Let us first consult the book of John to investigate Yahushua’s claim to being a preexistent deity and son of Yahweh:
KJV – John 10
— Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Yahushua answered them, “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” The Jews answered him, saying, “For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; AND BECAUSE THAT THOU, BEING A MAN, MAKEST THYSELF θεόν (THEON; DEITY).” (John 10:31-33)
Hebrew Vatican Ebr. 100 – John 10
— Therefore the Yehudim gathered stones that they could stone him. But Yahushua answered them, “Many good works have I told you, and I showed you some of them. For which work of these do you want to stone me?” So the Yehudim answered him, “We do not stone you for a good work, but for cursing and blaspheming; BECAUSE YOU ARE A MAN AND NOT EL (YAHWEH), AND YOU MAKE YOURSELF ELOAH (DEITY; YAHWEH)!” (John 10:31-33)
KJV – John 19
— The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, BECAUSE HE MADE HIMSELF THE SON OF θεοῦ (THEOU; DEITY; YAHWEH). (John 19:7)
Hebrew Vatican Ebr. 100 – John 19
— Then the Yehudim answered him, “According to our law he is guilty of death, BECAUSE HE MAKES HIMSELF THE SON OF ELOAH (THE DEITY; YAHWEH).” (John 19:7)
As one can readily discern, the religious leaders certainly understood who Yahushua was proclaiming to be. There would be no issue if Yahushua were merely asserting that he was a messiah. What was acutely evident is that the religious leaders recognized that Yahushua was claiming to be the lesser deity and son of father Yahweh!
For instance, who could have the authority to forgive sins? Indeed, no ordinary human or common angel would have such power. But, the religious leaders were witnesses to Yahushua forgiving sins, which reinforced his position as a deity and son of Yahweh. To them, this was outrageous.
— And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Yahushua saw their trust he said to the paralytic, “TAKE HEART, MY SON; YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” AND BEHOLD, SOME OF THE SCRIBES SAID TO THEMSELVES, “THIS MAN IS BLASPHEMING.” But Yahushua, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? BUT THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE SON OF MAN HAS AUTHORITY ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS” –he then said to the Paralytic–“rise, take up your bed and go home.” (Matt. 9:2-6)
The book of John confirms the fact that Yahushua (the logos) was deity:
KJV – John 1
— In the beginning was the Logos (Yahushua), and the Logos was with the Deity (father Yahweh), AND THE LOGOS WAS DEITY. He was in the beginning with the Deity (father Yahweh). (John 1:1)
Hebrew Vatican Ebr. 100 – John 1
— In the beginning THE SON (YAHUSHUA) WAS ELOAH (DEITY). The Son of el (el=father Yahweh) was both with el, AND THE SON OF EL WAS ELOAH (DEITY). This one (Yahushua) was in the beginning with el (father Yahweh). (John 1:1)
We must keep in mind that even though Yahushua demonstrated that he was deity, he also declared that he was less than father Yahweh.
— “You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; FOR THE FATHER IS GREATER THAN I” (John 14:28)
The religious leaders became even more enraged when Yahushua declared:
KJV – John 8
— “YOUR FATHER ABRAHAM REJOICED TO SEE MY DAY: AND HE SAW IT, AND WAS GLAD.” Then said the Jews unto him, “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” YAHUSHUA SAID UNTO THEM, “VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM (I EXISTED).” Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Yahushua hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:56-59)
Hebrew Vatican Ebr. 100 – John 8
— “ABRAHAM YOUR FATHER DESIRED TO SEE MY DAY, AND HE SAW IT, AND REJOICED.” The Yehudim said unto him, “You do not even have fifty years of age yet, and has Abraham seen you?” SO YAHUSHUA SAID TO THEM, “TRUTH I SAY TO YOU THAT BEFORE ABRAHAM EXISTED I, I EXISTED!” Then they brought stones to cast them on him; but Yahushua hid himself and went out of the Sanctuary. (John 8:56-59)
There were no doubts that Yahushua stated that he preexisted as the deity who appeared to Abraham. But, of course, this would have been an absurdity for them to accept, thus the charge of being blasphemous.
Where in Scriptures can we find evidence for Yahushua’s claim of his preexistence as stated in John 8:56-59? Genesis gives the following:
KJV – Genesis 18
— And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: BUT ABRAHAM STOOD YET BEFORE YAHWEH. (Gen. 18:22)
KJV – Genesis 18
— AND YAHWEH WENT HIS WAY, AS SOON AS HE HAD LEFT COMMUNING WITH ABRAHAM: and Abraham returned unto his place. (Gen. 18:33)
KJV – Genesis 19
— And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place WHERE HE STOOD BEFORE YAHWEH. (Gen. 19:27)
KJV – Genesis 22
— And the ANGEL YAHWEH called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. (Gen. 22:11)
LXX – Genesis 22
— And an ἄγγελος (angelos; ANGEL) κυρίου (kuriou, YAHWEH) called him out of heaven, and said, Abraam, Abraam. And he said, Behold, I am here. (Gen. 22:11)
Not only does Genesis establish that Yahushua preexisted as a deity, but Scriptures explicitly proclaim that he also appeared to Abraham as the angel Yahweh!
It is essential to recognize that, according to Scriptures, the person who appeared to Abraham could not have been father Yahweh!
— “Not that any one has seen the father except him (Yahushua) who is from the deity (father Yahweh); he has seen the father.” (John 6:46)
In addition, Yahushua the messiah could not have seen father Yahweh in his pre-resurrected earthly body because no human could see father Yahweh and live.
— The King of kings and Sovereign of sovereigns (father Yahweh), who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. (1 Tim. 6:15-16)
Therefore, it is certainly evident that Yahushua preexisted as a lesser deity and angel, who also carried the sacred name Yahweh, the name that father Yahweh, the most high deity, gave to him.
Let us now turn to the words of 2 John:
— “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Yahushua messiah is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-messiah.” (2 John 1:7)
This passage of 2 John takes on much more significance when fully understood with the companion verses in the Old and New Testaments.
One should keep in mind the instructions for discovering the truth of Scriptures:
— “Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he explain the message? Those weaned from milk, those moving from breasts. For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; a little here, and a little there.” (Isaiah 28:9-10)
Put another way, since the Scriptures are written in a parabolic form, one cannot fully understand any passage or verse in and of itself. Instead, he must place it in context with everything else that is being said and taught by Scriptures in order to come to the truth of any given matter. The failure to follow this guideline has led to a lack of knowledge about basic scriptural doctrines and the techniques utilized to express them.
Scriptures are succinct. Anyone who denies that the preexistent Yahushua the messiah was the deity and angel who appeared to the Old Testament patriarchs and subsequently came in the flesh by becoming a human, Yahweh considers that person an anti-messiah.
This conclusion prompts the question, If one denies the preexistence of Yahushua the messiah, what other essential doctrinal issues of Yahweh does a person automatically reject? Be sure to continue to Defining Anti-Messiah – Part 2, where we address this vital question.
For more information regarding the preexistence of Yahushua the messiah, please see our topic Did Yahushua the messiah Preexist?