The Trinity In The Old Testament
The Triune Godhead Can Be Found In The Book Of Isaiah
“Come ye near unto me, hear ye 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]
In the above verse, we have the pre-incarnate Christ speaking. And what he is saying is confirmation of the triune godhead.
Here is Isaiah 48:16 with the Strong’s reference numbers inserted:
Come <07126> (8798) ye near <07126> (8798) unto me, hear <08085> (8798) ye this; I have not spoken <01696> (8765) in secret <05643> from the beginning <07218>; from the time <06256> that it was, there am I: and now the Lord <0136> GOD <03069>, and his Spirit <07307>, hath sent <07971> (8804) me.
“Lord” (Strong’s number 0136) is the Hebrew word “Adonay”, which was used of the Jews in place of Yahweh in a display of reverence. “God” (Strong’s number 03069) is the Hebrew word “Jehovah” which means “the existing one”. And the word “Spirit” (Strong’s number 07307) in this verse refers to the third person of the Trinity.
The great commentator and theologian John Gill eloquently expounds on the verse this way:
“Here is a glorious testimony of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; Christ the Son of God is sent in human nature, and as Mediator Jehovah the Father and the Spirit are the senders of him; and so is a proof of the mission, commission, and authority of Christ, who came not of himself, but was sent of God, (see John 8:42 ). It may be rendered, “and now the Lord God hath sent me and his Spirit” both were sent of God, and in this order; first, Christ, to be the Redeemer and Saviour; and then the Spirit, to be the Convincer and Comforter; (see also John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7, John 16:8 ).” – SOURCE: John Gill’s Eposition Of The Bible
Matthew Henry adds the following observations about this 16th verse from Isaiah chapter 48:
“I have not spoken in secret from the beginning;”
“He had always spoken plainly to them from the beginning, by Moses and all the prophets: I have not spoken in secret, but publicly, from the top of Mount Sinai, and in the chief places of concourse, the solemn assemblies of their tribes; he did not deliver his oracles obscurely and ambiguously, but so that they might be understood (see Habakkuk 2:2).” – SOURCE: Matthew Henry Commentary On The Whole Bible
“from the time that it was, there am I”
“He had always acted wonderfully for them: “From the time that they were first formed into a people there I am, there have I been resident among them and presiding in their affairs (he sent them prophets, raised them up judges, and frequently appeared for them), and therefore there I will be still.’’ He that has been with his people hitherto will be to the end.II. The prophet himself, as a type of the great prophet, asserts his own commission to deliver this message: Now the Lord God (the same that spoke from the beginning and did not speak in secret) has by his Spirit sent me, v. 16. The Spirit of God is here spoken of as a person distinct from the Father and the Son, and having a divine authority to send prophets. Note, Whom God sends the Spirit sends. Those whom God commissions for any service the Spirit in some measure qualifies for it; and those may speak boldly, and must be heard obediently, whom God and his Spirit send. As that which the prophet says to the same purport with this (see Isaiah 61:1 ) is applied to Christ (see Luke 4:21), so may this be; the Lord God sent him, and he had the Spirit without measure.” – SOURCE: Matthew Henry Commentary On The Whole Bible