The Son of Yahuweh
By Chris Koster
To those of us who have come to know Yahushua, who have accepted Him, believed on Him, and have allowed Him to redeem, save and deliver us from all unbelief and sin ‑ to us He is precious, the only Way and the Truth and the Life' He is the only Door into the Kingdom of Yahuweh and the only One through Whom we can be reconciled to Yahuweh. (Romans 5:10 1 Kepha 3:18 and 2 Corinthians 5:18) Let us allow Him to reveal His Father to us. This is the highest revelation that can be received in our walk with Yahushua.
Through the years every denomination has formed it's own image of the Messiah. And likewise every believer too has his own understanding of the Messiah. We are in the end-time and we sincerely believe that the true image of the Messiah and His Father need to be restored as our knowledge of them are increased. The Messiah is cleansing His bride "by the washing of water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant congregation, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but set‑apart and blameless." (Eph. 5:26‑27) Therefore it is of the utmost importance that our understanding be corrected by what the Word teaches. The Living Word, Yahushua, will set us free from all error.
THE WORD "ELOHIM"
The Jews started the error of avoiding the use of the Name of Yahuweh. This was perpetuated in Christianity and even made worse. The result of this was that people were led astray in being taught that He has many names. Amongst these so called 'names' are Elohim, El and Eloah. These are merely titles. To prove this we quote Exodus 4:16 where Yahuweh instructed Moshe to be an Elohim for Aaron. The Hebrew text reads, "and you (Moshe) shall become for him (Aaron) an elohim." This text is not correctly translated in any of the English translations at our disposal. But it is correct in the Afrikaans, German and Dutch translations. Again in Ex. 7:1 Yahuweh appoints Moshe to be an elohim to Pharaoh. The Hebrew text reads, I will make you (Moshe) an elohim. to Pharaoh." The word, Elohim, has also been translated in the KJV as judges ‑ human beings being judges, e.g. Ex. 21:6, 22:8 & 9. Also read Psalm 82:1 in your own KJV. But the Hebrew text reads, "Elohim standeth in the congregation of the el. He judgeth among the elohim." Now read this in the different English versions and see how El and Elohim are titles applied to human beings too. It also proves that the basic meaning of El is 'mighty' and nothing else! In many places Elohim is translated in the KJV as "gods" meaning idols. This proves that Elohim is merely a title applied to human beings or to idols.
What does El or Elohim mean? It simply means mighty' (Strong's Concordance) or 'mighty one' (Young's). Yahuweh is our Mighty One. Satan is the mighty one of the world. And human judges are the mighty ones who rule over their people in their locality or their city.
Yahushua called his Father "My Elohim" in four places in one text ‑ Revelation 3:12 ‑ just as He did in Matt. 27:46 and John 20:17. The Son of Yahuweh in all His humility admits that Yahuweh is His Mighty One. In 1 Cor. 11:3 the apostle Sha'ul clearly states that Yahuweh is the Head of the Messiah.
When Thomas exclaimed in John 20:28, "My Master and my Elohim!" he acknowledged Yahushua as his Mighty One. He wasn't proclaiming Yahushua to be the "Yahuweh Elohim" of the Hebrew Scriptures.
It is as simple as that. 1 Messiah is the Head of every man and Yahuweh is the Head of the Messiah. Let us allow the Word to correct us. (1 Cor. 11: 3)
WORSHIP YAHUSHUA!
Can we worship Yahushua, even if He is not EI Shaddai ‑ the Almighty? YES! All should bow their knees before Yahuweh's Anointed One. All will confess that Yahushua is Ruler to the honour of Yahuweh the Father. But it is unscriptural to regard Yahushua as the same Being as His Father, the Most High. But it is imperative to worship and kneel before Yahuweh's only begotten Son, His Chief Representative, our Saviour. Yahuweh's only Messiah for us, His Son Yahushua must be received with all the honour and esteem due to Him. Believers must bow in worship before Yahushua as Ruler, King and Redeemer.
THE MESSIAH AND HIS EL
The Messianic and Hebrew Scriptures speak about Yahushua as being other than the Almighty. The following verses portray the constant distinction which the Scriptures make between the Messiah and "His El."
.1 ... One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old; from ancient times... He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of YAHUWEH.. in the majesty of the Name of YAHUWEH His Elohim." (Micah 5:24)
"Well said, Teacher, You are right in saying that YAHUWEH is One and there is no other but Him" (Mark 12:32)
"Yahushua made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve His El and Father." (Revelation 1:6)
Messiah Yahushua always referred to Yahuweh as being other than Himself ‑ He always distinguished Himself from the One whom He served. He told others to pray to and worship YAHUWEH His Father.
I seek not to please Myself, but Him who sent Me." (John 5:30)
"Worship Yahuweh your Elohim, and serve Him only." (Luke 4:8)
"Why do you call Me good? No one is good ‑except Yahuweh alone." (Luke 18:19)
"Yahuweh is Spirit, and His worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)
"My El, My El, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46)
"I am returning to My Father and your Father ‑ to My El and your EV (John 20:17)
... GIVEN TO ME
According to Yahushua, He Himself was not the source of all Power. He was given this power by His Father. (Matt. 28:18)
“ ... the Son can do nothing by Himself." (John 5:19; 8:28; 14:10)
"...then the end will come when He (Yahushua) hands over the Kingdom to Yahuweh, the Father ... then the son Himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under Him, so that YAHMEH may be all in all. * (1 Corinthians 15:24, 28)
"No one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matt. 24:36 Mark 13:32 Acts 1:7)
"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him the authority to judge." (John 5:26‑27)
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me." (Matt. 28:18)
BLASPHEMY?
