It's not so much the official position of "Messianic Judaism" per se that Jesus is the incarnation of the First Created Being known as "Wisdom" or "The Logos", but it's how I believe personally and how I also believe the original 1st century interpreted the Messianic prophecies and the books such as "Wisdom of Solomon" and what the famous Jewish philosopher Philo believed as well as those whom who he had in mind as an audience who were acquainted with such ideas. It is also highly probable that early non-Jewish Christians as well who shared little of the beliefs with them about the Law such as Justin Martyr had the same "Theology" regarding Jesus's origins as the Supreme Angel. Here is a Trinitarian Christian site, that although has their own spin on the issue, discusses the issue at least:
Jesus: God's Wisdom
Here is the verse from Proverbs, which one could perceive to be purely metaphorical, but is arguably actually literal defining "Wisdom" (aka the "Logos") as the First Creating Personified Entity, separate from the Creator as an independent Mind/Being who serves as a sort of Co-Creator:
Proverbs 8:22-30 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him...
In this case, Tektonics is saying its a metaphor personified.....but going by "Wisdom of Solomon" and Philo's interpretations, it seems the Ancient Jews did NOT regard this as purely metaphorical but an actual created being, the Firstborn among Creation. So that's where I diverge with Tektonics on this interpretation for a start.
"Wisdom is intended to be understood as an attribute or heavenly servant of the sole God Yahweh to whom he has delegated certain powers with regard to his relations with mankind."
I'll go with the "Heavenly servant" definition, with "attribute" defined as "specifically unique entity who serves as a personified (literally) attribute.
Tektonics admits here that whether it's a "Separate person" is "up to debate" at least here, and from there, if they acknowledge the Logos is in fact a "Separate person", they try to shoehorn the concept into their convoluted Trinity doctrine with the usual wordplay of what "person" means.
Dunn puts it succinctly: "What pre-Christian Judaism said of Wisdom and Philo also of the Logos, Paul and the others say of Jesus. The role that Proverbs, ben Sira, etc. ascribe to Wisdom, these earliest Christians ascribe to Jesus." James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making , 167. This conception of Wisdom parallels a less significant, general Jewish explanation of how a transcendent God could participate in a temporal creation. The Aramaic Targums resolved this problem by equating God with His Word: thus in the Targums, Exodus 19:17, rather than saying the people went out to meet God, says that the people went out to meet the word of God, or Memra.
This term became a periphrasis for God; whether it could have been reckoned as a separate person, as in Christian Trinitarianism, is a matter of debate.
From here the article tries to explain ancient Judaism from a "Trinitarian" perspective (though in case it would be a "Binarian" at best), but they at least admit the idea that there was more than just metaphorical personification going on.
Here is the idea of "Wisdom" being defacto created from Sirach/Eccliasticus.
Ecclesiasticus 1:1-4 All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him for ever. The sand of the sea, and the drops of the rain, And the days of eternity who shall number? The height of the heaven and the breadth of the earth And the deep and wisdom, who shall search them out? Wisdom hath been created before all things, And the understanding of prudence from everlasting.
I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, And covered the earth as a mist. I dwelt in high places, And my throne is in the pillar of the cloud. Alone I compassed the circuit of the heaven, And walked in the depth of the abyss. (Ecclesiasticus 24:3-5)
He created me from the beginning of the world, And to the end I shall not fail. (Ecclesiasticus 24:4)
It becomes more and more plain that the Jews did in fact regard "Wisdom" (Logos) as a Created entity and not just a metaphorical description of the concept.
Now we get to Wisdom of Solomon, where it becomes really pronounced, and where all of the Trinitarian/Modalist arguments to portray Wisdom as merely a metaphor really start to break down:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]7: 22: for wisdom, the fashioner of all things, taught me. For in her there is a spirit that is intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, unpolluted, distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen, irresistible, [/SIZE][/FONT]
The fashioner of all things? Okay could just be metaphorical still...(even though its specifically called a created thing elsewhere) going on...Let's see 7:26
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]26: For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. [/SIZE][/FONT]
Clearly now, "image of his goodness" is looking more and more like an actual entity rather than a deep praise of the concept of Wisdom in itself. A "spotless mirror". It gets more complicated around 10:18-19.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]18: She brought them over the Red Sea, and led them through deep waters;
19: but she drowned their enemies, and cast them up from the depth of the sea. [/SIZE][/FONT]
"Wisdom" is now responsible for the Red Sea forming back together after the Israelites had crossed to drown the Egyptians? How does that work in the metaphorical description of Wisdom? Sounds like "Wisdom" is some kind of acting agent of the Divine Will, like how angels are such agents of Divine will.
Moving on to Tektonics admitting what Philo said (with their own spin)
Philo calls Wisdom (which he also refers to as the logos) the "image (eikon) of God," refers to the Wisdom of God as the one through whom the universe came into being, and describes Wisdom as God's "firstborn son," as neither unbegotten like God or begotten like men, as Light and as "the very shadow of God." He regarded the logos as one of several attributes of God which he referred to collectively as "powers," with the logos as the chief power in the hierarchy.
Hmmm, it appears Philo referred to Wisdom as the "leader of the hierarchy of G-d's powers"....it's getting pretty hard to see it as a purely metaphorical idea when we have Philo calling it the "Firstborn Son" and not unbegotten (not being begotten can imply a spiritual creation rather than earthly).
So we can see that the idea of a "Supreme Angel" and "First Created Soul" who is a "Spotless Mirror" and "Image" of the Creator was a standard Ancient Israelite idea, however, unlike the Trinity (And its ugly stepsister Modalism which most Trinitarians actually believe in without realizing), this concept did not involve the "Logos"/"Wisdom" being the Creator Himself, or even an undivided part, but a completely separate and unique being. The representative, but not the original.
