Program 152: The origins of YahushuaPart 2

Yahushua did not have a pre-existence prior to his birth. That doctrine come from the pagan concept of a triune godhead.

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]

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* * *Part 1: The Origins of Yahushua, Part 2

Miles Robey: Origins. They can reveal a lot about a person, an institution, even a culture. But sometimes they can be difficult to trace. Hello, I’m Miles Robey.

Dave Wright: And I’m Dave Wright!

Miles: And you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio.

Origins can be a bit terrifying if your child is asking where he or she came from. I told my son to go ask Mummy and he responded with, “She told me to come ask you!”

Dave: I remember it well with my own kids. But revenge, as they say, is sweet. My oldest two are getting old enough that they’ll likely be starting their own families in the next few years. Then they’ll get to be the ones put on the spot by their own kids.

But you’re right. Origins reveal a lot, not only about people and things, but cultures as well.

Miles: Do you know the oldest country in the world?

Dave: Uh … India? China? I don’t know. Which one?

Miles: I don’t know. I’m genuinely asking.

Dave: I think it kind of depends on the criteria by which you define just what constitutes a country.

Miles: See, I would have guessed either China or India, too, but from what I’ve read, some lists give Iran as the oldest country while others say Egypt is. Upper and Lower Egypt were unified into a single kingdom by a King Menes. In fact, “menes” is actually the Egyptian word for “founder.”

But what’s interesting is how our origins do influence us, sometimes even long afterward. For example, Alexander the Great established a city called Alexandria Eschate which means, basically, “Alexandria the Furthest,” because that was the furthest east he went.

A couple of centuries later during the Han dynasty, Chinese, exploring to the west, came across this city with its Greek architecture, temple, and more. They called the people there the Li-Jian. Linguists trace that name back to the name of Alexander himself: Ah-li-jian-der.

Dave: It’s interesting how their origins had influence so much later.

Miles: It is. And that’s why understanding origins is so important. Our last program focused on the origins of Yahushua. Now, for anyone who hasn’t listened to that program—if you missed it or you’re tuning in for the first time—I want to really encourage you to take the time to listen to that program.

It’s called “The Origins of Yahushua: Part 1” and you can find it on our website as well as on YouTube. So, if you haven’t listened to it yet, please do so.

Dave: It’s definitely worth listening to. Why don’t we give a quick recap, though?

Miles: Sure! Go for it.

Dave: Well, the reason this topic is so important is that what we believe about Christ’s origins, influences our thoughts about him as our Redeemer and Saviour. This, in turn, has quite far-reaching effects on our individual spiritual lives

Now we, Miles and I—and I think pretty much everyone on the WLC team—used to believe in a triune godhead consisting of three separate but equal entities that were united in purpose. These, of course, were God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Miles: Well, yeah. It’s standard Christian orthodoxy.

Dave: Sure. However, careful Bible study, as well as careful study of the writings of the earliest Christians, revealed the shocking truth that not only did the earliest Christians not believe in or teach the trinity doctrine, but the Bible doesn’t either!

Miles: Before you go on, let’s take just a moment to give a little support to that statement. We’ve covered it before in past programs, but it can be shocking if this is the first time a listener has heard of this.

Dave: Sure. I think the majority of people are convinced that their beliefs are the truth. Whether the beliefs are true or not, most people wouldn’t hold those beliefs if they didn’t also believe them to be true.

Miles: The majority? I’d say everyone!

Dave: Well, I’ve encountered a handful of individuals, here and there, who definitely prefer to cling to beliefs that are more convenient. If a belief brings hardship or inconvenience into their life, it’s a matter of pocking holes in the belief, rather than accepting the evidence. But in those cases, the mind then adapts. The cognitive dissonance is too much for most people so, even if, initially, they reject a belief because it would bring too much difficulty into their lives, the brain ends up making excuses for their choice and affirming it. So, yeah. I suppose, in the end, people are convinced that their own beliefs are true.

Miles: The problem as I see it—and, if I’m being strictly honest, as I’ve experienced it for myself—is that there is a knee-jerk reaction against conflicting ideas. When you’re convinced that the beliefs you hold are the truth, it’s easy to reject anything that contradicts those beliefs as wrong by default. And too often, that happens without taking the time to look at the evidence.

