GODHEAD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Israelite Monotheism, High Christology, and

Judaism’s Two Powers in Heaven

DEUT 6:4

�Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

JOHN 1:18

�No one has ever seen God; �the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

How is it that a first century Jew, so committed to monotheism that he or she would choose death rather than worship the Roman emperor or a Roman god, could embrace Jesus of Nazareth as God in the flesh alongside the God of Israel?

Why was this not conceived of as a violation of the Shema and rejection of monotheism?

Translating the Shema

1. “The LORD is our God; the LORD is one.” 2. “The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” 3. “The Lord our God is one Lord.” 4. “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” 5. “Our one God is the LORD, the LORD.”

ODD PASSAGES

GENESIS 19:24 YHWHraineduponSodomandGomorrahsulfurousfirefromYHWHoutofheaven.

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society (1997)

GENESIS 19:24

YHWHraineduponSodomandGomorrahsulfurousfirefromYHWHoutofheaven.

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society (1997)

Theideaofthe2ndpowerwasnotconsideredhereticaluntilthe2ndcenturyCE.

Segal,Two Powers in Heaven,pp.x-xi(Introduction)

Points of Potential Confusion

• Zoroastrianism?• Gnosticism?

THE TWO POWERS

EXODUS 15:3

ה ה אִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֑ יְהוָ֖ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃ יְהוָ֖

YHWHisamanofwar;YHWHishisname.

DANIEL 7:9-13

As I looked on, thrones were set in place, And the Ancient of Days took His seat…

As I looked on, Thrones were set in place, And the Ancient of Days took His seat. Hisgarmentwaslikewhitesnow,AndthehairofHisheadwaslikelamb’s

wool.Histhronewastonguesofflame;Itswheelswereblazingfire.AriveroffirestreamedforthbeforeHim;ThousandsuponthousandsservedHim;MyriadsuponmyriadsattendedHim;Thecourtsatandthebookswereopened....One like a human being Camewiththecloudsofheaven;HereachedtheAncientofDays

AndwaspresentedtoHim.Dominion,glory,andkingshipweregiventohim;

Segal:

“[Daniel7]describesaheavenlyenthronementsceneinvolvingtwodivinemanifestations,‘thesonofman’and‘theAncientofDays’....Notonlydoes[Daniel7:9ff.]allowtheinterpretationthatGodchangesaspect,it may easily be describing two separate, divine figures.Morethanonethroneisrevealedandscripturedescribestwodivinefigurestofillthem.”

ISRAEL’S TWO YAHWEHS

THE ANGEL & THE NAME

�

�

Exodus 3 1NowMoses,tendingtheflockofhisfather-in-lawJethro,thepriestofMidian,drovetheflockintothewilderness,andcametoHoreb,themountainofGod.�2�An angel of YHWH appeared to him in a blazing fire out of a bush.Hegazed,andtherewasabushallaflame,yetthebushwasnotconsumed.�3�Mosessaid,“Imustturnasidetolookatthismarveloussight;whydoesn’tthebushburnup?”�4�When YHWH saw thathehadturnedasidetolook,Godcalledtohimoutofthebush:“Moses!Moses!”Heanswered,“HereIam.”

�

�

Exodus 23

�20�I am sending an angel beforeyoutoguardyouonthewayandtobringyoutotheplacethatIhavemadeready.�21�Payheedtohimandobeyhim.Donotdefyhim,forhewillnotpardonyouroffenses,sinceMy Name is in him;�22�butifyouobeyhimanddoallthatIsay,Iwillbeanenemytoyourenemiesandafoetoyourfoes.

Deuteronomy 12 4DonotworshiptheLordyourGodinlikemanner,5butlookonlytothesitethattheLordyourGodwillchooseamidstallyourtribesasHishabitation,to establish His name there.Thereyouaretogo,6andthereyouaretobringyourburntofferingsandothersacrifices,yourtithesandcontributions,yourvotiveandfreewillofferings,andthefirstlingsofyourherdsandflocks...11youmustbringeverythingthatIcommandyoutothesitewheretheLordyourGodwill choose to establish His name ...

Psalm 20:1, 7

Maythe Lord answeryouinthedayoftrouble!

Maythe name oftheGodofJacobprotectyou!

Sometrustinchariotsandsomeinhorses,butwetrustinthe name of the Lord ourGod.

Isaiah30:27

Beholdthe Name oftheLordComesfromafarInblazingwrath,Withaheavyburden—Hislipsfulloffury,Histonguelikedevouringfire,

�

�

Exodus 23

�20�I am sending an angel beforeyoutoguardyouonthewayandtobringyoutotheplacethatIhavemadeready.�21�Payheedtohimandobeyhim.Donotdefyhim,forhewillnotpardonyouroffenses,sinceMy Name is in him;�22�butifyouobeyhimanddoallthatIsay,Iwillbeanenemytoyourenemiesandafoetoyourfoes.

