Is the FATHER the Lord God?

I am not quite sure I understand the emotional subtext of those who had once believed the scriptures about Jesus’ pre-incarnate role but now feel that Heiser’s books about the supernatural have brought them greater spiritual understanding? I wonder why they now think that the Lord God is the Father. This seems to be a ‘spirit of anti-Christ’ that denies that the Lord God emptied himself of his divinity to become our Messiah at the behest of the Father. This concerns me and I felt the need to delve into the question

As a young person in a scripturalist church, my teachers gave me a solid understanding, both of the basics of doctrine as found in the scriptures, and those of traditional Christianity. Through hard experience I learned that some of my teachers were not only flawed or hypocritical, but some eventually became reprobate and/or left the faith altogether. This was a great test of my faith and a source of personal discouragement. At the same time, I faced a lot of personal challenges and heartaches that tested my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ and the Father. But five decades later, I can say that my faith, understanding, and hope have grown through these trials. Each trial forced me to re-examine both, my foundation in the scriptures and my personal relationship with God - Jesus my Lord, and God the Father. It has been a slow building process and it is not finished yet.

One of the key lessons learned through this process, was “Let God be true and every man a liar,” and its corollary “Put your trust in God and not in man.” So I have of necessity become very wary of religious leaders who like the snake, Kaa, in the “Jungle Book” whisper the sweet refrain of “trust in me,” promising some new spiritual insight that could be a shortcut to greater spiritual understanding. I have learned that spiritual growth is a hard, slow process, rather like Jacob’s wrestling with the Lord God. It requires me to engage with God’s word and apply it with discernment to my personal situation. I do not need any outside source to enhance my spiritual understanding or experience of God. So it concerns me that after a lifetime of personal wrestling with God, that some of my friends now feel that their spiritual understanding of God has been either erroneous or incomplete. And they are ‘seeking’ new sources of spiritual enlightment. They are putting their confidence in new ‘spiritual revelations’ from men like Heiser – men who neither value God’s commandments, nor practice and teach them. Teachers who pride themselves on their understanding of the historical context of pagan religious traditions as tools to understand the spiritual realities of scripture.

Isaiah’s advice in such cases is to avoid the darkness:

Isaiah 8:16-20

Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples.
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

This is not to say that I do not appreciate the insights of others relative to their personal experience of ‘wrestling with God.’ I have learned much about love, patient endurance, faithfulness through trials, goodness and kindness, and self-discipline from the examples of others who’ve shared their stories of walking with God. But in the end, these are only of real value if the people involved have evaluated their experience with scriptural wisdom and are valuing God’s word above human reasoning.

God wants us to have an ‘iron-sharpening-iron’ influence on each other. In love we are to speak the truth, and that truth comes only from scripture. God wants us to have the scripture alone, sola scriptura, as our foundation and basis for our relationship with the spiritual. So that is why I have wanted to express my concern about a new path that some people are taking that seems to neglect some very basic scriptural testimony of Jesus Christ. So why am I concerned? Because these are people I love, and I care about their welfare. And why are there warnings in the scriptures about those who teach ‘cunningly devised fables?’ Because Jesus our Lord loves us and instructed his apostles to warn us so we would not be subverted, falter, and reject his teachings that lead to eternal life. Only Jesus' teachings have the promise of eternal life, and all outside sources of spiritual knowledge are only there to mislead and destroy.

John, writing of his vision in Revelation, gives us a key fact. Those who truly serve God have 2 things in common. They are keeping the commandments of God and holding to the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Scripturalists in the past century focused heavily on the commandments at a time when traditional Protestant Christianity was adopting many worldly attitudes and making the error of rejecting even the most basic of God’s commands - the 10 commandments. But now, as a result of recent correspondence and discussions, I see a new error arising that poses a great danger to the brethren. For this re-interpretation of the nature of God (according to Heiser and some unitarians, Messianics, and others) appears to be a direct rejection of the testimony of Jesus Christ. In the apostle John's time he would have labelled it as the "spirit of anti-Christ" for it denies that the Lord God came as the Messiah in the flesh.

The ‘new’ understanding is based on rejecting some clear evidence presented by Jesus Christ that gives witness to his pre-existence as the Lord God, the Word and the spokesman for the Father. We must be very careful that we do not reject Christ’s testimony based upon the cunning reasoning of men. For what use are the scriptures if we do not believe Jesus’ own witness?

Jesus gave testimony to the fact that he alone is the way, the truth, and the life...and there is no other Shepherd. If we are his sheep, then we follow his voice. These are exclusive and inseparable claims that we must hold to, if we are to believe Jesus’ testimony and be considered his disciples; those who will be given the gift of eternal life at his return. His words are truth and I could fill a book with scriptures that provide evidence of Jesus testimony. But here are a few salient scriptures concerning Christ’s personal testimony about His nature and the Father — as recorded by the beloved disciple, John:

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it...

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him...

