More Passages Confirming the Triune God.

Jesus, speaking to His disciples, warns them of coming persecution. This will actually lead to opportunities for them to speak before the authorities in power. We read this in Matthew, 

"But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

           Matthew 10:19-20 NASB

Mark records this,

"When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit."

                       Mark 13:11 NASB

And Luke records Jesus' words,

"So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute."

                         Luke 21:14 NASB

Notice in Matthew we read of the Spirit of the Father giving the words at the right time, and in Mark it says the Holy Spirit. Luke's account records Jesus saying that it is He who will give the utterance and wisdom needed. 

We see here the unity within the Godhead, how the Father, Son, and Spirit work together to accomplish their purposes. In this case, providing the right words, at the right time, so that even in persecution the gospel goes forth in power.

It can be safely assumed that the Father's Spirit is in fact the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 we read that the Spirit reveals to us the things of God. Within this passage we see the Spirit also referred to as the Spirit of God. If the Holy Spirit is God's Spirit, how can He not be divine? 

Peter also tells us that prophecy does not originate in the will of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:21).

Acts 4:25-26 records that the Holy Spirit speaking through David prophetically uttered what we read in Psalm 2:1-3.

Likewise Acts 28:27 attributes the words of God found in Isaiah 6:9-10, to the Holy Spirit speaking through the prophet Isaiah.

It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit is also referred to as the Spirit of Christ. In 1 Peter we read that the Spirit of Christ within the prophets was revealing to them the future suffering and ultimate glorification of Jesus. These things were for our benefit, for us who have heard the gospel preached by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven (1 Peter 1:10-12).

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

                        1 Thess 1:5 NASB

The gospel witness of Paul as recorded in the above verse came with the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who brings conviction (John 16:7-11). 

This same convicting power must attend everyone sharing the gospel, whether a minister in a church on Sunday or an individual suffering in prison, about to stand before the authorities. It is the convicting power of the Spirit attending the message that is necessary. In reality it is God (the Holy Spirit) speaking through an individual.

Read the example of Peter in Acts 2:14-41. He has just been filled with the Holy Spirit and now preaches a powerful message filled with conviction. Read the disciples prayer for boldness in the face of opposition found in Acts 4:24-31. The result? They were filled with the Spirit and began to speak the word with boldness. 

Jesus speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell those who believe in Him in John chapters 14-16.

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him."

                         John 14:23 NASB

From this verse we see that the Father and Son come to dwell with those who love and obey Jesus. How is this accomplished? It is through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are in fact the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). He lives within us. 

One can clearly see the triune nature of God in these passages. We have seen the unity of the Father, Son and Spirit working together in the ministry of the prophets, in the witness of the apostles, and it continues for us today. The same Spirit that filled them, is available for us, bringing us into fellowship with the Father and Son. 

We have seen the Holy Spirit referred to as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit of Christ. Isaiah 61:1 calls Him the Spirit of the Sovereign LORD. 

As Christians we absolutely believe in one God. Isaiah 45:5 declares,

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.

This statement found in Isaiah and many others like it are absolutely true and I firmly embrace them. Yet as I have shown in previous posts many of these passages are applied to Jesus in the New Testament. We see throughout the Bible references to the Father, Son, and Spirit. Not three separate gods as many accuse us of believing, but one absolute God comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

He Who Searches the Minds and Hearts.

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down, 

And are intimately aquatinted with all my ways.

Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

                  Psalm 139:1-4 NASB

God knows everything about us. There is nothing hidden from Him. Even our thoughts are known to Him. The deepest secrets of our hearts cannot be hidden from the searching gaze of the Almighty God.

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

"I the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds."

                 Jeremiah 17:9-10 NASB

This passage reaffirms what we read above. The LORD (YAHWEH) is the one who knows us inside and out. Again, nothing is hidden from Him. Our very thoughts, things we might think are known only to us, lie exposed before God. And we can rest assured that we will reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). God will repay us according to our deeds.

I would assume we all agree that no one really knows our inner thoughts, the intents of our hearts. We might know someone fairly well, and have a good idea what might be on their minds, but to truly know the deepest secrets, the hidden things of the heart, that is something only God can discern.

Again we read in Revelation 2:23,

"And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds."

