Do you let the weight of the evidence dictate your beliefs?

This discussion focuses upon the definition of an emissary (agent or representative) of God and will thus help explain how Yeshua (Jesus), who is not God, was able to do things that people believe only God should be able to do, such as forgive sins. It explains many New Testament passages which appear to suggest that Yeshua is “God in the flesh”.

Christians, lacking an understanding of this principle because it is never taught to them, hastily jump to the wrong conclusions with regard to various passages and assume that such verses “prove” Yeshua the Messiah is God incarnate. For instance, it is common for people to voice the following question as well as others with similar implications:

“If Messiah is not God how was he able to forgive sins? Only God can forgive sins.”

That question symbolizes a vast lack of knowledge that persists in the minds of those infected by Rome-derived Christianity’s bias and errors, a bias birthed from Torah illiteracy and the resulting standard Christian failure to grasp Torah principles. The entire Bible is written from a Hebraic/Torah perspective, and failure to interpret it from that perspective guarantees misunderstanding.

Simply put, there is no possible way Scripture can be properly interpreted unless Torah based concepts are applied. Ironically, this may apply more to the New Testament than the Tanakh (“Old” Testament) since the New Testament is largely based upon deep Torah concepts unknown to Christians and their Torah ignorant leaders.

The Torah illiterate interpretations by those who assume Messiah is God because he could forgive sins also applies to issues such as how Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah was able to heal, resurrect, or in general perform miracles. It even applies somewhat to his claim of being “one” with God.

Emissary vs. God Incarnate

Yeshua is definitely an emissary or agent sent by God, but he is not the God who sent him. That simple common-sense statement should be easily understood; however, since it often isn’t I will labor to clarify the principle. If an individual applies common sense, it must be admitted that the emissary or agent of someone is not that someone who commissioned him to be an agent (the one who sent him). The emissary and the one who commissioned him are separate and distinct entities. The simple, obvious meaning of “emissary” or “agent” requires this to be the case.

I provide an addendum of New Testament passages shown appended to the end of this discussion which presents Yeshua repeatedly stating that he was sent . Please review that information and note how many of the verses come from the gospel of John, which coincidentally is the most often used gospel to allegedly "prove" that Messiah is “God in the flesh”.

When Messiah says he was “sent” it proves he is not God. Why is it so difficult for those who believe Messiah is God to recognize this and the many other simple, common sense facts which prove the same thing?

Concealed from the Elite

Proof that Messiah is not The Eternal Creator can be easily proven from a basic and simple reading of Scripture. I’ll accept Yeshua’s words when he says:

²⁵ It was at that time that Yeshua said , “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated and revealed them to ordinary folks.”

²¹ At that moment he was filled with joy by the Ruach HaKodesh and said , “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I thank you because you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated, yet revealed them to ordinary people. Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased you to do this.”

Of course, he said this during prayer to his God, but Christian, and especially counterfeit Messianic leaders who distort legitimate Torah principles to fit their “God in the flesh” bias and to maintain friendly relations with what are sometimes Christian organization benefactors, would see that as God praying to God. They generally provide explanations that defy all common sense, as does their entire definition of a man-God Messiah, which they usually advocate under thread of “damnation” if you reject it. (Fear is a fundamental tactic used within anti-Torah Christianity and distorted-Torah Messianic groups who promote the same “God in the flesh” error.)

Indeed, recognition of the true God and true Messiah are concealed from counterfeit Messianic and Christian leaders who consider themselves “sophisticated and educated” – a concealment essentially resulting from their own bias.

Shaliach

Below I will quote from an Orthodox Jewish teaching. It comes from Chabad.org, which is an organization promoting Orthodox Jewish teachings. Obviously, since it is an Orthodox Jewish organization, they should know Torah. To be clear, it must be noted that the quotes represent the standard Torah view, not simply the strict Orthodox Jewish view. Since the entire Bible was written by men with a Hebraic/Torah world view, the quotes also represent the correct Biblical view and not the often-false pseudo-Torah view counterfeit Messianics strive to advance – particularly with their false “God incarnate” Torah distortions.

I found this series of quotes to be quite useful to understanding part of the mission of Yeshua. It opens up the mind to consider Yeshua as the shaliach of God and of our responsibility to be shaliachim (sha-LEE-ah-KEEM or emissaries). This Torah based – and thus Truth based - definition of an emissary is very illuminating when one considers the mission of Messiah and our mission to advance the Kingdom in which he will eventually be God’s Anointed King.

