Biblical Theology
G03 God: Elohim

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

There Is No Need to Prove the Existence of God

Imagine waking up every morning to see the sun rise. You witness the sky changing colors, the warmth spreading across the land, and the day beginning anew. You feel the gentle breeze, hear the birds singing, and see the flowers blooming. These everyday wonders fill you with a sense of awe and appreciation for the world around you.

Just as you don’t need someone to prove to you that the sun exists because you see its light and feel its warmth daily, you don’t need someone to prove the existence of the gardener who tends to the garden you walk through each day. The care, design, and beauty of the garden speak for themselves, revealing the gardener’s presence and work.

Similarly, the existence of God is evident in the beauty, order, and complexity of the world around us. The intricate design of nature, the vastness of the universe, and the moral order within us all point to a Creator. Just as we recognize the gardener through the garden, we recognize God through His creation. Thus, there is no need to demand proof of God’s existence; His presence is evident in the world we experience every day.

The Bible begins with the verse:

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

The Bible also asserts:

“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 hath shewed it unto them” (Romans 1:18-19).

The Bible does not prove that God exists, nor does it prove that God created all things. The Bible simply affirms that there is one God and that God is the Creator of all things. God, in the person of *God, that is, the Father, has revealed His power and divinity to humanity. The moral consciousness that we call our conscience is, in fact, the holiness of God that He has placed within us. At the same time, He has given us the concept of the existence of a Creator who is above all things, who created all things, protects all things, and governs all things. The Bible confirms the fact that God has given humanity the concept of His existence as follows:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has set eternity in their heart, without which man cannot find out the work that God makes from the beginning even to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 – Literal Translation of the Holy Bible).

Please note that the term “העלם” (ʿôlām) /o-lawm’/ (H5769) in the original Hebrew of the Bible means “eternity.” The King James Version has translated it as “the world” according to the interpretation of the translators, which we do not agree with.

Eternity in the human heart refers to the awareness of the Eternal One, the Self-Existing and Everlasting God.

God does not need to prove His existence to humanity, nor does He need to prove that He created all things. Humanity is already aware of God’s existence, has seen His creation, and has received all things on earth that He has given to them. God only needs to reveal Himself to them. All these revelations are recorded in the Bible. The Bible is the Living Word of God, so the more a person reads, meditates on, and carefully follows it, the more they will understand about God.

Seeing God

There are some arrogant people who say, “Show me God, and I will believe!” Those who say such things are truly pitiable, for they do not recognize the absurdity and ignorance of their own statements. The sun is something created by God, yet they cannot look directly at the sun for even a few minutes without harming their eyes, so how could they look at the One who created the sun? In reality, a person can still see God with the eyes of their spirit and can see the glory of His presence with their physical eyes. The Bible records the experience of Job, a man who lived about 4,000 years ago, as follows:

“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).

And the story of Moses, a man who lived about 3,500 years ago, who asked to see the glory of God, is as follows:

Exodus 33:17-23

17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

The Bible also records two instances of a person being able to see God with spiritual eyes. This vision is called a revelation. The first person is the Prophet Isaiah, and the second person is the Apostle John. Particularly, John not only saw God but also witnessed scenes in heaven, events during the End Times, events in the millennial kingdom, and events in the eternal kingdom, which he detailed in the book of Revelation. Below is the experience of the Prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:1-5

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

The noun translated by the King James Version as “the LORD” in the original Hebrew of the Bible is the word “יְהֹוָה” (Yᵊhōvâ) /yeh-ho-vaw’/ (H3068), with the meaning “the Self-Existing and Everlasting One.”

The words of God, spoken through the Son, say:

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

A pure heart is one that is sincerely repentant, sincerely accepts the salvation of *God, and sincerely obeys the commandments of *God. Those with pure hearts will see God with spiritual eyes, even while living in this physical body, and will face Him, seeing Him with the physical eyes of a resurrected or transformed body, in His kingdom.

The Bible straightforwardly calls those who deny the existence of God foolish:

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good” (Psalm 14:1).

