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Did Jesus have a Pre-Existence?
There
are some who have argued that Jesus was an ordinary man who received
miraculous powers and status after
He was anointed with the Spirit at His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17; Mark
1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34). These people argue that there is
only one
person who is identified in Scripture as God, and that person is named
Yahweh in the Old Testament. They cite Deuteronomy 6:4 as proof that
there is only one God. They believe that the description of God as a
Trinity, or better yet, a Tri-Unity is blasphemous and unsupported from
Scripture.
To such individuals I offer some questions that must be answered. (1) The generic name for God in the OT is Elohim. It is a plural noun. It appears some 2600 times in the OT. Can you explain adequately why it is a plural noun? (Examples in Genesis 1 alone include the following: Gen. 1:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31.) (2) Why did God, in Gen. 1:26 say, "Let us make man in our likeness and in our image?" (3) How do you explain the "Angel (Messenger) of the LORD"? (Note: Both in the OT and the NT, the original nouns translated "Angel" mean "Messenger." (malák, 4397); (ággelos, 32) a.
He appeared to Hagar (Gen. 16:7-14) and promised he would muliply her
descendants beyond number (Gen. 16:10). Moses identified the Messenger
as
Yahweh; Hagar identified him as God (Elohim) (Gen. 16:13). Who was this
Messenger?
b. At the command of God, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael into the desert. God assured Abraham He would make a nation of Ishmael because he was Abraham's seed (Gen. 21:9-14). When the water in the skin was used up, Hagar left her son under one of the bushes and wept, unwilling to watch him die (Gen. 21:15-16). God heard the lad crying, and the Messenger of God called to Hagar from heaven. He said, "What is the matter with you Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him" (Gen. 21:17-18). Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink (Gen. 21:19). God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer (Gen. 21:20). Who was this Messenger of God? On the one hand He is identified as a "messenger" (malak, 4397). On the other hand he is identified as "God" (Elohim, 430). Who was He? c. Elohim tested Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his only son on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Gen. 22:1-2). When Abraham started to kill his son, the Messenger of Yahweh called to Abraham from heaven and told him to stop (Gen. 22:9-12). Abraham had proven he feared Elohim since, the Messenger said, "You have you withheld your son, your only son, from Me." The Messenger thus identified Himself as Elohim (Gen. 22:12). The Messenger of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of heaven (Gen. 22:15). He said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this .... I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the sea. Your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies" (Gen. 22:16-17). "And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). Who was this Messenger? d. The Messenger of God said to Jacob in a dream ... I am the God of Bethel where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth" (Gen. 31:11-13). Who was this Messenger? e. On his way back to meet Esau his brother, Jacob wrestled with a man until daybreak. Even though the man dislocated Jacob's thigh, Jacob kept wrestling. He would not let the man go until he blessed him. The man changed Jacob's name to Israel because he had striven with God and with men and had prevailed. Jacob asked for the man's name, but the man would not say, but he blessed Jacob. Jacob named the place "Peniel," which means, "Face of El" (God), for, he said, I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved." (Gen. 32:24-30). Who was this man? f. The Messenger of Yahweh appeared to Moses in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush that was burning, yet never was consumed (Ex. 3:1-2). The Messenger who appeared to Moses is identified both as Yahweh and as Elohim. When Yahweh "saw that he turned aside to look," Elohim "called to him from the midst of the bush" (Ex. 3:4). The Messenger identified himself as the Elohim of Moses' forefathers, and Moses was afraid to look at Elohim. The Messenger also said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look on God (Ex. 3:6). The Messenger then commissioned Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land (Ex. 3:7-10). Who was this Messenger? g. Israel did evil against Yahweh, so He delivered them into oppression by Midian. The sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, so he sent them a prophet to tell them they were suffering because of disobedience (Judges 6:1-10). The Messenger of Yahweh appeared to Gideon and sat under an oak (Judges 6:11). The Messenger of Elohim / Yahweh (Judges 6:20-21) is identified as Yahweh. He commands Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian (Judges 6:14, 16). When Gideon prepared an offering for the Messenger, He accepted it. No ordinary messenger (angel) would have accepted worship (Judges 6:18-21). When fire sprang up from the rock to consume the sacrifice and the Messenger vanished, Gideon was appalled. He said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the LORD face to face” (Judges 6:22). Yahweh responded to Gideon, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die” (Judges 6:23). On the same night Yahweh told Gideon to destroy the altar of Baal and the Asherah that belonged to his father, and to build an altar to Yahweh with the wood of the Asherah, and to offer an offering to Yahweh on the new altar. Gideon obeyed. (Judges 6:25-27). Who was this Messenger of Yahweh? h. The Messenger of the LORD appeared to the barren wife of Manoah. He predicted to her that she would bear a son (Judges 13:2-3). He instructed her that her son was to be a Nazirite to Elohim from the womb, and that he would begin to deliver Israel. His hair was never to be cut. Because of his special mission in life she herself therefore was to remain ceremonially pure in her own life, and not to drink wine or strong drink or eat any unclean thing (Judges 13:4-5). [1] This Messenger is identified as “the Messenger of the LORD” (the Messenger of Yahweh)
(Judges
13:3, 13, 16-18,
20-21). The woman describes this
being as appearing “like the Messenger of God” (the Messenger of Elohim) –
“very awesome” (Judges 13:6). The writer also identifies
the being as “the Messenger of God” (the Messenger of Elohim) (Judges 13:9).
