God the Father Called Jesus Christ GOD?

In the Revised Standard Version it says:

Hebrews 1:8 "But of the Son he says, 'THY THRONE, O GOD, is forever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom."

Those who adheres to the JESUS IS GOD Belief, used this verse to prove that God the Father called Jesus Christ GOD.  By admitting that God is calling His Son as "O God" in Hebrews 1:8, it appears that God contradicts Himself! He said in Isaiah 46:9 that He does not know any other God. However, there is another rendition that Christ is God advocates hide every time they use this verse as their alleged proof.

But others are frank enough to indicate it in the footnote of the RSV we quoted above it writes "GOD IS YOUR THRONE" which is a proof that there is another rendering of that said verse.

The term used in the GREEK Bible is "O THEOS"... 


And Hebrews 1:8, is in fact a quotation of Psalms 45:6 which was originally in the Hebrew Language.


The truth is that the term O’ THEOS is not found in the Hebrew Bible also called the Masoretic Text. The O’ THEOS was taken from the Septuagint [LXX], a Greek translation of the Old Testament Even there, according to B.F. wescott

"The LXX admits of two renderings: ho theos can be taken as a vocative in both cases (_Thy throne, O God,... therefore, O God, Thy God..._) or it can be taken as the subject (or the predicate) in the first case (_God is Thy throne,_ or _Thy throne is God..._), or in apposition to ho theos sou in the second case (_Therefore God, even Thy God..._)..." (The Epistle to the Hebrews," London, 1892, pp. 25)

In the Hebrew Bible, God is the throne of the Son which is a metaphor indicating that God is the source of the Son's throne or power. Jesus confirmed that in Matthew 28:18 when he proclaimed that "all power in heaven and on earth was given to me" and in Matthew 11:27, he said that "all things were given to him by the Father!" The source of his power and authority is God and on Judgment Day, the Son will be placed under God's rule:

1 Cor 15:27  “For the scripture says, "God put all things under his feet." It is clear, of course, that the words "all things" do not include God himself, who puts all things under Christ.”

1 Cor 15:28  “But when all things have been placed under Christ's rule, THEN HE HIMSELF, THE SON, WILL PLACE HIMSELF UNDER GOD, who placed all things under him; and God will rule completely over all.” [Good News]

Why will the Son be placed under God if he is of the same power with the Father? That is an intriguing question that Trinitarians could not explain but would only resort to hide behind the so-called mystery doctrine of the Divine Trinity. 

God is your Throne

The following are other translations of this same verse:

"But of the Son he says, `GOD IS YOUR THRONE forever and ever! And a righteous sceptre is the sceptre of his kingdom!`" (Goodspeed)

"He says of the Son, `GOD IS THY THRONE for ever and ever, thy royal sceptre is the sceptre of equity`." (Moffat Translation)

In the Goodspeed and Moffat translations, God the Father is not calling the Son God. Rather, God is telling the Son (Christ) that He (Father) is His (Son's) throne.

Thus, these two translations of Hebrews 1:8 do not contradict other passages of the Bible and hence, these translations of Hebrews 1:8 are correct. God does not recognize any other God Why is it wrong to believe that the Father called Christ God in Hebrews 1:8? This is because God does not recognize any other God:

Isaiah 45:21 "Consult together, argue your case, and state your proofs that idol worship pays. Who made these things known long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the LORD? FOR THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BUT ME-A JUST GOD AND SAVIOR-NO, NOT ONE!" (NLT)

 God Himself teaches that there is no onther God besides Him. This one God who does not recignize any other God is the Father who created everything:

Mal 2:7 "Have we not all one Father? Has not ONE GOD created us?" (NKJV)

Not only does God not recognize any other God, but he declared His uniqueness, proclaiming there is none like Him:

Isaiah 46:9 "Remember the former things of old, For I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER; I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE LIKE ME." (Ibid.)

