The Preeminence and Deity of Yeshua the Messiah

Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the high priest, thrust a spear through Zimri the Israelite man and Cozbi the Midianite woman as they were bringing the curse of YHVH upon the nation of Israel by fornicating with each other within the camp of Israel. With the same righteous zeal as Phinehas, today’s righteous spiritual leaders must rise up and stand against secular philosophies that threaten to bring YHVH’s judgment upon redeemed Israel. In the face of evil in his day, David asked, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers, or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Ps 94:16) The present issue relates to the dangerous and damnable trend within the body of redeemed Israelites believers to question and even deny the deity of Yeshua.

You’ve all heard the Christian axiom, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in everything else, charity.” What are the essentials of our faith that we must unite in, and around which we must draw the line in the sand and defend that turf until death?

As one who has been walking in the Torah for more than 40 years, who has spent time fellowshipping and ministering in both traditional Sunday Christian as well as Sabbatarian churches, and then pastoring and teaching in pro-Torah/Hebrew roots congregation for many years, it has become clear to me which issues are essential, and which are not. Those biblical truths that are salvational in nature are the essentials. These are the hills on which we must plant the flag of truth and be willing to defend at all costs! What are these immutable essentials?

  • YHVH Elohim (in Hebrew a plural word) is the Sovereign of the universe and the God of the Bible. He is one (Heb. echad, i.e. a compound unity), yet the Bible reveals the Godhead is comprised of three spiritual entities: the Father, the Spirit and the Son.
  • The Bible is the Word of Elohim from Genesis to Revelation.
  • The Torah is for all believers for all time.
  • Yeshua the Messiah, the Word of Elohim, is Elohim and is the Son of Elohim who was manifested incarnate on this earth being born of the virgin Mary. 
  • Yeshua lived a sinless life, died on the cross as an atonement for the sins of man, was buried and resurrected on the third day where he is now at the right hand of Elohim, and at the same time is on the throne of Elohim as Elohim.
  • Salvation is by the grace of Elohim through faith in Yeshua the Son of Elohim. As a result of one’s salvation, one will love Yeshua by keeping his commandments or word (the Torah), which will produce in his life the fruits of righteousness as defined by the Torah.

These are the essentials of our faith on which there can be no compromise. To take a weakened position on any of these issues is to begin down a spiritually slippery slope that can only lead to eternal separation from YHVH Elohim! Leaders must be quick to lift up the spiritual sword of the Word of Elohim against those who teach otherwise. In this brief treatise, I will deal with the major issues raised by those who want to diminish or eliminate the deity status of Yeshua the Messiah.

“The Earth Did Quake”

When the life of Yeshua, the divine Light of Elohim that pierced the spiritual darkness of this world, was being poured out while he was hanging dying on the cross, the earth was plunged into darkness (Matt 27:47). After Yeshua yielded up his spirit and died, the veil in the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked and the rocky ground ripped open and the earth spit out many dead saints who were resurrected from their graves (Matt 27:51–52). The Creator (Col 1:16) and Sustainer (Heb 1:3) of all life had just died, and the created order or cosmos reacted, accordingly by literally coming apart at the seams. Yeshua was no typical human. To be sure, Yeshua was deity!

Though when speaking from his humanity side he elevated his Father above himself, he nevertheless claimed to be deity on several occasions. The Jewish sages who encountered Yeshua recognized he was claiming to be deity, which is why they accused him of blasphemy and attempted to kill him (John 8:58–59; 5:18; 10:33 cp. 19:7). It wasn’t beyond the expectations of the Jewish leaders to expect a divine Messiah, for the Tanakh (Old Testament) clearly prophesied this (Mic 5:2; Isa 9:6; Jer 23:5–6; Targum Jonathan Isaiah 9:6; Talmud Pesiqta Rabbati, Pisqa 36). It’s because of their doubt and unbelief they just couldn’t handle a divine Messiah when he showed up!

 Not only did Yeshua claim to be deity, but he received worship (John 9:38; Luke 24:52), but he didn’t rebuff Thomas who called Yeshua “My Master and my God!” (John 20:28).

