Little David: I am shocked that you compare the clear teachings of the Word of God with the False Prophet Herbert Armstrong who made over 50 false prophecies that never came true. Why do you refuse to comment on all of Scripture that clearly show that Jesus is not *CO-EQUAL** with the Father or that the holy spirit is **CO-EQUAL** with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Roman Catholic Church was the first to adopt the doctrine of the trinity in AD 325 which stated that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy spirit are **ONE**, **CO-EQUAL**{???} and each is **GOD**??? Do you agree with the Roman Catholic Church??
Unfortunately many other churches have adopted this **EQUAL** definition of the Trinity.
LUTHERAN CHURCH: We teach that the one true God. is the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but of one and the same divine essence, **EQUAL** in power,{???} **EQUAL** in eternity,{???} **EQUAL** in majesty,{???} because each person possesses the one divine essence. -- Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
**EQUAL IN ETERNITY**{???} Why are there only **2 THRONES** in the eternal New Jerusalem for Jesus and the Father???
Question: Is Jesus **CO-EQUAL** with the Father?
**WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY**??
John 14:28: Jesus says, "If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the **FATHER IS GREATER THAN I**!"
John 10:27-30: Jesus says, "My sheep listen to My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is **GREATER THAN ALL**;
John 6:37,39,44,65: Jesus says, "**ALL** that the Father gives Me **WILL** come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will **NEVER** drive away... And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall **LOSE NONE** of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the Last Day.... No one can come to Me **UNLESS** the Father who sent Me **DRAWS HIM**, and I will raise him up at the Last Day!!... No one can come to Me **UNLESS** the Father has **ENABLED THEM**!!"
John 17:17: Jesus says to His Father, "Sanctify them by the truth **YOUR WORD** is Truth!!"
Deuteronomy 18:17-20: The Lord said to Moses, "I will raise up fpr them a Prophet from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put My words in His mouth. He will tell them everything I command Him. I Myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to My words that the Prophet speaks in My Name!"
John 14:23-24: Jesus says, "Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and **WE** will come to them and make **OUR HOME** with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me!"
Matthew 28:16-20:: Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to **ME**. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age!"
Jesus is the **HEAD** of God's Kingdom in the NT era until His 2nd Coming and **THEN** He will hand over His Kingdom to God the Father!
I Corinthians 15:23-24: For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the Firstfruits, then, when He comes, those who belong to Him. **THEN** He will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father!
There are 7 passages in the New Testament which state that we should only pray to God the Father!
Revelation 1:1: The Revelation from Jesus Christ, which **GOD GAVE HIM**!
John 14:28: Jesus says, "If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the **FATHER IS GREATER THAN I!"
Question: Is the holy spirit **CO-EQUAL** to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ**??
Colossians 1:15-20: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the **HEAD** of the body, the church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
John 16:12-15: Jesus says, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when hem the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. **HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN**; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me because it is **FROM ME** that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the spirit will **RECEIVE FROM ME**what he will make known to you!"
God the Father told Jesus what to say in the 4 Gospels while Jesus told the holy spirit what to inspire the writers to write in the other books in the New Covenant!
Ephesians 4:7; 11-16: To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.... It is He who gives some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!.... Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the **HEAD**, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work!
Jesus is called **GOD** 7 times in God's Word and is called **LORD** over 200 times in the New Testament, and is **WORSHIPED** 12 times in the New Testament, and God's Word tells us to only **WORSHIP GOD**!! While the holy spirit is never called **GOD** or **LORD** in God's Word and is **NEVER WORSHIPED** in God's Word!!
And in Hebrews 1:1-3,6,8; Paul is inspired to write: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word... God says, "Let all God's angels **WORSHIP HIM**!!" and about His Son God says, "Your throne, **O GOD** will last for ever and ever!!"
John 1:18: No one has ever seen God, **BUT THE ONE AND ONLY SON**!! who is **HIMSELF GOD** and in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known!!
Titus 2:13-14: We wait for the **BLESSED HOPE**--the glorious appearing of our great **GOD AND SAVIOR**, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to glorify Himself a people that are **HIS VERY OWN**, eager to do what is good!