If you’re having a knee-jerk reaction to the idea that there is no triune godhead, please. Don’t reject it without considering the evidence. Listen to the programs covering this topic. It lays all the evidence out.

Dave: We’ve got a number of articles on our website about it, too. Start with the one called “Pre-incarnate Christ: Biblical Truth? Or ancient heresy?” But there’s more. There’s, uh, “Questions every sincere trinitarian/binitarian should contemplate” and “The Struggle of Scholars to find the Triune God.” Oh! And “How Plato Influenced Our View of Yahuwah.” There are others as well, so it’s well-covered on our website.

Miles: Just really quick: one of the biggest stumbling blocks to me in accepting that the trinity doctrine is false, was the passage in 1 John that discusses a trinity.

Dave: I see you’ve turned to it there, why don’t you go ahead and read it?

Miles: Yeah, okay. It’s 1 John, chapter 5, verses 7 and 8. It says: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.” Unquote.

This passage seems to make it so clear that there is indeed a trinity, how can you argue against it? But then, with careful study, I learned that this passage is actually not in the original. John didn’t write it. It doesn’t appear in any of the earliest manuscripts still in existence. In fact, it was added a thousand years after Christ!

Dave: Yeah, that was a shock to me, too.

Miles: Right? So if, like me, you’re basing your belief in a triune godhead on this text, know that John didn’t write it. It was added. There’s a lot more evidence. Like Dave said, listen to our past radio episode on the website or YouTube if you’ve missed them, but that will give you enough to understand there’s more to the topic than we’ve realized in the past.

Dave: At least, don’t reject the idea until you’ve studied it out for yourself.

Miles: And studying it out for yourself, I just want to add, does not mean dashing off to your priest or pastor and asking for his or her opinion. Priests and pastors have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of whatever church or denomination employs them.

Dave: Studying it out for yourself means prayerfully considering the evidence and making an informed decision under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to guide us into all truth, not our pastors or priests or Bible teachers.

Miles: Good point!

Dave: All right, getting back to the subject at hand. The origins of Yahushua. This is an important topic to understand because his origins reveal his nature. When I believed he was one-third of a triune godhead, a natural extension of that belief is to believe that he was divine—

Miles: Well, yeah. If he were “God the Son,” then he’d be divine, too.

Dave: And, extrapolating from that, it’s reasonable to assume that he had a pre-existence. But that’s all it is: assumptions, extrapolations, and extensions. The truth is, Scripture teaches Yahushua is fully human.

Miles: Not “wholly divine and wholly human.”

Dave: No. Isn’t it interesting, the mental gymnastics and circular reasoning required to make sense of error?

Miles: It really is!

Dave: Let’s take a look at some of those mental gymnastics we’ve pulled on ourselves that don’t make sense when viewed without the assumptions and extrapolations.

The first thing to be aware of is that every single time the Saviour is referred to in the Old Testament, it is always as a prophecy. It’s always future. Now that doesn’t even make sense if he were already in existence.

Miles: Well, but maybe it does if, what was being prophesied was him in his role as Messiah.

Dave: No, it still doesn’t make sense. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Yahushua symbolically. Why don’t—yeah. Go ahead and read that for us.

Miles: “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Dave: This doesn’t prove that Yahushua had a pre-existence. Clearly, he wasn’t in the act of being slain for thousands of years! This is simply referring to the fact that, from the very beginning, Yah had in mind a plan for the redemption of mankind if we should sin.

Furthermore, Peter really clarifies this point. Turn to 1 Peter, chapter 1, and read verses, uh … 18 to 20. I think. Start at verse 18.

Miles:

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

Dave: It says right here that his role as Redeemer was foreordained but he was only manifest in what Peter refers to as “these last times.” Now, if he had been in existence prior to his birth, that wouldn’t hold true. Those who believe that Yahushua was Michael or the “angel of the covenant” prior to his conception, believe that he appeared repeatedly throughout history on earth. They believe it was actually the pre-existent Christ who was the angel who wrestled with Jacob. They believe he was in the pillar of cloud during the wilderness wanderings, that he was the angel sent to speak to Samson’s mother, etc., etc., etc. So to say, as Peter clearly is, that only in “these last times” Yahushua was manifested is inaccurate if he had a pre-existence in which he repeatedly appeared to people on earth.

