PART FIVE-WHO IS SPEAKING

“God speaks to us; by His great power we’re led....” So goes the hymn based
on John 14:1-3. Yes, God does speak to us in many places in his word, the
Holy Bible. But is all the speaking done by just one being or spirit that is
God, and no others? Is every “thus saith the Lord” from this supposed “one
God”? In this part five will be examined scriptures involving one claiming to
be God speaking. However, the answers reached will not support there being
only one spirit that is God. Only one spirit called God does not do all the
speaking in the Bible.

In the previous two parts we saw clearly that the Father is God, and that
Jesus Christ is God also. We saw that before the human Jesus Christ was the
spirit called Lord, or Eternal. This God was the personal God of those in the
Old Testament. The Father God was not this personal God. The Father God
did not have intimate contact and interaction with those in the Old
Testament. The truth is there always was, always has been, and still are two
spirits called God. In this part, we will see how who speaks as God will
prove the above further.

The first scripture to be examined is Genesis 1:26: “And God said, let us
make man in our image, after our likeness....”

Moses inspired by God writes down God thinking and saying, then creating
mankind. But notice this verse says “us.” “‘God said, let us.’” It would cause
confusion to think there is only one spirit called God and then come across
this verse. But the Bible tells us that in the Old Testament there were two
spirits called God. Read:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God” (John 1:1, New International Version).

This says there was a spirit called the “Word” that was God. And this spirit
called the Word was with another spirit that was called God. Obviously the
spirit that was with the Word was the Father. But remember the Word was
God also. John 1:1 clearly says there where two spirits called God.
Therefore it is plain why Genesis 1:26 says, “‘God said, let us...in our....’”
Genesis 1:26 is one of very few, if any other, scriptures where the one word
“God” means two spirits that are such. The context of Genesis 1:26 bears
this out. So also does John 1:1.

Genesis 1:26 shows “God” speaking but it is in the total agreement of two
spirits that are each God. Just because Genesis 1:26 does not say “Gods”
causes some to think it is a figure of speech regarding “us” and “our” in the
context. But John 1:1, John 20:17, John 20:28, and Psalm 110:1 absolutely
disprove this claim. So who is speaking in Genesis 1:26? Either the “Word”,
The Lord, or the Father God is. But because their nature is one, the singular
“God” is used. If only one spirit called God is all there is, how are Psalm
110:1, John 20:17,28 explained then? Next look at Genesis 1:29:

“And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed....”

Notice carefully this verse uses the singular “I,” which therefore makes
“God” here singular. Read also Genesis 1:31. Verse 31 uses “he” in the
things God made. Again, the context of this verse, like Genesis 1:29, uses
the singular for God. But this does not mean Genesis 1:26 is a figure of
speech because there has to be only one God based on singular usage. But
who is speaking in Genesis 1:29 if it is just “I”? The answer is found partly
in Genesis 1:31. But also in John 1:3:

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made
that was made.”

The “him” here is the spirit called the Word that was God. All things were
made by the Word. John 1:3 is singular in talking about that spirit called the
Word. But this does not mean the Word was or is the only spirit that is God.
John 1:1 states the Word was with another spirit which was also God.
Now, just because Genesis 1:29 and 31 use the singular for God does not
prove there is only one God. If a verse uses a singular usage, then by the
context one of two spirits called God is speaking. Lets us go further to
confirm this. Read:

“And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will
make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18).

This God said he would make man the “help meet” woman (v.22). But
which God is this from John 1:1 and Psalm 110:1? The indications are that it
is the “Word” in John 1:1 and “my Lord” in Psalm 110:1. Remember that
according to John 1:3 the Father God made all things-including man and
woman- by or through the Word. And also remember, “...the Word was
God.” So the Word that was God did the actual creating from the thought
process of the Father God. Genesis 2:18 is identifying the creator God called
the Word. But the Father God existed, too. So this reveals two spirits called
God not one.

