A
Andrew1983
Guest
Greetings Brethren and Sistren!
I have been putting together my own personal Bible commentary and while reading through on the Second Book of Maccabees, I came across something of interest that I would like to share in the matter, and that is the possibility of the Holy Trinity being manifested in the Old Testament outside of Genesis 18 (if there are other instances, I don’t remember them).
Below, you will find my excerpt, which is still a WIP at the moment since I don’t yet have my Navarre Old Testament (hopefully it will arrive soon!!! :extrahappy
. Please tell me what you think and enjoy!
[Disclaimer: This is a personal interpretation only and I do not confer it as an article of faith that must be believed to be saved… Basically, I don’t want to accidentally father or dig up a heresy. As with all religious material or theological musings that are put forth in the public eye, I humbly submit these works to correction by a higher ecclesiastical authority if indeed error is found.]
THE HOLY TRINITY (TRIUNE GOD) In The OLD TESTAMENT
Commentary on 2 Maccabees 3: 22-30 (RSV) – St. Ignatius 2nd Edition Official Catholic Bible
• These verses specifically deal with the LORD of HOSTS making his appearance in triumph over the heathens who dared to attempt desecration of His Holy Temple.
• As Heliodorus and his soldiers approach the treasury, SCRIPTURE tells us that “… then and there the SOVEREIGN of spirits and of all authority caused so great a manifestation that all who had been so bold as to accompany him were astounded by the power of GOD, and became faint with terror.” (v.24)
• In continuation verses 25-26 describe the visualization of this manifestation, “For there appeared to him a magnificently caparisoned horse, with a rider of frightening mien…” (v.25) and in (v.26), “Two young men also appeared to him, remarkably strong, gloriously beautiful and splendidly dressed, who stood on each side of him, and scourged him (Heliodorus, that is) continuously, inflicting many blows on him.” Depending on how one reads these verses, a person can reach several conclusions, the manifestation of the Holy Trinity not being the only one (it is possible that people can interpret the rider on horseback to be God and the two men beside him to be angels). The only issue that I tend to take with this interpretation is that typically, throughout the Old and New Testaments, there is a distinction made between an angel and that of God. Furthermore, verse 30 makes no distinction between the rider on horseback and His two other manifestations for “… they praised the LORD who acted marvelously for his own place. And the temple, which a little while before was full of fear and disturbance, was filled with joy and gladness, now that the Almighty LORD had appeared.” Once again, there is no discernment between our BLESSED MASTER and that of His servants.
• I exercise my personal interpretation backed by also referencing GENESIS 18, where Abraham encounters the TRIUNE GOD who extends a covenant with him and his descendants. Another appearance of the Trinity in the Old Testament is GENESIS 19:24.
Commentary on 2 Maccabees 3: 31-40 (RSV) – St. Ignatius 2nd Edition Official Catholic Bible
• Verses 31-34 deal with the prayer of Onias acting as intercession for Heliodorus that ultimately spares him from the wrath of GOD. Specifically, verses 33, “While the high priest was making the offering of atonement, the same young men appeared again to Heliodorus dressed in the same clothing, and the stood and said, “Be very grateful to Onias the high priest, since for his sake the Lord has granted you your life,” and 34, “And see that you, who have been scourged by heaven, report to all men the majestic power of God.” Having said this, they vanished.”
• One point of contention that the objector may raise is that the young men are only the “Two young men” from 2 Macc. 3: 26 and that the rider did not appear. Furthermore, while the two men don’t refer to themselves as angels, it should be made clear that they don’t call themselves God or take any other names that are reserved for our LORD.
• It is however true that the young men who speak to Heliodorus are in unison, similar to how the LORD speaks to Abraham in Genesis 18. Now, it is true that in that particular chapter of GENESIS, GOD speaks at times in the third-person, however He clearly also refers to himself in the singular first person as opposed to 2 Macc. 3 where this does not happen.
• Now, on the flip side, during the Conversion of Heliodorus, verses 35-36 denote how he, “offered sacrifice to the Lord and Savior of his life, we see that Lord and Savior are separated from each other. Perhaps this is merely grasping at straws, but verses 36 and 39 have Heliodorus specifically state that it is GOD who protected His temple from being profaned. Again, one may still consider angels to be but a manifestation of that power, if indeed the two young men were simply servants of the LORD. At best, one can draw an inference from the appearance of three as 3 is ultimately both a Holy number in Judaism and Christianity.
