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DO THE CHRISTIANS WORSHIP THREE GODS?

I John 5:7

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Much confusion and controversy has been generated over this issue, with many Jews, Muslims and others claiming that Christians worship three Gods instead of the One true God. Can God be manifested in more than one person? Is the Trinity concept Scriptural? The following study will examine the issue, building the answer one step at a time, and will allow you, the reader decide for yourself concerning the issue.

Deuteronomy 6:4

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!

Every Jew is familiar with this statement of faith from Moses, called the great Shema. However, it is interesting to note that the word used as "one" (echad) in the passage, is a compound unity word. In other words it means several, but having one consistency. A good usage of the term would be if people shouted with one (echad) voice. Several people, yet a singular unity.

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

In this passage, God creates Man, but strangely uses the plural form "us" in His speech. To whom was He speaking? God is the only Creator, and everything that is not God was created by Him. Therefore He could not have been talking to angels, as they cannot create, being created beings themselves. The term "us" indicates equality, therefore God spoke to someone whom He considers as equal to Himself.

Much controversy has been generated over the concept of God taking on human form, with the main argument being that God, as a Spirit, cannot take on flesh. However there are Scriptures that argue against this fact. As the Scriptures record concerning Abraham;

Genesis 18:1-33

1 Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.

4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.”

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.”

7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.

8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.”

10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’

14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way.

17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,

21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?

25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:

28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”

29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

In this famous passage, three men appeared to Abraham as he sat in the entrance of his tent in the hot afternoon. Abraham, sensing that these were no ordinary visitors, immediately made provisions for their comfort, offering water to wash and cool their feet, and bread, butter and meat for them to eat. All three ate of the provisions.

First of all, this indicates that the visitors had taken on human form. They washed their feet, and sat under the shade of a nearby tree. Abraham also offered food, which they could eat. One of the visitors was the Lord, and as later passages show, the other two men were angels.

Later, the angels left to visit Sodom, but the Lord remained behind to speak with Abraham. Abraham bargained with God for the lives of the men of the city, begging God to spare the city if there were ten righteous men within it. God agreed and went His way, as did Abraham.

I find it also fascinating that Abraham didn't think it odd that God should appear in human form. He apparently took it as fact that God could do so if He wished. And note also that God didn't appear in fire, or glory, but seemed in appearance as an ordinary person, as attested by verse two, which states that three men stood beside him (Abraham). This does in no way detract from the glory, majesty and power of the Lord, but shows that He can appear in any form He wishes.

In the next passage, Joshua is about to take the Canaanite city Jericho by marching about it as the Lord had commanded. But before he does, Scripture records the following;

Joshua 5:13-15

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Many think this was an angel sent by the Lord to Joshua, but if the passage is read carefully, Joshua falls on his face in worship of the visitor. Angels being created beings are not worthy of worship. Exodus 20:3 clearly states this principle.

EXODUS 20:3

3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

Therefore Joshua worshiped the Lord, who had appeared to him in human form. The fact that the visitor told him that he was standing on holy ground indicates that it was God who was speaking to him. An angel cannot be worshiped in the place of God, as that would violate the verse quoted above.

Now comes a point of great interest! Note that the visitor proclaims Himself as “Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” This being is obviously God, yet calls Himself the "Commander of the army of the Lord". This would seem to indicate that God is the Commander of His own host, but he states that He is the Commander of the Lord's host, referring to a person other than Himself!

Before you accuse me of blasphemy and stop here, please, bear with me and read everything I have written here!!!! Then you can make your decision.

Isaiah 7:10-14

10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

In this passage, the coming of the Messiah is again expressed by the Lord. But note a curious thing. The Lord, speaking to Ahaz asks if the house of David will "weary my God also?" To whom was the Lord speaking, when He said, "My God"?

