Isaiah 9,6

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6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty GOD, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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The Hebrew word 'êl gibbôr, which only appears three times in the Old Testament and is translated as mighty GOD in most Bibles, can also mean mighty hero or divine hero. The same expression is used in the plural in Ezekiel 32,21 for heroes and mighty ones. This clearly means people and not GOD. In Isaiah 9 the term refers to the Messiah, the ruler appointed by GOD. The verse begins with the statement that a child (Hebrew: yeled) and a son (Hebrew: bên) will be born who will have dominion (Isaiah 9,6). The word son was a common term for a king who was anointed by GOD. Therefore the word could be understood in the sense of an heir of the throne. However, there is no indication that this child is GOD. The claim that the Jews at that time did not know that the Messiah was GOD Himself is speculative and biblically untenable. What matters is what the Scripture teaches. Both the Old and New Testaments testify against this assumption.

Verse 6 says that this child-born ruler would reign on the throne of David. GOD, who is above all men and whose kingdom is in heaven, would never sit on an earthly throne. Only the Messiah of GOD, who is also called the Son of David, can do this. Some theologians suggest Wonderful Counselor of the Heroic GOD as a translation. This is where the difference between GOD and His Messiah becomes clearest. Accordingly, the Messiah is the one who serves GOD's people with his counsel and divine wisdom; similar to Solomon.

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Mighty GOD (Hebrew: 'êl gibbôr) can also be understood as a so-called theophoric name (= a name bearing GOD). In Hebrew culture, the names given to people have meaning. Theophoric names are given to people to proclaim a truth about who GOD is or what relationship GOD has to the person or to Israel (and therefore to humanity). When studying theophoric names, it becomes clear that the name says nothing about the essence or character of the person who bears the name. For example, the name Jehu, the king of Israel who wiped out Baal worship in the northern kingdom of Israel (2nd Kings 10,18-28), means: He is Yahweh, although Jehu was not Yahweh. The name Bithiah, who was a daughter of Pharaoh, means daughter of Yahweh, even though she was not a literal daughter of Yahweh.

 

The purpose of theophoric names is to bring fame and attention to the bearer of the name. The name 'êl gibbôr can therefore also be translated as GOD is powerful. This does not make the bearer of the name a powerful GOD, but points to the fact that GOD is powerful, as the signs and wonders that GOD did through Jesus attest. Another translation is GOD is a mighty warrior; which GOD proved extremely impressively, among other things, in the destruction of the Assyrian army (2nd Kings 19,35). In Exodus 15,3 'êl gibbôr means Yahweh is a man of war. The name Gabriel (= strong man of GOD) is made up of the words strong man / strong hero (Hebrew: gever) and GOD (Hebrew: 'êl). No one would claim that the angel Gabriel was GOD. The same applies to the angel Michael, whose name means Who is like GOD?

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The name Eternal Father (Hebrew: ab ad) can also be understood in a theophoric sense. It is intended to remind us that the only true GOD is a father to us. He takes care of us and always has our well-being in mind. There are Jews living in Israel today who bear this name, just as there are Jews living in Israel today who are called Immanuel. None of these people believe that they are the Eternal Father or a GOD incarnate. In addition, according to the Nicene Creed, the Father and Jesus are two different persons of the same deity who are different from each other. Therefore, Eternal Father cannot mean that the Messiah is GOD the Father, as this would make Father and Son one and the same person, which is Modalism.

 

Another possible translation of the name is: Father of eternity or father of the coming age, which Jesus became by giving us access to eternal life through his death on the cross. The Hebrew word ad refers to something that lasts a long time or forever, or something that lasts for one or more ages. The specific meaning depends on whether it refers to GOD (Psalm 103,19) or to transient things such as people (Daniel 6,4) or things (Habakkuk 3,6). Just as GOD is eternal, the coming age of the new earth will also be eternal or imperishable. There are therefore several ways to translate Isaiah 9,5 in a non-Trinitarian way:

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5 Wonderful Councelor, divine / strong hero, father of eternity....

 

5 Wonderful Councelor, GOD is mighty...

 

5 Wonderful Councelor of the mighty / heroic GOD...

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Isaiah 48,16

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16 Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Lord and His Spirit have sent me.

