Particulars
of Christianity:
302
The Trinity
The Trinity:
The Angel of YHWH as
Distinct from YHWH God
Introductions
The
Angel of YHWH as YHWH God
The
Angel of YHWH as Distinct from YHWH God
Immediate
Interactive Dialogue
A
Consistent Expectation about Seeing God's Face
Survey
Examining Eternal Past Existence
Establishing
Eternal Past Existence
Distinction
of the Spirit of YHWH
Ancient
Jewish Recognition of Trinitarian Facts
The
Trinity in the New Testament
Addendum
1 & 2
Addendum
3
We
now turn our attention to passages in which “the angel of
YHWH” is explicitly depicted as distinct from YHWH God. These
elements we have categorized as category A. Having
established in our examination of category B that the
angel of YHWH was understood in the Old Testament both by
the authors of the scriptures and by the persons within the
stories to be YHWH God, these passages in category A
demonstrate that there are at least 2 figures existing simultaneously
that are identified as YHWH God. As mentioned early on, it
is the simultaneous, side-by-side, existence of multiple figures
of YHWH who express a conscious distinction from one another
through intercommunication that disproves the doctrine of
Modalism. Modalism’s assertion that YHWH God is comprised
of only a single “Person” or consciousness who simply takes
different forms is incompatible with the idea of YHWH existing
as two consciously distinct figures at once. In addition,
once we have completed an analysis of the passage in this
category, we will have examined all of the accounts involving
the angel of YHWH in the Old Testament and so our understanding
of the Old Testament concerning the persons of God will be
thoroughly established.
The
first passage in which we find the phrase “the angel of YHWH”
and which falls into category A is Genesis 22. This
passage records the story of Abraham when he is tested by
God to sacrifice his promised son Isaac. We have already seen
this passage before under our examination of category B,
so a brief review of our previous findings will suffice.
Genesis
21:34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land
many days. 22:1 And it came to pass after these
things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him,
Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And
he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom
thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and
offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which I will tell thee of. 3 And Abraham rose up early in
the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young
men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the
burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which
God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up
his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto
his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad
will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham
took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon
Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife;
and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto
Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here
am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the
wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb
for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and
Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order,
and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the
wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took
the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the
LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said,
Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing
unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Earlier
we identified how in verse 12, the angel of YHWH refers to
“God” while at the same time referring to himself with the
pronouns “I” and “me.” This demonstrates that the angel of
YHWH recognizes someone other than himself as God. However,
as we also pointed out, the pronouns “I” and “me” in verse
12 are used by the angel of YHWH to identify himself as the
one performing actions specifically assigned to God in the
passage, including the testing of Abraham (verse 1) and the
one to whom the sacrifice was offered (verse 8). Thus, the
angel of YHWH identifies himself as the God while at the same
time recognizing another figure beside himself as God.
The
assertion that the angel of YHWH is distinct from another
figure known as YHWH is not, on its own, controversial. However,
having established from Old Testament passages that the angel
of YHWH is YHWH God, this distinction between the angel of
YHWH and another figure also known as YHWH demonstrates the
simultaneous existence of two distinct figures identified
as YHWH. And, of course, this distinction comes by means of
a statement from one of the figures identified as YHWH, specifically
the angel of YHWH. Therefore, one figure identified as YHWH
God expresses awareness of his own distinction from the other
figure known as YHWH.
This
self-aware distinctiveness is problematic for Modalism. In
the fact that YHWH himself expresses an awareness of distinction,
the figures of YHWH cannot be viewed as distinct merely on
the level of limited and temporal human perception. To put
it another way, it might be simpler to conceive of God as
having only one consciousness that by means of his transcendence
is able to operate as different figures at one time, which
in turn creates, an illusion of distinction to humans experiencing
multiple expressions of God at one time. However, the fact
that God himself expresses his own perception of self-distinction
between the figures of YHWH demonstrates that this distinction
is not merely a function of humanity’s limited perception
but a reality that is perceived by God himself.
The
next occurrence of the phrase “the angel of YHWH” that contains
items in category A is Numbers 22, which we have also
already examined as part of our survey of category B.