Luke 3:16: John the Baptist said, "I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire!!"
And so **JESUS BAPTIZES** with the holy spirit and fire all whom God the Father have chosen!
Note: Jesus Christ is called the **LAMB** 30 times in the book of Revelation and the holy spirit is called the **7 SPIRITS** 4 times in Revelation:
Revelation 1:4: Grace and peace to you from the Father and the **7 SPIRITS** **BEFORE HIS THRONE** and from Jesus Christ!
Revelation 3:1: Jesus says, "These are the words of Him who **HOLDS** the **7 SPIRITS OF GOD**!" {See John 16:12-15 below!}
Revelation 4:5: In front of the {Father's} **THRONE** 7 lamps were blazing. These are the **7 SPIRITS OF GOD**. {See Revelation 1:4 above}
Revelation 5:6: The **LAMB** had 7 horns and 7 eyes which are the **7 SPIRITS OF GOD** sent out into all the earth! {See John 16:12-15 below}
And so Jesus **HOLDS** the 7 spirits of God in His right hand which **HE SENDS** out into all the earth.
Revelation 3:1,14;19-21: Jesus says, "These are the words of Him who holds the 7 spirits of God... These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation... Those whom I love I discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I {MY SPIRIT} will come in and eat with him and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on **MY THRONE**, just as I overcame and sat down with **MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE**!! These are the **ONLY 2 THRONES** in the eternal New Jerusalem as per Revelation 22:3 below!!!
Revelation 22:3:: The **THRONE OF GOD** and of the **LAMB**will be in the City {In our Eternal Home in the New Jerusalem}
Revelation 21:22-23: I did not see a temple in the City, because the Lord God Almighty and the **LAMB** are its temple. The City does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the **LAMB** is its Lamp!!
It is interesting to note that the holy spirit or 7 spirits are not even mentioned once in the description of our eternal home in the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:1-27 and Revelation 22::1-5, and that there will be only **2 THRONES** for the Father and Jesus the **LAMB** in the eternal New Jerusalem!!
I gave you the truth about how the word 'Elohim' functions in Hebrew. Many people only take part of the truth, ignoring the rest so as to build fantasy doctrines to support what they want to believe. It is safe to say you are to be counted among them. It's difficult to help people like this because they are not honest with themselves. They see only want they want. Being comfortable is more important to them than discovering truth.
Because you misunderstand the Hebrew definition for the word "worship". Hebrew is a very poor language in that it has very few words and therefore words with multiple meanings such as 'worship' get a more specific meaning from context. From a Greek Western context this makes no sense to people. This is why the Hebrew Scriptures must be understood from an Eastern context. If you read where Joshua worshipped an Angel, you'll notice it means only to bow down. Also the King of Israel is said to be worshipped; same thing. The point is every Jew knows not to worship anything else as HaShem (God). Therefore when they read the Text they know what kind of worship is being described.
To answer your question: Messiah is to be worshipped as Messiah, or as having God given authority. But to substitute Messiah for God giving him the worship that only belongs to God is idolatry and blasphemy.
Although the New Testament is written in Greek, it was written from a Hebraic perspective with Hellenistic overtones. Your take on Hebrews violates so much that is clearly taught in Scripture. It must be remembered; deep hidden meanings cannot contradict the simple literal meanings taught in Scripture.
**SHOULD WE WORSHIP OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST**??
Jesus is called **GOD** 7 times in God's Word and is called **LORD** over 200 times in the New Testament, and is **WORSHIPED** 12 times in the New Testament, and God's Word tells us to only **WORSHIP GOD** as per Revelation 22:8,9! While the holy spirit is never called **GOD** or **LORD** in God's Word and is **NEVER WORSHIPED** in God's Word!!
And in Hebrews 1:1-3,6,8; Paul is inspired to write: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word... God says, "Let all God's angels **WORSHIP HIM**!!" and about His Son God says, "Your throne, **O GOD** will last for ever and ever!!"
Revelation 5:11-14: Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands and 10 thousand times 10 thousand. In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the **LAMB**, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them, saying: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the **LAMB** be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The 4 living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and **WORSHIPED**!
