Mal 3:18 | Scofield | STEP | God Summary of the O.T. revelation of Deity: God is revealed in the O.T. (1) through His names, as follows: Class English Form Hebrew Equivalent Primary God El, Elah, or Elohim ( ) LORD Jehovah ( ) Lord Adon or Adonai ( ) Compound (with El = God) Almighty God El Shaddai ( ) Most High, or most high God El Elyon ( ) everlasting God El Olam ( ) Compound (with Jehovah = Lord) LORD God Jehovah Elohim ( ) Lord GOD Adonai Jehovah ( ) LORD of hosts Jehovah Sabaoth ( ) The trinity is suggested by the three times repeated groups of threes. This is not an arbitrary arrangement, but inheres in the O.T. itself. This revelation of God by His name is invariably made in connection with some particular need of His people, and there can be no need of man to which these names do not answer as showing that man's true resource is in God. Even human failure and sin but evoke new and fuller revelations of the divine fulness. (2) The O.T. Scriptures reveal the existence of a Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe and of man, the Source of all life and of all intelligence, who is to be worshipped and served by men and angels. This Supreme Being is One, but, in some sense not fully revealed in the O.T., is a unity in plurality. This is shown by the plural name, Elohim, by the use of the plural pronoun in the interrelation of deity as evidenced in ; ; ; . That this plurality is really a Trinity is intimated in the three primary names of Deity, and in the threefold ascription of the Seraphim in That the interrelation of Deity is that of Father and Son is directly asserted ; ; and the Spirit is distinctly recognized in His personality, and to Him are ascribed all the divine attributes (e.g. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; . (See Scofield " ") . (3) The future incarnation is intimated in the theophanies, or appearances of God in human form (e.g. ; and distinctly predicted in the promises connected with redemption (e.g. and with the Davidic Covenant ; . The revelation of Deity in the N.T. so illuminates that of the O.T. that the latter is seen to be, from Genesis to Malachi, the foreshadowing of the coming incarnation of God in Jesus the Christ. In promise, covenant, type, and prophecy the O.T. points forward to Him. (4) The revelation of God to man is one of authority and redemption. He requires righteousness from man, but saves the unrighteous through sacrifice; and in His redemptive dealings with man all the divine persons and attributes are brought into manifestation. The O.T. reveals the justice of God equally with His mercy, but never in opposition to His mercy. The flood, e.g., was an unspeakable mercy to unborn generations. From Genesis to Malachi He is revealed as the seeking God who has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and who heaps up before the sinner every possible motive to persuade to faith and obedience. (5) In the experience of the O.T. men of faith their God inspires reverence but never slavish fear; and they exhaust the resources of language to express their love and adoration in view of His loving-kindness and tender mercy. This adoring love of His saints is the triumphant answer to those who pretend to find the O.T. revelation of God cruel and repellent. It is in harmony, not contrast, with the N.T. revelation of God in Christ. (6) Those passages which attribute to God bodily parts and human emotions (e.g. ; ; ; ; ) are metaphorical and mean that in the infinite being of God exists that which answers to these things--eyes, a hand, feet, etc.; and the jealousy and anger attributed to Him are the emotions of perfect Love in view of the havoc of sin. (7) In the O.T. revelation there is a true sense in which, wholly apart from sin or infirmity, God is like His creature man and the supreme and perfect revelation of God, toward which the O.T. points, is a revelation in and through a perfect Man.

Malachi 3:18

God

Summary of the O.T. revelation of Deity: God is revealed in the O.T. (1) through His names, as follows: