Abraham and Sarah

Regularly, this blog asks: “Are there any Old Testament proofs that hint at the Triune nature of God?”. In this post, we will look at the Hebrew letter “ה” (English “h”; pronounced “hay”; transliterated “Hē”). Pictorially, this Hebrew letter may signal “three [lines]-forming-One,” which could then indicate “Triune.” Note: The name Elohim [“Gods”]—on the same basis of “three-forming-One”—can be denoted in Hebrew by merely using this one Hebrew letter made up of three lines, “ה,” which is (1) technically called a Monogrammaton,* which is (2) a one letter signal that, by itself, can stand for or indicate “God” Himself, and which could (3) also indicates “Trinity,” if the “three-in-One” (letter-idea) holds theological water.

This letter “ה” may also have a connection with the renaming of Abram and Sarai in Genesis 17.

Genesis 17 starts with God the Son speaking with Abram, and saying, “I [God the Son] am One of the El Shaddai [‘God the Mighty Ones’ (masc. pl.) = Trinity; the Hebrew for El Shaddai is 'שני']. Walk before Me [God the Son], and be blameless.” Then, in Genesis 17:5, 15, God the Son gives Abram and Sarai new names—“Abraham and Sarah”. Now let us see how these names are written in Hebrew:

Just by adding the letter “ה”, the names Abram and Sarai were changed to Abraham and Sarah. Possibly the same letter “ה,” used to denote the Triune God, was added to the names Abram and Sarai to distinguish them as further promoters and worshipers of the true God, the Triune God.

What do you think? Makes you wonder, right?

God, the Amen

“Amen” the best known word in human speech is usually defined as firm, true, faithful or sure. The word amen occurs many times in both the Old and New Testament. Amen is an original Hebrew word that is transliterated into many languages including Greek. To our knowledge, there are two passages in the Bible where “Amen” is a Name. The first one occurs in Isaiah 65:16. Most of the modern Bible translations for this verse use the phrase “God of Truth” instead of “God, the Amen”.

That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in Elohim, the Amen; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by Elohim, the Amen; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

Isaiah 65:16

The second one occurs in Revelation 3:14, where Jesus Christ is given the same title “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness”.

In one of the previous posts, I briefly mentioned about “the Amens of Jesus Christ”. It occurs 25 times in the Gospel of John. It is translated as “verily, verily” or “I tell you the truth”. I, however, suspect that the phrase “Amen, Amen, I say unto thee” refers to the Trinity. For example, in John 3:11, it is evident that Christ is using plurals when speaking about Himself.

"Amen, Amen, I say unto thee, We speak that We do know, and testify that We have seen; and ye receive not Our witness."

John 3:11

Should we read this as "Amen (God the Father), Amen (God the Spirit), I (Jesus Christ) say unto thee, We speak that We do know, and testify that We have seen; and ye receive not Our witness" ?

Books, audio or blogs on Trinity

Books

Certainly, the best book available to read about Trinitarian proofs is the Holy Bible. Christian scholars have written commentaries on Trinitarian proofs based on the Bible and other traditional sources. Here is a list of books devoted to Old and New Testament Trinitarian proofs. I will update this list over time, so keep an eye on this post.
1. The Great Mystery: or, How can Three be One? by Christian William Henry Pauli. Published by William Macintosh, 1863. Can be downloaded for free from Google books.
Pauli (1800 – 1877) or Hirsch Prinz (his original Jewish name), was a presbyter of the Church of England. He also worked as a lecturer in Hebrew at Oxford University, Cambridge. The Great mystery; or, How can Three be One? was reprinted around 1970 and is being sold by messianic literature book stores under the title “The Great Mystery or how can three be one,” by Rabbi Tzvi Nassi. It’s unclear whether Rabbi Tzvi Nassi is CWH Pauli. This book draws its conclusions from the Old Testament and the writings of Jewish Mystics. Source: Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (John McClintock, p765, 1889)
2. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism. By Dr. Frank McGloin. Published by McVey, 1916. Can be downloaded for free from Google books.
3. The Jewish Trinity: When Rabbis Believed in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: by Yoel Natan. Published by Yoel Natan, 2003. Full preview available in Google books. Amazon Link
4. The Trinity As Revealed in the Old Testament by Ford Wilson (Paperback - Mar 13, 2007). Limited preview available in Google books.
5. The Trinity: In the Light of the Old Testament and Rabbinical Literature By Elias Newman (Paperback - 1922).
6. The Real Kosher Jesus: Revealing the mysteries of the hidden Messiah by Michael L. Brown
7. What the Rabbis Know About the Messiah: A Study of Genealogy and Prophecy by Rachmiel Frydland. Amazon Link
8. The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship by Robert Letham. Amazon Link
9. The Unity of the Bible: Unfolding God's Plan for Humanity by Daniel P. Fuller. Amazon Link
10. Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves. Amazon Link


Audio

Lectures in Trinity

Mike Reeves Lecture 


Blogs

Is the eternal life of the Trinity hierarchical or egalitarian? two blog posts written by Dr. Liam Goligher
Part 1: Is it Okay to Teach a Complementarianism Based on Eternal Subordination?
Part 2: Reinventing God

Double-call: A trademark of Jesus Christ

Many Christians are aware of the famous “Verily, Verily” (the Amens of Jesus Christ) phrase used by Christ during his ministry on earth. According to many sources, it happens 25 times in the Gospel of John. Scholars say Christ used this phrase to emphasize that what He is saying is absolutely true. A reader of modern Bible translations may miss these phrases, because, in the name of easy reading, “Verily, Verily” is translated as “I tell you the truth.” In John 8:58, Jesus Christ claimed "...Amen, Amen, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

So, does Christ use these types of phrases in the Old Testament as well? It looks as though Christ has a habit of using words/names twice in the Old and New Testaments. Apart from these “Verily, Verily” phrases, He also calls His servants twice by their names. Here are a few examples – you decide!

