Davidic Christology and the human Messiah (part 2 of 2)

    Jesus, the Davidic king, in the New Testament

    From the very first verse of the New Testament, we are told who Jesus is: “the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). At the very end of the New Testament, we read that Jesus is “the root and descendant of David” (Rev. 22:16). He is the anointed one (Messiah/Christ) of God and ideal Davidic king. Therefore, we should expect that he shares the prerogatives of the Davidic kings of the Old Testament, presumably to an even greater degree. And this is, in fact, precisely what we find all throughout the New Testament.

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:16)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)

“He will be great, and be called ‘Son of the Most High,’ and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and there will be no end of his kingdom... the holy spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for this reason also the holy-begotten one will be called ‘Son of God.’” (Luke 1:32-33, 35)

Nathaniel answered, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!” (John 1:49)

Now these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

“God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten you.’” (Acts 13:33)

The Son of [God] came from the seed of David, according to the flesh, and was appointed the Son of God with power, according to the spirit, by resurrection from the dead: Jesus the Messiah our Lord. (Rom. 1:3-4)

    In these passages, Jesus is referred to as “the Son of God,” just as the Davidic kings of the Old Testament were (2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Chron. 28:5; Psa. 2:6-7; 89:20, 26). The authors of the New Testament considered this title to be equivalent to “Messiah” (anointed one) and “king of Israel” since these titles are placed in parallel with one another in many passages, including the ones cited above (Matt. 16:16, 20; 26:63; Mark 1:1; 14:61; Luke 4:41; 22:67, 70; John 1:49; 11:27; 19:7, 12, 21; Acts 9:20, 22; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:13; 1 John 2:22; 5:1, 5; 2 John 9).

    According to Luke 1:32-35, Jesus is called Son of God for two reasons: first because he rules over the throne of David, and also because of his virginal conception. There are three stages of Jesus’ sonship in the New Testament: he was prophesied to be the (future) Son of God at his conception (Luke 1:32-35); marked out as the Son of God at his baptism (Mark 1:10-11; Matt. 16:16); and finally appointed to be the Son of God at his resurrection and exaltation (Acts 2:36; 13:33; Rom. 1:4; Heb. 1:3-5).

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the days of king Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in its rising, and have come to worship him.” (Matt. 2:2)

Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!” (Matt. 14:33)

Yet when God again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” (Heb. 1:6)

    There are only a few instances in the New Testament where Jesus is said to be worshipped (proskuneo), and it’s unclear whether proskuneo should be translated “worship” or simply “bow down” in each instance. However, as these three passages show, Jesus is given proskuneo not because he is God, but because he is “king of the Jews,” “Son of God,” and “Firstborn.” Each of these is a title of the Davidic king, who in the Old Testament was worshipped alongside Yahweh (1 Chron. 29:20; Psa. 2:11-12; 72:11). This further serves to connect Jesus with the Davidic kings of the Old Testament.

Be filled with the spirit, speaking to each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to the God and Father for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. (Eph. 5:18-20)

Then I heard every creature in heaven, and upon the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and everything that is in them, singing, “To the One sitting upon the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion, for the ages of the ages!” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders bowed down and worshipped. (Rev. 5:13-14)

    In both of these passages, songs of praise are directed toward Jesus. There are also Christological hymns throughout the New Testament (e.g., John 1:14-18; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-20). This is in agreement with the Old Testament practice of directing songs of praise to the Davidic king (Psa. 45:1). Furthermore, Rev. 5:13-14 may be a direct allusion to 1 Chron. 29:20; in both instances, an assembly “bows down and worships” God and the Davidic king together.

Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands; and bring your hand, and put it into my side; and do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28)

Yet unto the Son it says, “Your throne, O God, is permanent, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your companions.” (Heb. 1:8-9)

    These are the only two passages in the New Testament where Jesus is unambiguously referred to as “God” (theos). Like the Davidic kings of the Old Testament, he is able to be called “God” as he is the authorized representative of God (Psa. 45:6; Isa. 9:6; Zech. 12:8). In fact, Hebrews 1:8-9 is a direct quotation of Psalm 45:6-7. However, in both instances, it is clear that Jesus, despite being called “God,” is not actually God Himself, because he was anointed by God and God is still his God (John 20:17, 31; Heb. 1:9). Instead, he is called “God” because he is God’s representative.

And the word became flesh and tented among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of a unique one from a father, full of grace and truth... For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus the Messiah. (John 1:14, 17)

...we see Jesus, who was “made a little lower than the angels,” now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he should experience death for everyone. (Heb. 2:9)

    Jesus is said to have been given four different attributes of God: grace, truth, glory, and honor. These are the same four attributes (chesed, emet, hod, hadar) which were said in the Old Testament to have been given to the Davidic king (Psa. 21:5; 45:3; 89:14, 24).

And [Jesus] woke up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:39-41)

When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and [Jesus] was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came toward them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. (Mark 6:47-51)

    These passages display Jesus' power over the sea. This is often taken to be a demonstration of his divinity, but it is more likely an allusion to Psalm 89:9, 25, in which David is given power to still the waters of the sea when they rise up. [1] This shows the extent to which God has shared his authority with His Messiah, even giving him power over nature.

“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son... And He gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man... I am not able to do anything of myself, but as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the One who sent me.” (John 5:22, 27, 30)

“[God] set a day on which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, through a man whom He appointed, having provided confidence to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

    Jesus has been given authority by God to judge the world, just as the Davidic kings of the Old Testament were given authority by God to judge the people of Israel (2 Chron. 9:8; Psa. 72:1). Furthermore, just as Solomon sat down upon God’s throne of judgment, so also Jesus sat on God’s throne of judgment, so that “the judgment seat of Messiah” is equivalent to “the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10).

