Anthropomorphisms

Physical Attributes

In many places, the Bible speaks of God as having hands, feet, eyes and ears but the theologians have told us we must not believe that to be true.  The word that is used to explain these characteristics is anthropomorphisms.  The dictionary says this word means an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics. 

Why not believe the statements in the Bible to be true? 

Why should we not simply believe what the Bible says?

Speaking of the physical appearance of Jehovah, Daniel said, the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. Dan. 7:9.  We cannot believe, (as some Bible scholars do) that this refers to Christ because a separate reference is made to Christ.  One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him (the Son of Man) near before Him (Jehovah). Daniel 7:13.  

Daniel sees Christ being ushered into the presence of His Father, the One whom Daniel had just seen.  There is nothing here to indicate that either of them was not in physical form.  Also, the argument stands firm that since Daniel saw them with his physical eyes they must be physical.

A further indication that Jehovah, Christ's Father, is physical is that John states that, The Father was holding the book in His right hand.  If Jehovah were a spiritual Being only, how would John have noticed that God is right-handed?  We also notice that in The Revelation Jesus Christ is right-handed. Rev. 1:16 +1:20. 

The claim is made that Jehovah is invisible because the Bible says that God is a spirit.  In the fourth Gospel, 4:24, John writes God is spirit.  John is saying that God is not wood or stone or other inanimate object but that He is alive.  To be sure, the Bible speaks of the spirit of God. God has spirit as we also have spirit.  After all, we are in His image. 

If John would have meant to write that Jehovah was only ethereal (without a physical body) he would have needed to include the word a so that it would read God is a spirit.  The KJV has it that way but neither the Greek version nor the newer translations include the word a and so John 4:24 has no argument that God is not physical.

Most Bible scholars agree that John, the writer of the Apocalypse, is the same man who wrote the three epistles of John.  In the first of the three epistles, John had derided those people who claimed to have seen Jehovah; men like Moses, Isaiah, Danial, and Ezekiel. He had written, No one has seen God at any time. 1 John 4:12.  One cannot help but wonder how he felt about that statement, a number of years later, when he also saw Jehovah with his own eyes.  Did he maybe wish that he could "un-say" that statement?

The Age of Jehovah

To close this topic lets take a brief look at the age of Jehovah.

1. Daniel calls Him the ancient of days.  This statement certainly indicates that God is living in a space frame which has to do with days, hence time.

2. the hair of His head was like pure wool.  In Dan. 7:9, where God is pictured in human form, His "head" is crowned with hair like pure wool (i.e., white). Vine.  If Jehovah has white hair isn't it logical to suppose that it is because he has lived a long time, therefore it is also right to believe that He is ageing.  In Christian circles, He is sometimes called "the ageless One".  That statement seems to be anti-biblical!

3. with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:7.  If we are willing to accept that statement as it is given, in the time that the earth ages 1000 years, Jehovah is only one day older, but even so He is ageing.