One LORD God: One In Number or One In Unity? Echad or Yachid? - Deuteronomy 6:4

In this video we will cover one other common objection to the understanding from Scripture that God is unipersonal (consisting of only one singular conscious rational being). Most people who claim to believe in Jesus Christ say they believe in "one God." But the question arises as to whether God is one in number (unipersonal) or one in unity (tripersonal). Those who deny that God consists of one singular conscious rational being (the Father) will object by turning to Deuteronomy 6:4 and arguing that the Hebrew word for "one" is conveying a composite unity as we read about in Genesis 2:24. They argue that the one LORD God of Deuteronomy 6:4 is only one in essence and purpose (one in unity of multiple persons), but not in singularity of being. It's argued by many that if the LORD God in Deuteronomy 6:4 was only referring to the Father and not a composite deity, then the Hebrew word "yachid" should have been used instead of "echad" for the word we read in English as "one."
This video is going to expose the ignorance and even outright dishonesty of theologians who argue for the use of yachid to describe absolute numerical singularity. The Hebrew language is much like the English language in that one word can have multiple meanings. We would understand the meaning of a word such as "one" by examining the context. Context would determine the meaning of the word "one" to let us know if it is referring to absolutely one numerically or if it is referring to a composite unity. The Hebrew word "echad" is similar to our English word "one" in that it generally refers to an absolute numerical singularity (describing one single thing or entity) but it can also refer to a composite unity on rare occasions such as Genesis 2:24 regarding Adam and Eve being "one" flesh.
In order to understand why the word "yachid" wasn't used in Deuteronomy 6:4 regarding the LORD God being "one" we need to understand what that word means throughout the Old Testament. "Echad" is used 968 times in the Old Testament, while "yachid" is only used 12 times. If "yachid" refers to absolute numerical singularity, then why is it used only 12 times in the entire Old Testament? All one needs to do is look at how these words are used in the Old Testament to see that "echad" generally refers to absolute numerical singularity such as in Deuteronomy 21:15; Leviticus 5:7; Malachi 2:10; Ecclesiastes 4:8-10; Genesis 22:2, etc... "Yachid" on the other hand refers to an only child that is beloved, and can describe the feeling of being alone. It's never used as a general word for one in number. This is why it's only used 12 times in Scripture. "Echad" is, therefore, the correct word to use to establish absolute numerical singularity. This understanding is what set the Jewish religion apart from all other polytheistic religions. The Jews believed that God was absolutely numerically one and God never corrected their understanding.
The trinity doctrine was formulated to try and explain how God could be "one" in light of the distinctions between Father, Son, and Holy Ghost that we read about in the New Testament. Man brought their own ideas and imaginations to the Old Testament and turned the Hebrew word "echad" into a composite unity of persons and began arguing that "yachid" would have been the word to use to establish absolute numerical singularity with regards to God. This video reveals why this is totally false. If God would have been described as "yachid" in Deuteronomy 6:4 it would only convey what kind of God Yahweh is, a beloved and unique God. But if we want to know how many beings or gods Yahweh is, "echad" is the right word to use!

[@johnnymav1]

Thank you for all your work, you have a great way of explaining things and prove what you say. You may have brought it up in the series.. Who was Jesus praying too before the crucifixion? Confuses me, but all else you've explained makes complete sense. Thanks again!!

