Program 139: Does the Bible support “Oneness Theology”?

Oneness Theology is an unbiblical way to explain a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without a trinity. Scripture repeatedly draws a clear distinction between the divine Father and His human son.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: Does the Bible Support Oneness Theology?

Miles Robey: Hello! You’re listening to WLC Radio. I’m your host, Miles Robey, and with me is Dave Wright!

Dave Wright: Welcome! Thanks for joining us today.

Miles: At World’s Last Chance, both on our website as well as our shortwave radio programs, we work to bring you the latest news and truths from Scripture.

Dave: As people are waking up and turning to the Scriptures as never before, new truths are being revealed; old truths, lost to tradition and error, are being restored.

Miles: And some of those truths can be very shocking!

Dave: Yes, they can! You know what a paradigm shift is.

Miles: Sure. It’s a radical change in thinking. Often from a widely accepted point of view to one drastically different. If the paradigm shift is large enough, it can leave you feeling like you’re reeling or floundering.

Dave: Have you ever experienced a paradigm shift?

Miles: Yeah . . . I think I was about … 14? You know how Napoleon Bonaparte is widely believed to have been very short?

Dave: Yeah, we even say that a short person who is overly-aggressive has a “Napoleon complex.”

Miles: Well, my first paradigm shift occurred when I learned that Napoleon was actually 170 centimeters. That’s 5-foot-seven, for our Canadian and American friends.

Dave: Seriously? I thought he was only, like, 157 centimeters, or 5-foot, two.

Miles: I know, but he wasn’t. That really rocked my teenage view of the world! Napoleon was actually average height, if not a bit above average, for a European male of the 18^th century.

Dave: That’s amazing! So, it was just, what? Propaganda by the British? Diminish him by saying he was shorter than he was?

Miles: That. Or, at the time of his death, his height might have been recorded in French inches which, at that time, were longer than British inches. That could account for the discrepancy. But, however it came about, he was considerably taller—over 12 centimeters taller—than what people generally say he was.

Certainly changed my view of the chap!

Dave: One of the biggest paradigm shifts I’ve had in the recent past is learning that the Saviour, despite being Yahuwah’s only begotten son, was—is—fully human.

Miles: Yeah, that was a stunner to me, too. Going from viewing Yahushua as divine to fully human—and not some strange, mystical combination of the two—took some mental adjusting.

And, I just want to say for the benefit of our listeners, if this is a new concept to you, please don’t change the channel just because you disagree. As Dave has said before and I’ll say it again: truth can bear the weight of investigation. There is sound Biblical evidence that proves the Saviour is fully human.

Dave: There are also theological reasons why this was necessary.

Miles: Right! So don’t reject the idea without studying it out for yourself. We’ve got articles and videos on our website as well as past radio programs that study it in depth. So, look into it. Study it out for yourself because if we’re right, this is something you need to know.

Dave?

Dave: Thanks, Miles. Yes, learning that the doctrine of a triune godhead came in hundreds of years after the death of Christ, that it was adopted from paganism and that some early Christians were actually martyred for refusing to accept this change in doctrine, was very shocking. The trinity has come to be viewed as the foundation upon which Christianity itself is built, so when that is shown to be a lie of the devil, the ripple effects are very far-reaching.

As people study into the subject, questions naturally arise. Today, I would like to look at what the Bible has to say about this idea that the Father and the son are one and the same person.

Miles: One and the same person? Does anyone even believe that? As a trinitarian, I was taught that they were “one in purpose,” but not necessarily one and the same person or entity.

Dave: No, there are people that believe and teach they are one and the same being. It’s actually a common teaching among Pentecostal churches. They refer to it as “oneness theology.”

Miles: What is it?

Dave: Well, basically, they teach that God is one. They correctly deny the trinity, but then they go off in another direction where they claim that the God of the Bible manifested Himself as the Father at Creation and in the Old Testament. He then manifested Himself as the Son for the redemption of sinners. Finally, He manifests Himself as the Holy Spirit for the regeneration of sinners, but He is still only one being.

Miles: So, basically splitting the trinitarian hair there.