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good” (Psalm 53:1).

Elohim (‘ĕlōhîm)

The noun “God” in the first Bible verse quoted above and in hundreds of other verses in the Old Testament of the Bible is translated from the noun “אֱלֹהִים” (‘ĕlōhîm) /el-o-heem’/ (H430) in Hebrew.

The term “‘ĕlōhîm” appears 617 times in the original Hebrew Bible. The symbol H430 is used for the term “‘ĕlōhîm” in the Hebrew-English Strong’s dictionary to help those unfamiliar with Hebrew characters easily find the word. The Strong’s symbol has become the standard symbol used by other dictionaries as well.

“‘ĕlōhîm” is a plural noun; when used in its usual sense, it means “gods,” referring to the spiritual entities created by God, such as angels, or to refer to divine beings in religious beliefs. The divine beings in religious beliefs can be false gods, meaning they are not real, just human-made images, or they can be evil spirits, meaning sinful angels, opposing God, worshipped by people. Since it is a plural noun, verbs or adjectives accompanying “‘ĕlōhîm” must also be in plural form.

When the Bible uses “‘ĕlōhîm” as a proper noun, it is only used to refer to the absolute, unique, and singular Creator God, and verbs or adjectives accompanying it must be in singular form. In other words, the Bible uses the plural noun “‘ĕlōhîm” as a singular proper noun to refer to the Creator God.

In the usage of Hebrew, a plural noun can be used as a collective noun to indicate quantity, but it can also be used as a proper noun to indicate superior quality. Below are typical examples from the Bible:

The plural noun “בְּהֵמָה” (bᵊhēmâ) /be-hay-maw’/ (H929), when used as a collective noun, indicates the quantity of animals:

“Ask the animals (bᵊhēmâ), and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7).

But when used as a proper noun, it denotes “a mighty animal” superior to others:

“Behold now behemoth (bᵊhēmâ), which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.” (Job 40:15).

In this sentence, the noun “behemot” (bᵊhēmâ) is used with the singular verb “eats.” The noun “behemot” in this context does not refer to many animals but denotes a mighty animal superior to others. This could be a type of dinosaur.

The plural noun “‘ĕlōhîm,” when used as a collective noun, denotes the quantity “there are many gods,” such as:

“Thou shalt have no other gods (‘ĕlōhîm) before Me.” (Exodus 20:3).

But when used as a proper noun, it denotes a Supreme Deity superior to other gods:

“In the beginning God (‘ĕlōhîm) created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

In this sentence, the noun “‘ĕlōhîm” is used with the singular verb “created.” Therefore, the term “‘ĕlōhîm” does not mean many gods but denotes the Supreme Deity superior to other gods.

English Bible translations have translated “‘ĕlōhîm” as “God” when this noun is used as a proper noun to refer to the Creator. In cases where “‘ĕlōhîm” is used as a plural collective noun, English Bible translations render it as “gods,” meaning “the divine beings” created by God, including angels, evil spirits, or false gods in religions.

God Is One of Three Persons

Firstly, we need to distinguish between an entity and a person. An entity is a real substance, while a person is the moral consciousness, will, and functions (perception, analysis, reasoning, and feelings) of an entity. Not every entity has personhood. Dust, stones, plants, and animals are entities, but they do not have personhood. God, angels, and humans are entities with personhood.

There is only one God entity who is self-existing and eternal. The God entity manifests in three persons known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

There are numerous angelic entities created by God; each angelic entity manifests in one person. We do not know how God created the angels, when, or how many angels were created, as the Bible does not explain.

There is only one human entity created by God. After creating humans, God divided humanity into two persons: male and female. The male and female persons of humanity combine, giving birth to new male and female persons. These new persons then combine to produce other new persons, collectively known as the human race. Each human person is called a human being. There is only one human race, but humanity is manifested in many persons.

The Bible always affirms that there is only one God (‘ĕlōhîm), and we know that the Bible uses the term God (‘ĕlōhîm) as a singular proper noun to refer to the Creator.

