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, [Yehovah]{#2}] of Armies, says: “I am the First, and I am the Last; [Yeshua: Revelation.1:1, 7-8, 11] and besides Me there is no God. WEB
Who is “My Lord and my God”?
Eventually, even “doubting” Thomas figured out who his God was!
John 20:26-28 After eight days [1], the Disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Yeshua came, while the doors were locked, and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you”. 27 He said to Thomas, “Put your finger in here, and look at My hands; and reach out your hand and put it into My side; dont be unbelieving, but believing”. 28 Thomas said, “My Master, and my Aloha! GV
[1] This assembly, counting inclusively from the Preparation Day, would have been to celebrate the Last Day of Unleavened Bread.
Who is “the Rock”?
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Friends, I want you to know that all of our ancestors were under the cloud, and they all passed thru the sea; 2 and they were all immersed by Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and they all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and they all drank the same spiritual drink; because they drank from the spiritual Rock that attended them, and that Rock was the Messiah. GV
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 For I will proclaim the name of [Yehovah]. Ascribe greatness to our God! 4 The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice: a GOD of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is He. WEB
Who is “the Sacred One”?
The following five verses tell us plainly that the “Sacred One” is—Yeshua!
Luke 1:35 The spirit Messenger replied, “The sacred spirit will come, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; so that the One you give birth to is sacred, and will be called Yehovahs Son. GV
Luke 4:33-34 In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he called out loudly, 34 “Let us alone, ‘What have we to do with you, Yeshua the Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? We know who you are, the Sacred One of Yehovah”.
Concerning Yeshua’s body it says:
Acts 2:26-27 So my mind rejoices, and my speech rejoicing, and my body will remain hopeful, 27 because you wont leave my body in the grave, nor will You allow your Sacred One to see bodily decay. GV
Acts 13:35 Again He said, in another place, “You have not allowed Your Sacred One to see decay” [Psalm 16:10]. GV
Concerning the Jew’s choice of who should be shown mercy:
Acts 3:14 But you disowned the Sacred and Just One, and demanded the release of a murderer. GV
Forty four times in the Hebrew Scriptures, God is referred to as the “Sacred ONE”.
Psalms 78:41 They turned again and tested Elohim, and provoked the Sacred One of Israel. —The Word of Elohim, Gabriel Version (WE)
Isaiah 5:24 So like flames devour stubble, and like dry grass sinks down in the flame, that is how their roots will rot, and their blossoms will go up as dust; because they rejected the Torah of Yehovah, leader of His army, and spurned the Word of the Sacred One of Israel. WE
Isaiah 17:7 When that day comes, people will look to their Maker, and focus on the Sacred One of Israel. WE
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because there are so many, and in horsemen, because they are so strong, but dont look to the Sacred One of Israel, or seek Yehovah! WE
Isaiah 43:3 Because I am Yehovah your Elohim, the Sacred One of Israel, your Savior. I’ve given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba instead of you. WE
Isaiah 43:15 I am Yehovah, your Sacred One, the Creator of Israel, your King”. WE
Isaiah 47:4 Our Redeemer, Yehovah, leader of His army is His name, the Sacred One of Israel. WE
Isaiah 54:5 For your Makers are your HUSBANDS [yes, both are plural searchword: makers]; Yehovah of Armies is His name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the entire earth. WE
Who is Hosea talking about in chapter 11? It would appear only to represent the nation of Israel:
Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved Him, and called My Son out of Egypt. WEB
However, John said that this was a prophecy about Yeshua. This is the only other reference to this idea of a son leaving Egypt in the prophets!
Matthew 2:14-15 Then Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother that night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He was there until Herod died; so that what was spoken by Yehovah thru His prophet would be fulfilled, that is, “From Egypt I have called My Son”. GV
Continuing in Hosea 11, we see that “My Son” who was prophesied to leave Egypt, would later declare that He was “not” any longer a mortal “man” but rather “the Holy One in the midst of you”:
Hosea 11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of you; and I will not come in wrath. WEB
Hosea 11 ends with a sobering statement about Judah and the Holy One.
Hosea 11:12... Judah still strays from God, and is unfaithful to the Holy One. WEB
Could this be a reference to the Jews sacrificing Yeshua for His nation? I believe so. He died FOR Judah, which makes anti-Semitism a bit counterproductive! Furthermore He died “not for the nation only” but to gather all of the Children of God “into one”! (Or should that be “One” ?)
John 11:49-52 One of them, named Caiaphas, the high priest that year; told them, “You dont know anything, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us, for one Man to die for the people, rather than have the whole nation perish”. 51 However He didnt say this from the prompting of his own mind; but being the high priest that year, he prophesied, that Yeshua was about to die for the people; 52 and not only for the people, but also so that He could gather together the sons of Yehovah who were scattered abroad [diaspora].
Yehovah, “my Holy One”, is Yeshua “the Rock” (1 Peter 2:7-8)
Habakkuk 1:12 Arent you from everlasting, Yehovah my Elohim, my Sacred One? We wont die. Yehovah, You have determined to judge them. You, Rock, have found them guilty. WE
Who else is “from everlasting”?
Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, tho you are small among the clans of Judah, yet out of you One will come forth to Me, the One to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. WE
Yeshua said that His Father is Sacred as well. Again the two of them are “One” and share a powerful “name”!
John 17:11 From now on, I am no longer in the world; but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Sacred Father, protect those You have given to Me; in Your name, so that they can become one, as We are. GV
Who is Yehovah, the Judge and Ruler?
Psalm 96 is entirely about this time of the worldwide reign of Messiah as well. Here is an excerpt:
Psalm 96:9-13 Worship [Yehovah] [YHVH] in holy array. Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “[Yehovah] REIGNS.” The world is also established. It cant be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity. 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! 12 Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy 13 before [Yehovah]; for He comes, for He comes to JUDGE the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with His truth. WEB
Who is the “Almighty” as well as the “Alpha, and the Omega”?
There are four references to Alpha and Omega in the Bible (Aramaic: Aleph and the Tau)—all in Revelation. All four of these references also mention “the First and the Last” or “the Beginning and the End” or both. However, the Revelation 1:8 reference adds something else: “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”. The “was” indicates that this “Almighty” Alpha and Omega’s eternity was interrupted—He died for us!
Revelation 1:7-8, 17-18 Look! He will come with clouds; and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes [7] of the earth will mourn because of Him. Yes; Aw-mane’. 8 “I am Aleph and the Tau”, says Yehovah, “the Aloha; who is, and was, and is to come, the Almighty”. [Yeshua].... 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as tho dead. He laid His right hand on me, and said, “Dont fear, I am the First and the Last; 18 who lives and was dead. I am alive forevermore! Aw-mane’. I have the keys of death and Sheol. GV
Now notice that in Revelation 21 that the Father is “the Alpha and the Omega”! In the Revelation it is indisputably always the Father who is described as He who “sits on the throne” (compare Revelation 5:13, 6:16, and 7:10). Simply following the context reveals that they both use this title as well:
Revelation 21:3-7 I heard a great voice from the sky, that said, “Look, the tabernacle [dwelling place] of Yehovah is with humanity [anthropos]. He lives with them; they will be His people; and Yehovah will be with them, yes Yehovah Himself will be with them”. 4 Every tear will be wiped from their eyes; and there will be no more death [1], or mourning, or crying; nor will the previous painful state exist anymore; because the previous evil things have departed. 5 The One who sat on the throne, said, “Look, I am making everything new”. And He said, “Write this down; because these are the faithful and true words of Yehovah”. 6 He told me, “I am the Aleph and the Tau, the Beginning and the Ending; I will allow anyone who is thirsty to drink freely from the spring of living water. 7 Anyone who is victorious will inherit these things; and I will be their Aloha, and they will be My offspring. GV
[1] The cessation of tears and death is at the very beginning of the Everlasting Kingdom. Compare to Isaiah 25:6-11, particularly v.8. Yet the wicked are excluded from this blessing, as mentioned in John 21:8.
