Ancient Judaism Confessed Existence of
“the Word of God” as a Separate Being!
Philo, Jews, Targums,
and the Logos
tenaciously proclaim. In ancient Judaism and ancient
Jewish
commentaries on the Scriptures, called Targums,
the existence of the Word of God as a divine Being along-
side the Father, was freely acknowledged. The writings
of Philo give us a clear insight into the true Jewish rabbin-
ical concept of God which proves
they understood there
was another Being, besides the Father, who interacted
with mankind.
Proponents of the “one God” theory, who deny the pre-existence of the Word of God, or Jesus Christ as the Logos, a separate Being apart from the Father, tell us that such a concept does violence to the truth of “one God,” or “ethical Monotheism.” This belief, they claim, violates the primary belief of Judaism that God is “one.” But was this the true belief of the rabbis and Jews of Jesus’ day? Did they persecute Him because He believed and taught that there was another Being along side the Father, known as the Word of God? Or was their anger focused on Him because He suggested that He himself was that secondary Being?
The modern world is awash with theories about the Godhead and nature of God. The four primary beliefs among Christians and Jews are the concept of one God, the Father, the concept of a Trinitarian Godhead as believed by most Protestants and Catholics, the idea of two Beings, the Father and the Logos, both co-eternal and co-equal, and the concept of the Father as being the one original true God, and the Logos as being His created partner and companion, through whom He made the Universe and everything in it. A fifth concept has arisen in recent years which is a variant of the first theory. It holds that there is only one God, the Father, and that Christ Jesus is the Messiah, but He never pre-existed His birth in the womb of the virgin Mary.
Many people seem to find the latter viewpoint interesting, because it seems to reconcile the idea of God as being one, and there being no other God than Him – no other being called “God” or regarded as God. To them, whenever “God” is mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures, it always refers to the Father – not to another Being who became Christ! There was no other such Being in the Godhead, they dogmatically aver.
But few realize
that the most famous Jewish philosopher and writer of the first century, a man
by the name of Philo, also shows that the Jews of his day believed in a
“Companion” of the Father who existed at His side and was instrumental in the
Creation, as well as serving as a go-between, a mediator and channel of
communication, between the Father and mankind.
He often used the Scriptures themselves to prove this belief and to
demonstrate its veracity. Philo was a contemporary
of the apostle Peter, and personally aquainted with
him, who lived in
In The Works
of Philo, he declares, speaking of God, “for the abrupt rock is the wisdom
of God, which being both sublime and the first of things He quarried out
of His own powers, and of it He gives drink to the souls that love God; and
they, when they have drunk, are also filled with the most universal manna; fore
manna is called something which is the primary genus of everything. But the most universal
of all things is God; and in the second place the word of God” (“Allegorical
Interpretation, II, 86, Works of Philo, page 47). Remember, Jesus Himself said that He was the
true “manna” that came down from heaven (John
Philo also referred to the Word of God as the “shadow of God.” Notice how he puts it: “Now Bezaleel, being interpreted, means God in his shadow. But the shadow of God is His word, which He used like an instrument when He was making the world. And this shadow, and, as it were, model, is the ARCHTYPE of other things. For, as God is Himself the model of that image which He has now called a shadow, so also that image is the model of other things, as He showed when He commenced giving the law to the Israelites, and said, ‘And God made man according to the image of God,’ as the image was modeled according to God, and as man was modeled according to the image, which has thus received the power and character of the model” (III, 96, page 61).
Notice how this corresponds perfectly with what Paul wrote in Hebrews, speaking of Christ, saying Christ is His Son, “through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power . . .” (Heb.1:1-3).
Later, in this same discourse, Philo speaks about the Word of God, saying that God “nourishes us with His own word, which is the most universal of all things, for manna being interpreted, means ‘what?’ and ‘what’ is the most universal of all things; for the word of God is over all the world, and is the most ancient, and the most universal of all the things that are CREATED” (III, 175, p.70). Jesus Himself, who said that He came from God the Father, acknowledged that He was “the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev.3:18).
