Note: The Jewish rabbis taught the notional (or ideal) pre-existence of the Messiah, which is to say, they believed the Messiah existed in the mind - and thus in the plan of God – Yehovah - before time began. But they never thought he was already personally existing with God - Yehovah before creation, NEVER.
FIRST: THE BIBLE TELLS US ALL THE THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS DID, HE DID ENABLED BY THE SPIRIT OF HIS GOD AND FATHER YEHOVAH. THE FULNESS OF THE NATURE OF GOD WAS IN HIM ENABLING HIM TO CARRY OUT THE COMMISSION HE HAD GIVEN HIM TO CARRY OUT - TO SHOW THE WAY OF SALVATION TO THE WORLD.
The lord Messiah Jesus said: If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words (John 5:46-47)?
This statement by the lord Messiah Jesus is the conclusion of a defence in which he appeals to three independent witnesses in support of his own testimony. It’s addressed to those who were rejecting his Messianic credentials to the nation of Israel, and it tells us a lot about the lord Messiah Jesus view of the Hebrew Bible and his God - Yehovah given messianic mission.
In John 5:31: “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.” The lord Messiah Jesus states that if he was the only one testifying about himself then: “His witness is not true”. The lord Messiah Jesus tells the skeptics that John the Baptist had given his public witness to him, but they had rejected John’s testimony that the lord Messiah Jesus was their long-awaited and often promised Messiah.
The lord Messiah Jesus then appeals to a second, but far greater witness than John - his Father - Yehovah in heaven. He says his words and works were being carried out through the authenticating enabling power of God - Yehovah his Father; ““I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father – Yehovah has given me to finish; the very works that I am doing testify that the Father – Yehovah has sent me.” (John 5:36f).
The third witness the lord Messiah Jesus appeals to is Moses: “for he wrote about me”. Now here is the interesting thing. The lord Messiah Jesus distinguishes the writings of Moses [“the Scriptures” John 5:39: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,] from the words which he himself was currently speaking. He is appealing to the prophetic testimony about himself in the writings of Moses.The lord Messiah Jesus tells those skeptics that I do not accuse you to the Father - Yehovah, but Moses accuses you [John 5:45: “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father - Yehovah. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.]
The whole point of the lord Messiah Jesus’ appeal to Moses is that Israel’s great Lawgiver was an independent witness! The lord Messiah Jesus is unambiguously saying that, if they understood his Father’s - Yehovah’s purpose as expressed in the writings of Moses, then they had no other option but to believe what he was now telling them concerning himself.
It says in Acts 2:22-24: “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God - Yehovah to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God - Yehovah did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s – Yehovah’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God - Yehovah raised him from among the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”
The apostle Peter announced on the Day of Pentecost: "men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God - Yehovah to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God- Yehovah did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know - him, being delivered by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God - Yehovah, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death…"
Here we have a man, Jesus of Nazareth accredited by God - Yehovah and who was delivered up to death by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God - Yehovah.
The God – the definite article is there in the Greek text - is the sole Composer and Conductor in the great drama of the ages!
Peter follows this thought further on in the next chapter: “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which [the] God - Yehovah foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the lord Messiah Jesus would suffer, he has thus fulfilled (Acts 3: 17-18).
He repeats this assertion again in Acts 3:21: “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God - Yehovh to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.
Heaven is now the dwelling place of the risen and exalted lord Messiah Jesus until the restoration of all things, of which God - Yehovah has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
Nothing could be plainer. It was Yehovah God Who was the Great Composer Who inspired His prophets to foretell what His Messiah was to suffer. And it was God - Yehovah Who fulfilled it all - He is the Conductor of the Symphony… "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah" (Acts 2:36).
Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed [as Messiah]. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should take place. (Acts 4: 27-28).
The Great Composer and Conductor of the Symphony of all these events is identified as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob and the God of our fathers - Yehovah [Acts 3:13: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go."]
It’s always Israel’s One Adonai Yehovah, Who is the God who raised the lord Messiah Jesus from among the dead and Who is sovereignly working out His own predetermined purpose through His servant Jesus (Acts 3:13-15)!
