This came to mind, when I woke up at 3:30 this morning.
There are some people who say that Christians try to make Jesus fit into the Old Testament. Well, think about this one idea.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Ge. 1:1).
Plurality
The name of God in this verse is Elohim, which is the plural for El, which is one of the names or words for God in the Old Testament. When speaking of more than one cherub in the Bible (an order of angels), they are translated as either cherubim, cherubs, or cherubims; likewise, when speaking of more than one seraph in the Bible (another order of angels), they are translated as either seraphim, seraphs, or seraphims. The "im" ending indicates plurality.
Jewish View Today
The Jews were very definite in their belief in ONLY ONE GOD. So why did they use the plural form, when referring to the One and Only God? The Jews today claim that the use of the plural form indicates the supremacy of God over all others (which He is).
Biblical View
However, the Bible is the word of God, not just words about God. God inspired, led, directed the Bible writers to use the term "Gods" for His own reasons. Elohim was God's way of introducing us to the fact that there is One God, in Three Persons. This is made more clear in the most important verse in the Old Testament.
The Shema
Deuteronomy 6:4
(4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
The LORD (or Jehovah, or Yahweh) our God (Elohim, which is "Gods") is one LORD (or Jehovah, or Yahweh).
I will not address other passages in the Old Testament that indicate more than one Person in the Godhead, except to mention two of them.
Genesis 1:26, God said,
"...Let us make man in our image."
Genesis 11:7, The LORD said,
"... let us go down, and there confuse their language..."
I will not address the many other passages in the Old Testament that are repeated in the New Testament, in direct reference to Jesus Christ.
However, the point of this post is that Jesus is in the Old Testament from the very beginning, and all the way through. In John and in First John (New Testament) we read about God, and His creation of the world. In these passages, John clearly refers to Jesus as the Creator God, and there is nothing in the Old Testament that conflicts with this view (see two passages below). In fact, further study of the Old Testament will verify John's position on this issue.
Therefore, Jesus not only "fits" into the Old Testament, there is no Old Testament without Jesus. Remember, The New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New revealed.
I hope you take a few minutes to read and think about these verses today.
John 1:1-18
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(2) The same was in the beginning with God.
(3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
(4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
(5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
(7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
(8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
(9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
(10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
(11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
(12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
(14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
(16) And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
(17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
(18) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1 John 1:1-3
(1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(2) (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
(3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Also, the entire first chapter of the book of Hebrews addresses the fact that Jesus is the Creator God.
Hebrews 1:1-14
(1) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
(4) Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
(5) For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
(6) And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
(7) And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
(8) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
(9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
(10) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
(11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
(12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
(13) But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
(14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
We find the term, "Godhead," which refers to the One God in Three Persons, in the New Testament.
Acts 17:29
(29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Romans 1:20
(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Colossians 2:8-9
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Deuteronomy 6:4
(4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
The LORD (or Jehovah, or Yahweh) our God (Elohim, which is "Gods") is one LORD (or Jehovah, or Yahweh).
I will not address other passages in the Old Testament that indicate more than one Person in the Godhead, except to mention two of them.
Genesis 1:26, God said,
"...Let us make man in our image."
Genesis 11:7, The LORD said,
"... let us go down, and there confuse their language..."
I will not address the many other passages in the Old Testament that are repeated in the New Testament, in direct reference to Jesus Christ.
However, the point of this post is that Jesus is in the Old Testament from the very beginning, and all the way through. In John and in First John (New Testament) we read about God, and His creation of the world. In these passages, John clearly refers to Jesus as the Creator God, and there is nothing in the Old Testament that conflicts with this view (see two passages below). In fact, further study of the Old Testament will verify John's position on this issue.
Therefore, Jesus not only "fits" into the Old Testament, there is no Old Testament without Jesus. Remember, The New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New revealed.
I hope you take a few minutes to read and think about these verses today.
John 1:1-18
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(2) The same was in the beginning with God.
(3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
(4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
(5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
(7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
(8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
(9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
(10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
(11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
(12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
(14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
(16) And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
(17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
(18) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1 John 1:1-3
(1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(2) (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
(3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Also, the entire first chapter of the book of Hebrews addresses the fact that Jesus is the Creator God.
Hebrews 1:1-14
(1) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
(4) Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
(5) For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
(6) And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
(7) And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
(8) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
(9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
(10) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
(11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
(12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
(13) But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
(14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
We find the term, "Godhead," which refers to the One God in Three Persons, in the New Testament.
Acts 17:29
(29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Romans 1:20
(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Colossians 2:8-9
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