In the Old Testament

Genesis 22:11	But the Angel of the LORD (pre-incarnate Christ) called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he (Abraham) replied.
Genesis 46:2	And Elohim (God the Son) spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he (Jacob) replied. It is interesting to note that in verse Genesis 46:3 another of Christ's famous statements appears: “Do not be afraid” (See also Genesis 15:1).
Exodus 3:4	When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." Christ appears to Moses in the burning bush along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He acts as a spokesperson (the Word) for HaElohim.
1 Samuel 3	10 Then Yhovah came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." 21 Yhovah continued to appear in Shiloh, since Yhovah revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the Word of the Lord (God the Son / pre-incarnate Christ).

In the New Testament

Luke 10:41	"Martha, Martha," the Lord (Jesus Christ) answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,
Luke 22:31	And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to have you, to sift you as wheat; but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn't fail. You, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.
Acts 9:4	He (apostle Paul) fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me (Risen Savior, Jesus Christ)?"

Christ also used this double-call in two other places. Psalm 22 (a fascinating picture of Christ’s work on the cross) starts with “My God (the Father), My God (the Spirit), why did You forsake Me (God, the Son)? Why are You so far from helping me, as I roar out? The New Testament fulfillment of this prophesy is Christ’s fourth word on the cross which is recorded in Matthew 27:46 - “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” There is a possibility that Christ could have used this double-call to address just God the Father.

According to the Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics By J. Edwin Hartill, there are only seven humans who received this double call.

Word of the Lord – Dabar Yahweh

The term “Word of the Lord” (Dabar Yhavoh) appears first in Genesis 15:1. The Hebrew word dabar has many meanings (e.g., act, advice); however, when it is used in conjunction with Yahweh, it becomes Word of the Lord. With God the Father only blinders, many consider this a message sent by God the Father. However, Genesis 15 teaches us that Abram saw the Word of the Lord and interacted with Him. The first words uttered by the Word of the Lord are even more interesting: “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you" – a loud and clear message during Jesus Christ’s ministry here on earth.
The other words associated with the Word of the Lord are Memra and Logos. The words Dabar Yahweh and Memra are clear references to God the Son (Jesus Christ) in the Old Testament. Logos -- a Greek word meaning reason or wisdom -- is found in the most famous verse, John 1:1, in relation to The Divine Word, or Christ: “In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God.” It similarly occurs in John 1:14 with “the Word (Logos) became flesh.” In Revelation 19:13, Christ is explicitly portrayed as the Word of God: “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood (a reminder of his work on the cross), and his name is the Word of God”. Here is a partial list of references to the Word of the Lord in the Old Testament.

Genesis 15:1	After these things the Word of the Lord (God the Son) came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."
1 Samuel 3	10 Then Yhovah came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." 21Yhovah continued to appear in Shiloh, since Yhovah revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the Word of the Lord (God the Son). These versus clearly imply that the Word of the Lord is God.
1 Kings 18:1,31	1Now it happened after many days that the Word of the Lord (God the Son) came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I (God the Son) will send rain on the face of the earth." 31Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Word of the Lord (God the Son) had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name." Verse 31 confirms that Malek Yahveh who wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 32:24 is the Word of the Lord.
1 Kings 19:9-11	Then he (Elijah) came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the Word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The Word of the Lord (God the Son) asks Elijah to stand before Him when God the Father and Spirit was passing by.
Psalm 33:4, 6	For the Word of the Lord (God the Son) is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness. By the Word of the Lord (God the Son) the heavens were made, And by the Breath of His mouth (God the Holy Spirit) all their host. Also see Genesis 1:2 and John 1
Jeremiah 1:4-5	Now the Word of the Lord (God the Son) came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

The Word of the Lord also appeared to prophets Nathan (2 Samuel 7:4), Gad (2 Samuel 24:11), Solomon (1 Kings 6:11), Shemaiah (1 Kings 12:22-24), Man of God (1 Kings 13:1), Ahijah (1 Kings 14:18), Jehu (1 Kings 16:7), Ezekial (Ezekial 1:1-3, 3:4), Hosea (Hosea 1:1-2), Joel (Joel 1:1), Jonah (2 Kings 14:25, Jonah 1:1), Micah (Micah 1:1), Nahum (Nahum 1:1), Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:1), Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:1), Haggai (Haggai 1:1-3), Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1, 4:8, 12:1) and Malachi (Malachi 1:1).