The **WORSHIP** of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can also be found in Matthew 2:2,8,11; 14:33; 28:9,17 Luke 24:52 and John 9:38!!
"God" in Greek can mean "god". Lord in Greek means only 'master' as in teacher or Sir. Therefore we have no definitive proof in the New Testament that we are to give the same kind of worship to Y'shua as we do YHWH, excepting in that we see HaShem manifest in Y'shua. Find just one place in the New Testament where Y'shua is referred to as YHWH Himself.
Even the "I Am" passages are misinterpreted from Hebrew where they literally say; "I will be who I will be". I have much to say on this, but would be to much at this time.
John 20:27-29: Then He said to Thomas, "Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe!" Thomas said to him, "My Lord and **MY GOD**!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!"
Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor and **MIGHTY GOD**!
Isaiah 7:14: The Lord Himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him **IMMANUEL**! {Which means **GOD WITH US**!}
Matthew 1:20-23: The angel of the Lord said to Joseph, "Take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She is to give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus which means **GOD IS HELP**, because He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet {Isaiah 7:14 above} "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him **IMMANUEL** which means **GOD WITH US**!
John 1:18: No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is **HIMSELF GOD** and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known!
John 14:6,7: Jesus says, "I am the **WAY** the **TRUTH** and the **LIFE**. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew Me, you will know the Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have **SEEN HIM**!"
**GOD'S WORD COMMANDS THAT WE SHOULD ONLY WORSHIP GOD**!!
Matthew 4:9,10: Satan said to Jesus, "All this I will give you if you bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, Away from Me Satan! For it is written, '**WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD** and serve Him only!
Revelation 19:9,10: The angel said to me, "Write this: **BLESSED** are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the **LAMB**!" And he added, "These are the true words of God!" At this I fell at his feet to **WORSHIP** him, But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus! **WORSHIP GOD**! For it is the spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus!"
Revelation 22:8,9: I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, "**DON'T DO THAT** A am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who **KEEP THE WORDS** of this scroll. **WORSHIP GOD**!!
Hebrews 1:6,8: When God brings His firstborn into the world He says, "Let all God's angels **WORSHIP HIM**.... About the Son He says, "Your throne, **O GOD**, will last for ever and ever, a scepter of justice will be the scepter of **YOUR KINGDOM**!"
Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus says, "**ALL AUTHORITY**in heaven and on earth has been given to **ME**. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always!"
**JESUS CHRIST, OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR**
Jesus is **WORSHIPED** many times in God's Word in Matthew 2:2,8,11; 14:33; 28:9,17 Luke 24:52 John 9:38 and Revelation 5:11-14 and !5:4!!
Matthew 2:10,11: When the Wise Men saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and **WORSHIPED HIM**!
Matthew 14:33; Then those who were in the boat **WORSHPED HIM**!!
Matthew 28:8,9: So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and **WORSHIPED HIM**!
Matthew 28:16,17: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When the saw Him, they **WORSHIPED HIM**!
There are some who completely ignore these Scriptures and claim that Jesus is not God because he said that the Father is greater than me in John 14:28 and that the Father told Him what to say as per John 14:23,24: Jesus says, "Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. The words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me."
John 9:37,38: Jesus said, "You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you!" Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he **WORSHIPED HIM**!
NOTE: Jesus is called the **LAMB** 30 times in the book of Revelation!
Revelation 5:13,14: Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, an all that is In them, saying "To Him who sits on the throne and to the **LAMB** be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!" The 4 living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and **WORSHIPED**!
Revelation 17:14; They will wage war against the **LAMB**, but the **LAMB** will overcome them because He is **LORD** of lords and King of kings--and with Him will be **HIS** **CALLED**, *CHOSEN** and **FAITHFUL** followers!!
Titus 2:13,14: We wait for the **BLESSED HOPE**--the glorious appearing of our **GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR**, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify a people that are **HIS VERY OWN**, eager to do what is good!!
5"Behold, [the] days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.
6"In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, The LORD our righteousness. Is this not Messiah YHWH tsedeq.