[2] We are told what the Messenger of Yahweh looked like in this passage. Manoah’s wife described the messenger as “a man of God” (Judges 13:6 ). The Hebrew word she uses is ish, which particularly references a male human being. Manoah picked up on his wife’s description and prayed that God would send “the man (ish) of God” again (Judges 13:8). God listened to Manoah and sent “the Messenger of God” back to his wife (Judges 13:9). The woman ran quickly to her husband and asked him to come with her because “the man” (ish) who had appeared to her earlier had returned (Judges 13:10). When Manoah came to the man (ish) he asked him, “Are you the man (ish) who spoke to the woman?” – to which he replied, “I am” (Judges 13:11). Observe in Judges 13:11 that not only does Manoah call the Messenger a man, but so also does the text. Note furthermore that, when asked if He were the man who had spoken to the woman earlier, the Messenger agreed! [3] The Messenger of Yahweh accepted the burnt offering from Manoah on condition that it was offered to Yahweh. No ordinary messenger (angel) would have accepted such an offering (Judges 13:16). [4] After the Messenger of the LORD ascended up in the flame of the altar, Manoah and his wife fell on their faces (Judges 13:20). When he appeared no more, Manoah knew he was the Messenger of Yahweh (the LORD) (Judges 13:21). [5] The text states furthermore that Manoah believed he and his wife had seen Elohim Himself, and that they would die because of it (Judges 13:22). They did not, of course, but the point is that Manoah believed he had seen God Himself. [6] Who is this Messenger of Yahweh / Elohim? If he is an ordinary messenger, of whom there are millions, why is he frequently termed as "Yahweh" or "Elohim" Himself? And if He is the same person as "Yahweh" or "Elohim," why is He termed as merely a Messenger of Yahweh or Elohim? i The Angel of Yahweh rebuked Satan, removed Joshua’s sin, and promised Joshua a governing role (Zechariah 3:1-7). [1] The
prophet Zechariah wrote, “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest
standing before the angel (messenger) of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right
hand to accuse him” (Zech. 3:1). If the form of Zechariah
holds firm, the person identified as “he” must be the messenger who speaks
to him throughout the book of
Zechariah.
[2] Abruptly, Zechariah recorded, “The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire’” (Zech. 3:2)? The best understanding of this intriguing passage is that, once again, the Angel of Yahweh is identified as Yahweh. [3] Zechariah next observes that Joshua was standing before “the Messenger” (of Yahweh) with filthy garments (Zech. 3:3). The Messenger of Yahweh instructs that Joshua’s filthy clothes be removed. When this had been done, the Messenger of Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes” (Zech. 3:4). Only God has the authority to forgive the sins of His people. Who is this Messenger? (See, for example, Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26.) [5] Joshua was given clean clothes while the Messenger of Yahweh was standing there (Zech. 3:5). Then the Messenger of Yahweh “admonished Joshua, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house ...”’” (Zech. 3:6-7a). Here, the Messenger of Yahweh quotes Yahweh. The fact that the Messenger of Yahweh is identified as Yahweh, exercises prerogatives belonging only to God (removing someone’s sin), and yet is distinct from Yahweh coincides perfectly with the words of the Apostle John about the Word (Message), Jesus. “The Word (Message) was with God” (distinction), and yet “the Word (Message) was being God” (identity) (John 1:1, author’s translation. [6] Who is this Messenger? (4) What is the identity of the Lógos (3056), "Word" or "Message" in John 1:1-14? It is my contention that the person who, in the OT was called the Messenger of God or Messenger of Yahweh is, in the NT, called by the Apostle John the Message of God. a.
"In the beginning the Message was existing" (John 1:1). The Message (Nominative
Case) was existing (Imperfect
Tense) in the beginning. "Was existing" is the 3rd Singular Imperfect
Indicative
Active
of the verb eimí (1510),
"to be, exist" (Accordance);
"to be, to exist, to happen, to be present" (OBU).
