Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity

There is one God, the Father (1 Cor. 8:6), the one God of the creed of Israel affirmed by Jesus Christ (Mark 12:28ff).There is one Lord Messiah, Jesus (1 Cor. 8:6), who was supernaturally conceived as the Son of God (Luke 1:35), and foreordained from the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:20).

Many Christians are unaware that philosophical, mystical ideas invaded the church from the second century onwards via the "Church Fathers," who were steeped in pagan philosophy and laid the foundation of the creeds now called "orthodox." In several articles you from the Belgian Biblestudents you shall be able to read more about it. There and on a.o. the writing of Anthony Buzzard you shall be able to find that 'The seed of Trinitarian doctrine' was planted in the thinking of Justin Martyr, the second century Christian apologist who "found in Platonism the nearest approach to Christianity and felt that no break was required with its spirit and principles to pass into the greater light of Christian revelation."

The New Testament never suggests that the phrase ‘Son of God’ just means ‘God.’ [Yet evangelicalism and certain major groups insists on that equation if one is to be considered a Christian!]

But in the world we do find lots of serious lovers of God who accept the Nazarene Jew Yeshua or Jesus as the promissed Saviour. For them however he is the "man Messiah," the one Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). As for the apostle Paul those believers in only One God take it that "To us Christians there is one God, the Father, and one Lord Messiah" (1 Cor. 8:4-6). (Note carefully Paul’s definition of the One God.)

Human beings in Hebrew thought do not exist consciously before they are born.  In the Holy Scriptures we do also find no preexistence of souls. The notion that Jesus was really alive and conscious before his birth in Bethlehem is also a very unJewish idea.

As you could already find in our other writings on the understanding of Hebrew writings, we do have to take that language as our guide and not our modern thinking or the Greek philosophy. E.C. Dewick rightly notes in his Primitive Christian Eschatology, The Hulsean Prize Essay for 1908, Cambridge University Press, 1912: "When the Jew said something was ‘predestined,’ he thought of it as already ‘existing’ in a higher sphere of life. The world’s history is thus predestined because it is already, in a sense, preexisting and consequently fixed. This typically Jewish conception of predestination may be distinguished from the Greek idea of preexistence by the predominance of the thought of ‘preexistence’ in the Divine purpose."

All is foreordained in God’s great Plan and so did God created the opportunity to get a Saviour out of the tribe of David. It is not becaus God knows everything already before hand that because  Jesus who came up in the thought of God before the world was created, that Jesus actually really came into existence before everything was created. The Messiah himself was foreknown, not just his death for our sins but the person Messiah himself (1 Pet. 1:20). Peter uses the same word to describe the "existence" of the Son of God in God’s plan as he did to describe the "existence" of the Christian church (v. 2).

All Jews who looked forward to the Messiah expected a human person, not an angel, much less God Himself! Though the Jews had not understood that the Messiah was to be born supernaturally, even this miraculous begetting was in fact predicted (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). A "pre-human" Messiah, however, is nowhere suggested. The Son of God "came into existence" from a woman and from the seed of David (Rom. 1:4; Gal. 4:4).(Note that for Arians and Trinitarians, who think that Jesus was begotten in eternity long before his conception/begetting in Mary, that would have been a second begetting.)

Read more about Foreordination Rather than Literal Preexistence : The Nature of Preexistence in the New Testament by Anthony Buzzard

Colossians 1:15-20: Preexistence or Preeminence? by William WachtelThe Nature of Preexistence in the New Testament  or Preexistensens natur i Nya testamentet (Swedish)Who Is Jesus? God, or Unique Man? or Wie is Jesus? God, of Unieke Mens? (Afrikaans)

A Jewish Theocracy

According to Dr. Lawrence J. Epstein, current Jewish teaching precludes Jesus as the Messiah because it is unanimously believed that the Messiah will bring peace:

"Jesus is not seen as the messiah. In the Jewish view, the messiah is a human being who will usher in an era of peace. We can tell the messiah by looking at the world and seeing if it is at peace. From the Jewish view, this clearly did not happen when Jesus was on Earth or anytime after his death." 25.

Hyam Maccoby believed Jesus to be a rebel, but misrepresented by the gospel accounts out of fear of reprisals by Rome:

"…Jesus was executed as a rebel, against Rome, not as a blasphemer against the Jewish religion, and that the Gospel's misrepresentations on this point are politically motivated--I regard as strongly established…" 26.

