The Hebrew Bible is clear in its proclamation that Jehovah/Yahweh alone sits enthroned in heaven over the whole creation:

“Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men.” Psalm 11:4

“Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens. His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:19

“Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high, Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?” Psalm 113:4-6

The Old Testament (OT) is also emphatic in stating that Yahweh alone is exalted far above all creation:

“that they may know that you ALONE, whose name is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth.” Psalm 83:18

“For you, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth. You are exalted FAR ABOVE all gods.” Psalm 97:9

“let them praise Yahweh’s name, for his name ALONE is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the heavens.” Psalm 148:13

The Jewish Scriptures further proclaim that all the nations belong to Jehovah as his rightful inheritance:

“Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.” Psalm 82:8

This is why every person in the entire world is expected to pay homage to Jehovah in recognition of his being the only just God who is able to save:

“Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me. ‘Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to ME every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.’” Isaiah 45:21-23

This is where it gets interesting.

The OT declares that the Messianic King is God’s uniquely begotten Son that sits enthroned at Yahweh’s right hand as Lord (Adon/Adonai), and who possesses all the nations as his inheritance. God’s anointed Ruler is also described as being the One who will destroy the nations and their kings if they fail to honor and submit to him:

“Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath: ‘Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.’ I will tell of the decree: Yahweh said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your father. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore be wise, you kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Give sincere homage to the Son, lest HE be angry, and you perish on the way, for HIS wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in HIM.” Psalm 2:1-12

“Yahweh says to my Lord (Adoni), ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.’ Yahweh will send out the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule among your enemies. Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your power, in holy array. Out of the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth. Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord (Adonai) is at your right hand. HE will crush kings in the day of HIS wrath. HE will judge among the nations. HE will heap up dead bodies. HE will crush the ruler of the whole earth. HE will drink of the brook on the way; therefore HE will lift up HIS head.” Psalm 110:1-7

To be seated at the right hand of Yahweh is simply a poetic way of saying that the Messiah is a co-occupant of God’s heavenly throne:

“… While the reference to the ‘right hand’ of Yahweh is entirely metaphorical, and as such implies a position of honor, it does connote something of a symbolic world that the psalmist seeks to convey. As scholars have noted Egyptian iconography frequently depicts the ‘co-enthronement’ of the king with the deity. The language of the ‘right hand’ is suggestive of a symbolic world in which the king participates in the rule of Yahweh over the world. Or put differently, the psalmist envisions the king of Zion as a ‘throne companion’ of Yahweh…” (Psalms: The NIV Application Commentary, W. Dennis Tucker Jr. & Jamie A. Grant [Zondervan Academic, Grand Rapids, MI 2018], Volume 2, p. 592; bold emphasis mine)

This explains why God’s royal Son could be said to share in Yahweh’s status of being the Most High over the rulers of the world:

“He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ Yes, I will make him the firstborn. He will be the Most High (Elyon) to the kings of the earth.” Psalm 89:26-27 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) 

This is further confirmed by what the prophet Daniel wrote:

“I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were opened… I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that which will not be destroyed… But the saints of the Most High (Elyonin) will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever… until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High (Elyonin), and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom… The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High (Elyonin). His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’ Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 22, 27

Daniel sees thrones belonging to two distinct divine Persons, namely, the Ancient of Days, e.g. God the Father, and the One like the Son of Man, whom both Jewish tradition and the New Testament (NT) identify as the Messiah.

The Son of Man is described in language, which the Hebrew Bible reserves for Jehovah. For example, the Son of Man rides the clouds of heaven like Jehovah does,

“There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies.” Deuteronomy 33:26

“Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!… to him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.” Psalm 68:4, 33-34

“He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.” Psalm 104:3

“The burden of Egypt. ‘Behold, Yahweh rides on a swift cloud, and comes to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt will melt within it.’” Isaiah 19:1

“Yahweh is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. Yahweh has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Nahum 1:3

And is worshiped by all the nations in the same way that Jehovah is worshiped:

“‘There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not respected you. They don’t serve your gods, and don’t worship the golden image which you have set up.’… Nebuchadnezzar answered them, ‘Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?’… ‘If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.’… Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.” Daniel 3:12, 14, 17-18, 28

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.’… When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?’… ‘I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed. His dominion will be even to the end.’” Daniel 6:16, 20, 26

“All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name. For you are great, and do wondrous things. You are God alone.” Psalm 86:9-10

“‘It shall happen that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before me,’ says Yahweh.” Isaiah 66:23

This explains why Daniel employs the Aramaic plural Elyonin, which literally means “the Most Highs/Highest Ones,” since he depicts both the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man as ruling over all creation together and forever

In the next segment, I am going to show how the inspired NT writings identify Jesus as the God-Man whom the Psalter and Daniel spoke of (https://islamunmasked.com/2020/03/08/the-enthronement-of-the-god-man-pt-2a/).

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