Deification

[aron]

Deification: my own take is that “becoming God” has two parts, both worth noting. First, “becoming”… not sure what text supports that? It says humans will be “like” God, in Genesis 3:5, Exodus 4:16, 7:1. And also in the NT 1 John 3:2 says, “But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is.”

Now, my dog is like my cat; both are furry household pets. But let’s not conflate my dog with my cat. Certainly with the redeemed and forgiven sinner there’s re-birth, transformation, the promise of future glory. But deification? Luke 9:26 (KJV) says, “… ashamed of me and of my own words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and [in his] Father’s, and of the holy angels”. Here you have the Father, Son and holy angels appearing together in glory. But we don’t use this parallel presentation to conflate the holy angels with God. Shared glory doesn’t mean “becoming God.”

The whole thing seems to be exercise in speculation, tenuously connected to scripture (which I’ve also done occasionally -- but I don’t pretend my speculations equal truth or reality itself).

Next is “God”. My experience was to find a section which kind of hangs everything together. For me it was the scene of Revelation chapter 1. On the throne there is the one who is, and who was, and who is coming. God. Before the throne are seven spirits. Now, I do conflate these with the seven angels to the seven churches (the lamp stands). They are the eyes of God which run to and fro throughout the earth. When Hagar spoke to one of these messengers she said, “You are the God who sees me”. They are God, operationally, by extension, but arguably they’re also serving spirits.

Then there is whom I refer to as the LOGOS before the throne. This is the Word of God; who’s also God, operationally (see eg John chapter 1), and who’s probably akin to the “son of man” appearing before the enthroned “ancient of days” in Daniel 7. When the Logos speaks God speaks, because Logos doesn’t speak of His own will but of God who sent Him. The Roman centurion helped me greatly here: “I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to this one….” The centurion, though not conflated with Caesar, is operationally “Caesar” to his troops. When he speaks, Caesar speaks through him. So you have distinctness yet oneness. The Firstborn Son is the unique, singular emanation, the effulgence of the glory of God.

Anyway, that helped me see the unique God of Israel yet understand how Christ and the Holy Spirit, or Great Angel, could be seen, operationally, as “God.” Look how many times in the OT the appearing spirit being is referred to as “an angel” and also as God. I can think of probably half-a-dozen, anyway. But God is still one, there on the throne.

None of this, however, suggests that we redeemed and transformed sinners become “God” in any definition of God that I understand. I rather trend my thinking in more conservative directions. But I may be wrong.

[aron]

Originally Posted by aron

Anyway, that helped me see the unique God of Israel yet understand how Christ and the Holy Spirit, or Great Angel, could be seen, operationally, as “God.” Look how many times in the OT the appearing spirit being is referred to as “an angel” and also as God. I can think of probably half-a-dozen, anyway. But God is still one, there on the throne.

Acts 7:35 "This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

God appeared to Moses in Exodus, and an angel appeared to him according to Stephen. I see this happening repeatedly in the text. There appears to be some overlap, conceptually. A ministering, or messenger spirit, also called "God."