Counsel #4 — God’s Old Testament Three-Ness

Picture: Counsel #4 — God’s Old Testament Three-NessCCW 14.1

People often think that it is harder to discern God’s three-ness in the Old Testament. While this is often true, the Old Testament does refer to God’s plurality repeatedly.^{[13]https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&context=pd} God said “Let us make man in our image…”^{[14]Genesis 1:26} The three are also distinguished in Isaiah 48:12-16. Less explicit are plural formulas where the term “Lord” is used three times,^{[15]Numbers 6:24-27} or where “Holy, Holy, Holy…”^{[16]Isaiah 6:3} is repeated similarly. It is important to recognize that the “Angel of the Lord” is also sometimes identified as God.^{[17]Genesis 16:7, 13; 32:30; Exodus 3:2, 4}CCW 14.2

“In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.” Isaiah 63:9, 10 NKJVCCW 14.3

“The Son of God was the leader of the Israelites, although invisible to the congregation. His presence went before them, and conducted all their travels, while Moses was their visible leader, receiving his directions from the angel, who was Christ himself.” Ellen White in The Signs of the Times, September 9, 1880, par. 5CCW 14.4

Reflect: Do you think a complete understanding of God's three-in-one nature is possible, or does some mystery remain?CCW 14.5