It is often stated by those in authority in churches that God is a Trinity, and evidence of this is found throughout the entire Bible. There are twelve Bible books that aren’t used as much as other Bible books, called the Minor Prophets. Is the Trinity doctrine found in the Twelve Minor Prophets?

“The Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet, there are not three Gods, but one God”—Athanasian Creed

The statement quoted above is said to be the primary belief of most Christian groups. If this is true, then we should find some evidence of it throughout the Bible.

The 12 relatively short Bible Books called “the minor prophets”, from Hosea to Malachi, make many references to Almighty God “Yahweh”, but no references to Jesus Christ by name, and some references to God’s spirit, or the holy Spirit. Do the twelve Minor Prophets support the Trinity doctrine?

There is one famous reference to Jesus, in a verse which predicts his birthplace, and mentions something very significant about his existence in doing so: “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2 NRSV).

Matthew 2:1-6 confirms that Micah 5:2 accurately predicted the birthplace of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. But Micah 5:2 also does something else very significant. It says that Jesus had an “origin”, a beginning, not with his birth on earth, but long before that, in the distant past. This scriptural fact overturns the key Trinitarian claim that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, has always been eternal. Jesus’ having an “origin” is powerful proof that has not always been eternal.

“He [Jesus] shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the LORD [Yahweh] by the majestic name of the LORD [Yahweh], his God; And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth: he shall be peace” (Micah 5:3,4 NAB; [5:4,5 most]). This prophecy of Jesus clearly shows that Yahweh is his God, and is in perfect harmony with the rest of the Bible, which indicates the same thing (Psalm 45:7; John 20:17; Hebrews 1:9; Revelation 1:5,6; 3:12). “His God” means that Jesus cannot be Almighty God.

The Biblical fact that is Jesus has not always been in existence, or eternal, is further contrasted with this:

“Are you not from eternity, Yahweh my God? My Holy One, You will not die” (Habakkuk 1:12 HCSB). Not only does this verse explicitly say that “Yahweh”, who is Almighty God, is “eternal”, it goes on further to say that He “will not die,” ever. This stands in stark contrast to Jesus, his Son, who “died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Yahweh God, the Father of Jesus Christ, is the only one who has always been eternal.

“When they look on him whom they have thrust through, they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and they will grieve for him as one grieves over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10 NAB). Many translations it as “look on me,” rather than “look on him.” “Him” is the more accurate rendering according to the oldest Hebrew manuscripts. Right after Jesus “was already dead” (John 19:33 NAB), Zechariah 12:10 is quoted and applied to Jesus’ public execution: “And again another passage says: ‘They will look on him whom they have pierced'” (John 19:37 NAB). The Bible emphasizes the key point that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3), whereas “God . . . will not not die” (Habakkuk 1:12).

Another major Trinitarian claim is that Jesus Christ became a “God-man” while on earth, an assertion without any Biblical evidence. It’s just made up.  On earth, Jesus “became flesh” (John 1:14), “fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:17 NIV), but not a “God-man”. Such a designation is impossible  on the face of it because of what the scriptures say, for example:

“I am God and not a man” (Hosea 11:9 NIV). How can we be absolutely sure that God cannot be a man? Jesus said: “God is a spirit” (John 4:23 GWT). Yahweh is often referred to as being ‘the Triune God.’ This terminology, however, stands in contrast what the Bible itself actually says:

“And the LORD [Yahweh] will be king over all the earth. On that day there LORD [Yahweh] will be one [Hebrew: “echad”] and his name one [Hebrew: “echad”]” (Zechariah 14:9 ESV). “Echad” is the numeral “one.” It does not mean a ‘compound unity,’ as Trinitarians like to imagine. Thus, the simple singular nature of Almighty God is emphasized. There is no ‘three-in-one.’

“It shall come to pass I will pour out my spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28 [3:1] NAB). This wording is contrary to the Trinitarian idea that the holy Spirit is a person. In fact, when this scripture is quoted by the apostle Peter on the day the holy Spirit is poured out, notice the wording:

“This is what was spoken through through the prophet Joel: ‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh'” (Acts 2:16,17 NAB). ‘Pouring out a portion of’ a person’ doesn’t make good sense. Understanding that the holy Spirit is God’s “power” (Luke 1:17; Acts 1:8), and not a person, does make sense.

“This is the word of Yahweh with regard to Zerubbabel, ‘Not by might and not by power, but by my spirit’–says Yahweh Sabaoth” (Zechariah 4:6 NJB). The terminology, “by my spirit,” provides strong evidence that the holy Spirit is not a person.

“If I am indeed father, where is the honor due to me? says Yahweh Sabaoth” (Malachi 1:6 NJB). “Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us?” (Malachi 2:10 NASB). The one God is identified with the Father. These scriptures thus contradict the Trinity doctrine, which claims the one God is the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the holy Spirit. God is identified as “one” [Hebrew “echad”], not three-in-one. “Echad” is the numeral “one.” It is not a compound unity.

“Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?” (Malachi 2:15 ESV). By saying, “a portion of the Spirit,” the holy Spirit is here quantified. This not descriptive of a person, which is yet another example indicating the holy Spirit is not a person.

Thus, the scriptures themselves have given very powerful proof that the Minor Prophets do not support the Trinity doctrine, and actually contradict major Trinitarian claims. Therefore, we can conclude:

1. Jesus has not been eternal, by two separate proofs, only Yahweh the Almighty God has been
2. Jesus was not a “God-man” on earth
3. Therefore, Jesus Christ cannot be Almighty God
4. The Trinity doctrine is not found in the Twelve Minor Prophets