“We know that this is truly the Messiah, the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

“God exalted [Jesus] to His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31)

God was in the Messiah reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19)

    Jesus, as the Messiah, is the appointed agent through which God accomplished the salvation of the world, similarly to how the Davidic king Solomon was appointed to be savior of the oppressed in Israel (Psa. 72:12-14). It’s evident from Acts 5:31 that Jesus was exalted to become Savior.

The God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Father of glory... exercised this power in the Messiah when He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. (Eph. 1:17, 20-21)

When [the Son] had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs. (Heb. 1:3-4)

Jesus the Messiah is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, with angels and authorities and powers subjected to him. (1 Pet. 3:21-22)

“I will grant the one who overcomes permission to sit on my throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.” (Rev. 3:21)

    These passages highlight the extremely exalted state of Jesus following his resurrection, having been given authority over all creation (Matt. 28:18) and subject only to God Himself. The New Testament writers use a Davidic psalm to describe his exaltation, saying that he sits “at the right hand of God,” which was originally said of David (Psalm 110:1). Furthermore, Jesus is said to sit upon God’s throne over the entire creation, just as David and Solomon sat upon God’s throne over Israel (1 Chron. 29:23; 2 Chron. 9:8). Nonetheless, Jesus continues to be distinguished from God, who is still his God (Eph. 1:17; Rev. 3:12).

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[1] J. R. Daniel Kirk and Stephen L. Young, "'I Will Set His Hand to the Sea': Psalm 88:26 LXX and Christology in Mark," Journal of Biblical Literature 133, no. 2 (2014), 333-340.

Davidic Christology and the human Messiah (part 1 of 2)

    Over the past few weeks, we've been studying how the depictions of Jesus in the New Testament draw upon other figures from the Old Testament. As the exalted Lord of all things and the "image of God," Jesus regains for humanity what was lost by Adam. Furthermore, like Moses, Jesus shares many of the attributes and miracles of God, as His representative. The miracles performed by Jesus also parallel the miracles performed by Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament. In this post, we'll look at the exalted descriptions of David and his royal descendants in the Old Testament, to see how they are applied to Jesus later on.

    Note: The idea for this series is from J. R. Daniel Kirk’s book A Man Attested by God: The Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, as well as episodes 48 through 55 of Dustin Smith’s Biblical Unitarian Podcast. It wouldn’t have been possible without their extensive research, so please check out their work for a fuller treatment of the high human Christology of the New Testament!

    The Davidic king in the Historical Books

And Yahweh said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So Samuel took the horn full of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The spirit of Yahweh came upon David from that day onward. (1 Sam. 16:12-13)

David the son of Jesse, the man highly exalted, the anointed one of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel. (2 Sam. 23:1)

    David was anointed by God, making him an anointed one or messiah (mashiach; Greek christos). David is also referred to as messiah two other times in 2 Samuel (19:21; 22:51). This highlights his exalted status, while also distinguishing him from the God who anointed and appointed him.

“Yahweh declares to you [David] that He Himself will make you a dynasty. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My name, and I will permanently establish the throne of his kingdom. I will be his Father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men, and the blows of the sons of men. But My kindness will not be removed from him as it was from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will stand before Me permanently; your throne will stand permanently.” (2 Sam. 7:11-16)

“And I will establish him in My house and My kingdom permanently, and his throne will stand permanently.“ (1 Chron. 17:14)

King David stood up and said... “Of all my sons — for Yahweh has given me many sons — He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of Yahweh’s kingdom over Israel. And He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.’” (1 Chron. 28:5-6)

    In these passages, Yahweh promises David that He will establish his dynasty through one of his sons, Solomon, who will become Yahweh’s own son. This is the basis for the title, “son of God,” which highlights the exalted status of the Davidic king, while also distinguishing him from and subordinating him to God. Furthermore, by comparing 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17, we can see that David’s house and kingdom was considered equivalent to Yahweh’s own house and kingdom.

David said to the whole assembly, “Praise Yahweh, your God!” So the whole assembly praised Yahweh, God of their fathers, and bowed down and worshipped Yahweh and the king. (1 Chron. 29:20)

    In this passage, David is worshipped alongside Yahweh, showing the high status to which God had exalted the king. There are numerous other instances where people are said to bow down and/or worship (shachah) before David and his son Solomon (1 Sam. 25:23, 41; 2 Sam. 1:2; 9:6, 8; 14:4, 22, 33; 16:4; 18:28; 24:20; 1 Kgs. 1:16, 23, 31, 53; 1 Chron. 21:21). However, this is the clearest instance of worship of the Davidic king, because both God and the king are said to be worshipped with a single verb, showing that (at least in this instance) they were worshipped in the same way.

Solomon sat upon Yahweh’s throne as king in the place of his father David; he prospered and all of Israel obeyed him. (1 Chron. 29:23)

“May Yahweh, your God, be praised, who delighted in placing you on His throne to be king for Himself. Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, He made you king over them to make fair and right judgments.” (2 Chron. 9:8)

“Now you declare that you will resist the kingdom of Yahweh, which is in the hands of the descendants of David!” (2 Chron. 13:8)

    God placed Solomon upon His own throne, to rule over His own kingdom, and gave him the authority to judge. This again highlights the authority and exalted status which was given to the Davidic kings of Israel, as the authorized representatives of Yahweh.

    The Davidic king in Psalm 2

    Psalm 2 is often taken to be a Messianic prophecy, and it was understood to refer to Jesus in the New Testament (Acts 4:25-28; 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; Rev. 2:27; 19:15). However, in its original historical context, it was written for the coronation of the Davidic king. [1] Because it’s attributed to David (Acts 4:25), and written partially from a first-person perspective (Psa. 2:7), this psalm was most likely originally written for David upon his coronation in Jerusalem. In later periods, it was taken to refer to the eschatological Messiah, who is the ideal Davidic king.