Other places in Genesis are chapters 6:7, 9:12 and 22:14-16. In each case it
has to be identified who is speaking, the Father or the Word. When the
identifying is done it will confirm even more that two spirits are called God.
The Holy Bible does not support the teaching that only one spirit is God.

Now we look at a scripture in the book of Exodus. Exodus 3 reveals God

called Moses to go to Egypt and free the Israelites from their oppressive
rulers. But the question now needs to be asked: who is speaking? Is just one
God speaking, and does all the speaking in the Bible? See how the Bible
gives us the answer:

“And Moses said to God, behold when I come to the children of Israel, and
shall say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall
say to me, what is his name? What shall I say to them? And God said to
Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said thus shall you say to the children of
Israel, I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:13-14). So “I AM” is a name of
God. But which spirit called God? Or is there just one? John 8:58 and John
18:5 tell the answer. First John 8:58, in response to the Jews Jesus Christ
said:

“I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM” (New American
Bible).

This is the same thing that Exodus 3:14 says. But who was Jesus Christ
before his human birth? See the plain answer:

“And the Word was made 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 1:14).

Before Jesus Christ’s human birth he was the “Word.” But this “Word”
according to John 1:1 was God. And this is the God that said his name was
“IAM” to Moses. Jesus Christ called himself “I AM” in John 8:58 because
that is exactly who he was. So Exodus 3:13-14 are talking about the “Word,”
which took other names as the Lord God or Yahweh. The God that spoke to
Moses was not the Father. But the Father surely existed. He was not known
personally but he existed at the time.

John 18:5 reveals Jesus Christ again confirming that he was the God that
originated this name to Moses in Exodus 3:14. In Exodus 3:14 Jesus Christ
was the Word that was God. The Father God did not become the human
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ saying “I AM” reveals he was the personal God of
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, and all the
other servants at the time.

Next is a scripture in the book of Deuteronomy:

“See how I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I
bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of
my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39, NIV).

Surely, this verse by context proves there is only one God. With all the “Is,”
this must be true. However, this verse is saying no such thing. First, the God
speaking to Israel is the only God they knew so intimately. And evidence in
the Bible reveals this to be the God that became the human Jesus Christ
(John 1:14). The Israelites knew only this God, so naturally this should be
the only God that carries out the functions listed and more also. Second, in
“there is no god besides me,” the word “god” is in a lower case “g.” God
does those functions and more is the point being made here. No other “god”
does even somethings that the true God does. But the fact that god is in a
lower “g” does not mean there is only one spirit called God and no more.

Look at John 1:1 for the very beginnings. Look at John 20:17 and John
20:28 for who was God after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In each
scripture whoever is called “God” the “g” is found in the upper case. This
shows absolutely that these spirits are God. Each of the above verses reveals
two spirits, not one spirit, called God. There is no way possible that Moses
could have written what is said in Deuteronomy 32:39, “there is no God
besides me,” because it was not the truth. There was another “God” besides
the God the Israelites knew and this was the Father. Psalm 110:1 unarguably
tells this.

Deuteronomy 32:39 is saying there is no other god, or even gods, besides the
true God the Israelites knew. These other gods were false. And what is true
and what is false can not stand together for long. Some may bring up 1
Chronicles 17:20. The “g” in “God” is upper case. First, this is not the God
David and his forefathers knew speaking. This is King David speaking.
Going back to Exodus 20:3, Exodus 23:13, Deuteronomy 32:39, NIV
version, and Hosea 13:4, the God here speaks of god or gods besides him in
a lower case “g.” As mentioned above, Moses could not have quoted his
God in Deuteronomy 32:39 saying, “There is no God besides me.” The Holy
Bible proves that in the Old Testament this was not true.

Now, second, David and the forefathers were plainly told by the God they
knew that this God was their one God-their personal God (1 Chronicles
17:22). The “God” David gives an upper case “g” to, and rightly so, was the
only God he knew. So naturally this is how David would feel and be quoted
as speaking. David did not know personally the one called the Father. It was
not in God the Father’s plan that he be known at David’s time. David said
what he said in 1 Chronicles 17:20 because this was what the God he knew
told him. This God told the same to Moses and the Israelites also. See
Deuteronomy 4:35.

