The doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists as three persons – the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit – yet there is only one God. This central doctrine of Christianity developed over the centuries, but its roots can be seen in the Old Testament scriptures.
While the Old Testament does not contain an explicit and formulated doctrine of the Trinity, it contains many hints and allusions to the tri-personal nature of God. Here are some of the ways the Old Testament points towards the Trinity:
1. Plural language used for God
There are several places in the Old Testament where God refers to Himself in the plural. For example:
- “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'” (Genesis 1:26)
- “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:7)
- “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’” (Isaiah 6:8)
This use of plurals (“us” and “our”) is suggestive of multiple persons within the divine identity.
2. God and the Angel of the Lord
There are several instances in the Old Testament where God and the angel of the Lord are distinguished from each other, yet the angel of the Lord possesses divine attributes and authority. For example:
- “The angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.” (Exodus 3:2). Yet verse 4 states “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush.”
- Jacob wrestles with a “man” who is also clearly God (Genesis 32:22-30).
- The angel of the Lord accepts worship from Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15).
These theophanies suggest there are personified distinctions within the identity of the one God.
3. God and Wisdom
Proverbs personifies wisdom as an attribute of God that was present at creation (Proverbs 3:19-20, 8:22-31). Yet wisdom is clearly distinguished from God:
- “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.” (Proverbs 8:22)
This hypostatization of wisdom also points to plurality within God’s oneness.
4. God and His Word
The way God’s word is personified also suggests plurality within God. Isaiah 55:11 says “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” God’s word seems to have a certain independence of agency from God, yet is still identified with God.
5. God and His Spirit
The Old Testament frequently refers to God’s Spirit in a personal way that suggests distinction from God Himself. For example:
- The Spirit of God was “hovering” over the waters in creation (Genesis 1:2)
- The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson (Judges 14:6)
- The Spirit of God came upon Azariah (2 Chronicles 15:1)
Though not as explicit as the New Testament, the Old Testament depicts the Spirit of God acting in personal ways that hint at His full personhood.
6. God’s Name is Plural
In Hebrew, God’s sacred name as revealed to Moses is “YHWH” which is related to the Hebrew for “I AM”. What’s interesting is this sacred name is plural, as evidenced by the plural ending “-im”:
- “Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’” (Genesis 32:28). “Israel” means “God contends.”
This suggests plurality within the one God.
7. The LORD and Adonai
Throughout the Old Testament, God refers to Himself as both YHWH (LORD) and Adonai (Lord). Adonai in Hebrew means “my lords” – again a hint at plurality.
While subtle, these two names used side-by-side for God also point to diversity within His oneness.
8. Messianic Prophecies Imply Distinction
The prophecies about the coming Messiah also imply a distinction between God and the divine Messiah. For example:
- “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The child who is born is somehow also the Mighty God. This implies plurality within God’s identity.
9. The Son of Man in Daniel
In Daniel 7, the prophet has a vision of “one like a son of man” coming on the clouds of heaven to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom that will never be destroyed (7:13-14). This Son of Man figure seems to be divine yet distinct from the “Ancient of Days” who gives Him this dominion.
Though cryptic, this points to plurality and distinction within God.
10. God Speaking in the Plural
When Isaiah has a vision of the Lord in His glory, he hears God speaking:
- “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’”
God refers to Himself in the plural “us”, implying diversity in unity.
While the Old Testament does not contain a full doctrine of the Trinity, it contains seeds and hints that are developed in the New Testament. The three persons of the Trinity – the Father, Son and Spirit – can be seen implicitly present and active in the Old Testament scriptures through these references.
Though implicit, the fingerprints of the Trinity emerge through the Old Testament’s depiction of God’s plurality, His use of plurals, and the persons of God active in divine missions. The New Testament takes these themes of God’s complex unity and makes them explicitly clear. Yet the Trinity is present, albeit in seed form, in the Hebrew scriptures.
The Old Testament does not clearly spell out the doctrine of the Trinity as such, but it contains many intriguing hints and allusions to the diversity and plurality within the one God. These prepare the way for the full-blown Trinitarian formulations that would come with the Incarnation of Christ and the inspiration of the apostles by the Spirit to explain its meaning.