Later in the chapter it is the Father who is the Almighty:
Revelation 21:22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty [Father], and the Lamb, are its temple. WEB
Yeshua is both Judge and Ruler!
Revelation 12:5 She [Israel] bore a male Child, who was to rule all nations with a scepter of iron. Her Child was caught up to Yehovah and to His throne. GV
Romans 14:10 ... We must all stand before the JUDGMENT SEAT of the Messiah. GV
One (Mind of) God/Presently Two Bodies
How could Two be as One in the spirit realm? Aside from the marriage analogy in the Bible, I would like to present another analogy that we in this electronic age can relate to. I view God as, having in essence, a wireless Internet connection in His mind. Both the Father and the Son remain constantly aware of what is going on with each other. They are literally of “one mind”! After all, if God can hear thousands or even millions of prayers at any given moment, why wouldnt They remain of one mind continuously? Unlike our simple computers tho, They have continuous access to far more information in Their collective mind at all times, information going back in time into eternity. The Sacred Spirit is this mind (and more)! Any experience that One has is immediately in the memory of the Other, almost as if it were a personal experience.
There is nothing mentioned in Bible about God being omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time). That comes from the “nebulous blob” school of thought. However there is another modern convenience that is analogous to what They can do with Their mind. It is as tho They have built in cell phones that span the universe! Every one of us is also connected but the incoming signal is weak at best.
They would have to have a fantastic ability to process information. (Almost certainly They would have some filters in place to block irrelevant events from Their consciousness.) The other fancy term “omnipotent” (having unlimited power) is Biblically sound. What good would it be if They had all knowledge, but could not intervene when need be? So They can act on Their infinite knowledge.
Hebrews 4:12 The Word of Aloha [not the book here] is full of Life and active [Greek: “energes”], cutting swifter than a two-edged sword; piercing between the joints and the marrow and the bones [3], and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our minds. GV
This is what the Sacred Spirit accomplishes. The Spirit is not a separate “being” of some sort, regardless of the fact that translators (whose jobs are and were on the line) consistently substitute “he” for “it” in reference to the Sacred Spirit. And of course there are a couple of verses that were corrupted to appear to support the Trinity. (I explain the source of a key falsified “scripture” in Constantine Wrote Matthew 28:19 Into Your Bible! ) The Sacred Spirit is the “power source” that the Father and Son share!
Imagine the paternity suit that the Father could present against the Sacred Spirit, if “he” as a “being” claimed to be the true Father of Yeshua:
Luke 1:30-35 The spirit Messenger told her, “Dont be afraid, Mary; because you have found favor with Yehovah. 31 You’ll conceive, and give birth to a Son, and call Him Yeshua! 32 He will be great, and will be called “the Son of the Most High”, and Yehovah, our Yehovah, will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the descendants of Jacob thruout the ages; it will be an Everlasting Kingdom”. 34 Mary asked the spirit Messenger, “How is this possible, since I am a virgin”? 35 The spirit Messenger replied, “The sacred spirit will come, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; so that the One you give birth to is sacred, and will be called Yehovahs Son. GV
The key phrase to notice is that the “Sacred Spirit” IS “the POWER of the Most High!”
I believe that the admonition to be of “one mind” is also an indication of our eventual state of mind. I envision the time when we will be able to tap into that “Sacred Spirit Mind” and perceive everything in eternity past as tho it were a personal memory. Certainly God would keep an extensive “high definition library”.