Writing on
“Husbandry,” Philo later shows that God is like a shepherd and a king, who
governs the earth and the heavens, “ruling them according to law and justice;
appointing as their immediate superintendent, His own right reason, His
FIRSTBORN SON, who is to receive charge of this sacred company, as the
LIEUTENANT of the great king” (“On Husbandry,” XII, 51, p.179). The apostle Paul likewise spoke of the
preexistent Jesus as “the image of the invisible God, the FIRSTBORN over
all creation” (Colossians
Philo also wrote a treatise “On the Confusion of Tongues,” in which he really outdid himself on his comments regarding the “Word” or “Logos” of God. Notice these remarkable, outstanding statements!
“And even if there be not as
yet any one who is worthy to be called a son
of God, nevertheless let him labor earnestly to be adorned
according to his
firstborn word, the eldest of his angels, as the great
archangel of many
names; for he is called, the authority, and the name of God,
and the Word,
and man according to God’s image, and he who sees
if we are not yet suitable to be called the sons of God,
still we may deserve
to be called the children of his eternal image, of his
most sacred word; for
the IMAGE OF GOD IS HIS MOST ANCIENT WORD” (Philo, “On the
Confusion of Tongues,” XXVIII, 146-147, page 247).
I don’t know how to make it more clear than that! Philo is plainly in complete agreement with the teachings of the New Testament concerning the existence of a great Being, whom he calls the “Firstborn Word,” “the Eldest of His Angels,” “the Authority,” “the Name of God” (i.e. YAHVEH), “The Great Archangel of Many Names,” and “the Word.” He is the “Image of God,” and “His Most Ancient Word.”
Who was this Being? The New Testament writers clearly prove with many infallible proofs that it was the ONE WHO BECAME JESUS CHRIST! The prophecies of the Old Testament, and the many MIRACLES He performed, including the raising of the dead, prove beyond any doubt or question that “Yeshua Ha-Notzri,” “Jesus the Nazarene,” was the Logos or Word of God who fulfilled these predictions and prophecies!
In another section of his work, called “Who Is the Heir of Divine Things,” Philo makes the truth about the nature of God and the Word of God, and their respective roles, very plain. He declares:
“”And the Father who created the universe has given
to his archangelic
and most ancient Word a pre-eminent gift, to
stand on the confines of
both, and separated that which
had been created from the Creator. And
this same Word is continually
a suppliant to the immortal God on behalf
of the mortal race, which is
exposed to affliction and misery; and is also
the ambassador, sent by the
Ruler of all, to the subject race. And
the
Word rejoices in the gift, and, exulting in it, announces
it and boasts of
it, saying, ‘And I stood in the midst,
between the Lord and you;’ [see
Numbers
you, but being in the midst
between these two extremities . . .” (205,
page 293).
In another passage “On Flight and Finding,” Philo takes a lesson from the name “Bethuel,” the father of Rebekkah, noting that “Bethuel” literally means, in Hebrew, “the daughter of God.” Why would a man have a feminine name, he asks. He goes on to say that the name indeed is feminine but the sex masculine. Similarly, in the book of Proverbs, wisdom is portrayed as feminine (Prov.1:20-22; 8:1-4). Philo goes on:
“For indeed all the virtues bear the names of women,
but have the powers
and actions of full-grown men,
since whatever is subsequent to God, even
if it be the most ancient of all
other things, still has only the SECOND
PLACE when compared with that omnipotent Being, and appears not so
much masculine as feminine, in
accordance with its likeness to the other
creatures; for as the male
always has the precedence, the female falls short,
and is inferior in rank” (IX,
51, p.325).
The Septuagint
Version in Genesis 31:12
In his book “On
Dreams,” Philo brings up a very interesting passage from the book of Genesis
where God says to Jacob, “I am the God who was seen by thee in the place of
God” (XXXIX, 227, p.385). He is quoting
a passage found in Genesis 31:12, from the Septuagint, the first translation of
the Hebrew Scriptures into a foreign language – Greek – which was made by the
most eminent scholars and priests from
The Septuagint actually says in the passage, “I have seen all things that Laban does to thee. I am God that appeared to thee in the place of God, where thou anointedst a pillar to me, and vowed to me there a vow.”
Philo explains this enigmatic passage as follows:
“And do not pass by what is said here, but examine
it accurately, and see
whether there are really two
Gods. For it is said: ‘I am the God who was
seen by thee;’ not in my place,
but in the place of God, as if he meant
some other God.
