Ask Ligonier — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Did the Old Testament Saints Know God as Trinity?
Host: Nathan W. Bingham
Guest: Dr. Michael Reeves
Date: December 25, 2025

Overview

This episode of Ask Ligonier dives into a crucial theological question: Did the Old Testament prophets and saints know God as Trinity, or is the Trinity a truth revealed only with the coming of Christ? Dr. Michael Reeves, theologian and guest at Ligonier’s 2025 National Conference, explores biblical evidence for Trinitarian revelation in the Old Testament and clarifies how Christ’s coming brought fuller understanding.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. God’s Triune Nature in the Old Testament

• Dr. Reeves affirms that “God is triune and so always acts and shows Himself to be as he is.” ([00:29])
• He points out foundational passages like Genesis 1, which already suggest a plurality within God:
  • God creates by His Word while the Spirit hovers over the waters.
  • This prefigures later New Testament revelations, such as the baptism of Jesus, where the Word (the Son) and the Spirit interact.

2. Plurality in God’s Self-Reference

• Genesis 1:26 — “Let us make man in our image”:
  • Reeves stresses the significance of the plural and notes, "God is not speaking to created angels there. We’re not made in the image of angels." ([01:23])
  • He rejects interpretations that this is a royal ‘we’, clarifying that Hebrew does not use a plural of majesty.

3. Multiple Divine Figures in Old Testament Narratives

• Genesis 19:24 — The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:
  • “The Lord rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven... There are two lords mentioned, and this happens a number of times.” ([02:08])
• Psalm 45 and Zechariah 2 illustrate occasions where one divine figure exalts or sends another, again showing a complexity in God's being.

4. The Angel of the Lord: More Than a Messenger

• Reeves explains that ‘angel’ means messenger, not necessarily a created being.
• Notable examples:
  • Judges 2: The Angel of the Lord says, “I am the Lord who led you out of Egypt.”
  • Exodus 3: The Angel in the burning bush is worshipped, unlike created angels who reject worship.
  • Hagar in Genesis 16 recognizes the Angel of the Lord as “the God who sees me.”
• Reeves concludes, “So again we see again and again in this figure that there is one who takes the name of the Lord who is sent from the Lord.” ([03:32])

5. Clarity Through the Incarnation and Crucifixion

• The clearest revelation of the Trinity comes in Christ:
  • John 1: "When the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us, we see his glory."
  • John 12: Jesus says his glorification comes when he’s 'lifted up'.
• “What is revealed in the incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a truth that was always there, but made clearer through the incarnation and resurrection.” ([04:44])

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On God’s Triune Self-Disclosure:
  “God is triune and so always acts and shows Himself to be as he is.” — Dr. Michael Reeves [00:29]

• On the Creation Account:
  “In Genesis 1 we see, yes, there’s God who speaks. There is the Word, there is the Spirit.” — Dr. Michael Reeves [00:46]

• On the Limits of Human Understanding Before Christ:
  “What is revealed in the incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a truth that was always there, but made clearer through the incarnation and resurrection.” — Dr. Michael Reeves [04:44]

Important Timestamps

• 00:04 — Nathan W. Bingham introduces the episode’s question
• 00:29 — Dr. Reeves begins explaining the triune action of God in the Old Testament
• 01:23 — Discussion of Genesis 1 and the plural nature of God’s speech
• 02:08 — Reeves gives examples of multiple “Lords” in Old Testament passages
• 03:32 — The Angel of the Lord and his divine identity
• 04:44 — How Christ’s coming clarifies the longstanding mystery of God’s triune nature

Conclusion

Dr. Michael Reeves provides a robust biblical-theological overview, showing that Old Testament saints encountered God in ways that presaged the full revelation of the Trinity. The Trinity was veiled but present; it was through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that God’s triune nature was displayed in clarity. This episode equips listeners to see the consistent self-revelation of the Trinity across the entire Bible.