Program 206: Vicegerent of Yahuwah

The Savior is fully human but has been appointed to act as Yahuwah’s legal representative.

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: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: The Old Testament is filled with prophecies where Yahuwah promises that He will save Israel, He will forgive their sins and blot out, as a thick cloud, their transgressions, He will restore the years the locust has eaten, He will heal the backslidings of His people. But when you go to the gospels where these prophecies are fulfilled, you find that Yahushua is the one fulfilling them, not Yahuwah.

Hello, I’m Miles Robey and this is World’s Last Chance Radio. Scripture reveals that the nature of “God” is unitarian, not trinitarian. This means that Yahuwah alone is divine. Yahushua is not and the phrase “holy spirit,” as established in the original Hebrew, refers simply to Yahuwah’s breath with which He speaks the creative word.

Sooo … if that’s the case, Yahushua fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies. Does this mean he would have to have been divine in order to be the prophesied Messiah? And what does this reveal about the relationship between the Father and the son? Today, Dave Wright is going to be showing us from Scripture how Yahushua, the fully human son of Yah, fulfilled the prophecies by acting in Yahuwah’s behalf. This is a really exciting concept because of what it reveals about Yahushua’s mission.

Later, in our daily mailbag segment, we’ll be talking about grief. We all experience grief in our lifetime. It’s inevitable that, at some point, we’ll all experience grief. But “complicated grief” is something else entirely. Dave’s going to be sharing with us how to know if you or someone you love is dealing with “complicated grief,” what can be done about it, and what we, as believers, should not do when we see someone struggling with grief.

Finally, Elise O’Brien will share another inspiring, true story of how Yahuwah blesses those who bless others. That’s a promise we can all use to encourage us to give to others.

So. Dave. The Old Testament prophecies say Yahuwah will save His people. He’ll do … this, that, and the other. Would you say this might suggest a trinity after all?

Dave Wright: That’s a fair question, Miles. Yes, the Old Testament prophecies are full of promises that Yahuwah will do a wonderful work. In fact, turn to Isaiah 43. This is an excellent example and I think you’ll see why. Isaiah 43 and let’s go ahead and start with verse 1.

Miles:

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. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am Yahuwah your Elohim, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” [Isaiah 43:1-3a]

Dave: This is Yahuwah speaking here. It refers to Him by name in the original Hebrew and how does He describe Himself in relation to us? He is our …

Miles: Savior.

Dave: Savior. We’re so used to thinking of Yahushua alone as the Savior.

Miles: Well, yeah. In fact, we don’t even have to use the name “Yahushua” or “Jesus” or whatever. All you have to do is use the word “Savior” and everyone knows you’re talking about the one nailed to the cross.

Dave: This isn’t the only place in Scripture where Yahuwah refers to Himself as our Savior. Turn to Isaiah 49 and read verses 25 and 26.

Miles:

But thus says Yahuwah: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know that I, Yahuwah, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

.

Dave: Again, Yahuwah states that He is our Savior but here He adds another word that we typically use exclusively for Yahushua. He says that He’s our …?

Miles: Redeemer.

Dave: Redeemer. Yes. Savior and Redeemer. Have you ever heard a sermon or sung a hymn in which these referred to Yahuwah instead of Yahushua?

Miles: Ahhh … no. No, I can’t think of any.

Dave: Neither can I.

There’s one more. Isaiah 60. Now what’s interesting about this reference to Yahuwah as our Savior is that, in context, this is a prophecy of the earth once Yah’s kingdom has been set up. It’s never been fulfilled. It’s yet future.

Obviously, Yahushua has already died, but here again Yahuwah is referring to Himself as our Savior.

Miles: Which verses?

Dave: Oh. Uh, read verse 16 for us.

Miles: “You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, Yahuwah, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Dave: So here we have three witnesses that unequivocally name Yahuwah as our Savior and two of them add that He’s our Redeemer as well. And yet, Christians today identify only Yahushua as our Savior and Redeemer.

Miles: Well, to be fair, for good reason. The New Testament refers to Yahushua as our Savior and Redeemer.

Dave: Which brings us to the point of today’s discussion. With the Old Testament saying Yahuwah is our Savior and Redeemer, what is going on that in the New Testament, Yahushua is identified as our Savior and Redeemer?

Back when we were trinitarians and believed in a three-in-one godhead, the answer was simple: whatever titles refer to the Father also refer to the Son.

It becomes more complicated when you learn that the true nature of Yah as presented in Scripture is unitarian: there’s just Him. He’s one, not three-in-one.

