The Trinity: One God, Three Ages and One Plan for Salvation

The doctrine of the Trinity stands as a central pillar of biblical faith, revealing how God works across history to carry out the redemption of mankind.

According to John 5:39, the Scriptures (Old Testament Scriptures) testify about the Savior Jesus who was to come, and the Scriptures in the New Testament affirm this.

The Bible shows that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same God operating under different names and roles across distinct eras or ages.

To help us grasp how one God can fulfill three roles without dividing His essential nature, let us think of the following two illustrations:

The States of Water. Water appears as a liquid, freezes into solid ice, or evaporates into vapor. Though its form, appearance, and function change depending on temperature, its fundamental molecular identity remains unchanged: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Monodrama Performance. In a one-person play, a single actor takes on three different characters on stage. The costumes, titles, and duties shift as the story unfolds, yet behind every persona stands the exact same actor.

In the same way, the work of God unfolds across three distinct ages of salvation, each defined by a unique name.

The age of the Father: God worked under the name “Jehovah” revealing Himself as the Creator who led Israel and divided the Red Sea for them to cross.

The age of the Son: God came in human flesh under the name “Jesus” offering salvation and setting an example by keeping the Sabbath and the Passover for us to follow.

The age of the Holy Spirit: In this final age, God manifests with a “new name” appearing as “Ahnsahnghong” to complete the final work of redemption.

When we examine the Scriptures closely, the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit becomes undeniable. Let us confirm this one by one.

(1). The Oneness of the Father (Jehovah) and the Son (Jesus).

The Old Testament prophetic foundation directly connects Jehovah to Jesus Christ. Let us affirm this through various verses in the Bible.

(a). The Prophesied Forerunner

Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.

Isaiah 40:3–10 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.

In the above prophecies, Jehovah promises that a messenger will prepare the way before Him in the wilderness, which is fulfilled in the New Testament through John the Baptist and Jesus.

Matthew 3:1–3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

John the Baptist fulfilled this exact role for Jesus. Because John prepared the way for Jesus, and the prophecy said the way was being prepared for Jehovah, Jesus is Jehovah Himself.

(b). The Stumbling Stone.

Isaiah 8:13–15 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”

Isaiah prophesied, warning that Jehovah Almighty will be “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

1 Peter 2:4–8 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

In the above verse Peter explicitly identifies Jesus as that living stone rejected by men. Through these two verses, we can gain assurance that Jehovah in the Old Testament is Jesus in the New Testament.

(c). Exclusive Titles of Salvation:

The Bible in the Old Testament states Jehovah as the sole Savior and no other.

Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.

Isaiah records Jehovah declaring, “I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.”

This simply means that Jehovah is the only Savior. However, in the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the only Savior.

Acts 4:11–12 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Some people who lack understanding of the Trinity cite these verses, saying they are a contradiction; they are not, but an affirmation confirming that Jehovah and Jesus are the same Savior operating in different ages.

(d). The Promised Child:

It is prophesied in:

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

This was a prophecy that God the Father Jehovah would be born as a child and a son Jesus. It proves that the Son born as a child, who is Jesus, is in nature the Everlasting Father Jehovah Himself.

(e). Direct Declarations of Divinity:

Jesus the Son who came in the flesh, explicitly states that He is one with the Father Jehovah.

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”

When Jesus said this, the Jews were angry at Him, accusing Him of blasphemy for claiming to be God, as they recognized that the prophesied Messiah in the Old Testament was God Himself who would come into the world.

Philippians 2:5–6 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

The above verse further affirms that Christ Jesus was “in very nature God”—a statement that, 2000 years ago, directly referred to Jehovah God.

(f). The Sole Creator:

In the Old Testament, it is written that God Jehovah is the Maker of all things, that is, the Creator.

Isaiah 44:24 “This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself.”

Yet, in the New Testament, it is written that through Jesus all things were created.

Colossians 1:16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

The above verse clarifies that all things were created through Jesus. Because Jehovah created all things alone, Jesus must be Jehovah.

(g). Shared Identifiers:

(i). Lord of the Sabbath.

In the book of Exodus and Ezekiel, God Jehovah commands the observance of the Sabbath to show that the Sabbath belongs to Him.

Exodus 31:12–13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

Ezekiel 20:12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.

In the New Testament Jesus declares he is Lord of the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:8 “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

(ii). Alpha & Omega.

Alpha means First in the Greek alphabet and Omega means last.

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

In the above verse, Jehovah is described as Alpha and Omega to mean the First and the Last, and in the same book, in another chapter, Jesus declares He is the Alpha and the Omega, meaning the First and the Last.

Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

2. The Oneness of the Father and the Holy Spirit.

God is Spirit and God is Holy so God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not a separate entity, but the very Spirit and consciousness of God.

If God and the Holy Spirit were different, there would be two separate spirits—one for God and another for the Holy Spirit—but the Bible testifies to one Holy Spirit.

(a). One Single Spirit:

Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called”

This confirms that the Father and the Holy Spirit are not two separate divine Spirits.

(b). The Mind of God:

1 Corinthians 2:10–11 These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote that just as a person’s thoughts are known by their own spirit within them, only the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God. The Holy Spirit is the internal life of God Himself.

(c). Inspiration of Scripture:

The scripture is God-breathed,

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

“God-breathed” simply means “breathed by God.”

2 Peter 1:20–21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The above verse states that prophets spoke as they were “carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

God breathing and the Holy Spirit carrying prophets describe the same divine action.

3. The Oneness of the Son and the Holy Spirit

The New Testament highlights identical, divine actions carried out by both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Let us look into them:

(a). Intercessor and Counselor:

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The above verses establish Jesus as the Mediator for us. In simple terms, Jesus intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26–27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

The above explains that the Spirit intercedes for believers alongside Christ’s intercession:

Romans 8:34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Jesus is described as our advocate (“Parakletos” in Greek) with the Father.

John 14:26 But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

In the above verse Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as the Counselor (“Parakletos”) sent to teach all things.

(b). Eternal Indwelling:

Matthew 28:20 And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus promises His followers, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,”

John 6:56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.

Also in the above verse Christ dwells in believers.

John 14:16–17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit has the same internal presence as the Spirit of Truth.

(c). Prophetic Inspiration:

1 Peter 1:10–11 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.

The above verse reveals that the Spirit of Christ inspired Old Testament prophets.

2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

As seen earlier, the above credits the Holy Spirit with having inspired the Scriptures. The Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit are not different Spirits but one and the same.

Recognizing God in the Age of the Holy Spirit

We need to understand this divine mystery of the Trinity because it is essential to our salvation. Just as the people of ancient Israel failed to receive blessings because they did not recognize Jehovah when He came in the flesh as Jesus, we must recognize how God works in our present time.

In this age, believers are called to look beyond outward forms and recognize God in the age of the Holy Spirit through His new name, Christ Ahnsahnghong.

Beyond realizing the Father’s new name, the Scriptures also direct us to the mystery of the Spirit and the Bride. In these final days, God the Father works alongside Heavenly Mother, the New Jerusalem to gather His children.

By keeping the New Covenant Passover and following the teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother, believers fulfill the complete plan of redemption and receive the promise of eternal life.