Dave: No. Not really. Just another way Satan likes to cause confusion.

Now, if anyone listening does not believe this way, I would encourage you to keep listening. Get your pen and paper ready. We’re going to be looking at a lot of different passages of Scripture. If you ever have a chance to share the truth with someone who believes in oneness theology, you’ll want to have these texts because Scripture is clear that they are two distinct individuals.

Let’s start with John 16:13. This is a promise we can all claim when looking at new ideas. Don’t let Satan make you afraid to consider new light. You’re not going to be deceived against your will. But we do need to consider new ideas with an open mind. As soon as you have it, go ahead and read it.

Miles: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

Dave: It is my hope and prayer that everyone listening will lay aside all assumptions, cherished traditions, and preconceived ideas. Take Scripture just as it reads and you will know the truth because the spirit of Yah will teach it to you.

Okay. We’re going to be going through so many different passages, I’ve printed off the verses for you to save time.

Miles: Great. Thanks.

Dave: Let’s get started. To begin, I’d like to ask those who believe that the Father and the son are one and the same being this question: “If the Father and the son are literally the same being, how is it that the son can be tempted but the Father cannot?” Because Yah cannot be tempted, but Yahushua clearly was.

What’s the first verse there and where is it found?

Miles: Uhhh, James 1, verse 13. It says: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of Yahuwah: for Yahuwah cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” Unquote.

I’d say that’s pretty clear. Yahuwah cannot be tempted.

Dave: And yet Yahushua clearly was! Go ahead and read the next verse there.

Miles: Uh, this is from Mark 1:12-13. Speaking of Yahushua, it says: “And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”

Dave: Matthew 4:1 refers to the same event. It says: “Then was Yahushua led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

What’s the next one?

Miles: Luke 4, verses 1 and 2. It says: “And Yahushua being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

Dave: Keep going.

Miles: Hebrews 2, 17 and 18 says:

Wherefore in all things it behoved him [Yahushua] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to Yahuwah, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Dave: And the last one?

Miles: Hebrews 4:15. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Dave: So clearly you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that Yahuwah cannot be tempted and then say He is one and the same as the son, because obviously the Saviour was tempted. We’ve got . . . 1, 2, 3, 4, 5—five different witnesses in Scripture stating that Yahushua was tempted but the Father cannot be tempted! Obviously, then, they can’t be one and the same being.

All right. Here’s more evidence that the Father and the son cannot be the same being. The Father knows the time of the Saviour’s return, but the son doesn’t. What verses do you have for that?

Miles: Mark 13 verse 32 says: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the Father.”

Matthew 24 verse 36 says the exact same thing. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Dave: So, again: two witnesses in Scripture of the difference between the Father and the son. The Father knows when Yahushua will return, but the son doesn’t.

Next, and this is one of the biggest proofs that the son is not the same being as the Father, is that the Father is immortal. By definition, then, He cannot die. And yet the son did!

Read 1 Timothy 6, verses 13 to 16, please. Paul always writes paragraph-long sentences, so I want to get this in context.

Go ahead.

Miles:

I give thee charge in the sight of Yahuwah, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Yahushua, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Yahushua Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Dave: No one, not even the staunchest trinitarian, would presume to say that only the son, and not the Father, has immortality.

Miles: Of course not! Or how could he have died on the cross?

Dave: Right! “Only” is a limiting adjective, so this phrase “who only hath immortality” has got to be referring to none other than the Father Himself.

Not to get off on too long of a tangent, but it is this passage that also establishes that souls are not naturally immortal. You don’t go to Heaven or Hell when you die. You sleep in the grave until Yahushua resurrects you at his return.

Miles: Ecclesiastes 9, verses 5 and 6: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.”

Dave: That’s a great passage. The Bible is clear: only Yahuwah has immortality. If the Saviour had immortality, he could not have died for us.

Miles: What about someone who says, “Yeah, but he laid aside his immortality.” What would you say?

Dave: Immortality is immortality. You either have it or you don’t. No skillful word games can change that fact. And Scripture makes it clear that only the Father has immortality. The word is translated from the Greek athanasia, which literally means “exemption from death.” Was Yahushua exempted from death? Let’s see what Scripture says. What’s your next verse?