Aaronic Blessing or Aaron’s Blessing

God the Father specifically instructed Moses on how Aaron should bless the Israelites. This blessing is recorded in Numbers 6:22-27 and later came to be known as the Aaronic blessing or priestly blessing or Aaron's Benediction. This three-line prayer is very Trinitarian and in the original text, each line is two words longer than the next. This prayer can be translated as follows.

God the Father said to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you should bless the Israelites: Say to them:

 

Yahveh [God the Father] bless you, and keep you;
Yahveh Paneh [God the Spirit] illuminate you, and be gracious to you;
Yahveh Paneh [God the Son] forgive you, and give you shalom.

So shall they [the priests] put My [the Father’s] Name [Yahveh] on the children of Israel; and I [the Father] will bless them.

Explanation: The first line is about asking God the Father to bless and keep. God the father blessed Adam, Noah and Israelites to multiply godly beings, expand the Garden's territory and be fruitful. Every one of them failed and Jesus Christ had to start it all over again in the Garden of Gethsemane. The word "keep" has many meanings including guarding and protecting. For example, Adam was commanded to guard and protect the Garden of Eden from the evil one. The second and third line contain the words Yahveh pa-nahv which means Yahveh Face or Yahveh Presence. Presence or Faces usually refer to God the Spirit or God the Son. For example, in Exodus 33:14, God the Father promised Moses that His Presences will go with the Israelites. 

The second line of the prayer contains the verbs shine and grace. Teaching, illuminating and grace is the office of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:15-26, Jesus Christ promised his disciples that He will send a Comforter who will provide them with truth, love, sustenance, and friendship. Men reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior until the Holy Spirit begins to illuminate them. Interestingly the Holy Spirit is portrayed as light in many places including (1) Exodus 13:21 where the spirit acted as the pillar of fire by night giving light to the Israelites exiting from Egypt and (2) in the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on Christ’s disciples as tongues of fire.  

The third line of the prayer contains the verbs forgive (Strong's Hebrew: 5375. נָשָׂא (nasa or nasah)) and peace. The word “nasa” is usually translated as “lift up”. From the ancient Hebraic perspective, the forgiveness of sins is similar to lifting or carrying the sins off and removing them. Genesis 50:17, Psalm 25:18,  Psalm 85:2 are examples where "nasa" is translated as “forgive”. The word “peace” or “shalom” means to restore what was lost or restore to state of perfection. Christ’s work on the cross restored what was lost due to Adam's sin or it was the dawn of the new creation. One can only be in peace with God by believing and trusting in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Peace with God means eternal life!

Traditional translation of Aaron's blessing

God the Father said to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you should bless the Israelites: Say to them:

Yahveh bless you, and keep you;
Yahveh make His Face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
Yahveh lift up His Face toward you, and give you peace.

So shall the priests put My Name or Character on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

Plural verbs in Old Testament referring to Yahweh

If God is only God the Father then there is no need for the Old Testament writers to address God in plural forms. Here are some examples of plural verbs that refer to Yahveh. The examples are taken from Yoel Natan’s “The Jewish Trinity”. Please refer to pages 249-263 for detailed explanation of these versus.

Genesis 1:26	Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness
Genesis 2:18 (LXX)	It is not good that the man should be alone. Let us make him a suitable helper.
Genesis 3:5 (LXX)	… you would be as Gods, knowing good and evil
Genesis 3:22	Yahveh Elohim said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.
Genesis 11:7	Yahveh said “Let us descend and confuse”
Genesis 20:13	Abraham said, “Elohim, they caused [plural verb] me to wander.
Genesis 35:7	Jacob called the place Bethel, since “[All] The Gods [haElohim], they appeared [plural verb] to him [Jacob]” at Bethel.
Exodus 12:36	Yahveh gave his people favor in the sight of Egyptians and They [Yahveh] caused them [Egyptians] to give, and thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Exodus 32:1, 4, 5, 8 & 23	make us [Israelite] Elohim who will go [plural verb] before us
Exodus 33:14-15	Yahveh [the Father] replied, “My presences [Hebrew plural Panim], they will go [plural verb] with you, and I will give you rest.’
Deuteronomy 5:26	For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living Gods [plurals: khayyim Elohim] speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?

Luke 1:35 and the Song of Mary

And the angel answered and said to Mary, the Holy Spirit shall come on you, and a power of the Most High (God the Father) shall overshadow you: And for that reason the Holy Thing (God the Son) to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:35

In this verse, Gabriel accomplishes two things. The first one is obvious i.e. to tell Mary that she is going to conceive a Son. The second one is to assure Mary that God is Triune. Gabriel does this by explaining the role of each Member of the Trinity in this miraculous conception. Gabriel explained to Mary how the power of God the Father will be put forth by the Holy Spirit, as the immediate Divine agent in this work. Thus, Gabriel distinguished God the Spirit from God the Father. The Holy Spirit exerted the power of God the Father as His own power – the Holy Spirit cannot exert the power of the Most High if He is not God Himself. Here itself we see two divine Beings in Gabriel’s explanation. Therefore also - Not only is Jesus Christ, God from eternity, but on the special way he is conceived he shall be called the Son of God. Also note how Jesus is called the Holy Thing which is in the neuter gender.

Mary doesn’t seem to have a problem accepting what Gabriel said. This can also be seen when she sang the “Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-55) praising the individual work of each member of the Trinity. The song of Mary derives most of its words from many versus in the Old Testament and still it flows perfectly. Mary couldn’t have done it without the help of God the Holy Spirit.

