Page 42 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2010
P. 42
DOES THE OLD TESTAMENT
SUPPORT JUDAISM'S
INTERPRETATION OF THE SHEMA,
(“HEAR O ISRAEL:
THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE!”)
MOSES AS CONVEYING
THE LAWGIVER A LITERAL, MONOTHEISTIC
CONCEPT OF GOD?
The Old Testament Scriptures are not in harmony with such an interpretation of the Shema. There are
direct statements from the mouth of “The Lord Our God” Himself in which He speaks of the existence
of a pluralistic Godhead being at work in His dealings with man. We find three such statements in
Genesis, the opening Book of the Jewish Torah:
“THEN GOD SAID, “THEN THE LORD GOD SAID, “AND THE LORD SAID,
‘LET US MAKE MAN IN ‘BEHOLD, THE MAN HAS …COME,
BECOME LIKE
OUR IMAGE, LET US
ONE OF US,
ACCORDING TO GO DOWN AND THERE
KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL…’” CONFUSE THEIR LANGUAGE…’”
OUR LIKENESS.’” Gen.3:22
Gen.11:7
Gen.1:26 “AND I HEARD THE VOICE
Why does God Himself refer to “GOD” in the PLURAL use of “US” and “OUR”? OF THE LORD, SAYING:
‘WHOM SHALL I SEND,
“THE WORD FOR GOD IN THE HEBREW THAT IS MOST OFTEN USED IS AND WHO WILL GO
ELOHIM. (2,197 TIMES IN THE TORAH, ) IT IS A PLURAL NOUN. TODAY IT IS
POPULAR TO SAY IT MEANS PLURAL OF MAJESTY. HOWEVER,THE FORM OF FOR US?’”
THE WORD, ELOH-IM, IS PLURAL.” http://www.letusreason.org/trin3.htm Isa. 6:8
It is obvious from the beginning God was stating that there is a PLURAL GODHEAD, not a
monotheistic “one God” as the Jews choose to see Him. Neither can the “us” and “our” be speaking of
angelic beings as some suggest. This theory must be rejected for there is no support for angels being
active either in man’s creation or in the decision-making process of government of God. Neither is
there support for angels themselves being created in the image of God.
“…I SEE FOUR MEN LOOSE, “…I WATCHED TILL THRONES WERE PUT IN PLACE, AND
WALKING IN THE MIDST OF THE ANCIENT OF DAYS WAS SEATED…THOUSANDS OF
THE FIRE, AND THEY ARE THOUSANDS MINISTERED TO HIM…AND BEHOLD, ONE
NOT HURT, AND THE FORM LIKE THE SON OF MAN…
OF THE FOURTH IS LIKE HE CAME TO THE ANCIENT OF DAYS… THEN HE WAS
DANIEL THE SON OF GOD.” GIVEN DOMINION AND GLORY AND A KINGDOM…WHICH
THE PROPHET Dan. 3:25 SHALL NOT PASS AWAY…” Dan. 7:9-14
The prophet Daniel sees “The Son of God” and “The Son of Man.” It is not without significance that
Jesus refers to Himself as “The Son of God” 42 times in the Gospels. Likewise He refers to Himself as
“The Son of Man” 92 times in the Gospels.
“THE WORDS OF AGUR…SURELY I AM MORE STUPID THAN ANY MAN…
I NEITHER LEARNED WISDOM NOR HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY ONE…
WHO HAS ESTABLISHED ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH?
WHAT IS HIS NAME, AND WHAT IS HIS SON’S NAME, IF YOU KNOW?” Prov. 30:1-4
What a chiding of the educated know-it-alls! Even Agur knows God has a Son!
Other than the dogmatic clinging to the monotheistic interpretation of the Shema, AGUR
“HEAR O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE!” , there is no other evidence to support this literal
view of the oneness of God. It certainly stands in opposition to the above concepts, many of which are
spoken directly by the mouth of God Himself! Certainly the fullness of the revelation of a Triune Godhead
consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is lacking in the Old Testament. That full understanding only
comes by embracing the teachings of Christ Himself about His Father and the insight imparted to the Holy
apostles send forth by Christ. The Old Testament was never intended to be God’s final word about Himself.
The Old Testament is but a shadow of what would be revealed in the New!
“FOR THE LAW, HAVING A SHADOW OF THE GOOD THINGS TO COME,
AND NOT THE VERY IMAGE OF THE THINGS…” Heb. 10:1
