What Did Jesus Mean, “You Are Gods”?
by Bill Watson
During one of His visits to the Temple, Jesus Christ was confronted by some Jews who asked, “If you be the Christ [the Anointed One] tell us plainly.” As the dispute continued, it brought out a very interesting point about humanity’s destiny. Have you ever really thought about what this means?
This confrontation with these Jews, outside of the Temple—specifically, on Solomon’s porch—was where they posed this question. And, uniquely enough, we find Jesus responding very assertively about His position. He actually appears to be edging them on. He answers, “I told you, and you believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me [in-other-words: yes, I’m the Christ]. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and [now watch what He says—He accelerates the tension by claiming...] I give unto them eternal life; and [He continues to ramp up the controversy by saying...] they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. [And then comes a major and final assertion] I and the Father are one” (John 10:22–30).
Wow!! As you can imagine, this was just too much for the Jews to take. They couldn’t believe, from their perspective, the arrogance this 30-year-old (or thereabouts) young man could make such (in their opinion) outrageous claims. Remember, He declared He could give His followers eternal life—that they would never die—and He and the Father are one! These comments and assertions set the Jews back on their heels. They just couldn’t fathom it and decided to pick up stones to stone Him alive.
Now notice how this plays out: “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him” (John 10:31). But, notice how Jesus reacts to this. Remember, He’s facing off with an angry mob with stones in their hands that are fully prepared to kill Him. What does He do? Does He cower into conceding and apologizing for making them mad? Does He give any indication of backing off from what He announced He could do and who He declared He was in stating “I and the Father are one”? Does He present any indication of intimidation by the dangers of the circumstances threatening His life? No! Absolutely not! Instead, notice how He responds—He shockingly asks them a question.
“Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him saying, For a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy; and because that you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:32–33). Now at this point, you would think this would be a good time to defuse the situation, make an apology, or perhaps at least rephrase your statement about what you said so it might not be taken so offensively—but not our Lord. Watch what He does. Instead, He shows so much courage in the face of these life-endangering conditions.
“Jesus answered them [by challenging them with their own scripture and quotes Psalms 82:6], Is it not written in your law, I said you are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; [why] Say you of him, whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the world, You blaspheme: because I said, I am the son of God?” (John 10:34–36). So, Jesus presents this challenging scriptural revelation to illustrate this shouldn’t be controversial, but rather, understood as being scripturally solid and sound. However, notice how in the course of this tense confrontation He identifies an extremely important revelation and truth—the potential of our human destiny––that we are gods!
Now for most people, this sounds like a very “heady statement” to comprehend. On the surface, it would appear to be over-the-top, extreme, or highly exaggerated—perhaps, even hyperbolas. And most of the Christian community would agree; it sounds preposterous! Yet the vast community of Christians today embrace an esoteric teaching borrowed from heathen paganism, which is anchored in the ancient religions of sun worshippers but, stunningly, consider it acceptable—it’s called the Trinity!
What Is the History of the Trinity?
The Council of Nicaea, convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine in AD 325
Interestingly enough, the Trinitarian concept is not really visible within the doctrines of the Church until, surprisingly, hundreds of years after the original Apostolic Church was establish in the first century. We understand, historically, it begins to take on some definition, resulting from the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. Then, in 381 C.E., at the Council of Constantinople, it was determined the Holy Spirit was on the same level as the Father and Christ. And as the centuries passed, it finally became a “dogmatic creed” that God was defined as three eternal, coexistent persons (one God in three persons—this is Trinitarian dogma).
Sadly, this change became possible due to the Roman Empire’s adoption of Christianity. However, what most don’t recognize is the Universal (Catholic) Roman Church actually hijacked the original Church of God and compromised a variety of its doctrines—the nature of God being just one of many!
The very premise of the Trinity is, it’s not to be understood. As a matter of fact, to understand the Trinity, which is the Catholic (Universal)Church’s definition of the nature of God, is blasphemy, and the accepted fact is, you cannot understand it! Notice this quote from the Handbook of Christian Truth, pg 51–52: “The mind of man cannot fully understand the mystery of the Trinity. He who has tried to understand the mystery fully will lose his mind; but he who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul.”
