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Greater
and Lesser YHWH
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The
title of this message may pique the reader to amazement and wonder. Most
Believers in YHWH whether they be modern traditional Jews, Messianic Jews,
Messianic Israelites, Sunday Christians or Roman Catholics, generally
do not understand the truth of Scripture regarding two powers in heaven.
Through false expressions of monotheism, the Jew and Moslem reject the
understanding of the duality of powers in heaven. Christianity, with its
unscriptural Trinitarian doctrine of the three equal persons/powers in
heaven all existing as personages all being YHWH, have confused millions
through the centuries, including Trinitarian proponents, who accept it
despite the fact that Yahshua never taught it, and despite the fact that
the only Trinitarian verse in First John 5:7-8 has now been revealed universally
as a fraudulent addition to the original texts. Most updated translations
are removing this papal addition to the Bible. The more that these manmade
myths have been perpetuated; the harder it is to overcome them with scriptural
understanding. Nevertheless we will attempt to do so.
Most Believers
Most Believers in the New Testament are not fully Believers in Yahshua's
own Words when it comes to His position in YHWH. His testimony and His
Father's testimony concerning Him contradict man's religious edicts, interpretations
and convocations. Councils such as Nicea and Constantinople only served
to reinforce the error of the trinity by causing sincere men and women
to over look and even disregard the Words of Messiah in favor of the words
of men. Modern Judaism and Islam have gone to the other extreme stating
that monotheists cannot ever entertain a duality of powers (not persons)
considered to be echad in the heavens. That is all well and good, but
ancient Judaism and more importantly the prophets, the sages, and the
Messiah of Israel, all speak a different message concerning true insight
into understanding Elohim.
In John 10:29 Yahshua calls the Father, the Greatest Person/Power in the
universe. He clarifies that by stating that the “Father is greater than
all.”[1] That all would then relegate Yahshua, as being “less great” in
position and all other attributes, since all attributes that He possesses
are said to come/originate from the Father. The Greek word for “greater”
is meizon[2] meaning “greater”, “larger”, “stronger” or Elder”.The “Greater
YHWH” is also acknowledged as Yahshua’s own Elohim or Superior in many
references such as John 20:17, Revelation 3:12 and countless other scriptures
in both covenants.[3] This concept is eternal and eternally binding on
all worshippers in all generations. IT cannot be limited to a time from
Bethlehem to Golgotha, as many dispensationalists try to convey! Christians
realize that the Father is greater BUT in order to preserve their "holy
cow" doctrine of the trinity, they caveat that by insisting that
Yahshua’s lesser status was only for a limited period of 33.5 years!
In order to fully grasp Messiah's own Words, worshippers are going to
have to be willing to leave Trinitarian dogma along with monotheistic
explanations that are manmade, based on man’s dogma but not divine revelation.
When one accepts sola scriptura/scripture alone as divine revelation,
one is left with a picture of YHWH, that completely opposes all religious
perversions of His nature.
Speaking of His own existence both before and after Bethlehem, the Messiah
Yahshua teaches us in John 13:16 that the Servant, in this case the Suffering
Servant of YHWH, is not greater than the One who sent Him. That is plain
and simple. There should be no argument and no dissenting opinion. In
the literal Greek this verse reads “Neither is the apostle or YHWH’s messenger
(Malach in Hebrew) greater or the elder of Him who sent Him.” He said
in John 13:17, “blessed are you if you know these teachings!” What teachings
must we know? We must grasp that the Father is always greater the Yahshua.
That is where the truth and the blessings of comprehension reside!
Here Yahshua states that as the “Messenger of His Presence” known in times
past as Metatron, He was not, is not and will never be the elder over
the Father or equal unto the Father. Unlike Christianity, Scripture does
not teach of a “plurality of equal elders” but of the Father above all,
in all and through all including his Son.[4] The Father is said to be
Greater or larger or stronger, and the Elder of ALL, which includes the
“Lesser YHWH” Yahshua. Many times in Scripture, Paul teaches us this ancient
Jewish understanding, by beginning his epistles with a greeting in Elohim
the Father the Elohim and Father of Yahshua the Messiah. He is not only
Yahshua's Father, but also His Elder Elohim. This is not to say or even
hint at the denial of Yahshua’s deity.
That in Scripture is a foregone conclusion. Yahshua is fully and equally
YHWH in that He is and has all that the Father is and has, by first receiving
all things from the Father. This bestowing upon Yahshua of all things
from the Father establishes Him forever as “YHWH the Lesser”, or the “Lesser
YHWH”, eternally under the Elder or Greater YHWH. This understanding may
not initially sit well with the reader. It may make the reader very uncomfortable,
but it is pure Scripture, reiterated many times by the Messiah Himself.
When properly grasped it is a most liberating truth from the shackles
of religion and man's puny attempts to explain His Creator, as the clear
references to the duality of divinity sets us free to worship in truth.