Through names like YHWH-Adonai, depictions of wisdom and word, theophanies of the angel of the Lord, and prophecies about the Messiah and Son of Man – the Old Testament gives glimpses of the Trinity that are brought into crystal clarity by the revelation of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
Though not explicitly presented, the fingerprints of the Triune God can be discerned upon careful examination of the Old Testament. Like looking through a glass darkly, its pages anticipate the revelation to come of Father, Son and Holy Spirit – One God, Three Persons – in the fullness of time.
The doctrine of the Trinity, though only fully revealed in the New Testament, is foreshadowed in the Old Testament through the themes of God’s plurality, use of plurals, and personal references to attributes like word, wisdom and spirit. These prepare the groundwork for the Trinity by presenting a complex Godhead, without denying monotheism. While the details are not spelled out, the progress of revelation marches towards the Trinitarian formulations to come.
Throughout the Old Testament, God is depicted as personal yet plural. He speaks as “us”, appears in theophanies, describes His own name and attributes as plural, and interacts with personalized aspects of His identity like wisdom and word. These references, though somewhat oblique, edge towards the later Christian doctrine of one God eternally existing in three co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial divine Persons.
The Old Testament imagery and prophecy provides rich soil for the seeds of Trinitarian thought to germinate and grow into the fully blossomed doctrine explained explicitly in the New Testament. Careful study of the Hebrew scriptures reveals tantalizing glimpses and clues that are brought into clear relief by later revelation, as God progressively unveils the truth about His triune nature.
There are several important references and allusions in the Old Testament that imply a plurality within the one God and prepare the way conceptually for the full Trinitarian theology to come in the New Testament. However, it must also be said the Trinity in the OT is merely foreshadowed, not fully formulated or expounded systematically. The building blocks are present, but the doctrine itself is not explicitly outlined until the time of Christ.
As the fuller revelation dawned in Him, the hints contained in the Law, Prophets and Writings were brought into crystalline focus. Jesus Himself affirmed the Old Testament as divinely inspired Scripture that bore witness to Him, even if the details of His divine nature were not yet made plain. With the New came clarity to understand the stirrings of the Triune mystery in the Old.
In summary, while present in seminal ways, the Old Testament alone does not contain or clearly teach a doctrine of the Trinity. The groundwork is laid through a variety of references that suggest plurality in God’s self-designation. But the doctrine is not fully developed until the progressive unfolding of Scripture reaches its peak in the Incarnate Christ.
The Old Testament contains numerous references to God’s Spirit, His Word, His Wisdom, the Angel of the Lord, and God speaking in plurals. These references imply distinctions of persons within God’s essential oneness. While the Old Testament doesn’t teach an explicit doctrine of the Trinity, it contains the seeds of Trinitarian thought that blossom in the fuller revelation of the New Testament.
God’s self-designation as plural, depictions of the divine council, appearances of the angel of the Lord, and personification of attributes like Word and Wisdom all suggest a manifold Godhead. But in the epoch of the Old Testament, these themes are not drawn together and systematized into formal Trinitarian doctrine. That awaited the progressive unfolding of revelation in Christ.
The raw materials for the doctrine of the Trinity emerge in the Old Testament but the doctrine itself does not come into clear focus until the new covenant writings. With the benefit of hindsight, we can look back and see the hints and shadows that anticipated the coming revelation of Father, Son and Spirit – united eternally as one God in three Persons.
While present in seminal ways, the Old Testament alone does not contain or clearly teach a doctrine of the Trinity. The groundwork is laid through a variety of references that suggest plurality in God’s self-designation. But the doctrine is not fully developed until the progressive unfolding of Scripture reaches its peak in the Incarnate Christ.
In conclusion, the Old Testament does not explicitly teach the doctrine of the Trinity in a clear systematic fashion. But it contains the raw material, the threads and themes, which are drawn together and expounded systematically in the fuller revelation of the New Testament. The roots of the Trinity are clearly present in the Old Testament, planted by God to be harvested in later Scripture.