Was Yahushua guilty of blasphemy at His trial? First it should be recognized that there were at least two different types of "blasphemy" mentioned in the Messianic Scriptures. Yahushua differentiated between blasphemy against the Son of man and blasphemy against the Spirit of Yahuweh. Twice in the Messianic Scriptures Yahushua claimed to be "the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Power," but He did not claim to be the Power. The high priest considered it blasphemous for someone he thought was an ordinary person to indicate that He was the Messiah, the Son of Yahuweh. So he and his followers found Yahushua "guilty" of blasphemy.
When Yahushua said, "Before Abraham was born, I am," He was confirming that it was he who appeared before men in the Hebrew Scriptures bearing the Name of Yahuweh, coming in His Father's authority as His Chief Executive ‑Exodus 23:20‑22 etc. Yahushua said, I am come in My Father's name." So Yahushua was revealing Himself as the One bearing the name of Yahuweh and consequently revealed in the Messianic Scriptures as the Messiah, the Son of YAHUWEH.
On the basis of some Jewish objections to Yahushua in the evangel of John, many Christians argue that the Son made Himself El or at least considered Himself equal to Elohim. Apparently, these Christians fail to understand or take account of the rest of these passages where Yahushua defends Himself against these charges of blasphemy. Yahushua responds to these accusations not by agreeing with them, but by denying them or by explaining what His misinterpreted statements meant. For example, when He was charged with "making Himself equal to Elohim," Yahushua immediately denied this by saying, "the Son can do nothing of Himself." For He was completely dependent on the Father for all that He did. He acknowledged Yahuweh as the One who gave Him both the power of life and the authority to execute judgment. (John 5:16‑47)
At another time when Yahushua was accused of making Himself El, He argued that if the judges in Psalms could be called elohim, certainly He too could be called the Son of Yahuweh. Also, He explained that it was His Father doing good works through Him. In other words, he was functionally one with the Father, not one and the same Being as Yahuweh. As he said "The Father is greater then I" The rhetorical question which Yahushua put to His Jewish opponents could well be addressed to His followers: "Do you tell the One whom the Father sanctified and sent ‑ 'You blaspheme' ‑ because I said, 'I am the Son of Yahuweh’?” (John 10:30‑38) He certainly did not blaspheme!
FATHER AND SON
The apostle Sha'ul writes in his letter to the Colossians, "...for in Him (Yahushua) all the fullness of Elohim was pleased to dwell." (1:19 & 19, RSV) But of course, for He is the only begotten Son of Yahuweh! He is a supernatural Being, because He received the same nature, the same fullness of His Father. Let us never be tempted to diminish His infinitely great and Heavenly nature ‑ born from a virgin and begotten by the Spirit. But He was humble enough to say, "My Father is greater than I" He did not grasp at equality. Our humble Saviour always submitted Himself to His Father ‑ a perfect Father and Son relationship.
Yahushua did not equalize Himself. or grasp for equality with Yahuweh. As Sha'ul writes in Philippians, "Yahushua did not count equality with Yahuweh a thing to be grasped .. .... but Yahushua made Himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant... Therefore Yahuweh exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name." (16‑9 NIV)
Who was it who grasped equality with Yahuweh? Satan, the great rebel. Read this in Isaiah 14:14. The Messiah that we love so dearly is not a rebel. He is the Perfect Son of His Father who submits Himself to His Father's overall Might, His Father being El Shaddai.
Other important verses...
"Hear, 0 Israel, Yahuweh our Elohim! Yahuweh is One." (Deut 6:4)
"Yahuweh has raised this Yahushua... exalted to the right hand of Yahuweh... For David said, 'YAHUWEH said to my Master ‑ Sit at My right hand... Yahuweh has made this Yahushua both Master and Messiah." (Acts 2:32‑36)
"You are My Son, today I have begotten You." (Psalm 2:7 Acts 13:33)
"Therefore Elohim, Your ELOHIM set You above Your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy." (Psalm 45:7, 8 & Hebrews 1:9) "Now this is eternal life; that they know You, the ONLY True El, and Yahushua the Messiah whom You have sent." (John 17:3)
"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given and the government will be on His shoulder and He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty One, Father of Eternity*, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah9:6)
*Father of Eternity: This word 'Ab' in Hebrew has a much wider meaning than the Father of the English language. It can also mean: chief or principal. In the KJV the word 'Ab' has been translated as chief in Numbers 25:14 and in Joshua 22:14. In the RSV it is rendered "head". In Isaiah 9:6 Yahushua is not made equal with the Father, Yahuweh, but the whole concept is of Him being the Father of eternity," ‑ the Chief or Head of eternity.
WORTHY IS THE LAMB!
Yahushua's message in Revelation 3:11‑13 is a great consolation as we prepare to meet Him as our Bridegroom. "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My El. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the Name of My El and the name of the city of My El, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My El, and I will also write on him My renewed Name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the congregations."
Uplift Yahushua, the miracle‑working Son of Yahuweh. Abide in Him and let His word abide in you. Let us allow Him, the Living Word to wash us and to sanctify us unto Yahuweh. For it is Yahushua "in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Col 2:3 KJV "The Elohim who said, 'Out of darkness the light shall shine!' is the same Elohim who made His light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of Yahuweh's esteem shining in the face of Messiah." (2 Cor 4:6 TEV) "So also Messiah did not honour Himself by becoming a high priest, but He honoured Him who said to Him, Thou art My Son; today I have begotten Thee." (Hebrews 5:5 Peshitta)
May we join the twenty four elders and the four living creatures and sing unto Yahushua, "Thou art worthy to take the scroll and to open it's seals, for Thou wast slain and by Thy blood didst redeem men for Yahuweh from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom priests to our Elohim."
“And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that Yahushua is the Son of Yahuweh, Yahuweh abides in him, and he in Yahuweh. (1 John 4:14).