In this post I am going to revisit the issue of the explicit testimony from Genesis that there are two distinct Persons of YHWH (Jehovah), two that are plainly identified as the God of Abraham: the YHWHwho appears on earth as a Man, and the YHWH who is in the heavens above.

Unless indicated otherwise, I will be employing New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (2013 Revision). I do so in order to show the readers how to use the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ very own Bible translations to prove that Jehovah is not a singular divine Person, and that Jesus is expressly described as YHWH God in the flesh.

Here is the passage in question:

“Then JEHOVAH made it rain sulfur and fire on Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah—it came FROM JEHOVAH, FROM the heavens. So he overthrew these cities, yes, the entire district, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground. But Lot’s wife, who was behind him, began to look back, and she became a pillar of salt. Now Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place WHERE HE STOOD BEFORE JEHOVAH. When he looked down toward Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah and all the land of the district, he saw quite a sight. There was dense smoke rising from the land like the dense smoke of a kiln! So when God destroyed the cities of the district, God kept Abraham in mind by sending Lot out from the cities he overthrew, the cities where Lot had been dwelling.” Genesis 19:24-29

Notice how the very Bible versions, which the Society makes available on their website (Online Bible), render the highlighted texts:

“Then JEHOVAH made it rain sulphur and fire FROM JEHOVAH, FROM the heavens, upon Sodʹom and upon Go·morʹrah… Now Abraham made his way early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah.” Genesis 19:24, 27 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (1984 Edition)

“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;… And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:” King James Version (KJV)

“Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven;… And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah:” American Standard Version (ASV)

“when Jehovah rained on Sodom and Ghomorrah sulfur and fire from Jehovah, out of the sky,… And the first thing in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood face to face with Jehovah,” The Bible in Living English (BYINGTON)

We, thus, have an explicit text where YHWH on earth brings sulfur and fire from the YHWH who is in heaven. This is made clearer by the reference to Abraham returning to the very earthly location where he and YHWH stood before each other.

According to the previous chapter, YHWH had appeared to Abraham in human form accompanied by two other men, who are said to be angels (Cf. 19:1-3):

“Afterward, Jehovah appeared to him among the big trees of Mamʹre while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing some distance from him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground. Then he said: ‘Jehovah, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. Please, let a little water be brought and have YOUR FEET washed; then recline under the tree. Seeing that you have come here to your servant, let me bring a piece of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. Then you may go on your way.’ At this they said: ‘All right. You may do as you have spoken.’ So Abraham hurried to the tent to Sarah and said: “Quick! Get three measures of fine flour, knead the dough, and make loaves of bread.’ Next Abraham ran to the herd and chose a tender and good young bull. He gave it to the attendant, who hurried to prepare it. He then took butter and milk and the young bull that he had prepared and set the food before them. Then he stood by them under the tree AS THEY WERE EATING. 

“They said to him: ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ He replied: ‘Here in the tent.’ So one of them continued: ‘I will surely return to you next year at this time, and look! your wife Sarah will have a son.’ Now Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, which was behind the man. Abraham and Sarah were old, being advanced in years. Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah began to laugh to herself, saying: ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I really have this pleasure?’ Then Jehovah said to Abraham: ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Am I really going to give birth even though I am old?” Is anything too extraordinary for Jehovah? I will return to you next year at this appointed time, and Sarah will have a son.’ But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh!’ for she was afraid. At this he said: ‘Yes! You did laugh.’ 

“When the men got up to leave and looked down toward Sodʹom, Abraham was walking with them to escort them. Jehovah said: “Am I keeping hidden from Abraham what I am going to do? Why, Abraham is surely going to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by means of him. For I have come to know him in order that he may command his sons and his household after him to keep Jehovah’s way by doing what is right and just, so that Jehovah may bring about what he has promised concerning Abraham.’ Then Jehovah said: ‘The outcry against Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah is indeed great, and their sin is very heavy. I will go down to see whether they are acting according to the outcry that has reached me. And if not, I can get to know it.’ Then the men left from there and went toward Sodʹom, but JEHOVAH REMAINED WITH ABRAHAM. 