Hyam Maccoby is considered a classical scholar and Rabbi of Reform Judaism, and has in recent years been director of the library at the Leo Baeck College of Judaistics in London. His books appear to present accepted ideas regarding Christ, Christianity and the New Testament and the Jewish thought. To clarify Jewish views and dispel Christian misconceptions of the Messiah, Maccoby redefined Jesus' mission:

"…The phrase 'the kingdom of God'…meant the reign of God (not His heavenly territory) and referred to a projected return to a Jewish system of theocracy…" 27.

"….He [Jesus] had campaigned among 'the lost sheep of Israel', calling them to repentance, because he felt that the coming of God's Kingdom was being held back by Israel's sin's. Pharisee writings often stress that God's promises to Israel are not automatically fulfilled; they depend on Israel's worthiness and co-operation ... " 28.

"…Jesus' mission as a prophet was exclusively directed towards the Jews, not towards the Gentiles. The idea that Jesus rejected the Jews and transferred the Old Testament 'promises' to the Gentiles was a later invention of the Gentile-Christian Church…" 29.

"… Some believed that the Messiah would inaugurate a new era for the whole world; that the nations of the world would acknowledge the One God and his Temple in Jerusalem; that the Jews would be revered as the chosen priests of the One God; and that an era of world peace would begin when, in the words of Isaiah's wonderful internationalist vision, the swords would be beaten into plowshares and the wolf would lie down with lamb. Some, however, did not believe that the coming of the Messiah would necessarily bring about an era of international peace. There might be many Messiahs - many more sorrows and comfortings, defeats and victories - for the Jewish people before that happened. After all, there had been Messiahs before and none had brought everlasting peace. The vision of Isaiah was acknowledged by every Pharisee, as the word of God but it was not necessarily attached to the expectation of the coming Messiah who would defeat the Romans." 30.

In The Traditions of the Jews, from the Talmud (treatises Baba Bathra folio 74b, Pesachim folio 32, Bekhoroth folio 57 and Massektoth Ta'anith folio 31), J.P Stehaln presents a glorious scenario of the Messianic era - without Jesus Christ as the Messiah:

"… when the Messianic era arrives. After the return of the Jews from all nations and parts of the world… the Messiah, we are told in the Talmud, will entertain them at a gorgeous banquet, where they will be seated at tables and regaled with wine from Adam's wine-cellar. The first course is to consist of a roasted ox named Behemoth, so immense that every day it eats up the grass upon a thousand hills; the second of a monstrous fish Leviathan; the third of a female Leviathan boiled and pickled; the fourth of a gigantic roast fowl known as Barjuchne, of which the egg alone was so enormous that when it fell out of the nest it crushed three hundred tall cedars and the white overflowed threescore villages. This course is to be followed up by "the most splendid and pompous Dessert," that can be procured, including fruit from the Tree of Life and "the Pomegranates of Eden which are preserved for the Just."

"At the end of the banquet "God will entertain the company at a ball"; He Himself will sit in the midst of them, and everyone will point Him out with his finger, saying: "Behold, this is our God: we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." 31.

Observance of a day to Remember

The Jews had been yearning for a Messiah who could bring relief from the Roman yoke. Many believed Jesus of Nazareth to be that long-awaited Saviour. For three and a half years, he had been speaking about God's Kingdom. He had cured the sick and fed the hungry. He had even brought comfort to many people. But the religious leaders were chafing under Jesus' burning denunciation of them and were desperate to have him killed. (Mark 10:32).

The chief priests, the scribes, and the principal men could not stand Jesus' actions and public teaching. On Nisan the 11th they had questioned Jesus on whose authority he did all those things.(Matthew 21:23-27)

The last day of Jesus' public ministry before his arrest, trial, and execution Jesus discussed several aspects of 'the sign of his presence.' He emphasized the need to "keep on the watch." Why? "Because, you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." (Luke 21:5, 6; Matthew 24:3, 42; Mark 13:3, 4, 7, 14, 21, 33, 35, 37; Luke 21:10, 11)

Jesus spended Nisan 12 quietly with his disciples. He realized that the religious leaders desperately wanted to kill him, and he did not want them to hinder his Passover celebration the following evening. (Mark 14:1, 2)

On Nisan 13, people were busy making final arrangements for the Passover. Early in the afternoon, Jesus had send Peter and John to prepare the Passover for them in an upper room in Jerusalem. (Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:8) A little before sundown, Jesus and the other ten apostles met them there for their last Passover celebration.

