THE HOLY TRINITY REVEALED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

By Gary Ray Branscome

Although the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is clearly taught in the New Testament it is not alien to the Old Testament. On the contrary, the Old Testament lays a strong foundation for it. And, even though it is not explained in the Old Testament, there were some Jews of that era who realized that its pages reveal a plurality within the One True God, and even evidence of a threefold nature.

The Hebrew language has more than one word for God. In addition to the name Jahweh or Jehovah, there is the more generic term “Elohim” which is found throughout the Old Testament. And, unlike the name Jahweh (which is closely related to the Divine name “I Am,” and can be translated as “He Who Is”) Elohim is the plural form of the word “Eolah” which means “God”. That being understood, let us look at the first words of the Shema (the Jewish Creed).

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, is one LORD!”

Deuteronomy 6:4

As we examine that statement, we find that the word translated, “LORD” in both occurrences is the name Jehovah, which is emphatically singular, while the word “God” is a translation of the plural word Elohim. If we look at the meaning of the names, that verse could be translated as “Hear, O Israel: He Who Is our Gods, is one God”. Furthermore, the word translated, “one” is the Hebrew word, “echad” which signifies a compound “one”. That word is used in the sentence, “For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). It is also used in the sentence, “Join both of them together as a single stick; and they will become one in your hand” (Ezekiel 37:17). Now, the Jews do have another word which signifies a solitary “one”, and that word is “yachid” — which is usually translated into English as “only”. That word is used in the sentence, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac” (Genesis 22:2). It is significant that Moses used the word “echad,” not “yachid,” in Deuteronomy 6:4.

Father Son and Holy Spirit

The Old Testament uses the terms Father Son and Holy Spirit in reference to God.

The words, “Turn, O backsliding children, says the LORD… I thought you would call me, Father; and would not turn away from me,” identify God with the word father (Jeremiah 3:14, 19). The words, “If I am a father, where is my honor?… The LORD of hosts says this,” identify God with the word father (Malachi 1:6). The words, “The LORD says… for I am a father to Israel,” identify God with the word father (Jeremiah 31:7, 9). The words, “Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us?” identify God with the word father (Malachi 2:10). And, the words, “You, O LORD, are our father, our redeemer; your name is from everlasting,” again identify God with the word father (Isaiah 63:16).

The words, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government will be on His shoulders: and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” identify God with the word son (Isaiah 9:6). The words, “The LORD said unto him… I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God,” speak of the God who has mercy, and the God who saves, as if they are distinct from each other (Hosea 1:7). The words, “You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you will come one who will rule in Israel for me; whose origin is from long ago, from everlasting” identify God with one who will be born in Bethlehem [a Son] (Micah 5:2). And, the words, “Behold, a virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and will call His name God with us,” again identify God with the word son (Isaiah 7:14).

The words, “Create in me a clean heart, O God… Do not cast me away from your presence; or take your Holy Spirit from me,” speak of God’s Holy Spirit (Psalm 51:10-11). The words, “He [God] said, Surely they are my people… But they rebelled, and grieved His Holy Spirit,” speak of God’s Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:8, 11). And, the words, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was in my tongue,” tell us that the Spirit of the Lord is not a mere emanation from God, but one who speaks (2Samuel 23:2).

Isaiah 48:12-16

“Listen to me, O Jacob and Israel, whom I called; I am He; I am the first, I am also the last. My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens: when I call them, they stand forth together… Come near to me, listen to this; From the beginning I have not said anything in secret; from the time that it was, there I am: and now the Lord GOD, and His Spirit, has sent me.” [Comment: notice that the one who is speaking is the one who “Laid the foundation of the earth”, and “spread out the heavens”. Yet His words, “The Lord GOD, and His Spirit, has sent me,” speak of two more who are God.]

Some Other Passages

The words, “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him,” speak of God in the plural “our image,” and then in the singular “His own image” (Genesis 1:26-27).

The words, “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” speak of God in the singular “Whom shall I send,” and then switch to the plural “who will go for us” (Isaiah 6:8).

The words, “The LORD God said, Since man has become like one of us, to know good and evil,” have Jehovah speaking as more than one, saying “like one of us” (Genesis 3:22).

The words, “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter. You love righteousness, and hate wickedness: that is why God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions,” address God in the first line, and then speak of God His God (Psalm 45:6-7).

The words, “The messenger of Jehovah said to her [Hagar], Return to your mistress… And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, The God who sees me,” identify “The messenger [angel] of Jehovah,” as Jehovah (Genesis 16:9 and 13).

The words, “The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool,” speak of more than one Lord (Psalm 110:1).

The words, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory,” tell us that Jehovah is thrice holy indicating a threeness in the one Lord (Isaiah 6:3).

In addition, many see the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), with its threefold reference to Jehovah as an indication of God’s threefold nature.

“The LORD bless you, and keep you:

The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Genesis 18:1-3

“The LORD appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre: as he sat in the tent door during the heat of the day, and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, I pray you, do not pass by your servant.” [Notice that when the LORD (singular) appeared to Abraham, Abraham saw “three men,” ran to them, bowed, and said “My Lord” (singular).]

Although this verse has been used to illustrate the Trinity, because the Bible says “No man has seen God at any time,” this appearance of God is better viewed as a pre-advent appearance of Christ along with two angels, the same two angels that later visited Lot in Sodom (John 1:18).