“What then ought we to say? There
is one true God only: but they who
are called Gods are numerous; on
which account the holy scripture on
the present occasion indicates
that it is the true God that is meant by the
use of the article, the
expression being, ‘I am the God (ho Theos); . . .
and what he here calls God is
his most ancient word . . .”(XXXIX, 227-
229, p.385).
Philo continues this discussion, adding another dimension to our thinking on the subject. He takes note of the fact that when God says, “I am the God who was seen by thee in the place of God,” that
“we must understand this,
that he on that occasion took the place of an
angel, as far as appearance went,
without changing his own real nature,
for the advantage of him who was
not, as yet, able to bear the sight of
the true God; for as those who
are not able to look upon the sun itself,
look upon the reflected rays of
the sun as the sun itself, and upon the
halo around the moon as if it
were the moon itself; so also do those who
are unable to bear the sight of
God, look upon his IMAGE, his ANGEL
WORD, as himself” (XLI, 238-239, p.386).
In his book “The Special Laws,” Philo plainly tells us the truth, as he, a famous Jewish teacher of the first century, saw the Word of God. He declared:
“Now the image of God is the
Word, by which all the world was made”
(IVI,
81, page 541).
Clearly, Philo knew and understood that there were two Beings, one subordinate to the other, One who was “uncreated,” and the other “created” by the Supreme Being, who was the “Image” of God, His very own “Word,” yet a real person – not merely some sort of “thought” or “idea” or “plan.” He was very real, very tangible, and He revealed Himself to mankind as the “Messenger” and “Go-Between” between the Father and mankind.
The Logos, who became Jesus Christ, was the Father’s exact “Image” – His “Angel Word.” He stands in for God the Father, representing Him in all His dealings with the human race. He is the “Mediator” between God and mankind!
Finally, in one more place, Philo deals with this topic in very explicit language. In a section of his works titled, “Questions and Answers on Genesis, II,” he refers to Genesis 9:6, where we read: “For in the image of God He made man.”
Notice, now, what Philo has to say about the astounding, hidden from view, deep meaning of this verse which so many people read right over!
“Why is it that he speaks as
if of some other god, saying that he made
man
after the image of God, and not that he made him after his own
image?
(Genesis 9:6).
“Very appropriately and
without any falsehood was this oracular sentence uttered by God, for no mortal
thing could have been formed on the similitude
of
the supreme Father of the universe, but only after the pattern of the second
deity,
who is the Word of the supreme Being; since it is fitting that the rational
soul
of man should bear it the type of the divine Word; since in his first
Word
God is superior to the
most rational possible nature. But he
who is superior
to
the Word holds his rank in a better and most singular pre-eminence, and
how
could the creature possibly exhibit a likeness of him in himself?” (Philo,
page
834).
Interestingly, Philo was not alone in his understanding of the existence of the Word of God as a “second deity,” who Himself was a “pattern” or “image” of the supreme Father. Other ancient Hebrew sources also attest to this awesome fact.
This
knowledge was also known to Ben Sirach, who wrote
“The Wisdom of Sirach,” a book in the Apocrypha. He declared, “I besought the Lord, the
father of my lord, not to forsake me in the days of my trouble” (Wisdom,
51:10).
The context makes no sense unless he is speaking of praying to God, the Father, who was the “father of my Lord,” that is, the second Being of the divine Beings, whom he referred to as his “Lord.” Ben Sirach’s book “Wisdom” is excellent and inspiring literature from which we can learn many points of wisdom, history, and true godly worship. Although it does not belong properly in the canon of Scripture, it is similar to the book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the Bible.
The Targums are ancient translations and commentaries of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. They began as oral readings into the Aramaic vernacular of portions of the Hebrew Bible used as part of the regular worship services in synagogues. The Targums were preserved in written compositions used in synagogue liturgy and by rabbinical academies.
Since the Targums originated in the ancient Jewish synagogues, they would be an excellent source to learn about early Judaism and its beliefs. They reveal the ancient Jewish understanding of many Old Testament passages, long before the time of Christ.
How did the ancient Jews perceive the nature of God, and the Word of God? What do the Targums reveal?
Let us notice a few comparisons of the Aramaic Targums, and how they compare with several passages in the Tanakh, the Jewish Hebrew Scriptures.
Genesis 3:8 – “They heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day; and the man and his wife hid from the LORD God among the trees in the garden” (Tanakh).