Miles: Let me just add something here. I know this isn’t news for our long-time listeners, but if you’re new to WLC, this may sound like heresy to you. Dave and I will never ask you to take our word for anything. Study it out for yourself! There is plenty of evidence in Scripture that establishes beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yahuwah’s nature is unitarian, not trinitarian. That came in much later when Christianity was assimilating with paganism.

And that passage in 1 John about there being three that bear witnesses in Heaven? Yeah. No, that was added a thousand years after Christ. It doesn’t appear in the oldest texts. The Bible writers didn’t believe in a triune godhead and they certainly didn’t teach it. There are plenty of articles and videos, as well as previously aired radio programs on our website to get you started in your study.

Dave: Thanks, Miles.

Most Christians in the last 1600 to 1700 hundred years would tell you unequivocally that, without a doubt, Yahushua is divine. It’s been believed he’s the “God the Son” part of the trinity. But now that we know that’s a heresy adopted from paganism, we have to look deeper for an explanation of this apparent—and I stress the word apparent—contradiction.

What we’ve got here is a case of acting by proxy. When I say a “marriage by proxy,” what do you think of?

Miles: Well, it sounds quite medieval. I guess I envision some medieval king marrying some princess from a rival kingdom to seal a treaty. Like, uh, the Dauphin, the future Louis XVI, married Marie-Antoinette by proxy on April 19, 1770. Which is actually kind of late when you think of marriage by proxy.

Dave: Ehhh, not really. Many countries still accept marriage by proxy. Brazil, the Philippines, India, China, Egypt, France. They all recognize it as legal. You can’t get married by proxy in Germany, but Germany will accept such marriages as legal if they’re performed elsewhere. In Great Britain, marriages by proxy aren’t typically legal. They’re going to take a long, hard look at them before accepting them.

Miles: How about the United States?

Dave: It’s determined by the individual state. It’s legal in only a handful although Montana is unusual in that it will legalize a double proxy marriage.

Miles: Where both parties are represented by a proxy?

Dave: Yep.

Miles: Wow. That’s wild. Do you even have a marriage if neither partner is present for the vows?

Dave: Well, Montana seems to think so.

Anyway, that’s kind of what we have here in the New Testament. Yahushua is Yahuwah’s proxy. He’s working on Yah’s behalf.

Miles: Could you say Yahushua is Yah’s vicegerent? I know we typically only use that in Catholic circles. Roman Catholics say the pope is Yahushua’s vicegerent. But that’s assuming Yahushua is divine. Are you saying Yahushua is Yahuwah’s vicegerent?

Dave: You could say that. Yahuwah has appointed Yahushua to act in His stead, to exercise all legal authority on Yah’s behalf. The thing we need to understand is that this is a legal designation. In a court of law, attorneys are the legal representatives of their clients. Same with proxies, in a proxy by marriage.

Now generally, when we hear this idea—if we hear it at all—we think, “Oh, sure. Yahushua is the very image of the Father.” But it’s really easy to start imposing a triune-godhead interpretation on their relationship that simply doesn’t exist.

I want to spend the rest of our time looking at what Paul’s writings reveal about the special role Yahushua plays as the legal representative, the vicegerent, if you will, of Yahuwah. Paul did not believe in a triune godhead. He was a Jew and proud of it.

Miles: Yeah, by his own admission, he was a life-long Pharisee!

Dave: He would never have adopted the doctrine of a trinity! To Paul, Yahushua was not Yahuwah. The Nicene Creed adopted in the fourth century was what really canonized the trinity heresy into Christian orthodoxy.

Miles: I remember. The Council of Nicea is what defined the doctrine of the trinity, all that essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. Even the wording now sounds confusing to my ear.

Dave: Aw, that is because it is a Grand Mystery, too profound for the human mind to grasp!

Miles laughs: Right!

Dave: Anyway, getting back to Paul. He accepted Yahushua as Yah’s son, but not as Yahuwah Himself. Not even as co-partner, co-self-existent, co-divine with Yah. Simply Yahuwah’s fully human son. Nowhere in the New Testament does Yahushua claim to be divine, and Paul did not claim it for him.

However, Paul does present Yahushua as being in Yahuwah’s image. There’s a difference. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and read verse 4 for us: 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4.

Miles: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of [Yah].”

Dave: This is Paul’s understanding of Yahushua. He wasn’t Yahuwah, but he was the very image of Yahuwah.

Paul makes the same point in Colossians. Let’s read that: Colossians 1 verse 15.

Miles: “The son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Dave: Here, Paul adds an interesting detail, referring to Christ as “the firstborn over all Creation.” This is simply establishing Christ as over all. But Paul couldn’t have accurately referred to Yahushua as “the firstborn over all Creation” if, in fact, Yahushua had had an equal and eternal co-existence with Yahuwah prior to his birth in Bethlehem, could he?