The apostolic writers confirmed Yeshua’s deity when they wrote such things as “in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9), referred to him as the “God/Elohim [who] was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim 3:16), “the Great God/Elohim” who is returning to this earth (Tit 2:13 cp. verse 10), and viewed him as synonymous with Elohim on the throne of heaven (Rev 21:23; 22:1,3,4).

Furthermore, the Scriptures tell us that Yeshua and the Father are one (John 10:30), which is why there is only one throne in heaven (Rev 22:1,3; 21:5; 4:1; Dan 7:9; Isa 6:13) — not two. When Yeshua is not sitting on the throne as Elohim and one with Elohim, he is revealed as a Lamb and our Great High Priest Advocate (1 John 2:1) who is on or before or at (according to the Greek) the right hand of Elohim on his throne (Heb 8:1).

In John’s vision of the New Jerusalem, he sees Yeshua as one with and equal to Elohim. To John, the Lamb and Elohim are synonymous concepts (Rev 21:3–6, 23; 22:3–5).

Perhaps this explains why the sun was darkened, the earth quaked and the rocks split open when Yeshua died on the cross. The Godhead had literally been rent in two and the cosmos echoed the calamitous nature of this heavenly shake up.

In John 1:1,14, the beloved disciple and close confidant of Yeshua, categorically states that Yeshua is Elohim. This verse alone should close the debate on whether Yeshua is deity or not! Frankly, those who cannot accept this simple and direct statement from an eye witnesses of the facts not only have rejected Yeshua, but have rejected the Word of Elohim, which reveals Yeshua to us. This — the rejection of Elohim’s Word — is, perhaps, the greater issue. It is a shame when men reject divinely inspired truth as verified by eyewitnesses and testified to be true by many early elders of the faith (see the “we” passages in John’s first epistle, e.g. 1:1,2,3,4, etc.) and further validated as being an accurate record by many early church fathers who lived in the latter part of the first and the early part of the second centuries — less than 100 years after the death and resurrection of the Messiah!

Without faith in the accurate and trustworthy written record about the life and teachings of Yeshua, we cannot be assured of the truth about our Redeemer and Savior, the gospel message or the hope of eternal life via the resurrection of the dead or the veracity of the whole Bible, for that matter. To reject the deity of Yeshua and the YHVH’s Word that affirms this is to play into the hands of the devil, the father of lies, the perverter of truth and the archenemy of Yeshua the Messiah, and this places our own salvation and hope of eternal life on thin ice at best! 

The Importance of the Person of Yeshua

Have you ever wondered what the apostolic writers themselves called that part of the Bible the Christian church refers to as “The New Testament”? Assuredly the apostles didn’t call it “The New Testament” — a term that originated much later! John the apostle and the final canonizer of the Apostolic Scriptures (sorry folk, the early church fathers and the Catholic Church didn’t canonize the apostolic writings) in five places in the Book of Revelation refers to the “Old Testament” as the “Word of God [Elohim]” and the “New Testament” as the “Testimony of Yeshua” (Rev 1:2,9; 6:9; 12:17; 20:4). Since “The Testimony of Yeshua” was the title John the apostle under the inspiration of the Set-Apart Spirit of Elohim applied to this portion of the Scriptures, just perhaps the work and Person of Yeshua was its most important theme!

The data gleaned from the Testimony of Yeshua itself confirms the centrality of the Person of Yeshua. For example, the proper name “Yeshua” [Hebrew for “Jesus”] is found 943 times in the Testimony of Yeshua (the New Testament). This number doesn’t include the use of personal pronouns (e.g. he, him, his) or any indirect references to, or other names that the Testimony apply to him (e.g. the Lamb, the Alpha and Omega, Chief Cornerstone, King of kings, Rabbi, Master, etc.). The title “Christ” (in Hebrew Maschiach or “Messiah” in English) is used 533 times. The title “Lord” is found 670 times in the Testimony of Yeshua and usually is a direct reference to Yeshua. In the Testimony of Yeshua (NT) there are 260 chapters and 7,958 verses. According to these statistics, the names Yeshua, Messiah, or Lord are found in more than one-quarter of the verses of the Testimony of Yeshua. This number doesn’t include the use of pronouns (who knows how many such references there are), or other descriptive titles (some 326 references!) and other names that the apostolic writers use for Yeshua. If it did, the references to Yeshua in relationship to the number of verses in the Testimony of Yeshua would be much higher! By comparison, direct references to the Torah (i.e. law, laws, commandment, commandments) occur only about 260 times in the Testimony of Yeshua, or on average, one time per chapter. God forbid that I should in any way demean the importance or centrality of the Torah in the redeemed believer’s life, but the statistics speak for themselves: the subject of Yeshua was front and center in the Testimony of Yeshua. His supernatural power in us enables us to live the Torah properly — in truth or letter and in spirit, and his life was a living testimony and example of how to walk out the Torah. John and Paul the apostles sum it up this way:

