Articles on: Divine Agency
Divine Agents: Speaking and Acting in Elohim’s Stead
The Bible records a number of instances where an agent of Elohim is referred to as “Elohim” or “Yehovah” Himself, and in many of these cases the agent (usually a Messenger) actually speaks and acts in Elohim’s stead. This is an important biblical phenomenon that foreshadows the coming of Messiah. Yeshua Messiah represented Elohim in a manner that went beyond the way the prophets represented Him. Messiah claimed to act in Elohim’s stead in a way that the prophets never said that they did: “…I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29), “…I do exactly what my Father has commanded me…” (John 14:31). Messiah spoke as one who knew Elohim and His will intimately through personal acquaintance.
He also claimed to speak and act with authority he had directly received from Elohim Himself, whom he identified as his “Father.” His miracles, his command of the elements and demons, and his assertion that how people related to him determined their final destiny all speak of his unique and complete manifestation of Elohim in the human sphere. As we have explored in Chapter 2 and throughout this book, Yeshua Messiah is the very image of Elohim and therefore Elohim’s ultimate communication of Himself. Yet it is clear that he is not Elohim Himself, if only because he is Elohim’s ultimate agent.
Many orthodox Bible commentators view some Old Testament accounts of Messenger manifestations as appearances of Yeshua in his “pre-incarnate” state, but in the following list we will cite evidence that even Trinitarian commentators recognize that this is an inference and not by any means conclusive. These examples of “Elohim-manifestation” are qualitatively different from the speaking for Elohim that prophets have always done. [1] The prophets have spoken for Elohim, but not manifested His presence or been identified with Elohim so powerfully and intimately that to see them was to “see” Elohim. Isaiah, Jeremiah and others were recognized as Elohim’s spokesmen, but were never identified with Elohim Himself. The following are examples of Messengers actually standing in the place of Elohim such that afterward the human beings involved said they had encountered Elohim Himself. Their identity as Messengers is unmistakably preserved in Scripture despite the fact that they were making Elohim’s very presence and power manifest.
The concept of agency is simply that an agent or representative speaks and acts on full behalf of the one who sent him. This is commonly practiced in modern times in what is known as power of attorney. In the Roman world an agent of the Emperor was called the Imperial legate, although the standard usage of the word “legate” today refers to a representative of the Pope. According to the Jewish understanding of agency, the agent was regarded as the person himself. This is well expressed in The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion:
Agent (Heb. Shaliah): The main point of the Jewish law of agency is expressed in the dictum, “a person’s agent is regarded as the person himself” (Ned. 72b; Kidd. 41b). Therefore any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principal, who therefore bears full responsibility for it with consequent complete absence of liability on the part of the agent. [2]
Modern agency usually means that an agent, not the principal, is present. In the Bible, it is occasionally less clear that an agent is speaking and not the principal, and most of us are not used to seeing an agent speak without identifying himself as an agent. Therefore,
Hagar and the Messenger (Gen. 16:7-14)
The beginning point for this idea of Messengers manifesting Elohim’s presence is found in Genesis 16:7-10, 13 and 14. Charles Ryrie calls this use of “The Messenger of Yehovah…” a “theophany, a self-manifestation of Elohim.” The Messenger speaks as Elohim, identifies himself with Elohim, and claims to exercise the prerogatives of Elohim. Ryrie also recognizes that the idea that this “Messenger” is the pre-incarnate Son of Elohim is an “inference,” i.e., that it is not directly stated:
Since the Messenger of Yehovah ceases to appear after the incarnation, it is often inferred that the Messenger in the O.T. [Old Testament] is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity [emphasis ours]....
Divine Agency in the Scriptures
By: David BurgeIn Hebrew thought, the “first cause” is not always distinguished from “intermediate” or “secondary” causes. That is to say: The principal is not always clearly distinguished from the agent, the one commissioned to carry out an act on behalf of another. Sometimes the agent, standing for the principal, is treated as if he or she were the principal him or herself, though this is not literally so. Principal and agent remain two distinct persons but they act in complete harmony. The agent acts and speaks for his principal.
The Principle of Agency in Scripture
In the Bible there are examples of human principals using fellow humans for agents, of Elohim as divine principal using angelic agents, and of Elohim using human agents. This notion of principal and agent is the key to understanding the relationship between the one true Elohim and His Son, Yeshua Messiah.
