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Spirit Sons of God
SCIENCE of the men of this world cannot solve the secret of the first creation of God. The secret is solvable and is, in fact, now revealed to those who fear God and who therefore have the "wisdom that is from above". The worldly and religious scientists, worshiping their own brains and the brains of other men, pass by the very source of truthful information, God's Word, or they reject its testimony. Thereby they deny God its Author and make fools of themselves. They continue to gaze into the endlessness of space with their telescopes and to peer through their magnifying glasses into the realm of microcosms and to dig into tlie earth for fossil bones and remains, but never learn the source of life nor come to life-giving wisdom and truth. They go from one delusion to another, while those who trust in their theories fall into deeper darkness.
His first creation has an important and vital connection with the establishment of the hoped-for new world. It is therefore no matter of idle speculation or impudent curiosity for God-fearing men to examine into this question. What God has caused to be recorded in his Word of truth is proper for man to desire and to seek to understand. At the due time God makes it understandable. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."—Deuteronomy 29: 29.
God's first creation was living and intelligent and was made to possess wisdom. "For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowl-edge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6, A.R.V.) Hence in the book of inspired proverbs the Creator causes the one who is the beginning of His creation to speak under the symbolic figure of Wisdom and to say: "Jehovah possessed me [(marginal reading) Jehovah formed me] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old, I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong, when he gave to the sea its bound, that the waters should not transgress his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth; then I was by him, as a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in his habitable earth; and my delight was with the sons of men."—Proverbs 8: 22-31, A.R.V.
Hence the only begotten Son is spoken of as the one "who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped". (Philippians 2:6, A.R.V.) Jehovah the Father dearly loved his only begotten Son, and the Son loved the Father and proved that love by unselfish obedience to Him and keeping His commandments. The Son worshiped Jehovah God, which means, not idle adoration and admiration, but service actively to God and thereby honoring and exalting Him.
Did this firstborn Son possess immortality, that is, deathlessness? That he did not have this quality and was not immortal at that time is proved by later facts as well as plainly stated in the Bible. Endless life is dependent upon unending obedience to God. By faithful and perfect obedience the Son would live by his Father's approval and could live with him forever. The time came, however, that Jehovah God opened up to his Son the opportunity to gain immortality. That the Father gave the Son such opportunity is proved by the Son's statement: "As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." (John 5: 26) This also proves that Jehovah is the Life-giver to the Son.
The Father, Jehovah God, made the Son his mouthpiece or spokesman, Son was called "The Word of God". This position put the only begotten Son in a superior position with respect to all other creatures that should be. The Father clothed the Son with power befitting his position, and thus the Son, this "master workman" with God Jeho-vah, was a mighty one, and was before others, Jehovah only excepted. Concerning the Son in the office of "The Word of God" it ia written: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."—John 1:1-3.
Does this mean that Jehovah God (Elohim) and the only begotten Son are two persons but at the same time one God and members of a so-called "trinity" or "triune god"? When religion so teaches it violates the Word of God, wrests the Scriptures to the destruction of those who are misled, and insults God-given intelligence and reason. Note first that the above quotation of John 1:1-3 mentions only two persons, not three.
The confusion is caused by the improper translation of John 1:1-3 from the Greek. This fact is made plain in a book entitled "The Emphatic Dia-glott", which sets out the original text of the Scriptures in Greek letters and under each line of the Greek text it presents a word-for-word translation of the original Greek. This sublinear English translation reads, as you will note in reproduction below: "In a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word. This was in a beginning with the God. All through it was done; and without it was done not even one, that has been done." You will also note that in the regular English in the right-hand column The Emphatic Diaglott emphasizes the distinction between the Creator as the God and the Word (Logos) as a god by printing the word "God" when referring to the Creator and "God" when referring to the Word or Logos.
1 In the beginning was the Logos, and the LOGOS was with GOD. and the Logos was God.
2 This was in the Beginning with GOD.
3 (Through it every thing was done ; and without it not even one thing was done, which hap been done.
4 In it was Life: and the LIFE was the LIGHT of MEN.
5 And the SLIGHT shone in the DARKNESS, and the DARKNESS apprehended It not.
By remembering that the word "god", according to the Hebrew, means "mighty one" or "one who is before (others)", and by remembering the Son's power and position with reference to all the rest of creation, it is easily grasped that God's Son, the Word, was and is "a god" (El), or "mighty one", pre-eminent above other creatures, whereas Jehovah, the Producer of the Word, is "the God" (Elokim), without beginning and "from everlasting to everlasting".
