IS THE TRINITY DOCTRINE BIBLICAL?
IS JESUS CHRIST THE SAME PERSON AS GOD THE FATHER AS WELL AS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
WHY DID PROPHET ISAIAH CALLS JESUS CHRIST THE EVERLASTING FATHER?
IS THE “EVERLASTING FATHER” THE SAME AS GOD THE FATHER? Pt. 5
BY SISTER HAPPINESS AIBANGBEE
FEBRUARY 27TH, 2021
One of Jesus titles in the book of Isaiah 9:6 is “Everlasting Father” Unfortunately this is one of the verses which antitrinitarians have used and misused to support the lie that Jesus Christ is God the Father. For the sake of clarity we are going to look at all the names given to our Blessed Redeemer in this famous classical verse in Scripures.
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born,to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This is a prophecy of the incarnation of the Son, yet he is called ‘Everlasting Father.’
The question is how can Jesus the Messiah, the second person of the Godhead, be called Everlasting Father? Does this not shows us that Jesus is the father?
One thing that stand out and Which we must understand is that everlasting father is just one of the many names given to the Messiah in this passage of the Bible.
The truth of the matter is, the Prophet isaiah was not discussing the role of Jesus Christ or his position in the Godhead, but the Messiah’s various roles which he will assume when he finally arrive on the world scene. It is the Messiah’s various roles toward us that Isaiah has in mind when he wrote that passage of Scripures.
Before we discussed what Isaiah meant by calling Jesus the “Everlasting Father” let’s look at some of the other titles in that same verse in the order they appear.
“WONDERFUL COUNSELOR” THE MESSIAH AS WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
Wonderful Counselor is the first name which referred to the Messiah, found once throughout the Bible, in Isaiah’s prophecy Isaiah 9:6. It was a promise of hope to Israel, amid the Assyrian invasion (around 740 BC), of the coming of a Savior who will deliver His people and establish His kingdom. This verse describes both the humanity and divinity of Christ.
The Messiah will be full of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, wonderful, and awesome, because the Holy Spirit will rest on him -Isaiah 11:2, Acts 10:38. Gladly, the Messiah lived up to his name, for indeed he was and still is a Wonderful Counselor and will ever be.
“MIGHTY GOD.”
Another name given to the coming Messiah is “Mighty God” Indeed Christ is a Mighty God, his Father is a Mighty God. You can’t expect the Son of a Mighty God to be anything less than Mighty ” Therefore, Christ is fittingly called “Mighty God” And he lived up to that name. He walked on water, he raised the dead, he healed the sick, including those born blind, the lame, the deaf and dumb. Lastly, he arose from the dead. Jesus Christ is indeed a Mighty God.
This is a Bible verse which Believers ought to use to help the Jehovah’s witnesses and others like them to come to the awe inspiring realization that Jesus Christ is indeed God, just like the Father.
“THE EVERLASTING FATHER”
CHRIST THE EVERLASTING FATHER
Without mincing words, that the Messiah is “Everlasting Father” have nothing to do with what antitrinitarians want to incorporate into this verse, namely that if Christ is the Everlasting Father, he must be God the Father. Of course that is another lie by the devil. An outright deviation from what the Scripures says.
What exactly does the phrased “Everlasting Father” really mean?
This is a descriptive analogy pointing to Christ’s character in his fatherly role towards Believers. The Lord is fatherly, and father-like, in his treatment of us.”He is everlastingly a father to those who trust and believe in him.” John 1:12. As many as believe in him, to them gave him power to become the sons of God. He gives us Believers power to become his children.
So, as the Everlasting Father, the Messiah will be a father to his redeemed ones whom he have ransomed with his own blood. And His fatherhood of us his children will be without end, it will be everlasting.
There are others in the Bible who were fathers in the Lord to those under their leadership. Let’s see a few of them.