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First of all, it should be noted that the original Hebrew text contained no verse markings, no punctuation marks and therefore no quotation marks. Therefore, it is necessary to examine carefully where GOD begins to speak and where He stops speaking. Verse 2 says that GOD declared the former things long ago. Also in Isaiah 45,18-19 GOD says that He has not spoken in secret. From this it can be concluded that GOD is also the one who speaks in the first part of Isaiah 48,16. However, GOD's speaking ends in the middle of the verse.

 

The second part of verse 16, which says: "And now the LORD sends me", indicates another person, as the new introduction in verse 17 also indicates. The context of the chapter provides information about who the second person with whom GOD is in dialogue is. In verse 1, GOD speaks to Jacob or Israel, whom He calls. In verse 12 Israel is again named as the addressee. GOD calls His servant Israel (verses 1-16a) and Israel answers (verse 16b). A similar wording is found in Isaiah 49,1-5, where it has a prophetic meaning in connection with the Messiah. Isaiah 48,16 can also be understood in the context of the Messiah; However, it refers to his future work and not as proof of a pre-existence of the Messiah. Isaiah 42,1 says that GOD has put His Spirit upon His servant. Therefore Isaiah 48,16 can also be translated as And now the LORD sends me and His spirit. In other words: GOD sends Israel or the Messiah through His Spirit. This verse is therefore not proof of the Trinity.

 

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Jeremiah 17,5

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5 This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord."

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The immediate context shows that a person is cursed if he trusts other people while at the same time turning his heart away from GOD. GOD expressly demands that we believe in Jesus because GOD has appointed him and no one else but him as the Savior for all people. At the same time, the Messiah is the guide to GOD, the Father, whom he serves. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and follows him is fulfilling GOD's will.

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Jeremiah 23,5 f.

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5 "The days are coming", declares the Lord, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior."

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These two verses are considered a prophecy about the Messiah, the coming Savior. In addition to the Messiah, the city of Jerusalem is also called the LORD is our righteousness. (Jeremiah 33,16). This does not mean that the Messiah or Jerusalem are GOD. Rather, it expresses that a person or thing has something to do with GOD. Abraham named the mountain where he wanted to sacrifice Isaac, The LORD will provide (Genesis 22,14). No one would believe that the mountain was Yahweh. Moses built an altar and called it the LORD is my altar (Exodus 17,15). Again, no one would assume that the altar was Yahweh. Gideon built an altar and called it the LORD is peace (Judges 6,24). A name that contains the word Yahweh/LORD or GOD does not make a person GOD. The reason the Messiah the LORD is called our righteousness is because GOD Almighty works His righteousness through His Anointed One. The same applies to the city of Jerusalem. There are different names and titles for Jesus in the Bible. A name or title that is associated with GOD says something about a person's purpose or mission. Jesus' mission was to reveal the will of GOD to the people of Israel. In Jesus' teachings we see the true righteousness of GOD, which comes from faith and following Jesus.

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Ezekiel 1,26 f.

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26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.

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In Ezekiel 1 the glory of GOD is shown to the prophet. Although there are slight similarities to the description of the resurrected Jesus in Revelation 1,12-16, there is no reason to equate Jesus and GOD. The four heavenly beings are also described with similar characteristics (verses 4-25). In addition, GOD shows himself in visible form in various places; also in the form of people (Genesis 18,1-3 / Daniel 7,8 + 13 + 21 f.). The vision in Ezekiel 1 best fits the description of GOD in Revelation 4. In the book of Revelation, GOD and Jesus are consistently distinguished from one another.

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Daniel 3,24 f.

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24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” 25 They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

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In the prophetic vision in Daniel 7, the Messiah is referred to as the Son of Man (Hebrew: bar 'ĕnâsh); not as a "Son of the gods" (Hebrew: bar 'ĕlâhh). For this reason, angels are called sons of gods in several places (Genesis 6,1-4 / Job 1,6 + 2,1). In this respect, the fourth person in the fiery furnace is an angel and not a pre-existent Jesus. GOD sent one of His angels to save Daniel's three brave friends because they refused to worship the idol set up by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and instead gave glory to Yahweh, the one true GOD.

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Daniel 7,13 f.