“and he said to them, “I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! for I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the kingdom of god.”” (Luke 22:15-16 CJB)

 “also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “this is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.” he did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “this cup is the new covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you.” (Luke 22:19-20 CJB)

 “while they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to the talmidim and said, “take! eat! this is my body!” also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them, saying, “all of you, drink from it! for this is my blood, which ratifies the new covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven.” (Matthew 26:26-28 CJB)

Reason For Observance

Luke 22:19, 20 Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: "This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me." 20 Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in YOUR behalf.
1 Corinthians 11:20, 26 Therefore, when YOU come together to one place, it is not possible to eat the Lord's evening meal. 26 For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.
Romans 6:23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord

Exodus 12:26,27 26 And it must occur that when YOUR sons say to YOU, 'What does this service mean to YOU?' 27 then YOU must say, 'It is the sacrifice of the passover to Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when he plagued the Egyptians, but he delivered our houses.'" Then the people bowed low and prostrated themselves.

In obedience to Christ's instructions, "Keep doing this in remembrance of me," the 14th day of Nisan should be continued to be observed by his followers till this day as the time for memorializing Christ's death. (Luke 22:19, 20)

A prophet to restore

Isaiah, of Jerusalem wanted to be a servant of God the Allmighty and ministered from the year King Uzziah died (740/39), through the reigns of Jotham (740/39), Ahaz (732/31-716/715) and Hezekiah (716/15-687/86).

There is no instance where the prophets regard themselves as the inspired founders of a new spiritual religion, but everywhere they regard themselves as the restorers and reformers of a religion already in being and known to their auditors. Isaiah wanted as a servant to God bring the world Gods Message. Isaiah calls the people to repentance, and are assures that blessing should follow repentance.
There shall come judgement of the wicked and a restoration of the righteous remnant. Those who want to listen shall be able to put their hopes in the Promises of God, who shall not leave them alone. The Good Tidings is about an ordinary man who shall give up his life, having done nothing wrong. He will be placed higher and shall be recognised as the Messiah who shall restore the kingdom to Israel in that day of the earth’s glory.

Do you want to read more about the first messenger, the greatest of the prophets of the Old Testament, and the other messenger, the first messenger of the New Covenant? Please do read our new articles:

Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation

Isaiah’s Book of the Messenger of Glad Tidings

Isaiah prophet and messenger of God

Message from the family tree in the Tanakh

From Adam to Noah, ten generations. At the time of Noah there was made an end to a world. The ten generations of this world view, if we translate the names, show us the whole message of the gospel.

(Some words have more than one translation. Not all translations are listed here.)

1. Adam = Man

2. Seth = Is placed

3. Enosh = Mortal

4. Kenan = Sorrow

5. Mahalalel = Blessed God

6. Jared = Shall come down

7. Enoch = teaching / Anointed

8. Methuselah = His death brings

9. Lamech = Flavors / Taste

10. Noah = Rest / Comfort

Man is as a mortal placed (in) pain
but the blessed / praised God
shall His teachings / Anointed / Messiah do come down.
His death will bring peace and comfort and will let it taste.

Dutch original > Nederlands origineel > Boodschap van de geslachtslijn in de Tenach

Seeing the world through the lens of his own experience

"Everyone sees the world through the lens of his own experience. We perceive our world from a particular time and cultural background. It is easy to assume that Jesus and his disciples were much like ourselves. In our movies about Jesus he is often portrayed as a "hippie" with blond hair and blue eyes. It is not as easy to see Jesus as a homely, middle eastern Jewish rabbi who spoke Hebrew and went by the name "Yashua Ben Yoseph".

If we want to understand Jesus and his message in its original context we have to try to understand the world from his point of view. The most natural assumption in the world is that we put ourselves in the mindset of a first century Jew. If we read the Gospel from this perspective, does the message change? An intellectualized Gospel of the 20th century North American or a Social Justice Gospel which resonates so well in Third World today may miss the message found in a 1st century story of a Jewish Messiah.

Long ago, God chose a special people for himself. He promised Abraham and his descendants that through them would come a redeemer who would bless all nations. So it was that Israel looked forward to the coming Messiah (anointed one). Jesus was very clear in regard to the spiritual authority God had bestowed upon the Jews. We see this in his remark to the Samaritan woman in John 3:22. The Samaritans worshipped the God of Abraham too, but they worshipped him according to their own standards.

Jesus said:

"You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews." John 3:22

The Gospel has become many things in the name of "spirit and truth" (John 3:23) yet God chose to bring forth salvation from within a Jewish context. Jesus cannot be properly understood apart from Old Testament Judaism.