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 5:37

And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

John 6:46

Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

John 8:58

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Now it would seem that the lens of those who are teaching that YHVH, the Lord God of Israel, the Lord of Hosts, is the Father is that Jesus’ words in John were just allegorical/metaphor and not literal. This seems to be poor exegesis or a deliberate obfuscation to deny the literal sense of the words. This was the same reasoning and strategy the Roman church used to reject the plain and simple teaching of scripture, like keeping the Sabbath or not having idols. The Romani allegorized the scripture to seize religious power, and establish their authority over the scripture, and thus capture the hearts of the people.

A basic premise of bible study is that you believe the literal interpretation of the scripture first. Only if it is an obvious metaphor ( ie kingdom is a mustard seed) or there is a clear conflict with other scriptures, (Lord God did not “literally” marry Judah and Israel and the divorce them) would you consider an allegorical interpretation.

Logically, looking at the literal reading of scripture, in Matthew and Luke, directed to the disciples, the Father had not been revealed until the Son came to reveal him to the disciples. Even the prophets had not literally seen or heard the Father, as the disciples were seeing and hearing Jesus. Rather the prophets were only anticipating the Messiah’s coming and what it might reveal.

Luke 10:21

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

Some interpretations try to give examples of the Father being “heard” and “seen” to prove that Jesus did not really mean what he said. People will cite the transfiguration and claim that this was reality and not a vision. But a cursory reading of the scripture will prove this assertion to be false. We must be very careful so that we do not deny the scriptures. In Matthew’s account, Jesus says clearly that it was a vision. So as followers of Christ we must believe his testimony.

Matthew 17:9

Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

Others claim that the “hearing” and “seeing” are not literal, but refer to people “understanding or knowing.” As proof they cite John 6, but the reality is that this section of scripture is further proof that only Jesus has actually seen the Father.

This is what the passage literally says, so I have to believe that it is the intended meaning and the facts of the matter. Jesus is speaking the truth, the reality:

41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

The key messages of the passage are as follows, and provide evidence confirming the fact that the Jews did not know the Father and had neither seen nor heard him.

1. The Jews did not understand the concept of the ‘Word of God’ being the bread of life (MT. 4:4)and coming down from heaven, as John had revealed in the first chapter of his gospel (Jn.1:14). 
2. The Jews had no spiritual insight into Jesus nature. They were limited to their physical understanding and could only see his ‘physical parents.’ (v. 41-42)
3. Only the Father could give spiritual understanding … and draw people to Christ.(v. 44)

4. The Jews were confused because the Father had not given them this understanding and was not drawing them at that time.
5. The ‘everyone’ who would hear and learn from the Father would come to Christ. But the Jews refused to come to Christ, therefore they were not the ‘everyone’ Christ was speaking about. And this was evidence that they had not heard or learned from the Father.
6. Those who were called by the Father and then believed (obedient faith) in Christ, Christ would raise them up and give them eternal life. (v. 44-46)

7. This passage confirms that no one but Jesus had seen the Father (v. 46)

In ignoring or denying these direct statements, a false premise is established. A premise that must deny many other scriptures and ends up interpreting scripture through a distorted lens that complicates the simple truth. It specifically denies Christ’s testimony and the fact that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, representing the Father to humanity.

The false premise is that “the Father must have been actively present and involved in the affairs of humanity.”

The rationale for this premise is that the Father wants to have a relationship with people, so why wouldn’t he have been involved personally with them from the beginning. This is rather circular reasoning with no substantiating evidence.

This is the same kind of reasoning that atheists use to deny God’s existence. They suppose that if God were ‘real’ he would surely ‘do something’ about the evil state of world affairs. But they too, lack a solid understanding of scripture, and God’s plan and timeline.

This false premise comes from a lack of understanding of God the Father’s holiness, and why He has a timeline and has delayed judgment, and has not come and destroyed humanity through his presence.

Yes, the Father ultimately wants a relationship with his people. But it is a false assumption to claim that therefore he must have been the Lord God of the OT. Or that he must have been in direct contact with humanity prior to Christ’s coming, or even now. This is mere human reasoning and contradicts many scriptures. According to scripture, we only have access to the Father in Christ’s name through prayer, because Christ is our intermediary and the high priest between us and the Father. There are reasons for God’s plan, his timing, and his actions … and that is why Christ has not come again ... yet. And it is why the Father does not come until all is fulfilled, and Christ hands over the Kingdom to the Father.

Scripture tells us that the Father’s children are those who have been adopted by him, they are not his natural children. So how are they adopted? They were called by him, baptized, received the holy spirit, and have had a relationship with him through Christ as their high priest. Only these ones the Father calls, who continue to follow the Lord Jesus, will eventually be born of the spirit. The Father tells us he has chosen to work through the Son, and that it is only through the Son that we can approach the Father’s throne in heaven. It is through the Son that we are written in the Lamb’s book of life and will be given the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so he has always been the mediator between the Father and humanity. No one can have a relationship with the Father except through Christ the Lord as their high priest. This is true now and it was true of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses and all the faithful in the Old Testament era, according to the biblical accounts.

The scripture says that the Lord God’s children (not the Father’s) were his children by creation, and then by covenant with the physical nation of Israel through Moses as mediator. That is why John affirmed that when Christ came to “his own” they (the children of Israel by covenant) did not receive him. That is also why the Messiah is called the ‘everlasting father’ as he is the father of all humanity by creation.