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that says, I know him, and keeps not his [Torah] commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:3–6)

Elohim sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

And this is the record, that Elohim has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)

He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of Elohim has not life.… And we know that the Son of Elohim is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Yeshua the Messiah. This is the true Eternal, and eternal life. (1 John 5:11–12,20)

I am crucified with the Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but the Messiah lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of Elohim, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

Sadly, many people in the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Movement have forgotten these truths and have relegated Yeshua to the back of the bus, if not kicked him out altogether! 

The subject of the Person and work of Yeshua was so important that YHVH Elohim through his Set-Apart Spirit inspired four books of the Bible (i.e. the four Gospels) to be written all testifying to the life of Yeshua on earth based on eye witness accounts.

During his ministry on this earth, Yeshua spoke and taught about many subjects (136 to be exact) as recorded in the Gospels. What were the subjects he talked most about? The number one subject was himself! In Matthew’s and John’s Gospel accounts, there are 316 references to Yeshua speaking about himself as the way to the Father, the light of the world, the bread of life, the door to the sheepfold, the truth, the good shepherd, the one who would die to redeem man, and so on. Next, Yeshua talked about his Father (184 times). The Torah comes in seventh place with 44 direct or indirect references! Now I love the Torah and have devoted much of my life to teaching and writing about the Torah, but this subject was not number one on the list of important topics Yeshua or the apostles wrote or talked about. To be sure, they lived the Torah all the time although they weren’t always talking about it, unlike many in our day who talk about it all the time, but don’t live it! Obedience to the Torah is the result of coming into a loving relationship with Yeshua, and not the starting place according to the apostolic writers.

The apostolic writers reveal that Yeshua is

  • Elohim (John 1:1)
  • the Almighty (Rev 1:8)
  • the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Col 1:16)
  • the Author of Life (Heb 3:15)
  • contains the fullness of the godhead bodily (Col 2:9)
  • the only begotten Son of Elohim (John 1:14,18; 3:16,18)
  • Elohim incarnate (John 1:1,14)
  • Immanuel or “God with us” (Matt 1:23)
  • the image of the invisible Elohim (Col 1:15)
  • the Anointed One (Acts 4:25)
  • one with the Father (John 10:30)
  • the Savior (Luke 2:11; 4:42; Acts 5:31; 13:23; Eph 5:23)
  • died to redeem from the penalty of sin which is death (1 Pet 1:18–19
  • the only way to the Father in heaven (John 14:6)
  • the light of the world (John 1:1–9; 8:12)
  • Lord of the living and the dead (Rom 14:9)
  • the Overseer of our souls (1 Pet 2:25)
  • the door (John 10:7,9)
  • the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
  • the Great Shepherd (Heb 13:20)
  • the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)
  • the bread of life from heaven (John 6:35,48,51)
  • the Beginning and the End (Rev 22:13)
  • the First and the Last (Rev 1:17; 2:8)
  • the I AM (John 8:58 cp. Exod 3:14)
  • the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
  • the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:24; Rev 19:11)
  • the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2)
  • the Captain of our salvation (Heb 2:10)
  • the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet 5:4)
  • the Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20)
  • Chosen of Elohim (Luke 23:35)
  • the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 17:14; 19:16)
  • the Great High Priest on and at the throne of Elohim in heaven (Heb 4:14)

