We are made in the image of God. That image constitutes our basic character: intellect, the ability to love, hate, create, ingenuity, to understand justice, honour, glory, desire for praise, and many other attributes by which we understand God and his wonderful works and his nature that executes them. God is not like us, but he has made us a lot like him in our spiritual character. That image is the divine nature placed in us, the understanding of the divine, etc. All that is good and holy comes from his spirit because he breathed his spirit into Adam, “and Adam became a living soul.” We are bodies that possess a soul. While in these bodies, our souls are confined to this tabernacle.

Does God take form?

For convenience he apparently has. Abraham saw him in the form of a man. Moses saw him in a fraction of his glory upon the mount Horeb, enough so that he required a veil so that people could look at him (and perhaps as some have speculated not see the glory fade from a man). The mount was entirely on a “smoke” like a volcano when the cloud of God touched the mountain. No human being could be around that, so God did take form so that Moses could identify with something. Moses saw his “backparts,” so that there was some form, undoubtedly human-like.

Such are small examples of the power of God. God knows that no creature can bear his sight as he is. Nor can any creature ever bear his sight as he is. His glory is too great. His mighty fire too consuming. Therefore be grateful that God’s most holy spirit goes about mankind to order his ways, to witness to man’s spirit his will, to convict and to judge, to shed mercy and peace and judgment, to see who will and will not follow him.

However, his Holy Spirit is NOT a separate entity. It is his own spirit, not just a part of him or one manifestation of him. It is his spirit, his will and volition. He doesn’t speak to us or visit his creation as he did from Horeb because 1: We asked that he not because we were so scared of seeing his great fire, of hearing the trump and his voice. His disdain and acceptance was clear in his words to Moses in response. (See Men & Brethren) He understood that we could not bear even a small fraction of the glory of God; and 2: If he did frequently appear in such a form, we would just take him for granted and abominate in ways that can’t even be described. GOD is HOLY. He IS the GREAT KING. He is not your servant. Prayer is not a credit card. Our fathers weren’t the cleverest of people in the desert. We would be little different than they at the sight of the glory of God; and we would start to gripe about what we wanted from him.

God created us with both body and spirit so that we can better understand some of his mysteries. We have both a body and a spirit. Are we two beings? No. We ourselves are one being. As stated before, our spirits are limited to our bodies. Our spirits are not meant to dwell separate of our bodies, and God has made it clear that he shall raise the dead and restore our souls to our bodies. That is how precious the creation of the body is. That is why murder is so repulsive to God. Death is abhorrent to him. Life issues forth from him. The body is a fascinating creation! Each person looks different; has a unique character, unique gifts and outlooks. The “nature of flesh” is used only to describe the self-serving nature. It is not meant to degrade the actual ingenuity of God’s greatest creation. The body is not degrading or to be regarded lightly or with contempt. It is an astounding creation that holds a fragment of God’s own nature.

We can assume that somewhere God dwells as he is. When he appeared with just a fraction of his glory at Horeb, he warned Moses to set bounds lest the children of Israel storm up to see him, so that thousands would not be destroyed. Clearly he took some form of state in order to be seen. Is God two persons then? No. His spirit is omniscient and he sees all . . .but he does not take form amongst us as he did at Horeb, for mankind cannot bear it. (See Men & Brethren)

Then who is Jesus Christ? If God dwelt with him, is God not dual?

It is incomprehensible that people assume this. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. God placed his spirit in the holy of holies. Why is it so hard for people to understand that God could fashion himself a body in the womb and dwell amongst mankind? He stated he would send a prophet like Moses at the precise time Israel said “Let not God speak to us lest we see his great fire.” Moses understood implicitly. He then sang of his coming before he himself departed to die. “Behold, behold that I am, and there is no god beside me: I kill, and I will make to live; I will smite, and I will heal; and there is none who shall deliver out of my hands. For I will lift up my hand to heaven, and swear by my right hand, and I will say, I live forever.” Thus the divinity of that prophet was quickly established. (See Men and Brethren) David spoke of him. Isaiah prophesied calling the son born to us “The Mighty God;” “Everlasting Father.” Just what do you think that means? That is a rhetorical question, of course. Over time, the Messiah’s character and accomplishments were elaborated upon by prophets. (See Messianic Prophecies)

God said the Messiah would come. How can you possibly think that entails a human Messiah when his divinity was first spoken by Moses, confirmed in his book of Job and spoken about by David and expanded by Isaiah? We still pray the 18 Benedictions awaiting for the Davidic Throne to be restored— yet to what purpose? An earthly kingdom? We cannot be redeemed by an earthly kingdom. We had a kingdom under the Hasmoneans, did we not? That didn’t work. We had one under David himself. There was the kingdom in northern Israel. We still got butchered and led off captive. Now many Jews realize it is redemption from our sins; moreover, that burnt offerings could not do that anyway, and that the promises are for God’s kingdom. Sadly, this has led some into Hasidic movements, some of which are little better than the transient mysticism of the contemporaneous Greek culture of the 18th century, such as that to which Rasputin belonged. Some even pray to dead Hasidic Rebbes! Redemption to them merely means being shown some deeper, metaphysical and a slightly Gnostic way to live and think. . .and to deceive oneself.