Peter believed the same thing right up to the end of his life; he (i.e. the lord Messiah Jesus) indeed was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake [1 Peter 1: 20: “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”]
Note: Jesus was destined to become a sin-offering sacrifice thus reconcilling humanity to God - Yehovah before the foundation of the world. That verb was destined is in the passive mood the scholars call the Divine Passive, which simply means that God - Yehovah was the Subject, the Active One, Who was sovereignly moving the events along. It was all the Father’s – Yehovah’s symphony!
Προγινώσκω / proginōskō The primary meaning is to know beforehand, hence, to choose or elect beforehand, that is, to predestine, mark out beforehand.
MORE APOSTOLIC CONFIRMATION
In his benediction to the Romans Paul prays to the God - Yehovah (the Greek reads to Him or to the One) Who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of the lord Messiah Jesus according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures is made known to the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God – Yehovah to the only wise God - Yehovah, be the glory through the lord Messiah Jesus for ever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
The one and only wise God - Yehovah is the composer and fulfiller of all that’s been accomplished through the lord Messiah Jesus in accordance with His previously hidden plan as outlined in the holy Scriptures. Paul reiterates it a few verses later: “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s - Yehovah's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of the lord Messiah Jesus, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God - Yehovah, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the called-out Assembly, the manifold wisdom of God - Yehovah should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in the lord Messiah Jesus.” (Ephesians 3: 8-11).Nothing could be more straightforward. The eternal Creator - Yehovah from the beginning of His creation predetermined all the events surrounding the still predicted future coming of the lord Messiah Jesus. He (singular personal pronoun) is the God - Yehovah Who carried out His plan hidden in His heart for the lord Messiah Jesus to be the agent of our redemption. This secret (mystery) kept hidden in the Father’s – Yehovah’s own heart is now manifested for the world to see.
The Book of Hebrews also attests to the fact that: "long ago the God - Yehovah Who spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us in His Son." [Hebrews 1:1-2: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through [because of] whom also he made the universe.”]The lord Messiah Jesus was the obedient Son, the submissive Servant, the faithful Witness, the ideal human being, the perfect man and only sinless man was always looking to obey his Father’s – Yehovah’s revealed will and plan. His response to his Father’s – Yehovah’s pre-planned destiny was one of obediently aligning his steps in agreement with his Father’s – Yehovah’s eternal purpose.
Notice: This is how much Jesus followed his Father's Plan and Purpose for him: Matthew 26:45-54: "...Look! The hour has drawn near and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.Get up, let’s go. Look! The one who is betraying me has drawn near." And while he was still speaking, look, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, and with him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priest and elders of the People. Now the one who was betraying him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss is the one. Arrest him.” And he immediately went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him. And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do that for which you have come.” Then they came and laid their hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And Look! One of those who was with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who draw the sword will perish by the sword.Or do you think that I am not able to call on my Father, and even now he will send me more than 12 legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must happen this way?”
YAHWEH GOD CREATED JESUS IN THE WOMB OF MARY TO FULFILL HIS ETERNAL PLAN!
OT Scripture specifically affirms Yehovah’s election of His Servant - Messiah long before he came into being. For example, in Isaiah 49:1-13: Yehovah has called me from the womb; From the matrix of my mother, He has made mention of my name…
Thus says Yehovah Who formed me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him…
Israel’s restoration, and by extension the salvation of the Gentiles … to the ends of the earth [Isaiah 49:6: "It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also make you a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”] were all planned by the LORD - Yehovah God Himself, Who throughout Scripture is God the Father. And note how God - Yehovah says of Yeshua the Messiah … “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My elect, whom My Soul loves; I have laid My Spirit upon him …” (Isaiah 42:1ff and Cf Matthew 3:17; 17:5).
So, the NT calls the lord Messiah Jesus the elect one, chosen by God - Yehovah and precious having been foreordained before the foundation of the ages (1 Peter 2:4; 1:20, throughout his whole earthly walk, the lord Messiah Jesus redemptive mission was carried out by the express design and will of his heavenly Father - Yehovah Who created him in the womb of Mary his Mother at and for that moment in time.
At the conclusion of the story in the Book of Revelation, chapter five, we see the One Who sits on the Throne, the Almighty God - Yehovah, presenting the sealed scroll containing the story of creation’s salvation to one described as the Lamb who had been slain - but who has now been raised and glorified to sit at the Father’s – Yehovah’s right hand.
He is the only one in all the universe worthy to receive that scroll and break its seals. That scroll contains the story of the plan of God finally brought to completion for the world through the obedient agency Lamb of God - Yehovah.