�

�

Deuteronomy4:35-37

35Toyouitwasshown,�thatyoumightknowthatthe LORD isGod;�thereisnootherbesideshim.36�Outofheavenheletyouhearhisvoice,thathemightdisciplineyou.Andonearthheletyouseehisgreatfire,and�youheardhiswordsoutofthemidstofthefire.37Andbecause�helovedyourfathersandchosetheiroffspringafterthem�andbrought you out of Egypt �with his own presence(panim)byhisgreatpower…

�

�

Judges2

�1The angel of YHWH came up fromGilgaltoBochimandsaid,“I brought you up from Egypt andItookyouintothelandwhichIhadpromisedonoathtoyourfathers.And I said,‘I will never break My covenant withyou.�2�Andyou,foryourpart,mustmakenocovenantwiththeinhabitantsofthisland;youmustteardowntheiraltars.’But you have not obeyed Me—lookwhatyouhavedone!�3�Therefore,Ihaveresolvednottodrivethemoutbeforeyou;theyshallbecomeyouroppressors,�andtheirgodsshallbeasnaretoyou.”�4�AstheangelofYHWHspokethesewordstoalltheIsraelites,thepeoplebrokeintoweeping.�

Genesis31:10-1310 InthebreedingseasonoftheflockIliftedupmyeyesandsawinadreamthatthegoatsthatmatedwiththeflockwerestriped,spotted,andmottled.11

Thenthe angel of God saidtomeinthedream,‘Jacob,’andIsaid,‘HereIam!’12 Andhesaid,‘Liftupyoureyesandsee,allthegoatsthatmatewiththeflockarestriped,spotted,andmottled,forIhaveseenallthatLabanisdoingtoyou.13 I am the God of Bethel,whereyouanointedapillarandmadeavowtome.Nowarise,gooutfromthislandandreturntothelandofyourkindred.’”

Genesis48:14-1614ButIsrael[i.e.,Jacob]stretchedouthisrighthandandlaiditonEphraim’shead,thoughhewastheyounger,andhislefthandonManasseh’shead—thuscrossinghishands—althoughManassehwasthefirst-born.15AndheblessedJoseph,saying:

“TheGodinwhosewaysmyfathersAbrahamandIsaacwalked;

TheGodwhohasbeenmyshepherdfrommybirthtothisday—

TheAngelwhohasredeemedmefromallharm—

Mayheblesstheselads.”

THE ANGEL = THE NAME = THE PRESENCE OF YHWH = YHWH

The Angel and Yahweh are at times co-identified

and yet distinguished by passages …

BUT do they ever appear together?

Judges 6

�11�Anangel of YHWH came and sat under the terebinth atOphrah,whichbelongedtoJoashtheAbiezrite.HissonGideonwasthenbeatingoutwheatinsideawinepressinordertokeepitsafefromtheMidianites.�12�The angel of YHWH appearedtohimandsaidtohim,“YHWH is with you, valiantwarrior!”�13�Gideonsaidtohim,“Please,mylord,ifYHWHiswithus,whyhasallthisbefallenus?

14 AndYHWH � turned to him andsaid,“GointhismightofyoursandsaveIsraelfromthehandofMidian;donotIsendyou?”15 Andhesaidtohim,“Please,Lord,howcanIsaveIsrael?Behold,myclanistheweakestinManasseh,andIamtheleastinmyfather’shouse.”16 AndYHWH said to him,“ButIwillbewithyou,andyoushallstriketheMidianitesasoneman.”17 Andhe[Gideon]saidtohim[the Angel / YHWH?],“IfnowIhavefoundfavorinyoureyes,thenshowmeasignthatitisyouwhospeakswithme.18 PleasedonotdepartfromhereuntilIcometoyouandbringoutmypresentandsetitbeforeyou.”Andhesaid,“I will stay tillyoureturn.”

19 So Gideon . . . brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of YHWH reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of YHWH vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of YHWH. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But YHWH said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”

THE WORD

GENESIS 15

1Afterthesethingsthe word of the Lord came toAbraminavision,“Donotbeafraid,Abram,Iamyourshield;yourrewardshallbeverygreat.”

1 SAMUEL 3

1 NowtheyoungmanSamuelwasministeringtotheLord(YHWH)underEli.Andthe word of the Lord was rareinthosedays;therewasnofrequentvision...�7�NowSamuelhadnotyetexperiencedtheLord;theword of the Lord hadnotyetbeenrevealedtohim.8

AndtheLordcalledSamuelagainthethirdtime...

10 Andthe LORD (YHWH) came and stood,callingasatothertimes,“Samuel!Samuel!”AndSamuelsaid,“Speak,foryourservanthears.”19 AndSamuelgrew,andthe LORD (YHWH) waswithhimandletnoneofhiswordsfalltotheground.20 AndallIsraelfromDantoBeershebaknewthatSamuelwasestablishedasaprophetoftheLord.21

Andthe LORD (YHWH) appearedagainatShiloh,the LORD (YHWH) revealed himselftoSamuelatShilohby/as the word of the Lord.

JEREMIAH 1 4Nowthe word of the Lord cametomesaying,5“BeforeIformedyouinthewombIknewyou....”6ThenIsaid,“Ah,Lord God (YHWH elohim)!TrulyIdonotknowhowtospeak,forIamonlyaboy.”7Butthe LORD (YHWH) saidtome,“Donotsay,‘Iamonlyaboy’;foryoushallgotoalltowhomIsendyou...9Thenthe LORD (YHWH) put out his hand and touched my mouth;andthe LORD (YHWH) saidtome,“NowIhaveputmywordsinyourmouth.

