The word Elohim in its biblical context and definition can refer to a few things such as:
The one true God (i.e. the God of Israel, the Creator God of all creation known as "I AM", The LORD, 'YHWH', Yahweh)
false gods - that have no true existence.
supernatural spirits (angels and demons)
human leaders (kings, judges)
Bible Lexicons such as Strong's Concordance, the NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries, as well as the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon are all in agreement with each other on this point.
However, there are some groups that will try to redefine this term in order to have it align with their theology, such as claiming that the word Elohim is a “uniplural” noun analogous to the words "church", "group", or “family” thus concluding that "God is a family".
Now in the proper context, this may seem to be in harmony with what the Holy Scriptures reveal, but caution must be exercised here because this line of thinking could distort the actual biblical revelation that there is only one true God who has revealed Himself as three coequal and coeternal Persons described in the Holy Scriptures as the Father, the Son - Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Scriptures and Jesus Christ revealed the nature of the Godhead. The doctrine of the Trinity is an explanation of that revelation. In his article entitled A Brief Definition of the Trinity, Dr. James White offers a simple definition which is this:
“Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal Persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
As a point of fact, the proclamation that "God is a family" and that “there are many Gods” has lead people and groups such as those in Armstrongism and Mormonism, to hold to polytheistic doctrines of deification.
Theism is the belief in the existence of a god or gods, and this is where we get the word "God." Polytheism is the worship of or belief in many gods or more than one god, it comes from the word "poly" meaning, "many". Monotheism is the doctrine or belief that there is but one God.
Groups such as those that adhere to Armstrogism have erroneously concluded the following:
That “Elohim is a plural noun, denoting that God is a Family of divine Beings—not a closed Trinity, which could never admit other sons and daughters of God into the God-plane Family of divine beings.” (Your Ultimate Destiny by Roderick C. Meredith/LCG, pg. 9-10)
That the term “Elohim can and does allow for a plurality of divine Beings in the Family of God” (Your Ultimate Destiny by Roderick C. Meredith/LCG, pg. 9-10)
That there are two separate Gods - Father and Son (Bi-theism - A form of dualism that recognizes two deities; belief in the existence of two Gods or gods), comprising a “God family”
That verses such as Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 2:19; and Ephesians 3:15 are proof that Scripture shows that God is a divine Family made up of more than one Being.
That the plan of the Father and Son is to reproduce Themselves in human beings and so add millions or even billions to the God family (i.e. the Godhead). This means that humans can become God or gods (a full member of the “God family” or Godhead), who are divine/deity (apotheosis - the elevation of someone to divine status; deification), just like the Father and Jesus. Note: Similar to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Armstrongism teaches that the Holy Spirit is not a divine Person but an impersonal force, an “it”, God's divine power that emanates from the Father and Christ.
That Revelation 3:9 indicates that those who have been transformed from human beings to Divine Beings (“God”) at the second coming of Jesus Christ (the first resurrection) will be worthy of receiving the worship of mortal humans. (see: Your Ultimate Destiny by Roderick C. Meredith pg.9-10 and John Ogwyn Bible Study Series - Lesson 94, page 94-13)
The first thing to point out is that in Isaiah 44:6 (NASB) the LORD God Himself clearly says the following:
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘I am the first and I am the last,
And there is no God besides Me.
Additionally, in Isaiah 43:10 (NASB), the LORD God Himself clearly says the following:
“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me."
First, this means that God is saying that He is NOT a "Family of divine Beings", and as such, He is also refuting the idea that the term Elohim is a plural noun denoting that "God is a Family" or that God is a "Family of divine Beings".
Secondly, this also means that God is saying that no one will be "admitted into the God-plane” (i.e. become God), be transformed into Divine Beings, or be made Deity like Him, the One True God. Therefore, humans cannot become God, cannot “be God”, nor become a member of the Godhead.
In Genesis 1:26, God speaks of Himself as more than one Person, not more than one Being. According to Scripture as a whole, each of the Persons of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) was present at creation. Genesis 1:2 describes the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, and John 1:1-3 shows that all things were created through the Word, Christ Jesus.
The Holy Bible clearly shows that you and I can become members of God's family because we have been adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters of the Father (Ephesians 1:5). This is how we are "members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). Becoming a member of God’s family or of His "household" doesn’t mean that "God is a family" or that humans can become a member of the Godhead.
Additionally, Ephesians 3:14-15 is describing the Fatherhood of God as both the Creator of angelic beings and the Maker of humankind.
Lastly, Revelation 3:9 (NKJV) says the following:
"Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you."