By referring to John 10: 34-36 you will note that Jesus quotes from the law at Psalm 82:6 and says: "Is it not written in your law, / said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" If those mighty men of earth against whom God directed his word of condemnation could be called "gods", much more could and do the true Scriptures speak of God's Son, the Word, as "a god". He is a "mighty god", but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah.
God's use of his Son the Word in the creation of all things after him is further stated at Ephesians 3:9: "God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." Also at Colossians 1:15-17 it is written concerning the Word or Jesus Christ: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." God's Word, Christ Jesus, would have to be the "firstborn of every creature", to be before all other creations and to be God's "master workman" in producing them. In proof of this Christ Jesus says concerning him-self : "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God."—Revelation 3:14.
Being the only begotten Son of God and "the firstborn of every creature", the Word would be a prince among all other creatures. In this office he bore another name in heaven, which name is "Michael". It means "Who is like God?" and marks its bearer as one who upholds the majesty and supremacy of Jehovah God. Other names were given to the Son in course of time. In all the principalities which were created in the invisible spirit realm Michael was "one of the chief princes", and in due time he became the invisible prince of God's chosen people of Israel. (Daniel 10:13,21; 12:1; Jude 9; Deuteronomy 34:5,6) As Jehovah's mighty prince and message-bearer, Michael has angels under his command, and hence he is an archangel. It is he whom Jehovah uses to clear out all rebellion from the universe, though it be attended by a time of trouble on earth such as has never before been known.—See Revelation 12:7-9; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:3,21,22; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The Son under his Father's direction proved himself a "master workman" and produced other spirit creatures who were given various rank and power and authority, namely, cherubim, seraphim, and angels.
Cherubim is understood to mean the office of bearers, that is, of God's throne; they are an escort of His throne and uphold His majesty in the throne as the Supreme Power of the Universe. Hence Jehovah God is addressed, at Psalm 80:1, in this manner: "Thou that sittest above the cherubim, shine forth." (A.R.V.) Also Psalm 18:10: "And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind." Also Psalm 99:1: "Jehovah reigneth; let the peoples tremble: he sitteth above the chern-bim."—A.H.V.
On the lid of the ark of the covenant which Jehovah commanded Moses to make were two golden representations of cherubim, one at each end of the mercy seat. But the high priest and people of Israel were not permitted to worship and adore these cherubic images. To prevent this, God commanded that, when the ark of the covenant was carried about from plaee to place, the entire ark including the cherubim must be covered over with a cloth that they might not even be visible to the people. (Exodus 25: 18-22; Numbers 4: 5) Man came in contact with living cherubim early in human history.—Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 28:13,14.
Seraphim means fiery or burning ones. The divine revelation shows them as attending upon God's throne at his temple of judgment, and they are used to purge away defilement as by fire. They declare God's holiness, and have been used to foretell that all the earth will yet be filled with Jehovah's glory,—Isaiah 6:1-7.
Angels literally means messengers. It denotes not only Jehovah's message-bearers but also his heavenly deputies sent out on errands of service. One placed as chief or first one over a body of angels would be an archangel in rank. All these are spirit sons, invisible to man and higher than man in form of-life and organism.
All these are bright and glorious creatures. Therefore they are likened in Scripture to the stars which man beholds in the heavens. They were all sons of God because of receiving life from Jehovah and by his only begotten Son, the "Word. The Word was brought forth first in the morning of creation. Then, while creation was yet at its morn, Jehovah together with the Word created another glorious spirit son, named Heylel, which means shining one, day-star, or Lucifer. Being one of the early ones of God's sons, he is called a "son of the morning". (Isaiah 14:12) The Word and Lucifer appear to have been the two described as "morning stars".
Up to this time in universal history all was joy, peace, and constructive work throughout Jehovah's realm of heavenly creatures. The Record, at Job 38: 7, describes an occasion of singing and shouting for joy among them: "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."
All these glorious spirit sons of Jehovah were arranged in an orderly manner and assigned to certain respective duties, to work in harmony with one another without discord and friction. So arranged and disposed in "thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers", they all made up the heavenly part of a universal organization, Jehovah's organization, over which He reigns supreme as 'King everlasting'. (Jeremiah 10:10) All were subject to Jehovah as Supreme Head. Even the Word, who became Jesus Christ, was subject to the Father: "The head of Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3; 15: 28) The only begotten Son and all other spirit sons of God worshiped Jehovah as God Most High and Ancient as eternity. "And the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head, like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery 0ame, and [its] wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him." (Daniel 7:9,10) Blessed is their portion to behold the majestic beauty of Jehovah and to be his holy ministers!