In fact, the next verse, Hebrews 1:9, in reference to Christ, clearly shows that Christ the Son recognizes God:

Hebrews 1:9 "You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." (Ibid)

Take note of the phrase "Your God." If the Son or Christ were God, it would appear that God has a God, and thus, there would be two Gods.

While the father recognizes no one else as God, Christ recognizes the father as His God:

John 20:27 "Jesus said to her, `Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My father; but go to My Brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, AND TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD"." (Ibid.)

`Thy throne, given of God`

Defenders of Christ's alleged deity further argue that the Almighty God cannot be merely a throne. So they ask, "How could the understanding that God is the throne of Christ be correct?" We should know that Hebrwes 1:8 is a prophecy about the coming Messiah in the form of a song quoted from Psalms 45:7 which states:

Psalms 45:7 "THY THRONE, GIVEN OF GOD, endureth for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom." (Jewish Publications Society of America Translation) 

Therefore, the equivalent of "God is your throne" is "Thy throne, given of God." The following verses clarify that the One to whom God will give His kingdom is the King:

Psalms 45: 1- 3 "Beautiful words fill my mind, as I compose this song for the king. Like the pen of a good writer my tongue is ready with a poem. You are the most handsome of men; you are an eloquent speaker. GOD HAS ALWAYS BLESSED YOU. BUCKLE ON YOUR SWORD, MIGHTY KING; YOU ARE GLORIOUS AND MAJESTIC." (Today’s English Version)

The fulfillment of this prophecy is Christ who was given the throne of David:

Luke 1:31-33  "You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. THE LORD GOD WILL MAKE HIM A KING, AS HIS ANCESTOR DAVID WAS, and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!" (Ibid)

In fact, Christ never taught that the authority or power He had was inherent in Him:

Mat 28:18  "Jesus drew near and said to them, "HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH'." (Ibid)

Instead , He acknowlegded the Father as the source os His authority:

Mat 11:27 "MY FATHER HAS GIVEN TO ME AUTHORITY OVER EVERYTHING." (NLT)

It is this God-given authority that Christ will hand over to God on the Day of Judgement:

1 Cor 15:24-25, 27-28 "Then the end will come; Christ will overcome all spiritual rulers, authorities, and powers, and will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father. For christ must rule until God defeats all enemies and puts them under his feet. ...For the scriptures says, `God put all things under his feet'. It is clear, of course, that the words `all things` do not include God himself, who puts all things under Christ. BUT WHEN ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN PLACED UNDER CHRIST'S RULE, THEN HE HIMSELF, THE SON, WILL PLACE HIMSELF UNDER GOD WILL RULE COMPLETELY OVER ALL." (TEV)

Notice that Christ will place Himself under God so that God will rule completely over all. If Christ were God, it would appear that God is placing Himself under Himself-an absurdity.

Christ is man

While God's throne was given to Christ, this does not mean that God Himself is placed under Christ as the above verses attest. In fact, Christ sits at the right side of God's throne according to the same author of Hebrews 1:8:

Hebrews 8:1 "What I mean is that WE HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO SITS AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF GOD'S GREAT THRONE IN HEAVEN." (CEV)

The High Priest referred to is Christ:

Hebrews 4:14 "That is why we have A GREAT HIGH PRIEST WHO HAS GONE TO HEAVEN, JESUS THE SON OF GOD." (NLT)

The High Priest who sits at the right side of God's throne is man in state of being:

Hebrews 7:26 "Here is the HIGH PRIEST we need. A MAN WHO IS HOLY, faultless, unstained, seperate from sinners and lifted above the very Heavens." (Philips Translation)

Hebrews 7:24 "But THIS MAN, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." (KJV)

Since Christ is man, then He is different from God because God is not man:

Hosea 11:9 “I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I AM GOD, AND NOT MAN, The Holy One in your midst; And I will not come with terror." (NKJV)

Hence, Christ, the High Priest sitting at the right of God's throne, is man and not God. Therefore, Hebrews 1:8 does not teach that Christ is God. Instead, it all the more proves the great difference between God and Christ…