The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together, against Yahweh and His anointed one. (v. 2)

    Here, the Davidic king is referred to as God’s anointed one or messiah (mashiach; Greek christos). Because the king is the authorized representative of God on earth, to take a stand against the king is also to take a stand against Yahweh, and vice versa.

Then He angrily speaks to them and terrifies them in His rage: “I myself have installed My king on Zion, My holy hill.” I will declare the decree of Yahweh. He said to me, “You are My son; today I have begotten you. Ask Me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession.” (vv. 5-8)

    The Israelite king becomes the son of Yahweh and is figuratively “begotten” on the day that he is installed as king in Jerusalem. This title establishes the king as subordinate and obedient to God, while also declaring his exalted status and close personal relationship with God. Whereas the title “son of God” was previously only given to Solomon (1 Chron. 28:5), this psalm expands it to all the Davidic kings. During this period, it was common for kings of the Ancient Near East to be described as the “son” of their god, meaning that they ruled on behalf of their god, as his vassal. [2]

Serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, when his wrath is kindled just a little. Blessed are all those who seek refuge in him. (vv. 11-12)

    This section of the psalm establishes both God and the king as worthy of homage, just as in 1 Chronicles 29:20. Moreover, the king as son of God is to be trusted as a refuge, even though elsewhere it is God who should be trusted as a refuge, even by the king himself (e.g., 2 Sam. 22:3, 31; Psa. 5:11; 7:1; 16:1).

    The Davidic king in Psalm 45

    Like Psalm 2, this psalm is often taken to be a Messianic prophecy, especially because it is cited in the New Testament as referring to the Son (Heb. 1:8-9). However, it’s evident from the psalm itself that it was originally written for the wedding or coronation [3] of a contemporary Israelite king. The king lives in an ivory palace, like the kings of eighth-century Israel (Psalm 45:8 cf. 1 Kgs. 22:39; Amos 3:15), he marries a princess from Tyre (vv. 10-13), and is said to have sons (v. 16); yet none of these things are true of Jesus. Thus, this psalm was written for an Israelite king during the pre-exilic period, most likely Solomon or Ahab. [4] Later it was applied to the Messiah, as the ideal Davidic king.

A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah, a Song of Love. My heart overflows with a beautiful song; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. (v. 1)

    This psalm unambiguously establishes that songs of praise can be directed toward the human Davidic king, despite the common assumption that songs of praise should only ever be directed toward God in a monotheistic framework.

Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and your majesty. (v. 3)

    Two unique attributes of God, “glory” and “majesty,” are attributed to the Davidic king in this verse (cf. Job 40:10; Psa. 96:6; 104:1; 111:3; 145:5). This is because God has invested the king, who is His authorized representative, with these attributes (Psa. 21:5). Interestingly, these same two attributes are singled out in the New Testament as having been given to Jesus (Heb. 2:9).

Your throne, O God, is permanent; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice. You have loved justice and hated evil; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your companions. (vv. 6-7)

    The king, as the authorized representative of God, is given the title “God” (elohim). Despite this exalted title, God is still the king’s God, and his position has been given to him by God, so he is unambiguously subordinate to God. The king has also been anointed by God, making him an anointed one or messiah.

Because he is your lord, worship him. (v. 11)

    The king, having been invested with the attributes and title of God, is said to be “lord” of his bride and therefore she is exhorted to worship (shachah) him. This verb can also be translated as “bow down,” as can the Greek equivalent proskuneo which is applied to Jesus in the New Testament.

    The Davidic king in Psalm 72

    This psalm was originally written by David, as a prayer to God about his son Solomon. This is shown by the fact that the attributed title of this psalm is “Concerning Solomon,” and the end of the psalm states that it is a prayer of David (v. 20). Solomon is called both “the king” and “the king’s son” (v. 1), implying that the psalm is set during his co-regency period when he ruled as king alongside David (1 Kgs. 1).

O God, give the king Your judgments, and the king’s son Your righteousness. He will judge Your people with righteousness and Your poor with justice. (vv. 1-2)

    In these verses, David prays for God to give authority to judge to his son Solomon. As God's authorized representative, Solomon has the power to judge Israel using God’s own judgments, as we saw already in 2 Chron. 9:8 where Solomon sits upon Yahweh’s throne of judgment over Israel. This is also another instance in which God invests the king one of His attributes, specifically “righteousness.”

And all kings shall worship before him, and all nations shall serve him. (vv. 10-11)

    Solomon is said to be worshipped (shachah) and served (‘abad), using the same verbs that are elsewhere used to describe monotheistic worship of God alone. Exodus 20:5 says, “You shall not worship [shachah] or serve [‘abad] them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God.” Likewise, “You shall fear Yahweh your God and serve [‘abad] Him only” (Deut. 6:13 cf. Matt. 4:10). Yet the Davidic king is apparently the exception to this rule, because he, in whom God has invested His attributes and judgments, is not only allowed to be worshipped and served but commanded to be worshipped and served.

For he will deliver the needy when they cry out, and the oppressed who have no helper. He will have mercy on the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their souls from violence and oppression, and their life will be precious in his sight. (vv. 12-14)

    Here, Solomon is said to be the deliverer of the people of Israel, who saves and redeems their souls (nephesh; Greek psuche). Despite the fact that God is said to be the only Savior (Isa. 43:11), He bestows upon the Davidic king the ability to save, just as He also gives him the authority to judge.

    The Davidic king in Psalm 89

    Psalm 89:19-37 is explicitly written about David and the pre-exilic dynasty of kings which came from him. However, it also looks forward to the eschatological king who will restore Davidic rule over Israel (vv. 38-51).

Your arm is mighty, Your hand is strong, Your right hand is exalted. Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Your throne, lovingkindness and truth go before You. (v. 13-14)

“I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him. My hand will support him, and My arm will strengthen him.” (vv. 20-21)

“My truth and lovingkindness will be with him, and in My name his strength will be exalted.” (v. 24)

    In this psalm, God invests more of His attributes into the Davidic king, including His lovingkindness (chesed), truth (emet), and exalted strength. Even in his exalted status, David is still distinguished from God, the One who anointed him — thus making him an anointed one or messiah.