Human Principal and Agency in the Gospels
The concept of principal and agency can actually help us to reconcile what appear otherwise to be contradictions in the parallel accounts found in the synoptic Gospels. So in the account of Yeshua healing the centurion’s servant, Matthew speaks of a conversation between the centurion himself and Yeshua (Mt. 8:5-13). Luke tells us that the centurion did not in fact come personally. He sent some “Jewish elders” and then some “friends” to Yeshua with his requests (Luke 7:1-10). The centurion here is the principal; the Jewish elders and the centurion’s friends are his appointed, commissioned agents. Remembering that in Hebrew thought, the principal and the agent are not always clearly distinguished, Matthew mentions only the principal (the centurion) without distinguishing the agent (the Jewish elders and friends). Luke mentions both principal and agents. To put it another way, in Matthew’s account, the elders (agents) stand for and are treated as the centurion (principal), even though this is not literally true.
Similarly, when Yeshua was questioned concerning who might sit next to him in his Kingdom, Mark gives us the impression that James and John themselves personally asked whether they might sit next to Yeshua in places of royal authority (Mk. 10:35-40). Matthew tells us that in fact it was the mother of Zebedee’s children who actually made the request to Yeshua (Mt. 20:20-23). In this case, Matthew gives the agency (the mother), whereas Mark does not. Again, putting it the other way around, in Matthew’s account the mother (as agent) stands for and is treated as James and John (the principal), even though this is not literally true.
Divine Principal and Human Agency
Yehovah told Moses that he would be “Elohim to Aaron” (Ex. 4:16). He says, “I have made you Elohim to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet” (Ex. 7:1). In Exodus 7:17-21 Yehovah says: “By this you will know that I am Yehovah: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.” Yehovah then says to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt — over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs — and they will turn to blood.’” Moses and Aaron did as Yehovah had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile “and all the water was changed into blood.”
Yehovah had said that He Himself would strike the waters with the staff in his own hand. Yet, it was Aaron’s hand that held the rod, and Aaron who struck the Nile. Clearly, Aaron is not Elohim. Rather, Aaron stands as Elohim’s agent, in the place of Elohim. One might even say he is “Elohim,” not literally, but in a manner of (Hebrew) speaking. One might even say in this case that Elohim (as principal) was represented by Moses (the agent), who in turn was represented by Aaron!
Divine Principal and Angelic Agency
Genesis 18 begins by saying that “Yehovah appeared to Abraham” (v. 1). We read that Abraham “looked up and saw three men” (v. 2). The implication is that one of the three is in a sense Yehovah. Later it is Yehovah who says, “I will surely return to you about this time next year” (vv. 10, 13). When the men get up to leave Yehovah speaks yet again (v. 17). Finally, two of the angelic men turn away. As the NIV has it, “Abraham remained standing before Yehovah” (v. 22). The alternative, given as a footnote, reads “but Yehovah remained standing before Abraham.” It was not literally Yehovah (the principal) who appeared to Abraham; it was a Messenger (His agent). As agent of Yehovah, however, the Messenger is treated as Yehovah. We know this must be so because the Bible is adamant: No one has seen Elohim (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12; 1 Tim. 6:16). Note too that the one Messenger who directly represents Elohim is worshiped as Elohim’s agent.
When Jacob wrestled with a heavenly being, he is said to have “seen Elohim face to face.” So Jacob is said to have wrestled with “Elohim” (Gen. 32:24-30). However, we know from the word of Yehovah to the prophet Hosea that Jacob in struggling against Elohim actually wrestled with a Messenger (Hos. 12:3-4). Jacob did not literally wrestle with Yehovah (the principal); it was with a Messenger (His agent) that he wrestled. However as the agent of Yehovah the Messenger is treated as Yehovah. Again, we know this is so because the Bible insists: No one has ever seen Elohim (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12; 1 Tim. 6:16). So too, when Jacob, as an old man, blessed Joseph’s children he said, “May the Elohim before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the Elohim who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Messenger who has delivered me from all harm — may he bless these boys” (Gen. 48:15-16). Surely, Elohim Himself is not a Messenger, but the Messenger as His agent represented Him.
Another very clear example of this type of thinking is as follows. According to Deuteronomy 4:12 it was Yehovah who spoke to Israel “out of the fire” to give them His Law at Sinai. It is said to be Yehovah’s own voice that they heard. Yet several Scriptures reveal the speaker to have been a Messenger. Stephen says that “he [Moses] was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the Messenger who spoke to him on Mount Sinai” (Acts 7:38). He told the Jews, “You have received the law that was put into effect through Messengers, and have not obeyed it” (v. 53). Paul also says, “The law was put into effect through Messengers by a mediator [Moses]” (Gal. 3:19). Hebrews 2:2 only serves to confirm this point, saying that the message (the law) was “spoken by Messengers.” This is no contradiction. Yehovah did not literally speak “out of the fire.” a Messenger spoke. However as the agent of Yehovah the Messenger is treated as Yehovah. It is as if Yehovah actually spoke.