It was not king Ahaz of Judah who spoke this passage, as Scripture records that Ahaz walked in all of the sins of his father Jotham, sacrificing his son by "passing him through the fire" (throwing the infant alive into a fire built in honor of the demon god Molech), worshiping idols and sending the treasures of the Lord's house to the king of Assyria to enlist his help in breaking a siege set against him by the kings of Israel and Syria, rather than relying on the Lord to deliver him.

Therefore the Lord was referring to someone greater than Himself, when He used the statement "my God."

2 Samuel 7:8-17

8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.

9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously,

11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.

12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

In this great passage of Scripture, God speaks to David the king that one of his descendants would inherit his throne, and would rule from it forever. Again, this refers to the coming of the Messiah King who would be a descendant of David, and would be King over Israel forever.

However, there is not a throne in Israel at this time, neither is Israel a kingdom as it was. Please bear with me and hold this thought, as I will address this issue again later.

Isaiah 9:6-7

6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Note that Isaiah describes that a "child is born", "a son is given". This speaks of the birth of a Ruler who would be called "The mighty God", "The everlasting Father", "The Prince of Peace", titles used in reference to God Himself. And again, He will rule from David's throne forever.

Note also that God told Nathan the prophet in his vision for David, that the promised descendant would have God as His Father, and that He would be God's Son. God has not spoken of ANYONE being His Son to ANYONE who lived during the time of the Old Covenant. Therefore He was referring to One yet to come, for only One who is equal with God could be called His Son.

Note also that this Son would be "born", showing that he would come from the seed of the woman, as God prophesied to Satan who had entered the serpent in the Garden of Eden when He said;

Genesis 3:13-15

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

Therefore, The Son of God would be born of a woman in the normal manner of birth, but with one important exception! He would have a human mother, but God would be His Father!

Isaiah 11:1-10

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.

6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”

Here the duties of the Messiah, the Son of God are expounded upon. Again, it is stated that he will come from the line of David, and He will rule over the Earth. The Gentiles will seek Him, and peace will reign over the entire Earth. As this has yet to happen, this is prophecy of a future event. This also reinforces the verses in Isaiah 9:6-7 above, as lions are still carnivorous creatures, and asps and cockatrice adders are still poisonous.

Isaiah 44:6-8

6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

7 And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them.

8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ”

Read verse 6 carefully. “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts....” Here God is referring to Himself as God in the singular, and yet speaks of His redeemer, the Lord of Hosts! A seeming contradiction! This is obviously someone of equal stature with God, and yet referred to as a separate person!

Psalms 45:1-7

1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

2 You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.

3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty.

4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; and Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; the peoples fall under You.

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

This is a fascinating portion of Scripture from Psalms. While it seems to refer to an earthly king, there is a curious section in which it is known that God is again speaking to someone of apparently equal stature to Himself. He says;

Psalms 45:6-7

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

Note that God is calling the king "God" while claiming Himself to be the God of the king! This seems to be a contradiction, unless God is speaking to someone equal to Himself.... as in a Son who is equal with God, but less in stature as would an earthly prince be equal in authority to his father the king, but is slightly less in stature because he is a prince?

This seems to fit well with the idea of the Lord, and His redeemer the Lord of Hosts as quoted in Isaiah 44:6 above. It would also explain the verses quoted from Psalms above, in which God speaks to another as "God", yet calls Himself "God, Your God".

Note also that in verse 2, the writer states that God has blessed this king forever. This refers to an eternal blessing upon an individual who must in turn be eternal to receive such a blessing. Again, there seems to be a person whom God considers as equal with Himself in Heaven.

Another Psalm reinforces this point.

Psalms 110:1-7

1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

3 Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, you have the dew of Your youth.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.

7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; therefore He shall lift up the head.

Here God is inviting someone to sit at His right hand until his enemies are destroyed. Who is equal with God to sit at His right hand? Note carefully the wording in verse 1.

Psalms 110:1

1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

To whom is the Lord speaking? Obviously of someone that David calls "Lord" in the passage, referring to someone that David understood as greater than himself.