Having already discussed the components of this passage, which
establish that the angel of YHWH is himself YHWH God, we turn
our attention specifically to verse 31, which contains the
distinction between YHWH as the angel of YHWH and another
figure known as YHWH.
Numbers
22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and
he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and
his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and
fell flat on his face.
As
can be seen from the text, the verse clearly speaks of YHWH
opening the eyes of Balaam so that Balaam can see the angel
of YHWH. For contrast, it does not say that the angel of YHWH
opened Balaam’s eyes so that Balaam could see him. In earlier
passages, we saw how the simple designation “YHWH” is used
interchangeably with the designation “angel of YHWH” in different
statements within the same passage. In Judges 6:11-21, for
example, the text alternates between both titles when referring
to the individual with whom Gideon is speaking. However, since
the alternate titles are used here within the same
statement, it would seem that in this instance, the use of
these alternate titles is intended to convey distinction between
to agents, one who opens Balaam’s eyes and the other who is
seen by Balaam, each referred to by a different designation.
And
once again, the mere suggestion that this verse conveys a
distinction between a figure known as YHWH and a figure known
as the angel of YHWH is not controversial. But since the angel
of YHWH is identified as YHWH God by other passages as well
as by other elements within this same passage, the distinction
in this particular verse in turn affirms that the Old Testament
authors understood there were at least two separate figures
of YHWH. In this particular verse, one identity of YHWH opens
Balaam’s eyes allowing Balaam to see another identity of YHWH
known by the designation “the angel of YHWH.”
Judges
5 contains the next occurrence of the phrase “the angel of
YHWH” with elements that fall into category A. We have
not examined Judges 5 before but its contents are quite straightforward.
Judges
5:23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse
ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came
not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against
the mighty.
Here
we have the angel of YHWH speaking and he is pronouncing a
curse upon those who did not come to help in the cause of
YHWH. He does not say, “they came not to my help.” Nor does
he say, “they came not to the help of the angel of YHWH.”
Instead, the angel of YHWH speaks of YHWH God without identifying
himself as God through the use of pronouns like “I” or “me.”
As such, he seems to relate to YHWH God as distinct from himself.
Again, the idea that this verse supports a distinction between
the angel of YHWH and another figure known as YHWH is not
controversial. It only becomes controversial in light of the
fact that the angel of YHWH is also himself YHWH God, in which
case we have one identity of YHWH God expressing the awareness
of a distinction between himself and another figure that is
also YHWH God. And furthermore, the fact that this distinction
is expressed by YHWH God himself demonstrates that this distinction
is part of God’s own understanding of himself, not merely
an illusion of distinction resulting from limited human perception.
The
next event mentioning the angel of YHWH is recorded in parallel
accounts found in 1 Chronicles 21 and 2 Samuel 24. A comparison
of the two accounts is also informative concerning the events
they collectively describe, particularly the interaction between
the angel of YHWH and another figure identified as YHWH God.
1
Chronicles 21:9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, David’s seer,
saying, 10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD,
I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them,
that I may do it unto thee. 11 So Gad came to David,
and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee 12 Either
three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before
thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh
thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD,
even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the
LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now
therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to
him that sent me. 13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great
strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD;
for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall
into the hand of man.14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel:
and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. 15 And God
sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was
destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil,
and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now
thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor
of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 And David lifted up his eyes,
and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and
the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched
out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel,
who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that
commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have
sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep,
what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my
God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people,
that they should be plagued. 18 Then the angel of the LORD
commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and
set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of
Ornan the Jebusite. 19 And David went up at the saying
of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. 20 And
Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with
him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 And
as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went
out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with
his face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan,
Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may
build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it
me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from
the people. 23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to
thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good
in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for
burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and
the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. 24 And king
David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the
full price: for I will not take that which is
thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels
of gold by weight. 26 And David built there an altar unto
the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings,
and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven
by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. 27 And the LORD
commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the
sheath thereof. 28 At that time when David saw that the
LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite,
then he sacrificed there.
Specifically,
in verses 9-12, the text speaks of “YHWH God” telling David
that “the angel of YHWH” will be sent to kill the Israelites
for 3 days because of David’s sin in numbering the people.