When evaluating scripture you can’t “have it both ways!” It is either true or it isn’t. Jesus testimony of his being the way, the truth, and the life is either true or it isn’t. If he says we cannot come to the Father except through Christ, it is either true or it isn’t. ...unless of course, you are a dispensationalist, and you think God has different standards of righteousness for different people at different times. But scripture does not support a God who is a ‘respecter of persons.’ Nor is he scrambling to fix a first failed plan, by creating plan B. God's plans have been the same from the foundation of the earth, and that is part of the reason that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The scriptures in John repeatedly affirm, and in Jesus’ own words, that the Father was neither seen nor heard. So you are left with a dilemma with 3 possible solutions.

1. Either you can believe the simple statement of fact, and this means the Lord God of Israel who was both seen and heard was not the Father.

2. Or, if you insist that the Lord God must be the Father, then you must try to allegorize and say that Jesus’ use of “see and hear” were not literal but metaphorical .

3. Or, if you think that Jesus statements are literal, and you still insist the Lord God must be the Father, then you must account for every place in the OT where the Lord God is seen or heard, and then re-interpret it to mean “they didn’t really see or hear him.” This is a daunting task, that forces one to deny literally dozens of biblical passages, by allegorizing, or saying it was a vision, or minimizing its importance to the biblical narrative. This is a fool’s errand at best.

This type of mental endeavour reminds me of doing ‘triazzles’ — puzzles with triangular pieces that all have the same or very similar images, and yet they can only fit one way. Attempting to piece them together in the wrong way always leads to extreme frustration and disappointment when you realize that after hours of effort, the last one or two pieces won’t fit. God’s word is like a triazzle … all the pieces must fit. You cannot leave any out, or pretend that they fit when they don’t.

For me, a key problem with the ‘God the Father, is the Lord God,” premise, (whether from the trinitarian, unitarian, Messianic, Jewish, JW, or now evangelical perspective) is that it leaves key questions unanswered.

How could Christ be the same yesterday, today, and forever?

How could he fulfill all the prophecies of his first and second coming?

If the Lord God is God the Father, and the pre-incarnate Jesus is inactive, or perhaps non-existent, or not a separate entity, or like a shadow at the Father’s side, or the ‘right hand’ of the Father, or an angelic being … how could he be our Rock, our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Lord, our King, our High Priest, and our Shepherd — yesterday, today, and forever? This line of reasoning, that denies Jesus pre-incarnate existence as the Lord of Hosts, Lord God, and Holy One of Israel, begins to fall into the realm of ‘preaching another Jesus.’ It has many historical roots from a variety of different religious traditions,(gnostic, Arian, Marcion, etc …) but it is not firmly rooted in scriptures.

God’s truth is simple, but spiritually discerned. And the more I read the scriptures the more I see the Father’s incredible plan, and our Lord’s hand in performing the Father’s will on earth. Yesterday as the Lord God and Lord of Heaven’s armies, today as our Lord and high priest, and forever as the Lamb of God, Christ is the one and only Saviour and Redeemer.

And yet some believers are being seduced by Heiser’s dissection of scripture, and his discussion of: 

“the existence of a "class" of elohim (spirit beings), yet with only ONE "Almighty Elohim", such that there can be "elohim" who are of the evil dimension, elohim in the "angel" category, and elohim who can "become flesh" and become our salvation, and then be restored to the Almighty YHVH.” (notes from a friend)

All of this interpretation from Heiser about different “classes of elohim” is mere speculation and I have seen no relevant scriptural evidence to support this conjecture. I would not listen to this man and his ramblings because there is no light in someone who does not keep God’s commandments or who minimizes Jesus’ personal testimony. If a preacher does not keep the commandments and denies Jesus’ testimony then he is a false teacher, he is not a follower of Christ. Those who are Christ’s sheep hear Christ's voice alone...they do not hear strangers. 

Satan and other fallen spirits can use scripture too. But Satan is a liar by nature. He manipulates the truth to suit his purposes, but to no good end, however, interesting or ‘spiritual’ his interpretations may seem at first glance. And those who believe his deceptions will not know the truth. Eventually, they may even lose the truth they once knew. I have seen this happen to many who once kept the commandments and said they loved God.

God loves us and he does not want us caught up in a pursuit of knowledge about the “supernatural” that he has not revealed in scripture. What we have in scripture is sufficient for salvation… and anything outside of the testimony of scripture is not to be believed. Why? Because God is the only reliable source of truth and that truth is found in scripture alone – sola scriptura. There are other sources of knowledge about the heavenly realm, but God tells us to avoid these dark sources that will mislead and ultimately destroy us.

If our spiritual understanding has no reliable “proof” from God’s word, then it is not the truth. We all need to be constantly on guard against those who use scripture to subvert others, for this has happened many times over the millennia. We do not want to tempt Christ by deviating from the truth of his word. So the warning is to us as much as it was to those in Paul’s day.

I Corinthians 10         Paul writing to the Corinthian brethren.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,  all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,  all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ...

 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted...nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted...  Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Your sister in Christ