Miles: That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought of that. What about the word “manifest” there in verse 20? Yahushua was manifest in these last times?

Dave: Let’s look it up. Would you hand me the Bible dictionary there? The blue one. OK, uh. “Manifest.” Number 5319. Right there. Would you read it?

Miles: It comes from phaneroo, it means manifest “as opposed to concealed and invisible.” It’s sometimes translated as “appear.”

Dave: Now, if Yahushua actually did have a pre-existence and led the Children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years, if he wrestled with Jacob, if he appeared to Manoah’s wife to announce the birth of Samson, if he appeared to Hagar when she fled Sarah, can you really say he had been concealed and invisible?

Miles: Not really!

Dave: No. Yahushua was manifest only after his birth. His point of origin, just as every other human being, was at conception. Not before. Everything prior to that was prophecy. No one can exist before he exists. It’s ridiculous to assume otherwise and requires some ridiculous mental gymnastics to try and make sense of it.

For example, you’ve heard of Justin Martyr?

Miles: Yeah. He was a second century so-called “Church Father.” He was an early apologist.

Dave: The fact that he was an “apologist” should raise red flags to every sincere seeker after truth. An apologist basically tries to come up with explanations for things that are inconsistent or don’t make sense. I believe that truth doesn’t need apologists because one way you know a doctrine is really the truth is that it’s consistent with other truths.

Anyway, Justin Martyr taught that Yahushua had a pre-existence. Therefore, he taught that Yahushua merely passed through the womb of Mary.

Miles: That doesn’t even make sense!

Dave: Not only that, but Scripture repeatedly teaches that Yahushua had a knowable point of origin, and that was his conception. Not some unknown point in the murky past, but when the angel came upon her and conceived in her the human that would become known as the son of Yah.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: The Origins of Yahushua, Part 2

Dave: The Bible is very clear on Yahushua’s origins. He came into being when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and she conceived, not before. To suppose that he had a pre-existence is to read into Scripture what simply isn’t there.

Probably the most well-known promise of the son that should come is found in Isaiah 7:14. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Yahushua is Yah’s son by virtue of the fact that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. That is his point of origin, not before.

There are other places in Scripture that refer to a future begetting of Yahuwah’s son. Let’s look at a few. Turn to the second psalm. Psalm 2 and verses, uh, 7 to 9. Here, David is speaking under inspiration as Yahushua, but it’s yet future. Go ahead.

Miles:

I will declare the decree:
Yahuwah has said to me,
‘You are My son,
Today I have begotten you.
Ask of Me, and I will give you
The nations for your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

Dave: Now, we know this is a prophecy of Yahushua because it’s quoted, twice, in the New Testament and both times apply it to Yahushua.

Miles: Where does the New Testament quote this?

Dave: Well, let me look it up really quick … uh, let’s start with Acts 13. Acts 13 and verse 33. Go ahead and read it as soon as you’ve got it.

Miles: All right, it says: “[Yah] has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Yahushua. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My son,
Today I have begotten you.’”

Wow. You know, I know I’ve read that before, but it didn’t really sink in, I guess. But in this context, it’s really clear.

Dave: Let’s look at another one. This passage is in 2 Samuel chapter 7. This is a prophecy Yah gave through the prophet Nathan to King David: 2 Samuel, chapter 7, verses 12 to 16.

Miles: It says, quote:

When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.

Unquote. I thought this was referring to Solomon. If this is a prophecy given to David, I’d think this was talking more about Solomon.

Dave: It is, but like many passages of Scripture, it has more than one application.

Miles: Well, how do we know that this one has a second application to Christ?

Dave: Because Scripture itself makes that application. Let’s read it! Hebrews 1, verses 1 through 5. This is a particularly interesting passage because it underscores the fact that Yahushua did not have a pre-existence. Go ahead. Hebrews 1, 1 to 5.

Miles:

[Yahuwah], who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say:

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?

And again:

“I will be to him a Father,
And he shall be to Me a son”?

Dave: Verse 5: “You are My son, today I have begotten you” is quoting Psalm 2 verse 7, but the “I will be to him a Father and he shall be to Me a son” comes from 2 Samuel 7:14, so the Bible itself makes the primary application of Nathan’s prophecy to apply to the Messiah.

