SPELLING EDITED U-23. Does ELOHIM MEAN THREE PERSONS in ONE GOD? Does the PLURAL Hebrew word “Elohim” dogmatically demand that it means God is a Trinity God comprised of three separate persons in the one true Godhead? The plural Hebrew word Elohim is simply a plural word just like we have words in the English language that are PLURAL words such as the word “fish”, the word “sheep”, and the word “deer”, plus many other plural English words. And to know if the writer INTENDS a plural word to mean more than one or just one single fish, sheep, or deer, then you need to see what the CONTEXT is saying in relation to the plural word. For example, the fish that the man caught today is the biggest one on record for its type, it weighed 19 pounds. The word fish is a plural word but in this context the writer is speaking about ONE fish. Another example is to say that I saw a deer grazing all alone which is not too common. Again, the plural word deer is being spoken of as being a single deer grazing by itself. Here is yet another example how a plural word can be SINGULAR in MEANING. How many sheep did you count in the coral? I only counted one sheep in the coral so we still need to bring into the coral the other 99 sheep out in the pasture. Here we see the plural word sheep having both meanings in the same context where the first word sheep is SINGULAR in MEANING but still yet a plural WORD and the second word sheep means more than just one sheep. But none of the plural meanings would ever be intended to mean that there are three separate sheep in the ONE sheep. A sheep may be pregnant with three baby lambs but those three baby lambs are not one and the self-same being as ONE sheep. They are three separate sheep. And in a sense, the one God in ONE person who alone is the Father was pregnant so to speak with a Son who would be BEGOTTEN by God through the fulfillment of God's spoken word of prophecy when the word was made flesh. And the Hebrew word Elohim works the SAME way as the English PLURAL words. Just because they are PLURAL words does not always demand that there is more the ONE. Here is how E-Sword defines the Hebrew word “Elohim”. H430 אֱלֹהִים 'ĕlôhı̂ym el-o-heem' Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty. Total KJV occurrences: 2601 Now, to argue that the plural Hebrew word “Elohim” means three “PERSONS” in the ONE Supreme God is abusing the meaning of the word “Elohim”. For you see, the word Elohim does not mean PERSONS, but rather, it mean GODS. So IF the Bible itself intends the word “Elohim” in Genesis 1:1 to mean more than ONE, then that would mean more than just one God created the heavens and the earth. And thus, you would read Genesis 1:1 with the plural meaning IF that is what the Bible ITSELF intends the word “Elohim” to mean in the CONTEXT. PLURAL meaning of Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning Gods (PLURAL) created the heaven and the earth.” But is that what the CONTEXT itself teaches us? Did more than ONE God create the heaven and the earth? Did more that ONE God create man in Genesis 1:26,27? Please read Genesis 1:26,27 together seeing that it is the SAME God still yet creating man who created the heavens and the earth. For you see, God is not finished with us yet. God is still conforming people in the IMAGE of His Son, so that Jesus might be the FIRSTBORN among many BRETHREN, according to Romans 8:29. Genesis 1:26,27. “And God (Or and Elohim) said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: (Now, reading this verse OUT of its CONTEXT may SEEM like God is more than one God because of the PLURAL pronouns “us” and “our”. But if we read the very next verse of Scripture we clearly see ONE God in ONE person doing the creating. So to ME, God is talking to someone else other than talking with Himself. For example, if I say, “Let us flip a coin to see who goes first in our annual hometown race. And then I flip the coin. So how many of us flipped the coin? ONE! The pronoun “I” is SINGULAR which means that I ALONE and by myself flipped the coin. So please read the in depth study that I have called “GENESIS 1:26-LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE!” But for now, as you read verse 17, please notice all of the SINGULAR pronouns referring back to the plural word Elohim and remember that plural words in English like the words “sheep”, “fish”, and “deer”, do not always mean more than one) and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 27. So God (Or so Elohim) created (ALEPH TAV) man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Jesus said that he is the Alpha and the Omega, the FIRST and the LAST, the BEGINNING, and the END. And the Alpha and the Omega are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. And Jesus said that the Scripture testify of him or PROPHESY of him. Now, the Aleph and Tav are not translated because they are not actually a Hebrew word. But rather, the Aleph and the Tav are the FIRST and the LAST letters of the Hebrew alphabet just like the Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Also, Jesus said the he is the FIRST and the LAST. So to ME, this is a hidden prophecy teaching us that the one true God in ONE person created the Aleph Tav man or the Alpha and Omega man which we know is Jesus. And in verse 26, God was talking SECRETLY to His yet future Messiah, Jesus, saying, let us make man in our image. But first, God needed to make His human Son Jesus in His own express image and then conform us who believe in the image of His Son, so that Jesus might be the FIRSTBORN of many BRETHREN. Keep in mind that God made the Son of MAN, Jesus, PERFECT after the cross to BECOME the author of our salvation, according to Hebrews 5:8,9. Please read the three part study “WHEN DID JESUS BECOME GOD’S ETERNAL SON? Part 1” But for now, let us get back to the PLURAL Hebrew word “Elohim”. Did you know that the angels are also called “Elohim”? Now are any of the angels more than one person in one angel? Are all of the angels each as single being in ONE person? Would we interpret any angel called an Elohim to be multiple persons in the ONE Elohim or the ONE angel? NO! Absolutely NOT! So why force the word Elohim to mean three separate persons in the ONE Elohim translated as the word God which is a TITLE? Did you know that Moses was MADE an Elohim before Pharaoh, according to Exodus 7:1? And we all should agree that Moses is NOT three separate persons in the one Moses. In other words, Moses is called a god by TITLE and the SINGULAR word God ALWAYS means ONE God is ONE person. So then, why do some Christians dogmatically demand that when the plural word “Elohim” refers to the ONE Supreme God, then the word Elohim always means THREE separate PERSONS in the ONE supreme God? To ME, they are reading INTO the text what they NEED it to mean in order to try and support their man-made doctrine of the Trinity. And to me, that is adding to the word of Almighty God things that are NOT actually taught in the Scriptures. And thus, Trinitarian Christians are teaching another gospel when they dogmatically demand that one MUST believe that God is THREE persons in the ONE true God in order to be saved. Now, if you have never heard that Jesus was CREATED and MADE BY his God and Father and that Jesus came OUT FROM God, then I implore you to read what the Bible ITSELF teaches us when we TRULY seek the TRUTH in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. I will leave you with one more thought to truly consider in all honestly to yourself and to God. How can an Almighty God have another God over Himself and still be THE Almighty God Himself? Jesus called his Father his God several times. And in Revelation 3:12 Jesus says MY God FOUR times in ONE single verse of Scripture. Please read Revelation 3:11-13. “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man takes your crown. 12. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of MY God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of MY God, and the name of the city of MY God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from MY God: and I will write upon him my NEW name. 13. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.” So I pray that you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Please read the studies under the headings >>>IS JESUS THE CREATOR?<<<, >>>WAS JESUS A CREATED?<<<, >>>A LIST OF VERSES ON THE TRINITY!<<<, and >>>WHO IS JESUS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE?<<< Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Your brother in our lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT |