Is the Christian View of God Consistent with the Tanakh?
Many Christians think the Trinity is only a New Testament teaching. Modern Judaism considers the belief a departure from monotheism. Yet this wasn’t always the case.
Alan Segal, the late Rabbinic scholar, famously wrote of Two Powers in Heaven. He found Binitarianism was popular in first century Judaism. One of the two powers was the ‘Unseen’ Lord in heaven. The other a mediator between God and humanity. These beliefs likely endured within Judaism for several centuries.
There is no evidence that belief in the ‘two powers’ was judged heretical in first century Judaism. But this doctrine was later condemned by the Talmud (between third and fifth century CE).
I will look at key passages in the Torah reflecting belief in the ‘two powers’, how this relates to Christian beliefs about the Father and the Son, and salient passages on the Holy Spirit.
The ‘Seen’ and ‘Unseen’ Lord in the Torah
Throughout this article I use Lord to refer to the divine covenantal name (Hashem* in Judaism).
Probably the best passage for illustrating the ‘two powers’ is Exodus (Shemot) 33. Moses often spoke to the Lord face to face — the ‘Seen Lord’:
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11).
Yet, Moses also spoke to a person, called the Lord, who no one can see and live. The ‘Unseen Lord’:
“But,” he [the Lord]said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)
Moses is speaking with two different people. Yet the narrator addressed them both as Lord. John’s Gospel comes to a similar conclusion. The ‘Unseen Lord’ (e.g. Exodus 33:20) in the Tanakh is the Father. The Son is the ‘Seen Lord’ who reveals the Father (e.g. Exodus 33:11):
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18)
A counter-argument is that Exodus 33:11 is metaphorical (i.e. Moses didn’t really see the Lord face to face). However, this is inconsistent with the context of the passage and the rest of the Tanakh:
- the same Hebrew word for face is used in verses 11 and 20. So if the author wanted to make clear Moses hadn’t seen the Lord’s face, they could have chosen a different word.
- numerous passages in the Tanakh show the Lord speaking face to face with his people.
The ‘man’ who speaks with Abraham and Sarah
The Lord visiting Abraham and Sarah in Genesis (Bereishit)18–19 is a famous example of the ‘Seen Lord’:
- There were three ‘men’ in the narrative who met with Abraham and ate a meal together (18:2–9).
- The Lord (18:13, 18:17, 18:20, 18:22, 18:26) spoke with Abraham in verses 9–32 delivering news of Isaac’s birth and the destruction of Sodom.
- The narrator later identified the other two ‘men’ as angels (19:1).
The ‘Seen Lord’ and the ‘Lord of the heavens’
Genesis 18 ends with the Lord heading to Sodom (18:33) to bring judgment upon that city:
Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the Lord out of the heavens. (Genesis 19:24)
As early as the second century, Justin Martyr interpreted this passage in terms of the ‘two powers’. The Lord departed from Abraham and received the commission from another person — the Lord in heaven — to bring judgment on Sodom.
Justin argued it was the Son who spoke with Abraham. And the Son who rained down sulfur from the Father in heaven.
The angel who is Lord (Exodus 23–24)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.” (Exodus 24:1)
The Lord said to Moses “come up to the Lord”, why didn’t he say “come up to me”? The answer given in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 38b) may surprise you.
Rav Idi stated that this refers to an angel (in Hebrew ‘a sent one’), who is ‘the Lord’. Yet he is distinct from the Lord who sends the angel.
This term, “the Lord,” in that verse is referring to the angel Metatron, whose name is like the name of his Master as it is written: “Behold I send an angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Take heed of him and obey his voice; do not defy him; for he will not pardon your transgression, for My name is in him” (Exodus 23:20–21)
Jewish tradition often identifies Metatron as Enoch or the archangel Michael. But this is problematic because the Tanakh never calls Enoch or Michael ‘Lord’. And no one but God can forgive sin.
Daniel Boyarin, Professor of Talmudic Culture, University of California, Berkeley concludes:
It is important to note that Rav Idi does not deny the existence of Metaṭron; he does not finally, cannot it seems, deny even the power of Metaṭron, of his capabilities as Second God. What he claims, rather, is that Israel has rejected such worship, even refused to entrust Metaṭron with leading them in the ̣ desert.
Christians identify the angel of the Lord neither as a ‘mere angel’ nor ‘Second God’. The One God is revealed by the Father sending the Son (e.g. Matthew 10:40; John 3:16–17). The Son, of course, can pardon our sins (Mark 2:5).