His first creation has an important and vital connection with the establishment of the hoped-for new world. It is therefore no matter of idle speculation or impudent curiosity for God-fearing men to examine into this question. What God has caused to be recorded in his Word of truth is proper for man to desire and to seek to understand. At the due time God makes it understandable. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."—Deuteronomy 29: 29.
God's first creation was living and intelligent and was made to possess wisdom. "For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowl-edge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6, A.R.V.) Hence in the book of inspired proverbs the Creator causes the one who is the beginning of His creation to speak under the symbolic figure of Wisdom and to say: "Jehovah possessed me [(marginal reading) Jehovah formed me] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old, I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong, when he gave to the sea its bound, that the waters should not transgress his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth; then I was by him, as a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in his habitable earth; and my delight was with the sons of men."—Proverbs 8: 22-31, A.R.V.
Hence the only begotten Son is spoken of as the one "who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped". (Philippians 2:6, A.R.V.) Jehovah the Father dearly loved his only begotten Son, and the Son loved the Father and proved that love by unselfish obedience to Him and keeping His commandments. The Son worshiped Jehovah God, which means, not idle adoration and admiration, but service actively to God and thereby honoring and exalting Him.
Did this firstborn Son possess immortality, that is, deathlessness? That he did not have this quality and was not immortal at that time is proved by later facts as well as plainly stated in the Bible. Endless life is dependent upon unending obedience to God. By faithful and perfect obedience the Son would live by his Father's approval and could live with him forever. The time came, however, that Jehovah God opened up to his Son the opportunity to gain immortality. That the Father gave the Son such opportunity is proved by the Son's statement: "As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." (John 5: 26) This also proves that Jehovah is the Life-giver to the Son.
The Father, Jehovah God, made the Son his mouthpiece or spokesman, Son was called "The Word of God". This position put the only begotten Son in a superior position with respect to all other creatures that should be. The Father clothed the Son with power befitting his position, and thus the Son, this "master workman" with God Jeho-vah, was a mighty one, and was before others, Jehovah only excepted. Concerning the Son in the office of "The Word of God" it ia written: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."—John 1:1-3.
Does this mean that Jehovah God (Elohim) and the only begotten Son are two persons but at the same time one God and members of a so-called "trinity" or "triune god"? When religion so teaches it violates the Word of God, wrests the Scriptures to the destruction of those who are misled, and insults God-given intelligence and reason. Note first that the above quotation of John 1:1-3 mentions only two persons, not three.
The confusion is caused by the improper translation of John 1:1-3 from the Greek. This fact is made plain in a book entitled "The Emphatic Dia-glott", which sets out the original text of the Scriptures in Greek letters and under each line of the Greek text it presents a word-for-word translation of the original Greek. This sublinear English translation reads, as you will note in reproduction below: "In a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word. This was in a beginning with the God. All through it was done; and without it was done not even one, that has been done." You will also note that in the regular English in the right-hand column The Emphatic Diaglott emphasizes the distinction between the Creator as the God and the Word (Logos) as a god by printing the word "God" when referring to the Creator and "God" when referring to the Word or Logos.
1 In the beginning was the Logos, and the LOGOS was with GOD. and the Logos was God.
2 This was in the Beginning with GOD.
3 (Through it every thing was done ; and without it not even one thing was done, which hap been done.
4 In it was Life: and the LIFE was the LIGHT of MEN.
5 And the SLIGHT shone in the DARKNESS, and the DARKNESS apprehended It not.
By remembering that the word "god", according to the Hebrew, means "mighty one" or "one who is before (others)", and by remembering the Son's power and position with reference to all the rest of creation, it is easily grasped that God's Son, the Word, was and is "a god" (El), or "mighty one", pre-eminent above other creatures, whereas Jehovah, the Producer of the Word, is "the God" (Elokim), without beginning and "from everlasting to everlasting".
By referring to John 10: 34-36 you will note that Jesus quotes from the law at Psalm 82:6 and says: "Is it not written in your law, / said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" If those mighty men of earth against whom God directed his word of condemnation could be called "gods", much more could and do the true Scriptures speak of God's Son, the Word, as "a god". He is a "mighty god", but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah.
