THE TRINITY REVEALED IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES

Although the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, this term accurately reflects what the Scripture clearly teaches concerning the triune nature of God. The Trinity formula, in the sense of an expressed conjunction of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit occurred very early in the history of the Christian Church.

Even more important than church tradition which confirms the concept of the Trinity are the divinely inspired words of God as found in the Holy Scriptures. There are several verses of Scripture in the Old Testament that speak of the plurality of God.

Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” Genesis 1:26

Our image cannot refer to God and his angels because only God is Creator. Angels are created beings. The word God is translated from the Hebrew word, Elohim which is a plural noun.

“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Genesis 11:7

In response to the city of Babel and the tower the people were building, the LORD said let “us” go down and confuse their language.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah heard Adonai saying whom shall I send and who will go for “us”.

Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me.” Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: Isaiah 48:16-17

The Holy One of Israel was sent by the LORD God and His Spirit to redeem Jacob.

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

A stumbling block for Jews concerning belief in the Trinity is a misunderstanding of the “Shema.” Shema means “Hear O” and is taken from the first two words of Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad).

The Shema is an affirmation of Judaism and a declaration of faith in one God. An observant Jew is obligated to say Shema in the morning and at night according to Deuteronomy 6:7 - Impress them (the commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

The recitation of the Shema in the synagogue liturgy consists of three portions: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41.The Shema is repeated throughout the prayer services. It is said in the morning blessings, in the musaf Amidah of Shabbat and holidays, when the Torah is taken out of the Ark on Shabbat and holidays, as a bedtime prayer, as part of the deathbed confessional, and at various other times.

WHEN ONE MEANS MORE THAN ONE

The Hebrew language has two words that can be translated "ONE": echad and yachid. Whereas yachid (yah-keed) refers to the number one (i.e., absolute unity), echad (ek-kawd) refers to a composite unity. An example of this is in the book of Genesis chapter 2 and verse 24, where it says that a couple joined together in marriage shall become one flesh (baw-sawr echad). The one flesh is comprised of man and woman – a composite unity.

In Numbers 13 the twelve spies returned from Canaan - And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes….One cluster (eshkowl echad) of grapes is a composite unity of many grapes.

In Judges 20 verse 8 it reads: And all the people arose as one man, saying,”We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house” One man is 'iysh echad in Hebrew. All the people – the many soldiers from the other eleven tribes were as one in purpose to fight against the tribe of Benjamin. As one man but many people – another example of echad meaning a composite unity,

Yehovah is one – Yehovah is echad. There is only one true God, but He is a composite unity of one God in three persons

"Revealing the Mysteries of the Bible"

Part I - Introduction:
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/revealing-the-mysteries-of-the-bible

Part II - "Hebrew Pictogaphs"
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/hebrew-pictographs

Part III - Numerical Values of the Hebrew Letters
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/numerical-values-of-hebrew-letters

Part IV - Puzzling Questions in the New Testament Answered
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/puzzling-questions-in-the-new-testament-answered