You rule over the majesty of the sea; when its waves surge, you still them. (v. 9)

“I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers.” (v. 25)

    God shares His authority over the sea with His authorized representative David, showing the extent to which the Davidic king has been exalted.

“He will call out to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” (vv. 26-27)

    David, like his son Solomon, is said to be the son of God, in such a close personal relationship with God that he can refer to Him as “my Father.” He is not only the son of God, but the firstborn of God, the most exalted king. Nonetheless, even in his exalted state, God is still David’s God, showing that he is distinguished from and subordinate to God.

    The Davidic king in the Prophets

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. The government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His dominion will be great, and there will be no end of peace, upon David’s throne and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and righteousness, from now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this. (Isa. 9:6-7)

    Many Christians understand this prophecy to be referring to Jesus, but Isaiah is more concerned with issues contemporary in his day (8th century BC). The larger pericope in which this prophecy is set concerns the invasion of Assyria (Isa. 8:1-15; 9:8-10:18). Therefore, the king whose birth is described in Isa. 9:6 must be Hezekiah, through whom God repelled the Assyrian invasion of Judah (Isa. 36-37). Hezekiah is given the title “Mighty God,” reflecting his status as the authorized representative of God (cf. Psa. 45:6-7). However, he is also distinguished from God, in that Yahweh brings about his authority (v. 7).

In that day Yahweh Himself will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, as the messenger [malak] of Yahweh before them. (Zech. 12:8)

    This is unambiguously a Messianic prophecy, and it describes a future Davidic king who would be “like God” and “the messenger of Yahweh,” that is, Yahweh’s authorized representative. Just as in Psalm 45:6 and Isaiah 9:6, this shows that the Davidic king (including the eschatological Messiah) was considered “God,” but actually only a representative of God.

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[1] William H. Brownley, “Psalms 1 - 2 as a Coronation Liturgy,” Biblica 52, no. 3 (1971), 321-336; James W. Watts, “Psalm 2 In The Context Of Biblical Theology,” Horizons of Biblical Theology 12 (1990), 74-76.

[2] M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 90, no. 2 (1970), 190-194; A. Yarbro Collins and John J. Collins, King and Messiah as Son of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008), 1-24.

[3] For a defense of the coronation interpretation of Psalm 45, see James M. Trotter, “The Genre and Setting of Psalm 45,” Australian Biblical Review 57 (2009), 34-46.

[4] Claude Mariottini, “Jezebel’s Wedding Song — Part 1,” Dr. Claude Mariottini — Professor of Old Testament (blog), 11 December 2007.

Elijah, Elisha, and the human Messiah

Previous: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2023/07/mosaic-christology-and-human-messiah.html

    In the last two posts, we saw how Jesus is portrayed in the New Testament in similar ways to Adam and Moses. In his earthly ministry, he was uniquely connected to God’s power and bore God’s glory and name, just like Moses; and in his exaltation, he became the image and glory of God, and the ruler of all things, just as Adam was before he sinned. In this post, we will examine the Messiah’s connection to two other prophets from the Old Testament: Elijah and Elisha. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the new Elijah (Matt. 11:14); by the same token, Jesus himself is the new Elisha, and he does directly compare himself to both of these Israelite prophets (Luke 4:24-27). And as it happens, many of his miracles directly parallel Elisha’s former miracles.

    Note: The idea for this series is from J. R. Daniel Kirk’s book A Man Attested by God: The Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, as well as episodes 48 through 55 of Dustin Smith’s Biblical Unitarian Podcast. It wouldn’t have been possible without their extensive research, so please check out their work for a fuller treatment of the high human Christology of the New Testament!

    Power over water

    One of the miracles which was shared by Elijah, Elisha, and Jesus was the ability to control water:

And Elijah the Tishbite, one of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh God of Israel lives, whom I stand before, there will be neither rain nor dew these years, except by my word.” (1 Kings 17:1)

And Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up, and struck the waters [of the Jordan River], and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them [Elijah and Elisha] crossed over on dry ground. (2 Kings 2:8)

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.’” So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. (2 Kings 2:19-22)

[Elisha] said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Fill this valley with ditches.’ For thus says Yahweh: ‘You will see neither wind nor rain, but the valley will be filled with water, so that you may drink, and your cattle, and your livestock.’”... And it came to pass in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that (behold) water came from the direction of Edom and filled the valley. (2 Kings 3:16, 17, 20)

When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out [to Elisha], “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. (2 Kings 6:4-6)

    In these passages, Elijah and Elisha demonstrate their power over the water, acting on the authority of Yahweh. They aren’t merely declaring Yahweh’s miracles, but are actually exercising power which has been given to them; both of these prophets say that they are completing these miracles by their own word. Likewise, in the gospel accounts, Jesus performs miracles by controlling water:

And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matt. 14:25-27)

A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. (Mark 4:37-39)

Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.” So they took it... the water had become wine (John 2:6-9)

    Each of these miracles involving water directly parallel the miracles of Elijah and Elisha. Like the two Israelite prophets, Jesus displays his power over weather events (1 Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 3:16-20; Mark 4:37-39). Jesus causes himself and Peter to walk upon water, similarly to when Elisha caused an ax head to float upon the water (2 Kgs. 6:4-6; Matt. 14:25-31). Finally, he transforms water into another substance, which Elisha also did (2 Kgs. 2:19-22; John 2:6-9). These miracles occur by Jesus’ own word, just as Elijah and Elisha controlled the water by their own word.