Genesis 3:8 – “And they heard the voice of the WORD OF THE LORD GOD walking in the garden in the repose of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from before the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, translated by J. W. Etheridge).
Genesis
Genesis 19:24 – “And the Word of the Lord Himself had made to descend upon the people of Sedom and Amorah showers of favour, that they might work repentance from their wicked works. But when they saw the showers of favour, they said, So, our wicked works are not manifest before Him. He turned (then), and caused to descend upon them bitumen and fire from before the Lord from the heavens” (Jerusalem Targum, translated by J. W. Etheridge).
The Jerusalem Targum indicates that the common understanding of the Jews during the time of Christ was that the first “LORD” mentioned in Genesis 19:24 was the Word of God (the One who later was incarnated as the Messiah, Jesus Christ), and the second “LORD” was the Father in heaven.
Exodus 20:1 – “God spoke all these words, saying” (Tanakh).
Exodus 20:1 – “And the word of the Lord spake all the excellency of these words, saying” (Jerusalem Targum).
Exodus 29:42-43 – “a regular burnt offering throughout the generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD.”
Exodus
29:42-43 – “A perpetual holocaust for your generations at the door of the
tabernacle of ordinance before the Lord; where I will appoint My Word to
(meet) thee there, to speak with thee there. And there I will appoint My Word (to meet)
with the sons of
What
a prophecy! Indeed, the Word of God –
Jesus Christ – was “sacrificed” by the rulers of
Deuteronomy 4:20 – “But you the LORD took and brought out of Egypt, that iron blast furnace, to be His very own people, as is now the case” (Tanakh).
Deu.4:20 – “For you hath the Word of the Lord taken for His portion, and hath brought you out from the iron furnace of Mizraim to be unto Him a people of inheritance as at this day” (Jerusalem Targum).
Deut.4:24 – “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, an impassioned God” (Tanakh).
Deut.4:24 – “For the Word of the Lord your God is a consuming fire; the jealous God is a fire, and He avengeth Himself in jealousy” (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan).
Deut.6:20-25
– “When in time to come, your children ask you, ‘What mean the decrees, laws,
and rules that the LORD your God has enjoined upon you?’ you shall say to
your children, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in
Deut.6:20-24 – “When thy son, in time to come, shall ask thee, saying, What are the testimonies, statutes, and judgments which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then shall you say to your sons, We were servants to Pharaoh in Mizraim, and the Word of the Lord brought us out of Mizraim with a mighty hand; and the Word of the Lord wrought signs, great wonders, and sore plagues on Mizraim and on Pharaoh and all the men of his house, which our eyes beheld; but us He led forth free to bring us in and give us the land which He sware to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, that we may fear the Lord our God for good to us in all days, that He may preserve us alive as at the time of this day” (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan).
Notice that in the ancient Targums, the Hebrew “LORD” – YHVH – was often replaced by “The Word of the Lord” – the “Word of YHVH” – or the “Word of Yahveh”!
Why would the translators into Aramaic, the common tongue spoken by the Jews upon their return from Babylonian captivity, do such a thing?
These passages demonstrate that the ancient people of Judah and Israel – before the time of Christ – KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD that there were TWO DIVINE BEINGS BEING SPOKEN OF IN THE TEXT – the “Lord,” and the “’Word of the Lord”!
A Missing
Passage in the Tankah
The Septuagint, translated into Greek about 250 years before Christ, has another passage that proves there were TWO MEMBERS of the Godhead in the Old Testament. This passage is found in the Song of Moses. But for some reason it was left out of the Jewish version of the Tanakh, the Massoretic Text, which was finalized about three centuries after the time of Christ. We read in this ancient passage:
“Behold, behold that I am he,
and there is no god beside me: I
kill, and
I
will make to live [the power of resurrecting the dead]: I will smite, and
I
will heal; and there is none who shall deliver out of my hands. For I will
lift up my hand to heaven . . . and I will render judgment
to my enemies, and
will recompense them that hate me. I will make my weapons drunk with
blood, and my sword shall devour flesh . . . .
“Rejoice,
ye heavens with him, and let all the angels of God worship him;
rejoice ye Gentiles, with his
people, and let all the sons of God strengthen
themselves in him; for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he
will
render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and
will reward
them that hate him; and the Lord will purge the land of his
people” (LXX,
Deuternomy 32:39-43).