Consequently, it would appear that a figure identified as
“YHWH God” is distinguishing between himself (the sender)
and the angel of YHWH who would be sent. Verse 15 confirms
this by stating that “and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld,
and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that
destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand.” Here we have
YHWH God watching the angel of YHWH and speaking a command
to the angel of YHWH. Since the angel of YHWH is identified
himself as YHWH God in other passages, this constitutes a
clear case in which there are two figures of YHWH God communicating
back and forth to one another and distinguishing between themselves.
And we see this in verse 27 also, where one identified as
YHWH God again commands the figure known as the angel of YHWH
to put away his sword.
And
not only does the speaker identified as “YHWH God” differentiate
between himself and the figure identified as “the angel of
YHWH,” but the angel of YHWH himself speaks in verse 18, commanding
David to build an altar to “YHWH.” Since there is another
speaker in this passage identified already with the simple
title of “YHWH” and since the angel of YHWH does not say,
“build an altar to me,” we should conclude that here the angel
of YHWH is referring not to himself but to the other YHWH
of the passage. Consequently, in this passage, both of the
figures of YHWH express their own awareness of distinction
from one another. Since they themselves are aware of their
distinction from one another, such distinction cannot be a
mere misunderstanding of limited human perception. Most importantly,
in this passage YHWH’s own words negate Modalism because it
demonstrates that such a distinction is real to God himself,
not merely an experiential illusion of finite men.
2
Chronicles 32 contains the next occurrence of the phrase “the
angel of YHWH” with elements in category A. Parallel
passages for 2 Chronicles 32 can be found in 2 Kings 19:32-37
and Isaiah 37:33-38. All three passages have been included
below because only when viewed side by side does it become
apparent that this incident involves elements of category
A. For instance, 2 Kings 19:35 and Isaiah 37:36 identify
for us that it is the angel of YHWH who kills the Assyrians.
2
Kings 19:32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the
king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot
an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a
bank against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same shall
he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake,
and for my servant David’s sake. 35 And it came to pass
that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote
in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five
thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold,
they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king
of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house
of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons
smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of
Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
Isaiah
37:33 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king
of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an
arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank
against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same shall
he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own
sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 36 Then the
angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the
Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and
when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were
all dead corpses. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed,
and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 38 And it came
to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his
god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with
the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and
Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
Once
we know that the angel who kills the Assyrians is the angel
of YHWH, we can see that 2 Chronicles 32:21 provides another
clear example of a passage distinguishing between the angel
of YHWH and another figure titled “YHWH.” Verse 21 describes
how “YHWH sent an angel” and in saying this it is clear that
the text is distinguishing between the “sender” and the angel
who is sent. More specifically, the text is distinguishing
between YHWH the sender and YHWH in the guise of an angel
(the angel of YHWH) who is being sent. Thus, the text again
presents two distinct figures of YHWH existing simultaneously
and interacting with one another.
2
Chronicles 32:20 And for this cause Hezekiah the
king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried
to heaven. 21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut
off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains
in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame
of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house
of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him
there with the sword. 22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib
the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other,
and guided them on every side.
Zechariah
1:7-17 provides our second to last passage involving elements
that fall into category A. This chapter of Zechariah
records an encounter that the prophet has with the angel of
YHWH. Verse 7 states that “the Word of YHWH came unto Zechariah…saying.”
The phrasing appears to convey that the phrase “the Word of
YHWH” refers to a figure, an individual or person, who performs
the actions of coming and speaking to Zechariah. Then in verse
8, Zechariah describes what he himself saw when this individual
came to him to speak. Verse 8 records Zechariah seeing “a
man upon a red horse” who is “standing among the myrtle trees”
and behind that man Zechariah sees other horses that are red,
speckled, and white.
Zechariah
1:7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month,
which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius,
came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of
Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8 I
saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and
he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the
bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled,
and white. 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these?
