In the February issue we called attention to the way in which Satan deluded men by introducing the worship of many gods (polytheism), and that when God called Abraham and his seed to witness against this evil, Satan was ready with the lie that there were two gods-one of light and the other of darkness. God then spoke through Isaiah the prophet against the devil's falsehood of dualism. Israel's distinct testimony for God, in so far as there was faithfulness, was that Jehovah alone was God -Jehovah being the name by which He had revealed Himself in covenant relationship with Israel.
When we come to the New Testament we find a further revelation of God, for there we find that there are three distinct Persons in the one Godhead-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The word "Trinity" has been used to express this blessed truth. That each One of the Persons of the Godhead is God is definitely affirmed in the Scriptures: "My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God," speaks of the Father as God (John 20:17). "This is the true God, and eternal life" is conclusive evidence that the Son is God (1 John 5:20). Many verses speak of the distinctness of the Person of the Holy Spirit and of His deity. In Acts 5 Peter charged Ananias with lying to the Holy Spirit in verse 3, and then in verse 4 says, "thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." Of whom but God could it be said that He (the Holy Spirit) divides to every man severally as He will (1 Cor. 12:11)?
While there are intimations in the Old Testament that there are three Persons in the Godhead, it was not really disclosed until the baptism of the Lord Jesus-the Son-in the Jordan River. At that time the heavens were opened on that fair Object on earth, and the Father spoke to the Son, saying, "Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him (Mark 1:10, 11; Matt. 3:16; Luke 3:22).
Then in connection with the ministry of the Son on earth it is said that He did the works ("the same works that I do," John 5:36), and that the Father also was engaged in those works ("the
Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works," John 14:10), and the Son said that He cast out demons "by the Spirit of God" (Matt. 12:28). And from the moment that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son as man (Luke 3:22) He remained with Him, and all that the Son did was in the power of the Spirit (see Luke 4:1 and 14). All of the Persons of the Godhead were actively engaged in the mission of the Son on this earth. What a wonder! what manifold grace! that the Godhead should be concerned in reaching down to poor fallen creatures.
Even the parables bear witness to the unity of purpose and operation of the Godhead in the salvation of the lost. In Luke 15 the shepherd represents the Son going after the lost ones, the woman pictures the Spirit of God sweeping, stirring up, and bringing in light into dead souls, and the father beautifully depicts the Father joyfully welcoming home the lost ones.
This same joint action is seen in connection with the work of the atonement, for the Father sent the Son to be the Savior (1 John 4:10, 14), and Heb. 10 tells us of the will of God, and the work of Christ (the Son), and the testimony of the Holy Spirit (vv. 10, 15). Oh, marvel of marvels, that we should be the objects of such thoughts, counsels, purposes, and work!
We find the Godhead also acting in connection with the resurrection of the Son. It is said that He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father (Rom. 6:4), and that the Son laid down His life and took it again (John 10:17, 18), and that He was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection" (Rom. 1:4),
Then after the resurrection the Lord Jesus gave instructions regarding baptism saying that it was to be done "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matt. 28:19.
When the Son ascended as the glorified Man to God's right hand He received from the Father (Acts 2:33) the Holy Spirit, and sent Him into the world (John 16:7) to convict the world "of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (v. 8), and to baptize the believers into one body (1 Cor. 12:13), and to dwell in them individually (1 Cor. 6:19) and collectively (1 Cor. 3:16).
Nor is that all; for we now have access through Him (the Son) by one Spirit unto the Father (Eph. 2:18). Scriptures might be multiplied showing the unity of purpose and action of the Godhead in the work of grace.
This revelation of the Trinity was obstinately refused by the Jews, although the Old Testament, which they professed to believe and honor, intimated it; for instance, the very first verse of Genesis 1 was an enigma until this light shone upon it. "In the beginning God created" as written in the Hebrew language has a plural noun (Elohim) combined with a singular verb (created). The inference very plainly is that Elohim includes the different Persons of the Godhead, and the singular verb indicates their acting as one in creation. (We should note, however, that when the creation is attributed to any one Person of the Godhead in particular it is to the Son [Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2]). The same thing is also seen in connection with the creation of man. In Gen. 1:26 we read, "And God [Elohim] said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."
The day is coming soon when Satan will have another counterfeit with which to oppose the Trinity of the Godhead. He will himself head up a trinity of evil. He will give his power to the coming head of the revived Roman Empire (called in Scripture "the beast"), and together they will work with the apostate head of Israel in the land of Palestine (the false prophet that speaks lies) in a last desperate attempt to frustrate God's purposes concerning His King in Zion.
In one sense the false prophet is called the antichrist, but in another sense the whole wicked triumvirate will be anti (or, against) Christ-Christ in His threefold character of prophet, priest, and king. The head of the Jewish state will be "anti-prophet," for he will speak lies and perform lying wonders; the head of the Roman confederacy will be anti-king, for he will be the ruler who will exercise great power and defy God and His Christ; and the devil himself is anti-priest, for he is the accuser of the brethren, and at that time he will throw his power into the fight against the remnant who fear God.
But all the power and wit of man and devil shall not avail, for Christ will come at the appointed hour and cast the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20), and the devil will be cast into the bottomless pit for one thousand years, after which he will also be cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet will still be (Rev. 20:1.3, 10). All the might of the darkness of this world must give way before Him when He comes to make His enemies His footstool (Psalm 110:1), and He must reign until He shall have put all enemies under His feet (1 Cor. 15:25). And to think, He will associate us who believe on Him in the day of His rejection with Himself in that day when He shall rule the nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Rev. 2:27)!
"Lord, haste that day of cloudless ray-
That prospect bright, unfailing;
Where God shall shine in light divine,
In glory never fading."