The one clearly referred to here is “God,” the “LORD,” who will avenge Himself of His enemies. All the angels of God are told to worship Him. All the sons of God are to strengthen themselves in Him. But could this be the Father?
The apostle Paul shows plainly that it is not. In the book of Hebrews, he quotes this passage from the Septuagint, and writes as follows:
“But when He again brings
the FIRSTBORN into the world, He says:
‘Let
all the angels of God worship Him” (Heb.1:6).
Paul continues:
“But to the Son He
says: ‘Your throne, O GOD, is forever
and ever;
a scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of Your kingdom. You have
loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness; therefore GOD, YOUR
GOD, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your
companions” (Heb.1:8-9).
The
Septuagint was translated from the Hebrew into Greek with great aplomb and
ceremony, by the wisest priests and scholars in
Paul plainly says this second Being is the One who became Jesus Christ, the Messiah, born of the virgin Mary, just as Isaiah had predicted would occur:
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign; behold, a virgin shall
conceive in the womb, and shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name Emmanuel” (Isaiah
Emmanuel
was the name Isaiah said He would be called.
Matthew quotes this prophecy, saying, Emmanuel “is translated, God
with us” (Matthew
The Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs
As striking as the testimony is from Philo, the Targums, and even the Apocrypha, written long before the birth of Jesus Christ, in their clear teaching that the Messiah pre-existed His human form as the “Image of God,” the “Elect One,” and the “Chosen One,” there is more evidence from the writings of the twelve sons of Jacob, which have come down to us as the “Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.” These documents were written down centuries before Christ, and in oral form no doubt go back thousands of years, to the time of the patriarchs themselves. Regardless of that fact, however, it is indisputable that their present form predates the time of Christ. Notice what they testify as to the pre-existence of the Messiah as a separate Being long before the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs are twelve books which purport to be messages given by each of the twelve sons of Jacob, to their sons, shortly before their deaths, in the form of final admonitions and prophecies of the future of their children, down through the ages, and particularly what would befall them in the “last days.”
In their present form, they were written between 107 and 157 B.C., according to most scholarly opinion. Each testament purports to be the final admonition given by each of the sons of Jacob to his offspring, before he died, as was the custom in those by-gone years. The books are amazing in their intellectual understanding, and moral force. Written or transcribed by a Pharisee probably about 150 years before Christ, they contain evidence of divine inspiration, and therefore it is reasonable to conclude that they are exactly what they purport to be -- the transmissions of the original oral testaments of the twelve patriarchs, sons of Jacob, to their sons, sometime before the middle of the second millennium before the present era. Let us notice some of the amazing statements in the testaments of some of these sons of Jacob.
“Therefore I command you to
hearken to Levi, because he shall know the
LAW of the Lord, and shall give
ordinances for judgment and shall sacrifice
for all
Notice in this passage, an allusion to a Messianic King who would rise up from the seed, or future offspring of Levi -- one who would “die” on behalf of all of us who would also be “an eternal king.”
Was Jesus Christ descended from
Levi? Did He have Levitical
blood flowing in His veins? We know He
was of the tribe of
“Then shall all the earth
rest from trouble, and all the world under heaven from
war. Then the Mighty One of Israel shall glorify Shem. FOR THE LORD GOD SHALL APPEAR ON
EARTH, AND HIMSELF SAVE MEN.
Then shall all the spirits of deceit be given to be trodden under foot, and
men shall rule over wicked spirits. Then will I ARISE in joy, and will bless the Most High because of his
marvelous works, BECAUSE GOD HATH
TAKEN A BODY AND EATEN WITH MEN AND SAVED MEN. And
now, my children, obey Levi and Judah, and be not
lifted up against these two tribes, for FROM THEM
SHALL ARISE UNTO YOU THE SALVATION
OF GOD. For the Lord shall raise up from LEVI as it were a High Priest, and from
Notice that Simeon plainly said that it was the ‘Lord God” who would “appear on earth, and Himself save men.” He foretold that God Himself would “take a body” and “eat with men” and save men. He foretold that this Messiah would arise from the tribes of Judah and Levi. How ASTOUNDING! Christ Jesus did just what Simeon prophesied -- He appeared on earth and divested Himself of His divinity and became a flesh and blood human being, so He could die, paying the penalty for our sins. Simeon’s remarks clearly indicate that God Himself, a member of the Godhead, who pre-existed the time of Christ, would be the One who would do this.