And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will
shew thee what these be. 10 And the man that stood
among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are
they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through
the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that
stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked
to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth
still, and is at rest. 12 Then the angel of the LORD answered
and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have
mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which
thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me
with good words and comfortable words. 14 So
the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou,
saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous
for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I
am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at
ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward
the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I
am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built
in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be
stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet, saying, Thus
saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity
shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort
Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
In
verse 9, Zechariah begins to speak to this first rider, the
man on the red horse among the trees. It is significant that
verses 9, 10, 13, and 14 all refer to this first man on the
red horse among the trees as “the angel who came to commune
and speak to Zechariah.” Given its repetition, its function
as an identifier, and its proximity to verse 7, this description
must be understood as a parallel to verse 7’s statement that
the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah speaking. One verse
states that the Word of YHWH came to Zechariah speaking and
then 4 subsequent verses echo and clarify the meaning of this
initial statement to be that an angel known as the Word of
YHWH came to Zechariah to speak. Thus, the phrase “the Word
of YHWH” must be understood as a title for that angel who
comes to commune and speak with the prophet here.
Furthermore,
as we follow the course of the narrative, we can see that
this angel who came to commune and speak with Zechariah is
also identified as “the angel of YHWH.” In verse 9, Zechariah
asks this angel (the man on the horse among the myrtle trees)
a question and the angel states that he will answer Zechariah’s
question. Verse 10 goes on to describe how the angel does
indeed answer Zechariah’s question, informing Zechariah that
the other horsemen with him are those whom “YHWH has sent
to walk to and fro though the earth.” Verse 11 is critical
because verse 11 then describes how the other horsemen reply
back to the angel that is speaking with Zechariah who is the
first rider on the red horse among the trees. Specifically,
when describing their response to him, the text identifies
him as “the angel of YHWH that stood among the myrtle trees.”
Then, after their reply, verse 12 describes the angel of YHWH’s
response to their reply. It describes how he asks a question
to YHWH and it once again identifies him specifically with
the title “the angel of YHWH.” And finally, after the angel
of YHWH asks his question, verse 13 records how “YHWH answered
the angel that talked with” Zechariah, once again identifying
that the rider on the red horse among the trees who came to
commune and speak to Zechariah is indeed the angel of YHWH
(whose question YHWH was answering). The text does not record
YHWH’s words to the figure identified as the angel of YHWH
but verse 14 does proceed to describe how the angel of YHWH,
who is the one sent to commune and speak to Zechariah, conveys
a message from YHWH, beginning with the phrase “Thus saith
YHWH.”
The
encounter can be summarized as follows. Zechariah has seen
the angel of YHWH on horseback among the myrtle trees about
to receive a report from angels performing a scouting of the
nations. The angel of YHWH identifies those scouts to Zechariah
and then they deliver their report to the angel of YHWH. After
receiving their report, the text describes how angel of YHWH
then speaks to YHWH, YHWH answers him, and then the angel
of YHWH passes on YHWH’s words to Zechariah. Consequently,
not only is the angel who comes to and speaks with Zechariah
described as having the guise of a “man,” but he is identified
as the angel of YHWH. Moreover, the title “the Word of YHWH”
is applied to him in verse 7. Consequently, the titles “the
angel of YHWH” and “the Word of YHWH” are seen to apply to
the same figure in the Old Testament. (The interchangeably
usage of these two particular titles is not surprising at
all since the Hebrew term for “angel” is “mal’ak” (Strong’s
No. 04397, which means “messenger, representative”) and the
title “the Word of YHWH” both directly express YHWH in an
interactive, communicating form with men.)
And
most importantly to our study, in verse 12, in verse 12 the
figure identified as the angel of YHWH addresses another figure
identified as YHWH. And in verse 13 YHWH is specifically described
as answering the angel of YHWH. Thus, this passage records
a very clear case of two separate identities of YHWH existing
simultaneously, communicating with each other, and expressing
their own perception of self-distinction from one another.
This self-awareness of distinction is also presented in verse
10, when the angel of YHWH describes the other riders as “These
are they whom the LORD has sent” rather than saying
“whom I have sent,” and thus distinguishing between himself
and the sender, whom he identifies as YHWH. (This is strikingly
similar to what we have already seen in Zechariah 3, where
the angel of YHWH is interchangeably called “YHWH” and distinguishes
between himself and another YHWH who will rebuke Satan.) So,
since the angel of YHWH is already repeatedly and explicitly
identified as YHWH himself in other passage, it is once again
clear that there are at least two figures identified as YHWH
who exist simultaneously and who perceive and express their
own awareness of distinction from one another. Consequently,
it cannot simply be the case that distinct consciousnesses
among the Godhead are a mere illusion of finite human experience
since such distinctions are expressed by YHWH as part of his
own self-perception.