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

Thanks for your encouraging words! That's a great question you have and one that is hard for us to understand since we aren't capable of doing what God did when He manifested in the flesh. The one singular God is an invisible, omnipresent Spirit according to Scripture. This means that God cannot be contained to one locale. God is everywhere at the same time and is unchanging. This is how God can fill and dwell in all born again believers world wide at the same time. Now when it comes to the incarnation, we need to understand what the Scriptures reveal about the identity of Jesus Christ. The one singular God was manifest in the flesh as a genuine human being. But this does not mean that God ceased being the unlimited, omnipresent Spirit outside of His incarnation in the flesh. Since the incarnation, God is now both Father and Son (omnipresent Spirit and genuine human being) at the same time. This is the mystery of the incarnation. The mystery isn't that God is multiple Persons that only share in the same essence. The mystery is how the one singular Person of God could become a genuine man while remaining the unlimited omnipresent Spirit. How could God be both Father and Son at the same time without splitting up God's singularity of Being into different Persons? This series uses Scripture to help one understand the distinction between Father and Son without turning God into multiple different Persons. Jesus Christ is God's very Person incarnate (experiencing a genuine human existence) while God remains the unchanged unlimited Spirit outside of His incarnation in the flesh. This is hard for us to comprehend because we are not God. We could never incarnate ourselves into a different existence while remaining who we are outside of that incarnation. But that's what God did and that's where our faith comes in. We must have faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and understand what that means. This series goes into great detail to explain these things. The entire series can be watched here and should be watched in order of the playlist. Each video digs deep into examining this important subject as we see in the Scriptures rather than just going by tradition. I look forward to continuing this series this fall. Let me know if you have any more questions as you watch the series. God bless you in your continued studies! kzbin.info/aero/PLo_7oh9llbNbh0-mW2I3WrQcDBqQYDRVs

[@johnnymav1]

@@ShatteringFalseFoundations Thank you so much for your explanation. I was born again on January 28, 2018, I have slowly and steadily learned over the time, ever since God put your site in front of me, I have learned so much.. A friend of mine that convinced me to get baptised, does not want me sending him information on this, he wants to believe the trinity.. I tell him it's black and white, so simple to understand, There is only one God.. I want to thank you so much in opening my eyes, you use scripture to verify. "The true Israel" was .the first eye opener, I was of that belief, but you explained with so much scripture, that it's undeniable, as is that there is only one God. I watch at least a video of yours everyday.. I make notes with the scripture you quote.. so much appreciated. . Praise to our One true God..

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

That’s awesome! Praise the Lord and all glory to Him!

[@GatheringJacob]

Great job with this video. One thing I think you should have hit a little harder was the Genesis 2 passage. The reason being that is the go to for saying Echad is a “compound unity”. Thank you for your invested time and effort.

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

@@GatheringJacob Thanks my friend! Are you referring to Genesis 1:26 where many think God refers to Himself as “us?” If so, I did a video previously in this series that focused on the details of that passage that can be watched at the link below: If God (Elohim) Is The Father, Then Who Was God Speaking To In Genesis 1:26 & 3:22? "Let us make" kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4usqHuXpN9-irM Here is a link to the entire series that this video is a part of. I’m not finished with the series yet but hope to finish it this fall: One God: Understanding the Singularity of God In Light of the Distinctions Between Father, Son, and Holy Ghost kzbin.info/aero/PLo_7oh9llbNbh0-mW2I3WrQcDBqQYDRVs God bless you in your continued studies! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Peace to you.

[@GatheringJacob]

@@ShatteringFalseFoundations I was referring to Gen 2:24 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” This is the go to for all those who want to say “echad” is a compound unity. You mentioned it briefly but I think this text alone needs to be torn down with greater attention if you want to really destroy the compound unity discussion in reference to Echad. Don’t misunderstand me, I think you did an awesome job tearing that thinking down and did an excellent job! I am only mentioning it because that would be the only thing you could have done to make the video / teaching better. Thanks again, great video!

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

Got ya. That would make for a great video on its own that can focus on the breakdown of that verse. Maybe I’ll do one on that verse specifically. The focus of this video was to get one to see that context determines what echad means and that it most definitely refers to numerical singularity the majority of the time even though it can refer to plurality. I’ve encountered so many people who argue that yachid should have been used if numerical singularity was meant when referring to God and this video was focusing on that specific aspect and showing how ridiculous that claim is. That’s the hard thing about a deep subject like this and doing a video series without making each video too long as there are so many things one particular video could cover. My intention is for people to watch the entire series even though I know most people coming across a singular video won’t. So thanks again for the input and I’ve made note to do a video that focuses on this verse.

