According to Jehovah’s Witnesses what does the name Immanuel mean in light of their belief that Jesus is a created being and not God?
Upvote:3
Although "Insight on the Scriptures" was published in 1988, and Jehovah's Witnesses [JWs] are encouraged to use Watchtower Society literature produced after 2000, it's good to see that a JW here uses that 1988 volume. Yes, it replaced the 1971 "Aid to Bible Understanding" but I have both volumes and there is not even a word of difference between the two (under the heading 'Immanuel'). Most of the 11 paragraphs deal with identifying characters in the Hebrew scriptures who might have been named Immanuel.
The Insight book says:
"Immanuel is a name-title applied to Christ the Messiah." https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002152?q=immanuel&p=par p.1187
A very subtle result of the Insight article is that the meaning "God is with us" allows the JW mind-set to keep away from the idea of God in Christ. This is just a title (is the inference) that indicates a second-person abstraction, an association of the idea of God being with his people through Christ representing him. Whereas, if the name means that the person bearing that name is God, then Matthew 1:23 is effectively calling Christ 'God'.
That is why the Insight book is careful to state:
"The identity of Jesus Christ as Immanuel did not mean he was the incarnation of God, 'God in the flesh,' which proponents of the Trinity teaching claim is implied by the meaning of Immanuel..." (ibid p.1188)
Ah, but here a subtle detail is slipped in. Instead of saying trinitarians take the meaning of Immanuel to be 'God with us', (as they do), the JW meaning is inserted instead - 'With us is God' - which is not how trinitarians put it.
Upvote:4
The name Im·manʹu·el means "With Us Is God", and Jehovahs Witneses (JWs) believe that is the translation of that name it-1 pp. 1187-1189.
Not necessarily everyone with that name is a god, but we also consider the meaning of the name to be true in the case of Jesus. Jesus is a God, but we do not consider him to be equal or the same as Jehovah or Yahweh. (To avoid any confusion about where Lord refers to Jesus and where it refers to Jehovah i will use the ASV here.)
Isaiah 43:10-11 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour. (ASV)
We believe that the titles mentioned in Isaiah 9:6: “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" all apply to Jesus. Note that it was not written almighty God, and note that a prince is typically defined as a son of the king. The "mighty" god in Isaiah 9:6 is a translation of 'El Gib·bohr' not of 'El Shad·dai' (Almighty). We there fore do not consider the word mighty, or the combination 'mighty god' to have the necessity to be uniquely used for Jehovah God, although it can also be used for Jehovah God. More information about what JW's believe about the difference between mighty and Almighty can be read in it-1 pp. 77-79
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