As
hinted at in the paragraph above, Zechariah 3 is the last
passage in which we find the phrase “the angel of YHWH” containing
elements in category A. We have covered this passage
in detail already as we examined category B, so we
will not need to spend much time on it here.
Zechariah
2:1 I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold
a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 Then said
I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To
measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof,
and what is the length thereof. 3 And, behold, the
angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went
out to meet him, 4 And said unto him, Run, speak to
this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as
towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein…3:1
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before
the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand
to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The
LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath
chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand
plucked out of the fire?
As
we established earlier, the speaker in verse 2 is the angel
of YHWH, who is identified as one of the participants in the
vision in verse 1, while no other figure identified as “YHWH”
is described in verse 1 as present in the vision. The vision
simply presents 3 persons, the human High Priest Joshua who
came with the exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem, Satan
who resists Joshua, and the angel of YHWH who resists Satan
and is an advocate for Joshua. Consequently, when verse 2
describes “YHWH said unto Satan, YHWH rebuke thee, O Satan;
even YHWH that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee,” there is
clearly a distinction between YHWH who is doing the speaking
who was not himself going to rebuke Satan, and YHWH who was
going to do the rebuking. The speaking YHWH does not say,
“I rebuke you” or even “you are rebuked.” Instead, the angel
of YHWH is the YHWH who is speaking but not rebuking. And
not only does the text of verse 2 indicate that the angel
of YHWH is YHWH, but in his words the angel of YHWH expresses
his self-awareness of a distinction between himself and the
“other” YHWH that would be doing the rebuking. Therefore,
we once again have another passage demonstrating the Old Testament
understanding that there were at least 2 identities of YHWH,
that these 2 identities of YHWH existed simultaneously rather
than being alternating forms at different times, that these
identities of YHWH made statements revealing their own self-awareness
of distinction from one another, and that one of these identities
was referred to by the title “the angel of YHWH.”
And
lastly, the similarities between Zechariah 1 and Zechariah
3 once again demonstrate the foundational role of precedent
in understanding the contents of these accounts. Zechariah
1 contains clear statements in which YHWH is speaking and
yet refers to another figure of YHWH in the third person,
assigning certain actions to that other figure of YHWH and
not to himself. In chapter 3, that action is the sending of
the scouting angels. In chapter 3, the same pattern occurs
again, but this time with regard to the action of rebuking
Satan. Thematic precedent clearly runs throughout the passages
concerning the angel of YHWH.
Category
A and B Conclusions
As
we conclude our examinations of category A and category
B our findings can be summarized as follows.
There
are clear passages in the Old Testament which identify that
the figure known as the angel of YHWH is, in fact, YHWH God
himself visiting man in a more interactive, humbler guise
(either of a man or of a fiery angel). Many of these passages
are both prominent and early in scripture, including Genesis
16, Genesis 22, Exodus 3, Exodus 14, and Numbers 22, all of
which are in the 5 books of Moses, the first 5 books of the
Jewish scripture. In addition, these passages are not only
early but they involve major patriarchal figures such as Abraham
and Moses who are the most important figures in the formation
of Jewish theology and in the Jewish understanding of God.
As such, these passages and their implications on the Godhead
would have played a central role in how Old Testament Israelites,
including the leading figures and patriarchs, understood the
nature and Being of YHWH.
Likewise,
there are clear passages in the Old Testament in which YHWH
and the figure known as the angel of YHWH exist side by side
and/or communicate in words that express awareness of their
distinction from one another. Many of these passages are also
early and prominent, appear in the first 5 books of Jewish
scripture including Genesis 21, Genesis 22, and Numbers 22,
and involve the men who were foundational in the formation
of Jewish theology. Consequently, not only would they have
played a central role in shaping the Jewish perception of
the Godhead, but these passages also would have ruled out
Modalism as a possibility for two reasons. First, the simultaneous
existence of two figures of YHWH largely contradicts the Modalist
concept that simply God operates in different roles or forms
at different times instead of having multiple persons or distinct
consciousnesses. Second, the fact that the distinct figures
of YHWH are communicating to each other or are otherwise expressing
awareness of their distinction from one another negates the
Modalist suggestion that such distinctions are illusions unique
to the finite nature of human experience. Based upon these
types of statements from YHWH himself, we must conclude that
these distinctions between multiple, conscious figures of
YHWH are true in God’s own self-perception.
