...a concept known to the previous prophets of Israel? Do they prophets know that God had a son that he hid away?
2007-09-10 05:49:40 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In Asian languages, using the plural to address oneself is a polite way or refined way of speech. Thus we find in the Semitic languages like Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic, when God says "We", it doesn't mean that he is in multiples. This concept is lost when the language gets translated into English, for example.
2007-09-10 19:51:13 · update #1
No,
It is considered to be polytheism by both Judaism and Islam and many original Christians (unitarians) who were killed off by Constantine.
.
2007-09-10 05:53:47 · answer #1 · answered by wwhy 3 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Jesus is the God of the Old Testament...remember Christ words..."No one has seen the Father except the Son"...Even Christians don't get this but it was Christ who was there in the Garden, giving instructions to Noah, visiting Abraham, wrestling with Jacob in the dessert, keeping the 3 safe in the fiery furnace and Daniel from being eaten in the Lions Den...He was also there with Moses. There is no trinity...The Godhead or nature of God is A Father and Son as One sharing the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Creator of all things..it was through Him, by Him and for Him that all things were made and it is through Him that we live move and have our being. The Father and The Son exhalt each other, neither having to grasp for a place that is already theirs and the name they share has no higher name...Jehovah "I Am that I Am". They are the self existant One. A human fathers son is human and so Gods Son is God. Does that make sense...? Jesus is Jehovah, the Messiah...Our Salvation, the Anointed and it is through Him that we mediated to the Father. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Love in Christ, ~J~
2007-09-10 06:01:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The concept yes, the terminology no. The prophets of Israel clearly understood that God was more than one being...many of the names and references to him are plural. Elohim is a plural noun...let "us" make man in "our" image, let "us" confound their language. References to the Spirit of God that inhabited a man on earth appear in relation to many of the prophets so clearly they were at least aware of that part of the trinity. A few references in the OT suggest the presence of a "son" and more refer to the "Word" of God (another name for the son). In Isaiah 48:16, the prophet says of the one to come, ..."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...that verse reveals all three aspects of the triune God...the Lord GOD, his spirit, and the one he sent...and the three are "one".
Final thought...the term "one" is also plural. When God said, 'the two shall become one flesh" (in reference to marriage), the term "one" was translated from a word that refered to complete unity (echad). The same word is used in Deuteronomy when it says our Lord is one Lord. If God isn't a multi-faceted entity, why all the plural references to him in the OT?
2007-09-10 06:18:43 · answer #3 · answered by KAL 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages: In the Old Testament, "LORD" is distinguished from "Lord" (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The "LORD" has a "Son" (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). Spirit is distinguished from the "LORD" (Numbers 27:18) and from "God" (Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7;)
2007-09-10 05:56:29 · answer #4 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Orthodox Trinitarians gather strength and legitemacy from written creeds that state "persons" or "personalities" in the trinity.
At this day, the monotheist trinity is known to be the correct Biblical view.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit is like the soul, the body and the works in a single person.
One God, one mind, one body.
2007-09-10 05:58:52 · answer #5 · answered by Brief Boxer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. I know they knew of the Spirit, it is mentioned many times in the OT. They also mention The Angel like unto man, I am sure though that there were not many who understood it. Even Jacob wrestled with God in human form, which you gotta figure was Christ also. God kept Jesus hidden for a reason, to keep Satan from knowing the plan for salvation.
2007-09-10 05:58:56 · answer #6 · answered by Connie D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The idea of the tri-une nature of God is revealed in the Old Testament, but they didn't think in terms of "Father/Son/Holy Spirit"
In Genesis, we read that In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth, and the SPIRIT of God hovered over the face of the deep, and God SAID "Let there be light" - you see represented here the Father God, the Spirit God, and the Word of God which later came as Jesus.
Isaiah we read how "I have not spoken in secret. From the beginning, I am there. And now the LORD and His Spirit has sent me, saith the LORD"
And in Proverbs, He is referred to as "the WISDOM of God", who was with God when He created, etc.
It's all there, just wasn't so obvious - NOT hidden away, just integrated, so to speak.
"Hear, O Israel, The LORD thy God is ONE Lord" and "You shall have no other gods before me."
2007-09-10 05:55:54 · answer #7 · answered by no1home2day 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No - the Son wasn't hidden away - the OldTestament is the new Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. A person was at that time saved by faith in the one true God - and faith in the coming Messiah - even if they didn't have full revelation about his Son. They were looking for a Messiah - they didn't understand everything though - they just accepted the prophecies as they were given and trusted God. Now we accept the prophecies as they have been revealed and trust God.
2007-09-10 05:54:33 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It was prophesied that they would not know. More than once! It was prophesied that Jesus would be a stumbling stone. And so it is to this day.
But the promise is:
Isaiah 8
1 The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:
12 "Do not call conspiracy
everything that these people call conspiracy ;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread,
14 and he will be a sanctuary;
but for both houses of Israel he will be
a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.
15 Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured."
And so it is even to this day!
2007-09-10 06:04:51 · answer #9 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you hit on a good issue... the character of "god" in the old testament was sometimes elusive....
elohim (plural) created the heavens and earth
sometimes the ruach ( spirit) acted alone
sometimes Israel was a "child" and other times it was a "bride"
there was also a personality - the angel of the Lord- who was not just an angel but had divine qualitites..and the authoirty of god.
2007-09-10 06:29:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the Trinity is something that i have struggled with because it is not simular to anything i know in the life i have today... but i have faith that when God welcomes me into heaven, i will question it's meaning no more...
The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit... they are all one and the same so, he could not have hidden his son... He is the Son!!
AMEN...
2007-09-10 05:54:06 · answer #11 · answered by Jeanette 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