Miles: Uhhh, Matthew 25 verse 7: “Yahushua, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”

Dave: “Yielded up the ghost” is an old fashioned phrase for that last exhalation of breath at death. What’s next?

Miles: Romans 5, verse 8: “But Yahuwah commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Next is Romans chapter 14, verses 8 and 9. This is drawing a very distinct difference between life and death It says: “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”

Dave: This is a very important point and I want this to sink in to everyone listening. To suggest that the Father and the son are, in actuality, one and the same being, just fulfilling different roles, makes a mockery of the crucifixion.

Miles: Hmmm. That’s a good point. Turns it into nothing more than a charade, doesn’t it?

Dave: If you insist that Yahushua is Yahuwah, then you must also believe that, in His role as the son, Yahuwah did not truly die. He simply feigned death because immortality, by definition, is exempt from death.

Let that sink in for a moment. If Yahuwah and Yahushua are the same being, Yahushua did not really die for our sins because he couldn’t have.

Miles: That’s—wow. That’s a denial of the gospel message, isn’t it?

Dave: Absolutely. John 3, verses 16 and 17 states: “For Yah so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For Yah sent not His son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Unquote. This passage clearly presents two separate entities with two separate roles. Yahuwah gave His only begotten son to do what?

Miles: To save the world.

Dave: To save the world from what? From death that is the just punishment for sin. Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yah is eternal life through Yahushua Christ our Lord.”

Miles: It’s simply word-play if they’re the same being.

Dave: Exactly. And the ramifications of what it does to the gospel are nothing short of pure blasphemy.

Miles: All right. We have to take a quick break, but we’ll be right back. Stay tuned!

* * *

Advertisement

Have you ever wondered what the Father is like as a person? Yes. We all know He’s all-powerful and all-knowing. But I’m talking personality: what are His likes, His dislikes … does He have a sense of humor? It’s so easy to relegate Yahuwah to such a high, mighty pedestal, that we can start to wonder if He even understands us: our struggles and our weaknesses.

It’s important to know what Yahuwah is like as an individual because once you do, you will fall so deeply in love with Him, you will want to do His will! You won’t be able to help it! Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love awakens love in the heart of another.

This is the true heart of the gospel message. Yahushua told Nicodemus: “Yah so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Then he added, “For Yah did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

World’s Last Chance wants to invite you to fall in love with the best friend you will ever have. Our articles, videos, and radio programs are designed to draw hearts into an ever-closer walk with Yah.

Visit us today and get to know your Creator in a whole new way. Your life will never be the same.

* * *Part 2: Does the Bible Support Oneness Theology?

Miles: You know, looking at all this evidence as to why Yahuwah and Yahushua are two separate beings—not one and the same as is so often taught in Pentecostal circles—it’s shocking that that particular heresy ever gained traction to begin with! The evidence from Scripture is overwhelming and it’s overwhelmingly against this so-called “Oneness theology.”

Dave: Oh, there’s more. A lot more. For example, if Yahuwah and Yahushua are the same being, just play-acting in different roles, why does Yahushua say that Yahuwah created humanity? Why doesn’t he say that he himself created mankind?

Miles: Huh! I never thought of that before.

Dave: Yahushua had the perfect opportunity to say that he created the human race, but he didn’t. Let’s read it. Mark 10, verses 2 to 6. What does it say?

Miles:

And the Pharisees came to [Yahushua], and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Yahushua answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation Yahuwah made them male and female.

Dave: Here was the perfect opportunity for Yahushua to set the record straight and what does he do? He points to Yahuwah as the Creator of the human race.

Miles: Same story appears in Matthew 19, verses 3 and 4: “The Pharisees also came unto [Yahushua], tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female.”

He doesn’t say “I made them male and female” which would be what you’d say, describing something you had done.

Dave: Again, two witnesses in Scripture: the perfect opening for Yahushua to let everyone know he was the Creator, but he didn’t. He pointed everyone to the Father as the Creator. Not himself in a different role, but a different being entirely.