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (God the Son), for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

Summary: Here Mary definitely refers to God the Son. She knew through the Old Testament scriptures that salvation for her as well as the whole mankind will come through the God-Man – the Messiah.

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One (God the Father) has done great things for me—Holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His Arm (See Psalm 98:1, Exodus 15:6 about the Arm – God the Son);

Summary: The quote “generation to generation” reminds us of the Father’s words during the giving of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:6 we read “but I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love Me and obey My commandments”. Also see Psalm 103:17.

He (God the Holy Spirit) has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

Summary: Humbleness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 5:3, Galatians 5:22-23). In addition, as we have seen in Psalm 110:1, 4-6, one of the works of the Holy Spirit is to bring down haughty rulers. Also see Hosea 1:6-7 and Zechariah 4:6.

He (God the Son) has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has come to help His servant Israel (also see Psalm 98:3), remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers (also see Micah 7:20).

Summary: In Psalm 107:9, the Psalmist talks about how the pre-incarnate Christ fed the hungry and filled them with good things. Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth was filled with feeding the hungry and sending away the rich empty handed (both physically and spiritually).

Pictures of Jesus in Genesis‏

If you read the Old Testament, you will find numerous pictures (or prophesies) and actual appearances of God the Son (Jesus, the Christ) throughout the text. In this post, we will focus on the pictures of Christ found in Genesis, and examine the verse(s) where they are found.

Genesis 3:14-15 – Son of Man introduced

In these verses, the Triune God curses the devil and prophesizes that Jesus Christ is the only One who can defeat the devil. Adam was also given a reprieve for his first sin and was told a Descendant – a Son of a man - would die in Adam’s place. The Descendant was also the same Son of Man whom Daniel saw in his night visions (Daniel 7:13).

“And I (Triune God) will cause hostility between you (devil) and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring.
He (God the Son) will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.”

Genesis 3:14-15

The Seed of the woman is God the Son incarnate. A snake biting the heel of the Offspring (Son of Man) symbolizes the death of Jesus (the last Adam) on the cross. This also signifies the type of death that Jesus would suffer (Numbers 9:12; Psalm 22:14; John 3:14; 19:34-37). Snake bites cause death but do not break any bones (John 19:36).

“Strike the head” signifies His victory over Satan. The Seed of the woman (Jesus Christ) should be raised up in the fullness of time to avenge her quarrel, and to trample upon him, to spoil him, to lead him captive, and to triumph over him (Colossians 2:15).

Genesis 14:17-24 – Melchizedek and Abraham

Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.

Genesis 14:18

In Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 5:6-8, we see that this story (Genesis 14:17-24) is meant to point us to Jesus Christ. The significance of the bread and wine that Melchizedek gave to Abraham is a picture of Bread and Wine established by Jesus Christ at the Lord’s Supper.

Genesis 22:2-19 – Abraham’s faith

Trinity, haElohim (literally, “[All] the Gods”) tests Abraham’s faith -- and prophesies Jesus' (God the Son) death and resurrection -- when They tell Abraham to go to a hill in the land of Moriah and sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Mt. Moriah was the very hill area on which the First Temple (II Chronicle 3:1) was built by Solomon. Furthermore, Calvary or Golgotha (where our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified) could have, conceivably, been the same spot where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac!

In addition, Abraham sacrificing his son who he loves -- quite a cost indeed -- foreshadows God the Father offering his only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
"Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love'" (Genesis 22:2)

There is more:

1. The wood Isaac carried on his shoulders (for his own sacrifice) symbolized the wooden cross Jesus carried on his shoulders (for his own sacrifice) on his way to Golgatha.
2. Importance of Isaac's Voluntary Submission to Death: Isaac, who was 25 years old that time, could have resisted his old father Abraham if he so chose. Isaac knew it was part of God's plan -- His covenant with Abraham. Similarly, Jesus could have handily destroyed his enemies who derided and killed Him, but He knew that His death was part of God's larger plan to forgive all our sins (John 3:16a).
Importantly, Abraham’s faith that Malek Yahveh would resurrect Isaac, if necessary, (Genesis 22:5) also represents our faith that Jesus will raise us from death someday.
3. The ram God provides in place of Isaac foreshadows the blameless lamb that God would provide as a substitute for our death in sin -- Jesus.
4. Malek Yahveh, whom we learned is God the Son, the pre-incarnate Christ, intervenes for Abraham’s faithful obedience to God and spares Isaac's life. This is, of course, the same Malek Yahveh who died in our place for all our sins.

Genesis 28:11-15 – Jacob’s ladder

In verse 12, Jacob dreams of a “stairway/ladder that reached from earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on the stairway.” Here we see a picture of Jesus, for through Jesus is the only way we can share in God’s kingdom. He is the “stairway” to heaven -- “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

Genesis 35:14 – Jacob prophesies about the Son and the Spirit

“Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where El Shaddai (God the Son) had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as a drink offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.”