Miles: No. No, he couldn’t.

Dave: Now, when we read that Yahushua is the very image of Yah, be careful not to let your mind get too literal. All humans are in the image of Yah. Adam and Eve were created in the image of Elohim. Genesis says so. This isn’t saying that Yahushua’s physical appearance was a clone of the Father. We know that’s not the case because the only physical description Scripture gives of him indicates that he was of only average appearance.

Miles: Where do you get that?

Dave: Isaiah 53. It’s a prophecy of the Messiah. In fact, why don’t you read that for us really quickly? Isaiah 53 verses 2 and 3.

Miles:

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. [Isaiah 53:2b-3]

Dave: When Paul says that Yahushua is the very image of Yahuwah, he’s talking about his nature. Yahushua resembles the Father in his nature. He had an unfallen nature and this allowed him to reveal the Father in truly unprecedented ways.

Romans 7 and 8 proves that no one with a fallen nature can perfectly keep the divine law.

Miles: Romans 8 verse 7: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against [Yah]; for it is not subject to the law of [Yah], nor indeed can be.”

Dave: Exactly. So the image of Yahuwah that Yahushua possessed was His nature, His character.

We can find another witness for this in Hebrews. Let’s read Hebrews 1 verses 1 to 3. This says it really well.

Miles:

On many past occasions and in many different ways, [Yahuwah] spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The son is the radiance of [Yahuwah’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Dave: Yahushua, being the exact representation of Yahuwah’s nature reveals to us what Yahuwah is like as a person. But more than that, we gain glimpses of Yahuwah’s will for mankind because Yahushua works in a completely unprecedented way.

Miles: What is that?

Dave: Yahushua does Yah’s work. He does for Yahuwah the work that only Yahuwah can do. In other words, Yahuwah has granted to His only begotten, but fully human son, work that falls under the divine prerogative. It’s work only Yahuwah has the right to do, and yet He has appointed Yahushua to do this work for Him.

Miles: Why would Yah do that? Why would He … I don’t know, assign divine prerogatives to Yahushua?

Dave: For the simple reason that rebellious sinners cannot exist in the pure and holy presence of divinity. That’s just part of the reason why the Messiah had to be fully human. Moses, in Exodus 33, asked to see Yah’s glory. Yahuwah told him, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Miles: More proof that it wasn’t a pre-existent Yahushua!

Dave: Right. Yahuwah shielded Moses and allowed him to see His back, but even Moses, as dedicated to Yahuwah as he was, still had to be shielded and couldn’t see Yah’s face. Now, how would that work? A Messiah too holy to be seen by sinners; too holy to be in their presence? This is why Yahuwah has appointed Yahushua to do the work that is Yahuwah’s work, by right, to do.

Look at it in terms of Yahushua being the second Adam. What work did Elohim assign the first Adam?

Miles: Uh, well, He told him to “fill the earth and subdue it,” to “have dominion” over the earth.

Dave: As the Creator, this was a prerogative that belonged to Yahuwah, but He assigned it to the first Adam.

All right. Yahushua is the second Adam. Yahuwah assigns him the prerogatives to do the work that only Yahuwah has the right to do but which, in our sinfulness, needs to be done by another human being.

Miles: Okay, that makes sense.

Dave: This reality is the seed that became corrupted into what, at the Council of Nicea, fully formed into the trinity doctrine. But as we’ve seen in previous programs, a triune godhead is not Biblical. To divide truth from error, we have to look at the work Christ did in his crucifixion and resurrection, as well as the work he’s doing even now. When we look at this, we see a startling truth: we see Christ’s immense significance doing the work only Yahuwah can do, combined with the fact that he’s fully human and thus, obviously, inferior to the divine Father.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: All right. Let’s look at this. From the Fall, in Genesis 3, clear on down through the rest of the Old Testament, Yahuwah gave promises.

• He promised He would one day renew His covenant with Israel.
• He promised to forgive our sins.
• He promised to triumph over evil, utterly defeating it.

Throughout the Old Testament, these are the promises that Yahuwah said He would do. And yet, when you get to the New Testament, what do we find? We find that all of these promises were fulfilled by Christ. It was Yahushua who renewed the covenant. It was Yahushua’s death and resurrection was what enabled sins to be forgiven. It’s Yahushua’s blood that will, ultimately, destroy evil.

Miles: Aww, okay. Yeah, I can see why, not understanding that these were divine prerogatives that Yahuwah gave to Yahushua, people could be confused. They imposed a triune godhead onto that as a way to explain why the Old Testament prophecies about Yahuwah were fulfilled in Christ. They didn’t get that the prophecies were fulfilled in Christ on Yahuwah’s behalf.

Dave: You’ve got it.