This indicates continuous action in past time. That means that when the
beginning of the entire universe and the world took place, the Message
was already
existing. Who is this Message?
b. "and the Message was existing with God" (John 1:1). Once again, "was existing" is the 3rd Singular Imperfect Indicative Active of the verb eimí (1510), "to be, exist" (Accordance); "to be, to exist, to happen, to be present" (OBU). The presposition "with" (prós, 4314), indicates differentiation and communion. "God" is the Accusative Case of the noun theós (2316), "God." By "differentiation" I mean that there are two different persons. (One cannot be "with" himself.) He can only be "with" some other person, in this case, God. By communion I mean that there was intimate association between these two persons, the Message and God. We know who God is. Who is this Message? c. "And the Message was being (Imperfect Tense) God" (John 1:1). Even though the Message was a different person than God, in the beginning He was sharing the same essence of Godness that God is. Two different persons with the identical essence – both are God. Who is this Message? d. "This one was was existing in the beginning with God" (John 1:2). When the beginning began this same person, the Message, was already existing (Imperfect Tense) with God. So He predated the creation of the entire universe, including the world, and He was in association with God. Who is this Message? e. "All things through Him came into being" (John 1:3). "Through Him" refers to the Message. "Came into being" is the 3rd Singular Aorist Middle Indicative of the verb gínomai (1096), "came into existence" (excerpted and adapted from OBU); "were made to be, were created" (excerpted and adapted from Accordance). Who is this Message through whom everything in f. "and without Him came into being nothing which has come into being" (John 1:3). Apart from the Message, nothing came into existence (Aorist Tense) that has come into existence (Perfect Tense). Who is this Message apart from whom nothing that exists in the universe today has come into existence? g. "And the Message became flesh and tented among us, and we observed His glory – glory as from the only-born from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The Message, who previously had been existing as a Spirit being, at a point in time became [Aorist Tense of the verb gínomai (1096)] human flesh, the Nominative Case of the noun sárx (4561), and he tented, the Aorist Tense of the verb skēnóō (4637), "to pitch one's tent, live among" us. This refers to the Incarnation of the Message. Who was He? h. John (John 1:14) says that he and other Apostles looked upon the glory of the Message; "glory" here is the Accusative Case of the noun dóxa (1391), in this context, a brilliant display of light, magnificence, and power (see Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36; John 2:1-11). John described this glory of the Message as that of the "only-born", the Masculine Genitive of the noun monogenēs (3439) from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). (See my Word Study of monogenēs.) Who is this glorious Message who is the onlyborn from the Father? i. John the Apostle continued, "God – no one as seen at any time. "Only-born God – the One existing, the Present Active Participle, Nominative Masculine Singular of the verb eimí (1510), "to be, exist" (Accordance) – that One explained (Him)!" "Explained" is the 3rd Singular Aorist Middle Indicative of the verb exēgéomai (1834), "to explain, interpret, exposit, exegete" (adapted from Accordance). Who is this Message, and how did He explain the Father as no one else has ever been able to do? (5) How do you explain the statement of John the Baptist that Jesus existed before he did (John 1:29-30)? (6) What did Jesus mean when He said that He had descended from heaven? (John 3:13) (7) What did Jesus mean when He said that He, the Bread of Life, had come down from heaven to give life to the world (John 6:33)? (8) What did Jesus mean when He said that He had come down from heaven not to do His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him (John 6:38)? (9) What did Jesus mean when He said, "What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?" (John 6:62) (10) What did Jesus mean when He said to the Jews, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world. I am not of this world" (John 8:23)? (11) How do you explain Jesus' statement to the Jews in the temple, "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58)? How do explain the fact that the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him? (John 8:59) (12) How do you explain Jesus' statement to His disciples, "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and am going to the Father" (John 16:28)? (13) How do you explain Jesus' High Priestly prayer, in which He prayed, "Now, Father, glorify me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 17:5)? (14) How do you explain the statement of Paul that, by the beloved Son of the Father "all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him" (Col. 1:13, 16)? (15) How do you explain the statement of Paul that the beloved Son of the Father (Col. 1:13) "is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Col 1:17)? (16) How do you explain the statement of the author of Hebrews, who wrote that "God ... in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world" (Heb. 1:1-2)? And how do you explain that this Son "upholds all things by the word of His power" (Heb. 1:3)? Who is this Son? What is His identity? How long has He been in existence? (Scripture quotations taken
from
the NASB.
Some passages I have paraphrased or provided my own translation.) Updated January 23, 2025
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