[@incorruptibleword4513]

When you ask any native hebrew speaker they tell you what echad means. How arrogant one would be to pressume to know the meaning of a hebrew word while every Jewish person didn't. Excellent video btw Abba bless you

[@adamokrajek8591]

Hi. Little observation i wanna share: "One" can also mean -that particular one -somebody. When i listened you quoting with this in the back of my head i came to slythly different understanding of those quotes. Have you noticed?

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

@@adamokrajek8591 I would argue that “one” refers to both a particular one and one in number. Even just saying “a particular one” is admitting the numerical singularity of whatever it is you are talking about or else “particular ones” would be used instead. God is numerically one and He is God alone. Jesus Christ is that one singular God (who's name is Yahweh) incarnate as our Saviour.

[@graceandgrace3136]

Stay blessed 😇

[@sumthinfresh]

Trinitarians seem to easily grasp echad as meaning one in unity, but when Jesus came to His own saying God was His Father the ones who knew, spoke and wrote the language sought to kill Him over it. If the word meant what trinitarians think it means the jews would have easily understood what Jesus was saying

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

Great point!

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

Greetings of peace, friendly feedback here: JESUS served the Father, His God and Father, perfectly. Yes! Echad means ONE, and NOT one group… You said God’s Name is Yahweh. Why isn’t God’s Name JESUS since JESUS came not in His own Name but the Name of the Father? One Spirit -🕊 But the NAME of JESUS is the highest Name not only in this world among names Named, but in the world to come… Ephesians 1:21

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

My next video will most likely be covering this subject about God’s name YHWH (Yahweh). The name of Jesus is an expanded form of Yahweh. It is not a different name but only a higher name in that it reveals more fully who God is as our Saviour. So you’re right, God’s name is Jesus but only because God’s name is Yahweh. Jesus means Yahweh is salvation. We are saying that God’s name is Yahweh when we proclaim the name of Jesus. So you see if we deny that God’s name is Yahweh as revealed in the Old Testament, then we are in essence watering down the name of Jesus since the name Jesus expresses that Yahweh has become our salvation. I’m taking baby steps in this series establishing who God is as revealed in the Old Testament, laying the foundation so that we can truly understand who Jesus is (Yahweh manifest in the flesh) as we read about in the New Testament. Praise Jesus! Peace and love.

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

@@ShatteringFalseFoundations ty for the thoughtful reply. I will pray God will speak to you as you prepare for that video. The doctrine of the Name is so vital in our time as the level of confusion surrounding the Name is insane. May the Spirit continually guide you into all truth and help you speak as an Oracle concerning the NAME above All Names. In JESUS’ Name 💥

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

@@ONEFAITHofJESUS Thank you! Your prayers are much appreciated.

[@PrimaScripturaSemper]

the word echad, is a homonym it has multiple meanings, you like many have a distorted and biased view, first of all the shema occurs only once in the torah and repeated by Jesus in the gospel, this is a example of echad being extra ordinary and its meaning is derived from the context of the scriptures. in deut 6:4 the shema is the response of israel to the agreement that God made with them that he would be there God and they would his people in chapter 5 the 10 commandments is listed and the very fist one is thou shall have no other Gods besides me... in deut 6 God nor israel is discussing the nature or essence of who God is where he is one or three thats not the context of the passages it is if israel is agreeing to Gods rules an in return gain the promises made to there fore fathers there fore echad in this context should mean "only" or "Alone" it being seclusive or exclusive, it should be read as, Hear Israel our Lord God, is Lord alone. Israel is basically agreeing that Yhwh is Lord alone not one else, that why the fist 4 commandments deal with recognizing having no other Gods, or idols and Yhwh is a jealous God....no way is there a discussion on how many persons make up the God head or if there is unity.