Another factor to keep in mind is, if the Father and the son are literally the same being—the same being taking on different roles—why is Yahushua constantly referring to his Father as a separate being?

Miles: That’s a good question. Because Yahuwah doesn’t play word games like that. He doesn’t purposefully make things confusing.

Dave: No, He doesn’t. If Yahuwah and Yahushua were literally the same being, play acting at different roles, it would have been deceptive on Yahushua’s part to refer to the Father as a separate being. Let’s look at those passages of Scripture. What’s the first one say?

Miles: “Wherefore, if Yahuwah so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” That’s, uh, the sermon on the mount: Matthew chapter 6 verse 30.

Dave: If they were the same being, just in different roles, Yahushua could still say, “If I so clothe the grass of the field . . . shall I not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

Miles: You know, it just struck me. Claiming that the Father and the son are the same being, just in different roles, is actually a very pagan concept. Christians will often say that pagans worship many different gods. But that’s not really true—at least, not for all pagans. You talk to a lot of pagans and what they’ll tell you is that all these different goddesses are different aspects of the one, same “divine feminine.” Or all these different gods are different aspects of one main god. It’s really a very pagan concept to say that the Father and the son are the same being, just different aspects, different roles of the same being.

Dave: Throughout the New Testament, Yahushua is constantly referring to Yahuwah in the third person. In Mark 12:27, Yahushua is discussing the resurrection with the Sadducees and, referring to the Father, he says, quote: “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”

Miles: It’s the same thing in his parable of the widow and the unjust judge, recorded in Luke 18. He says: “And shall not Yahuwah avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” That’s Luke 18:7. He’s clearly not referring to himself here. If he were, he would have said, “Hang on a little longer. I will surely avenge my own elect which cry day and night unto me, though I bear long with them.” But that’s not what he said.

Dave: No. There’s not the least consistency in Scripture to claim that Yahushua and Yahuwah are the same being just in different roles or phases. Let me ask you this: If Yahuwah and Yahushua were literally the same being, why does Yahushua repeatedly refer to Yahuwah as his “God.” Does Yahuwah have a “God”?

Miles: That doesn’t make any sense, does it? Yahuwah is God! He doesn’t have a God!

Dave: Read Matthew 27:46. That’s next on the list. What does it say?

Miles: “And about the ninth hour Yahushua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Dave: Does it make any sense at all that Yahushua would be calling to himself if he were, in reality, Yahuwah?

Miles: Not at all.

Dave: This is even clearer in John 20, verse 17. Read that now.

Miles: “Yahushua saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

Dave: That’s a very clear, very emphatic statement. It wouldn’t make sense if he were referring to himself. How could he ascend to himself? It doesn’t make sense.

Miles: It really doesn’t.

Dave: The Saviour repeatedly referred to the Father as a being distinct and separate from himself. In his prayer recorded in John 17, verse 3—this was just before his betrayal in Gethsemane—he said, quote: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Yahushua Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Miles: Very clearly two separate individuals. Here’s another point. The New Testament records several of Yahushua’s prayers. If Yahushua were actually Yahuwah, he’d be praying to himself!

Dave: You’re getting a bit ahead of me there!

Miles: Oh! Sorry!

Dave: No, it’s all right. You’re right. He wouldn’t be praying, he wouldn’t need to if he were Yah himself. Skip down to . . . right there. Yeah, there. Read that.

Miles: Okay, this is talking about the resurrection of Lazarus. It’s from John 11, verses 41 to 42. It says: “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Yahushua lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Dave: If Yahushua were, in actuality, Yahuwah Himself and the creator of the human race, the resurrection of Lazarus would have been the perfect opportunity to teach that.

Another prayer that makes no sense if Yahushua is actually Yahuwah is found in Matthew 11:25. As you read it, ask yourself: If Yahushua is actually Yahuwah, why is he praying to himself?

Miles: It says: “At that time Yahushua answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Unquote.

Yeah, this really doesn’t make sense at all if the Father and the son were the same being.

Dave: Even in Gethsemane, when he was under so much stress that he was literally sweating blood—something that happens only in extremis—Yahushua prayed to Yahuwah.