This warning was given to the church in Thyatira. They were tolerating a so called prophetess who was leading them into immorality. If those involved in this sin did not repent, they would face severe judgement.

Here we see the same passage from Jeremiah quoted. However, this is Jesus speaking. Understand, Jesus is claiming to be the LORD who searches the minds and hearts. He is boldly declaring that He is YAHWEH. Make no mistake. Jesus is intentionally applying Jeremiah 17:10, a verse describing something only God can do, to Himself. 

Not only is Jesus stating that He is the God who searches the minds and hearts, but He is also the God who will give us what our deeds deserve. He is indeed the final Judge.

Compare these verses,

Behold , the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.

                        Isaiah 40:10 NASB

Ah Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of the fathers into the bosoms of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name. Great in council and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

                  Jeremiah 32:17-19 NASB

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."

                        Rev 22:12 NASB

Jesus cannot be clearer. He is making claims that only God can make. We need to pay attention to the things that He says about Himself, as there are so many false teachings out there that deny the deity of Christ. However, it is there before our eyes in scripture if we take the time to search it out, letting scripture interpret scripture.

The Faithful and True Witness

Jesus makes a bold claim in His message to the church in Laodicea.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God says this..."

                          Rev 3:14 NASB

The recipients of this letter would have no doubt as to His divine being. Jesus is taking Old Testament passages of Scripture that apply to the LORD (YAHWEH) and applying them to Himself, thus declaring that He is indeed God. Let's look at them.

In Isaiah 65:16 we read,

"Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of truth; 

And he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth;

Because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My sight!"

The word truth can also be translated as "Amen". God is indeed the truth, the Amen. He is absolute truth with no wavering. He is unchanging. Men swore by God because He was God and there was no one higher. God swore by Himself as He is the plumbline, the truth, there is no one higher, it is impossible for Him to lie (see Hebrews 6:13-18).

In John 14:6, Jesus states that He is the way, the truth, and life. By claiming to be the Amen, the embodiment of truth, Jesus equates Himself with God, asserting His deity.

In Jeremiah 42:5 the people come to Jeremiah for a word of direction from the LORD. They swear by the LORD to be obedient to whatever He says.

Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the LORD your God will send you to us."

 Tragically the people did not obey, and ultimately faced God's judgement. Jesus is stating that He is that true and faithful witness. He is that one by which men swear an oath. There is no one higher, no one unchanging, no other standard of truth than what is embodied in God Himself. Jesus is not using poetic language to begin His letter to the Laodicean church. His words are calculated; He is intentionally making a bold declaration. 

Finally, Jesus, as God created the heavens and the earth. 

"Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called;

I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. 

Surely my hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens;

When I call to them, they stand together."

               Isaiah 48:12-13 NASB

We understand that God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1). But how many of us realize that Jesus was there active in creation? John 1:1-3 states,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

As we read in Revelation 3:14, Jesus is the beginning or origin of creation. He was not created first, but as we see in John 1, He existed with God, and as God. This puts to rest the erroneous speculation of Jehovah's witnesses and others who believe likewise.

God, in the above passage in Isaiah declares that He is the first and last. Jesus as well claims to be the first and last (see Rev 1:17, 2:8, 22:13). So we see by looking at these passages that Jesus is indeed God, He leaves no doubt of His divine nature by His statements found within the letters to the seven churches.

The Faith of Enoch

     And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

     And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 

     And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

     And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

                     ( Genesis 5:21-24 KJV)

We do not read much about this man known as Enoch, but what we read is amazing. He walked with God and God one day took him. Only two men have ever been taken up without experiencing death, Enoch and Elijah.

We see that Enoch walked with God for 365 years. We should ask ourselves what it means to walk with God. Walking with God implies fellowship, agreement. One must be in agreement with God if one is to fellowship with Him. Can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3).

If we understand who God is-that He is transcendent, holy, sinless, then we also will desire to walk in holiness. We will love what He loves, and hate what He hates, and it will show by our attitudes and actions 

This is the message of 1John 1:5-7. God is light. There is no darkness in Him. Therefore if we say we have fellowship with God, yet are walking in darkness we are being dishonest, we stand in opposition to Him. Those who walk in light are the ones who are truly in fellowship with Him 

We read in Hebrews that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). A few verses later we read this about Enoch,

     By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had the testimony, that he pleased God.