Scripture affirms that it was Elohim who “opened the doors of the heavens” and “rained down manna” for the people of Israel to eat during their wilderness wanderings. He gave them “the grain of heaven” to eat (Ps. 78:23-24). The manna did not literally come down from heaven, the throne of Elohim. It was “from heaven” in that it was a gracious gift of Elohim. So too, the manna is called “the bread of Messengers” (Ps. 78:25). This is probably not because Messengers actually have manna for breakfast. Elohim himself provided the food, but he did it through the agency of His Messengers....
The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament
The principle of agency, also known as the law of agency, is an important precept that helps us better understand, not only Scripture as a whole, but more specifically, who Yeshua is, his ministry, and his relationship to Elohim. Those who traverse the halls of academia have long known about this principle. Unfortunately, those charged with instructing the Christian in the pew either do not know about it, or they have neglected to share it with those in their care.
What then is the principle of agency? An agent is described as one who has been “authorized to act for or in the place of another.”[1] In Hebraic terms, the agent or the “one sent” is called the shaliah (also shaliach, saliah, salah[2]). The word comes from the verb shelach which means to send. James McGrath, professor and New Testament scholar writes:
Agency was an important part of every day life in the ancient world. Individuals such as prophets and Messengers mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures were thought of as ‘agents’ of Elohim. And the key idea regarding agency in the ancient world appears to be summarized in the phrase from rabbinic literature so often quoted in these contexts: “The one sent is like the one who sent him.” [3] (emphasis added)
We find the principle of agency exemplified throughout Scripture. In this post we’ll explore agency in the Old Testament and review New Testament usage in future posts. It’s important to remember that a text does not necessarily have to specify that someone was “sent” per se in order for the principle to be in operation.
Adam and Eve
The first example we have in Scripture of someone who is commissioned to act on behalf of Elohim is Adam and Eve:
Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB) 26 Then Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Elohim blessed them; and Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (emphasis added)
The word “rule” in Hebrew is radah and it means to have dominion, to rule or subdue.[4] Elohim charged Adam and Eve (and by extension all of mankind) with ruling Creation on His behalf. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology states:
The kingdom of Elohim is a concept that links the original command that humankind as his agents should subdue and take dominion of the earth.[5] (emphasis added)
In addition, The Spirit Filled Bible says, “Elohim created man to be His kingdom agent, to rule and subdue the rest of creation…”[6] (emphasis added). As an agent of Elohim, Adam was called “the son of Elohim.”[7]
Eliezer, Servant of Abraham
Another example of agency is found in Genesis 24. Abraham makes his servant, whom many scholars believe is Eliezer,[8] promise that the patriarch’s son, Isaac, won’t marry someone from a heathen nation. To ensure this, Abraham sends Eliezer to his ancestral country to find a wife from among his relatives. In doing so, Abraham is effectively authorizing Eliezer to act in his stead. Biblical scholar, Marianne Meye Thompson, writes about the principle of agency and how it could be used in various legal transactions, including arranged marriages:
In the rabbinic writings there is reference to the figure of the saliah [shaliah], which literally means “one who is sent”… A saliah was a surrogate sent on a task or a mission with specific instructions and authority to carry it out. According to the Talmud, a saliah could, among other things, carry out business transactions, make binding treaties and arrange marriages. A common saying in the rabbis was “the one who is sent is like the one who sent him” or “a man’s agent is equivalent to himself. Because the saliah may act on behalf of the one who sent him, when one deals with the saliah it is as if one is dealing with the one who sent that person.[9] (emphasis added)
According to Thompson and others, agents like Eliezer were able to act on behalf of the one who sent them because the culture viewed them as being the actual sender in a representative way.
