The Image of God:

Rejection of the error of Monotheism

“Errors may be hoary with age; but age does not make error truth, nor truth
error. Altogether too long have the old customs and habits been followed. The Lord
would now have every idea that is false put away from teachers and
students.” {6T 142.1}

Who is the author of this doctrine called Monotheism that teaches that there is
literally one God, when the Holy Scripture declares “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God.” John 1:1,2

Who is the one , who inspires this type of thinking? - “who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. “ 2 Thessalonians 2:4

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The character of God revealed in Christ

Our commission, our message, our power is in the treasure we have received from
heaven; a sacred trust to lighten the earth enshrouded in darkness. This treasure is
the knowledge of the glory of God revealed in His sacred law and in the Holy
Scriptures and in the life of Christ: The Character of the Living God. God’s character
is embodied in the Law of Ten Commandments, which are a transcript of His
character. God’s Name, which is His character, was revealed to Moses at the top of
Mount Sinai; “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The
LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's
children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

This is the character of God that through the grace of Christ, we are to attain unto
before Jesus’ second coming and our time of probation closes. “When Christ shall
come, He will not change the character of any individual. Precious, probationary
time is given to be improved in washing our robes of character and making them
white in the blood of the Lamb.” {4T 429.2} God’s character is a perfection of the
divine attributes of Mercy and Justice; “merciful and gracious” -unto- “will NOT clear
the guilty” and “visiting the iniquity…”

“The more we study the attributes of the character of God as revealed in

Christ, the more we see that justice has been sustained in the sacrifice that met
the penalty of the law, and that mercy has been provided in the only begotten
Son, who bore the penalty of the law in the sinner's place, in order that man might
have another probation, another opportunity to be obedient to the law of God's
government, that it might be made manifest who could be trusted to become
members of the Lord's family, children of the Heavenly King.” {RH, March 9, 1897
par. 6}
 “Those who govern their families in the right way, will bring into the church an
influence of order and reverence. They will represent the attributes of mercy and
justice as standing hand in hand. They will reveal to their children the character
of Christ.” {RH, February 19, 1895 par. 3}

Worshipping a false conception of God is idolatry

In this next quote will see that it is by knowing God’s character, his Holy attributes,
that we can be guarded from worshiping a false god, a philosophical idea of God in
the place of the true and living God:

“Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. They are as
verily serving a false god as were the servants of Baal. Are we worshiping the
true God as He is revealed in His Word, in Christ, in nature, or are we adoring some
philosophical idol enshrined in His place? God is a God of truth. Justice and mercy
are the attributes of His throne… If such is the being whom we adore and to
whose character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true
God.” {5T 173.4}

EGW plainly stated that many are worshiping what they think to be God, but they
are worshipping an idol in His place. Because they have not yet understood the
attributes of our Lord’s character revealed in Justice and Mercy, they have become
subject to receive error about God in the place of a true knowledge of Him. The
vision of Habakkuk, showing that from Christ’s pierced side flows forth both blood
and water and at another time bright beams of light come forth, made plain upon
the two tables of the Ten Commandments also reveal the divine attributes of God’s
character: Justice and Mercy, in a very plain and understandable way; that all may
look and behold the glory of the Lord represented in pictures, assimilate His
character and thereby live.

Mercy and Justice as Personified in Spirit of Prophecy

In this next quote EGW personifies Mercy and Justice as divine Persons so that we
can understand more of the true knowledge of God’s character, and so that we can
more readily discern a counterfeit representation of Him:

“We may understand the subject of the work of Christ. His object was to reconcile
the prerogatives of justice and mercy, and let each stand separate in its
dignity, yet united. His mercy was not weakness, but a terrible power to punish
sin because it is sin; yet a power to draw to it the love of humanity. Through Christ
Justice is enabled to forgive without sacrificing one jot of its exalted holiness.

Justice and Mercy stood apart, in opposition to each other, separated by a

wide gulf. The Lord our Redeemer clothed his divinity with humanity, and wrought
out in behalf of man a character that was without spot or blemish. He planted his
cross midway between heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which
reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf. Justice
moved from its exalted throne, and with all the armies of heaven
approached the cross. There it saw One equal with God bearing the
penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in
reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough.” {GCB, October 1, 1899 par.
21,22}

Here EGW likens Christ reconciliation of Mercy and Justice to the reconciliation of
Heaven and earth at the cross. She says Christ’s “mercy was not weakness”, and
then says, “Justice moved from its exalted throne…with all the armies of heaven”.
This is shows us that the attributes of Mercy and Justice teach us something about
the relationship between Jesus and the Father; behold, earlier she stated, “His
object was to reconcile the prerogatives of justice and mercy, and let each stand
separate in its dignity, yet united.