     But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

                      (Hebrews 11:5-6 KJV)

Ultimately it starts with faith. We read that it is impossible to please God without it. All of our efforts and intentions mean nothing without a firm trust in, and an adherence to God. Whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

If we are to come to God, we must believe that He exists. And if God exists, we must rid ourselves of ourselves and pursue Him. The above verse states that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. To diligently seek God goes far above the mere asking for things. To seek God in this context is to seek God Himself, because He is worthy. He must become our greatest treasure, the one thing we desire above all else. This is where are true contentment is found. We can be absolutely destitute but have God, and in that we have everything.

One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

                              (Psalm 27:4 KJV)

The Triune God in Isaiah 48

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

                      (Isaiah 48:12-13 KJV)

The individual speaking in these two verses can be identified as God. He claims to be the first and the last, something no one but God can claim. There is no one else besides Him. He is the uncreated first cause of all creation. In this passage He is shown to be the one who created the heavens and the earth. It is undisputable, this is God speaking.

As this passage continues God speaks of bringing future Judgement on Babylon who He will use as a chastisement upon His people, particularly the southern kingdom of Judah. When the time has come, God will raise up a Persian ruler named Cyrus to set His people free (see Isaiah 44:28-44:4).

It is still God speaking as we come to verse 16,

Come ye near to me, hear 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.

                                ( Isaiah 48:16 KJV)

So notice that it is God speaking, who will be sent by the Lord God, and the Spirit. Here we have a clear view of the triune makeup of God. Again, it is obvious from the context that it is God speaking. No one but God can claim to be the first and last, the creator of the heavens and earth. That claim belongs only to God. Yet we see the Lord God, and the Spirit, sending the speaker who we have identified as God.

We can deduce from this portion of scripture that it prophetically speaks of the coming Messiah, Jesus, who will be annointed by the Holy Spirit. 

This is foretold also in Isaiah 42:1-7, and Isaiah 61:1-3, and confirmed by Jesus Himself when He read this passage in the synogogue, and claimed to be the fulfillment of it (Luke 4:16-21). Lest there be any doubt in our minds, Creation is ascribed to Jesus as well as it states in Hebrews 1:2-3, Col 1:16, and John 1:3, which reads, All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

Notice the "There am I" statement denoting eternity. This is very close to Jesus' statement in John 8:58, "Before Abraham was, I am."

Here we have again seen Jesus portrayed as God, as well as another Old Testament passage which reveals the triune God. 

The Deity of the Holy Spirit Shown in the Old Testament

One does not need to search the New Testament to find passages proving the deity of the Holy Spirit. While it is true that the New Testament shows the Spirit to be divine, the Old Testament is not silent on this issue either.

Let's look at David's last words as recorded in second Samuel.

Now these are the last words of David. 

David the Son of Jesse declares, the man who was raised on high declares, the annointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel,

"The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me..."

                     (2 Samuel 23:1-3 NASB)

In these three verses David states that the Spirit of YAHWEH spoke by him. What follows in this passage is a prophetic utterance spoken through David, by the Holy Spirit. 

Notice however it also states that the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke...

This is a hebraic way of stating a fact. The text is showing us that the Spirit of the LORD, the God of Israel, and the Rock of Israel are the same.

Who is the God (Elohim) of Israel? Who is Israel's Rock?  

"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 

'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.

'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; yes let him recount it to Me in order, from the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place.

'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'"

               (Isaiah 44:6-8 NASB)

We see in this passage that the God of Israel is the LORD YAHWEH. He is Israel's Rock, there is no other. So taking these passages together we can see that the Spirit of the LORD is divine. The Spirit is God, YAHWEH. The Holy Spirit cannot be another God, and Israel does not have two or more Gods. The text we have just read explicitly states that there is no other God, no other Rock. 

When David spoke prophetically by the Spirit, it was God speaking through him. Thus we can see that God has revealed Himself as the triune God in the Old Testament also. 

The God of the Exodus

The Old Testament has a lot to say about the triune God, more than many of us may realize. One such passage is found in Isaiah 63:7-16, a portion of scripture recalling God's deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt.