Joseph, Son of Jacob
Another example of agency is found in the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. As a youth, Joseph was sold into slavery by his deceitful, murderous brothers. Through divine providence, however, Joseph rose to prominence as second in command in the court of the pharaoh of Egypt. When famine forced his brothers to plead for grain before the court, they unknowingly came face to face with the brother they had betrayed. One of the brothers, Judah, stood before Joseph and said, “do not be angry…for you are equal to Pharaoh” (Genesis 44:18; emphasis added). The Hebrew brothers understood that even though Joseph was not Pharaoh, he was the king’s agent and as such was seen as his equivalent. In other words, when you dealt with Joseph it was as if you were dealing with Pharaoh face to face. Amazingly, Joseph forgave his brothers because he understood that through their treachery he had become an agent, not only of Pharaoh, but of Elohim:
Genesis 45:4-8 (NASB) 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life. 6 “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 “Elohim sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but Elohim; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. (emphasis added)
The word “sent” in each instance is the Hebrew word shalach. Joseph was sent to Egypt ultimately by Elohim as His agent to preserve the Hebrew people.
The Messenger of Yehovah ....
The Principle of Agency in the New Testament
As we learned in The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament, an agent is one who has been “authorized to act for or in the place of another.”[1] In Hebraic terms, the agent or the “one sent” is called the shaliah.[2] Its New Testament equivalent is the term apostle or apostolos in the Greek, and it means: a messenger, one sent on a mission.[3] Regarding agency, James McGrath, professor and New Testament scholar writes:
Agency was an important part of every day life in the ancient world. Individuals such as prophets and angels mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures were thought of as ‘agents’ of Elohim. And the key idea regarding agency in the ancient world appears to be summarized in the phrase from rabbinic literature so often quoted in these contexts: “The one sent is like the one who sent him.” [4] (emphasis added)
The principle, which scholars also refer to as the law of agency, is found throughout Scripture. One doesn’t have to be called a shaliah or an apostle in order to be considered an agent. Moreover, a text doesn’t have to specify that someone was “sent” in order for the principle to be in operation. Understanding this important precept helps us make sense out of what might otherwise be difficult or confusing passages. We’ll also see in Yeshua, the Human Agent of Elohim, how agency also helps us understand who Yeshua is, his ministry and his relationship with Elohim. But for now, let’s examine agency as it relates to various New Testament passages.
Yeshua Baptized Disciples. Or Did He?
The first instance of agency that we’ll examine is found in John’s gospel. After observing the Pesach in Jerusalem,[5] Yeshua was baptizing disciples:
John 3:22-26 (NASB) After these things Yeshua and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. 23 John [the Baptist] also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized— 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” (emphasis added)
According to this account, Yeshua was baptizing his followers. It seems pretty straightforward, that is until we read the opening verses in the following chapter:
John 4:1-3 (NASB) Therefore when the Master knew that the Pharisees had heard that Yeshua was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Yeshua Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. (emphasis added)
Chapters 3 and 4 both say that Yeshua was baptizing disciples, but then John parenthetically clarifies that Yeshua wasn’t actually performing the baptisms, rather his disciples were. How could John say that Yeshua was baptizing people when he actually wasn’t? Was he lying? No, he was simply applying the principle of agency. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion explains it this way:
The main point of the Jewish law of agency is expressed in the dictum, “a person’s agent is regarded as the person himself.” Therefore, any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principal…[6] (emphasis added)
Because the disciples were Yeshua’ “duly appointed agents,” it was perfectly acceptable to credit Yeshua with the baptisms. This is a strange concept for Westerners to grasp, however, in the Hebraic culture it was normative.
The Centurion and His Infirmed Servant
The next example of agency has to do with a Roman commander and his highly regarded servant:
Matthew 8:5-10 and 13 (NASB) 5 And when Yeshua entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, “Master, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7 Yeshua *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion said, “Master, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Yeshua heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel…13 And Yeshua said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.
In Matthew’s account, Yeshua interacts directly with the centurion. But when we read Luke’s account, there appears to be a glaring contradiction:
Luke 7:1-10 (NASB) When He [Yeshua] had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. 2 And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 When he heard about Yeshua, he [the centurion] sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4 When they came to Yeshua, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He [the centurion] is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6 Now Yeshua started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Master, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Yeshua heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Luke appears to contradict Matthew’s account when he records that the centurion did not personally meet with Yeshua. Unfortunately, some look at seeming contradictions like this one and conclude the Bible isn’t credible and therefore can’t be trusted. However, the contradiction dissolves when we understand the law of agency. Matthew had no problem reporting that the centurion came to Yeshua because the Jewish elders and friends he sent were acting as agents on his behalf. And according to the custom, it was reasonable to speak of such an occasion as if the centurion was himself present. Pastor and author, David Burge, explains....
