Tackling Tradition 67: Apotheosis & Proverbs 30:1 - 6

 The Words of Agur

30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.

2 

Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.

3 

I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

4 

Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son's name?
    Surely you know!

Some people think that this text means that it is impossible for man to literally be taken up to heaven from the Earth, as if God is, through his mouthpiece, Agur (Gatherer of Wisdom)  ben Jakeh (Son of Obedience, Piety, Blameless),  precluding the possibility of Yeshua’s corporeal removal & retention (the Ascension) & return & the apparent pneumatic removal, retention, education, & return of Zechariah in the Book of Zechariah & John the Apostle/Revelator in Revelation. 

They would be wrong. 

Proverbs is using figurative language (“ascended”) as a metaphor for apotheosis & similar concepts.  We know this because he compares himself (Proverbs 30:1 - 4) to  God (30: 5 - 6) 

5 

Every word of God proves true;

    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6 

Do not add to his words,

    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

These words are echoed at the close of the Book of Revelation in which John is with the LORD’s messenger: 

22: 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,[c]so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for  the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Recall that all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16 - 17) & that they were delivered to the Earth thorough individuals & groups of individuals who were surrounded by polytheism, henotheism, idolatry, witchcraft, sorcery, &tc. for centuries upon centuries, & those who practiced the Dark Arts & ruled the world in that age were prone to call themselves offspring of their gods or even gods themselves. 

Some of them, like Nebuchadnezzar, had egos so large that they built monuments to themselves that did double duty as idols, not just statues representing their gods, like the one in Daniel 3, which wasn’t simply a monument to King Nebuchadnezzar, it was also a representation of Marduk.   The Greeks were prone to deify their heroes & some of their leaders.   The Romans followed suit.  Some of the Egyptians did the same.   

Proverbs reminds us that God, & no other, is the true source of moral wisdom, of all theological, philosophical, & ethical truth (Romans 1:18 - 32) & when understood correctly, it doesn’t preclude God from removing & retaining & returning Yeshua &/or anyone or anything from heaven pneumatically or even body & soul if He so chooses.   What it precludes are concepts like apotheosis & the divinization / elevation / transformation of people, places, & things within the created order into orders of being that they are not created by God to be, especially other gods.   There is only one God, the LORD & no another, & that is the case for all eternity, both now & forevermore, Amen! 

O LORD, Hear our prayer(s), & help us all to “Go & sin no more…!”