Miles: Okay, so Yahushua died for us on Yahuwah’s behalf—that’s an incredible thought that deserves to be explored more itself. Yahuwah dying for His rebellious creatures.

Dave: He wanted to, but He couldn’t have. If the Creator dies, we all cease to exist. Again, a solid reason why the Messiah had to be fully human.

Miles: Right. My question, though, was … this was all done on earth. So what’s Yahushua doing now? He’s in Heaven, we know that. But what’s his work?

Dave: The answer, quite honestly, is breathtaking, so I’m just going to caution you and our listeners to hear me out. Don’t tune me out. Just listen to what I have to say: Yahushua is now, in Heaven, functioning as Yahuwah.

I can see you don’t know what to make of that.

Miles: Yeah, uh, wow!

Dave: All right, let’s look at the evidence. Turn to Philippians 2 verse 9. Many of Yahushua’s current responsibilities are work that Yahuwah used to do. What does Philippians 2:9 say? Verses 5 to 8 are talking about how Yahushua humbled himself even to the point of dying on a cross. What’s next?

Miles: “Therefore—”

Dave: Because he was willing to humble himself.

Miles: “Yahuwah also has highly exalted him and given Him the name which is above every name.”

Dave: There’s only one name that’s above every name and that’s the divine name itself. But this doesn’t mean that Yahushua suddenly changed his name to Yahuwah’s name. In many cultures around the world, when a woman gets married, she changes her surname to that of her husband. That’s not what this is talking about. Instead, it’s saying that Yahushua’s function or status changed.

In the Jewish world, when someone was given a new name, it meant his function had changed. This means that Yahushua, being given Yah’s own name, now functions as Yahuwah. He’s not divine. That’s where the trinitarians got off. He’s still human. But, functionally speaking: he functions as Yahuwah.

Miles: That actually makes a lot of sense explained that way. We know that the risen Christ was “highly exalted.” He was granted to sit with Yahuwah on His throne. He’s got “throne-ship status.”

Dave: This is actually still further evidence that Yahushua is fully human. If he were one-third of a divine godhead, he wouldn’t need to be exalted because that status and function would be his by right. But since it’s not, Yahuwah gifts him with the divine name which establishes his work: he functions as, and on behalf of, Yahuwah.

Miles: So how does this work? Is there any, I don’t know, “functional overlap” going on?

Dave: Great question! There are actually lots of examples with this. Let’s look at a few. Turn to Joel 2 and read verse 32.

Miles: “And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of Yahuwah
Shall be saved.” [Joel 2:32a]

Dave: Thanks. Now listen while I read the counterpart in the New Testament. This is Romans 10:13. Paul’s actually quoting Joel 2:32 here. He says: “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” And yet, in context from verse 9, we know that he’s actually referring to Yahushua. Verse 9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Yahushua and believe in your heart that [Yah] has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

So this is an example of an Old Testament prophecy about Yahuwah being fulfilled in Yahushua who is functioning as Yahuwah.

Miles: This is fascinating. I’ve wondered about this before because in the Old Testament, there are all these references to “the day of the Lord” or the “day of Yahuwah,” and yet in the New Testament whenever it speaks of the “day of the Lord,” it’s clearly referring to Yahushua rather than Yahuwah.

Dave: Yahushua stands in the place of Yahuwah for purposes of redemption.

1 Corinthians 15 is another fascinating example of Yahushua functioning in the place of Yah. Read 1 Corinthians 15 verse 45.

Miles: “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Dave: Yahushua, of course, is the last Adam. What’s interesting about this verse is that Paul is attributing a function of the Holy Spirit—the “life-giving” spirit—to Yahushua!

Miles: Wow. Yeah, in Genesis, we read that Elohim breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. That’s the same word as is used throughout the Bible when referring to the Holy Spirit. That life-giving spirit. Not as some third member of a triune godhead, but simply Yah’s breath. That’s what the word is, and it has life-giving power. So, this really makes your point to see this function attributed to Yahushua. Wow.

Dave: This is what has allowed the heresy of a trinity to gain traction. Yahushua functions as Yahuwah, but he is not divine. We can’t ever forget that. No where in the New Testament is he ever referred to as “God.” Furthermore, notice that Yahuwah exalts him; Yah gifts him with the divine name. It’s not his by nature, which it would be if they were co-equal partners of a divine trinity.

Miles: That goes along with 1 Corinthians 8:6 which differentiates between Yahuwah as “God” and Yahushua as “Lord,” a non-divine title. It says: “For us there is but one God, the Father … and there is but one Lord, Yahushua Christ.”

