The Trinity In The Old Testament

"The Trinity isn't just a New Testament idea; it's right there in the Old Testament if you pay attention. Despite what groups like Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, and Orthodox Jews say, the Hebrew scriptures drop some major hints of divine plurality. Zechariah 2:6-12 is one of those fascinating texts that slips hints of this right underneath our nose.

The context is God’s promise to bring the Jewish exiles back home from Babylon. But here's where things get kind of wild: twice, Yahweh says he's sent by Yahweh. Wait, what? Yahweh sent by Yahweh? Yeah, just look at verse 9: "Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me," and again in verse 11: "Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you." This isn't some poetic repetition—here we have two persons both called Yahweh. And with the New Testament in hand, it all clicks: the Son is being sent by the Father to dwell with his people.

Now, is Zechariah 2:6-12 a one-off? Nope. Take a look at Isaiah 48 to find another mind-blowing example of divine plurality. In verses 11-16, Yahweh is speaking loud and clear. "I am the first, and I am the last," he says. He even lays out his credentials: He created the universe and commands all things. But then, in verse 16, things take a wild turn: "And now the Lord God has sent me and his Spirit." Wait, what? Yahweh is sent by Yahweh, along with his Spirit. Here we go again—Yahweh being sent by Yahweh.

Early Christian theologians like Origen, Augustine, and Jerome saw this as a window into God's triune nature. In Genesis 18, we see something remarkable unfold. Abraham's just hanging out by his tent, and then, out of nowhere, three men appear. Interestingly, one of them is identified as the Lord himself. Mysteriously, two of the men head off towards Sodom, leaving the third one, who Abraham continues to talk with, identified as none other than Yahweh.

Now, fast forward to Genesis 19:24, and it gets even wilder. The verse says, "Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven." So, wait a second—there's a Yahweh on earth and a Yahweh in heaven. This suggests two distinct persons, both called Yahweh: one on earth directly engaging with Abraham, and another in heaven sending down judgment. This points to a divine plurality within the Godhead.

Another gem that shows divine plurality is Hosea 1:7. Here’s what it says: "But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen." Wait a minute—again, Yahweh will save them by Yahweh. This verse feels awkward if you're not reading it with the lens of divine plurality. Yahweh speaks of saving Judah not through military power, but through Yahweh himself.

Isaiah 63:7-10 gives us yet another glimpse of divine plurality in the Old Testament. In verse 8, God is portrayed as the Father, calling the Hebrews his children. Verse 10 introduces the Holy Spirit, who is grieved by the people’s rebellion—a clear indicator of his personal identity. You can’t grieve an impersonal force. Interestingly, Psalm 78:40 uses the exact same language to describe Yahweh, suggesting the Holy Spirit is Yahweh himself. Isaiah 63:9 also mentions the "angel of his presence." The Hebrew word malak can mean "messenger," and this figure points back to Exodus 23:20-21, where God's messenger bears his name and has the authority to forgive sins—something only God can do. This messenger, identified in scripture as the pre-incarnate Messiah, shows that God’s nature is within him.

Bottom line: Isaiah 63 hints at three distinct divine persons. Speaking of the Angel of the Lord, his identity is one of the clearest threads pointing to divine plurality in scripture. In Genesis 16:7-13, the angel of Yahweh appears to Hagar and speaks with the authority of God, saying, "I will increase your descendants." Hagar even calls him "the God who sees me." Then, in Genesis 22:1-12, this same angel stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and says, "You haven’t withheld your son from me," again speaking as if he is God.

In Genesis 48:15-16, the angel is equated with God through poetic parallelism, blessing Joseph’s sons just like Yahweh. The encounter in Exodus 3 is even bolder: the angel of Yahweh appears to Moses in the burning bush, and the terms "angel" and "God" are used interchangeably. Some dismiss these as mere messengers, but that doesn’t at all explain the fear of the people seeing God and thinking they’re going to fall dead. This angel is both Yahweh and distinct, perfectly fitting the Trinity long before the New Testament came along.

The clues of the Trinity were always there in the Old Testament; you just have to read closely."