This is the first place in the Bible where a drink offering is mentioned. The wine represents Jesus Christ’s blood poured out for us. After the Blood came the Oil during the Pentecost - God the Holy Spirit, our Oil of Joy (Psalm 45). One can also see the same type of prophesy in Isaiah 48:16, where Yahveh the Son prophesies about His ministry on earth, “Now the Lord Yahveh (God the Father) has sent Me (Jesus Christ) and His Spirit” (Isaiah 48:16).

Genesis 43:8-9 – Judah

In persuading his (Judah) father to let Benjamin go with him and Reuben to Egypt to see Joseph (whom they don’t know is their brother) to procure food, Judah said, “I personally guarantee his (Benjamin’s) safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.” Here Judah is a picture of Christ and what He did for us. Judah was willing to sacrifice his freedom for the life of his whole family; Jesus sacrificed His life for our eternal life.

Genesis 48:12 – Jacob forms a cross

A blind Jacob forms a cross -- a picture of Jesus -- when he reaches out his arms to bless his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh with his right and left hands, respectfully -- opposite from Joseph’s original positioning.

Genesis 49:10 – Jacob’s prophesy

In his last words to his sons, Jacob makes a messianic prophesy: from Judah, a king will never die (Jesus Christ), for Jesus is -- and always will be -- our king. He also prophesies Jesus’ second coming.

“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the One to whom it belongs, the One whom all nations will honor.”

Transfiguration: Trinitarian Proof and a Prayer Answered

At the time I (Moses) pleaded with the Lord: Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant how great and mighty you are. What God is there in heaven or earth who can do the deeds and the mighty acts You have done? Please let me go over and see the fine land on the other side of the Jordan, those good hills and Lebanon.

But on account of you (Israelites) the Lord was angry with me and didn’t listen to me. ‘Enough of that!’ He (God the Father) said. Don’t talk to Me again about it.

Deuteronomy 3: 23-26

One might ask what these verses have to do with the Transfiguration account mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 17:1-9). Well, the Transfiguration took place in the Promised Land where Moses and Elijah talked to Jesus. Indeed, Moses, long after he was dead, was in the Promised Land talking to Jesus – an ancient prayer answered (Deuteronomy 3: 23-26), for Jesus is the very reason why God the Father gave the Promised Land to the Israelites. God the Father kept His promises to Abraham by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

At the Transfiguration, the Triune God also bestowed upon the three disciples an opportunity to hear the Father and see His Faces, the Son and the Spirit. There was Jesus (God the Son), whose clothes became dazzling white, and a Cloud (God the Holy Spirit) came and overshadowed them – just as in the Old Testament days when the Cloud protected the Israelites from seeing the Father’s face. The disciples also heard the Father’s voice coming from the Cloud: “This is My Son Whom I have chosen. Listen to Him.”

Son of Man and the Ancient of Days

Then the high priest said to Him (Jesus) "Swear by the living God, and tell us, are You the promised Savior (Messiah), the Son of God?"

"I am" Jesus answered him. "But I tell you, from now on you will all see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven" Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses?

Mathew 26:63-64, also see Mark 14:62

While on earth, Jesus Christ used the title “Son of Man” very frequently to refer to Himself. The Hebrew phrase for Son of Man - ben adam - literally means son of Adam and is frequently used in Ezekiel. However, the Aramaic Son of Man phrase, bar enasha, takes a different meaning; it literally means son of a human being (not son of a male in particular), and is found in Daniel 7:13-14:

In my (Daniel) vision at night I looked, and there before me was One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days (God the Father) and was led into His presence.
He (Son of Man) was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language served or worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Jesus Christ’s use of this phrase throughout His ministry, as well as during His trial, comes from Daniel’s prophesy above. The Son of Man figure in Daniel is both Divine and human, and has the power to enact final judgment on earth. The Son of Man can also be worshipped without breaking the first commandment.
Caiaphas, the High Priest, should have certainly known that there are two Divine Beings mentioned in Daniel 7:13-14 whom are worthy of worship: Son of Man and the Ancient of Days. This was evidenced by his behavior during Jesus’ trial. When Jesus answered He is the promised Jewish Messiah, Caiaphas seemed to have no disagreement, for most early Jews believed that the Messiah would be a human being appointed by God as the rightful Davidic king. But the minute Jesus quoted Daniel 7:13-14 to proclaim Himself the Son of Man prophesized in Daniel, Caiaphas became furious and tore his clothes.
During His ministry, Jesus also used the Son of Man phrase to claim that He is God incarnate.

But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. – Mark 2:10 (only God can forgive sins)
So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. – Mark 2:28 (claims He is one of the Creators – the other Two are God the Father and God the Holy Spirit)

Simple Explanation Of Each Commandment

Simple Explanations of God’s Scriptural Ten Commandments, along with a brief explanation of each. 

1. Do not have any “gods of others” before My Presences. (No trespassing against the TRIUNE GOD.)
We should fear, love and trust in God [God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit] above all things.
The most common English translation of the First Commandment is, “You shall not have other gods before Me.”  This translation is the main source of confusion for many people who want to serve the One True God but reject Jesus Christ as God.  The first commandment does not prohibit worship of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit along with God the Father.  This view is reinforced in Psalm 45:6-7 (where God the Father calls Jesus Christ "God"), Acts 5:3-4 (where Peter calls God the Holy Spirit "God"), Genesis 16:7-14, 21:17-20 (Hagar, mother of Ishmael, declared Jesus Christ, God who sees and cares), Genesis 22:10-18 (when pre-incarnate Christ stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac), Genesis 31:10-13,32: 24-32  (when pre-incarnate Christ met Jacob), Exodus 3:2-22 (when pre-incarnate Christ met Moses), Exodus 14:19 (when pre-incarnate Christ led Israel through the Red Sea), Joshua 5:13-15 (Joshua bows down with his face on the ground and worships Jesus Christ, the Captain of the Lord's Army), Zechariah 3:4 (Jesus Christ pardons the guilt/sins of Joshua, the high priest), to name a few.