Dave: As we’ve covered extensively in other programs, Yahushua never claimed equality with Yah. Scripture is consistent that Yahushua is inferior to the Father. So passages that present Yahushua functioning as Yahuwah, he does so only because this has been gifted to him to do. It’s not his by nature. This is part of being “exalted.”

Miles: That’s exalting Christ, isn’t it? You start telling people that Yahushua isn’t divine, you’ll be accused of demoting him. But Yah exalted him in a way no other human ever has been. And in order to be exalted, it couldn’t have been his by nature.

Dave: Christ himself clarified that he was inferior to Yahuwah. In John 5:19, he tells the Jews, quote: “The son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the son also does in like manner.”

This is what resolves the confusion that lies at the very heart of the controversy between a divine unitarian nature versus a divine trinitarian nature. Yahuwah is one. Throughout the Old Testament, Yahuwah is our Savior, the one who will come to redeem Israel. Then, in the New Testament the active participant, the one who actually fulfills the prophecies, the one who does the restoring is no longer Yah but Yahushua, Yah’s anointed.

Again, it has to be this way. If sinners are to survive long enough to have a chance to repent, Yahuwah has to keep Himself away because sin cannot exist in the presence of holiness. He had to appoint someone fully human to act in His behalf. That was Yahushua. He was fully human. He’s our Savior and embodies the saving power of Yahuwah, but that is an appointed role. He has functional equality, not equality based on nature.

Miles: As a trinitarian, I never really gave a lot of thought to how limited Yahuwah was in acting for and interacting with mankind. I mean, He really can’t interact with us, not if He wants us to continue living. So, appointing the sinless second Adam, Yahushua who had the nature of Adam before the fall, to act as His vicegerent, His proxy on His behalf, makes a lot of sense. It allowed Yahuwah to draw closer than He otherwise could.

Dave: More, it revealed holiness to us in a way we couldn’t grasp otherwise.

Divinity is so high, so … so infinite, our brains can’t grasp it. How can Yah be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent? We trip over this and miss the important part, which is what He’s like in His inner heart. Yahushua, functioning as Yahuwah, came to reveal what was in Yahuwah’s inner heart, and that is infinite love. Seeing it presented in human skin let’s us grasp it in a way we otherwise couldn’t.

Yahushua is Yahuwah’s only begotten son. The definition of “begotten” proves his existence began in Mary’s womb and not before. Yahuwah’s only begotten, fully-human son is His personal representative. This is why he was born! Now, if Paul can teach these things without falling into the trinitarian trap or believing in a dual-natured Christ, we can, too.

Miles: Yeah, that’s always been a puzzler: Yahushua supposedly being 100% divine and 100% human. It doesn’t make sense. Sure, you can say he “laid aside” his divine nature, but then he’s not 100% divine and if he’s at all divine, he couldn’t have died because, by its very definition, divinity can’t die! The trinity is just a convoluted, confusing mess.

Dave: It really is, and none of the apostles believed it. Instead, they understood that Yahushua had only functional equality with Yah, nothing more. Turn to John 1 and read verses 14 to 18. This says it so well.

Miles:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.’”

And of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Yahushua Christ. No one has seen [Yahuwah] at any time. The only begotten son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared Him.

Dave: As a man, Yahushua does Yahuwah’s work, both on the earth and in Heaven. He fulfills Yah’s role and embodies Yahuwah’s own saving power. He completes the tasks that are actually Yahuwah’s, but which Yahuwah can’t do by virtue of being holy and divine.

This has always been the Father’s plan for salvation. This was the secret, kept in silence, from eternity past, that should the need ever arise, He would beget a human son to do His work for Him. And this hasn’t changed simply because Yahushua’s now living in Heaven. He’s still fully human.

Miles: Acts 5:31: “[Yahuwah] has exalted [Yahushua] to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Dave: The fact that Yahushua’s functional equality is received as a gift from being exalted proves that it’s not his by nature.

This also explains why, during the first millennium after Yahushua’s return, he sets up Yah’s kingdom on earth, and he reigns from Jerusalem. Let’s close with Isaiah 42, verses 1 to 4. This is describing Yahushua in his work of functioning as Yahuwah.

Miles:

Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He will not cry out, nor raise his voice,
Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed he will not break,
And smoking flax he will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.

Don’t go away folks. Up next: What do you do when struggling with grief? Stay tuned to find out.

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

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today’s question from our daily mailbag is coming from the home of the first printing press in the New World. Which country in the New World had the first printing press?

Dave: Hmmm. I want to say the United States but that’s probably too obvious. I don’t know. Which country?

Miles: The country that brought tomatoes and chocolate to the world—

Dave: Ah, yes! Mexico! They’ve got a city there, Cholula, that was established sometime between 800 and 200 BCE.

