The three Gods also agreed that whatever was created belonged to the God who sat on the throne.
20 The other two Gods would own nothing unless the Father gave it to them. Remember, infinite love and wisdom compelled three Gods to voluntarily surrender themselves to one another so that their children would worship them forever as One God.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God [elohiym, plural]
, the Lord is one [in purpose, plan and action]
. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength [this is the first and greatest commandment]
.”21 Although no one other than the three Gods attended the meeting, we can safely assume they actually made these decisions because the Bible affirms as much. If one God is changeless, so are the other two.
22 Their love for each other has not changed from the beginning. What we know about their relationship has endured since their relationship began. They are equals, like identical triplets, with the same nature and substance.
23 They have chosen to live forever as Gods with self-imposed limitations so they may serve their offspring as one God. Truly, God (elohiym, plural) is love.
The Godhead Living with Limitations
We need to consider one more point to fully appreciate the untold story of Jesus. After agreeing how their rights, powers, and prerogatives would be divided, I believe the three Gods cast lots
24 to see which role each God would take on. As distinct, separate, coeternal deities, any one of the three Gods could perfectly fill any of the three roles.
Assuming lots were cast, they chose one God to serve as “Ruler of the Universe”
25 who would sit on the throne and be called “Holy Father.”
26 He alone would have foreknowledge,
27 be forever invisible, live in unapproachable light,
28 and own the universe including everything in it, albeit, with self-imposed limitations. The awesome glory and power which surrounds Father God would be a visible reminder of the divine power that actually belongs to the other two members of deity as well. A few of His self-imposed limits are: He does not speak for the Godhead, this is Jesus’ role; He cannot be everywhere at once, this is the Holy Spirit’s role; He is isolated from everyone, and were it not for the ministry of the other two Gods, the Father would have no communication with anyone in the universe.
29
Another God was chosen to serve as the Holy Spirit. He also agreed to remain invisible for all eternity and to never speak of His own accord. When we consider that a deity can speak and planets and stars appear,
30 I cannot imagine a member of the Godhead giving up the right to speak for eternity! Of course, He speaks privately with the other two Gods when they have meetings, but He does not speak on His own to created beings.
31 Consider this scenario: When Jesus was mocked and beaten before going to the cross, the Holy Spirit said nothing. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the Holy Spirit said nothing. Knowing that the Holy Spirit loves Jesus with all of His heart, mind, and soul, how could He remain silent? The Holy Spirit’s behavior at the crucifixion demonstrates the conviction of His vow to remain silent. This is overwhelming!
You may notice most of the discussion in this book centers on the Father and Jesus, and conclude the Holy Spirit is not allocated a “fair share.” The silence and invisibility of the Holy Spirit is part of the design to which the three Gods agreed. The Holy Spirit is hidden from view most of the time so that He can exalt the Father and Jesus. His power and work were prominent during the first century of Christianity, and will be prominent again for 1,260 days during the Great Tribulation.
32 The Holy Spirit is as humble as the other two Gods. When I think of the Holy Spirit’s humility, I am reminded that when Jesus came to Earth, His glory and power were shrouded in the form of an unremarkable man.
33 He could have chosen to be the most handsome man to have ever lived, but, instead, chose to be homely in appearance. The humility shown by one deity is demonstrated in the other two as well.
The members of the Godhead do not lord their vast superiority over their subjects; they, in fact, serve their subjects. All they do is directed toward the well-being and happiness of their children. It should be obvious now that instead of the Holy Spirit’s role being diminished, it is critical. He is the invisible link between the Father and Jesus, and the only connection existing between the Godhead and their children. He causes life to flourish; He makes ecstasy, joy, and happiness possible; He brings healing, spiritual gifts, conviction, courage, comfort, and strength as the Father and Jesus ordain them. If it were not for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Father, Jesus, and this marvelous story would be unknown! The quiet ministry of the Holy Spirit God is as much a vital part of the story as are the attributes of the other two deities.
Because the other two Gods agreed to forfeit their omnipresence, the Holy Spirit is the only God that can be everywhere at once.
34 This attribute means He can actually live within billions of people at the same time! He alone knows every mind and heart, which is why He is the one who determines when a person commits the unpardonable sin.
35 He alone hears and sees everything
36 and transmits this information to the Father and Jesus using sounds we cannot understand.
37 Imagine Him as a huge network of fiber optic cables carrying billions of messages back and forth between the Father and Jesus, and between the Godhead and every created being every second, in real time! Of course, the Holy Spirit takes this responsibility very seriously because He loves sinners just as much as He loves Jesus and the Father.
Finally, the remaining God was appointed to serve as “Creator and Speaker of the House.” Today, we call this God, “Jesus.” In addition, the Three agreed the Creator would live in the visible form of a created being. They wanted a member of the Godhead to live and experience life as would one of their created beings. By doing this, their offspring could observe what God would do in any situation as He had “walked in their shoes.”
At the end of the meeting, the three Gods were satisfied with their agreements, plans, limitations, and roles. A new organization was established called The Godhead or Trinity. It will endure for all eternity. Now that thousands (perhaps billions) of years have passed, time has revealed their trust and love for each other. They are truly holy, set apart, and unique.
38 It overloads my mind to think that three Gods forfeited some of their powers, rights, and prerogatives to function as “one deity.”
However, when I look at the willingness of Jesus to humble Himself, to wash the feet of His disciples, and to die a horrible death on the cross, I know this is a pure reflection of the love which the other two Gods have for us. The greatness and largeness of the Godhead is mirrored by their humility and love. Their kindness, generosity, thoughts, and ways are far beyond my comprehension. I am sure that if the Father had thought it best, He would have gladly died for repentant sinners; but, instead, He did something more difficult: He gave Jesus whom He loved with all of His heart, mind, and soul to die for all repentant sinners. There is no question He suffered pain greater than Abraham or Jephthah could have known.
39
To consummate their agreement to live as one deity for eternity, I believe each God swore an oath
40 to the other two. These eternal vows were needed to secure and ensure the foundation of the universe would be permanent. No home can be built if the foundation is not firm. When a man and woman exchange vows of fidelity, they are making a promise to stay within boundaries. If there are no boundaries, a commitment is not possible.
The Godhead swore to one another to live as “limited Gods” and serve as one deity for eternity. This union is bound by two covenants. First, each God promised to love the other two with all His heart, mind, and soul. Second, each God promised to love His neighbors (the beings that would be created) as they love themselves. For as long as three deities choose to love each other and their neighbors as themselves without reservation, the future of the universe is secure and wonderful.
Author: Larry Willson