Miles: Huh! That’s really interesting.

Dave: Turn, now, to Psalm 89. This is a psalm written by someone named Ethan the Ezrahite.

Miles: It wasn’t written by David.

Dave: No. Not all the psalms were. This “Ethan the Ezrahite” was remembering Yah’s covenant with David and, while expressing sorrow for missed blessings, was recognizing Yah’s faithfulness in all things. It starts out with “I will sing of the mercies of Yahuwah forever.” Then he talks about Yah’s covenant with David and, as so often happens in Scripture, there is another application to the Messiah. Read verses 24 to 29 of Psalm 89.

Miles: Uh …

But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.

Dave: The establishment of David’s earthly dynasty was a type, a symbol of the everlasting kingdom established by Yah through Christ, David’s literal descendant.

The take-away from all of this that I want clearly understood is that all of these passages are referring to a future begetting of Yah’s son. In every passage, he is being promised as a future event. He’s not pre-existent.

Miles: That’s a good point. Because if, as trinitarians believe, “God the Son” were both divine and pre-existent, these wouldn’t be prophecies of a future event. Promised rather than pre-existent is a pretty big difference.

Dave: It is. Yahushua is fully human. Not this confusing, ridiculous mish-mash of “wholly human and wholly divine.”

Miles: You ever notice how, on these confusing ideas that make no rational sense whatsoever, we’re told that it’s just a “mystery too great to comprehend”?

Dave: I have noticed that. And yet, in Isaiah 1:18, Yah invites: “Come now, let us reason together.” Truth is logical! Rational! You don’t have to accept things blindly. Yahuwah wants us to understand.

So. Being fully human. The thing to remember is that Yahushua was exalted only after his triumphant resurrection. It was after his sinless life, after his death and victorious resurrection, not before.

Turn to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians 2 and verses 5 to 11. Here, Paul spells out that it was due to Yahushua’s obedience that he was exalted after his ascension. You have it? Go ahead.

Miles:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Yahushua, who, being in the form of [Yah], did not consider it robbery to be equal with [Yah], but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore—

Dave: “Therefore.” “Because of this.” This is why he was exalted.

Miles:

Therefore [Yah] also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yahushua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yahushua Christ is Lord, to the glory of [Yahuwah] the Father.

Dave: Yahushua’s point of origin, as we’ve said, was when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and conceived in her the child that would be called the son of Yah. But, again, his exaltation did not come until after his life of sinlessness and his death of obedience and his resurrection of victory. Then and only then was he exalted to the right hand of Yah. It certainly wasn’t before!

Miles: Yeah, this passage wouldn’t make sense if he had already had that position, would it? It would already belong to him. But here Paul’s saying that because of his humbling himself and making himself obedient, even unto death, that was the reason he was exalted, so yeah. It couldn’t have occurred before.

Dave: Some versions translate verse 9 as: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” But the word “also” isn’t needed there. It comes from the Greek word, kai, and is part of a phrase that means “therefore” or “this is why.” It can even be translated as “because of this.” Again, this underscores that it was Yahushua’s obedience unto death that was the reason for his exaltation to preeminence.

Miles: Soooo, clearly he wasn’t in his ultimate pre-eminent position before his death and resurrection. Are there any Bible verses that speak to that?

Dave: Yes! Uh, Colossians 1:18. It’s talking about Christ. What does that say?

Miles: Give me just a sec … okay, it says: “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

Dave: Why is Christ the head of the church? Because he is the beginning annnd??

Miles: “The firstborn from among the dead.”

Dave: And the reason for that is?

Miles: “So that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

Dave: Correct. Hebrews 1:4 says Christ has become exalted over the angels because he has, by inheritance, obtained a “more excellent name” than they have. Verse 3 explains why, and it’s because he, quote, “had provided purification for sins.” It was then and only then that he “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Flip over to Hebrews 5 verse 8. What’s that say?

Miles: “Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.”

Dave: Only after Yahushua learned obedience unto death did he gain the pre-eminent position of sitting on the right hand of Yahuwah. He obtained that as “adoni” or “my lord,” not as a divine, second person of some mystical godhead.

Miles: As a trinitarian, I believed that the “angel of the covenant” was the archangel Michael and that he was the pre-incarnate Christ, but now, in the light of Hebrews 1, that really doesn’t make sense, does it?