This outstanding snippet gives insight into the Biblical concept of both the emissary and the emissary’s master who sent the emissary on his mission. After each of the italicized quotes from the aforementioned source I have placed my own comments. I also have included various New Testament passages which, of course, are not part of the quotes from the Orthodox Jewish source.

Shaliach Definition – Chabad.org

Shaliach — the word means “agent” and “emissary” — is a halachic (Torah-legal) term for a person empowered by someone else to act in his stead. The shaliach first appears in the Torah in the person of Eliezer, whom Abraham commissioned to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Rebecca was selected and betrothed as a wife for Isaac by Eliezer — she was legally Isaac’s wife without her actual husband having ever set eyes on her or having exchanged a single word with her. In the words of the Talmud, “ A person’s shaliach is as he himself .”

Yeshua was empowered by God to act in His stead. Consider this in light of Yeshua saying, “I and the Father are one.” As God’s shaliach, Yeshua was acting in behalf of God; thus, God’s emissary or representative was as God, since he was fully empowered to legally act as God’s chosen agent. However, just as Eliezer was not Abraham, Yeshua is not God. It must be understood that being as God does not mean he is God. This is what Yeshua implies when he said such things as:

²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. ... ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. ... ⁵⁰ But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.

There exists a halachic model (the eved or “slave”) for one who has abnegated his will, personality and very identity to that of his “master.”

Yeshua was also God’s slave since he totally submitted his will to God’s will just as we should; however, he did not submit his identity or personality, and neither should we (unless our personality needs to be corrected). Recall that prior to Yeshua’s death he prayed to his God and Father, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). We should submit our will to the same God Yeshua did, which is sadly not the God promoted by Trinitarians and all others who promote a Messiah man-God.

There also exists the model of the “employee” (sachir), who assumes the obligation to perform a certain task for someone else, but whose personality and identity remain separate and distinct from the personality and identity of his “employer.” The shaliach is unique in that he or she retains a great degree of autonomy in carrying out his mission, yet at the same time becomes a virtual extension of the person who commissioned him (the meshaleiach).

Likewise, as God’s unique emissary ( shaliach ), Yeshua became a virtual extension of God. (Note: Not a literal extension.) Again, this is what he meant when he said that he was “one” with God, “came forth” from the Father, etc. It is also what he prayed for when he prayed that his followers would likewise be “one” with the Father just as he is :

¹¹ And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are . ... ²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. ²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one .

The shaliach does not abnegate his intellect, will, desires, feelings, talents and personal “style” to that of the one whom he represents; rather, he enlists them in the fulfillment of his mission.

Yeshua did submit his will to Hashem (God), and Torah clearly teaches we are also to submit our will to God; however, Yeshua maintained his “desires, feelings, talents, and personal ‘style'”.

The result of this is not a lesser bond between the two, but the contrary: the meshaleiach is acting through the whole of the shaliach — not only through the shaliach’s physical actions, but also through the shaliach’s personality, which has become an extension of the meshaleiach’s personality.

God, as the “ Meshaleiach ,” was “acting through the whole” of Yeshua – He was utilizing the gifts and personality Yeshua the Messiah possessed – gifts which his God and Master gave him.

The Rebbe took the halachic concept of shelichut and transformed it into a calling and a way of life. In the five decades of his leadership, he recruited, trained, motivated and commissioned thousands of men, women and children to act as his personal representatives and emissaries in hundreds of communities throughout the world.

The “Rebbe” they are referring to is a Rabbi they greatly admire. The same actions can also be attributed to our “Rebbe” Yeshua, though Chabad will probably not dare admit it - yet.

Intrinsic to the role of shaliach is the challenge to bring one’s own initiative, resourcefulness and creativity to the task. The Rebbe did not allow his sheluchim the luxury of mindless obedience to his dictates. Instead, he insisted that Chabad’s programs and activities arise from the particular strengths and inclinations of the shaliach and the particular needs and circumstances of his locality. But neither did the Rebbe send his emissaries to tackle their mission on their own. He empowered them to be “as he himself,” so that a shaliach’s every deed is imbued with the awareness that he is acting as an extension of the Rebbe’s very person; that his thoughts and feelings, choices and deliberations, efforts and satisfactions, while the product of his own prowess and personality, are now serving as extensions of the Rebbe’s prowess and personality.