But isn’t God one? Yachid (one) vs Echad (unity)
If you’ve got this far, a question maybe popping in your head. Do not the famous words of the Shema rule out the plurality of God?
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deuteronomy (Devarim) 6:4)
In Hebrew there is a specific word for “one” (yachid) and another word for “unity” (echad). The Shema uses the word echad not yachid.
Lubavitcher Rebbe, of the Chabad-Lubavitch (a branch of Hasidic Judaism), contrasted the meaning of these two Hebrew words:
Chassidic teaching explains that, on the contrary, echad represents a deeper unity than yachid. Yachid is a oneness that cannot tolerate plurality — if another being or element is introduced into the equation, the yachid is no longer yachid. Echad, on the other hand, represents the fusion of diverse elements into a harmonious whole. The oneness of echad is not undermined by plurality; indeed, it employs plurality as the ingredients of unity.
If the writer of Deuteronomy wanted to avoid any doubt that God was only one person he could have used yachid. Using echad makes it clear passages on the plurality of God do not undermine the oneness of God. For example, echad describes how Jewish people were united (Ezra 2:64) and also the unity of a husband and wife (Genesis 2:24).
Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit): Inspiring Scripture and God’s People
Adam Afterman, Chair of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud at Tel Aviv University, stated there are two main theories on the Holy Spirit in Judaism. Both are like the Christian view of the Holy Spirit.
One key function of the Holy Spirit is to inspire Scripture. For example, Nehemiah 9:30 stated: “By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets.” Zechariah 7:12 and 2 Samuel 23:2 show the role of the Holy Spirit inspiring Scripture.
The Holy Spirit also equips God’s people for service. For example:
- the strength of Samson (Judges 14:19)
- the skill of the craftsmen making the tabernacle (Exodus 35:31)
- those given the gift of prophecy (Numbers 11:17, 25, 29; 1 Samuel 10:10).
This is consistent with the Holy Spirit’s role in the New Testament (e.g. 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 1 Corinthians 14:1–5).
The Holy Spirit and God’s Presence
Prof Afterman stated the other key role of the Holy Spirit is God’s dwelling with his people.
In the Tanakh, for example, the Holy Spirit indwells believers such as Joshua (Numbers 27:18; Deuteronomy 34:9), Bezalel (Exodus 35:31) and many others.
There are also passages on the glory of the Lord dwelling in the temple or tabernacle. For example:
…and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. (Ezekiel 43:2)
In the Tanakh, when speaking of the Holy Spirit, the most common term is the Spirit (ruach) of the Lord. However, the Talmud used Shechinah or Ruach Hakodesh to avoid reference to the Lord’s name (Hashem). But the concept is very similar:
Shechinah שכינה …is derived from the word shochen שכן, “to dwell within.” The Shechinah is G‑d as G‑d is dwelling within. Sometimes we translate Shechinah as “The Divine Presence.” (Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
Is the Holy Spirit a person or impersonal force?
Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is a person rather than an impersonal force. For example:
- He is good (Nehemiah 9:20; Psalm 143:10)
- Can be grieved and rebelled against (Isaiah 63:10,11; Psalm 106:33).
He is also relational:
- He gathers (Isaiah 34:16)
- Takes people away (Ezekiel 3:14; 8:3; 11:1)
- Comforts (Haggai 2:4–5)
- Instructs (Nehemiah 9:20)
- Provides wisdom, understanding and knowledge (Exodus 31:3; Deuteronomy 34:9; Isaiah 11:2)
Distinct from the Lord but also Lord
Christians agree the Shechinah is God. Therefore the Holy Spirit is Lord. Also, he is distinct from the ‘Seen Lord’ and ‘Unseen Lord’ that we’ve seen in the Torah above.
Isaiah 48 is a great example of the plurality and unity of God. In verse 12 the person who is speaking is the Lord:
Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.
However, this person is sent by the Lord and given the Spirit of the Lord:
And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit. (Isaiah 48:16)
We have seen belief in the plurality and unity of God was common in first century Judaism. Rather than being heresy, this is backed up by firm evidence from the Tanakh. Many passages reveal the Unseen Lord in heaven, who sends the Lord as a mediator on earth, and the Spirit of the Lord who brings God’s presence to dwell with believers.
*Hashem here means the Hebrew four vowel covenantal name of God.