Read Mark 14:36.

Miles: “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

Dave: The son was here pleading with the Father, but still surrendering his will to the Father’s will. That wouldn’t work if the son’s will was the Father’s will because they were the same being.

Miles: True. That’s true. This idea just makes it a mockery, doesn’t it?

Dave: Well, I believe they’re sincere in their beliefs, but they are sincerely wrong. What does John 17, verse 1 say?

Miles: “These words spake Yashushua, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.”

Dave: Again, two separate beings. Another point is that Scripture very plainly states that it is Yahushua who will judge humanity, not the Father. Such statements require the Father and the son to be separate entities. You can’t have the same person both judge and not judge at the same time. Read the next verse. John 5, verse 22.

Miles: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the son.”

Dave: Paul, likewise, clearly distinguished between the Father and the son. In his sermon to the Athenians on Mars hill, he makes it clear the two are not the same being. Go ahead and read that. Acts 17:31.

Miles: “Because He [Yahuwah] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Yahushua] whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead.”

Dave: When Yahushua was accused of breaking the Sabbath after healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, he made a very interesting statement. Again, drawing a distinct difference between himself and the Father. Would you read it for us, please? John 5:25 to 27. And notice just how distinct the two different beings are because in here, the Father gives something to the son. This wouldn’t make sense if they were the same person. Go ahead: John 5:25-27.

Miles:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Dave: Paul, who learned the gospel direct from Yahushua, says the same thing. Read Romans 2:16. What does that say?

Miles: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

Dave: Yahuwah judges by Yahushua. If they were the same person, Paul would have left out that phrase. He repeats this thought in his last letter to Timothy. Paul knew he was going to die soon, so he gave Timothy a solemn charge and in that charge, he again differentiated between the Father and the son. Go ahead and read it.

Miles: All right. This is 2 Timothy 4, verses 1 and 2. It says: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Yahushua Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”

Dave: If the Father and the son were literally the same being, Yahushua wouldn’t repeatedly refer to Yah as his “Father.”

Miles: Yeah, he’s not his own father!

Let’s see: Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

This one is interesting because, clearly, Yahushua was on earth when he said this and he’s saying that the Father was in Heaven as he spoke. Two different places at one time.

Dave: Not possible if they were the same being! What does John 5:17 say?

Miles: “But Yahushua answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

Dave: The Father and the son both work, but it sounds here as though their work is different.

Finally, let’s look at how Yahushua repeatedly refers to himself. If he and the Father were the same being, there should be some hint of that.

Miles: Uh, Matthew 16:16-17. “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Yahushua answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

Dave: I don’t care how you twist Scripture. Yahuwah is not His own son!

This is an important passage. Notice that Peter states that Yahushua is the son of the living God. He does not say Yahushua is the living God. Furthermore, when Yahushua confirms Peter’s statement, he explicitly states that his “Father” is the source of Peter’s revelation.

Miles: That’s a good point. Throughout the gospels, Yahushua was repeatedly referred to as the “son of Yahuwah.”

Luke 1:35: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of Yahuwah.”

Dave: This was the perfect opportunity to clarify that the child being born was the Father Himself. The angel could have said, “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be Yahuwah.” But he didn’t. He said it would be called the son of Yahuwah.

Yahushua was called the “son of Yahuwah” because he literally was. He was conceived in Mary’s womb when the spirit of Yahuwah overshadowed her. It was this miraculous event that had been prophesied almost a thousand years before. Go ahead and read our last verse there. Psalm 2, verses 7 to 9.

Miles: “I will declare the decree: Yahuwah hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Dave: Contrary to what trinitarians assume, Scripture does not teach that Yahushua preexisted prior to his conception. But never, at any point, is he presented as being one and the same being as the Father. He is always the son of the Father and Yahushua himself acknowledged his Father as superior to himself.

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Daily Mailbag

Miles: Amanda Taylor of Saskatoon, Canada has written in to our Daily Mailbag. She says: “I have always looked forward to the return of Christ but I’m terrified of the future. Most of all, I’m terrified of being deceived. How can I keep from being deceived?”