God's use of his Son the Word in the creation of all things after him is further stated at Ephesians 3:9: "God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." Also at Colossians 1:15-17 it is written concerning the Word or Jesus Christ: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." God's Word, Christ Jesus, would have to be the "firstborn of every creature", to be before all other creations and to be God's "master workman" in producing them. In proof of this Christ Jesus says concerning him-self : "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God."—Revelation 3:14.
Being the only begotten Son of God and "the firstborn of every creature", the Word would be a prince among all other creatures. In this office he bore another name in heaven, which name is "Michael". It means "Who is like God?" and marks its bearer as one who upholds the majesty and supremacy of Jehovah God. Other names were given to the Son in course of time. In all the principalities which were created in the invisible spirit realm Michael was "one of the chief princes", and in due time he became the invisible prince of God's chosen people of Israel. (Daniel 10:13,21; 12:1; Jude 9; Deuteronomy 34:5,6) As Jehovah's mighty prince and message-bearer, Michael has angels under his command, and hence he is an archangel. It is he whom Jehovah uses to clear out all rebellion from the universe, though it be attended by a time of trouble on earth such as has never before been known.—See Revelation 12:7-9; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:3,21,22; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The Son under his Father's direction proved himself a "master workman" and produced other spirit creatures who were given various rank and power and authority, namely, cherubim, seraphim, and angels.
Cherubim is understood to mean the office of bearers, that is, of God's throne; they are an escort of His throne and uphold His majesty in the throne as the Supreme Power of the Universe. Hence Jehovah God is addressed, at Psalm 80:1, in this manner: "Thou that sittest above the cherubim, shine forth." (A.R.V.) Also Psalm 18:10: "And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind." Also Psalm 99:1: "Jehovah reigneth; let the peoples tremble: he sitteth above the chern-bim."—A.H.V.
On the lid of the ark of the covenant which Jehovah commanded Moses to make were two golden representations of cherubim, one at each end of the mercy seat. But the high priest and people of Israel were not permitted to worship and adore these cherubic images. To prevent this, God commanded that, when the ark of the covenant was carried about from plaee to place, the entire ark including the cherubim must be covered over with a cloth that they might not even be visible to the people. (Exodus 25: 18-22; Numbers 4: 5) Man came in contact with living cherubim early in human history.—Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 28:13,14.
Seraphim means fiery or burning ones. The divine revelation shows them as attending upon God's throne at his temple of judgment, and they are used to purge away defilement as by fire. They declare God's holiness, and have been used to foretell that all the earth will yet be filled with Jehovah's glory,—Isaiah 6:1-7.
Angels literally means messengers. It denotes not only Jehovah's message-bearers but also his heavenly deputies sent out on errands of service. One placed as chief or first one over a body of angels would be an archangel in rank. All these are spirit sons, invisible to man and higher than man in form of-life and organism.
All these are bright and glorious creatures. Therefore they are likened in Scripture to the stars which man beholds in the heavens. They were all sons of God because of receiving life from Jehovah and by his only begotten Son, the "Word. The Word was brought forth first in the morning of creation. Then, while creation was yet at its morn, Jehovah together with the Word created another glorious spirit son, named Heylel, which means shining one, day-star, or Lucifer. Being one of the early ones of God's sons, he is called a "son of the morning". (Isaiah 14:12) The Word and Lucifer appear to have been the two described as "morning stars".
Up to this time in universal history all was joy, peace, and constructive work throughout Jehovah's realm of heavenly creatures. The Record, at Job 38: 7, describes an occasion of singing and shouting for joy among them: "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."
All these glorious spirit sons of Jehovah were arranged in an orderly manner and assigned to certain respective duties, to work in harmony with one another without discord and friction. So arranged and disposed in "thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers", they all made up the heavenly part of a universal organization, Jehovah's organization, over which He reigns supreme as 'King everlasting'. (Jeremiah 10:10) All were subject to Jehovah as Supreme Head. Even the Word, who became Jesus Christ, was subject to the Father: "The head of Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3; 15: 28) The only begotten Son and all other spirit sons of God worshiped Jehovah as God Most High and Ancient as eternity. "And the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head, like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery 0ame, and [its] wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him." (Daniel 7:9,10) Blessed is their portion to behold the majestic beauty of Jehovah and to be his holy ministers!