Therefore the Lord is speaking of someone equal to Himself, who is to sit at His right hand until the Lord (God) destroys His enemies.

Ok, so far we have proven from Scripture that God is one. We have also proven that He can take on the form of a man if He wishes, and numerous times He speaks of someone other than Himself as being equal to Himself.

That, combined with the meaning of the word "echad" indicates that God may indeed manifest Himself in more than one being.

Remember, Scripture records that there would be a Son born, who would have God as His Father, and that God has told Him to sit at His right hand, until His enemies were made His footstool. And Isaiah states that this Son would be called "The Mighty God", the "Everlasting Father", the "Prince of Peace."

The Christians believe that Yeshua ben Joseph is the promised Messiah, the promised Son of God, who was sent to the people of Israel to save them from their sins as prophesied. They in turn rejected Him, and called for Him to be crucified.

The Christians also believe that on the third day He arose from the dead, having paid for the sins of the world, and now sits enthroned in Heaven at the right hand of the God the Father.

Is there any support for these ideas in the Old Covenant?

Isaiah 49:1-6

1 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, and take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; from the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.

2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver He has hidden Me.”

3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’

4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’ ”

5 “And now the Lord says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and My God shall be My strength),

6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

The above verses may seem to refer to the nation of Israel, with the exception of the fact that in verse 5, the speaker states that the Lord has formed him to bring Israel back to God. Therefore the Lord is speaking of a specific person who would be born to do that very thing. And as Isaiah 9:6-7 stated, a son would be born who would be the Son of God, the Messiah.

The speaker also says that though Israel is not yet gathered, yet will he be glorious in the Lord's eyes. This refers to a future gathering of Israel, for he says in verse 4 that he has seems to have labored in vain in the work that the Lord has sent him to do, referring to His rejection by the people of His time. Note also that the speaker says that he will be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and that His God will be His strength.

And as history shows, in 70 A.D., Judea was destroyed by the Roman Tenth and Thirteenth Legions and the people were either slaughtered, or scattered to the ends of the Earth for 1,878 years. And even now, there are still Jews living abroad, so Israel has not yet been gathered, although the State of Israel presently exists.

Scripture speaks many times of man being humble and as dust before the eyes of the Lord, and yet this speaker has no problem with saying that he will be glorified in the Lord's sight.

Finally, in verse 6, God says that the speaker will be a light unto the Gentiles, and will be the author of salvation for the entire Earth.

Remember in Isaiah 11:10 quoted previously, the Gentiles would seek the Messiah for salvation, so the person being spoken of prophetically must be the Messiah.

We have established from Scripture that the Messiah would be the Son of God, born of a woman, and having God as His Father. This person is spoken of as being equal with God in God's sight, and is worthy to sit at His right hand in Heaven.

This fits perfectly with the previously stated interpretation of the Hebrew word "echad", as a compound singular concept. For if the Son is equal with the Father, then God is manifest in two persons, united in one purpose.

Therefore we have God the Father, and God the Son, both equal to be called God, but the Son being subject to the Father, as a son would be subject to his father here on Earth.

The concept of the Christians believing that Yeshua ben Joseph was the promised Messiah has been a source of bitterness to many Jews, because some of these "Christians" have persecuted the Jews for centuries, because they have not followed the teachings of the One they claim as their Savior. We'll deal with that in a later study.

The concept that Yeshua ben Joseph is the promised Messiah has been a stumbling block to the Jewish people for several reasons. One, they expect the Messiah to come in glory to restore the kingdom to Israel. Secondly, they cannot believe that the Messiah came as a man. And lastly, they are accused of killing the Messiah who was sent to them by those who speak in ignorance, spite and hatred, using that excuse to justify their bestial behavior.

Let's examine each of these points in turn.

First, God predicted that the Messiah would be a stumbling block to all of Israel.

Isaiah 8:13-15

13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.