Dave: What part?

Miles: Well, Michael is quoted quite a bit, especially in the book of Daniel. And yet, Hebrews 1 verses 1 and 2 says, “[Yah], who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son.”

If Yahushua had indeed been Michael, or any other pre-existent being, he certainly would have spoken prior to “these last days.”

Dave: Good point. Furthermore, his pre-existence could not have been as an angel as many presume. Hebrews 1:5 rules that out when it says, quote: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee?”

Miles: Hmmm. That wouldn’t make sense if the pre-incarnate Christ had been in the form of an angel.

Dave: No, it wouldn’t. One thing I think we overlook too often is the fact that the son never goes back to the Father. You look at the things Yahushua says, and he never speaks of returning to the Father.

Miles: Are you sure??

Dave: Surprised?

Miles: Yeah, a bit. More than a bit, actually.

Dave: All right. I have several here you can read. Read the verse where it’s found, then read what it says.

Miles: Uh, John 13:3 simply says he “…was going to Yahuwah.” John 14, verses 12 and 28 as well as John 16:28 all say, “I go to the Father.” And John 16:10 and 17 says “I am going to the Father.” John 20:17 says, “I am ascending to my Father.”

Dave: Notice, none of them are saying he’s returning to the Father.

Miles: That’s true. Funny, how you can read into something your own preconceived ideas and never notice that it doesn’t actually say what you thought it said.

Dave: I know! That’s why it’s always good to keep going back and keep studying.

Miles: Okay, but let me ask you this: what about the “sending” of Yahushua? I guess I always just assumed it was sending him forth from Heaven.

Dave: I think we’ve all made that assumption, but it’s not consistent with Scripture. The sending of Yahushua refers to his being commissioned for a special work from his birth. That’s how the prophets were sent, too. It’s got nothing to do with having a pre-existence prior to birth.

Miles: Well, yeah, if that applies to the prophets, too …

Dave: Turn to Jeremiah 1 and read verses 5, 7 and 10. He was “sent” because he was commissioned from birth.

Miles: All right, it says: “Before you proceeded to come forth from the womb I sanctified you. Prophet to the nations I made you…to all those to whom I shall send you…See, I have commissioned you this day.”

Interesting.

Dave: It doesn’t mean Jeremiah had a pre-existence and came down from Heaven. It simply means he was commissioned from birth. Same with John the Baptist. John 1:6: “There was a man sent from [Yah], whose name was John.”

Miles: Now that you mention it, the same was true for the disciples, too. In Yahushua’s prayer recorded in John 17, he tells Yah, “As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” [John 17:18]

Dave: Right! Nothing there about pre-existence or coming down from Heaven. It’s ridiculous to assume otherwise.

Okay, one more. Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5. What does that say?

Miles: Um … “But when the fullness of the time had come, [Yah] sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

Dave: Yahushua did not have a pre-existence. He was fully human, born under the law so that he could redeem sinners, commissioned for a special work from birth. This is our hope. Not some weird divine/human chimera. But fully human, fully surrendered to Yah to redeem us where the first Adam fell. This is the beauty of the plan of salvation, and it cheapens Yah’s wonderful plan to claim he was divine with an eternal pre-existence.

* * *

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* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: The question from today’s mailbag is coming from the country that gets my vote for having the coolest money.

Dave: Well, that leaves out the United States with its monotone, green-and-white currency.

Miles: Eh, they’ve gotten a bit better in recent years, but you’re right. Their money isn’t all that colorful. You’re close, though. Canada and the United States share the longest land border in the world but Canada wins Prize of the Day for having the coolest money.

They’ve got some 25-cent coins that actually glow in the dark!

Dave: Seriously! Glow in the dark! How do they do that?

Miles: Don’t ask me! But they look really cool. One has got a dinosaur on it, and another has the northern lights, the aurora borealis. I don’t know if there are more designs that glow in the dark, but those two do.

Dave: Wouldn’t that be fun to have a pocketful of glow in the dark coins?

Miles: It would! Thing is, though, while the coins themselves are worth only 25 cents, these coins are collector’s items. The article I read said that you’d have to pay $30 to get just one of them, so it’s not like you’ll be getting one back in change from your corner grocer’s.