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13  “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

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As with all other Old Testament statements about the Messiah, there is a clear distinction here between GOD, the Ancient of Days, and Jesus, who is referred to as the Son of Man (Hebrew: bar 'ĕnâsh), which simply means man. In Revelation 4 and 5, where this prophetic word is referred to, a distinction is also made between GOD, who sits on the throne, and Jesus, the Lamb. Neither in the book of Daniel nor in the book of Revelation is there even the slightest hint of a supposed deity or pre-existence of Jesus. The fact that the Messiah is given power, honor, and dominion (Hebrew: yehab) clearly refers to a time after Jesus' resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28,18 / Mark 14,62) and not before Jesus' birth. Furthermore, this fact contradicts the assumption that Jesus was the Creator of the universe. Rather, the giver-receiver principle becomes apparent here as well, which speaks against an equality between Jesus and GOD. Jesus is a man whom GOD has exalted and appointed as ruler of His coming Kingdom. As such, He will return on the clouds to establish GOD's eternal Kingdom.

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Daniel 10,4-9

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4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. (...) 8  So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.

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In the book of Daniel, the author is shown various visions. In one of these visions appears a person identified by some theologians as the pre-existent Christ. As evidence of this, reference is made to Revelation 1,12-17, where the glorified Son of GOD is described in a form similar to that in the vision. There are some similarities, but at the same time clear differences, between the description of Jesus in the book of Revelation and the person in Daniel's vision:​

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Daniel 10

 

a man

 

dressed in linen

 

Hips girded with gold from Ufas

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no information about the appearance of the hair

 

Face like the appearance of lightning

 

Eyes like torches of fire

 

Arms and feet like the sight of shining copper

 

His words sounded like the sound of a crowd

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Revelation 1

 

a son of man

 

dressed in a robe that reaches down to the feet

 

girded at the breast with a golden belt

 

(not specified)

 

Head and hair white like white wool / snow

 

Face how the sun shines with its power

 

Eyes like a flame of fire

 

Feet like shiny copper, as if they were glowing in an oven

 

Voice like the sound of many waters

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Furthermore, it should be noted that nowhere in the New Testament is there a connection between Jesus and the vision in Daniel 10. In Daniel 7,12-14 Daniel sees in a vision the Son of Man coming on a cloud from heaven and being brought before GOD (the Ancient One). This is a future event that was to be fulfilled later and is described in more detail in Revelation 4 + 5. Both books say that the Son of Man (Daniel 7) and the Lamb (Revelation 5) receive honor and power from GOD. This shows that GOD and Jesus are not identical. On the other hand, it makes it clear that Jesus is lower than GOD and that all of the Messiah's power comes from GOD. The description in Daniel's vision best fits an angel. These are often referred to as men in the Old Testament. Furthermore, Daniel's reaction is similar to that in Daniel 8,15-18 when the angel Gabriel appears to him for the first time and speaks to him. In many places we read how fearful and awe-inspiring the figure of angels is, so that people fell to the ground in fear as if they were dead.

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Revelation 15,5 mentions seven angels who are also clothed in pure, light linen and have golden belts around their chests. The angel in Revelation 10,1 also has a face like the sun and feet like pillars of fire. The angel of the LORD mentioned in Matthew 28,3 also has an appearance like lightning and a garment as white as snow. Given these facts, there is no reason to identify the person in Daniel's vision as Jesus. It is much more likely that it is an angel. Whether it is the angel Gabriel, Michael or another angel not mentioned by name cannot be clearly determined. Perhaps it is the archangel Michael, who is called the guardian angel of Israel and whom the angel Gabriel mentions in his interpretation of Daniel's vision (Daniel 12,1). However, even if it were indeed Jesus that Daniel saw in this vision, it would be a foreshadowing of the future glory of the Messiah, since Jesus did not yet exist at that time.

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Some theologians claim that the pre-existent Jesus is hidden behind the name Michael. On the one hand, the fact that Jesus' prophetic name is Immanuel and not Michael speaks against this. Furthermore, nowhere do we read that Michael is another name for Jesus. The name Michael means Who is like GOD? That doesn't mean Michael is GOD. This is a theophoric name that - like most Hebrew names - is only intended to refer to GOD, similar to the name Jesus (= GOD saves) or Immanuel (= GOD with us). In addition, Jesus is mentioned by name in the book of Revelation. In contrast, the name Michael only appears once in Revelation 12,7; independent of Jesus. In addition, Michael is referred to as the Prince of Angels. The letter to the Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus is not an angel or archangel, but was initially lower than the angels (Hebrews 2,6-9) and only stands above the angels since his exaltation by GOD (Hebrews 1,4). It also says that GOD did not give the world to come as an inheritance to the angels, but to the Son (Hebrews 2,5). In Luke 20,36, Jesus explains that in the resurrection people will be like angels. This explains the similarity between the appearance of the glorified Son and some angels mentioned in the Bible.

