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God is not made of earth materials such as gold or precious stones; he is the Lord God Almighty. He is revealed as the ruler of the universe. He is the ultimate and total source of authority and power. We do not arrive at God or deity through our minds. Jesus told his disciples that flesh and blood did not reveal his deity.
Mat 16:15 - 17 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 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.
Ezekiel had an encounter with God, he saw heaven open
Reading Ezek 1:26 -28 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel's vision provides amazing descriptions of God who is above every thing.
Inspired biblical writers were careful how they described God. They described only what seemed to be a likeness of His brilliant, glory, which was so bright no one, could see beyond it to God Himself.
God has no beginning--He is eternal; He is without beginning and without end. He brought about all thanks through His power as Creator.
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
In the N.T. John saw into heaven and described the throne room of God
Rev 4:1 - 8 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Theses two visions are very similar. We see the living creatures in both and splendor of glory and precise stones. All of this is around the thrown of God. God dwells in the high and holy place.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
While God is great in power and authority, exalted far above all things, He is full of grace, and love, which draws us unto Himself.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The word used here for God is the HB. word Eloheem = el-o-heem'; which is a plural Word denoting Gods as more than one.
The word Trinity is not found in Scripture, it comes from Lat. it is used to convey the doctrine of the unity of God as three distinct Persons.
There are numerous indications in the Old Testament that the one God of Israel is a unity of Persons.
The word for “One” in HB. is a term used for “united, a prim. root; to unify” “a cluster of, or composed of many” and the word for “God” is Eloheem for more than one.
The problem comes from our way of thanking, when we see the word God we automatically thank of one as singular, and not plural.
The New Testament expands the hint of plurality by revealing the three Persons who make up the Trinity. There is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are each individual, yet together One.
All three members of the Trinity were present at the creation. The Father spoke the world into being. The Spirit was hovering over the waters all of this happened, however, through the agency of the Son, the Word made flesh.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
John 1:1-3 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. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Is it three individual Gods that work operates as one? Or He is one God that appears in three different forms or ways at different times?
We have seen from Deuteronomy 6:4 that the Hebrew word for God is a plural word for God and Gen. 1:26 that the language “Let Us make” would seem to indicate there is more than one person in the Godhead.
Let’s look at some scriptures to see how the Godhead is reveled.
1 John 5:7 KJV For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Mat 3:16, 17 KJV And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 1:9-11 KJV And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Here in these passages we see three as one. John the Baptists baptized Jesus the Spirit descended and God spoke from heaven. Notes that we see all three at one time, showing God as three individual persons or should we say beings. Three separate personalities.
Mat 17:1-5 KJV And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Here we see Jesus on a mountain and God the father in a bright cloud.
Mat 16:13-17 KJV When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 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.
John 1:1,2 KJV 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 1:14 KJV 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.
Mat 1:23 KJV 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.
John 10:31-33 KJV Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
From these passages we see that Jesus was the Word, and that the Word was God and He was with God the Father. Jesus said that it was God the Father that revealed His deity to the disciples. Mat 1:23 is a quote from Isa 7:14, Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Here in Mat 1:23 the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to interpret the word for you. The word “Emmanuel” is a Hebrew word, “Immanuel” and literally means “God with us”
John 14:16, 17 KJV And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:26 KJV But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Here we see all three listed, Jesus talking to God the Father, and the Holy Ghost that God will give to believers after Jesus Goes back to heaven. The Holy Ghost is our teacher and guide.
1 John 2:27 KJV But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Exo 23:20, 21 KJV Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
Isa 63:9, 10 KJV In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
From these passages we see that the Holy Spirit is not a force, but a personality. The Holy Spirit was given to the children of Israel in the wilderness to lead them, the Angel of God’s presence; God’s name is in him the Holy Spirit that they vexed.
Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth.
Col 1:16 NLT Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him.
1 Cor 8:6 NLT But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we exist for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.
Eph 4:5,6 NLT There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
God exists on a different dominion from us and is not subject to the limitations of a physical body.
So we have seen that God is a Spirit, and not physical or should we say He does not have a natural body, yet He does have a body. God has a body; there are several Scriptures that refer to hands, back, face, etc.
Exo 33:21 - 23 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
1 Cor 15:39, 40 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1 Cor 15:40 NLT There are bodies in the heavens, and there are bodies on earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the beauty of the earthly bodies.
1 Cor 15:42 - 44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
After the Resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to the Disciples,
Mark 16:9,12 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Jesus said: Peace be unto you.
Jesus appears and they are terrified
Luke 24:37 they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Jesus said : Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Acts 1:9 - 11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
So we see that God has a celestial body that is a spiritual body and 1 Cor 15:49 says: we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
