TRV
The Trinity in the Old Testament
The Unveiling of God's Triune Nature in the Old Testament
The term "Trinity" is not explicitly found in the pages of Holy Scripture, neither in the Old Testament nor the New. However, the profound truth it represents—that God exists as one God in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—is powerfully revealed throughout the Bible. While the New Testament provides the clearest and most complete revelation of this divine mystery, the Old Testament lays a crucial foundation, offering compelling hints, foreshadowings, and progressive insights into the triune nature of the Almighty God. It is a testament to God's gradual unfolding of truth, preparing His people for the full revelation to come in Christ Jesus.
Hints of Plurality in the Divine Name and Actions
From the very first chapter of Genesis, the Old Testament subtly introduces a plurality within the Godhead, even while staunchly upholding the singular unity of God. The most common Hebrew word for God, used over 2,500 times, is `Elohim`, a plural noun. While it often functions as a singular noun (e.g., God created), its plural form is significant when combined with singular verbs, indicating a plural subject acting as one. More striking are the passages where God speaks of Himself using plural pronouns:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
This "us" cannot refer to angels, for man is made in God's image, not theirs, and angels do not participate in creation or divine decree in this manner. Similarly, after the fall of man:
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
At the Tower of Babel, we find another instance:
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
And in the prophetic book of Isaiah:
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
These plural self-references, particularly in contexts of divine counsel, creation, and judgment, strongly suggest an internal plurality within the unified Godhead. While not explicitly defining the persons, they certainly open the door for the later New Testament revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
God the Father (Yahweh/Jehovah)The Old Testament primarily reveals God as Yahweh (or Jehovah), the sovereign, covenant-making, and redeeming God of Israel. He is the preeminent figure, the ultimate source of all things, frequently referred to as the "LORD God" or "God Almighty." He is the one who declares, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14), emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature. The Father's role as the supreme authority and sender is evident throughout the Old Testament narratives and prophecies.
God the Son (Pre-incarnate Christ/The Angel of the Lord/The Word)While the Son is not explicitly named "Jesus Christ" in the Old Testament, His pre-incarnate presence and divine attributes are clearly seen. One of the most compelling manifestations is the "Angel of the Lord" (or "Angel of God"). This figure is not merely a created angel but often speaks and acts with divine authority, accepts worship, and is identified as God Himself:
- To Hagar, the Angel of the Lord speaks, and Hagar calls Him "Thou God seest me" (Genesis 16:7-13).
- To Moses at the burning bush, the Angel of the Lord appears in a flame, yet God speaks from the bush, declaring, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:2-6).
- To Manoah and his wife, the Angel of the Lord ascends in the flame of an offering, and Manoah concludes, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God" (Judges 13:16-22).
These appearances, known as Christophanies, are strong indications of the pre-incarnate Son interacting with humanity. Furthermore, the "Word of the Lord" is depicted as a distinct divine agent in creation and revelation:
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
This "Word" is more than speech; it is a powerful, active force, foreshadowing John's declaration that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
Messianic prophecies also point to the divine nature of the coming Messiah, the Son:
- Psalms 2:7: "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."
- Isaiah 7:14: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (God with us).
- Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
- Micah 5:2: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
- Psalms 110:1: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." This verse, quoted by Jesus in the New Testament (Matthew 22:44), clearly distinguishes between "the LORD" (Yahweh, the Father) and "my Lord" (the Son, David's Lord, who is also God).
The Holy Spirit is also present and active from the very beginning of the Old Testament narrative, demonstrating distinct personality and divine attributes:
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The Spirit is intimately involved in creation and sustaining life:
The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
The Holy Spirit empowers individuals for specific tasks and leadership:
- For craftsmanship: Bezaleel was "filled with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (Exodus 31:3).
- For leadership: Joseph was recognized as a man "in whom the Spirit of God is" (Genesis 41:38). The Spirit came upon elders (Numbers 11:17), judges like Samson (Judges 14:6), and kings like David (1 Samuel 16:13).
- For prophecy: The Spirit inspired the prophets to speak God's word, as Nehemiah states, "Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets" (Nehemiah 9:30).
The Spirit possesses divine attributes, such as omnipresence:
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
And can be grieved by human sin, implying personality:
But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Triadic Passages and Implied Interaction
While explicit statements of three distinct persons are rare, some Old Testament passages imply the presence and interaction of all three members of the Godhead:
Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
Here, the speaker (often understood as the pre-incarnate Christ) states that the "Lord GOD" (the Father) and "His Spirit" have sent Him. This presents a clear distinction of three divine entities involved in a sending relationship.
Another powerful example is found in Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Messiah, a passage quoted by Jesus Himself:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
This verse identifies the "Lord GOD" (the Father), "His Spirit," and the "anointed one" (the Messiah/Son) as distinct yet working in concert. These passages, while not using the term "Trinity," undeniably set the stage for the New Testament's clearer revelation of God's triune nature.
The Unity of God Maintained
It is crucial to emphasize that the Old Testament's hints of plurality do not compromise its fundamental monotheistic declaration. The foundational truth for Israel was, and remains, the uniqueness and singularity of God:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
The Old Testament presents one God who exists eternally as a complex unity, not three gods. The revelation of the Trinity is not a contradiction of monotheism but an expansion of its understanding. It means that the one God subsists in three distinct, co-equal, and co-eternal persons, each fully God, yet distinct from one another. The Old Testament lays the groundwork for this profound truth, showing God's unity alongside His internal plurality in action and being.
Conclusion: A Progressive Revelation
The Old Testament does not explicitly define the Trinity, but it certainly provides the essential ingredients and foreshadowings necessary for its full revelation in the New Testament. It is a progressive unveiling of God's nature. From the plural name `Elohim` and the "us" passages to the distinct manifestations of the Angel of the Lord and the active presence of the Holy Spirit, the Old Testament consistently points to a God who is both one and yet multifaceted in His personal being. These ancient scriptures prepare the heart and mind for the coming of Jesus Christ, who fully reveals the Father and sends the Holy Spirit, thereby illuminating the glorious mystery of the Holy Trinity. To understand the Trinity, one must first appreciate the rich tapestry woven throughout the Old Testament, where the divine persons are implicitly at work, laying the foundation for the explicit truth of our triune God.
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