1. Prophet Elijah and Prophet Elisha. Elisha called Elijah, My father, my father -2 Kings 2:12
2. John the Apostle and the ChurchJohn the beloved apostle called the Believers to whom he wrote his epistles ” My little children ” -1 John 2:1
3 Paul the Apostle and the Church.
Paul the Apostle used this term too in 1 Corinthians 4:14- 16″…but as my beloved sons I warn you…for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
One significant thing, about this is the fact that neither the prophet Elisha, nor John the beloved Apostle and Paul the Apostle who were fathers to their spiritual children, could assumed to take the name “Everlasting Father” None of these men of God can boast of being an ” Everlasting Father” to their spiritual children. Only the Lord Jesus Christ is given that name as one of his roles as our Messiah, not because he is God the Father.But why called him ” Everlasting Father?” Jesus Christ the Messiah is our ever lasting Father, because unlike the Prophet Elijah, John the beloved Apostle and Paul the Apostle, Christ has no begining or end, he is self existent, just like his father. Therefore, he is our “Everlasting Father” not God the Father who is also Christ God and Father.
Don’t you know that the Lord Jesus Christ always referred to us as his children ?
The Lord Jesus Christ told the woman with the issue of blood,” daughter thy faith has made you whole…” Mark 5:34, Matt. 9:22.
In like manner, in my humble relationship with the Lord by his grace, whenever he speak to me, he uses the word “daughter” except on one occasion when he called me an endearing name.
You may not know this, the Lord is very affectionate towards his Church, his son’s and daughters. The Lord always calls me “daughter.” The Lord Jesus Christ have never called me by my name Happiness Aibangbee any day. He always call me daughter. Even when he wants to talk to me about other Pastors, he doesn’t call them by their titles either, he will say daughter, my son so and so … If the Lord Jesus Christ call us Believers his sons and daughters, is he not our Father? The sweet communion between us and the Lord, the fatherly affection he has for us, the Father and child relationship will never end throughout eternity. Jesus Christ is our Everlasting Father. Hallelujah. Amen
The truth is, Jesus Christ is our Father, exactly as Thomas says he is.
John 20:28 ” And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God”
Inspite of all this, don’t forget that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed that God the Father is his Father and God. This revelation was given to Mary Magdalene.
Jesus said to her “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethrens, and say unto them, I ascend into my Father and your Father and to my God and, your God” John 20:17.
PRINCE OF PEACE
Another name given to the Lord Jesus Christ is Prince of Peace.
In our sinful state, we were enemies with God (Romans 5:10). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God (Romans 5:1).
Jesus Christ made peace between us and God the Father through the blood of His cross. -Colossians 1:19-20
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
The Hebrew word for “peace,” shalom, is often used in reference to an appearance of calm and tranquility of individuals, groups, and nations. This is what we will experience during his millennium reign. Of course, our Lord Jesus Christ is no doubt the Prince of Peace.
As you can see, each of the names of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 described an aspect of his life as our Blessed Messiah in his rescue mission as our Redeemer.
HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED EMMANUEL
Matthew 1:23″Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
This verse which is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy is one of the verses the Oneness modalistic monarchianism are using to support their errornouos doctrines that Jesus is God the Father. It’s alarming the way the Church have deviated over the years. The Lord’s name “Emmanuel God with Us” did not say that Jesus Christ is the Father or the Blessed Holy Spirit. Rather it is another pointer to the solid evidence of Christ Divinity, that Jesus Christ is God, who came into the world. God with us. God among men.
WHAT DID GOD THE FATHER SAY ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?
Before we move on to the place of the Blessed Holy Spirit in the GodHead, I want us to look at a few more points why Jesus Christ is a distinct person from the father.What the Father said about him .
Luke 3:22 “…and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION
On the mount of transfiguration, the Father spoke once again to the hearing of Peter, James and John.
Luke 9:35 “And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Mark 9:77 “…and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Matthew 17:5
“… and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
The Apostle Peter later referred to this incident in his epistle to the Church.
2 Peter 1:16-18 “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”
Psalm 2:7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,Today I have begotten You.”