Daniel and Isaiah made it plain that the Messiah would be cut off for his people. Tell me the Rebbe that has died for Israel? Tell me the Rebbe that can raise his right hand to heaven and declare he lives forever?— and that “there is no god but me.” If the law could redeem and make perfect, why do you seek the coming of a redeemer? No more of this “earthly kingdom” excuse; that is a veil that has long been ripped away. God’s promises were to redeem, and in doing so to reveal his own true nature. The law cannot redeem. It accuses. And we broke that covenant anyway. (See One Covenant).

And let’s not hear that one-day-lobotomy answer anymore: “God cannot visit us corporeally because that leaves himself open to be killed.” There are rabbis teaching that brain-dead argument. God appeared in a bush and placed his spirit in a temple. You can prune a bush— Was God scared that Moses might rush him with a shears?— and the temple was destroyed. Was God killed? Of course not! Not even one human spirit has been lost to oblivion. The righteous shall be raised to glory and the wicked raised to damnation. God can walk among us. You may kill that tabernacle of flesh, but God cannot die. His spirit lives uninterrupted. He raised that body up again on the third day as he said he would. What on earth is the Jew reading that he cannot understand or appreciate the power of God? Read Isaiah 49 through 54. He made it clear enough.

It was made plain enough to Amos that the temple would be destroyed as a result, and we would be scattered and afflicted. And then after this time, he would restore the tabernacle of David which is fallen. This time now presses upon us. Why did all this happen? God simply got in the mood to destroy? No. Read both Amos and Zechariah. Both speak of the destruction of Jerusalem after the betrayal and death of the Messiah. Note the Chronological Anchors. 

Finally understand, Israel, you will not have that house until you believe. You will not abominate before God with unbelief, and his name will not be placed on that house, his mercy and grace not secured by rituals, as if all that he has done has not come about by his hand. His great namesake will not allow his honour and glory to be passed off as myth. You shall believe and repent and preach unto the Gentiles, lest it be said all that has happened has not been of the LORD; that Christ was not he come in a tabernacle of flesh that he made for himself, to offer the one meaningful sacrifice to reveal the very nature of God toward his creation.

He did not come because of a requirement in the law. But we crucified him because we did not understand the covenant. We did not understand the law was given out of love to protect us and cause peace in society. It declares the wisdom of God. It is not redemption, else you would not pray for a redeemer, else Moses would not have promised that “that prophet” would come “I will raise up to them a prophet of their brethren, like thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as I shall command him. And whatever man shall not hearken to whatsoever words that prophet shall speak to them, I will take vengeance on him.” Moses figured out 2 things from this: that God would not declare very deep things to Moses (else God simply would have said OK, I’ll tell you everything right now), and 2: that God would speak direct through the prophet to come.

These have been the days of that vengeance. If you think that what has happened unto Israel for so long has been a blessing, you are easily pleased.

The famine that the LORD swore to bring unto Israel is ending, so that the days that shall come shall be declared beforehand, lest mankind think that all that has been, and that the days that shall come, have not been of the LORD. It is well done of the LORD, for that day of the cross and resurrection shall always be magnified, by his great shout and by his great silence. The affliction had to be this long, else the day of the LORD and our rejection would have come to mean nothing. It is time that he wakes up Israel, that that day be rekindled, that the nations see it again, and that day never be forgotten: the day the LORD took on himself the nature of his special creation and visited his people. He became the covenant, and he experienced the ultimate sacrifice. It is incomprehensible. But then so is such a heart that would create you and this whole universe, and give you life to experience beautiful things. Indeed, yes, he breathed his soul into Adam.

Do not think that even in paradise you will see God as he is? No creature can bear his sight. You will see him as Christ, for so made he this fine tabernacle before the beginning, that even the angels could identify with something. The words of the prophets that wrote the Simultudes of Enoch clearly understood from the scriptures who that prophet must be. And it is not a coincidence that this was one of the most popular books and stories amongst the people: the coming of that Son of Man who was nevertheless with God from the beginning. God moves in mysterious way. And now he moves the times to prepare the way for the redemption of Israel.