Is Jesus the “God” referred to at
Hebrews 1:8?
No. The weight of the evidence indicates that it is Jehovah. According to the NWT
Hebrews 1:8 says: “But with reference to the Son: ‘God is your [the Son’s] throne forever and ever.’” This shows that Jesus’ throne, his office or authority as a sovereign, has its source in Jehovah the Almighty God.
However, believers in the Trinity prefer the KJV which renders Hebrews 1:8 this way: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Thus, they feel that Jesus is shown to be the same as Almighty God. Why is this not correct?
First, note the context. In many translations, either in the main text or in the margin, Hebrews 1:9 reads, “God,
your God, anointed you.” This makes it clear that the one addressed in verse eight is not God, but one who worships God and is anointed by him.
Secondly, it should be noted that Hebrews 1:8,9 is a quotation from Psalm 45: 6,7 which originally was addressed to a human king of Israel. Surely the writer of this psalm did not think that this human king was Almighty God and neither did the writer of Hebrews think that Jesus was Almighty God. Commenting on this, scholar B. F. Westcott said: “It is scarcely possible that אלוהים [
‘Elo·
himʹ, “God”] in the original can be addressed to the king. . . . Thus on the whole it seems best to adopt in the first clause the rendering:
God is Thy throne (or,
Thy throne is God), that is ‘Thy kingdom is founded upon God.’”
With good reason, therefore, the
New World Translation and a number of other translations render Hebrews 1:8 as, “God is your throne.” check the Bibles: An American Translation, Moffatt; also in the margin of the American Standard Version,
Revised Standard Version, The New English Bible.This makes it clear that the “Son,” Jesus Christ, has a God who is higher than he is.
Those who many say are heretics and cultists that attack the Trinity and the diety of Christ are those who believe the Only Begotten Son is the Word. They believe it was the Only Begotten Son who became human John 1:14 and died for the sins of the world of mankind.
Those who make the statement, "this is the Mystery of God, and the Father, and of Christ." We all should ask ourselves is God a Mystery? What I mean by that is if the Trinity Doctrine were true and in God word would it be beyond our understanding. Doesn't it speak out against the scriptures when someone says the scriptures or a scripture or a set of scriptures are a Mystery and beyond our understanding? Doesn't that go against the scripture 2 Timothy 3:16,17 which says: All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.
Now the scriptures give us many details about as a person, about his qualities and how he deals with mankind. But it also explains that his wisdom and intelligence are beyond human understanding. That's why the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write at Isaiah 55:8,9 that God's ways and thoughts rare much higher than man. So I can understand that full knowledge of God is in some respects beyond our limited understanding. However the doctrines of many churches go beyond the limits of these simple observations.
First, many books acknowledge, as does The New Encyclopedia Britannica
, that “neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament.
The Bible contains enough information for us to worship God in the way acceptable to him. Far from teaching a Trinity, it very clearly reveals the supremacy of Jehovah and the subordinate position of Jesus. For example, Jesus said: “The Father is greater than I am.” John 14:28; 1 Corinthians 15:28 The Bible also indicates that the holy spirit is God’s active force, which directs his faithful servants.
When speaking with a Samaritan woman, Jesus showed that in order for someone to please God, he must worship Him “with spirit and truth.” He added that “the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.” John 4:21-24 It is up to each one of us to search for this accurate knowledge that will bring us blessings if we rely on God’s Word rather than accept man-made, mysterious traditions that betray it.
