Wednesday, September 09, 2009

"Arise, O God, Govern the Earth" -- "Y'shua answered them... Ye are gods!"

The Earth belongs to HaShem
"The Earth Belongs to HaShem and the Fullness Thereof."

"Arise, O God, govern the Earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations"

"Y'shua answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?"

by Ben Ruach ha Kodesh (John of AllFaith) � 9.09.09

I discuss how and why the various teachings of Master Y'shua were changed by the Nicean Church elsewhere (including here and here). This study will look at one of the most significant changes: The deity of Jesus.

It never ceases to amaze when people of different understandings use the same scriptural supports. This is such a case. Let's take a close look at John:10:34.

As always, context is essential:

In the NASB: John 10:22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem;
23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.
24 The Jews then gathered around him, and were saying to him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in my Father's name, these testify of me.
26 "But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep.
27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29" My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
30 "I and the Father are one."
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning me?"
33 The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy; and because you, being a man, make yourself out to be God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'?
35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
37 "If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me;
38 but if I do them, though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize him, and he eluded their grasp.

Here we see the Master entering the Holy Temple. Large numbers of people surrounded him excitedly. Could he be the one they had been waiting for? Moshiach (Messiah)? Many doubtless believed he was, others hoped he was, many thought he might be and eagerly awaited confirmation and insight. But others were convinced he was just another in a long series of false prophets. They doubtless hoped he would reveal his error in his teachings so they could be done with him! As the Master spoke people with all these attitudes and others were hanging on his every word.

The Master however was not looking for glory or celebrity; he was there to encourage his Jewish brothers and sisters to rectify themselves and become worthy of the noble heritage into which they were born. That was his only purpose: to gather them together even as a hen gathers her young (Luke 13:34). So he says, "Look at what I do! Are these things not of God our Father?"

With the words: "But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" The Master now referenced Nahum 1:6,7:

In the NASB: Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

He says, 'You do not know me because you are estranged from our God and Father!' What I do I do in our Father's name, by His authority and power.

This is the theme of this encounter.

His mission, his desire, is to shepherd the people of God back into submission to the God of Israel. Note that he directly says: My Father, who has given {them} to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the Father's hand.. And a bit later at John 10:28 he says, If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

The Master acknowledges that no one, including himself, is equal to nor independent from the Father. And yet this statement angered some of those present. They considered his words to be blasphemy! Why? What was he claiming?

His next words, if not properly understood, were indeed completely blasphemous from a Jewish/biblical perspective! But as was so often the case, there is more to his teachings than is readily apparent!

He says: John 10:30 "I and the Father are one."

From beginning to end the Torah shouts loudly that:

Exodus 20:5 ...I, HaShem your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me...

Deuteronomy 6:14 You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
6:15 for HaShem your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of HaShem your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hand of the Mighty God (Heb 10:31)!

For this reason:

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

Nicean Christians (i.e. those who accept the dogmas listed in the Nicean Creed -- as do most Christians) often point to this section as a "clear statement of Jesus' divinity."

But context is essential!

Note that the Master neither denies nor confirms the allegation. Remember, he is seeking to encourage them to renew their spiritual devotion and service to the Father. This is why he came to earth:

Matt 15:24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

We know from the scriptures that one of the Master's main concerns was that the Jewish people had allowed the Oral Torah (the Talmud etc) to replace their relationship with the living God. How do we know whether God is approves of someone or not? The Master tells us one way. Understand that we are NOT "saved" by our works, salvation is SOLELY by God's grace and mercy (not of works lest some might boast), however we ARE called to obedience. For too many of his fellow Jews religion had become rote. You go to the temple, perform this or that sacrifice and go home. The heart was far removed from such practice. To explain the kind of radical revival he hoped to spark the Master references one of the most radical chapters in the entire Tanack (Hebrew Bible)!

He said, in effect, I've been doing good works from our Father. What are you accusing me of? Is it a sin to heal the sick? To raise the dead? To preach the coming Kingdom or the need for repentance? What is my crime under the Law?

And these Rabbis replied, For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because you, being a man, make yourself out {to be} God.".

"You see," Nicean Christians will point out, "they understood he was claiming to be God!"

But was he? Read his response carefully:

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'?