The Image of God

To have each Divine Attribute stand SEPARATE in their dignity, yet united is the
glory of the character of God and the foundation of His everlasting government.
This is also known as the “image of God”. Two Exalted Equals standing separate in
their dignity, yet united. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the
earth as the abode of His special, precious creatures which He would make, “God
said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”. The Hebrew word here
translated God is “Elohyim” , which is a plural rendering of God – signifying more
than one God. The Word continues and declares “So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
(Gen 1:26,27) Human beings are made in the “image of God”, made after His
likeness; it took both man AND woman for mankind to bear the image of God. This
is because the image of God consists of two equal counterparts standing separate
in their dignity, yet united in mind, purpose and character; even as God the Father
and Jesus His Son “are one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is
thus that God and Christ are one.” {MH 422.1}

We read that EGW asked earlier, “Are we worshiping the true God as He is revealed
in His Word, in Christ, in nature...? We see that everything in nature has a mate, a
counterpart; even as man and woman together bear the image of God. The
following is what EGW said this should mean for us in the family home: “The wife
and mother should not sacrifice her strength and allow her powers to lie dormant,
leaning wholly upon her husband. Her individuality cannot be merged in his.
She should feel that she is her husband's equal-- to stand by his side, she
faithful at her post of duty and he at his.” {AH 231.2}

“God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided "an help meet for him"--a
helper corresponding to him--one who was fitted to be his companion, and who
could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from
the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be
trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be
loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh,
she was his second self; showing the close union and the affectionate attachment
that should exist in this relation.” {AH 25.3}
The image of God is two equal counterparts – two complementary partners acting
together, distinct in their individuality, yet united in one holy purpose; even as
husband and wife should work together as one, even the Father and Jesus are one
in “purpose, in mind, in character”. This complementary relationship is also
displayed in the relationship of the law and the gospel:

Image of God represented in the Law and the Gospel

“The grace of Christ and the law of God are inseparable. The law and the gospel
are in perfect harmony. Each upholds the other. In all its majesty the law
confronts the conscience, causing the sinner to feel his need of Christ as the
propitiation for sin. The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law. "I
had not known sin, but by the law," Paul declares (Rom. 7:7). The sense of sin,
urged home by the law, drives the sinner to the Saviour.
The gospel points to the moral code as a rule of life. That law, by its
demands for undeviating obedience, is continually pointing the sinner to
the gospel for pardon and peace.” {2MCP 563.2}

“Between Them Both” : The Two of Them

It very evident from the Holy Scriptures that God and Christ existed together from
all eternity as two separate and equal, yet united Divine both Uncreated Beings.
Each One upholding, supporting, loving the Other. “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God.” (John1:1,2) “And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
(between the Two of Them, Zech. 6:13 Hebrew).

EGW had this to say about the Two of Them: “Before the Father He (Jesus) pleaded
in the sinner's behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity
of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious
communing--"the counsel of peace" (Zechariah 6:13) for the fallen sons of men…
“{PP 63.3} "And the counsel of peace shall be between Them both. The love of the
Father, no less than of the Son, is the fountain of salvation for the lost race…And
in the ministration in the sanctuary above, "the counsel of peace shall be between
Them both." {GC 416.4}

“Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could
make atonement for its transgression.” {PP 63.2} “The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine
Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father.”
“Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from
all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore.” {1SM 247.4,3}

Then where does the idea of Monotheism come from?

Since it is so clear that Jesus is God and is equal in every way to the Father - where
then, does this idea of Monotheism, the belief that there is only ONE God, come
from?

This theory, today called Monotheism, the idea that there is only One God
is from the mind of Satan. Monotheism is the foundation upon which Lucifer
established the reasoning behind his rebellion in heaven; the rebellion that carried a
third of the angels with him to ruin. “Thou shalt not surely die” was Satan’s first lie
in the garden of Eden and the foundation of Modern Spiritualism; but the idea of
Monotheism is the foundation upon which the rebellion against the
government of God is built. It is time to expose this deceptive reasoning from
the enemy of all righteousness so that we can discover the snare Satan has laid for
centuries to keep Christians from entering into the fullness of Truth.

Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the
lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the
foundations of the mountains.”

The foundation for Babylon was laid by Lucifer in heaven, by framing a lie.