14 He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken.”

Note that God says that He would be a stumbling block to both the houses of Israel. As history shows, the Northern Kingdom of Israel ceased to be a nation after being destroyed and it's people transported to Assyria in 723 B.C.

Babylonian general Nebuchadnezzar, son of king Nabopolassar of Babylon later destroyed Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians in 612 B.C. Later, as king of Babylon himself he attacked and destroyed Judah as a nation in 586 B.C. and deported the people as captives to Babylon for 70 years as prophesied by Jeremiah;

Jeremiah 25:1-13

1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),

2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:

3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened.

4 And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.

5 They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.

6 Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’

7 Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words,

9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.

11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12 ‘Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the Lord; ‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation.

13 So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations.

No doubt when the Jews deported to Babylon arrived, they were met by remnant of the 10 tribes of Israel who had been deported to Assyria. When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Assyria, the concept of the time was to deport the craftsmen, artisans, etc. to the conqueror's country, to enrich their culture.

So, the when the deported Jews of Judah arrived in Babylon they would have been met by the remnant of Israel who were already there. And when the Jews returned from Babylon after the 70 years captivity, no doubt some of the Jews from remnant of Israel returned with them.

The book of Ezra states that after the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, they rebuilt the Temple, and;

Ezra 6:16-18

16 Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

Why would they sacrifice for all 12 tribes, if some of the remnant of the remnant of the destroyed northern kingdom of Israel had not returned with them?

God also prophesied that Judah and Israel would become one people again, when he told the prophet Ezekiel;

Ezekiel 37:1-28

1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.

2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.

3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!

5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.

6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”

10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’

12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.

14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

16 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’

17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’—

19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’

20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.

23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.

25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.

26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.

27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

28 The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

Note carefully verses 15-21. God states that Israel and Judah would once again be one people, and would never again be divided.

Now, considering that the Romans destroyed all of the genealogical records with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, no Jew now knows what tribe they are from. Yet they are gathered in Israel after 1,878 years, and are again called by the name of Israel.

This prophecy of Ezekiel foresaw the great scattering and seeming final doom of the Jews after the destruction of the Temple and the nation of Judea in 70 A.D., in which it seemed that the Jews were finished as a people.

And yet as God prophesied through him, the nation of Israel would again be resurrected, and it's people gathered on the mountains of Israel, as it is today.

That being established, the prophecy of the sticks has been fulfilled, as Jews are being re-gathered from the ends of the Earth, and are gathered in Israel as one people, Judah walking with Israel, and vice versa.

Daniel the prophet was given a time line for events that would unfold after his lifetime, in periods of seven years, referred to as "weeks". He had understood that the prophesied 70 year captivity in Babylon was coming to an end, and had been praying for God to remember His promise to restore his nation. As he prayed, an angel appeared to him, and gave him a prophecy concerning the future of Israel. Note especially that Daniel didn't pray for Judah, he prayed for his people Israel. One stick, one people.

As he was told;

Daniel 9:20-27

20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God,

21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.

23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

24 “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

25 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”

I don't understand how people could ignore this prophecy. It plainly states that from the command to rebuild Jerusalem, to the coming of the Messiah would be 483 years (69 "weeks" X 7 years per "week").

History shows that Persian king Artaxerxes Longinus son of Xerxes (thought to be the famed Ahasuerus, husband of queen Esther), decreed that the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt in 457 B.C.

Considering that 69 "weeks" equates to 483 years, Messiah would have appeared in Jerusalem in 26 A.D. (remember, there is no "zero" year).

Evidence from Scriptures and history indicates that Yeshua ben Joseph was born in Bethlehem in Judea as prophesied sometime in September of 7 B.C. When wise men from the east traveled to Jerusalem to worship Him, Judean king Herod the Great, trying to eliminate the perceived threat to his throne ordered all the infants in the area of two years old and under slaughtered, which means that Yeshua was about two years old when this event happened.

Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., and according to David Hughes, a professional astronomer, there was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in September of 7 B.C. which could very well have formed the famed "Star of Bethlehem" heralding Yeshua's birth.

The New Covenant Scriptures record Yeshua as being 33 years old when He made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem just before His death on the cross, and was hailed as the Messiah by the people. Considering the numbers, He would have made His acclaimed entry into the city sometime in 26 A.D., exactly 430 years after the command to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

And as Daniel sadly prophesied and history records, during the 69th "week", Messiah was "cut off" (killed) but not for Himself. He was killed as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. In other words, we all killed Him, both Jew and Gentile. Our sins put Him on the cross.

The above Scripture passage shows that Messiah has indeed already come, as prophesied. And as prophesied in Daniel 9:25-26 above, Messiah was "cut off" (killed) but not for Himself, meaning He didn't die for His own sins. And as prophesied, the armies of Rome destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 A.D., thus fulfilling the prophecy of the 69 "weeks".

The seventieth week? That is yet to come and is covered in detail in the study on the End Times in this site. Please, read the study devoted to the End Times, as the Jewish people figure prominently in the last 7 years of God's prophetic timetable.

These prophecies and the time line given above state that Messiah has indeed come to Israel as prophesied and fulfilled His destiny as was written of Him.

But what about the promise to restore the kingdom to Israel?

Now we come to the hard part......

I have read that when the book of Isaiah is read in synagogue, some Rabbis carefully avoid reading chapter 53, because the Christians use it to prove the point of Yeshua ben Joseph being the promised Messiah, the Son of God.

Scripture records;

Isaiah 53:1-12

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Remember the prophecy of Daniel, that Messiah would be "cut off, but not for Himself". Isaiah clearly speaks of the "suffering servant", who would be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. And while some Rabbis have tried to explain that this passage speaks of Israel, Jacob did not bear our transgressions, nor did the nation of Israel bear our sins.

No mortal man is worthy before God to bear the sins of the world either, symbolized by the perfect lamb being sacrificed on the eve of the Passover feast. The lamb must be perfect, without blemish. Only the Lamb of God was perfect enough to be the perfect sacrifice for sin that was required by God for our redemption.

Bear with me for a moment, as I go on.

Historians tell of Roman punishments, one of the most brutal being that of scourging, in which the victim was repeatedly whipped with a leather whip consisting of two to nine straps. The straps were studded with bits of dumbbell shaped pieces of metal or sharp pieces of bone, and the naked victim was repeatedly lashed front and back from neck to ankles, the number of "stripes" determined by his crime.

The effect of the scourging was horrific, causing tremendous internal hemorrhaging and deep tissue damage to the victim, and many died under the scourge. Even battle-hardened Roman soldiers shuddered at the thought of suffering scourging themselves, and the very threat of the scourge was enough to enforce the rigid discipline that was characterized by the Roman soldier.

The New Covenant Scriptures record that Yeshua ben Joseph was scourged at the order of Roman governor Pontius Pilate, and that he was mocked and tortured by the Roman army in the Antonia Fortress before He was sent to the cross.

The below Old Covenant Scripture also alludes to this event.

Isaiah 50:4-7

4 “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.

5 The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.

6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

7 “For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.

The New Covenant, also known as the New Testament, records that Yeshua ben Joseph was scourged and crucified on a Roman cross for the sins of the world. He was sent by God for this very purpose, and was the perfect sacrifice by God for sin. By obedience to the Law and His death our sins were forgiven by God, and there was no longer a need for animal sacrifices, as the perfect Lamb had been killed for our justification.

Before you turn me off, please, finish the study, then present your arguments.

If you read carefully the Scriptures below, verses 14-17 accurately describe crucifixion, in which the victims had nails driven through their hands and feet to fasten them to the cross. This never happened to king David, therefore he was prophesying of an event yet to come.

Psalms 22:1-24

1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?

2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them.

5 They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; you made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb you have been My God.

11 Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

13 They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it has melted within Me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; you have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard.