What! If we understand this comment (at 10:30: "I and my Father are one") to be a claim to his own divinity then we must also accept this statement (at 10:34: "I said, Ye are gods?") to mean that everyone is God! -- And there are those who teach this as you know! -- Yet such an idea is biblically blasphemous because HaShem is One and will not share His glory with another! Our Master was not a blasphemer, so what was he saying?

It behooves us to look at Psalm 82, the text he is referencing here. Not only will this help explain what the Master was talking about in this section, but more importantly it will shed light on what God wants for us all and why the Master stressed the Fatherhood of HaShem so much:

In the KJV: Psalm 82:1 God standeth in the congregation of God; He judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, And respect the persons of the wicked? Selah
3 Judge the poor and fatherless: Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and needy: Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither do they understand; They walk to and fro in darkness: All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, Ye are gods, And all of you sons of the Most High.
7 Nevertheless ye shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For thou shalt inherit all the nations. Psalm 83 A song. A Psalm of Asaph.

In verse one we read that God (Elohiym) is standing in the congregation of the mighty; that He ("El" or God) is judging (Shaphat: governing) the gods (elohiym).

The One God governs or rules the lesser gods. How can this be since there is but one God?

Human parents give birth to human children. Cats give birth to cats and so on. We are told in Genesis that God (Elohiym) created humans in His own image and likeness. This by the way is one reason the Globalists are so focused on disproving the Genesis creation account! Since GOD is our Parent, what sort of children are we if not godlings? We the Children of God! This is our true nature! This is our birthright! We are all the sons and daughters of the one God!

BUT -- and this is very important -- we are all failing in our service as His children and heirs! We are failing in our duties as gods! We accept wicked rulers and do not hold them accountable to the standards God requires of leaders! We allow evil doers to rule over us! To abuse us! We allow the honest and simple to be robbed, cheated and rapped, to live in poverty and despair and ignorance while the wicked live like kings on our backs! Such things are not befitting of the Children of God! And oh the evils done in the Name of the Father!

On this earth WE -- the Children of God -- are commanded to act as God's ambassadors! We are to be God's hands and feet in the world! We are called to be holy and righteous judges (hence we have the Seven Noahide Laws) for all of humanity and the 613 Mitzvot for the Jews and so on! But time after time we fail to fulfill our divine mandate to "Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked".

Because of OUR failures, "They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course" and soon only Divine Intervention will be able to save us from the New World Order's Luciferian plans.

The foundations of the earth are out of course due to OUR failures! Koyaanisqatsi!

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does evil exist in the world?

Here is your answer!

WE are not fulfilling OUR obligations as the Sons and Daughters of God! At John 10 Master Y'shua is calling us to that level of faith and obedience!

GOD has declared that we are His heirs! HE has given us all needed authority and the means to establish a paradise Earth! Yet just see how we have failed our jobs are caretakers of the planet! Needless pollution, war, famine, starvation, disease, suffering of every kind...

But... I [GOD] have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.. "Prince" here is sar, a mundane politician.

This is what Master Y'shua was advocating:

Arise, O God, govern the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
.

So, Master Y'shua was not claiming "I am God!" He was saying quite literally, "I am God's Son and so are you! Wake up!"

He is saying, "I am completely surrendered to God our Father. What God wants, I want. His Will is my will. Arise and make the same intention for your life! THEN you will be ready to receive Moshiach and the Kingdom he will herald!"

And

In the NASB: John 17:19 "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
17:20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word;
17:21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, {are} in me and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You sent me.
17:22 "The glory which You have given me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as we are one;
17:23 I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent me, and loved them, even as You have loved me.

Glorious!

Master Y'shua is saying that he sanctifies himself, keeps himself under God's authority and glory, in order to show us -- "that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth" -- how to place and keep ourselves under that same authority and glory he submits to.

Why and to what end?

"...that they may all be one; even as You, Father, {are} in me and I in You, that they also may be in us...

What else can this possibly mean?

We are invited to be one with God just as Master Y'shua is one with Him!

Incredible!

Now here is the point:

"I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected in unity..."

"...that the world may know that You sent me.".

In other words, by seeing God the Father manifested in His sons and daughters, the world will naturally be drawn to God's Love and human society will move ever more godward!

This is a far cry from the way the world looks at Christians today!

And so, we are ALL children of God! Sons and Daughters of the One God. BUT we live and we die as mere mortals due to our lack of faith and obedience. We fail to live up to our Divine potential... but just imagine what would happen if everyone who claims to be a follower of the Master began living Christ-like!

