The Greater and Lesser Yahweh Exodus 23:21

# The Greater and Lesser Yahweh  

## *Two Powers in Heaven (Shtei Rashuyot Ba-Shamayim)*  

During the Second Temple period, some Jewish texts introduced the idea of a second divine figure, either beside YHWH or beneath Him. This concept developed into the belief that there were multiple "powers in heaven" (*shtei rashuyot ba-shamayim*), a teaching later deemed heretical in rabbinic Judaism (Mishnah *Sanhedrin* 4:5 – Sefaria).  

In mystical and esoteric Jewish traditions, these two powers were sometimes referred to as the *Greater Yahweh* and the *Lesser Yahweh*. This distinction is found in Merkabah texts such as *3 Enoch*, where the angel Metatron is called "the Lesser YHWH" (3 Enoch 48B:1[44]; 48D:1[90]). Similarly, in Gnostic literature such as *Pistis Sophia* and the *Book of Jeu*, we encounter "Great Iao" and "Little Iao" (*Pistis Sophia*, chs. 7 [twice], 86, 140; *Book of Jeu*, ch. 50), possibly corresponding to these designations.  

## Two Yahwehs in the Bible  

The idea of two Yahwehs is suggested in passages where one Yahweh appears to speak or act on behalf of another Yahweh.  

### *The Angel of Yahweh in Exodus 23:20-21*  

> *"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him."* (Exodus 23:20-21)  

This angel carries the divine Name and possesses authority to judge sin, suggesting an identity closely tied to Yahweh Himself.  

### *Yahweh Speaking to Yahweh in Exodus 24:1-2*  

> *"And to Moses He (Yahweh) said: 'Go up to Yahweh...'"* (Exodus 24:1)  

Here, Yahweh commands Moses to approach another Yahweh, reinforcing the idea of two Yahwehs.  

### *Elohim and El in Genesis 35:1*  

> *"Then Elohim said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to El, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.'"*  

This passage differentiates between *Elohim* and *El*, suggesting a hierarchy within the divine realm.  

### *Yahweh Calling Upon Yahweh in Genesis 19:24*  

> *"Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven."*  

One Yahweh appears to act on behalf of another Yahweh, further supporting the concept of two Yahwehs.  

### *Amos 4:11 – The Lesser Yahweh and the Greater Yahweh*  

> *"I overthrew some of you, As Elohim overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a burning stick plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to me," Says Yahweh.*  

Here, the "I" (Yahweh) overthrows like *Elohim* overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. This implies a Yahweh distinct from Elohim.  

## Yahweh as the Head Angel  

Jewish angelology often presents Yahweh as manifesting through angelic figures. Genesis 18 describes Yahweh appearing to Abraham, yet the text states that three men (*Elohim*) stood before him. The lead figure in this group is later identified as Yahweh, suggesting an angelic Yahweh figure.  

## Second-Century Jewish Literature: *Metatron as the Lesser Yahweh*  

### *The Third Book of Enoch (3 Enoch 12:1-5)*  

Metatron, identified as Enoch after his transformation, is called the "Lesser YHWH":  

> *"And He called me THE LESSER YHWH in the presence of all His heavenly household; as it is written (Ex. 23:21): 'For my name is in him.'"* (*3 Enoch* 12:5)  

Metatron is thus depicted as a divine figure bearing the Name of Yahweh.  

### *3 Enoch 48C – Metatron’s Exaltation*  

> *"I made honor, majesty, and glory his garment; beauty, pride, and strength, his outer robe, and a kingly crown, 500 times 500 parasangs, his diadem. I bestowed on him some of my majesty, some of my magnificence, some of the splendor of my glory... and I called him by my name, 'The Lesser YHWH, Prince of the Divine Presence, knower of secrets.'”*  

This passage reflects the belief that Yahweh's authority could be delegated to a principal angelic figure.  

## The Logos as the Mediator and Energizer of Angels  

The Logos, as described by Philo of Alexandria, serves as the intermediary between God and creation. Philo attributes to the Logos the role of empowering and sustaining angelic beings.  

### *Logos as the Chief of Angels*  

> *“And even if there be not as yet any one who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labor earnestly to be adorned according to his first-born word [Logos], the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names; for he is called the authority, and the name of God, and the Word, and man according to God's image, and he who sees Israel.”*  

— *On the Confusion of Tongues* 146  

### *The Logos as the Mediator of Divine Energy*  

> *“For God, as shepherd and king, governs (περιαντλεῖ) the universe in accordance with law and justice, setting over it His true Logos, His first-born son, who is to receive the charge of this sacred flock, as though he were the lieutenant of a great king.”*  

— *On the Husbandry* 51  

### *The Logos as the Source of Angelic Motion and Action*  

> *“This same Word [Logos] is continually a suppliant to the immortal God on behalf of the mortal race, which is exposed to affliction and misery; and is also the ambassador sent by the Ruler of all to the subject race.”*  

— *Who is the Heir of Divine Things?* 205  

### *The Logos as the Power Behind Angelic Visions*  

> *“For it was indispensable that the man devoted to God should make use of the ministrations of the divine Word [Logos], which is superior to all the angels, inasmuch as it has been called the eldest of all, the archangel with many names.”*  

— *On Dreams* 1.157  

Philo describes the Logos as the chief angel, the firstborn of God, who energizes and sustains the angels in their roles.  

## The Demiurge and the Logos  

According to Heracleon’s commentary on John 1:3:  

> *“All things were made through Him," means that it was the Word who caused the Craftsman (Demiurge) to make the world, that is it was not the Word ‘from whom’ or ‘by whom,’ but the one ‘through whom (all things were made).’”*  

This suggests that the Demiurge, often equated with the *Elohim*, operates under the influence of the Logos.  

### *Elohim as the Demiurge*  

Ptolemy, a Valentinian teacher, explains that the Law was given through angels (*Elohim*), aligning with Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, and Hebrews 2:2. This suggests that the *Elohim*, as intermediaries, function as the Demiurge—divine agents governing the material world.  

### *Conclusion: The Logos and the Lesser Yahweh*  

While *3 Enoch* attributes the title of *Lesser YHWH* to Metatron, the broader tradition suggests that this role aligns more closely with the Logos. The Logos serves as the intermediary power, energizing the angelic host and directing the Demiurge in shaping the cosmos. This perspective bridges Jewish angelology with early Christian thought, positioning the Logos as the ultimate mediator between the divine and the created world.

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