The Unapproachable God
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Exodus 33:20
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:16
For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
God has isolated Himself from His creation by a shield that cannot be penetrated, not because He doesn’t want contact with us, but for our protection, because His divine glory and nature would destroy any sinful human that approached. This is similar to the way that radioactive elements are isolated behind a protective shield so those working with them are not exposed to the danger of the radiation. Jesus has the same Divine nature but has veiled it and come forth to be in contact with us. He stepped out from the impenetrable (and dangerous to us) Divine glory in a visible human form that we could tolerate and comprehend.
The Approachable God
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:18
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:8-10
I and my Father are one. John 10:30
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: Colossians 1:15
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Hebrews 1:3
This verse is describing Jesus as a small sample of God, like a small static spark compared to the lightning bolt of God’s true glory, or a beam of light that shines through a small aperture that allows a glimpse of the intense brilliance that is on the other side. He is a visible, engraved object, a sculpture, that displays the essence of an invisible God.
The Son of God
Jesus is in the role of a “Son” as He gives all glory to the Father, obeys in everything, is in submission, etc. God is the Father, Jesus is the Son; God is the King, Jesus is the Prince.
The Father and the Son are “one” like a husband and wife are one. They are not a singularity but a unity. In a sinful system and from a human perspective, only one can be supreme. In the heavenly order, that Supreme One at this time is the Father. “Theos” (the Greek word for God in the New Testament) means “Supreme One.” Jesus is the same as the Father, one with the Father, equal in every way with the Father, truly Divine as much as the Father is Divine, but He accepted a submissive and subservient role in order to bring us to the Father.
Jesus is called the “Son of God,” but He is also called the “Shepherd,” the “Rock,” the “Bread,” etc. He is not literally those things but the metaphors are necessary to reveal to finite humans some important aspects of His essence and character that will allow us to comprehend Him.
The Only Begotten Son
We are told that Jesus, the Son of God, was begotten. Does that mean that, for a period of time in past eternity, God the Father existed alone, and then decided to give birth to a Son?
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begottenH3205 thee. Psalm 2:7
from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary–
H3205 ילד yâlad yaw-lad’
A primitive root; to bear young; causatively to beget; medically to act as midwife; specifically to show lineage: – bear, beget, birth ([-day]), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail (-eth, -ing woman).
Here are some other verses that use the same Hebrew word (H3205) to describe other things that are “brought forth” or “begotten.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forthH3205 vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. Job 15:35
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begottenH3205 the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath genderedH3205 it? Job 38:, 2929
Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forthH3205 falsehood. Psalm 7:14
Before the mountains were brought forth,H3205 or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalm 90:2
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forthH3205 iniquity. Isaiah 59:4
Are vanity, dew, frost, falsehood, mountains, or iniquity actually born from a womb as a child is born?
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.H3205 Proverbs 27:1
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be bornH3205 at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forthH3205 her children. Isaiah 66:8
Does a day give birth to something as a mother gives birth to a child? Did Zion give birth to babies?
In the New Testament, Jesus is called the “only-begotten” Son of God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begottenG3439 of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begottenG3439 Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:18
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begottenG3439 Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begottenG3439 Son of God. John 3:18
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begottenG3439 Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9
from Strong’s Greek Dictionary–
G3439 μονογενής monogenēs mon-og-en-ace
From G3441 and G1096; only born, that is, sole: – only (begotten, child).
Some understand these verses to mean that Jesus was born at some point in the obscure past, which then leads to the conclusion that He is not an eternal Being. Yet the Bible also describes Him as eternal, existing in the beginning with God (John 1:1), being the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending (Revelation 1:8, 11), etc. How can He be “born” and yet be eternal?
When the Bible states that Jesus is the “only begotten Son” of God, it does not necessarily mean that He was born to the Heavenly Father as a human child is born to its mother, thus coming into existence some time later than the Father. It merely means that He came forth from the Father to be visible and accessible for interaction with His creation. He was born into this world as the literal child of a human mother in order to make the infinite God and His Truth understandable to finite humans.
The Status of the Only-begotten Son
There is another aspect of this role of the only begotten Son that enters this discussion. Abraham was told to offer Isaac, his “only son,” “his only begotten son,” as a burnt offering.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. Genesis 22:2
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Hebrews 11:17
In spite of these statements, we know that Abraham had other sons–Ishmael by Hagar and several others by Keturah.
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. Genesis 16:15
Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. Genesis 25:1, 2
But Isaac was the true son of the original marriage between Abraham and Sarah and he was the only one who inherited any of Abraham’s property.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child (Ishmael), and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. Genesis 21:14
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines (secondary wives: Hagar and Keturah), which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. Genesis 25:5, 6
Since Isaac had the status of being the only true son, he had exclusive birthright–there were no other sons to divide the inheritance with.
There are / were other beings known as “sons of God” but Jesus is the “only begotten” Son of God. He is unique in that role. He has it by inheritance, sharing a certain one-ness with the Father that no other can share. Others are considered sons by creation, adoption, redemption, etc.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? . . . When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:4, 7
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Hebrews 1:4
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4:5
Since Jesus is the only true Son, He inherits all from His Father. And then, in His gracious character, He shares it with His adopted siblings, the saints, when they go to live with Him in His Father’s house.
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. John 3:35
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:15
The Status of the Firstborn Son
Jesus is also referred to as the Firstborn.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: Colossians 1:15
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Hebrews 12:23
The firstborn son had a superior status in the family. He had the birthright, making him the leader, the patriarch of the family, and he inherited twice as much of his father’s estate as his brothers. Jesus has a similar preeminence.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18
In referring to Jesus as “the Firstborn” we should not think of Him as the first being that was “born” to the Father, in some way born as a mother bears children. He is eternal; He did not have a birth beginning. He was given the status of Firstborn. There are several instances in the Bible where that status was conferred on someone even though they were not actually the first one born.
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. Exodus 4:22, 23
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; Numbers 3:12
Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief;) 1 Chronicles 26:10
I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: . . . Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. Psalm 89:20, 27 (David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse.)
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Jeremiah 31:9 (Ephraim was the younger of Joseph’s two sons and Joseph himself was second to the youngest of Jacob’s twelve sons.)
King of kings and Lord of lords
Both the Father and the Son are referred to with the same title–King of kings, Lord of lords.
the Father–
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15, 16
the Son–
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:14
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16
from the throne of the universe–
Jesus might have remained at the Father’s side. He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the homage of the angels. But He chose to give back the scepter into the Father’s hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing. The Desire of Ages, p. 22, 23
Jesus stepped down temporarily from being Supreme Deity but will be reinstated to His former position when all the processes of the Plan of Salvation have been completed.