    Resurrection of the dead

    Another miracle shared by Elijah and Elisha was the power to raise the dead. In fact, the only three resurrections recorded in the Old Testament were connected with these two prophets:

[Elijah] cried out to Yahweh, “O Yahweh my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried out to Yahweh, “O Yahweh my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:20-22)

When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and closed the door on the two of them and prayed to Yahweh. Then he got up on the bed and lay upon the child, putting his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and while he lay bent over him, the flesh of the child became warm. He got down, walked once to and fro in the room, then got up again and bent over him; the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. (2 Kings 4:32-35)

As a man was being buried, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha; as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood on his feet. (2 Kings 13:21)

    Likewise, Jesus during his earthly ministry raised three people from the dead, two of them children (Mark 5:35-42; Luke 7:11-17; John 11:38-44). In fact, one of these instances directly parallels the resurrection performed by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:

As he approached the city gate, one who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow, and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with compassion for her and said to her, “Do not cry.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stopped. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Then fear seized all the people, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” (Luke 7:12-16)

    In both instances, the prophet encounters a widow at the “city gate” (1 Kgs. 17:10; Luke 7:12). The prophet discovers that the widow’s only son has died (1 Kgs. 17:17-20; Luke 7:12). The prophet is moved with compassion for the widow, and commands the child to arise (1 Kgs. 17:20-22; Luke 7:13-15). The witnesses to the miracle conclude that the prophet is truly a prophet of God (1 Kgs. 17:24; Luke 7:16). Clearly, Jesus is intentionally being compared with Elisha here. This shows how much greater a prophet he is than Elisha, because whereas it took Elisha considerable effort to raise the child, Jesus simply spoke and the child was resurrected.

    Purifying the unclean

    Elisha was also given the power to purify unclean food and disease:

Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” They could not eat it. He said, “Then bring some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Serve the people and let them eat.” And there was nothing bad in the pot. (2 Kgs. 4:40, 41)

And Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance to Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and you shall be clean.”... So he went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. (2 Kgs. 5:9, 10, 14)

    Likewise, Jesus had the ability to purify what was unclean:

[Jesus] said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from the outside cannot defile, since it does not enter the heart, but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?” Thus all foods are purified. (Mark 7:18, 19)

On the way to Jerusalem, [Jesus] was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. (Luke 17:11-14)

Jesus displays the same powers as Elisha, but to a much greater extent. Whereas Elisha only purified a single stew, and healed one leper, Jesus purified “all foods” [1] and miraculously cleansed ten lepers.

    Multiplying food

    Another specific miracle that was performed by Elijah and Elisha was multiplying quantities of food:

[The widow] said, “As Yahweh your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says Yahweh God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’” She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of Yahweh that he spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:12-16)

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord: They shall eat and have some left.” He set it before them; they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord. (2 Kings 4:42-44)

    The same miracle was performed by Jesus on two different occasions:

[Jesus] answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. (Mark 6:37-44)

The disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled, and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. (Matt. 15:33-38)

    Again, he performed the same miracle as Elijah and Elisha, but with fifty times more people. This deliberately identifies Jesus as a prophet greater than any who came before him.

    Extending physical presence

    Finally, one last miracle which was uniquely shared by Elisha and Jesus was their ability to extend their physical presence into far off locations. Elisha displays this power when talking to his servant Gehazi:

He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant has not gone anywhere at all.” But he said to him, “Did I not go with you in my heart when someone left his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept silver and clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves? Therefore the skin disease of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he left his presence diseased, as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:25-27)

According to this passage, Elisha ‘went with Gehazi in his heart’ when he scammed Naaman out of two talents of silver (2 Kgs. 5:20-24). This clearly implies something more than just being with him ‘in spirit,’ since Elisha knew exactly what Gehazi had been doing; he must have miraculously extended his physical presence so that he was present with Gehazi. Likewise, Jesus in the gospels is able to extend his bodily presence to be with his disciples:

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matt. 18:20)

“And behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

    Whereas Elisha only extended his physical presence in one instance, Jesus is continually extending his presence to be with his disciples. This occurs miraculously by the power of the holy spirit, which connects believers to Jesus and his teachings (John 14:26; 16:13; Rom. 8:9, 10; Eph. 3:16, 17).

    Conclusion

    Many of Jesus’ miracles recorded in the gospel accounts directly parallel the miracles performed by the prophets Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament. These Israelite prophets were humans empowered by God to an incredible degree, and Jesus performed miracles even greater than theirs. Nonetheless, this does not remove him out of the realm of so-called ‘mere’ humanity. In fact, according to Acts 2:22, it was God who performed these miracles through the man Jesus, to show Israel that he was the true Messiah.

______________________________

[1] There is debate as to whether Mark 7:1-19 implies that Jesus purified all unclean meat, or merely all ceremonially defiled meat; either way, he was still purifying what was unclean.

Mosaic Christology and the human Messiah

Previous: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2023/07/adamic-christology-and-human-messiah.html

    Throughout the Old Testament, the human representatives of God are depicted in exalted terms, sharing in God’s honor, attributes, and authority. This provides a framework in which to understand the exalted depiction of our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In the last post, we saw how Jesus is described in the same terms as Adam; because of his obedient death, he became the glorious ruler of all things, just as Adam was prior to his sin. In this post, we’ll look at another one of God’s representatives in the Old Testament: the prophet Moses. Moses was the agent through whom God saved Israel out of Egypt, and the mediator who brought the Law to the people of Israel. Because of his exalted station, he shared in many of God’s honors and attributes, and the New Testament authors deliberately draw upon this when describing the Messiah.

    Note: The idea for this series is from J. R. Daniel Kirk’s book A Man Attested by God: The Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, as well as episodes 48 through 55 of Dustin Smith’s Biblical Unitarian Podcast. It wouldn’t have been possible without their extensive research, so please check out their work for a fuller treatment of the high human Christology of the New Testament!