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Micah 5,2 f.

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2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from the beginning and from eternity. 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

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Verse 1 is about the origin of the Messiah. This formulation connects the coming of the Savior with the Old Testament promises and prophecies that GOD gave to His people. The word origin (Hebrew: mōtsa / mōtsa'ah) can refer to the origin (from the tribe of Judah) or the activities of the Messiah. The Hebrew word qedem qêdmâh is often used for east and actually means rising; derived from the rising of the sun in the east, which means the beginning of the day. One of the most common translations is days of yore. These always describe a point in time within the existing creation; not before creation (2nd Kings 19,25 / Psalm 44,2 / Jeremiah 46,26). GOD is the one who created the ages. Before the creation of the first day, there were no things called "days". The Hebrew word yōm ōlam, rendered eternity in some translations, describes either a very long period of time or an indefinite period of time. This can be seen by the use of the word in Scripture. In the context of GOD, who alone has immortality and has always existed, ōlam can be understood in the sense of a literal eternity. Another translation of the word is from ancient times and refers to the past. It depends on the context of what is being referred to in the past.

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In some places ōlam is used for times and events before Israel's exile (Amos 9,11 / Micah 7,14 / Malachi 3,4). In other places it is connected to the times and events surrounding Israel's exodus from Egypt (Isaiah 51,9 / Isaiah 63,9 + 11). It can also refer generally to days gone by (Deuteronomy 32,7). In addition, ōlam is also used as an adjective in connection with other nouns, for example for the old foundations or old ruins of Israel before its conquest (Isaiah 58,12 / Isaiah 61,4), for prophets from ancient times (Jeremiah 28,8) , for Babylon as an old nation (Jeremiah 5,15) as well as for old ways or old paths (Job 22,15 / Jeremiah 6,16 / Jeremiah 18,15). The first promise of the Messiah goes back to the prehistoric times of the earth, namely to Adam and Eve, who were the first humans (Genesis 3,15). Before the Messiah appeared in the form of Jesus, he already existed in GOD's plan before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13,8). In the past, GOD revealed the future appearance of the Messiah to various people in dreams and visions; including Abraham as well as Daniel and the prophet Isaiah.

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One of the main themes in Micah 4 + 5 is the rescue and restoration of the people of Israel and the rise of a victorious king who will bring GOD's people together and ensure security and peace. Micah 5,2 explains that GOD will appoint a descendant of Judah to rule His people. The context shows that this ruler of Israel will come from Bethlehem-Ephrathah, the birthplace of King David, and will rule with the strength of Yahweh his GOD, and that his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth (verse 4). Micah clearly distinguishes between this messianic ruler and GOD, in whose name the Messiah will rule. Bethlehem was the ancestral home of Jesus' ancient ancestors, as well as the place of death of Jacob's wife Rachel and the birthplace of his father David. Bethlehem is therefore the origin of the Messiah from ancient times. Consider that David was born about 1,000 years before Jesus and Judah about 1,800 years before Jesus. From Jesus' temporal perspective, this is ancient. A more understandable translation could be:

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1 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old (the past) and from ancient times (the time of the ancestors or prophets).

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Zechariah 12,10

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10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."

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There are various translations of this verse. Some refer the statement whom they pierced to GOD, while others refer to a person other than GOD. The Jewish understanding of this verse has always been that the person being pierced is a person who is in a very close relationship with GOD; as is the case with the Messiah. However, there is no record of an early Jewish commentator understanding this verse to mean that GOD would become man and die on the cross. What's more, John quotes this word after the Roman soldier plunged his spear into Jesus' side. The literal quote in John 19,36 f. is: They will look at him whom they have pierced. In all translations of the New Testament the word him (Old Greek: ho) is used instead of "me"; so also in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament from which John apparently quotes. This verse is also referenced in Revelation 1,7. Here too he refers to the Messiah and not to GOD. The second part of Zechariah 12,10 says: And they will mourn for him. The fact that GOD is the one speaking here suggests that the first part of the sentence was also originally phrased in the third person. On the other hand, one could say that GOD'S heart was pierced at the crucifixion of Jesus. GOD suffers inside when His beloved son is tortured and innocently executed by people. This expresses that GOD is full of compassion for His children when they endure suffering.​​

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