Dave: First let me say, Amanda: you’re not alone.

Miles: No, you’re not. I’ve had my own fears. Maybe, one of these days soon, we can have a program about how to deal with fear?

Dave: Sure! I think that’s a great idea.

Amanda’s question is very practical: “How can we keep from being deceived?” It’s a great question and Scripture does provide instruction on how to keep from being deceived.

Miles: Well, spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

Dave: Absolutely. We should always pray and ask for spiritual discernment. But there are other things we can take note of, too.

Let’s start with Matthew 24. Shortly before His death, several of the disciples asked Yahushua: “And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Would you read Yahushua’s answer in verse 4?

Miles: “And Yahushua answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’”

Dave: I’ve always been intrigued that the very first thing the Saviour says is “Don’t be deceived.”

Miles: Shows it’s a real danger.

Dave: Yes. Verse 5 tells us specifically how. Could you read that?

Miles: Okay, uh … “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

Dave: This is what we’re to guard against and the danger is greater than it appears with a surface reading. There are two applications of this verse and we need to be on guard against both of them.

The first, of course, is people who come actually claiming to be Christ.

Miles: Do they really do that, though?

Dave: Yes! In fact, over the last few centuries, there’ve been around 40 people who claimed they were the reincarnation of Christ.

Miles: Really? Like who?

Dave: David Shayler. He’s a former MI5 agent, and convicted criminal. In 2007, he told the Daily Mail, quote: "I am the messiah and hold the secret of eternal life." He claims he was crucified with a crown of thorns in a past life.

Miles: Sounds more than a little cuckoo.

Dave: He’s not alone. There’s American, Jim Jones, who was responsible for the mass murder-suicide of over 900 of his followers. There’s also the Korean reverend, Sun Myung Moon.

These are all fulfillments of Yahushua’s prophecy. But there’s another interpretation that’s frequently over looked that is also very deceptive. That is, people who come in the name of Yahushua.

Miles: Pastors? Bible teachers … evangelists …?

Dave: All of those. False prophets. Wolves in sheep’s clothing.

The word, “Christ,” comes from the Greek Christos and simply means “the anointed.”

Miles: Awww! So, anyone coming and saying, “I am Christ,” isn’t necessarily claiming to be Yahushua reincarnated. They might simply be claiming to be anointed by Yah, or chosen by Him. Basically, this could fit anyone who claims to be Christ’s representative.

Dave: Yes. And if the message they bring contradicts the word of Yah, they are false christs. This is actually a very real danger, and the closer we get to the end, the more prevalent will be the danger.

Would you read Matthew 7, verses 15 to 23? Here, Yahushua is providing a very clear warning against those who come in his name and yet lead people astray. It also provides an answer to Amanda’s question. Listen, because he’s going to tell us how to keep from being deceived.

Miles:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Dave: That is the end of all who claim to be Yahushua’s representatives, but who teach falsehoods in his name: they are forced to depart from him.

But did you catch how he said we’re to tell apart the genuine from any imposters?

Miles: “You shall know them by their fruits”?

Dave: Yes! Notice, he doesn’t say: “By their gifts you shall know them.” Some ministers are very talented at public speaking. They’re very persuasive and people enjoy listening to them. Some church leaders are very skilled at fund raising and meeting church growth goals. Yet … they aren’t all approved by Yah or sent by Him.

Miles: Not even if they’re, to use your example, “meeting church growth goals”?

Dave: Satan can “bless” his followers, too. The message of Revelation 18 is that all believers are to get out of Babylon. That means, we’re to leave all organized religions and even the individual denominations. There are no exceptions.

Now, if Satan can get people moving from church to church, he’s accomplished two goals. First, the people leaving one church and joining another are not actually leaving Babylon. They’re simply making a lateral move.

Secondly, it confirms to others in the church that Yahuwah is blessing them. After all, is their church not gaining new members?

Miles: I see.

Dave: So, the criterion we are to use is to look at their fruits.