    Moses in the Old Testament

    Because Moses was God’s chosen agent to enact Israel’s salvation from Egypt, the miracles associated with the Exodus are not only attributed to God, but to Moses as well. This can be seen in the following passages:

“Thus says Yahweh, ‘By this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold, with the staff that is in My hand I will strike the waters in the Nile, and they will be turned to blood’” ... Moses and Aaron did just as Yahweh commanded. In the sight of the pharaoh and his servants, he [Aaron] lifted up the staff and struck the waters in the Nile, and all the waters in the Nile were turned to blood... Seven days passed after Yahweh had struck the Nile. (Exod. 7:17, 20, 25)

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and it became gnats on man and on beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt... And the magicians said to the pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” (Exod. 8:16, 17, 19)

“Yahweh will fight for you while you keep silent.” Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it”... Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. (Exod. 14:14-16, 21)

In each of these three instances, the actions and miracles of God are variously attributed to Moses, Aaron, and Yahweh Himself. Because Moses (and Aaron) are the ones through whom God is accomplishing the miracles, they can be attributed to either Yahweh or Moses and Aaron. When the Israelites saw that God was working miracles through Moses, this was their response:

Israel saw the great work which Yahweh had done in Egypt; so the people feared Yahweh, and put their faith in Yahweh and His servant Moses. (Exod. 14:31)

    Moses not only performs the miracles of God, but he is also given the honor due to God. Because Yahweh parted the Red Sea by the agency of His servant Moses, the people put their faith not only in Yahweh, but in Moses also. This is in spite of the fact that God is supposed to be the sole object of faith for Israel (Psa. 40:4; 118:8; 146:3, 5; Isa. 42:17); nonetheless, as God’s prophet, Moses is also worthy of faith (cf. 2 Chron. 20:20).

    Finally, he also shared in God’s glory:

Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that Yahweh had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face; but whenever Moses went before Yahweh to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining, and Moses would put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with Him. (Exod. 34:32-35) 

This is in spite of the fact that God said He would give His glory to no other (Isa. 42:8). Evidently, the non-sharability of God’s unique attributes does not extend to His empowered agents.

    In summary, Moses was given the glory and honor of God, and was allowed to perform the actions and miracles of God, even speaking the very words of God (Exod. 4:15). Because of this, he was even given the very name of God (Elohim), although only in a limited sense:

“And he [Aaron] will speak to the people for you, and he will be like a mouth for you, and you will be like God for him.” (Exod. 4:16)

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “See, I have made you God to the pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.” (Exod. 7:1)

In these verses, God says that Moses will “be like God” to Aaron and that he will “be God” to the pharaoh of Egypt. It’s no wonder that this is the case, since Moses was performing the very actions of God and speaking His own words to the pharaoh. This shows that Yahweh can invest his own title “God” into human beings in specific instances.

    Mosaic Christology in the New Testament

    According to Deuteronomy 18:15-18, another prophet like Moses would be raised up from among the people of Israel; according to Peter, this prophet is the Messiah Jesus (Acts 3:20-23; cf. John 6:14; 7:40). Moses and Jesus are explicitly compared and contrasted throughout the New Testament, and he is said to be greater than Moses (John 1:17; 6:32; 2 Cor. 3:7; 4:6; Heb. 3:1-6). Thus, we should expect that Jesus is presented in the same terms as Moses by the New Testament authors, and that is in fact what we see.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing on his own authority, but only whatever he sees the Father doing, for whatever He does, the Son likewise does. The Father loves the Son and shows him everything that He does, and He will show him works even greater than these, so that you will marvel.” (John 5:19-20)

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if not, then believe because of the works themselves.” (John 14:10-11)

“Men, Israelites, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene [was] a man attested by God to you, by miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know” (Acts 2:22)

God was in the Messiah reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19)

    These passages show that all of Jesus’ authority and miracles came from God, the Father, who was dwelling in him. As with Moses, God uniquely empowered His Messiah to perform miracles, so as to confirm to Israel that he was the true Messiah. We can see specific examples of this in the gospel accounts: Jesus was given authority to forgive sins on behalf of God (Matt. 9:2-8), just as Moses was (Exod. 32:7-13, 30-33), and he was given control over the waters of the sea (Mark 4:39-41; 6:49-51), just as Moses was (Exod. 14:16).

And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in Him who sent me.” (John 12:44)

“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)

And having brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30, 31)

    According to these passages, Jesus is a worthy object of faith in addition to God, because he was sent by God; compare this with Exodus 16:31, in which the Israelites believe in “Yahweh and His servant Moses.” In fact, in one instance, belief in Jesus is actually compared with belief in Moses (John 5:46).

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transformed before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as bright as light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. (Matt. 17:1-3)

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but we proclaim Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants on behalf of Jesus. For it is the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who shone in our hearts for the radiance of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of the Messiah. (2 Cor. 4:5, 6)

    Here, the glory of God is said to shine in the face of Jesus, just as it did on Moses’ face. In the first passage, the glorification of Jesus takes place on a mountain, which was probably a deliberate connection to Moses’ glorification atop Mount Sinai (Exod. 34:29). In the second passage, Paul explicitly connects the glorification of Jesus to the glorification of Moses (2 Cor. 3:7-4:6).

    Finally, just as with Moses, the very name and title of God were given to Jesus:

“I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me” (John 5:43)

“Holy Father, protect them in Your name which You have given me, that they may be one just as we are. When I was with them, I protected them in Your name which You have given me.” (John 17:11, 12)

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

Because Jesus is the agent of God, performing His miracles and bearing His glory, he is even allowed to bear the title “God” along with the divine name. This is similar to when Moses was said to “be God” to the pharaoh. Since Jesus is greater than Moses, he is “God” to a wider range of people in a wider range of situations; nonetheless, this does not infringe upon the uniqueness of his Father, who remains the only true God (John 5:43, 44; 17:3).