Dave: Well, that’s disappointing!

Miles: Yeah, it is, isn’t it? Anyway, Byron from Edmonton, Canada writes: “My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon to Africa. While there, we purchased a number of native-made arts and crafts as mementos of our time there. They’re beautifully made and bring back happy memories. The issue is my mother-in-law. She claims that a couple of the small stone carvings we brought back are idols and insists we need to get rid of them because owning them is inviting demons into our home. I think that’s an over-reaction. My wife isn’t sure what to think. We obviously don’t want to invite demons into our home, but neither do we want to get rid of what, to us, are beautiful mementos from our honeymoon. Any advice?”

Dave: Weeeelll . . . I’m afraid I can’t tell you what decision you should make in order to keep everyone happy.

Miles: Yeah, it doesn’t sound like a situation where everyone can be happy with the outcome.

Dave: So when that happens, we look at principles and apply those.

Miles: Well, let me ask you this: do you think that demons can and do accompany inanimate objects and attack believers through them?

Dave: I’m not going to say that it never happens. However, we need to remember that the devil is a defeated foe. A lot of Christians live in fear of the devil and that’s not right. He’s defeated. You don’t have to live under this burden of fear that if you just do one thing amiss, if you innocently or ignorantly bring one item into your home, the devil’s going to come in and overwhelm you.

That’s not how it works, and Yah—who reads the heart—will never allow the sincere of heart to be overwhelmed by the devil. I think it was John Bunyan in Pilgrim’s Progress who wrote something along the lines of, “A true Christian can never be overcome unless he surrenders his will.” Of course, that’s not the same as stumbling into sin because of our fallen natures, but the point is that Satan cannot force the human will.

Miles: Okay, but what about ouija boards? There are plenty of horror stories about people who’ve messed around with a ouija board, only to discover they’ve opened a … sort of … demonic Pandora’s box. They become tormented with slamming doors, lights flashing on and off, and they have a really hard time getting things back to normal.

Dave: Well, that’s a ouija board. I would agree they’re dangerous and nothing to mess with. Ouija boards are a known tool for communicating with the “other side.” There are plenty of pagans and even witches who will have nothing to do with ouija boards.

Miles: Really? I didn’t know that.

Dave: It’s true. Again, I believe too many Christians live in fear of Satan and forget that he is a defeated foe.

There are Christian ministries whose sole focus appears to be looking for demons behind every commercial logo or every rainbow motif.

Miles: Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. Can’t give your child a stuffed unicorn toy because it sends a message, or witches prayed over the vat of dye. Stuff like that. It’s all very sensational.

Dave: It is! And that focus on the dark to the exclusion of everything else is itself an invitation to Satan because by beholding we become changed.

Now, I can’t tell Byron or anyone else for that matter that a particular item does or does not invite demons. What I can say is that Satan is a defeated foe, and we don’t honor Yah when we live our lives in fear, looking for the big, bad, demonic bogeyman behind everything.

Take your Bible there and turn to 1 Corinthians 9. That’s 1 Corinthians, chapter 9, and read verses 19 to 22. This is how Paul dealt with situations in which some people were concerned, but he knew better.

Miles: All right, it says, uh:

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward [Yah], but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Dave: Paul’s focus was always to win souls. He knew Satan was a defeated foe, but he also knew that there were some people whose faith was weak and who would stumble over things that wouldn’t trip him up.

Miles: Like eating food that had been offered to idols.

Dave: Exactly! Paul knew that idols are nothing. They have no power, so for him to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols was nothing. However, to a recent convert, that might be a stumbling block.

Let’s look at that. I think it’s just one chapter earlier, actually.

Miles: Uh … Yeah! Listen to this. First Corinthians 8. It says:

Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Yahushua Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to [Yah]; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Dave: This is the principle that should guide all our actions. We don’t need to fear Satan and we shouldn’t be constantly focused on the dark because by beholding we become changed. However, if your liberty is a stumbling block to someone else, ask yourself what’s more important: your freedom or their faith?

Miles: Well, obviously, we need to bear up those that are weaker in the faith. So you think Byron and his wife should throw away the items worrying Mum?

Dave: I didn’t say that. If it’s not a problem to them or their faith, they don’t necessarily need to throw it away, but it’s also not necessary to flaunt it in front of someone that it does bother. Put it away when she comes over. Helping support her weaker faith is more important than insisting on your right to display a dust-catcher.