Master Y'shua is God's faithful Son and our elder brother:

Hebrews 2:11 For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one {Father;} for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

In Master Y'shua we behold God's Glory because he and the Father are One.

During the coming Seven Year Tribulation we will all be severely tried and tested. Most of us will not survive these experiences physically. We need to be clear on this (Philippians 1:21: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain). However we WILL all live on! And once we enter the Messianic Kingdom we will be:

Romans 8:29 ...conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

And so...

"Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations"

If you have questions etc. feel free to write,

    ~ Ben Ruach ha Kodesh
    ~ John of AllFaith

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2 comments:

elderchild said...

Amen, except for your beliefs concerning the 'end times' and the 'kingdom'.

i believe that i received the following:

What of The NEW Covenant, and The New Covenant "Jew"(Believer)?
------------
Jer 31:31-37 "Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: NOT ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT THAT I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS IN THE TIME THAT I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO BRING THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT FOR THEY BROKE THAT COVENANT, although I was an husband unto them, says YHWH: (Thankfully no longer natural "fathers" but YHWH, "Our Father" in "the NEWness of The Spirit not the letter")

But this shall be the NEW covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says YHWH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts(not in stone, but in their heart consciousness); and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be MY people. ("Come Out of her, MY people"! Come out of this world and it's systems of religion)

And every man shall no longer teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, "Know YHWH", for they shall all know ME, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says YHWH: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Thus says YHWH, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divides the sea when the waves thereof roar; YHWH of hosts is HIS name:

If those ordinances depart from before ME, says YHWH, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before ME for ever.

Thus says YHWH; If Heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says YHWH."
------------
The NEW Covenant established The Truth that, "he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, whose circumcision is that of the flesh, he is a Jew who is one inwardly, whose circumcision is of the heart" as he was immersed in, of, by and through The Holy, Set Apart Spirit that is of The Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL. And all gentile NEW Covenant Believers are "grafted into The Good olive tree", they are of The True NEW Covenant Jews.......

And The NEW Covenant Israel?

(continued in next comment)

elderchild said...

And The NEW Covenant Israel?

Heavenly, Spiritual.......

"A Holy nation".......

"A nation of kings and priests" indeed and Truth, and all New Covenant Believers are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" whose "citizenship (Life) is in Heaven".

They are not of this wicked, evil world and it's systems of religion because they have taken heed unto The Call of The Only True G-D, Father (Creator) of ALL to "Come Out of her, MY people".......

The NEW Covenant Believers have taken heed unto The Call to "Come Out" are have "set their affections on things above, Heavenly things" and no longer are of those "whose god is their bellies, and whose glory is in their shame, because they mind earthly things", they are no longer of those who "love this world and their own life in, and of it".......

Sadly, there are multitudes who profess a belief in The Messiah with their mouth only for they are "friends of this world", for they "love this world and it's things" and they "love their own life in and of the world" .......

All such will hear those woe filled words, "Depart from ME all you workers of iniquity".......

Thankfully The NEW Covenant Believers, The Brethren of The Messiah, have their "citizenship(Life) in Heaven" for they are "A Holy nation" of "kings and priests", all of whom are thankful that, that which was "decaying and waxing old" DID "vanish away" with the destruction of the natural, earthly kingdom centered in jerusalem. The old covenant vanished away and The NEW Covenant, written on the heart, WAS, IS and always WILL BE!

At the time the old covenant vanished away "THY Kingdom" DID "Come" and IS, for The Messiah delivered up The Kingdom unto His G-D and Father(Creator), and The Kingdom of The Only True G-D in Heaven WAS, IS, and ALWAYS WILL BE indeed and Truth.......

No longer old, natural, earthly and temporal, The Kingdom of The Only True G-D WAS, IS, and ALWAYS WILL BE Spiritual, Heavenly and Eternal.......

And so it is that yesterday, today, and if there be a tomorrow, that "the chosen ones", "the elect", The NEW Covenant Believer, the Spiritual Jew, "The Brethren of The Messiah", continue to "fight the good fight of Faith" as they but seek and desire that which is Spiritual, Heavenly and Eternal.......

Father Help! and HE does.......

All Thanks, Praise and Glory Be Unto The Only True G-D, Father (Creator) of ALL.......

Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(lies) that is of this wicked world and it's systems of religion, for "the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one" indeed and Truth....... francis