This understanding is that “two powers abide eternally as one”, in the
heavens.
Yahshua Himself Declared
In John 14:28 Yahshua declares that “pater meizon mou” or “the Father
is greater than me.” There are those who teach that Yahshua was limited
in His days as a man, and that the Father was greater than Yahshua ONLY
for those days when Yahshua was on earth. This cannot be so. Malachi 3:6
tells us that YHWH does not change. Since YHWH is a plurality of divinity,
then Yahshua, as the brought forth YHWH, or YHWH the Lesser is always
under the authority of YHWH the Greater. Hebrews 13:8 declares that Yahshua’s
status had to be the same for eternity, past, present, and future.
Throughout the Old Testament, it is YHWH the Greater always sending YHWH
the Lesser as YHWH the Lesser, Yahshua, is known as many things from the
Messenger of YHWH to the Captain of YHWH’s Hosts, to YHWH’s Face to the
young man Metatron, to the Word/Memra of YHWH. In order to protect the
heretical views of the trinity, Christians of all persuasions have tampered
with the Word of YHWH by applying dispensational reasoning and human logic,
into what is seen as a protection of Yahshua’s deity against heretics.
In so doing, they have refused Messiah's own teachings in both testaments,
that He always was, always is, and always will be YHWH, but YHWH the Lesser,
who reflects, images, and perfectly magnifies YHWH the Greater.
If these terms are puzzling, new or challenging to you, it is because
religion has hid them well from you. That has brought s.a.tan much joy.
These references we site do not even hint at the fact that Yahshua’s submissive
role to YHWH the Father was in anyway limited to just 33.5 years on earth,
nor does He make any reference to His Lesser YHWH designation as being
merely a “role within divine government”, or a “limiting human condition”
or a “lesser role player” in the so-called “pecking order” of heavenly
government. These understandings are isogesis or insertions of man's views
into the texts. Yahshua does not speak of a subservient position, or of
a limited role as a Lesser YHWH for just 33.5 years. No, not at all. He
speaks plainly of an eternal state of being, YHWH that is eternally a
submitted Lesser Power, which is exactly what Scripture tells us, yet
being fully YHWH.
Early Nazerenes
The early Nazarenes who actually wrote the Scriptures believed the truth
of the Greater and Lesser YHWH, since Yahshua taught them personally,
before the “leaven of religion” crept in unawares. Yahshua warned us about
the false trinity (from Rome) and absolute unity (from Rambam’s “13 Principles
of Faith”) heresies in Matthew 13:33, where the leaven as a type of sin,
leavens the truth of the one pure Bread of Life (Messiah). Satan introduced
leaven into 3 measures of meal or the 3 primary faces/pillars or manifestations
of YHWH, the Father, Son, and Spirit by turning them into persons at one
extreme, and into one single face of YHWH at the other extreme. Both extremes
are to be avoided! The John 14:28 pronouncement is fully understandable
in combination with Hebrews 13:8, where Yahshua declares that He was,
is and will yet be YHWH the Lesser or “YHWH Ha Katan” forever. Both He
and His Father never change and continue throughout eternity as YHWH the
Lesser submitted to YHWH the Elder. Apparently, much of organized religion
chooses not to remember the Words of Yahshua Himself as reiterated again
in John 15:20, where Yahshua commands His disciples to never forget this
understanding. “Remember the [this] word that I said to you.”
The Ancients Understood
The ancients of Israel understood full well this concept of two literal
powers in heaven, both being part of the echad of Israel. We see this
understanding in such places as Exodus 24:1-2, Psalm 110:1-5 (where one
YHWH converses with another YHWH), Ezekiel 10:1-2, Ezekiel 1:19-28, Daniel
7:9,13,14 and many other places. In Genesis 19:23, for example, we see
the “Sent YHWH” or “YHWH Katan” calling up to His Elohim or YHWH the Greater
who SENT Him to destroy the cities of the plains. The ancient sages of
Israel referred to the Lesser and Greater YHWH with the Lesser YHWH appearing
to prophets such as Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1:28, or as He did later on earth
to his disciples.[5] In Jewish literature the understanding was that the
Word of YHWH, who we know to be Yahshua, was known as the Lesser YHWH
or YHWH Ha Qatan.[6]
Yahshua did not come to earth with a new revelation. He was reiterating
what had happened in the Old Testament, as well as confirming the ancient
understanding[7] of the Greater YHWH sending the Lesser YHWH, with the
Sent One being the One who carries the Divine Name. Yahshua reiterates
that He is eternally the Sent One or “Angel/Messenger of His Presence”
and has come to be known as Messiah YHWH, to carry the Divine Name to
Israel through His disciples.[8] The Lesser YHWH was known as the “Guardian
of Israel”, as Yahshua refers to Himself in John 17:12, where He "is
carrying" the divine name of YHWH, to deliver it to the disciples,
all the while claiming to be guarding them. In Aramaic He was known as
Metatron.[9] The Lesser YHWH received His Name from His role as guardian
of YHWH’s people. Whether or not the concept of the Lesser and Greater
YHWH may be new to the reader is not the issue here. Yahshua taught it
and we as His true Torah honoring disciples must perceive Him as He is
revealed, not as we might like to recreate Him in our image after our
likeness.