Miles: Good point! And balanced as always.

Okay. We’ve got time for one more quick question if you can keep your answer rather brief.

Elka in Linz, Austria, writes: “I recently came across your videos on YouTube and have been very blessed by them. I have a quick question: do you believe in a pre- or post-tribulation rapture and why?”

Dave: Well, kind of neither.

Miles: What??

Dave: “Rapture” refers to the saints being caught up from the earth and taken to Heaven. We don’t believe that. Careful Bible study reveals that when the Saviour returns, he will set up Yah’s kingdom on the earth. There won’t be a pre- or a post-tribulation rapture. There won’t be a secret rapture. Everyone remains on the earth when Yahushua returns.

Miles: Yeah, okay. That’s true. I see your point.

Dave: The word “tribulation,” of course, refers to the time of trouble spoken of in Daniel 12:1. It says:

At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.

“Pre-tribulation” refers to before this time of trouble; “post-tribulation” means afterward.

Miles: So the real question boils down to: will Yah’s people be saved from having to go through the great tribulation, or will they have to go through it?

Dave: Right. It’s a fair question. I can certainly see why it would seem more comforting to believe that Yah’s people won’t have to go through the time of trouble, but the truth is that Scripture teaches that believers will indeed be living on the earth throughout the great time of trouble, or the “tribulation.”

The good news, though, is that Yah has promised to be with His people and preserve them through it. There are a few verses we can look at, but the first one is found in Jeremiah chapter 30. Jeremiah 30, and verses 5 to 7. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles:

For thus says Yahuwah:

‘We have heard a voice of trembling,
Of fear, and not of peace.
Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.’

Dave: Yes, there are troublous times ahead. There are very dangerous times ahead, just as dangerous as when Jacob feared that Esau was coming to kill him, his wives, and his children and so he wrestled with the angel beside the brook.

But Jacob and his family were saved and Yah’s promise in Jeremiah 30 verse 7 is that we shall be saved, too. “He shall be saved out of it.”

Miles: That’s a promise to cling to!

Dave: It really is.

Okay, turn now to Matthew 24. This is where Yahushua was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. Matthew 24 and verses 29 to 31.

Miles: It says, um …

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Dave: Now, some have argued that the “elect” referred to here is talking about the Jews. However, if you do a word search of that term in the New Testament, every time it talks about the “elect,” it’s referring to the church, not the Jews.

And, of course, with what we know from comparing Scripture with Scripture, gathering His elect does not mean transporting them to Heaven.

Turn now to Revelation 20 and verses—

Miles: Uh, yeah, we’re—

Dave: We about out of time?

Miles: Over, actually. How much more Scriptural evidence do you have?

Dave: Quite a bit.

Miles: Well, maybe you could plan on covering this in an upcoming program. That would be interesting.

Dave: Sure!

Miles: Great! Let’s plan on that.

* * *Daily Promise:

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

Stephen Jewell had not had an easy life. He had given his heart to Yah, but nevertheless, he still struggled against feelings of hopelessness and depression. One day, it was all too much. The feeling of being worthless was overwhelming. He was home alone and the temptation to just end it all became overwhelming. He thought of the gun he had locked away upstairs in a gun safe and he felt an irresistible draw to go get it, ending the pain once and for all.

Strange as the irresistible pull to the gun was, at the same time, Stephen wanted Yah to intervene. Every step he took up the stairs, he called out to his heavenly Father for help. By the time he reached the bedroom, the battle to resist getting the gun felt physical. His legs were heavy and dragging … but the siren’s song of the gun kept luring him ever onward. If he couldn’t walk, he would crawl. That gun promised immediate relief from the pain that had become too much to bear.

He was sure Yah had heard his prayers, but he couldn’t stop the overpowering draw to get the gun and end it all. He crawled to the gun safe. Dragging himself up in front of it, Stephen carefully entered the passcode on the gun safe. He heard the internal bolt release. Grabbing ahold of the handle, he went to open the safe … but the door wouldn’t open.

Stephen wiped the tears away desperately and tried again to enter the passcode. He carefully entered each digit in correct sequence. Grasping the handle, he again tried to open the door. Again, the door would not budge. Stephen collapsed on the floor beside the gun safe.