But
before we move entirely past our examination of categories
A and B, there is one more passage that is relevant
to this portion of our study. Since the Old Testament both
clearly and repeatedly describes the angel of YHWH and at
least one other figure simultaneously existing as YHWH God,
Genesis 19:24 cannot be considered a fluke or oddity of scripture.
Genesis
18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of
Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the
day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three
men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward
the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found
favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy
servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched,
and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye
your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are
ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast
said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah,
and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal,
knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and
good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to
dress it. 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the
calf which he had dressed, and set it before them;
and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife?
And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10 And he said, I will
certainly return unto thee according to the time of life;
and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard
it in the tent door, which was behind him. 11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken
in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner
of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying,
After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being
old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore
did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child,
which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At
the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the
time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah
denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And
he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 16 And the men
rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham
went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the
LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty
nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed
in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children
and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of
the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring
upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And the
LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,
and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go
down now, and see whether they have done altogether according
to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will
know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence,
and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy
the righteous with the wicked?...26 And the LORD said,
If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then
I will spare all the place for their sakes…30 And he said
unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will
speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And
he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak
unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.
And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s
sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and
I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be
found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for
ten’s sake. 33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he
had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto
his place. 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom
at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom.
Starting
in chapter 18:1, the book of Genesis records an account in
which Abraham is visited by three men, whom the text identifies
clearly as YHWH and two angels. We notice specifically that
even the two angels are not appearing in a more glorious fiery
form, but taking on a humbler visiting guise, they appear
as mere men. It is equally important to note that YHWH is
identified repeatedly in verses 13-14, 17, 20, and 22 as the
visitor who speaks to Abraham. In addition, verse 22 indicates
that the other two visitors departed and “and went toward
Sodom.” Verse 33 is the last verse of chapter 18 and it is
followed immediately with chapter 19:1, which identifies the
other two visitors who went toward Sodom as angels. However,
in direct contrast to their identification as angels in verses
22 and 33, the text specifies that the visitor whom Abraham
is standing near (and who later departs) is YHWH. So, while
the text clarifies that two of Abraham’s visitors are really
angels and not men, the third visitor is not clarified as
an angel but as YHWH God, a fact that is also indicated by
his identification as YHWH God throughout chapter 18 every
time that he speaks. As a result, it is unavoidably clear
that YHWH God is on the earth, he visited Abraham’s dwelling,
he conversed there with Abraham, he remained near to Abraham
while the two other visitors departed for Sodom, and when
he finished speaking to Abraham he also finally departed from
that place as well, apparently also heading toward Sodom (as
potentially indicated by verse 20-21).
Before
we address our main point, we should mention as a side note
that this encounter between Abraham and YHWH, in which Abraham
prepares a meal to honor YHWH, was apparently what both the
angel of YHWH and Manoah (Samson’s father) had in mind in
Judges 13. This can be seen clearly when the two passages
are viewed side by side.
Judges
13:15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I
pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready
a kid for thee. 16 And the angel of the LORD said unto
Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread:
and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it
unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel
of the LORD.
Genesis
18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of
Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the
day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three
men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward
the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found
favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy
servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched,
and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye
your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are
ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast
said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah,
and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal,
knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and
good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to
dress it. 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the
calf which he had dressed, and set it before them;
and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
Evidently,
Manoah was hoping this visitor was YHWH just as Abraham had
been visited by YHWH in Genesis 18-19. And like Abraham’s
encounter in Genesis 18-19, YHWH is visiting to announce the
future birth of a son. Not only is precedent plainly seen
to be at work in Judges 13, but Manoah himself is clearly
acting based upon a familiarity with precedent. With the precedent
of Genesis 18-19 clearly in mind, Manoah was trying to ascertain
whether or not his visitor was indeed YHWH God as Abraham’s
visitor had been. But as we discussed earlier, Manoah was
unable to acquire this information with certainty until after
his sacrifice was made. Nevertheless, these facts again demonstrate
the vital importance of precedent in the development of the
Old Testament Jewish understanding of the nature of the Godhead.