Please read the following Scriptures which also indicate that Messiah would be pierced (crucified).

Isaiah 49:13-16

13 Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.

16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.

Verse 16 is interesting, in the fact that the Lord states that He has engraved Jerusalem (Zion) upon His palms. Nails were driven through the heel of the hand during crucifixion, which in ancient days was considered part of the palm. This was done to prevent the victim from having the nails pull upward through the palms from their own weight, and the victim falling off of the cross. I will post a study on the medical aspects of the crucifixion in the near future.

King David alluded to "the pit" many times in the Psalms, "the pit" referring to Hell. God also many times refers to "the pit" as Hell also. BUT, there is an important exception here. Apparently "the pit" had two separate locations, one where sinners went to be tormented, and one where the righteous went to await their redemption.

Read the verses below, paying close attention to verse 11.

Zechariah 9:9-11

9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.’

11 “As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

In verse 11, God states that the prisoners in the pit would be set free by the blood of the King's covenant. We know that the wicked do not come out of the pit. So what was God talking about?

First of all, the King made a covenant of blood, which set the prisoners of the pit free. Remember Isaiah 53:7-12!

Isaiah 53:7-12

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

Messiah's blood was offered to God as the covenant of blood required to set the prisoners free from the pit. His was the only blood worthy enough to take away the sins of Israel, and the world.

But who were the prisoners?

To answer this, I must take a quote from the New Covenant, a story told by Yeshua ben Joseph Himself to answer a question. Please, read it carefully.

Luke 16:19-31

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and [h]fared sumptuously every day.

20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,

21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,

28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

What this is saying, is that there were two locations within "the pit" for the dead. One place for sinners, and a place of rest for the righteous. The reason for this, was that until Messiah's death as an atonement for sin, no one was worthy to enter heaven, for their sins had not been paid for!

Hang on a minute!

Now comes a really hard part.

The animal sacrifices required by the Torah could never take away sin. They were symbols and reminders of the true sacrifice to come. The sacrifices made the fathers obedient to the One who ordered the sacrifices, therefore like Abraham their obedience and belief was counted as righteousness. Remember, Abraham lived over 430 years before the Torah was established.

According to the Torah God required that animal sacrifices for sin be made on the altar in the courts of His Temple. If animal sacrifices were required to take away sins, then all of the Jews who were deported to Babylon for 70 years perished without hope, as the Temple was destroyed, and the sacrifices ended.

The prophet Samuel however gives an important clue as to God's thinking, when he told king Saul after Saul's disobedience to the word of the Lord;

I Samuel 15:22-23

22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

God prefers obedience to His words above the sacrifices of animals! King David apparently understood this for he said, prophesying of the coming of the Messiah to Israel;

Psalms 40:6-7

6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.

So if animal sacrifices are still required by God, every Jew who has died since the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., has died without hope of salvation.

If therefore the blood of animals could not take away sins, those who died in obedience to the Old Covenant were still sinners, and God cannot allow sinners into Heaven. Heaven is perfect, therefore anyone entering Heaven must be perfect also. The sacrifices merely deferred the sins until the One who was the perfect sacrifice could offer Himself to God, and obtain our redemption! And just as Abraham's obedience before the Torah was established was counted as righteousness before God, the obedience of Israel in offering the animal sacrifices was counted by God as righteousness.

Besides, if a perfect sacrifice needed to be offered, no animal could qualify, as all creation has been corrupted by sin and is imperfect in God's sight.

So, Messiah HAD TO DIE for the sins of the world BEFORE His return to Earth in glory! He HAD to sacrifice Himself, in order to bring us to God as sinless children! And only the blood of the Son of God was worthy to become the sacrifice required by God. Essentially God Himself took our sins within Himself and paid for our redemption.

Now, another proof that this happened, from the Old Covenant.

