Israel’s Lord

Israel’s Lord reviews Second Temple Jewish literature, finding that many texts describe a concept known as "two powers" in heaven. The two powers concept provides a helpful paradigm for reading New Testament texts and their varying depictions of Jesus as the "Lord" of Israel.

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Israel’s Lord addresses the nature of Jewish monotheism in the Second Temple period, especially in relation to a concept known as "two powers" in heaven. Wilhite and Winn review the various figures that were depicted as the second power in heaven, such as God's Word, God’s Wisdom, the Angel of the Lord, the Son of Man, and others. By establishing a set of criteria by which to evaluate whether ancient Jews from this period would consider a certain figure divine, the authors re-assess the various candidates, finding some, but not all, to be rightly described as the second power in heaven – that is, the figure who appeared in Israel’s scriptures and was also called YHWH. This two powers paradigm provides a way forward for studying this period in general and the rise of Christianity in particular. The debate about Jesus' divinity depends in large part on what options were available for the earliest Christians when considering his titles and status. Since a second power figure is found in a wide array of sources, the authors contend that this should inform any reading of New Testament texts and their varying depictions of Jesus as the "Lord" of Israel.