    Conclusion

    In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus is depicted in similar terms as earlier exalted human figures like Adam and Moses. Just like Moses, he is shown performing the actions and miracles of God, bearing the glory of God, and even being called “God.” Yet this does not equate Jesus with Yahweh, because the same prerogatives were given to Moses; in fact, the New Testament authors intentionally draw upon the Old Testament depiction of Moses in their descriptions of Jesus. Because the Messiah is a “prophet like Moses” (Acts 3:22) and “worthy of greater honor than Moses” (Heb. 3:4), it is no wonder that he is depicted in such exalted terms.

Next: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2023/07/elijah-elisha-and-human-messiah.html

Adamic Christology and the human Messiah

    Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is consistently presented as an exalted human, who was given all authority upon his resurrection. Jesus is presented in such a highly exalted fashion that many Christians have concluded he must be more than a human — in fact, that he is the one true God. After all, he shares the honor, the attributes, the name, the deeds, and even the throne of God! [1] However, this is not inconsistent with him being a ‘mere man’ (by which I mean an exalted human without a divine nature). In fact, nearly all of the exalted attributes and deeds of Jesus are found (to a lesser degree) in the human agents of God in the Old Testament. In this series of posts, we’ll examine how the New Testament intentionally draws upon these other exalted human figures in its presentation of the human Messiah, beginning with Adam.

    Note: The idea for this series is from J. R. Daniel Kirk’s book A Man Attested by God: The Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, as well as episodes 48 through 55 of Dustin Smith’s Biblical Unitarian Podcast. It wouldn’t have been possible without their extensive research, so please check out their work for a fuller treatment of the high human Christology of the New Testament!

    Adam in the Old Testament

    As the first-created human being, Adam is also considered in the Old Testament to be the ideal human being in many ways (at least prior to his sin). This can be seen at the end of the first chapter of Genesis, which describes the creation of humanity:

Then God said, “Let us make man [’adam] in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man [’adam] in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Gen. 1:26-28)

    In this passage, the dominion of primeval humanity (including Adam) is said to extend over the sea, the heavens, and the earth. “Heavens, earth, and (the sea) under the earth” is a Hebraic idiom meaning “all things” (Exod. 20:4; Psa. 69:34; 146:5-6; Acts 14:15; Phil. 2:10; Rev. 5:3, 13). Furthermore, this capacity to rule over all things is connected in some way to Adam being “in the image of God.” He was intended to be the visible representation of God on earth, ruling over all things on His behalf.

    The same extremely exalted depiction of Adam is also found in Psalm 8:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained, what is man [’adam] that You are mindful of him, the son of man [ben-’adam] that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God [or: the gods]; You have crowned him with glory and honor. You gave him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, and all the livestock of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea which pass through the paths of the seas. (Psa. 8:3-8)

    This psalm is a description of ideal humanity; although this is not yet true of all humans (Heb. 2:8), it is God’s intended purpose for humanity. Here, the same Hebrew idiom is used as in Genesis 1:26-28, saying that Adam ruled over heaven, earth, and (the sea) under the earth, that is, “all things.” Furthermore, he was “crowned with glory and honor,” even though those are the unique attributes of God (Job 40:10; Psa. 96:6; 104:1; 111:3; 145:5; Isa. 42:8). Being the image of God, Adam was allowed to bear these divine attributes, even though he was (obviously) not God Himself.

    Nonetheless, we humans do not bear this exalted status at the present time (Heb. 2:8). Why is this? Genesis sheds some light on this question:

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you will die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God [or: the gods], knowing good and evil.” 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate... Then Yahweh God said, “See, the humans have become like one of us, knowing good and evil, and now they might reach out their hands and take also from the tree of life, and eat and live forever.” Therefore Yahweh God sent them forth from the garden of Eden, to till the land from which they were taken. (Gen. 3:2-6, 22)

Adam was not content with his exalted station as the ruler of all things, and sought to be “like God” by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of this sin, he both lost his dominion over the earth and became mortal (Gen. 3:17-19). Although it’s not explicitly said that he lost the image of God, the image must have been at least severely distorted, because Adam lost the glory and dominion associated with it.

    Adam in Second Temple Judaism

    The concept of Adam evolved further in Second Temple Jewish tradition, as can be seen in the writings from this period. Although these writings are not included in the traditional Protestant canon of Scripture, they provide an important historical and literary background for the writings of the New Testament. There aren’t many references to Adam in the literature of this period, probably because he wasn’t a significant character in the Old Testament (apart from the first few chapters). However, the references which do appear show the exalted status which Adam had in Second Temple Judaism:

Shem and Seth and Enosh were honored, but above every created living being was Adam. (Sirach 49.16)

Wisdom protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created; she delivered him from his transgression and gave him strength to rule all things. (Wisdom 10.1-2)

It was necessary that man should be the last of all created beings; in order that being so, and appearing suddenly, he might strike terror into the other animals. For it was fitting that they, as soon as they first saw him, should admire and worship him... the Father... established him as the king of all the animals beneath the moon, whether terrestrial or aquatic, or such as traverse the air. For every mortal thing which lives in the three elements, land, water or air, did He “put in subjection to him” [Psalm 8:6], excepting only the beings that are in heaven [angels], as creatures who have a more divine portion...

And so the Creator has made man to be, as it were, a charioteer and pilot over all other animals, in order that he may hold the reins and direct the course of every thing upon earth, having the superintendence of all animals and plants, as a sort of viceroy of the principal and mighty King. (Philo, Opif. 83-84, 88)

    These writers believed Adam to be the pre-eminent created being, subordinate only to God and the angels. [2] His pre-eminence, however, was not shared by any other human, because his glory was taken from him when he sinned (Gen. Rab. 12.6). Nonetheless, the glory of Adam will be restored to all redeemed humans in the age to come, after the Messiah (1 Enoch 85.4; 90.37-38; 1QS 4.22-23; Gen. Rab. 11.2). This idea, that the Messiah would restore what Adam lost, later became a major part of New Testament Christology and soteriology.