Miles: This is a lesson we should all take to heart. It’s really easy to decide a leader is blessed by Yah because he has a large, successful ministry, or she’s written lots of popular Christian books. It’s easy to forget that just because someone is successful doesn’t mean that success comes from Yah.

I remember 2 Corinthians 11, verse 14, which says, quote: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” So, yeah. That’s serious!

But I want to ask: are there any specific fruits we should look for? I mean, someone could argue that having a large, flourishing ministry is itself a fruit. I think that’s why people get confused sometimes.

Dave: That’s a good point. Well, Galatians 5 has the answer to that. Why don’t you turn there and read verses 22 to 24? You’ll see that the size of someone’s following is most definitely not one of the fruits we use to judge whether a person is of Yah or not.

Miles: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Dave: These are the fruits that will appear in the lives of all who have made a full surrender to Yah and who are truly representing Yahushua. They will have love for other souls. They will be filled with the joy and peace that only Yah can give. Under trial, they will be full of faith. When attacked by others, they will be meek. This is what reveals whether a person is of Yah, not the size of his congregation, the income of his ministry, nor any other factor that we tend to use to judge success.

Those are all human criteria.

Miles: Put that way, it’s so simple and clear. How many people would be kept safe from error if they were attuned to recognize that boastful words, and a wrong spirit do not, can not, will never, come from Yah?

Dave: What about the opulent lifestyle of many of the most famous preachers today? These men who lead the megachurches, whose church members number in the tens of thousands? And yet … they live in multi-million dollar mansions. They drive Rolls Royce luxury cars. They own their own jets … all paid for by the offerings of their church members who believe they’re furthering Yah’s cause.

Miles: One thing that just occurred to me: Yahushua actually received lots of donations. Even monetary ones. Why else would he need someone to act as “treasurer”? Remember? The Bible says that Judas kept the group’s money bag?

And yet, he died a pauper and had to be buried in a borrowed tomb! This tells us that the money he received wasn’t used for himself. He spent it in doing good to others. Always.

Dave: Huh! I never thought of it quite that way before, but you’re right.

Let’s take a look at another verse: 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 21 and 22.

Miles: All right. Give me just a second to find it … Here we go: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

Dave: We’re not to judge another individual. However, we are called to be fruit inspectors. Proverbs 20, verse 11 admits: “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”

The fruits of a person’s life will reveal if they truly represent the Saviour or not.

Miles: How far do you take that? I mean, we’re all sinners. Are we to expect perfection from others?

Dave: Study the overall trend of a person’s life. A godly person can still make a mistake. Look at Elijah: he fled from before Jezebel! But he was still Yah’s anointed.

Someone who is truly of Yah may very well make mistakes, but when he does, he’ll be quick to repent of those mistakes as soon as the spirit of Yah convicts him (or her) of them.

Miles: We never want to be an accuser of the brethren.

Dave: No. Again, we’re simply called to be fruit inspectors. What’s the trend of their life? Is it ever reaching out after truth and righteousness? Or power and influence?

If their fruits do not reflect the divine image, then we can know that the words that they speak, however beautiful, and the doctrines they teach are not safe.

Certainly they may contain some truth. But the most deceptive error is error that has been entwined with truth.

Miles: Very true. And remember, folks. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. We can pray and ask Yahuwah to lead us into truth and shield us from errors and delusions.

Proverbs 2 says:

For Yahuwah giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things … [Proverbs 2:6-12]

Dave: We have no need to fear the future. We just need to keep our eyes on the Father and He will keep us safe.

Miles: Keep sending us your questions! Go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We always enjoy reading your messages.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s word.

When I was a teenager, I went to school with a lovely girl named Lily Dobrowski. Lily’s father was an immigrant. Actually, Mr. Dobrowski taught geometry at our school so I knew him, too, but I knew Lily better as we were in the same class. One day, she told me her father’s story and what a story it was!

Apparently, her grandparents were living in Poland when Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in September of 1939. The two countries quickly divvied up Poland between them, with the Soviet Union taking eastern Poland while Germany took over western Poland.