Jewish understanding does not only coincide with Messiah's revelation
of Himself as YHWH Ha Qatan. We are fortunate in that historical ecclesiastical
records of the early Israelite Nazarenes have been preserved for us to
examine whether this truth was familiar and was embraced by them, or rather
if this doctrine would have seemed strange to them.
Epiphaneus states that the early Believers were “just like the Torah keeping
Jews” and differed in no way from their accepted practices.[10] The Israelite
disciples then were no different than their non-believing Jewish counterparts
in all ways. Because of these Messianic Torah beliefs, the Nazarenes were
considered heretics along with another similar group by the name of the
Cerinthians, named after Cerinthus, a Born Again Believer who followed
Torah. And what did his group believe?
According to Epiphaneus, they believed the same thing the early Nazarenes
believed. What was that? They believed in Messiah Yahshua, Torah and a
view of Elohim that held that the world was not created by the Supreme
Deity but by a certain power emanating from Him. Epiphaneus 2:29:1 affirms
that the Nazarenes and Cerinthians held common views on the true Creator
emanating from the Supreme One. According to this historian, he couldn’t
say who came first the Nazarenes or Cerinthians, but they held similar
beliefs.[11] Irenaeus, another anti-Nazarene, kirch historian and father
who lived in 130-200 CE states that the Cerinthians/Nazarenes taught that
“the world was not made by the primary God [sic] but by a certain power
from Him, and at a distance from the Principality who is Supreme over
the Universe and ignorant of Him who is above all.”[12] Furthermore he
also stated that, “But a certain Cerinthus himself being discipled in
the teachings of the Egyptians, asserted that the world was not made by
the Primal Deity, but by some virtue which was an offshoot [Branch/Tzemach/Messiah]
Power, which is above all things.”[13] The idea of a Lesser YHWH, still
YHWH but above all powers, thrones, dominions, principalities, having
preceded forth from YHWH the Greater was so common among Yahshua’s disciples
in the Nazarene, Ebonite and Cerinthians Torah Messianic communities,
that all these Messianic groups were labeled as heretics by the “church
fathers.” Of course, as the reader can see not much has changed.
Nevertheless Yahshua and the Old Testament teach the same thing, and as
we return to the faith once for all delivered to the saints, we can do
no less. We can expect the same treatment from both sides of the issue.
We are left with the overwhelming evidence of Scripture, history and Messiah’s
very own Words. No matter how unsettling or new this understanding may
be, it nonetheless stands solely on His Word in both covenants. We have
merely touched the tip of the iceberg on this subject of the Greater and
Lesser YHWH, as we could literally pen a separate work with hundreds of
pages of documentation further substantiating the concept.
For Now
For now however, let the reader understand that the anti-missionary’s
teachings flies in the face of all testimony concerning the eternal identity
of Messiah as YHWH. We have brought this concept to the reader in order
for the reader to understand that the concept of the Messiah being divine
as YHWH emanating from the Father YHWH, and yet not being the Father,
but One of two ruling powers in heaven in one echad, is the most Jewish
of concepts. Moreover, it remains the most Messianic of concepts, and
most importantly the truest understanding of YHWH-Elohim-Echad, explaining
all the “duality of divinity” references in the Old Testament. This understanding
preserves Abba-YHWH as the Greatest of all powers in this age, and in
all the worlds without end.
May this most Hebraic, Messianic, and biblical understanding of the nature
and role of Messiah, assist the reader, as the reader remains or returns
to the faith. Fight the good fight of first century Messianic faith, as
you hold fast against the darts and demonic confusing agenda of the modern
day anti-missionaries, who stand for little else than dislodging the reader
from eternal life in Israel’s Messiah.
Le Chaim... To life!
[1] John 10:29
[2] Strongs Greek # 3187
[3] For a full consideration on the topic see Messiah Volume Three B.
Mordechai chapters daled and kuf
[4] Ephesians 4:6
[5] Zohar, Shemot Section 2. p. 126 a
[6] Messiah, Volume Three p. 392
[7] Zohar Amsterdam Edition p. 114 Col 1
[8] John 17:12
[9] Aramaic word for guardian
[10] Parnarion Eusebius Section 29,7. 1-9:5
[11] Epiphanius Panarion 2:29:1
[12] Irenaeus, The Refutation Of All Heresies Chapter 20 p. sec 1 p351-352
[13] Ibid. P.114
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