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

Did you even watch this video you are commenting on? Please explain what I believe that is distorted or biased. I sense you are assuming something from the title of my video and coming to conclusions without actually hearing the entire matter. Of course Yahweh is Lord alone and I would argue that He can only be LORD "alone" because He is one singular being. In order for Yahweh to be Lord alone, He must only consist of one divine conscious rational being, not multiple persons as Trinity doctrine teaches.

[@PrimaScripturaSemper]

@@ShatteringFalseFoundations one again you are putting your own meaning out of context, there is no passage in the scriptures where the Lord God is describing how many persons or person he is! I gave you the context an the Hebrew refuting your misrepresentation of the scriptures, the text is stating and many more that Elohim Yahweh is Lord an there is no one else. the three representatives from Heaven throne is the Acient of Days, Son of God, Holy Spirit are the Elohim Yahweh and carry the title. there is no text in the scriptures where Elohim Yahweh say he is one person. what it says that he alone is God an there is none else.

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

Oh now I get it, you’re a trinitarian who believes in three eternal persons that make up God? You think Genesis 1:26 supports that belief as well? If God could speak of Himself by saying “let us” and three persons were involved in the creation of man then he should elsewhere in Scripture also correctly say that “we” created all things alone and by “ourselves.” But Yahweh being one singular conscious rational Being said “He” did all things alone and “by myself.” Is only one of three speaking? Is God trying to confuse us? Genesis 1:26 is God counselling with His own will in the presence of His angels. It’s not establishing different persons that make up God. Even Trinitarian scholars acknowledge this because of the grammatical structure in Genesis 1:26. Isaiah 44:24 KJVS Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; Allow the light from the New Testament to help you to see that God is one numerically. Or are you possibly an apostle Paul denier? 1 Corinthians 8:6 KJVS But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. This would have been a perfect opportunity to say what you are saying about God. But there is only one singular person of God and that is the Father and His name is Yahweh. The Holy Spirit is simply the Spirit of Yahweh. Jesus Christ is Yahweh incarnate. No eternal Son existed but was born in the first century. God (Yahweh) was manifest in the flesh on a particular day in time, not in eternity past. My next video on John 1:1 will go into this subject in depth. 1 Timothy 3:16 KJVS And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Ephesians 4:4-6 KJVS There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; [5] One Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. James 2:19 KJVS Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. John 4:24 KJVS God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. If God is a Spirit and there is only one God, how is there an eternal second and third Spirit? That would make three Spirits. The New Testament uses one numerically in reference to God’s being. Jesus Christ is the express image of God’s “person” (essence/substance). Is Jesus in the Godhead like you are saying or is the Godhead in Jesus. What saith the Scriptures? Hebrews 1:3 KJVS Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Colossians 2:8-10 KJVS Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Jesus is not an eternal Son incarnate. Jesus is the singular eternal God incarnate as our Saviour. The name Jesus means Yahweh is salvation. Jesus never left us comfortless (fatherless). When the Holy Spirit was poured out, that was Yahweh’s Spirit. Yahweh was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:19 KJVS To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Zechariah 14:9 KJVS And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. That singular name is Jesus (Yahweh is salvation)! I pray your eyes are opened to these important truths. If the soil of your heart is good ground then God’s Word will accomplish its purpose and after watering God will bring the increase. I encourage you to watch the entire series to have your current understanding tested. One God: Understanding the Singularity of God in Light of the Distinctions Between Father, Son, and Holy Ghost kzbin.info/aero/PLo_7oh9llbNbh0-mW2I3WrQcDBqQYDRVs&feature=shared

[@PrimaScripturaSemper]