Bible Study Tools.com does an excellent job in their commentary on explaining the context of this verse by stating the following:
"The worship would not be to the Philadelphian believers, but before them in recognition that God has loved them and favored them (Dan. 2:46-47; Rev. 3:21+), before whom, someday, every knee will bow (Php. 2:10).” This is an allusion to numerous passages in the OT which indicate that in the Millennium, Gentiles will come and bow down to Israel in recognition that God is with them (Isa. 45:15; Isa. 49:22-23; Isa. 60:14-16). Zechariah described a time when Gentiles would honor faithful Jews because “we have heard that God is with you.” (Zec. 8:20-23)
The word ‘Worship’ is both a noun and a verb. The Holy Bible describes worship but it doesn’t explicitly define what it is. We can gain an understanding of what worship is by studying the various descriptions of worship and how it is referred to in the Scriptures. One thing is clear, and that is what the Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:23-24, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” This means we must worship in the truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit and ensure the object of our worship is the One True God alone. “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13)
The Holy Bible determines worship as centered on and directed only towards the one true God (Psalm 95:6-7; Matthew 4:10), who has revealed Himself as three coequal and coeternal Persons and described in the Holy Scriptures as the Father, the Son - Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. There are no others between the worshipper and the worshipped.
Additionally, all the definitions regarding the word deification have to do with worship. So, if you place someone between you and the one true God, then you are worshipping them and making them equal to God. Nowhere in Scripture are humans commanded to ever worship anyone other than the One True God. The Holy Bible states that the Lord God, the Almighty alone is holy and worthy of worship (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 5:7-10; Matthew 4:10; Revelation 4:8-11; Revelation 15:4).
If we are to exalt, worship, venerate, glorify, adulate and adore someone, the meaning of deification, then, you are making them equal to God, because God, only, is deserving of this kind of attention. We must never allow anyone to try to convince us that human beings can become God and be worshipped and placed equal or on an equal plane in any way, shape, or form with the one true God (the Father, the Son - Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit).
So what this ultimately means is that the glorified saints will not be worshipped, nor worthy to receive the worship of mortal humans.
Another point to mention is that the term “glorified saints” and “glorified spirit beings”, as used within Armstrongism, does not mean that human beings are (or can be) transformed into Divine Beings, or made Deity because humans cannot become God, “be God”, nor become a member of the Godhead.
Adherents of Armstrongism generally do not admit to being polytheists. Instead, they belittle the idea of polytheism and associate it with paganism, while at the same time pointing their fingers at Christians and accuse us of practicing a Counterfeit Christianity because we believe that the doctrine of the Trinity is in harmony with the revelation of Scripture, and thus label us as pagans and Pseudo-Christians for our supposed polytheism.
However, the evidence clearly shows that Armstrongism is polytheistic and thus pagan, because Herbert W. Armstrong and his disciples have redefined the normal use of Biblical words and Christian terminology, and twisted verses from the Holy Bible to fit Herbert W. Armstrong's polytheistic and false theology and world view.
It's very sad when people are ignorant of or blatantly ignore their own church's history and hypocrisy. It's even sadder when they ask for proof, and when given clear and irrefutable evidence against their heretical theology, they refuse to examine it (Acts 17:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
We need to learn how to identify the subtle deceptions Satan continues to employ to cloud the hearts and minds of truth seekers and believers and point people to Christ Jesus (Messiah Yeshua) so that He will remove the veil of deception. As it says in 2 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV), "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed."
Check out these articles which do a great job of giving a clear, biblical explanation about the term Elohim, and refuting the idea that humans can become God or gods.
What is the meaning of the word Elohim? by Got Questions
GOD: IS GOD A FAMILY? by Joseph Tkach
The God Family Controversy Essay by Rick Hoot (Didactic Ministries)
The Armstrong God is a Family Doctrine: A comparison between Armstrongisms "God is a Family" doctrine and the doctrine of the Trinity by Rick Hoot (Didactic Ministries)
The Armstrong Born Again Doctrine by Rick Hoot (Didactic Ministries)
The Armstrong "Born Again" Controversy by Rick Hoot (Didactic Ministries)
"Ye Are Gods?"Orthodox and Heretical Views on the Deification of man by Robert M. Bowman, Jr.(Christian Research Institute)
Can Humans Become Gods? by Dave Miller, Ph.D. (Apologetics Press)
Sources:
Mystery of the Ages by Herbert W. Armstrong, pg. 41-57
The Incredible Human Potential by Hebert W. Armstrong, chapter 7
Your Ultimate Destiny by Roderick C. Meredith-LCG-Tomorrows World, pg. 9-10, 22-23.
John Ogwyn Bible Study series: Lesson 94; page 94-13
Bible Study tools: Revelation 3:9 Commentary
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