Sadly, in our day, many people have grown cold in their love for Yeshua and have fallen asleep spiritually. All too often religiosity, legalistic works (including Torah-obedience), and head knowledge (a.k.a “the idol of intellectualism”) have replaced the worship of and a relationship with our Father in heaven by way of Yeshua and through the Set-Apart Spirit. In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, all ten virgins grew weary waiting for the Bridegroom (Yeshua) to come and they fell asleep. As a result, five of the ten virgins were disqualified from entering into the wedding supper of the Lamb because they were spiritually unprepared and out of sync with Yeshua the Bridegroom. Those in the assembly of Laodicea had the same problem. When Yeshua was knocking on the door of their hearts, they were so spiritually naked, poor, miserable, deaf and blind that they refused to let him in (Rev 3:14–22). In Matthew 24:12, Yeshua warns that in the end days, the love of many will grow cold. Paul warns the believers in Corinth that even though they might be doing many great religious works and have all knowledge (including the truth of the Torah), without love (including a love for Yeshua!) their great works and knowledge are nothing in the eyes of Elohim.

The believers in Ephesus had a similar problem. Many years after Paul helped to found that assembly, John reprimanded the same congregation for having lost its first love (Rev 2:4). What was that first love? If we go back to Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, we see a spiritually healthy and vibrant body of believers that, unlike the other assemblies to whom the apostle wrote, needed no correction. So what was their first love that kept them spiritually alive, but that they had lost by the time John wrote the Book of Revelation many years later? A careful analysis of the Epistle to the Ephesians will yield the answer. This letter contains 155 verses and at the same time 186 references to Elohim (God) or Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). There are more references to the Godhead than there are verses! Such phrases as “in Messiah,” “in Elohim,” or “in the Spirit,” occur 36 times. Evidently, based on Paul’s epistle, the saints in Ephesus were in a loving and life-giving relationship with Yeshua through whom we are able to enter into relationship with the Father and the Set-Apart Spirit.

What can we deduce from this brief study on the centrality of the message, Person and work of Yeshua as recorded in the Testimony of Yeshua? Quite simply, Yeshua was NUMERO UNO in the eyes of the apostolic writers. In fact, they mention him many more times than even the Torah! The bottom line is this: Any attempt to diminish Yeshua’s place of pre-eminence by any so-called “Bible teacher” is not only totally incongruent with the dominant theme of the Testimony of Yeshua, but it is a demonic plot to unseat Yeshua from his throne and results in leaving humans lost out in the cold and darkness spiritually! 

 

3 thoughts on “The Preeminence and Deity of Yeshua the Messiah

  1. I agree totally with what you say especially the last paragraph in bold lettering.I agree in these last days there are Messianic Hebrew Roots Congregations that are building on head knowledge with no love behind it with more of an emphasis on Torah and very little to do with Yeshua our Messiah.
    These days you have to be very discerning and not jump on every Messianic train that comes along no matter how successful that organization may seem.
    You have been my Messianic teacher for many years because you hold true to Yeshua’s teaching in my estimation. Shalom!

  2. What I learned recently about what Genesis really says=”In beginning (there is no “the”) Elohim (plural) ALEPH TAV(=the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega), created the heavens and the earth.” In the Psalms 40:7 …in the volume of the book it is written of me” (as well as in Hebrews 10:7) and again in Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega. It’s all about Him-in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28) It is ALL about Him-you don’t know who you are till you know you are His! (See the “I” in the middle?) He is the Way (so you won’t be lost) THE Truth( so you won’t be deceived) and the Life eternal. We can’t just believe in God we must believe God, what He said (I give you My Word) Who is that Word but Yeshua ( My God’s name begins with YES ( I POSITIVELY love that) and He’s the Truth and not predicated on our believing it to be true, the Truth is absolute and what we believe or do not believe never changes THE TRUTH.= Emet (aleph, mem, tav) w/o the Aleph it spells death if I recall correctly ie: w/o Him the TRUTH we’re already dead.

  3. Reading Daniel recently, I stumbled over one of his prophecies in which he clearly talks about Yeshua, being part of the Father.
    Daniel 2:45 ….like the STONE you saw, which, without human hands, separated itself from the MOUNTAIN and broke to pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold.
    Sonja

Share your thoughts...