    Adamic Christology in the New Testament

    According to Paul, Adam “is a type of him who is to come [i.e., the Messiah],” and the Messiah is therefore “the last Adam” (Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:45). Through his death and resurrection, Jesus regained precisely what was lost in Adam, so that all humans will be restored to a sinless state (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:20-22). Because Jesus is the antitype of Adam, we should expect the exalted Messiah to be presented as the image of God and ruler of all things, just as Adam was. This is indeed what we find throughout the New Testament.

For it befits him [Jesus] to reign until He has put all the enemies under his feet. The last enemy being abolished is death. For “He has put all things in subjection under his feet.” [Psalm 8:6] But when it says that all things have been put in subjection, it is clear that He who put all things in subjection to him is excluded. Now when all things have been put in subjection to him, then also the Son himself will be put in subjection to He who put all things in subjection to him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:25-28)

In this passage, Paul presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Psalm 8:6 (which was originally about Adam), because God has put all things in subjection under his feet. Jesus is still subordinate to God, of course, because “it is clear that He who put all things in subjection to him is excluded;” however, he rules over the universe on behalf of God, just as Adam did.

    In Paul’s next letter to the Corinthians, he also refers to Jesus as “the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4), and says that we are being transformed into that same image (2 Cor. 3:18; cf. 1 Cor. 15:49; Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:10). This confirms that the Messiah has regained what was lost in Adam, becoming the visible representation of God’s rule over the universe, and we too will be conformed to this ideal human state.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Jesus: who, though he was in the form of God, did not grasp at equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. Becoming in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death of a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted him, and gifted him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, whether in heaven or on earth or under the earth, and every tongue confess that “Jesus the Messiah is Lord,” to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5-11)

There is a lot of debate among scholars about whether this hymn from Philippians 2 is Adam Christology. However, my personal opinion is that it is. The ‘Second Adam’ reading of Phil. 2:5-11 has been proposed by both trinitarian and unitarian scholars, [3] and seems to make better sense of the hymn in context of the entire letter to the Philippians, which is an exhortation to earthly obedience (2:5, 17, 25-30; 3:4-10).

    According to this reading, Jesus’ being “in the form of God” (en morphe theou) is equivalent to Adam’s being “in the image of God” (Gk: en eikon theou). The Greek words morphe and eikon are synonymous, and are used interchangeably in the Septuagint and early Christian texts. [4] However, unlike Adam who tried to be “like God” (Gen. 3:5), Jesus “did not grasp at equality with God.” Instead he voluntarily emptied himself and took on the form of the Suffering Servant who “poured himself out unto death” (Isa. 53:12). [5] He came in the likeness of fallen, mortal humanity (cf. Rom. 8:3) and obediently died.

    Because of Jesus’ act of obedience, God exalted him and restored him to Adam’s original position. He was given authority over the things “in heaven and on earth and (the sea) under the earth,” just like Adam was (Gen. 1:26-28; Psa. 8:6-8; cf. Exod. 20:4). Because of what he did, we all will also be “conformed [symmorphon] to the body of his glory” (Phil. 3:21). This reading of Philippians 2:5-11 confirms that Jesus’ rule over all things is a return to Adam’s original state, and that he rules over all things as the ideal human (not as God Himself).

Now God did not subject the world to come, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and You have appointed him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” (Psalm 8:3-6)

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing unsubjected to him. Yet at present we do not see all things having been subjected to him; but we do see Jesus, having been made a little lower than the angels, “crowned with glory and honor” because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that God, through whom and for whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make perfect the archetype of their salvation through sufferings. (Heb. 2:5-10)

    In this passage, the Hebraist applies Psalm 8:3-6, which was originally about Adam’s ideal humanity, to Jesus the Messiah. He explains that all things are not yet subject to humanity, but all things are subject to the highly exalted human Messiah. Because of his death, Jesus was “crowned with glory and honor” and “made perfect,” in order that “many sons” might be brought “to glory.” Again, this shows that the Messiah regained the glory which Adam lost, so that we can be conformed to his ideal humanity.

    Conclusion

    The figure of Adam in the Old Testament is central to New Testament Christology. Adam was originally created to be the ruler of all things, as the functional representative of God on earth, crowned with the divine glory; but because he was not satisfied with his station, and tried to be “like God,” his glory and rule was taken from him. Christ’s obedient death reversed this, and so he was exalted to Adam’s former position, as the glorious ruler of all things. Thus, when we read that Jesus is/has the glory of God (Mark 8:38; John 1:14; 12:41-43; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:3), or that he is the ruler of all things (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-21; Col. 1:18; 2:10; 1 Pet. 3:21-22), we shouldn't conclude that he is God Himself; rather, he is the ideal human, exalted even greater than Adam because of his obedience to God.

Next: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2023/07/mosaic-christology-and-human-messiah.html

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[1] Robert M. Bowman and J. Ed Komoszewski, Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2007).

[2] They believed Adam to be subject to the angels because of the Septuagint’s translation of Psalm 8:5, “You have made him a little lower than the angels.” 

[3] Charles H. Talbert, “The Problem of Pre-Existence in Philippians 2:6-11,” Journal of Biblical Literature 86 (1970), 141-153; George Howard, “Phil 2:6-11 and the Human Christ,” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 40, no. 3 (1978), 368-387; James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making, 2nd ed. (London: SCM Press, 1989), 114-121; Scott A. Deane, “Obedience and Humility of the Second Adam: Philippians 2:6-11,” A Journal from the Radical Reformation 7, no. 1 (1997), 4-12.

[4] R. P. Martin, Carmen Christi: Philippians 2.5-11 in Recent Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 106-119; James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making, 115.

[5] R. P. Martin, Carmen Christi, 182-189.