In contrast to this, consider what your Bible says: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it unto them. [What did He show?]For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen [understandable], being understood by the things that are made [the spirit world is understood by understanding the physical world], even his eternal power and Godhead [His nature—what God is—is understandable!!); so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18–20). The understanding of God’s nature is the very reason God is justified in holding mankind accountable for his sins of mass destruction—“they are without excuse,” according to God’s Word, because they [mankind] should know better!
Symbol of the Trinity
Contrary to Trinitarian dogma, Paul says God fully intends to be understood. Not only His spiritual realm and power, but also His Godhead—His nature! This is an important distinction about God and His biblically based expectations compared to man-made traditions and the rudiments of the world (Colossians 2:4–12). Unfortunately, the Trinity teaching is a spoiler, and many traditional Christians have been spoiled from understanding the real nature of God because of this predominant doctrine among so many Christian denominations—Protestants included! Yes, that’s right, many Christian Protestant denominations have retained and embraced this Catholic dogma of the Trinity—as it defines this “three person in one God”concept!
Unfortunately, there was such a predominance of “triad god” concepts from so many cultures in the world that it was just a matter of time before the teaching of God’s true nature would be compromised and adopted by this new “State” religion, known as The Holy Roman Catholic Church. Because so many nations and empires, pre-dating Christianity, embraced the idea of a triune god—nations like Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, India, Germany, Italy, and Norway, to mention a few—that it was natural to influence Greek thought. As the centuries passed, philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and so many others advanced the concept, which found its way into the Hellenist movement causing many of Rome’s citizens to embrace it. So Rome was saturated with the influences of Trinitarian teachings, which had an effect on many of its own pagan religions, like Mithraism, Sol Invictus, Isis, and Epona, to mention a few. (Ask got, or download, your free reprint article: “The Trinity—Is It Biblical?”).
What Is the Original Biblical Teaching?
Clearly, the Bible teaches a completely different idea about the nature of God and how His Godhead is to be understood. The concept that God was somehow broken out into three persons, or hypostases, but still defined as one was completely foreign to the early first-century Christian church. As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul was already warning the Christians of his day to beware of a “mystery of iniquity” at work within the church. Notice: “For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now lets [restrains] will let [restrain], until he be taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Paul was alerting the Christians at Thessalonica, putting them on notice, to be vigilant because if you let these compromises into your mind, they have the potential to take you out of the church.
Paul was very concerned about this influx of pagan teachings. Because of this concern, he appealed for Christians at Thessalonica “to stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15), and urged Christians at Corinth to “remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances [traditions], as I delivered them to you” (1 Corinthians 11:2). And when you look deeply into this Greek word (translated “traditions” or “ordinances”) that is used in both these scriptures, you’ll discover that it is specifically indicative of the Hebrew traditions.
Now this is interesting, because one of the biggest changes the orthodoxy that “morphed” into the Roman Catholic Church targeted was changing the Saturday Sabbath to a Sunday Sabbath, and the substitution of sun worshipping holidays for God’s Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23. The elimination from observing these original Holy Days was a major influence in successfully obfuscating the meaning of mankind’s ultimate human potential and destiny. It was subtle and took centuries to do, but the effect of dismissing God’s Feast Days was indeed instrumental in mischaracterizing and literally hiding God’s ultimate and original purpose for man!
These seven Holy Days are keys to understanding God’s purpose for mankind. They outline His rescue program and how He designed a process to save humanity from extinction. (Request, or download, your free booklet, God’s Seasonal Plan.) Your Bible is clear about this redemption program, which includes the promise of a human metamorphosis—a transitioning from mortal flesh and blood to an immortal substance termed “spirit,” as was described by Christ when talking to Nicodemus (John 3:6–7). When Jesus said you must be “born again,” He really meant it, but in actuality, to literally—metabolically—put on immortality. Paul said it best when he said there is a natural (physical) body and there is a spiritual body. He also said, as we have borne the earthy image, we will also bear the heavenly (spirit) image (1 Corinthians 15:44–57). This particular teaching is revealed in the Holy Days, alongside giving us a step-by-step description of how God is steering the whole salvation process.
And, specifically, this truth about our human potential is lodged in the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles. This is the sixth Holy Day celebration of the seven, and it lasts for seven days. It’s listed in Leviticus 23:34–36 and is essential in defining an extremely important detail about God’s plan and the role human beings will serve in it. There are so many nuances that are embedded in this particular Holy Day that once you begin to embrace and observe it your mind becomes enlightened by the scriptures highlighting the insight from the biblical narratives that explain this seven-day celebration called the Feast of Tabernacles.
There are multiple meanings and metaphors deeply ensconced in many of these Holy Days; they are just pregnant with spiritual meaning. They are insightful reminders that are rich in tapestry and symbolism, and are to be used for our spiritual enrichment. The Feast of Tabernacles is just one of those Holy Days, and it is specific to our destiny and purpose for life. Let me explain.
The Feast of Tabernacles Reveals Mankind’s Destiny
As you become familiar with the scriptures concerning the Kingdom of God you begin to realize that it will be on earth, not in heaven (Isaiah 2:1–4; Micah 4:1–5; Zechariah 14:1–9; Matthew 24:29–31; Mark 13:25–27; Luke 21:27; Revelation 19:11–16)! And when you start connecting the dots, the clarity of our human destiny becomes recognizable.
Notice Revelation 1:6: “And has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. amen.” This is a direct statement describing our roles with Him in the future. Notice again: “And has made us unto our God kings and priests; [now listen to what is said] and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10). So, here again, it is explained we will be kings and priests; but additionally, we will be reigning on the earth with Christ who, we understand, landed on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:9). From there, we will administer the laws of God throughout the world. And it shall cover the whole earth, as the sea covers the seabeds (Habakkuk 2:14). The Feast of Tabernacles represents this!
This will go on for a 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4). Christ will rule the planet with the help of those He raised from the dead and who met Him in the air (John 5:25–29; 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18). When this happens we shall be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, resulting in us being transitioned into an immortal. Notice: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immorality” (1 Corinthians 15:52–53). The Feast of Tabernacles represents this too!
At this time we will be like Him—immortal spirit beings. This is our destiny! To be ultimately converted from flesh and blood to this immortal material called spirit. Keep in mind we are told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). So we must be made of a different substance to get in. This, we are told, will happen at the resurrection, upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).
Contained within the Feast of Tabernacles are these amazing truths about why we were born. But, sadly, this teaching has been substituted with a skewed teaching—a deception—about being with God as a disembodied spirit, living with Him forever in heaven. And yet, clearly, this teaching is not in your Bible! It is an unfortunate misleading doctrine that camouflages mankind from God’s original purpose, which describes His intent to make us “born” sons of God, co-heirs with Christ. Yes, we will become family!
The Temple (specifically, Solomon’s Porch), was the place Jesus cited the passage, “You are gods.”
Paul plainly says God has adopted us. “But you have received the Spirit of adoption.... The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God: and if children [like family], then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified [resurrected as spirit beings] together” (Romans 8:14–17). And at this time we will be like Him. John explains: “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.... Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him [an embodied spirit being]; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–2).
Yes, when Jesus told the Jews, “you are gods,” He knew what He was talking about. He knows that God created mankind in His image for the purpose of reproducing Himself so that he could increase His family. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Colossians 3:14–16).
Yes, God is family, not a Trinity. He intended from the beginning to add to His family and share all He has with us as He now shares with Jesus Christ, His firstborn. This truth has been buried for centuries but is in plain daylight today for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. God wants you in His family and desires for you to make a commitment to Him by repenting and embracing Jesus Christ as your Savior and High Priest. Christ is on a count down from heaven to return and take His rightful position as King of kings and Lord of lords. He’s hopeful He’ll be able to call your name upon His return (John 5:28–29)!