Now
we turn to the focal issue in this passage. Genesis 19:1-23
records how the two visitors identified as angels brought
Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family out of the city of Sodom
before it was destroyed. And once Lot is safe, verse 24 gives
a very plain statement showing the very early understanding
in Jewish theology, not only that there were at least 2 figures
of YHWH that existed simultaneously, but also that the angel
of YHWH was understood to be YHWH God, even by Abraham and
the author of this account in Genesis 18-19. Specifically,
as can be seen below, verse 24 states that “Then YHWH rained
upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from YHWH
out of heaven.”
Genesis
19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and
Lot sat in the gate of Sodom…15 And when the morning arose,
then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy
wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be
consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 And while he lingered,
the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his
wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being
merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set
him without the city…23 The sun was risen upon the earth
when Lot entered into Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained upon
Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out
of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the
plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which
grew upon the ground.
It
is very clear that this presents one figure of YHWH God on
earth, somewhere in the region surrounding Sodom raining down
or calling down fire from another figure of YHWH who actually
sends down the fire from out of heaven. This is perhaps very
similar to Zechariah 3:1-2, which first identifies the angel
of YHWH, then refers to YHWH God speaking to Satan, and then
describes YHWH God speaking of another YHWH God who will rebuke
Satan. And it is also similar to Zechariah 1, in which the
angel of YHWH refers to another figure of YHWH who has sent
angels to scout the nations, just as the two angels here scout
out Sodom. Given the undeniable extent to which later faithful
Jewish men, such as the prophets, both themselves understood
and expected their audience to understand later events in
terms of previous precedent, it is clear that Zechariah is
writing about a similar interaction between one figure of
YHWH and another. One figure of YHWH is calling for the rebuke
and the other is distinguished as the one who carries out
such rebukes. One figure of YHWH interacts with the scouting
angels and another figure of YHWH who sent those scouting
angels out in the first place. Once again, the undercurrent
of precedent is demonstrated.
In
addition, we should also note that the rendering of Genesis
19:24 above, in which there are two figures of YHWH, is not
unique to only Christian translations of the Old Testament.
Below is the rendering of Genesis 19:24 from the modern, non-Christian,
Jewish translation of the Old Testament. As can be plainly
seen, the wording is identical, particularly the descriptions
of YHWH.
“Genesis
19:23 As the sun rose upon the earth and Lot entered Zoar,
24 the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfurous fire
from the LORD out of heaven.” – Hebrew-English Tanakh,
JPS (Jewish Publication Society)
Moreover,
since Genesis 19 is so early in Jewish scripture and is such
a prominent episode in the life of Abraham, its role in informing
Jewish concepts of the Godhead is paramount even from the
very earliest times. Given its early position, the prominence
of Abraham, and its clarity that there are at least two figures
of YHWH God, one on earth and one in heaven pouring down fire,
it should be understood that the men, who authored the passages
we examined in categories A and B, grasped this
meaning from Genesis 18-19 and accepted it on face value.
And so, without pause or hesitation, later passages, figures,
and authors understood and referred to the angel of YHWH as
YHWH God in visiting form on earth and as distinct from another
figure who was also YHWH God.
Although
there are other passages to examine, the model of YHWH that
emerges as a result of these passages alone is one in which
the Old Testament authors and audiences of the time understood
that YHWH God was comprised of at least 2 distinct figures
or consciousnesses, who existed simultaneously, and recognized
each other as distinct in their communications. We will address
questions about the extent to which the Old Testament defines
or distinguishes the Person of the Holy Spirit later. But
even at this point, we can see the possibilities of avoiding
Trinitarian monotheism in the Old Testament already disappearing.
This
concludes our examination of the Trinitarian issue in light
of statements in categories A and B. However,
there are other factors surrounding the angel of YHWH in the
Old Testament, which are relevant to this topic. We now turn
our attention to those additional evidences.