Testament of Naphtali
Naphtali
was the eighth son, born of Jacob and Bilhah. He was
a very athletic, swift runner, and ran like a deer, so Jacob appointed him to
be the message-bearer in the family (chap.1:15). Naphtali
knew his progeny would also stray from God’s commandments in the end times, and
do according to all the wickedness of
Naphtali wrote:
“Do ye also, therefore, charge your children that
they be united to Levi and to
Notice! This son of Jacob foretold that “God” would
“appear dwelling among men on earth,” to save
Asher
Asher also told his progeny that they would sin, and be delivered into the hands of their enemies in the latter days, and be scattered upon the face of the earth. He declared this would happen, until:
“Until the Most High shall
visit the earth, coming Himself AS MAN, with men eating and drinking,
and breaking the head of the dragon in the
water. He shall save
The Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day
rejected Him because He referred to God as His Father, and declared, “My Father
has been working until now, and I have been working” (John
Testament of Joseph
Joseph relates a vision he had of the future in his Testament -- a vision that foresaw the Messiah of Israel. He relates:
“There were twelve harts feeding [the twelve tribes
of
“And I saw that from JUDAH was born a VIRGIN wearing
a linen garment, and from her was born a LAMB, WITHOUT SPOT;
and on his left hand there was as it were a LION; and all the beasts
rushed against him, and the LAMB
overcame them, and destroyed them, and trod them under foot.
“And because of him the
angels and men rejoiced, and all the land. And these
things shall come to pass in their season, IN THE LAST DAYS” (chap.2:74-76).
Joseph later declares in his Testament:
“Do ye therefore, my
children, OBSERVE THE COMMANDMENTS of
the Lord, and honor Levi and Judah; for from them shall arise unto you the LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKETH
AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD, one
who saveth all the Gentiles and Israel.
“For his kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, which shall not pass away”
(chap.2:77-78, page 265).
Who is this “Lamb of God” that figures so prominently in Joseph’s prophecy, given to his progeny, about 1800 years before Christ?
John the Baptist, who came in
the spirit and power of Elijah, saw Jesus approaching him, as he was baptizing
in the
The Testament of Benjamin
The final Testament of the twelve sons of Jacob is that of the last born, the second son of Jacob and Rachel, Benjamin. Benjamin had a special relationship with his older brother Joseph. Joseph forgave all his brothers who had sold him into slavery. His prayers for them were heard by his father Jacob, who was moved by his compassion, and declared:
“My good child, thou hast
prevailed over the bowels of thy father Jacob. And
he embraced him, and kissed him for two hours, saying: In thee shall be fulfilled the
PROPHECY of heaven concerning the LAMB of GOD,
and Saviour of the world, and that a blameless one
shall be delivered up [as Joseph himself, a
blameless one, had been delivered up!] for lawless men, and a SINLESS ONE SHALL DIE FOR UNGODLY
MEN in the blood of
the covenant, for the salvation of the Gentiles and of ISRAEL, and shall destroy Beliar
[Satan] and his servants” (chap.1:19-21).
The Jews of Jesus’ time, and ever since that time, up to the present day, as a whole have been ignorant of the real meaning of this ancient prophecy. It foretells the Messiah first coming like “Joseph,” and who would be treated by His brethren as Joseph was – rejected, ridiculed, and cast away. Even as the sinless one was sold into slavery to the Egyptians, so the true Messiah was rejected by His own people, and crucified (John 1:11; Acts 7:51-52). Jesus’ first appearance was as the sinless “Lamb of God.” He was foretold to die for the sins of wicked men (Isaiah 53), the innocent for the unjust. At His first appearance He came to teach, to suffer, and to die even though He was guiltless. It happened, just as the patriarchs foretold.
The second appearance of Yeshua will be as the “son of David,” the Messianic king
who will return in wrath and judgment, to judge the nations, and punish the
wicked, and to save His people, to redeem Israel, and to usher in the Kingdom
of God (Rev.11:14-19; 19:11-15). At His second coming He will come as the “LION
of the tribe of
Benjamin goes into incredible detail, predicting the sufferings of Christ, in His first coming, suffering similar in many respects to those Joseph had suffered. Benjamin continues:
“Nevertheless, the
“And He shall enter into the
first temple, and there shall the Lord be treated
with outrage, and He shall be LIFTED UP UPON A TREE. And the VEIL OF THE TEMPLE SHALL BE RENT, and the Spirit of God
shall pass onto the Gentiles as fire poured forth. And I know how lowly He shall be on earth, and how glorious in
heaven” (chap.2:5-10, p.268).