Despite this reality, the Christian world has generally abandoned the Jewish context in which the Gospel was born. Gentile believers, in a reaction against Jewish "traditionalism", commonly discard all things Jewish as obsolete. As a result, Christian traditions have replaced the old Jewish ones.

Over the centuries, the Church developed a version of faith which accommodated its own cultural expressions. This is most readily illustrated by noting the many pagan practices that have been "christianized" and assimilated into our faith experience. It is just as revealing to note how little Jewish tradition was adopted. These "new" traditions are now so embedded we can hardly imagine Christianity without them. Imagine trying to live without Christmas or Easter, both pagan in origin, now fundamental centerpieces of the Christian experience.

There has been a paradigm shift from a Middle Eastern Jewish Messiah to a Western Greco-Roman Christ. So much so, in fact, that Christianity today bears little resemblance to the religion Jesus participated in on the earth. In the minds of most Christians, Judaism may as well be a different religion altogether.

I will suggest that Judaism is not a "different" religion. Rather, Christianity and Judaism are two perspectives of One God. Christianity is no more complete without its Jewish heritage than Judaism is without the Messiah. We may not be comfortable with accepting that Jesus and his disciples were all proud Jews, but I firmly believe it is in our interest to do so.

It is good to remember that the foundation for "Jewish" culture was established directly by God himself. Judaism is the original backdrop of the Gospel story. The Jewish Torah is our own beloved Christian Old Testament. Our God is One, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians should take pride in the fact that this Jewish heritage as it is ours as well. Even we Gentiles have a just spiritual claim to all things promised to the Jew through Jesus our Messiah (Christ)."
-------
GB - The Agora

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem (tzit zit) of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"
Zechariah 8:23

+ About looking throught the lens > If we view the whole world through a lens that is bright

Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed

“But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” (Jas 3:17-18 Cjb)
“Now, all discipline, while it is happening, does indeed seem painful, not enjoyable; but for those who have been trained by it, it later produces its peaceful fruit, which is righteousness.” (Heb 12:11 Cjb)
“The profits of the wicked are illusory; but those who sow righteousness gain a true reward.” (Pr 11:18 Cjb)
“The effect of righteousness will be peace; the result of righteousness, quiet trust forever.” (Isa 32:17 Cjb)
“If you sow righteousness for yourselves, you will reap according to grace. Break up unused ground for yourselves, because it is time to seek ADONAI, till he comes and rains down righteousness upon you.” (Ho 10:12 Cjb)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.” (Ga 5:22-23 Cjb)
“Those who keep sowing in the field of their old nature, in order to meet its demands, will eventually reap ruin; but those who keep sowing in the field of the Spirit will reap from the Spirit everlasting life.” (Ga 6:8 Cjb)
“for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, shalom and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh.” (Ro 14:17 Cjb)
“So from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint. Even if we once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint, we do so no longer.” (2Co 5:16 Cjb)
“filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua the Messiah – to the glory and praise of God.” (Php 1:11 Cjb)
“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like sprouting leaves.” (Pr 11:28 Cjb)
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.” (Pr 11:30 Cjb)
““How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God.” (Mt 5:9 Cjb)
“The one who reaps receives his wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the reaper and the sower may be glad together––” (Joh 4:36 Cjb)
“And this is my prayer: that your love may more and more overflow in fullness of knowledge and depth of discernment, so that you will be able to determine what is best and thus be pure and without blame for the Day of the Messiah, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua the Messiah – to the glory and praise of God.” (Php 1:9-11 Cjb)
“Rejoice in this, even though for a little while you may have to experience grief in various trials.” (1Pe 1:6 Cjb)
“All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness which the Lord, “the Righteous Judge, ”will award to me on that Day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for him to appear.” (2Ti 4:8 Cjb)

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Dezen die vrede maken zullen vrede moeten planten als een zaad

December 2008 edition of the Christadelphian Magazine

The December 2008 edition of the Christadelphian Magazine is now available. For further details, see the current magazine page. Also, as this is the last edition of 2008, an index of the whole year is also available to download as a PDF (requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader software).

>>

For all their loyalty and conviction that he was the promised Messiah, the apostles too had a limited understanding of the nature of his work as Saviour. They too were expecting him to take the throne of David and rule as king. Consequently, it was not only the people who were confused by the Lord’s reaction to the desire to make him a king. <<

> Our faith is put to the test as we too are assailed in the circumstances of life by the storms and tempests that flesh is heir to. In the midst of our adversities we can also be assailed by doubts and uncertainties.<