Psalms 16:8-11

8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Note carefully verse 10. According to the New Covenant, Messiah after His crucifixion went to Hell to pay for our sins. He had already offered Himself to God as the Passover Lamb, and had taken our sins within His flesh on the cross. And when He died, the sins died with Him. But, the consequences of our sins still had to be paid for.

Therefore He had to go to Hell, and suffer the punishment for our sins. And note carefully the speaker says that God will not allow His "Holy One to undergo decay".

It is obvious that the person speaking is dead. And yet he speaks of not decaying! As we all know, a human body decays after about 2 days after death. To be blunt, the body starts to rot.

Now, no man is worthy to be considered God's Holy One, except Messiah. So therefore it is Messiah speaking to God about not undergoing decay. And He is speaking from Hell.

David also prophesied of this event when he said;

Psalms 86:1-17

1 Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy.

2 Preserve my life, for I am holy; you are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You!

3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long.

4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works.

9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.

10 For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.

13 For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

14 O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them.

15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

16 Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant.

17 Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

While the above Scriptures may seem an allegory, as Messiah took in Himself all of our sins, He would have had to suffer more than any sinner will ever have to suffer, therefore he would have had to go to the lowest part of the pit to suffer for our sins.

According to the Old and New Covenant Scriptures, Messiah did not undergo decay but was resurrected by the power of the Father on the third day after His death, and ascended to sit at His right hand. Remember Psalms 110:1?

Psalms 110:1

1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

In the book of Daniel, we see the reward given to Messiah for His obedience to His Father, being obedient even though it cost Him His life.

Daniel 7:13-14

13 “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.

14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel, considered to be one of the greatest Old Covenant prophets saw Messiah coming into His kingdom in the above Scriptures. Note that Messiah comes before the "Ancient of Days" (God the Father) and receives from Him an everlasting kingdom, and that all men will serve Him.

Again, we see a separation between God the Father and Messiah, His Son. Both are equally God, in the fact that all men will serve them, and yet the Son is receiving the kingdom from the Father, showing that the Father is greater than He.

Zechariah 12:1-14

1 The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:

2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.

3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.

5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’

6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

7 “The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah.

8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them.

9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;

13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves;

14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Note verse 10 here! The Lord is prophesying of His return, and verse 10 states that Israel will look on Him whom they have pierced! Pierced, as in crucified! And those who see Him will realize that he is indeed the Messiah they have been waiting for, and will be in bitterness because they did not realize that he had already come to pay for their sins, and is now returning in triumphant glory as King and Lord!

We have proven from the Old Covenant Scriptures that God the Father exists and His Son sits at His right hand. We have also proven that the Son is equal with God, but lesser in stature as a son would be to his father. We have also proven that Messiah did indeed come as prophesied, and as was prophesied was rejected and killed by ancient Israel.

He was scourged, and crucified for our sins as the perfect sacrifice, and by His blood made those who were in "the pit" who died in obedience free to enter Heaven, for their sins had been paid for by His death, sins that the animal sacrifices required by the Torah could never take away.

He went to Hell, and He did not see corruption, but was resurrected from the dead, and sits at the right hand of His Father until His enemies are made his footstool.

Now, the final question concerning the Christians' worship of God. We have proven the existence of God the Father and God the Son. What about God the Holy Spirit?

Psalms 139:7-12

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Joel 2:28-29

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.

29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

If God is going to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, is it impossible to believe that God the Holy Spirit exists also? And if God fills the universe and is omnipresent, is this so hard to imagine? He sits in Heaven, and has sent His Spirit among us to be with us until Messiah's enemies are made His footstool, and He is given permission by His Father to return to Earth.

Therefore we have proven from the Old Covenant that God exists in three persons, each individually God, and yet One (echad). So, the Christians do not worship three Gods, they worship the One true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who has given examples of His nature in the Old Covenant, and has more openly expressed Himself in the New Covenant.

Now, some final words.

Scripture records that God promised king David that his throne would be established forever, and that his future descendant would rule from his throne forever.