By W.R. Selvig abbaunveiled@gmail.com

John 17:20–23 (NKJV)

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

When Jesus prayed this prayer before His crucifixion, He revealed one of the deepest truths of the gospel—that the Father loves us in the same way He loves Jesus. Not as servants, not as mere followers, but as beloved sons and daughters.

This scripture (John 17:20-23) is not a small point. It is the core of what Jesus came to reveal. He didn’t just come to die for sins; He came to unveil the Father’s heart. He came to show us the nature of God—not as a distant, wrathful deity, but as a Father whose very essence is love. Modern Christianity will tell us that yes, this is the message even with Yahweh being understood as the Father. But this message confuses irreconcileable differences in character. Jesus said that nobody had seen the Father, no, not one. This was the introduction to the world of the Father He came to reveal. All past voices were untrue. All past representations were deception. Jesus came in the order of Melchizedek, who was the priest of El Elyon, the Most High God, whom Abraham honored. El Elyon, the Most High God, is who Jesus came to reveal. The Divine Council scriptures (Deuteronomy 32:8-9 and Psalm 82) reveal glimpses of long past history overlooked by most of Christianity. This understanding recognized the many gods (bene-elohim) which were “powerful ones”, “sons of god”, beings who were given territorial reign over the nations of the earth. These beings were judged and found wanting (Psalm 82). They did not rule well and instead of shepherding the human race chose to lord over them for selfish gain. Their choices, including Yahweh’s, put humanity under law and created a legal system of governance that condemned humanity and enslaved them to the principalities and powers at large. This is why it was necessary for Jesus to come and pay the ransom. Ransoms are paid to criminals, not to loving Fathers. This is the greatest misunderstanding of modern-day Christianity today.

God’s Love and Character Revealed

Scripture consistently testifies to the nature of God as love:

• God is love. “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
• The Father is kind. “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” (Luke 6:35)
• He is compassionate. “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:13)
• He is faithful in love. “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22–23)
• He is joyful. “The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

When Jesus declared, “I in them, and You in Me… that the world may know… that You have loved them as You have loved Me,” He was showing us the ultimate revelation of the Father’s heart.

Let me be clear. God did not have to be mean and cruel to be just. He did not have to murder innocent people to ultimately show us His love. This is not His character. This is not Jesus’s character. The Father and Jesus are ONE. Their character is the same. Jesus said that to see Him is to see the Father. Why would He say that? Is He defending Yahweh or is He showing that Yahweh is not the Father? This is what you will have to chew on and process. I encourage you to ask Holy Spirit to help you work through it, because likely it will make your soul very uncomfortable as you do. Let me encourage you that as you get through it, there is great peace and more freedom once you work through it.

The Confusion of Mixing Identities

But here is the plan of the enemy -the god of this world who “deceives the whole world”: much of the church has confused the Father Jesus revealed with Yahweh, a bene-elohim whose character often reflects wrath, legalism, and destruction. When we merge these two identities, we create a distorted picture of God—one that cannot be reconciled.

This confusion:

• Misrepresents the gospel.
• Blinds the world to the truth of the Father’s love.
• Traps believers in religious tradition rather than living revelation.

We end up clinging to the comfortable stories we were taught, instead of opening our eyes to what scripture actually reveals.

The Call to Lay Down Tradition

Jesus told us plainly that the Father loves us with the same love He has for Him. That truth alone should shatter the old paradigms. But too often, we fight against it. Why? Because it is uncomfortable. Because it threatens the systems we’ve inherited. Because it makes us admit we were wrong about who God is.

Yet Jesus promised that “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Revelation comes when we are willing to let go of tradition, comfort, and pride—and allow the Spirit to teach us directly.

The Veil Can Be Lifted

The oneness Jesus prayed for is not just unity among believers. It is union with the Father Himself. It is an invitation into love so complete, so consuming, that it transforms everything.

But to walk in this reality, we must be willing to see. We must let the Spirit peel back the veil. We must be willing to choose truth even when it unsettles our soul. Only then do we begin to see the Father as He truly is: love, always love, forever love.

✨ This is the gospel Jesus prayed we would live. Not a gospel of fear, wrath, or confusion—but of union, love, and revelation of the true Father.
If you found this helpful, please share it with others who might need to hear this message. The book “The Yahweh Deception” is available at AbbaUnveiled.com.