2. Do not make an idol for yourself. Do not worship or serve them. (No trespassing against the TRIUNE GOD.)
We should fear and love God, that we may not spend our God-given resources and energy on worthless idols, even in the name of the Triune God.  Idols have always been a trap in the life of God’s people.  God-given resources and energy should only be used to meditate and spread the Gospel.  Idols can take many forms including extreme devotion to family, other human beings, tradition, education, career, wealth, even church building instead of devotion to the Triune God. 

3. Do not use the name of the LORD your God in a useless way. (No trespassing against the TRIUNE GOD'S NAME, REPUTATION.)
We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft (includes astrology, palm reading, observing omen, talking to dead and similar activities), lie, or deceive by His (the Triune God’s) name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

4. Remember to keep the Sabbath day [rest day] holy. (No trespassing against the TRIUNE GOD'S WORD.)
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. Christians should refrain from using Sundays for shopping, entertaining, catching up with work, exercising, sporting activities, etc. Sabbath should be used to worship and learn more about the Triune God.

5. Honor your father and your mother. (No trespassing against AUTHORITY.)
We should fear and love God that we may not despise our parents and other authorities (e.g., a country's premier / president / prime minister, government authorities, boss at work, teachers, pastors, etc.), nor provoke them to anger, but give them honor, serve and obey them, and hold them in love and esteem.

6. Do not murder. (No trespassing against HUMAN LIFE.)
We should fear and love God that we may not hurt, harm or insult (Matthew 5:22) any human being in his/her body or soul, but help and support him/her in every physical and spiritual need.

7. Do not commit adultery. (No trespassing against SEXUAL CLEANNESS.)
We should fear and love God that we may lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say (no obscene words) and do, and each love and honor his/her spouse.

8. Do not steal. (No trespassing against YOUR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY AND BUSINESS.)
We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or possessions, nor get them in any dishonest way, but help him/her to improve and protect his/her possessions and income.

9. Do not lie concerning your neighbor. (No trespassing against YOUR NEIGHBOR'S GOOD REPUTATION.)
We should fear and love God that we may not tell lies, betray, slander our neighbor, or hurt his/her reputation, but defend him/her, speak well of him/her, and put the best construction on everything.

10. Do not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female servant, his ox, donkey, or anything that is his. (No trespassing against having HOLY THOUGHTS or HOLY DESIRES.)
We should fear and love God that we may not scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, nor get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him/her in keeping it.  We should also fear and love God that we may not estrange, force, or entice away our neighbor's wife/husband, workers, animals, or gadgets [stuff] or turn them against him/her, but urge them to stay and do their duty. This commandment also requires us to guard against pursuing unethical profits (e.g. interest bearing loans), greed, materialism or consumerism. 

Christ's take on the Ten Commandments

“One of them, an expert in the Law, tested Jesus by asking Him, 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law (Ten Commandments)?’

Jesus answered the lawyer by first quoting "the Shema"; "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" [the first 4 commandments].  This is the greatest and the most important commandment.  Jesus then said, the next greatest commandment is like it: Love your neighbor like yourself [the last 6 commandments].  All the Law (Ten Commandments) and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

Matthew 22: 36–40 & Mark 12:28–30

NOTE: Although one should strive to lead a holy life, the 10 commandments are simply "impossible" for any human being to keep, except for Jesus Christ (who is also Creator of the heavens and earth, along with God the Father and Holy Spirit).  According to the Bible in James 2:10, one can keep the Ten Commandments 99.999% of the time and still not found to be worthy of heaven.  Also, one can steal a worthless pencil and end up breaking all the Ten Commandments at once.  Heaven according to Christians is a place where Jesus Christ is worshiped as Lord and King, along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  The only way to heaven is to repent of one's sins and have faith that Jesus Christ paid for all your sins and kept the Ten Commandments perfectly for you.  A repentant sinner’s belief in Jesus Christ equals heaven—no matter how bad the sins have been.

NOTE:  Several of the brief explanations are modified from The Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther.

The First Commandment

In the last post, we saw the Members of the Trinity -- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit -- appear to the Israelites on three different mountains during the giving of the law. The Israelites already knew about God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, for in Exodus 14:19 we read that Malek of [All] the Gods [haElohim] and the Pillar of Fire and Cloud [the Holy Spirit] were leading Israelites out of Egypt. I should add that the very famous golden calf story and its retelling in Nehemiah (read the LXX version) and Acts (Stephen’s account) also reveal that the Israelites understood that both Malek Yahveh and God the Holy Spirit is God (we'll discuss this further in a later post).