THE “CLOUD-RIDER”

“He Who Rides the Clouds”

Deuteronomy 33

26 “ThereisnonelikeGod,OJeshurun,whorides through the heavens toyourhelp,throughtheskiesinhismajesty.

Psalm 68

32 Okingdomsoftheearth,singtoGod;singpraisestothe LORD (YHWH) ,Selah 33

tohim who rides in the heavens,theancientheavens;behold,hesendsouthisvoice,hismightyvoice.34 AscribepowertoGod,whosemajestyisoverIsrael,andwhosepowerisintheskies.

Psalm 104 1BlesstheLord,Omysoul!O LORD

(YHWH) myGod,youareverygreat!Youareclothedwithsplendorandmajesty,2

coveringyourselfwithlightaswithagarmentsstretchingouttheheavenslikeatent.3 Helaysthebeamsofhischambersonthewaters;he makes the clouds his chariot;heridesonthewingsofthewind.

Isaiah 19 AnoracleconcerningEgypt.Behold,the Lord is riding on a swift cloud andcomestoEgypt;andtheidolsofEgyptwilltrembleathispresence,andtheheartoftheEgyptianswillmeltwithinthem.

JESUS AGAINST THIS BACKDROP

The Word John 1:1-3, 14, 18

1Inthebeginningwasthe Word,andthe Word waswithGod,andthe Word wasGod.2 HewasinthebeginningwithGod.3 Allthingsweremadethroughhim,andwithouthimwasnotanythingmadethatwasmade...14 Andthe Word became flesh anddweltamongus,andwehaveseenhisglory,gloryasoftheonlySonfromtheFather,fullofgraceandtruth...18 NoonehaseverseenGod;theonlyGod,�whoisattheFather’sside,�hehasmadehimknown.

The Angel Jude55 NowIwanttoremindyou,althoughyouoncefullyknewit,that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt,afterwarddestroyedthosewhodidnotbelieve.

Exodus 23:20 -IamsendinganangelbeforeyoutoguardyouonthewayandtobringyoutotheplacethatIhavemadeready.

Judges 2:1 -NowtheangeloftheLordwentupfromGilgaltoBochim.Andhesaid,“IbroughtyouupfromEgyptandbroughtyouintothelandthatIsworetogivetoyourfathers.

The Name John 17 6�“I have manifested your name tothepeople�whomyougavemeoutoftheworld.�Yourstheywere,andyougavethemtome,andtheyhavekeptyourword.12�WhileIwaswiththem,I kept them in/by your name,whichyouhavegivenme.26�I made known to them your name,andIwillcontinuetomakeitknown,thatthelove�withwhichyouhavelovedmemaybeinthem,and�Iinthem.”

Rider on the Clouds

13 Isawinthenightvisions,andbehold,upon the cloudsofheaventherecameone like a son of man,andhecametotheAncient of Daysandwaspresentedbeforehim.

Matthew26 57 ThenthosewhohadseizedJesusledhimtoCaiaphasthehighpriest,wherethescribesandtheeldershadgathered.…62 Andthehighprieststoodupandsaid,“Haveyounoanswertomake?Whatisitthatthesementestifyagainstyou?”63 ButJesusremainedsilent.Andthehighpriestsaidtohim,“IadjureyoubythelivingGod,tellusifyouaretheChrist,theSonofGod.”64 Jesussaidtohim,“Youhavesaidso.ButItellyou,fromnowonyou will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”65 Thenthehighpriesttorehisrobesandsaid,“He has uttered blasphemy.Whatfurtherwitnessesdoweneed?Youhavenowheardhisblasphemy.

TRINITY IN THE OT?

Psalm 78 40  How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! 41 They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

Ezekiel 8 2ThenIlooked,andbehold,a form that had the appearance of a man.Belowwhatappearedtobehiswaistwasfire,andabovehiswaistwassomethingliketheappearanceofbrightness,likegleamingmetal.3He put out the form of a hand andtookmebyalockofmyhead,andthe Spirit lifted me up betweenearthandheavenandbroughtmeinvisionsofGodtoJerusalem,totheentranceofthegatewayoftheinnercourtthatfacesnorth,wherewastheseatoftheimageofjealousy,whichprovokestojealousy.4Andbehold,thegloryoftheGodofIsraelwasthere,likethevisionthatIsawinthevalley.5Thenhe said to me,“Sonofman,liftupyoureyesnowtowardthenorth.”SoIliftedupmyeyestowardthenorth,andbehold,northofthealtargate,intheentrance,wasthisimageofjealousy.6Andhesaidtome,“Sonofman,doyouseewhattheyaredoing,thegreatabominationsthatthehouseofIsraelarecommittinghere,todrivemefarfrommy sanctuary?Butyouwillseestillgreaterabominations.”

Ezekiel elsewhere recognizes his guide as Yahweh and addresses him as “Lord God” (Ezek 9:8;11:13)