And finally, 1 Chronicles 17:20 is also a scripture regarding worship,

service, and recognition. This is detailed in Part 2. 1 Chronicles 17:20 does
not in any way prove there is and always has been literally only one spirit
that is God.

God’s word the Holy Bible has to be viewed diligently for what it is saying
or it is taken for granted. God the Father and Jesus Christ are responsible for
their jobs in such matters. But Christians have to be responsible for their
jobs in such matters also. The Bereans were called “more noble” because
they did their jobs. See Acts 17:11.

Let us move to the book of Psalms for more truth. Read:

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against
thee: I am God, even thy God” (Psalm 50:7).

This God says he is the Israelites God. But who is speaking? Now, for the
answer look at another scripture from Psalms:

“The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine
enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). Who is speaking here, though? First,
in Psalm 50:7 notice how the wording is so personal. It says “thy God.”
Then in the beginning of Psalm 110:1 it says ‘‘my Lord.” This is talking
about the same God-the personal God Israel and David both knew. The
personal usage reveals this as the same God. So the God speaking in Psalm
50:7 is the same God called “my Lord” by David in Psalm 110:1.

But now Psalm 110:1 talks of some other God speaking. But we see this is
not the personal God of David or the Israelites. Psalm 110:1 reads, “The
Lord said....” “The Lord” here is none other than the Father God. So what
Psalm 50:7 and Psalm 110:1 are showing is two different spirits speaking
each called God. Those who teach there is only one God can not establish
this with the Old Testament. This teaching is contrary to the Bible, as shown
by those verses from Psalms.

There are many more scriptures from the Old Testament that prove by who
is speaking there are two spirits called God. A few more will be looked at in
the Prophets before seeing the New Testament. First read Isaiah 42:1:

“Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with who I am pleased,

upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations”
(NAB).

Most will agree this verse is talking about Jesus Christ. But who is talking
about Jesus Christ? Verses 5-6 tell it is God the Lord doing the speaking. But
again, who is the spirit that is God? It is either the Father God, not identified
as such, or the Word that was God also speaking of Jesus Christ the human.
But whichever it is just confirms the point of this part: there are two spirits
called God. If there is and was only one God then who was in heaven when
the Word became Jesus Christ? Nobody? The answer is the Father was in
heaven! But according to John 20:17 the Father is God. The Father still is
God.

At the time of Isaiah 42:1 the human Jesus Christ did not come yet. We
know from John 1:14 that the Word as God became Jesus Christ. But Isaiah
42:1 is saying this is for the future. So the Word was still God at the time
Isaiah 42:1 was prophesied. This means the Father God existed and the Word
existed as God also. And this once again proves two spirits are God. The
Father most likely is the one speaking in Isaiah 42:1, 5-6, but this just
confirms the truth two spirits are God. See Matthew 12:18.

Other verses in Isaiah: Isaiah 44:8; 45:5, 18; and 57:18, 21 (see again Psalm
110:1).

The last Prophet looked at will be Ezekiel. The scriptures are so numerous
for God speaking “thus saith the Lord.” But each verse has to be examined
to see who and what God is speaking. We will look at one, notice:

“And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,
saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 34:1).

This chapter is talking of future events. But the God speaking is speaking of
knowing the House of Israel personally. Verses 6, 10-11, 15 and 30 show this
absolutely. The God speaking therefore is the Word that was God besides the
Father God. Just because “I” is used in Ezekiel 34, however, does in no way
prove there is and always has been one God. Teachings that God is
somehow, unscriptural in fact, three persons, entities, individuals, or aspects
are wrong. Those that think usage is such as “I” and “me” used of God
proves there is only one God are assuming this. Assuming does not draw
anyone closer to God the Father, finding and looking for the truth does.