I shall make mention of the loving- kindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His compassion and according to the abundance of His loving-kindnesses. 

 

For He said, "Surely they are My people, sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them. 

Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them? Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name. 

Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness they did not stumble; as the cattle which go down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So you led your people , to make for Yourself a glorious name.

Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation; where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds? The stirrings of Your heart and your compassion are restrained toward me. 

For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, O, LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your name. 

                            (Isaiah 63:7-16 NASB)

In this passage Isaiah is addressing the LORD (YAHWEH). From verse 16 we can see that Isaiah is referring to the Father. It is the Father who had compassion on Israel in their affliction. According to His loving kindness toward them, He became their Savior, redeeming them from slavery in Egypt. The miraculous parting of the waters, the crossing of the Red sea, but now centuries later, Israel has forsaken the LORD their God, their Father.

Who is the angel of His presence? If we go back to the story of the exodus we discover who this angel is.

Moses is pasturing his father-in-law's flock near Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush.

When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 

He also said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

                  (Exodus 3:4-6 NASB)

This is not an ordinary created angel. This angel identifies Himself as God. It is God Himself speaking from the midst of the burning bush. He identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The patriarchs had visitations such as this as well. The LORD appeared to them on various occasions recorded in Genesis.  God tells Moses,

"I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

"I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned.

"Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because of the Egyptians who are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

"Say therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements.

'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians.

'I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession; I am the LORD.'"

                     ( Exodus 6:2-8 NASB)

We see that the LORD God appeared to the patriarchs, made a covenant with them, and has now seen the affliction of their descendants in Egypt. In the past the Word of the LORD appeared to Abram and made a covenant with him (Genesis 15:1-18). The LORD appeared to Abram and gave him the covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:1-22), and appeared again in the form of a man (Genesis 18:1-33). The angel of the LORD calls out to Abraham from heaven in Genesis 22:1-18, when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

The LORD appears to Isaac and reaffirms the covenant made with Abraham (Genesis 26:2-5).

The LORD appeared to Jacob on several occasions during his lifetime. Again, the covenant made with Abraham and passed down to Isaac, is now reaffirmed with Jacob (Genesis 28:12-23). He sees the angel of God in a dream (Genesis 31:10-13), and wrestles with a man (angel), who in reality is God, until daybreak ( Genesis 32:24-30).

When Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph he makes mention of the God who led him all of his life, equating God with the angel who redeemed him from evil (Genesis 48:15-16). 

The book of Hosea confirms that the God of Jacob, and the angel with whom he wrestled, were one and the same, the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD is His name (Hosea 12:3-5).

Again, back to the appearance of the angel of the LORD and the burning bush, we read this,

The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My People who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings."

                      ( Exodus 3:7 NASB)

God is aware of the sufferings that His chosen people have endured. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them (Isaiah 63:9). This angel of His presence, the angel of the LORD who appeared in the burning bush declares who He is,

Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your father's has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?"

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM "; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 

God, furthermore said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations."

                 (Exodus 3:13-15 NASB)

The angel of the LORD, with whom Moses was speaking is the LORD God. He takes the name of the LORD, YAHWEH, the eternal one.

As they depart in haste from Egypt the LORD goes before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22).

 As they come to the Red sea, we read that it is the angel of God going before the people. With no where to go, the angel moves between them and the approaching Egyptians (Exodus 14:19). Notice in Exodus 14:24 that it is the LORD who is looking down on the army of Egyptians through the pillar of cloud and fire. This is when God parted the sea, delivering His people in a miraculous way.

In Exodus 23:20-23 we read that this angel who is to go before Israel and bring them into the promised land contains the name of the LORD.

After the incident of the golden calf God told Moses to depart with the people to the promised land. He said he would send His angel before them, but He (the LORD) would not go because of their obstinance. 

Moses intercedes, he is unsure who God will send to go before them. He has found favor with God, they have spoken face to face. He refuses to go if the LORD Himself will not go with them. God's presence in their midst is the factor that distinguishes them from all the other nations. 

The LORD's reply? My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest (Exodus 33:14, see Exodus 32:1-33:15).