My friend’s grandmother was pregnant at the time with Lily’s father. When the Soviet Union and Germany invaded Poland, Lily’s grandma found herself trapped in Soviet-occupied Poland with her first-born child, who was just a toddler. The problem was, she had been living with her husband and the rest of their family in western Poland. What was a pregnant woman with a toddler supposed to do, cut off from family and friends? What would you do if you found yourself in such a situation?

Well, I’ll tell you what Lily’s grandma did: she prayed. She prayed earnestly, desperately, that she be able to make it back to her husband and their home. That night, taking her toddler by the hand, she carefully made her way to where the demarcation line was between east and west. A barrier had already been quickly tossed up, but perhaps, if she were really careful, she could sneak past. It was dangerous and terrifying. If she were caught by either side, she could be shot.

In the dark and the cold of that September night as she was trying to get across, suddenly, a German soldier saw her. She was caught! She froze as he pointed his rifle at her. Trembling, in halting German, she explained that she was just trying to return to her home in western Poland. Would he believe her? Or would he shoot her as, doubtless, he’d been ordered to do for anyone crossing the line?

After a long, heart-stopping moment, the man stepped forward and helped her over the barricade. Then, very kindly, he told her which direction to go so that she would avoid the patrols that were out guarding the line. Later, after the war, Lily’s grandparents and their children left Poland, which is how I was able to go to school with her as a teen. Were it not for the kind-hearted German soldier, Lily’s grandmother, pregnant with Lily’s father, would have been trapped in Soviet-occupied Poland, likely until 1989 when the iron-curtain fell in Poland. But, she had prayed, committing herself, her toddler, and her unborn child to Yah, and He had made a way of escape for her.

Isaiah 52 verse 12 says: “For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for Yahuwah will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: Does the Bible Support Oneness Theology?

Miles: Well, this has been a really eye-opening program today, at least for me. I had no idea that some people truly believe that Yahuwah and his son are one entity. Not just “one in purpose” as trinitarians say, but they deny the trinity by making the Father and the son the exact same being.

Dave: It’s just like Satan to twist truth into a lie. They are correct to renounce the doctrine of a triune godhead. The problem is, they go into the ditch on the other side when they say the Father and son are one and the same.

But it’s the ripple effect that this heresy has on theology that is the truly troubling problem.

Miles: How so?

Dave: Saying “Jesus is God and so God died for your sins” may sound good on the surface, but when this concept is studied from every angle it actually cheapens the Father’s sacrifice. And don’t kid yourself: Yahushua may not be divine, but he remains Yahuwah’s Only. Begotten. Son. There’s no other like him in the entire universe. To say that Yahushua was actually the Father Himself, and it was the Father Himself who died means that Yahuwah did not really sacrifice Himself in saving sinners.

Miles: I see what you mean. It’s like this meme I’ve seen online. It’s quite irreverent, but it makes your point. It says, in quotes, “Jesus died for your sins.” Unquote. Then it proceeds to poke fun at that statement by saying: Except he didn’t actually STAY dead. So what did he sacrifice? His weekend? Jesus gave up his weekend for your sins.

Dave: Definitely irreverent, but it does make the point. Yahushua, being fully human, died the second death for our sins. He had no emotional assurance that his sacrifice would be acceptable to Yah and that he would be raised back to life. He had only faith.

Likewise, Yahuwah, in sacrificing His only begotten son took a real risk. Yahushua was a free agent. Even upon the cross, he could have sinned and all would have been lost. But what is more, the Father loved His son! Any parent will tell you that it is far easier to suffer yourself than to watch your child suffer.

If Yahuwah and Yahushua were truly the same being, just in different forms, different roles, then nothing was truly sacrificed . . . other than His weekend. That’s all! The truth is, it was an infinite sacrifice, but one made willingly because the Father loves us so much.

Miles: It’s that sort of love, the realization of the depth of love the Father holds for you that just breaks your heart, doesn’t it?

Dave: It reminds me of the lyrics of one of the most beautiful hymns ever written. It goes:

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Loving-kindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us his precious blood.
Who his love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing his praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of [Yah’s] mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

Miles: Amen. Amen.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

You have been listening to WLC Radio.

This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.