Was Christ lifted up upon a
“tree”? Yes, He was nailed to a
stake. And He declared, “And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”
(John 3:14-15). He also declared, “When
you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He” (John
Benjamin then exhorts his children down through the ages to speak the truth to their neighbors, and to keep the commandments of God. Looking far into the future, he declares:
“And then shall ye see
Enoch, Noah, and Shem, and Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, rising on the right
hand in gladness. Then shall we also rise, each
one over our tribe, worshipping the King of heaven, who appeared upon earth in the form of
a MAN in humility. And as many as believe on Him on the earth shall
rejoice with Him. Then also all men shall rise,
some unto glory and
some unto shame.
“And the Lord shall judge
“And then shall He judge all
the Gentiles, as many as believed Him not when He
appeared upon earth . . . .
“And there shall arise in
the LATTER DAYS one beloved of the Lord, of
the tribe of Judah, and Levi, a doer of His good pleasure in His mouth, with new knowledge enlightening
the Gentiles.
“Until the consummation of
the age shall He be in the synagogues of the Gentiles,
and among their rulers, as a strain of music in the mouth of all. And he shall be inscribed in the
holy books, both his work and his word, and
he shall be a chosen one of God for ever” (chap.2:26-28, p.269).
This remarkable prophecy was
written down by a Levitical scribe over a hundred
years before the time of Christ. It was
undoubtedly “oral” tradition, handed down from generation to generatiioin, before that time. Just as Benjamin predicted, the “King of
heaven . . . appeared on earth in the form of a man,” and “appeared as GOD in
the flesh”!
Benjamin’s testimony, like that of the other eleven brothers, is amazing in its clear view of the future and the coming of a Messianic saviour, deliverer, and king. He plainly foretold how God would send a Saviour, a Redeemer, a Holy One, who Himself is also “God,” a Divine Personage, who would become the Messiamic King of the earth. In no way did this fact go counter to the true concept of “one God.” It was acknowledged and understood centuries before Christ!
The Testimony Is Conclusive
When we view all this evidence objectively, with a clear vision, and without prejudice, we can see that there is no question but that Almighty God, the Father of all, planned from the beginning to save mankind from sin, and that He created in the beginning the “Son of Man,” who was also the “Son of God,” who was the “Chosen One” and the “Elect One,” also known as the “Word” of God, the ‘Image” of God, and the “Firstborn” of God.
The combined testimonies of Philo, the ancient Targums, the Twelve Patriarchs, and the testimony of the New Testament, make it perfectly clear. Christ Jesus pre-existed His human form as the Logos of God, just as John wrote. He was the “Firstborn of all creation,” just as the apostle Paul declared. He was the One God chose to be His Chief Lieutenant and Executive Officer in creating and ruling the Universe, and in bringing many sons to glory as the “Captain” of our salvation.
Eventually, God intends to put all creation under the rulership of men, elevated to Godhood status. As Paul declared, “For in that He put all in subjection under him [mankind], He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are ALL OF ONE, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you.’ And again: ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given Me’” (Heb.2:8-13).
Paul continues, illustrating the tremendous plan of God, which is so breath-taking and insuperable: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same” – the Word of God Himself became a flesh and blood human being – “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. . . . Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb.2:14-18).
Paul says, as he explains the mystery of the Logos, and the Christ, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” (Heb.3:1-6).
Let us not mimimalize the nature and deity of Christ the Messiah. Let us not be taken in by the foolishness of those who deny His pre-existence as the Being known as the Logos, or Word, of God. But let us rejoice in the full knowledge of the greatness and majesty of the Messiah, God’s firstborn over all creation, and give God full praise, glory, and honor, and to the Messiah as well.
How awesome is the truth of God. How perfect is His great Plan and purpose. How majestic are all His works, and the plan of salvation He is working out on the planet earth with human beings, His children.
“The
Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of
God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of
God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him,
that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans
Praise God! Halleluiah, praise God! Amen and Amen.