The lord Messiah Jesus knew his Father - Yehovah had composed the symphony of redemption and that his God - Yehovah had sovereignly conducted the whole plan as outlined in the prophetic Scriptures.
In God’s – Yehovah’s eternal purpose, the lord Messiah Jesus was crucified for our salvation before the world began [in the mind of Yehovah];
Note: All who dwell on the earth will worship the Beast whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).
The lord Messiah Jesus is designated the Lamb slain from the foundation of the ages. Though still way into the future, it’s put in God’s prophetic past tense. Theologians call this prolepsis because God’s future is so certain it’s already considered completed.
THE FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS ARE ALSO SAID TO HAVE BEEN IN GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN!
The foreknowledge by which God - Yehovah predestined [marked out beforehand] the lord Messiah Jesus is the exact same foreknowledge that chose us in the lord Messiah Jesus! Followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are the elect according to the foreknowledge of God - Yehovah the Father just as the lord Messiah Jesus indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world (Cf 1 Peter 1: 2 and 1:20)!
Note: God – Yehovah knows the end from the beginning of all
things, including the end from the beginning of all the human beings who have
ever been born. According to His foreknowledge He has known those who would
submit to His authority and trust in him down through the ages and those who would not submit to His authority and trust in Him from the
beginning of time.
Oh, what a glorious privilege is ours in the lord Messiah Jesus to be participants in God’s – Yehovah’s predestined [marked out before hand] purpose of the ages! How significant is the bride of the lord Messiah Jesus foreknown by Yehovah from the beginning of time!
The only difference between the calling of the followers
of the lord Messiah Jesus and the calling of the lord Messiah Jesus is that God
- Yehovah specifically prophesied the details of his death long before his birth
- whereas the called-out Assembly is a collection of those who have been called
out to become followers of the lord Messiah Jesus. We do not know exactly how
our individual lives will pan out - how we will die, but the lord Messiah Jesus
did.
The words foreknowledge and foreordained are exactly the
same Greek word προγινώσκωproginōskō.
We determine the truth of a teaching by its fruit, its practical implications. Daily we must choose to live by what the word of God - Yehovah says about us as ‘new creations’ in the lord Messiah Jesus. Every day we must affirm we are in union with the lord Messiah Jesus and what God - Yehovah says He has done for us, what He has given us, and what He promises to do for us in the future ages to come!
We are called to walk in the same faith and obedience in God - Yehovah as the lord Messiah Jesus lived by, and who unreservedly trusted His Father’s – Yehovah’s promises, predictions, purposes and eternal plan.
We are called to walk in the same knowledge as the lord Messiah Jesus did, knowing that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our way (Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”)
By obedient faith we rejoice that all things are working together for good because we love God - Yehovah and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8: 28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”)
By faith we sing in the midst of sufferings and trials knowing, as the lord Messiah Jesus did, that God – Yehovah the Father has laid up for us an inheritance that is unblemished, unfading and incorruptible, and that one day we shall enter the glory of the coming new age (1 Peter 1: 3ff; Romans 8: 22ff).
By faith we know the secret of His will hidden for long ages past but now revealed, that, in the administration of the fullness of the times He will gather together in one all things in the lord Messiah Jesus, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth (Ephesians 1: 9f).
God - Yehovah the Father is the Composer of His own symphony! We await the crescendo!
Against all the odds, against all contrary appearances, against all the winds and the waves whistling around our ears, against all which our natural senses bombard us with, imagine we are in the boat with the lord Messiah Jesus, and he as our Lord and Messiah commanding the winds to die down. Like those disciples when the great calm took effect, we fall in awe before him to confess: “Truly this is the son of God!”
We confess before the world, as those who knew him, saw him, touched him, “Truly, you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14: 33: “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”) which is to say, this is God’s – Yehovah’s anointed King of Israel (and of the world) who every day of his life walked by faith and took up his cross – dying to self, to follow his Father’s – Yehovah’s will. This is the Son whom God - Yehovah has highly exalted to His own right hand - and we who are followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are seated with him in the heavenly places according to God’s – Yehovah’s predestined plan awaiting the grand crescendo of Yehovah's Symphony! To the only wise God, be the glory through the lord Messiah Jesus for ever. Amen.
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