Miles: Wow! That’s really old for the New World. I suppose each side of the world is the same age as the other, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, Carolina from Apodaca writes: “Three years ago, my husband lost his father to cancer. The two were always very close. I’m worried about my husband, though, because he’s still devastated. I know you never truly ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one, but he’s not healing and I don’t know how to help him. At a recent family get together, his cousin basically scolded him saying that if he had more faith in Yah, he wouldn’t still be ‘wallowing’ (her words) in grief. It’s not that at all and being scolded only made it worse. He does believe in the resurrection but he’s still suffering. What can I do to help him heal?”

Dave: Well, first let me say how sorry I am for everything your family is going through. It’s hard to lose a loved one. And the truth is, everyone deals with grief in different ways. Your husband is blessed to have an understanding, supportive wife. And no. Scolding him, berating him as his cousin did, bringing his spiritual walk into it, isn’t going to help matters at all.

It's sounds like he may have “complicated grief.” Have you heard of it?

Miles: Uh, nooo. What’s that?

Dave: Well, there’s a difference between normal grief and what’s called complicated grief.

Now, it’s very normal to be sad when we lose a loved one. Even when they loved Yah and you know you’ll see them again, it’s still hard.

Miles: Yeah. It’s not supposed to be easy. What would that say about us if we lost someone we claimed to love, then skated blissfully on, totally unaffected by their loss?

Dave: Good point!

It’s been said that the only surety at birth is that, someday, you’ll die. Even as our parents age, it doesn’t make it easier to lose them, and if their lives were cut short by illness or an accident, the sense of being cheated out of more time with them compounds the grief.

Miles: Grief’s a game changer. I know when I prematurely lost someone close to me, not only was I dealing with the grief of losing that person from my life, but I also had to adjust my thinking to accept that the future I’d assumed we’d have was no longer going to happen. It took some time to come to terms with that. We may know death is inevitable, but we still assume we’re going to have more time.

Dave: Sure. That’s just how our brains work.

The reality of grief is that, no matter how much time passes, there will always be a void in our lives where that person once was, and there’s nothing in this life that can ever change that.

Complicated grief differs from normal grief in its long-lasting impact on the life. People struggling with complicated grief may avoid going places or doing things that trigger memories of the person who died. This can, over time, lead to isolation. They might assume that no one else can ever fully understand their pain. Basically, they end up stuck in grief and don’t know how to move ahead and form a new future for themselves.

Miles: It can be hard to form a new identity after loss. This would be especially true if the loved one is a family member. If we lose a child, a large part of our identity is wrapped up in being a parent. If we lose a parent, we have, in a sense, lost our identity of being a child. You know what I mean?

Dave: That’s very insightful.

In a normal grieving process, you learn to live a normal life despite the loss. In complicated grief, you become trapped and unable to live with the loss. If you or a loved one are still in the acute stages of grief and it’s been six months to a year or more after the loss, you might be dealing with complicated grief.

Now this isn’t to put a timeline on grief, but it can be helpful in analyzing if your grieving might be complicated grief rather than normal grief. Early intervention, getting help as soon as possible, is really important.

Dr. Holly Prigerson of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York says that anywhere from seven to 10 percent of people who have experienced loss will struggle with complicated grief.

Miles: What are the symptoms of complicated grief? How can you know if that’s what you or someone you love are dealing with?

Dave: Rhonda O’Neill, the author of The Other Side of Complicated Grief, shares some red flags that, if you’re experiencing these, may indicate your grief has become complicated grief.

Here. I’ve got a copy. Would you read these for us, please?

Miles: Let’s see, uh …

•Persistent and invasive thoughts of your loss that disrupt daily activities
•Avoiding or feeling consumed by reminders [or] memories of your loved one
•Unable to accept the finality of the death
•Intense yearning for your lost loved one
•Feeling angry about the death
•Feeling numb or confused, developing a loss of trust in others
•Isolating from others
•Suffering physical symptoms similar to that experienced in the deceased's final illness
•Feeling that life is meaningless and hopeless without your loved one

Dave: Complicated grief can look like—and often is—depression, but therapy that works for depression doesn’t always work for complicated grief. Dr. Katherine Shear of Columbia University’s Center for Complicated Grief in New York has developed a therapy that’s twice as effective for complicated grief as traditional depression therapy.

Miles: What is it?

Dave: Basically, with the help of a therapist, the person goes back and visualizes the moment they received news of the loss of their loved one. The therapist is there with them and helps them reflect on the experience and the meaning of the death.

By contrast, in depression therapy, the patient discusses moods and present relationships, rather than the loss itself. In a study, they found this new method works much better for complicated grief.

Now obviously, a few minutes discussing this on talk radio isn’t enough help for anyone who is dealing with this. You can ask your doctor about therapists in your area that are knowledgeable about this kind of therapy.