Jeremiah 51:25 “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD,
which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and
roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.”

To study this, God has provided for our limited understanding by giving us the Spirit
of Prophecy to prepare an end of time people, a people prepared for Jesus’ second
coming. These people who perfectly reflect Christ’s character will also be purged
from every remaining vestige of error by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Let’s
us now learn and receive the Spirit of Prophecy…

Satan’s rebellion based on his supposition of Monotheism, as revealed in

the Spirit of Prophecy

The following is a summary of the events recorded in the first chapter of EGW’s
book “Patriarchs and Prophets”, called “Why was sin permitted”; and we
recommend that you also read the first chapter in its entirety.

Selected quotes from Patriarchs and Prophets pages 34-42 (my comments in
parentheses):

“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an
associate--a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy
in giving happiness to created beings. "In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with
God." John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the
eternal Father--one in nature, in character, in purpose--the only being that could
enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.”

(EGW here begins by showing that the Father and Jesus existed together for all
eternity; both equally God, separate, yet one in nature, in character, in purpose…)
“The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. “By Him were
all things created . . .”

(Jesus is the hand which created all things, He is God; the Father worked through
Jesus in creation, they are equal.)

“Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and
was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer, "son of
the morning," was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled… Little by little
Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation… Not content with his position,
though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due
alone to the Creator.”

(Lucifer, though an honored angel created by Christ, came to desire the worship
(homage) which was due only to The Creator…)

“Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined.
To dispute the supremacy of the Son of God, thus impeaching
the wisdom and love of the Creator, had become the purpose of this prince of
angels.”

“Yet the Son of God was exalted above him (Lucifer), as one in power and authority
with the Father. He (Jesus) shared the Father's counsels, while Lucifer did not thus
enter into the purposes of God. "Why," questioned this mighty angel, "should Christ
have the supremacy? Why is He honored above Lucifer?"

(Here EGW shows that Lucifer clearly questioned WHY Jesus was shown to be equal
with the Father. Lucifer questioned why had God said that “to Him (Jesus), as well
as to God, their (the angles) homage and allegiance were due”?)

“Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to
diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels.”

(Now let’s see the lies Lucifer spread among the angels…)

“The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was
represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to
reverence and honor”… (Lucifer claimed) “now even the liberty which they (the
angels) had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute Ruler had been
appointed them, and to His authority all must pay homage. Such were the
subtle deceptions that through the wiles of Lucifer were fast obtaining in the
heavenly courts.”

(Lucifer worked to insinuate that God conferred upon Jesus honors which were not
already His. He is saying that if God should thus arbitrarily give glory and honor to
Jesus, then Lucifer should have it as well, being that he was first of the covering
cherubs. In saying these things, Lucifer is purposely denying the fact that Jesus
created Lucifer and all the angels; Lucifer was falsely wondering why Jesus should
be worshipped equally as the Father is worshiped. Lucifer then crowned his
argument by saying that in Jesus being exalted to equality with God the Father,
another God (Ruler) has been newly appointed over them…but Jesus was always
God, the Father had already said so. Lucifer was lying to the angels about Jesus.)
“There had been no change in the position or authority of Christ. Lucifer's
envy and misrepresentation and his claims to equality with Christ had made
necessary a statement of the true position of the Son of God; but this had been the
same from the beginning. Many of the angels were, however, blinded by Lucifer's
deceptions.”

“Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light--misconstruing and

distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction… There were some who looked
with favor upon Lucifer's insinuations against the government of God. Although they
had heretofore been in perfect harmony with the order which God had established,
they were now discontented and unhappy because they could not penetrate His
unsearchable counsels; they were dissatisfied with His purpose in exalting
Christ. These stood ready to second Lucifer's demand for equal authority with the
Son of God.”

“The preference shown to Christ he declared an act of injustice both to

himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced that he would no longer submit
to this invasion of his rights and theirs. He would never again acknowledge the
supremacy of Christ. He had determined to claim the honor which should have
been given him, and take command of all who would become his followers; and he
promised those who would enter his ranks a new and better government,
under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their
purpose to accept him as their leader.”

(Here we see whither Satan’s denial of Christ as God was drifting. When he
insinuated that Jesus should not be honored as God, he was inferring that he would
acknowledge the Father, but not Christ, as God. If God the Father should contradict
this Monotheistic idea Satan spread among the angels, then this rebel leader told
them he would form a new government where he would be their sole leader; and
then, as he insinuated, there wouldn’t be this confusion of having two Rulers.)