However, God is not a single person; but God is one entity consisting of three persons. God Himself uses the majestic pronoun “we” to refer to Himself.

The term “one” in both Hebrew and Greek, the two languages God used to express Himself to humanity, carries two different meanings.

• Singular in quantity: one entity, one unit. For example, one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom.

• Unity and cohesion in quality: unity. For example, a water molecule (comprising two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom).

In the sense of “singular in quantity” commonly used, the term “one” also implies unity and cohesion. For example:

• One day is the unity and cohesion of “evening and morning” (Genesis 1).

• One week is the unity and cohesion of seven days.

• One person is the unity and cohesion of soul, spirit, and flesh.

• One family is the unity and cohesion of parents and children.

• One clan represents the unity and cohesion of many families.

And so on.

The statement “There is only one God” means that apart from God, there is no other entity that is God. But the entity of God is the unity and cohesion of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There are three persons but only one entity of God.

The Father is God, but different from the Son and different from the Holy Spirit. The Son is God, but different from the Father and different from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but different from the Father and different from the Son. All three persons exist from eternity to eternity; all are absolute and transcendent in one entity.

Illustration: The Three Persons of God in One Entity
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.svg

“One God” or “God is one” means that the persons of God (self-identified as “we”) are united. When the Lord Jesus Christ said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), clearly, this statement of the Lord Jesus Christ does not mean that He and the Father are one person. The very terms “father” and “son” imply different persons, one proceeding from the other.

The human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ proceeds from *God when He was born of the virgin Mary; however, the divine nature of God the Word does not proceed from the divine nature of God the Father. The Word and *God both self-exist, as John 1:1 declares.

The following comparisons, while not perfect (no comparison is perfect), can still help us understand the truth: “There is only one God, and God is one in three persons.”

1. There is only one United Nations organization with many states as its members to serve the purpose of maintaining peace worldwide and fostering friendship among hundreds of different nations.

2. There is only one United States government that operates through three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. They operate with a system of checks and balances to ensure that no single branch becomes too powerful. This separation of powers is a crucial part of the Constitution’s design. Here’s how the three branches interact:

a. Legislative Branch (Congress):

• • • Makes laws through the House of Representatives and the Senate.

    • Checks on the Executive Branch by overriding presidential vetoes, approving treaties, and confirming appointments.

    • Checks on the Judicial Branch by impeaching and removing judges.

b. Executive Branch (President and Federal Agencies):

• • • The President enforces and administers the laws passed by Congress.

    • Checks on the Legislative Branch by vetoing bills and calling special sessions of Congress.

    • Checks on the Judicial Branch by appointing federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.

c. Judicial Branch (Supreme Court and Federal Courts):

• • • Interprets the meaning of laws and applies them to individual cases.

    • Checks on the Legislative Branch by reviewing the constitutionality of laws.

    • Checks on the Executive Branch by reviewing the constitutionality of presidential actions and executive orders.

These checks and balances create a system of shared power and oversight. For example, Congress can pass a law, but the President can veto it. The Supreme Court can then rule on whether the law is constitutional or not. Similarly, the president appoints federal judges, but Congress must confirm them.

The three branches also work together in various ways. The President can propose legislation, but Congress must pass it. The Supreme Court can strike down laws or executive actions as unconstitutional, but Congress can propose constitutional amendments to override the Court’s decisions.

This system of checks and balances aims to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful and ensures that the three branches remain independent but also interdependent, creating a balance of power and accountability.

Even within the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis, the Old Testament Bible has hinted to us that God has multiple persons, as His words in the following sentences reveal:

“And God 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” (Genesis 1:26).

“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” (Genesis 3:22).

“Go to, let Us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:7).

Though God is manifested in three persons, there are not three Gods. The term “God” must be understood as a noun used to refer to a single entity, self-existing and eternal, consisting of three persons united as one. Each person is infinite, eternal, and immutable; omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient; all-loving, all-good, and all-perfect, known as divine attributes, the unique qualities of God. We will delve into these divine attributes in the following chapters.

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
07/17/2013