Now, what exactly did God the Father say when He gave the first commandment? The most common English translation is, “You shall not have other deities before Me.” This translation is the main source of confusion for many people who want to serve the One True God but reject the Trinity. The English translation is very clear: God the Father commands the Israelites not to worship any god (which may also include God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) other than Him. While this translation may lead one to believe that the first commandment is Unitarian, we should be clear that it is not. In fact, the original Hebrew translation tells a different story, making both a distinction (against false gods) and an allowance (for God the Son and Holy Spirit).

Let there be [singular verb] to you no Elohim [plural noun] Acharim [plural adjective] before My Presences [plural noun Panim] (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7).

By using the words Elohim Acharim (which literally means deities of others) and Panim (or "My Presences" – God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) God the Father makes both a distinction and an allowance. The inclusion of "deities of others" (human's or devil's) is interesting, because since there is only one true God, other so called “gods” are just human imaginations given “god”-like status (Isaiah 44:14-20). However, the deities of others clause makes an allowance for the Divine Beings whom God the Father calls God - i.e. His Presences. In the first commandment, God the Father clearly makes it known to Israelites that His Presences are co-equal to Him and worthy of worship. This view is reinforced in Psalm 45:6-7 (where God the Father calls God the Son God) and Acts 5:3-4 (where Peter calls God the Holy Spirit God), to name a few.

Living Gods -- Part 1

The phrase translated in English as “living God” appears at least 15 times in the Old Testament and another 20 times in the New Testament. However, in the Old Testament Hebrew both singular (Khayyim El – living God) and plural (Khayyim Elohim – living Gods) forms of this phrase exists. In this post, I will focus on the very first occurrence of the plural phrase (Khayyim Elohim or chai·yim Elohim), which is found in Deuteronomy 5:26.

For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living Gods [Khayyim Elohim] speaking out of the middle of the fire, as we (Israelites) have, and lived?

Deuteronomy 5:26

In Deuteronomy 5, Moses re-recited the ten commandments and “replayed” what the Israelites said during during the delivering of the law recorded in Exodus 19 and 20. In Exodus 20:19 we read “Then they (Israelites) said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not Elohim speak to us, or we will die."
Deuteronomy 5:26 is interesting because Moses really did mean that the Israelites saw the “living Gods” during the giving of the ten commandments recorded in Exodus 19 and 20. Moses expanded this further when he blessed the Israelites before his death in Deuteronomy 33:1-2. The blessing implies that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit stood in three separate mountains during the delivering of the law recorded in Exodus 19 and 20. This also has a huge implication in the interpretation of the first commandment, which I will discuss in my next post.

This is the blessing that Moses the man of [All] the Gods [haElohim] pronounced on the Israelites before his death:

Yhovah [the Father] came from Sinai, and [the Son] dawned over them from Seir; He [the Spirit] shone forth from Mount Paran. He [the Father] came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from His [the Father’s*] mountain slopes.

Deuteronomy 33:1-2

Deutronomy 33:2 could be translated either “from Sinai…from Seir…from Paran,” or “at Sinai…at Seir…at Paran.” These mounts are in comparative proximity to each other. What’s important, here, is that the supernatural event recorded in Deutronomy 33:2 is one event, with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit appearing simultaneously to the sons of Israel during the giving of the law.

Note: It is clear from Exodus 19:20 that God the Father came down on Mount Sinai. However, Deutronomy 33:2 does not assign Mount Seir to the Son and Mount Paran to the Holy Spirit. This can be deduced from the order we use during worship - i.e. Father (Sinai), Son (Seir) and the Holy Spirit (Paran). Mount Paran is also related to the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit rested on seventy elders at Paran (Numbers 11:25).

The Holy Trinity at a Glance

The ultimate goal of this blog is to educate Christians and non-Christians that the Bible, taken as a whole, is greater than the sum of its parts (Old Testament (or Torah) and New Testament). Toward that end, we cite passages, from throughout the Bible, that illustrate God's tri-unity.

The Tri-unity of God

The only true God is the Triune God (Trinity):

three distinct Persons–

God the Father, God the Son [Jesus Christ], God the Holy Spirit–

in one divine Being or Essence.

(The Holy Trinity–3 in 1 and 1 in 3)

The teaching of Trinity (3 in 1 and 1 in 3) is, to be sure, a “great mystery” (1 Timothy 3:16), a very non-understandable “article of faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Note: Tri-unity is not be confused with tritheism, which erroneously contends there are three Gods. To repeat, there is only one God in three Persons, as a triangle has three angles and three sides but is still just one triangle. Compare Mark 12:29 (cf. John 10:30) with Matthew 28:19.

Psalm 82:6-8

6. I [God the Son] say, " you are gods; you are all children of the Most High.

7. But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler."

8. Rise up, O God [the Son] and judge the earth, for all the nations are your [the Son’s] inheritance!

In John 10:30 (read John 10:22-40), Jesus (Yeshua) declares, “I and the Father are one” – that is, (Jesus) is God. The non-believers quickly accuse Him of blasphemy. In affirming He is God, Jesus alludes to Psalm 82:6-8 and interprets these versus for them. In verse 6, the human beings who receive “the Word [God the Son]” are made into “gods.” Thus, it stands to reason that the Word Himself (i.e. Jesus Christ – Word became flesh) should be God.