Could this possibly be Yah answering his prayer for help? Was Yahuwah holding the door shut? His heart overflowed with gratitude, and he immediately prayed, thanking his heavenly Father for hearing his prayers and coming to his aid. As he prayed, he heard a still, small voice say, “I still have plans for you.”

For several minutes, Stephen lay there, thanking Yahuwah for helping him and sparing his family from the horror and pain of finding his body. But then, questions began to creep in. Maybe it wasn’t a miracle at all. Maybe the batteries were just dead. After all, would Yahuwah really work a miracle to save his life? He wasn’t worth it. This wasn’t a miracle. It was just a coincidence. An accident, just like his sorry self.

Stephen knelt and entered the code again. Again, he heard the interior bolt slide free; again, he grasped the handle and pulled. This time, the door opened! There was the gun. There was the box of ammunition. It wasn’t dead batteries. It was Yah. He loved Stephen and saw something worth saving. Yah still had plans for Stephen!

That day was a turning point in Stephen’s life. Yes, he still has times where he struggles with feelings of worthlessness and depression. But through it all, he remembers that soft voice assuring him, “I still have plans for you.”

Yah has plans for you, too. He gave His only son to die for you because you are precious to Him!

Isaiah 43 says:

But now, thus says Yahuwah, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.

For I am Yahuwah your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you. [Isaiah 43:1, 3-5]

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

* * *Part 3: The Origins of Yahushua, Part 2

Dave: A lot of the controversies in the third and fourth centuries were over the nature of Christ. As we know, the pagan-influenced trinitarians ultimately won. What most modern Christians don’t know, is that in the 1950s, Pope Pius gave Catholic scholars much greater freedom to explore the Bible and share what they learned without being afraid of being charged with heresy. Other churches, such as the Lutheran church and the Church of England, began their own investigations into the true nature of Christ and who he was.

Miles: Really?? I haven’t heard of that!

Dave: Well, there’s a reason for that. The churches were not expecting the conclusions the scholars came to. Cardinals and other church authorities began silencing or sidelining many of these scholars.

Fortunately, the scholars wrote many books on their discoveries, so we know what they found … and the controversy is still going on today.

I’ve printed off a handful—and this is just a small handful—of quotes regarding the true nature of Christ. Why don’t you go ahead and read through those for us?

Miles: All right, this first one is from Christology in the Making, p. 254, by James Dunn. It says, quote: “There is no indication that Jesus thought or spoke of himself as having pre-existed with God prior to his birth…A complete discontinuity between Jesus’ own self assertions and the subsequent claims made about him would constitute a fatal flaw.” Unquote.

Oh, that’s interesting!

Dave: Keep going. This next quote is from a Catholic theologian. What does he say?

Miles: Okay, um. This is from Born Before All Time? by Karl-Josef Kuschel, pages 392 to 394. It says:

“The christology of Jewish Christianity, which had been dominant for decades and knew of no pre-existence Christology, was increasingly swept aside and was finally branded heretical … A christology today which heedlessly uses the dogmatic theme of ‘pre-existence’ and introduces it into the [New Testament] foists on the [New Testament] an idea which it does not contain in this form.”

Unquote. Wow! That’s amazing.

Dave: And the last one?

Miles: Uh, Professor James Mackey, on page 51 of his book, The Christian Experience of Yahuwah as Trinity, says, quote: “What exactly, according to this term [preexistence] ‘pre-exists’ what else, and in what sense does it do so? The logical path to alleged pre-existence is a tortuous one.”

Unquote. These are amazing! I can see why trinitarian churches would try to silence these scholars. It shook the very trinitarian foundations on which their creeds were based!

Dave: It did! But truth has to be more important to us than creeds and church identities or fellowships. Truth has to be more important than anything else besides because only then will we know the truth and the truth shall set us free. Free of error and assumptions that have been handled down for centuries.

Miles: It was only when the merchantman in Christ’s parable sacrificed everything he had that he was able to obtain the pearl of great price.

Dave: Right. And we have to be willing to do the same if we wish to obtain the precious pearl of salvation.

Miles: It’s true. Following the lamb wherever he leads—even if it’s out of the churches in which we’ve been raised—has got to be more important than anything else.

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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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.