Miles: I’m glad you said that. It’s not a sin to get help. Psalm 103 says:

As a father has compassion on his children,
so Yahuwah has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

Dave: I love that passage; it’s so comforting.

No, it absolutely is not a sin to get help for mental health issues. There are sometimes societal or cultural prejudices against it, but it’s not a sin. And that brings me to my next point that I feel is very important to address here.

Carolina said her husband’s cousin accused him of “wallowing” in his grief and that if he had more faith in Yah, he wouldn’t be struggling so much.

Miles: Oof! That’s just wrong!

Dave: It is. In speaking of the Messiah, Isaiah said: “A bruised reed he shall not break; a smoldering flax he shall not quench.” I know I’ve been quoting this verse a lot lately but this is a principle of the Messiah’s mission. He came to bring health and healing and that includes mental and emotional healing as well.

I see too many Christians judging others for struggling. That’s wrong!

Miles: Yeah. When my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, a church member actually told her it was because God was judging her for some hidden sin in her life.

Dave: Wow. Talk about Job’s comforters!

Miles: As you can imagine, it didn’t help or encourage at all during an already stressful time.

Dave: And yet this happens all too often. Someone who self-medicates with alcohol is shunned for being such a terrible sinner. Someone who gets divorced is shunned for not being committed to his or her marriage. Someone who wears jewelry is judged for being worldly. Someone who eats meat, for not being vegetarian.

Miles: Someone who’s vegetarian, for not being vegan.

Dave: And the judging goes on and on. And what really adds insult to injury is when the person who’s struggling has his or her spiritual walk called into question.

Miles: Yep. I’ve been on the receiving end of that sort of judgment before. “What’s going on in your spiritual walk that … This … or That … happened to you?” It’s incredibly discouraging and demoralizing.

Dave: You look at how some Christians today treat people who are struggling, and all I can say is, I’m sure glad Yahushua wasn’t a Christian!

Miles: That sounds awful but I know what you mean. If Yahushua treated people—judged them, held himself aloof from sinners—the way so many Christians do, he’d have been wildly popular with the Pharisees, but he wouldn’t have been sinless.

Dave: One Sabbath, Yahushua and his disciples went to synagogue as they typically did, and Yahushua was asked to do the reading from the scroll. The Savior took this opportunity to clarify his mission. You can find it in Luke 4, verses 16 to 21. Let’s read it.

Miles:

So he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of Yahuwah is upon me, Because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahuwah.” Then he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” [Luke 4:16-21]

Dave: Did you catch that? Part of Yahushua’s mission was to “heal … the broken … hearted.” That’s mental health!

See, Yahushua understood a very important principle. He knew that only love awakens love. So, the way he revealed the love of the Father, the way he inspired sinners to trust in the Father’s acceptance of them, was to show them that same love and acceptance.

Too often today people think that they’ll get contaminated by associating with sinners. That’s not how it works, folks! Did associating with sinners contaminate Christ??

Miles: Wellll … you have to admit, he had an unfallen nature. We don’t.

Dave: True. But if we have a living connection with the Father like it’s our privilege to have, He’ll preserve us. Remember: holiness consumes sin, not the other way around.

The early Christians understood this. For example, many Christians today are terrified of pagans.

Miles: A friend of my wife’s was talking about how she met this really nice lady at work. The woman invited our friend over to visit and while there, it came out that the woman was pagan. Our friend couldn’t get out of there fast enough! Her eyes were huge while she told us about it.

All I could think was that if the early Christians were as afraid of pagans as many modern Christians, the gospel would never have spread beyond the borders of Palestine!

Dave: It’s true. If we want to cooperate with Heaven in winning souls for Yah, we’ll show others the same kind, loving, non-judgmental acceptance Yahuwah gives sinners who come to Him.

Let’s face it: we like to judge. It makes us feel better about ourselves if we can point to someone whom we deem is a greater sinner than ourselves. But that’s just us being Pharisees. Turn to Luke 18 and read verses 9 to 14. There’s an important lesson we can all take to heart when we’re tempted to find fault with others. Luke 18:9 through 14.

Miles:

Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘[Yah], be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

* * *Daily Promise: (Laura Lee)

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

There are many ways to help and be a blessing to others. Sometimes simply a friendly smile and a kind word can have far-reaching and lasting consequences.

Barbara Occhino is someone others are just naturally attracted to. Wherever she goes, people are drawn to her, often sharing things about their lives they don’t tell anyone else. She just has a warmth and friendliness that helps others to feel accepted.