The angel of the LORD states in Judges 2:1 that it was He who brought them out of Egypt and into the land which He swore to give their fathers. So who is this angel of the LORD who speaks for God and as God? He is the angel of His presence.

I'm Malachi 3:1 we read this prophecy,

"Behold I am going to send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts.

This was fulfilled as John the Baptist, the messenger or forerunner of Jesus came and prepared the way for Jesus (Mark 1:1-4). Jesus is the Lord who suddenly came to His temple (John 2:13-17). Jesus is the messenger of the covenant of  whom Malachi speaks. He is the angel of the LORD who appeared to the patriarchs, to Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt, and into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

John 1:18 states that no one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Jesus explains to His disciples that He is the revelation of the Father in John 14:7-11. This allows us to harmonize all of the divine appearances mentioned in the Old Testament with the above statement, "No one has seen God at any time." The patriarchs and prophets saw God. Hagar saw God. When Moses and Aaron, Nadab, Elihu, and seventy elders of Israel ascended mount Sinai, they saw God. In fact they ate with Him ( Exodus 24:9-11). Who they saw in these appearances was the pre-incarnate Son, Jesus, the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), the I AM who existed from eternity past, before Abraham was born (John 8:58).

Jesus is the glorious arm of the LORD who went at the right hand of Moses (Isaiah 63:12). We read this in Isaiah 53, a Messianic prophecy fulfilled in Jesus, "Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1)

The message was about Jesus the Messiah, and He was the arm of the LORD revealed to Israel, who according to prophecy, rejected Him ( John 12:37-42). He came to His own and His own did not receive Him (John 1:11).

Jesus the Son of God is pre-existant. He has always been, yet He did not merely dwell unknown in heaven until His incarnation. Many of us understand the prophecies concerning Him, His birth, ministry and miracles, death, resurrection, and second coming. However, how many of us realize that the Old Testament records multiple instances of His appearing to various individuals? When Jesus stated that the scriptures spoke of Him, (remember this would be the Old Testament), He is including all of these appearances we have been discussing. The Old Testament scriptures are filled with Jesus (Luke 24:27).

In spite of all that God did in redeeming Israel out of slavery in Egypt they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, the Spirit who was in their midst (Isaiah 63 10-11). When we read the account of the Exodus we see the children of Israel constantly grumbling, complaining, and ultimately refusing to go into the land promised them. The had been gloriously delivered, seen miracles, experienced God's provision time and time again. The angel of the LORD ( Christ) personally led them the whole time. All of this grieved His (God's) Holy Spirit.

(See Psalm 106:32-33).

The author of Hebrews, quoting Psalm 95:7-11, states this, Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING ME, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID,  'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'"

                     (Hebrews 3:7-11 NASB)

Speaking for God, and as God we see that the Holy Spirit was provoked. It was the Holy Spirit who was tested by the actions of His rebellious people. In a similar passage we see that when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the apostles it was the Holy Spirit that they were actually lying to. Peter tells them that they did not lie to men, but to God (Acts 5:3-4). These are two important passages. God's Spirit cannot be separated from God. The Holy Spirit is not a force, or an angel, or some other created being, or even another God. The Holy Spirit is God. You cannot separate the Spirit of God from God. 

Numbers 14:11-14 records Moses pleading with the LORD on behalf of the nation of Israel who had just refused to enter the promised land,

The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they." 

But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night."

               (Numbers 14:11-14 NASB).

Here we see that it was the LORD in the midst of the people, leading them in the pillar of cloud and fire. This ties it up. There is only one LORD (YAHWEH). We have seen the Father referred to as the LORD, the pre-incarnate Son referred to as LORD, and the Holy Spirit as LORD as well. One LORD, not three LORDS. The one LORD bringing out His people from Egypt, performing miracles, His presence in their midst, He Himself going before them in the cloud. 

Again, as I initially stated, the Old Testament does say much about the triune God. This doctrine is not a new innovation. There are those who erroneously claim that the doctrine of the triune God (trinity) was unheard of until the Nicean council, where "christianized" pagans invented a way to worship multiple gods. This could not be further from the truth. The concept of the triune God is rooted in the Old Testament and is woven throughout the scriptures. God has not left us without witness, He has revealed Himself to us by His Spirit, through His word.