@@ShatteringFalseFoundations bro don’t take my words out of context, we are dealing with Deut 6:4 as I said before it’s not dealing with how many persons or person in the text and no where in the scriptures does Elohim Yahweh say he is numerically one or numerically three what the scriptures does is indicate how many representatives are from throne of heaven that carry the tittle Elohim Yahweh. Each representative is distinct and separate each carry different titles and names. All the text you listed support my very refute of your understanding, when the authors of the scriptures state that there is one God, in the old and especially in the New Testament it is to separate the God of Abraham and Israel from the other Many gods of the pagans and idol worshipers. Paul is writing to many churches in Asia Minor and preaching to gentile converts who would bring in there own rituals and beliefs in to Christianity of the New Testament all the text you listed is dealing with the same issue you have. The very text in genesis you quoted refutes your Duet 6:4 text. As far as the representatives on heaven throne, the scriptures at the baptism of Jesus clearly indicate three separate persons, God the Father, Yeshoua, Holy Spirit. The Elohim Yahweh of the Old Testament is Hayah Asher Hayah in Ex 3:14-15. and he is Yeshoua manifested in flesh in the New Testament as stated by him in John 8:58. There are too many text to quote that the God head have three distinct persons as quoted in Gen 11, Dan 7, and Rev 5. There is always a differentiation of the father and the son boldly and in auditory. The scriptures said he taught it not robbery to be equal with God but humbled himself and became like his creation, for by him were all things made and for him were all things made, he is the express image of the father, that’s why Yeshoua said he an his father are one, one in unity, purpose and essence. You can’t express love to your self. If God is love he has to express it to someone else like himself. You can’t be a husband with out a wife and you can’t be family with out both. To demonstrate love to humanity God the father gave his son Jesus, even God ask Abraham to offer his son Issac by faith. Now my brother my comments are not for arguments you can believe what ever you want or try to bend the truth to validate your interpretation of the Bible it will in no way change the truth. But please take time to study and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to truth rather than publish misconceptions and misrepresentations of the scriptures.

[@ShatteringFalseFoundations]

How can I take your words out of context when they weren't even in context to begin with? All I did was show you passages of Scripture that speak against what you have been saying. You then said, "If God is love then he has to express it to someone else like himself." One's self is not someone else! This should not need explaining, which is why God did everything alone and by Himself, not with other persons that comprised His being. You then go on to say that one can't be a husband without a wife and somehow think that proves that God can't be love without consisting of multiple different persons. What you fail to realize using these types of analogies is that it leads to extreme error because it's equally true that you can't be a Son without a mother. You can see how quickly using those types of statements steers people away from what God's Word simply says. God is love, just like God is life and light. Assuming God needs to eternally consist of three different persons because He is love would be like saying that death existed from eternity past because God is life. My next few videos discussing John 1:1 will deal with the Word that was with God and was God and how it's all pointing to God's divine expression. He created the worlds through His foreordained plan, not through another divine person. It becomes clear when we don't bring preconceived ideas to the text. Jesus is the singular God who's name is Yahweh, incarnate as our Saviour. The Word, Yahweh Himself, was made flesh and dwelt among us. You also ignored what I presented about 1 Corinthians 8:6 (there is only one God - the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ - the one God incarnate). You then overlook Colossians 2:9 and continue to say that the "Godhead" is composed of three distinct persons. So is Paul saying that all the fullness of three distinct persons dwells in Jesus Christ bodily? You see the dilemma you are in and the confusion you bring to the Scriptures with your interpretation. If you took the time to actually hear what I am saying and consider what I am saying in this series as a whole, you would see that I'm not arguing against distinctions between Father and Son. There most certainly are distinctions between Father and Son, but it's not a distinction of two different conscious rational beings or persons. It's a distinction between the one singular person of God transcendent to His incarnation in the flesh and as a man through His incarnation in the flesh. The singular God is now both Father and Son at the same time since the incarnation, not from eternity past. Human nature is the distinction. The Scriptures declare there is only one God in number and Jesus is that one God incarnate and this is how God purchased the church with His own blood. 1 John 5:20 KJVS And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.