Yeshua, the Human Agent of Elohim
How could Yeshua do the works of Elohim and teach with the authority of Elohim and yet not be Elohim? The answer: the principle of agency, a concept theologians and academicians understand, but one that is relatively unknown by laity.
In The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we learned that an agent is one who has been “authorized to act for or in the place of another,”[1] In Hebraic terms, the agent or the “one sent” is called the shaliah.[2] The term comes from the verb shelach which means to send.[3] The New Testament equivalent is apostle or apostolos in the Greek, and it means: a messenger, one sent on a mission.[4] According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, the one sent was considered to be the legal representative of the sender. To interact with the agent (shaliah) was tantamount to interacting face-to-face with the sender. [5] The “face-to-face” aspect is one of the features of Jewish agency that is particularly foreign to our Western thinking. Professor Marianne Thompson explains the unique correlation between the agent and the sender:
A common saying in the rabbis was “the one who is sent is like the one who sent him” or “a man’s agent is equivalent to himself. Because the saliah [shaliah] may act on behalf of the one who sent him, when one deals with the saliah it is as if one is dealing with the one who sent that person.[6] (emphasis added)
For example, in previous posts we saw where Moses was called “Elohim” because he was Elohim’s agent.[7] In addition, we learned that Joseph was seen as Pharaoh’s equal because he was the king’s agent.[8] We also discovered that the actions of Yeshua’ disciples were portrayed as being his, a claim that was acceptable in that culture because the disciples had been appointed by him.[9] Knowing about the precept of agency and being able to recognize it will help us better comprehend Scripture. As pastor and author, David Burge, says, agency “is the key to understanding the relationship between the one true Elohim and His Son, Yeshua Messiah.”[10] With this in mind, let’s examine the New Testament as it relates to Yeshua, the human agent of Elohim.
Yeshua was sent by Elohim.
The language of agency is used in conjunction with Yeshua throughout Scripture. More than thirty times, the New Testament speaks of Yeshua being sent by Elohim, the vast majority of which occur in John’s writings. According to these passages, the overarching purpose for which Yeshua was sent was to preach the gospel of the kingdom of Elohim and to be the Savior of the world.
Luke 4:43 (NASB) But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of Elohim to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” (emphasis added)
1 John 4:10 and 14 (NASB) In this is love, not that we loved Elohim, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins… 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.[11] (emphasis added)
Those who believe Yeshua is Elohim, think it was his idea to save the world, or that he at least played an equal role as a member of the triune team that implemented the plan. However, Yeshua tells us in no uncertain terms that it was Elohim the Father’s doing and not his own:
John 8:42 (NASB) Yeshua said to them, “If Elohim were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from Elohim, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. (emphasis added)
An agent who comes on behalf of the sender is by definition, not the sender. Yeshua says at least six times in the gospel of John alone, that he does not speak or act on his own initiative. Even the laying down of his own life was done at the Father’s command.[12] This is all in keeping with the principle of agency.
As Elohim’s agent, Yeshua did only the will of the One who sent him.
That Elohim sent Yeshua to accomplish His will is an important theme in the New Testament. Yeshua repeatedly stated that he did only the Father’s will and not his own. For example:
John 5:30 (NASB) “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (emphasis added)
If Yeshua is Elohim we would expect that his will would be the same as that of Elohim the Father’s, and that by doing Elohim’s will, he would be accomplishing his own. However, several times Scripture reveals that Yeshua and Elohim had differing wills. As such, Yeshua chose to do only the will of Elohim who sent him. This is in perfect keeping with the law of agency. According to one source, a shaliah or agent “performs an act of legal significance for the benefit of the sender as opposed to him or herself.”[13] (emphasis added)
As Elohim’s agent, Yeshua spoke only the words given to him.
Those who believe Yeshua is deity contend that he pre-existed in heaven as the Word of Elohim. Thus, as the Word of Elohim, we would expect him to speak his own words and deliver his own teachings. What we discover, however, is that Yeshua did no such thing. At least nine times, Yeshua said the words he spoke came, not from himself, but from Elohim the Father who sent him. For instance:
John 7:15-17 (NASB) The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” 16 So Yeshua answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of Elohim or whether I speak from Myself. (emphasis added)
John 8:28 (NASB) So Yeshua 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. (emphasis added)
Incredibly, the Great Teacher, as Yeshua is often called, had a Teacher! The “red letter” words in our Bibles actually came from Elohim and not from Yeshua. Just as Elohim taught His agent Moses what to say, so Elohim taught Yeshua what to say.[14] In addition, Yeshua repeatedly states that the source of his words, which we call the gospel message, did not originate with him, but were given to him by Elohim:
John 12:49-50 (NASB) “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (emphasis added)
John 14:24 (NASB) “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. (emphasis added)
Yeshua was Elohim’s human agent whom He commissioned to speak divine truth to the world....