Again, is this not what Yeshua the Messiah – our “Rebbe”, King, and Savior – did? He did not send us out alone on our mission. We, as the emissaries of God’s unique emissary, are not alone and are empowered just as described.

Never before in the history of our people has one man built a following so large in number, so diverse, so highly motivated, and so successful in the furtherance of his vision. At the core of this phenomenal success is a seemingly benign legal dynamic, first employed more than 3,600 years ago when Abraham sent Eliezer to find a wife for his son.

These Orthodox Jews - for now - obviously refuse to acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah. Yeshua’s followers far outnumber those of any Rebbe, despite the fact that many who think they are following Messiah actually are not. Now let us discuss a similar Torah based fundamental which describes the shaliach principle from a slightly different perspective and further clarifies Yeshua’s role and position.

The “Law of Agency”

Additional information useful for understanding a shaliach is found in The Jewish Encyclopedia , page 232. It describes the “Jewish Law of Agency.” I provide a link to the online Jewish Encyclopedia in which the law of agency is discussed. The law of agency is defined as:

“The Law of Agency deals with the status of a person (known as the agent) acting by direction of another (the principal), and thereby legally binding the principal in his connection with a third person. The person who binds a principal in this manner is his agent, known in Jewish law as sheluach or sheliach (one that is sent): the relation of the former to the latter is known as agency (shelichut). The general principle is enunciated thus: A man’s agent is like himself (Kiddushin. 41b).”

Yeshua, as the agent of God, is fully empowered to legally and completely represent God. Being the agent ( shaliach ) of God is one way that Yeshua is “like,” or the “likeness” and “image” of God; however, just as the agent (the one sent) is not the principal (who sent him), Yeshua is not God.

1. Under the Jewish law an agent may be appointed without the formality of writing, that is, by spoken words; and witnesses are not needed to give effect to these words, except to prove, in case of dispute, that authority had been given, and the extent of such authority. The standard authorities draw this conclusion from the remark in Kiddushin, 65b, that witnesses are needed only to meet denials.”

The apostles and we who continue to spread the “good news” of Yeshua’s rule and the Kingdom of God are sub-agents sent by Yeshua.

It should also be noted that a shaliach has his emissary status revoked either by failure or death.

Yeshua did not fail and he lives due to his being resurrected by his God – the One and Only True God. Therefore, he is still the shaliach of God.

Common Sense Conclusion

So, there you have it. Yeshua is the shaliach (emissary or agent) of God, but he is not God. Since he is the fully empowered agent of God, he has the power to forgive sins, heal, resurrect, etc. But his power does not prove him to be God. All it proves is that he is fully empowered by God!

Each true follower of Messiah is to go forth as a shaliach of the shaliach . We see examples of this in Yeshua’s apostles who, after being chosen as shaliachim (agents) to spread the message of Yeshua Judaism, went out healing many people and boldly spreading the true Torah faith of and in Yeshua.

A thought occurred to me as I presented the quotes from the gospel of John. Christianity presents John’s gospel as their primary alleged “proof” of Messiah’s deity. However, they misrepresent the truth, because what John actually presents is the evidence proving Yeshua to be the shaliach of God , but not God.

I am now convinced that a primary purpose of John’s gospel was to prove Yeshua to be the “sent one,” the shaliach (agent) of God. The many verses listed in the addendum noticeably proves that to the case. Indeed, John implicitly states that as being his primary purpose for writing his gospel when he quotes Yeshua summarizing his purpose and the way to eternal life:

³ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God , and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent .

Please ponder intently Yeshua as the shaliach of God. The key to understanding Yeshua’s mission and position lies in an understanding of shaliach . May God open minds and spiritually blind eyes to the truth so that others will finally become fellow emissaries with Messiah.

Addendum :

Yeshua confirms by his own words that he is the “sent one,” the shaliach (agent who is sent) by his God our God – The ONLY God.

₄₀ He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

³⁷ Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

⁴⁸ and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

¹⁶ He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

³⁰ I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

³⁶ But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish – the very works that I do – bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

³⁷ And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

³⁹ This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

¹⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”

²⁸ Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying , “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.”

³³ Then Jesus said to them , “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.“

¹⁶ And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

¹⁸ I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.

²⁶ I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.

²⁹ And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.“

^{4 I} must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”

⁴⁹ For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.

²⁰ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

⁵ But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, Where are You going?

¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.

²¹ So Jesus said to them again, ”Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

Messiah is God's agent

But he is definitely NOT God

Introduction