Make men in our image...

[mcorba]

Make men in our image... (Genesis)

Do those who have studied the OT in depth feel this means:
a. there were lesser gods?
b. it refers to God and his Angels?
c. The word - Our - can be translated back to have a different meaning?

Your comments are valued.

M

 

[aspen]

I believe we are made in God's imagine, plural. I know some people reject this passage are pointing to the Trinity, but I believe it does.

I believe it means that we have the capacity to love and relate to one another, like God.

 

[tomwebster]

Make men in our image... (Genesis)

Do those who have studied the OT in depth feel this means:
a. there were lesser gods?
b. it refers to God and his Angels?
c. The word - Our - can be translated back to have a different meaning?

Your comments are valued.

M

Gen 1:26 And God (H430) said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

אלהים , 'ĕlôhı̂ym, Elohim in the ancient Paleo Hebrew text is "God and His angels."

 

[Duckybill]

Gen 1:26 And God (H430) said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

אלהים , 'ĕlôhı̂ym, Elohim in the ancient Paleo Hebrew text is "God and His angels."

Are you implying that God's angels created us? Please elaborate.

 

[mcorba]

Thanks guys that is very useful - the angels idea is in my bible commentary.
I hadnt actually thought it may be referring to the Trinity also.

 

[Duckybill]

Colossians 1:16 (ESV)
[sup]16 [/sup]For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

 

[tomwebster]

Are you implying that God's angels created us? Please elaborate.

Angels cannot create anything, and you know it. But they were there. We are made in their image just like Christ was made in the image of God. We look just like we did in the first earth age, but I know you don't understand that.

 

[Duckybill]

Angels cannot create anything, and you know it. But they were there. We are made in their image just like Christ was made in the image of God. We look just like we did in the first earth age, but I know you don't understand that.

The US and OUR is the Creator, which is clearly stated. The angels part is merely imagination. The first earth age? More imagination.

 

[tomwebster]

The US and OUR is the Creator, which is clearly stated. The angels part is merely imagination. The first earth age? More imagination.

I said you didn't understand it and I was right, you don't. Someday you will, until then, sleep on.

 

[Duckybill]

I said you didn't understand it and I was right, you don't. Someday you will, until then, sleep on.

Your self proclaimed wisdom is, well, just that, self proclaimed.

 

[veteran]

Gen 1:26
26 Wayo'mer 'Elohiym Na`ªseh 'aadaam



559 430 6213 120
And said, God Let Us make man
(Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright © 1994 by Biblesoft)

Elohiym is the reference there to God. We know That means The Triune God, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit per the rest of God's Word. Hebrew Elohiyim is used for God in much of The Old Testament, but also for 'gods' regarding false worship. This is no doubt why our Heavenly Father gave more specific Names for Himself, like Yahaveh (YHVH) and 'I AM THAT I AM'.

But Na'seh for "Let Us make" is a verb, action, to make.

 

[Disciple]

His son Jesus existed from the begginning, so it is clear who the 'us' is.

 

[Groundzero]

Make men in our image... (Genesis)

Do those who have studied the OT in depth feel this means:
a. there were lesser gods?
b. it refers to God and his Angels?
c. The word - Our - can be translated back to have a different meaning?

Your comments are valued.

M

"“LETUS MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE” (Genesis 1:26)

TRINITARIANS argue that thisverse shows a trinity of Divine persons, but the verse immediately followingsays, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.”Notice the use of the singular personal pronouns. John 1:3, 10 makes it clearthat creation was the work of One Divine Person. “The world was made by Him”(Jesus). Isaiah 44:24 is crystal clear on this point. God speaks in the firstperson and says, “I am the Lord that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself.”Could language be plainer? Creation is the work of One Divine Person only (seeJames 2:19, Mal. 2:1U).

Angels were present when Godmade the world (see Job 38:7), and they applauded His creative acts. Jehovahconverses with angels (see Psalm 103:20). The Jews have always believed thatthe us of Gen. 1:26 refers to God and the angels. A careful study of Gen. 3:23,24, where the “us” again appears, reveals that God is addressing the cherubimor elect angels who, together with himself, “knew good and evil.”

Man is certainly made in thelikeness of angels (Hebrews 2:7). Indeed, when angels appeared in Bible timesthey were often simply called men (see Acts 1:10). “Us,” relative to God andthe angels, is seen again in Gen. 11:7, where God indicates to the angels that Babel’s hour of judgmenthad come, “Let Us go down and confound them.” As at Sodom, God, in conjunction with the angels,executed the work of vengeance (Gen. 18:33 and 19: 1). Isaiah 6:1-8 iscrystal-clear concerning the identity of the “Us.” It is God and the seraphims.Angels cannot preach the Gospel (see Acts 10: I 8, but they are deeplyinterested in its propagation ( 1 Peter 1:12). A true Gospel preacher speaksfor Jehovah and all His angels.

Remember,we do not say that angels helped at creation. In humility the great God ofheaven revealed to them His intentions. Some people see a major objection toall this in Isaiah 40: 12-13. Let them read the passage carefully, it does notclash with our proposition, it does not say that God refuses to counsel withangels-it simply states that no one, as His counsellor, teaches or instructsthe Almighty. God does counsel with angels. Why, bless your heart, He evencounsels with men. He counselled with Abraham (Gen. 18:17) about Sodom, and not onlycounselled but permitted the man Abraham to actually bargain with Him.Nevertheless, neither Abraham or the angels ever taught God anything."