“Then Abraham approached and said: ‘Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are 50 righteous men within the city. Will you, then, sweep them away and not pardon the place for the sake of the 50 righteous who are inside it? It is unthinkable that you would act in this manner by putting the righteous man to death with the wicked one so that the outcome for the righteous man and the wicked is the same! It is unthinkable of you. Will the Judge of all the earth not do what is right?’ Then Jehovah said: “If I find in Sodʹom 50 righteous men in the city, I will pardon the whole place for their sake.’ But Abraham again responded: ‘Please, here I have presumed to speak to Jehovah, whereas I am dust and ashes. Suppose the 50 righteous should lack five. Because of the five will you destroy the whole city?’ To this he said: ‘I will not destroy it if I find there 45.’ But yet again he spoke to him and said: ‘Suppose 40 are found there.’ He answered: ‘I will not do it for the sake of the 40.’ But he continued: ‘Jehovah, please, do not become hot with anger, but let me go on speaking: Suppose only 30 are found there.’ He answered: ‘I will not do it if I find 30 there.’ But he continued: ‘Please, here I have presumed to speak to Jehovah: Suppose only 20 are found there.’ He answered: ‘I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20.’ Finally he said: ‘Jehovah, please, do not become hot with anger, but let me speak just once more: Suppose only ten are found there.’ He answered: ‘I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.’ When Jehovah finished speaking to Abraham, HE WENT HIS WAY and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:1-33

A truly remarkable passage to say the least!

Not only does YHWH appears as a Man, he also performs human functions and speaks with human limitations. I.e., YHWH has feet that can be washed with water and consumes physical food, and has to physically go down to Sodom in order to verify for himself whether the outcry that he has received concerning their conduct is true.   

Lest one accuses the NWT of mistranslating the Hebrew, here again is how the very versions that the Society publishes and/or endorses render some of the foregoing verses:

“At this point the men turned from there and got on their way to Sodʹom; but as for Jehovah, HE WAS STILL STANDING BEFORE Abraham… ‘It is unthinkable of you that you are acting in this manner to put to death the righteous man with the wicked one so that it has to occur with the righteous man as it does with the wicked! It is unthinkable of you. Is the Judge of all the earth not going to do what is right?’… Then Jehovah WENT HIS WAY when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:22, 25, 33 NWT 1984

“And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD… That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’… And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.” KJV

“And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah… That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’… And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.” ASV

“And the men turned round from there and went to Sodom; but Jehovah still stood before Abraham… Away with the thought of your doing such a thing as this, bringing death on honest man with knave so that honest man and knave should fare alike; away with the thought; shall not the Judge of all the earth do justly?’… And Jehovah went when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham went back to his own place.” BYINGTON

The foregoing reinforces the fact that YHWH himself appeared on the earth in a human body that was so tangible that he could perform human functions and activities because of it.

As such, this establishes that the inspired account presents two personally distinct Figures as YHWH, the One appearing on earth as a Man and the Other who remained in the heavens above.  

This may explain why later [O]ld [T]estament authors have YHWH God referring to another divine Person as that very YHWH God who destroyed Sodom and its neighboring cities:

“Here I am raising up against them the Medes, Who regard silver as nothing And who take no delight in gold. Their bows will shatter young men; They will show no pity on the fruit of the womb Nor mercy to children. And Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, The beauty and the pride of the Chal·deʹans, Will be like Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah when God overthrew them.” Isaiah 13:17-19

“‘Just as with God’s overthrow of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah and of their neighboring towns,’ declares Jehovah, ‘no one will dwell there, and no man will settle there.’” Jeremiah 50:40

“‘I caused an overthrow among you Like God’s overthrow of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah. And you were like a log snatched out of the fire; But you did not come back to me,’ declares Jehovah.” Amos 4:11

The biblical writers obviously saw from Genesis 18-19 that one of the Persons of YHWH commissioned the other divine Person who is also YHWH to go down and destroy the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and her neighboring environs.   

In this next installment I show from the inspired [N]ew [T]estament writings that the YHWH who appeared on earth as a Man was none other than Jesus Christ in his prehuman existence: JW BIBLE ADMITS: JESUS IS ABRAHAM’S GOD PT. 2.

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