God the Father spoke directly from heaven and explained to us who Jesus is to him. His Beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased. Did the Father ever said something about him being the original Jesus, and the son being some kind of expression of himself as his word? The answer is no.
This great love which exists between Father and Son, is what the Lord Jesus Christ referred to in John 17:23-26.
“…that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me…for thou loved me before the foundation of the world…that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them”Two distinct persons the Father and the Son.
ISRAEL KNEW WHOM THEIR MESSIAH IS, THE SON OF GOD, NOT GOD THE FATHER.
The nation of Israel related with God the Father in the Old Testament as recorded in the Holy Scripures. While at the same time awaiting the Messiah, the Christ or the anointed One. The Father dealt directly with Israel, prior to the coming of Christ.
Hebrews 1:1-2
“God, 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, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds”
The Jewish disciple who wrote the book of Hebrew knew that the Father is not the Son. The Father used to spoke to the Israelites in the past by the prophets, but now had spoken to them by his Son whom he the Father has APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS. THE HIGH PRIEST The high priest, who is the chief religious leader of the Nation of Israel knew that the coming Messiah is not the Father. But the Son of the Father.
Mark 14:61-62″ But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
Matt. 26:63 “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.”
The high priest knew that the coming Messiah is the Son of God.
The Father is not the Christ. This was a well known fact to all Israelites.
Unfortunately, when Jesus Christ who is the long awaited Messiah came on the scene, the majority of the people of Israel do not know him. They didn’t know he is the One whom their prophets wrote about.
JESUS DISCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS KNEW HIM TO BE THE SON OF GOD. THERE WAS NO MISTAKEN THE FACT THAT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD.
The disciples and others who put their faith in him knew for a fact, that Jesus Christ is the long awaited Christ. The son of God, not God the Father.
Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
John 11:27 “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS KNEW WHO THE LORD WAS.The disciples knew him to be the Christ the son of God, and not the Father himself. They never mistake this identity at all.
Nathaniel , Philip’s brother recognised him as the son of God.
John 1:49 “Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel”
Twice Peter recognized Jesus Christ, as the Son of the Living God.
John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life..John 6:69 “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:15-17
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Jesus Christ did not correct Peter that He is something or someone else.
Even the devils knew Christ identity, that he is the the son of God.
Luke 4:41 “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.”
John the Baptist, testify of Jesus Christ as the son of God.
John 1:32-34 “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”
JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF CLAIMED TO BE THE SON OF GOD. HE NEVER SAID HE WAS THE FATHER.
Jesus Christ himself never claimed to be the Father. He affirmed time without number that he is the son of God.
John 9:35-38 “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him“
THE SON JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS SEEN AT HIS FATHER’S RIGHT HAND.
Long before he came to the earth, Jesus has always been a distinct Spirit Person, distinct from God the Father .
Daniel 7:9,13 “I kept looking until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat. One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.”
The Ancient of Days is God the Father, while the Son of Man is our Lord Jesus Christ. The Son was presented before the Father. Here you can see the distinction.
After he ascended into heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ sat down at his Father’s right hand.
“So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up to heaven, and sat at the right hand of God” Mark 16;19
In heaven, the Son is always at the right hand of the Throne of the Father. That is where Stephen saw him on the day he was martyed.
“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55-56
Hebrews 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”
The most significant and remarkable thing about these scriptural references is the Presence of both the Father and the Son on their Thrones at the same time. The Father on his Throne, the Son on his Throne on his Father’s right hand.
Let me stop here. I believe by the grace of God that through the exposition of the word of God, that you have come to the realization that;
1. Jesus Christ is God, and yet He is not the Father
2. The Father and the Son Jesus Christ are two distinct Spirit Persons who share the same divine Nature, essence, substance, and attributes as members of the GodHead or Trinity together with the Holy Spirit.
In the last part of this discourse, our focus is going to be on the Person of the Holy Spirit.
If you haven’t read the other parts of this teachings, please do so before reading this one. This will help you to understand everything I have shared on this topic.
God bless you.
Shalom.
Sister Happiness Aibangbee.
David Abankwah 