 

[Groundzero]

Are you implying that God's angels created us? Please elaborate.

No. What is being said is that angels were present, which we know is a fact, and that God was kind enough to let them know what he was doing. No doubt he confers with them just like he does with man. e.g. abraham.
If we are going to insist that it was referring to the Trinity, we have some serious problems as that contradicts what the Bible states. The Bible states that ONE made the world: Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Either the Scriptures are wrong, or the thinking of whoever it is is wrong. If the Scriptures are wrong, God help us.

 

[aspen]

No. What is being said is that angels were present, which we know is a fact, and that God was kind enough to let them know what he was doing. No doubt he confers with them just like he does with man. e.g. abraham.
If we are going to insist that it was referring to the Trinity, we have some serious problems as that contradicts what the Bible states. The Bible states that ONE made the world: Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Either the Scriptures are wrong, or the thinking of whoever it is is wrong. If the Scriptures are wrong, God help us.

The Trinity is One.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

Ha! I have no idea what it means !!

Angels, Triune God - over my head!

What I'd like to know is what the heck is meant by "in our image", period!!!
His image, our image -- if I could come into full realization of what that means - man-o-man -
I believe it would change my life.

The glory of what that must mean...whew...I do try...Dr. Caroline Leaf's book opened my eyes to
a whole new take...researching our brains and how they can / could interface with more than we can actually imagine!
I mean here, look at this:

"...you have approx. 3 million years' worth of storage space for information in your brain!" (pg 16, Who Switched Off My Brain?)

"At any one moment, your brain is creatively performing about 400 billion actions,
of which you are only conscious of around 2000." pg 4

I have no idea what is meant - fully - that we are made in His image!!!!



Edit: Oh, sorry if this was off topic a bit....

 

[gregg]

Ha! I have no idea what it means !!

Angels, Triune God - over my head!

What I'd like to know is what the heck is meant by "in our image", period!!!
His image, our image -- if I could come into full realization of what that means - man-o-man -
I believe it would change my life.

The glory of what that must mean...whew...I do try...Dr. Caroline Leaf's book opened my eyes to
a whole new take...researching our brains and how they can / could interface with more than we can actually imagine!
I mean here, look at this:

"...you have approx. 3 million years' worth of storage space for information in your brain!" (pg 16, Who Switched Off My Brain?)

"At any one moment, your brain is creatively performing about 400 billion actions,
of which you are only conscious of around 2000." pg 4

I have no idea what is meant - fully - that we are made in His image!!!!



Edit: Oh, sorry if this was off topic a bit....

Miss H.here is my view,man was made male and female in one body, then God seperated those genes then we have eve.God said he closed up the flesh under. this is part of Gods inward person that he created,in his image.this is the mistery of when a man and women become one as they were at the creation of man.

 

[veteran]

The New Testament Scripture declares that Christ is God, just as the Old Testament Scriptures declares too. The NT gives more detail on that, even showing us that ALL things were created by and through Christ Jesus. Jesus declared to Philip that if he had seen Him then he had seen The Father. Matthew 1 declares Christ Jesus as Emmanuel from Isaiah 7, which means God with us. At the end of John 8, Jesus declared Himself as The 'I AM', which is one of the sacred names of God. In Isaiah 9, Christ is referred to as the Almighty God, and Heavenly Father.

So there's no way to confuse Elohiym in the Hebrew of Genesis 1:26 with mere angels. It is put for God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit.

 

[Duckybill]

The New Testament Scripture declares that Christ is God, just as the Old Testament Scriptures declares too. The NT gives more detail on that, even showing us that ALL things were created by and through Christ Jesus. Jesus declared to Philip that if he had seen Him then he had seen The Father. Matthew 1 declares Christ Jesus as Emmanuel from Isaiah 7, which means God with us. At the end of John 8, Jesus declared Himself as The 'I AM', which is one of the sacred names of God. In Isaiah 9, Christ is referred to as the Almighty God, and Heavenly Father.

So there's no way to confuse Elohiym in the Hebrew of Genesis 1:26 with mere angels. It is put for God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit.

Well said Vet!

Jn 1 The Word was God... The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...

 

[FHII]

Make men in our image... (Genesis)

Do those who have studied the OT in depth feel this means:
a. there were lesser gods?
b. it refers to God and his Angels?
c. The word - Our - can be translated back to have a different meaning?

Your comments are valued.

M

I find it interesting that people focuses on the word "us". Clearly a plural word. When I first read this thread, what came to my mind was that it was just a bit off.... God didn't make men in his image, he made a man in his image. We today, are not in the image of God. God made Adam. He was at that time immortal and both male and female. He fell to what we are know. I have a feeling (which means this is my opinion) that Adam was the same type of being Jesus was after he rose from the dead. He didn't have blood, he could walk through walls but he could still manifest a fleshly body. By the way, while he invited THomas to touch him, Thomas never did.... We get the term "Doubting Thomas" from this incident, but while Thomas did doubt, in the end he had enough Faith to believe what he saw and heard. He didn't need to put his finger in the nail hole.

But again, God made Adam in his image. We aren't like Adam was when he was first created. After Genesis 3, yea... That's us.