Verse 8 must be God the Father addressing the Son as “God,” since God the Father cannot have the earth as an inheritance; only as a possession. The Father, however, can give the earth to God the Son as an inheritance.

It should be noted that God the Father calling the Son “God” is not limited to Psalm 82:8; the writer of Hebrews says God the Father calls the Son “God” in Psalm 45:6-7 (Hebrews 1:8-9). Psalm 82 also parallels the prophecies that God the Father would give Israel (Deuteronomy 32:8-9) and the nations to his Anointed Son (Dan 7:13-14). The Great Commission verse (Matthew 28:18-19) also comes into mind when one reads Psalm 82:

Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Psalm 110:4-6

Psalm 110:4-6 is also Trinitarian (and messianic, though it has yet to be fulfilled):

4. The LORD [God the Father] has sworn and will not change His mind: "You [God the Son] are a Priest forever like Melchizedek."

Christian scholars believe that Psalm 110 is messianic, for David prophesizes that the messiah will be the eternal priest / king (verse 4). This is fulfilled in the NT, as God the Son after his death and resurrection indeed became a king priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6).

Here are two key messianic takeaways from verse 4:

- David’s master, God the Son, is a priest forever

- David was not a priest and was not even allowed to build the Temple (so how could the Messiah be David’s son?)

The mentions of three persons – e.g., “the Spirit was the witness to a conversation between David’s Lord, the Father and Son” – make it undeniably Trinitarian.

5. The Lord [God the Holy Spirit] is at Your [God the Son] right hand; He [God the Holy Spirit] will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.

If we read Psalm 110 carefully, we will notice that in verse 1, God the Father asks God the Son to sit at His right (So God the Father is at the Son’s left-hand side). Then, we read in verse 5: The Lord [God the Holy Spirit] is at Your [God the Son] right hand. Thus, we see there are two different Lords who are helping God the Son to claim his kingly priesthood.

Trinitarian Proof : Psalm 110:1

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Psalm 110 (namely verses 1, 4-5) is a Trinitarian Psalm that begins with God the Father speaking to God the Son:

The LORD [God the Father] said to my Lord [God the Son],
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”

In short, Psalm 110 answers, by way of Trinitarian proof, “Whose Son is the Messiah?” Is He David’s Son or David’s Lord? Well, as we read in the NT (Matthew 22:41-46), Yeshua (Jesus), in response to the Pharisees’ claim that the messiah was the son of David, says that David, “speaking under the inspiration of the [Holy] Spirit” calls the Father and Son “my Lord.” [3-in-1 evident here in verse 1]. Quoting Psalm 110:1, Jesus asks how the messiah could be David’s son (Matthew 22:43-45) since David had said:

“The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.”

Jesus then left the men speechless, and no one asked Him anymore questions, for they realized the truth.

Angel of the Lord Appearances in Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah and Malachi

Psalm 34:7	David tells us the Angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him (Yahveh), and He rescues them.
Psalms 35:5-6	David wants his enemies thrown down and chased by the Angel of the Lord.
Isaiah 63:9	Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes whenever the people of Israel were in trouble, “Angel in whom He (Yahveh) revealed Himself saved them.”
Ezekiel 1:26	Ezekiel in a vision sees a form that looked like a Man. The Man is no other than the eternal Son who afterwards took the human form. Here is something interesting: Ezekiel also sees a rainbow in the background where the “Man” was standing. The rainbow is a familiar reminder of the covenant El Shaddai (God the Son) made to Noah (Genesis 9:8-13).
Daniel 3:25-28	An Angel (God the Son) who looks like Son of God rescues Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace.
Zechariah 1:7-13	The Angel of the Lord comforts Israel.
Zechariah 3:4-5	An Angel of the Lord who has the power to Judge and take away sins.
Malachi 3:1	And the Lord whom you're looking for will suddenly come to His temple, yes, the Angel of the covenant whom you delight in--He will come," says the LORD of armies. The Angel of the covenant is none other than Jesus Christ.

Angel of the Lord Appearances in Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Job

2 Samuel 14:20	The wise woman tells David that he is as wise as the Angel of God.
2 Kings 1:3-17	The Angel of the Lord speaks to Elijah about Ahaziah’s death. Verse 17: So he (Ahaziah) died just as the Lord [Angel of the Lord?] had said through Elijah.
2 Kings 19:35 See also Isaiah 37:36	The Angel of the Lord kills 185,000 Assyrians.
1 Chronicles 21:15 See also 2 Samuel 18:24	Outside Jerusalem the Lord [Angel of the Lord] asks the destructive angel to “drop the sword.” Similarly, outside Jerusalem, Jesus commands Peter to put away his sword (Luke 22:38).
1 Chronicles 21:16-19 See also 2 Samuel 18:24, 2 Chronicles 3:1	David sees the Angel of the Lord near Jerusalem. The Angel of the Lord, through the prophet Gad, directs David to erect an altar for Yahveh on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite. King Solomon built the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite. This place is called the Temple Mount today.
1 Chronicles 21:30	David cannot go to Gibeon because he is frightened by the sword of the Angel of the Lord.
Job 33:23-24	Elihu seems to talk about an Angel who can redeem. Who else can the Angel [Angel of the Lord] be other than the Lord Jesus Christ? A mediator between God and man.