Late one night, Barbara and her husband had stopped at a 24-hour coffee shop for a hot drink and a snack. As she wrapped her hands around a warm mug, Barbara noticed a man who looked homeless sitting in one corner. Matted brown hair surrounded a face that looked worn down by life. Barbara sent him a warm smile. If anyone could use a smile, this young man obviously could! He smiled back. He was obviously missing some teeth, but the smile was beaming.

“I see you in here every night,” he observed. For the next few minutes, they shared an animated exchange that was comforting in its very ordinariness. When Barbara and her husband were finished, she turned back to give the man one last smile and wave. After that, Barbara noticed him often and, while they never again had time to share a conversation, they’d exchange greetings and warm smiles.

Twelve years later, Barbara was working on a marketing campaign for a city transportation system. When it was time to do a photoshoot, she went back to the mechanics’ garage to request volunteers and props. The employees were all very helpful but one man in particular went above and beyond in his efforts to help things go smoothly. After the photo shoot, as Barbara was packing up her belongings, the man came over to her.

“You don’t remember me,” he said. Barbara promptly put her briefcase down, turned and stared into his eyes for a long minute. Suddenly, it burst on her. It was the man from the coffee shop so many years before!

“It’s you!” She yelled, throwing her arms around him for a spontaneous hug. She learned his name was Dennis. His parents had been extremely abusive, alcoholic drug addicts. Dennis spent time in and out of foster care before finally finding some peace and safety living on the streets.

Dennis had chosen to turn his life around. He had studied hard and become certified to drive a bus. He’d also obtained a sparkling set of new teeth. With his neatly trimmed hair and cleanly pressed uniform, Barbara barely recognized him.

“I have never forgotten you,” Dennis told her. “You were the only person who smiled or talked to me.”

In recalling the encounter, Barbara says, quote: “I was struck by the reality of how many faces remain unperceived as we dash through our days. To me, each one has a compelling story that helps me better understand and appreciate my life and connection to others. That seemingly insignificant smile [12 years before] had given us both an indelible gift.”

Proverbs 11, verses 24 and 25 tells us:

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.

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

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: This whole discussion today has got my mind spinning. It’s been a while since I learned the truth about the unitarian nature of Yah and that Yahushua is fully human. But to approach it from this other angle really adds so much weight to the idea that Yahushua came to reveal the Father.

There’s a verse here I’m thinking of … give me just a moment to find it. It focuses on Christ but this underscores that whatever Yahushua is to us, so is the Father.

Here it is! It’s Hebrews 4 verses 14 and 15. Listen to this. It says:

“Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Yahushua, the Son of [Yahuwah], let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.”

I love this because it’s saying Yahushua does sympathize with our weaknesses. Or, as another translation puts it, He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. That’s what we all want! When we’re hurting, when we’re struggling, even when we’re happy and excited about something, what we want is for someone else to “get” it. We want to be understood.

What this passage is saying to me is that the Father “gets” it. He understands. He also is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.

Dave: That’s a beautiful point. I’m glad you shared it. It’s so easy to put Yahuwah on this high and lofty pedestal. I mean, let’s face it: He does belong there. He is high and holy and lifted up. But that doesn’t mean that He doesn’t feel what we feel. Hebrews says that He does! Because Yahushua reveals the Father. If Yahushua can feel what we feel, then so can the Father. And that’s incredibly comforting.

Some time ago I read a quote from a Christian author I’d like you to read. I don’t agree with everything this author wrote, but then this side of Yahushua’s return, none of us are perfect. We all have more to learn. However, this quote sums it up well. Would you please read the paragraph that’s marked?

Miles:

Had [Yahuwah] come to our world and dwelt among us, veiling His glory and humbling Himself, that humanity might look upon Him, the history that we have of the life of Christ would not have been changed in unfolding its record of his own condescending grace. In every act of [Yahushua], in every lesson of His instruction, we are to see and hear and recognize [Yahuwah]. In sight, in hearing, in effect, it is the voice and movements of the Father.

Dave: Sometimes unitarians are accused of demeaning Christ, making him less important.

Far from it. As we’ve covered in other programs, we’ve seen that in order to redeem the human race where Adam fell, a sinless human being, a human being with the nature of Adam before the fall, had to be the sacrifice to redeem mankind. And yet, the very fact that Yahuwah has exalted him to act on the Father’s behalf, and in His stead is huge! It shows the vast importance of Yahushua, far more than if we were to impose upon him some dual nature, half man/half God, or—as some try to explain it—100% divine and 100% human.

It's not diminishing Yahushua at all when you understand the incredibly important role Yahuwah has given him in the redemption of mankind. And as we study the life of Christ, let our hearts be strengthened knowing that every helpful act, every loving deed, every kind and encouraging word is what the Father would do if He took on human flesh.

Miles: Amen!

Please 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.