#two powers

Use the Fancy Art Supplies

I’ve been thinking lately about the Winning of the Waters myth.  In brief, the Winning of the Waters is when one deity hoards all of the blessings and other “good stuff” for themselves.  They are often described with imagery relating to dragons, and the hoarding of wealth.  Then another deity acts as the hero who fights on behalf of mankind to get the Waters (the blessings, good stuff, the hoard)…

Yahweh exists in two "powers" in the OT, something Jesus knew and quoted himself as; I'll illustrate.

Look at Genesis 19:24

Yahweh rained down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah Yahweh occurs twice in this verse (“Yahweh rained … fire from Yahweh”). In this and other passages, Yahweh refers to Himself in the third person, and other persons (e.g., the Angel of Yahweh; see Exod 3:1–2; 23:20–23) are also referred to as God. Judaism gradually developed the notion of “two powers” in heaven (not dualistic “good and evil” powers, but both good), which was the precursor to the idea of a godhead more fully expressed in the nt.(FSB)

This occurs throughout the OT.

angel of the Lord passages include,

As the Angel of the Lord to Hagar, Gen. 16:7-13.

As the Angel of the Lord to Abraham and Isaac, Gen. 22:9-18.

As the Angel of the Lord in the burning bush, Ex. 3:2-10.

As the Angel of the Lord who brought God’s people out of Egypt, Nu. 20:16.

As the Angel of the Lord who opposed Balaam, Num 22:22-35

As the Angel of the Lord who brought God’s people to the Promised Land, Ju. 2:1-4.

As the Angel of the Lord who cursed those who failed to help Israel, Ju. 5:23

As the Angel of the Lord who raised up Gideon, Ju. 6:11-24.

As the Angel of the Lord who raised up Samson, Ju. 13:13-22

As the Angel of the Lord bringing judgment on Israel, II Sam. 24:15-17; I Chron. 21:12-27.

As the Angel of the Lord who ministers to Elijah, I Kings 19:1-7, II Kings 1:3, 15.

As the Angel of the Lord killing 185,000 troops in one night, II Kings 19:35; Is. 37:36.

As the Angel of the Lord  as the protector of God’s people, Ps. 34:7, 35:5-6.

As the Angel of the Lord as the Word of the Lord, Zech. 1:7-17.

As the Angel of the Lord defending against the accusations of Satan, Zech. 3:1-10.

In many instances this is M'lach Adonai acting as Yahweh, for example:

The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked—and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed! So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”Ex.  3

The M'lach Adonai here IS Yahweh.

Moses sees the M'lach Adonai,then the Lord (YHWH) spoke. There's only one in the fire.

Once again, the M'lach Adonai is Yahweh here,

But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me,” Gen. 22:11-12.

Once again, Jacob speaks of the M'lach Adonai as both YHWH and angel, pay attention, it's singular, and it's also singular in the Hebrew,

Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family,’” Gen. 31:11-13.

And the angel of HaShem appeared unto him, and said unto him: 'The HaShem is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.' And Gideon said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, if HaShem be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying: Did not HaShem bring us up from Egypt? but now HaShem hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.' And HaShem turned towards him, and said: 'Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian; have not I sent thee?' And he said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.' And HaShem said unto him: 'Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man,' Judges 6:12-16

These are but a few, and this is why Jesus said,

Jesus said to them, John 8:58 “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!(YHWH)”

Jesus is the second visible Yahweh, part of, but separate from, the unseen Yahweh. 

Godspeed,

Our current Senior Druid at Three Cranes Grove, ADF, Shawneen, did a wonderful Two Powers attunement at last night’s Grove meeting, and we happened to catch it on audio recording.

The Two Powers meditation, as recorded by Rev. Michael J Dangler (Tumblr user: chronarchy). May you be supported by the land, surrounded by the sea, and bright beneath the sky!