“For himself (Satan), he was determined never again to acknowledge the

authority of Christ… He had artfully presented his side of the question, employing
sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. His power to deceive was very great. By
disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained an advantage. All his acts
were so clothed with mystery that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true
nature of his work. Until fully developed, it could not be made to appear the evil
thing it was; his disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels
could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading… And his
high position, so closely connected with the divine government, gave greater force
to his representations.”

“The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the
government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration.
He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah.
Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the
working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His own work must
condemn him.”

“For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he (Satan) must more
fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might
be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy
of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all
question. “ {PP 42.3}

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EGW sums up what the rebellion of Lucifer was truly about in heaven in her book
Spirit of Prophecy Vol. 1 in the following simple words:

“He introduced his subject, which was himself. As one aggrieved, he related the
preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself. He told them that
henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not
a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must
yield servile honor? He stated to them that he had called them together to assure
them that he no longer would submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs; that
never would he again bow down to Christ; that he would take the honor upon
himself which should have been conferred upon him, and would be the
commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice. There
was contention among the angels. Satan and his sympathizers were striving to
reform the government of God. They were discontented and unhappy because they
could not look into his unsearchable wisdom and ascertain his purposes in exalting
his Son Jesus, and endowing him with such unlimited power and command. They
rebelled against the authority of the Son. {1SP 18.2}

Monotheism, the belief that there is only one God, is a lie of Satan. He
rebelled against God’s government, where there were two Rulers Who were equal,
united and loving, each upholding the Other. Lucifer’s loyalty was tested and he
failed, by showing jealousy and coveting what was not his. Satan built his rebellion
by insinuating his deceptions and getting his hearers to accept the idea that there is
only one God, and that that is how it should be. His deception ends with him
enticing his hearers to follow him and accept him as their one god.

Jews believed error that their own scriptures taught Monotheism

Satan inspired the Jews to misinterpret their own scriptures, according to his lie of
Monotheism; but it is only because of back-sliding and sin that Satan was successful
in doing this. Had the Jews been faithful to God, they would not have come to this
conclusion. God revealed Himself as Elohyim (a plural expression of Deity) and God
said “let US make man in our own image”. The Jews consistently understood the
word elohyim as “gods” when it was used to describe the gods of other nations. Yet
they taught that Elohyim means God in a singular sense, according to their
traditional understanding, when it applied to Elohyim their God; when they did this,
they were not explaining it according to the proper use of their own language. It
was not God’s will that the Jews should be thus deceived.

All error must be removed to receive the fullness of the latter rain of
Christ’s Spirit
Now, at the end of the world, it is time we proclaim the truth so that we might
receive the fullness of the latter rain of God’s Spirit: The Spirit of Truth. The latter
rain will be poured out without measure into new bottles, not old bottles still holding
onto vain ideas “received by tradition from (our) fathers” of the flesh. We have a
duty not only to reject error, but lift up the message of truth unto those still covered
in the rubbish of error.

I saw… that the Man with the "dirt brush" has entered, and that some are in
danger of being swept away.” {EW 48.2}

“I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.

Immediately the door opened, and a Man entered the room, when the people all
left it; and He, having a dirt brush in His hand, opened the windows, and
began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room.” {EW 83.1,2}

“Errors may be hoary with age; but age does not make error truth, nor truth
error. Altogether too long have the old customs and habits been followed. The Lord
would now have every idea that is false put away from teachers and
students.” {6T 142.1}

Every error is sin from Satan

“Every error is sin, and every sin has its origin with Satan. Wrong practices have
blinded the eyes and blighted the perceptive faculties of men and women. We need
now to be guarded on every point. . . .” {TDG 163.2}

“I was shown that if God's people make no efforts on their part, but wait for the
refreshing to come upon them and remove their wrongs and correct their errors;
if they depend upon that to cleanse them from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and
fit them to engage in the loud cry of the third angel, they will be found wanting. The
refreshing or power of God comes only on those who have prepared
themselves for it by doing the work which God bids them, namely,
cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God. “ {1T 619.1}

Additional information and studies under this topic:

- Places in Old Testament where Jews should have seen error of Monotheism.
(some examples: Ps. 45:7 and Ps. 110.1 – was God talking to Himself?)

- Satan led Jews to believe that Messiah, would be a man and not God. (Jesus
silences His critics Matt. 22:41-46)

- The major world religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity) promote their

Monotheistic belief as foundation for future unity.