Yeshua the Messiah -- The Agent of Yehovah Elohim!
Yeshua, as the agent of Yehovah Elohim, is FULLY empowered to LEGALLY and FULLY represent Yehovah. As the agent (shaliach) of Yehovah Elohim, Yeshua is "like," or the "likeness" and "image" of Yehovah Elohim; however, just as the agent (the one sent) is not the principal (who sent him), Yeshua is NOT Elohim! Since he is the FULLY empowered agent of Yehovah Elohim, he has the power to forgive sins, heal, resurrect, etc. But this power does NOT prove him to be Elohim. All it proves is that he is FULLY empowered by Yehovah Elohim!
The issue of this short article centers on the definition of an emissary (agent or representative) of Yehovah Elohim. One of the more common applications of this principle regards the misunderstanding of how Yeshua, who is NOT Elohim, was able to do things that only Yehovah Elohim should be able to do, such as forgive sins. Many people hastily jump to the wrong conclusion that such powerful acts prove Yeshua the Messiah is Elohim incarnate. We cannot count the number of times people have emailed us or spoken to us voicing the question:
"Well, if Messiah is not Elohim how come he was able to forgive sins? Only Elohim can forgive sins."
That question symbolizes a vast ignorance that persists in the minds of those affected by traditional Christian bias and error -- an ignorance born in the standard Christian failure to grasp Hebraic principles. As we often state on this website, since the entire Bible is written from a Hebraic perspective, failure to interpret it from its foundational Hebraic context assures misunderstanding of Scripture. Simply put, there is simply no way to correctly interpret Scripture unless Hebraic concepts are applied. (NOTE: "Hebraic" does NOT necessarily equal "Judaic" -- a fact we elaborate upon elsewhere). In this case, the same faulty thinking by those who assume the Messiah is Elohim because he could forgive sins applies to issues such as how the Messiah was able to heal, resurrect or, in general, perform miracles.
"This," write Bob and Suzanne Hamrick, "is yet another example of western "Christianity's" futherance of its Constantine origins, in its readiness to formulate anti-Torah doctrines based on an incomplete understanding of the Hebraic culture within which all of these events and teachings occurred. Because most of the "New Testament" Bible was written by Jews [Israelites] and about Jews [Israelites], in a Jewish [Israelite] culture dating back several thousand years, the failure to interpret it from its actual, original, Hebraic cultural context absolutely guarantees frequent, and often crucial, misunderstandings of the whole of Scripture. And so today. The only reason that such errors persist is that they reinforce the trinitarian teachings of so-called "Christianity," and most "Christians" have little interest in examining the actual foundations of the faith upon which they are relying for their salvation..." (Yeshua the Messiah -- The Shaliach (Emissary) of Elohim! p. 9.)
Dr. James D. Tabor, Professor of Christian Origins and Ancient Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, points out the crux of the problem:
"The confusion comes when people misunderstand the basic idea of agency. As chief agent of Yehovah the Messiah does carry out the Divine Will. In that sense he too can be seen as King, Judge, Shepherd, Redeemer, Savior, Lord, etc. But he is never called Yehovah, and all such roles are clearly given to him by Yehovah Himself. Shared rulership, task, and mission, do not imply shared identity. For example, according to Revelation 3:21 the Messiah promises his faithful followers that they can "sit with me on my throne, as I sat with my Father (Yehovah) on His throne." The idea here is unity of task and mission, not a merging of personal identity.
"The same is the case with the oft quoted statement of Yeshua that "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Christians, trying to defend the non-biblical doctrine of the Trinity, often rip this verse totally out of context and completely ignore the commentary of Yeshua himself in John 17:21-23. He makes it clear that the "oneness" he has with "the only true Elohim" (see 17:3!), is precisely equivalent to the "oneness" he has with his followers. Such language never implies "ontological identity" but unity of purpose and mission! The problem is that these texts are written in Greek, and particularly in the Gospel of John, have been given a Hellenistic cast. Subsequently, Christians who have totally lost all contact with Judaism and with the basic Biblical, Hebraic, thought-world, read them and make out of them what was never intended by their Jewish [Israelite] authors" (Restoring Abrahamic Faith, Genesis 2000, Charlotte, NC 1993, p. 78)....