I have been putting together my own personal Bible commentary and while reading through on the Second Book of Maccabees, I came across something of interest that I would like to share in the matter, and that is the possibility of the Holy Trinity being manifested in the Old Testament outside of Genesis 18 (if there are other instances, I don’t remember them).
Below, you will find my excerpt, which is still a WIP at the moment since I don’t yet have my Navarre Old Testament (hopefully it will arrive soon!!! :extrahappy
. Please tell me what you think and enjoy![Disclaimer: This is a personal interpretation only and I do not confer it as an article of faith that must be believed to be saved… Basically, I don’t want to accidentally father or dig up a heresy. As with all religious material or theological musings that are put forth in the public eye, I humbly submit these works to correction by a higher ecclesiastical authority if indeed error is found.]
THE HOLY TRINITY (TRIUNE GOD) In The OLD TESTAMENT
Commentary on 2 Maccabees 3: 22-30 (RSV) – St. Ignatius 2nd Edition Official Catholic Bible
• These verses specifically deal with the LORD of HOSTS making his appearance in triumph over the heathens who dared to attempt desecration of His Holy Temple.
• As Heliodorus and his soldiers approach the treasury, SCRIPTURE tells us that “… then and there the SOVEREIGN of spirits and of all authority caused so great a manifestation that all who had been so bold as to accompany him were astounded by the power of GOD, and became faint with terror.” (v.24)
• In continuation verses 25-26 describe the visualization of this manifestation, “For there appeared to him a magnificently caparisoned horse, with a rider of frightening mien…” (v.25) and in (v.26), “Two young men also appeared to him, remarkably strong, gloriously beautiful and splendidly dressed, who stood on each side of him, and scourged him (Heliodorus, that is) continuously, inflicting many blows on him.” Depending on how one reads these verses, a person can reach several conclusions, the manifestation of the Holy Trinity not being the only one (it is possible that people can interpret the rider on horseback to be God and the two men beside him to be angels). The only issue that I tend to take with this interpretation is that typically, throughout the Old and New Testaments, there is a distinction made between an angel and that of God. Furthermore, verse 30 makes no distinction between the rider on horseback and His two other manifestations for “… they praised the LORD who acted marvelously for his own place. And the temple, which a little while before was full of fear and disturbance, was filled with joy and gladness, now that the Almighty LORD had appeared.” Once again, there is no discernment between our BLESSED MASTER and that of His servants.
• I exercise my personal interpretation backed by also referencing GENESIS 18, where Abraham encounters the TRIUNE GOD who extends a covenant with him and his descendants. Another appearance of the Trinity in the Old Testament is GENESIS 19:24.
Commentary on 2 Maccabees 3: 31-40 (RSV) – St. Ignatius 2nd Edition Official Catholic Bible
• Verses 31-34 deal with the prayer of Onias acting as intercession for Heliodorus that ultimately spares him from the wrath of GOD. Specifically, verses 33, “While the high priest was making the offering of atonement, the same young men appeared again to Heliodorus dressed in the same clothing, and the stood and said, “Be very grateful to Onias the high priest, since for his sake the Lord has granted you your life,” and 34, “And see that you, who have been scourged by heaven, report to all men the majestic power of God.” Having said this, they vanished.”
• One point of contention that the objector may raise is that the young men are only the “Two young men” from 2 Macc. 3: 26 and that the rider did not appear. Furthermore, while the two men don’t refer to themselves as angels, it should be made clear that they don’t call themselves God or take any other names that are reserved for our LORD.
• It is however true that the young men who speak to Heliodorus are in unison, similar to how the LORD speaks to Abraham in Genesis 18. Now, it is true that in that particular chapter of GENESIS, GOD speaks at times in the third-person, however He clearly also refers to himself in the singular first person as opposed to 2 Macc. 3 where this does not happen.
• Now, on the flip side, during the Conversion of Heliodorus, verses 35-36 denote how he, “offered sacrifice to the Lord and Savior of his life, we see that Lord and Savior are separated from each other. Perhaps this is merely grasping at straws, but verses 36 and 39 have Heliodorus specifically state that it is GOD who protected His temple from being profaned. Again, one may still consider angels to be but a manifestation of that power, if indeed the two young men were simply servants of the LORD. At best, one can draw an inference from the appearance of three as 3 is ultimately both a Holy number in Judaism and Christianity.