While I am an avid Star Trekkie, I think that the Borg, with their cubic city in deep space, were inspired by “the dark side” as a kind of sarcastic, or even more insidious, portrayal of the cubic New Jerusalem and its inhabitants who are all of the same mind. These beings are derogatively portrayed as having a “collective” beehive mentality. The coincidence is too great to ignore. Some extremists actually view the Borg “chronicle” as a prophetic warning against “siding with” the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:16 The city was quadrangular; its length was the same as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, at twelve thousand stadia; and the length and the breadth and the height of it were all equal. GV
The portrayal of the inhabitants of cubic city as mind numbed drones who were once free people but who had their minds and individuality stolen is undoubtedly a clandestine condemnation of being of one mind.
In the original Star Trek series there is a more favorable perception of being of one mind. The Vulcans were able to “lay hands” on another individual and do a “mind meld”. As they were establishing this mental link they would say something like “my thoughts to your thoughts, your thoughts to mine”. The complete sharing of minds was portrayed as a beautiful and enlightening experience. From the science fiction world, the original series incidence of being of one mind was, I believe, much closer to what it will be like to share the mind of God.
When we receive the Sacred Spirit, we are actually, to a small degree, able to know the very thoughts of God. Once we have the Sacred Spirit, we are more attuned to God’s mind. As we mature in the faith, God will reveal things to our minds.
One Mind verses
The very foundation of being a “Believer” in “the Way” is repentance. Here is a thorough definition:
There is much said about obtaining the very mind of God. Here are several verses showing that.
1 Corinthians 2:16 Who understands the mind of Yehovah, so that they can collaborate with Him? But we have the mind of the Messiah.
Philippians 1:27 You should live your lives as good citizens, in a manner worthy of the Good News of the Messiah; so that whether I come and see you or, being absent, only hear of you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit and with one mind, contending together for the faith of the Good News. GV
Philippians 2:2 Complete my joy, by having one sentiment, and one love, and one psuche, and one mind. GV
Philippians 2:5 You should have the same inclinations as Yeshua the Messiah did. GV
Philippians 3:15-16 So then, all of us who are mature should consider these views; and if you view anything differently, Yehovah will also unveil that for you. 16 More importantly, so that we all arrive, let’s stay on the same course, with the same mindset. GV
Philippians 4:2 I beg Euodias and Syntyche to be of one mind, thru Yehovah. GV
Hebrews 8:10 But this is the covenant that I will enter into with the descendants of Israel after that time, says Yehovah; I will put My Torah in their minds—inscribing it on their innermost thoughts. I will be their Aloha, and they will be My people. GV
1 Peter 4:1 So if the Messiah has suffered for you in His physical body, you should arm yourselves with the same mindset; because everyone who suffers physically, restrains their sinning, GV
Again, I dont think that this is figurative. God can even “download” information into the minds of people who are not seeking any truth, when it advances or expedites His plan. Just prior to the Exodus, God altered the thinking of the Pharaoh for the purpose of bringing about the birth of the nation of Israel.
Exodus 4:21 [Yehovah] said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his ‘heart’ [mind] and he will not let the people go. WEB
It is quite simple really! Thoughts can come directly “into your mind.”
Daniel 2:27-29 Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show to the king; 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head on your bed, are these: 29 as for you, O king, your thoughts came into your mind on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what shall happen. WEB
God actually searches everyone’s mind to see who has “a willing mind”, that is, wanting to know and act upon any truth that God chooses to reveal. But dont expect God to do all of the work. He only installs information that is of a critical nature, and when our own serious studies fail to make the connection. Most people have an extremely difficult time separating their own biases from inspiration, so be careful what you attribute to God!
Even an ass or two can be inspired:
Numbers 22:28 [Yehovah] opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.” 31 Then [Yehovah] opened the eyes of Balaam [ass #2], and he saw the [Messenger] of [Yehovah] standing in the way, with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. 32 The [Messenger] of [Yehovah] said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before Me: 33 and the donkey saw Me, and turned aside before Me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from Me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.”
Did you notice that if the ass hadnt been acting somewhat under her own free will, Balaam would have been struck dead!
Now for Part 2:
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