An Unorthodox Interpretation of the Genesis 18,19 Abrahamic Visitation
Christians generally accept the idea that Bible does not ever directly show us the Trinity; we
are willing to believe the doctrine of the Trinity can be seen
only if one looks systematically throughout the Scriptures to find references of how the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit are all equally God, yet separate
individuals. This is not necessarily the case, however. In fact, the Trinity may even be openly
demonstrated in the first book of the Bible.
The story of God's announcement to Abraham of a promised son is the setting for the possible
revelation of the triune Deity:
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance
to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he
saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by." Genesis 18:1-3
Verses one and two immediately demand an answer to the question of whether or not the Lord is one
of the visitors, or if the passage may indicate that all three men are the Lord. The traditional
interpretation of these verses is that God appeared to Abraham accompanied by two angels. However,
nothing in the context of the chapter puts one of the visitors above the other two, as if one were
God and the others angels. Abraham addresses them as one person (v3), and they act as one individual,
speaking as one instead of three:
"Very well," they answered, "do as you say." 18:5
"Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him." 18:9
In this way, the visitor's words support the premise that all three are equal, and even one and the
same person.
The actions of the three supernatural figures in this passage also suggest their unity and deity:
Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that
I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not,
I will know." The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
18:20-22
This section of the passage is usually read to mean that the single visitor, who is God, stays with
Abraham, and the other two, who are angels, depart for Sodom. However, the Lord says that He will
"go down" into Sodom Himself. The problem then emerges:
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When
he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 19:1
If these two "angels" are not God, then the Lord lied about His plan to go into Sodom. There is thus
a case for the "angels'" equality with God. The objection that God visited Sodom through His
omnipresence to preclude the two other visitors from Godhood is flawed. If God intended to mean He
would visit through omnipresence, He was already in Sodom! By saying that He would "go down" to Sodom,
more than omnipresence must have been implied.
However, this verse also puts forth the first large objection to the Trinitarian analysis of the
passage. If the two visitors are called "angels" in every English translation of the Bible, how could
they be God the Son and God the Spirit?
Even though English translations do not support a Trinitarian argument, taking a closer look at the
original Hebrew word translated here as "angels" reveals something different: The word used in
Gen 19:1 is the Hebrew "mal'ak" (Strong's #04397), which means "to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger;
specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):--ambassador, angel, king,
messenger." This word is used throughout the Old Testament to refer not only to God's messengers,
but also to God Himself:
The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."
Gen 16:10
This "angel" makes God's promise to Abraham in his own name, under his own power; such a statement
would be inconceivable if this messenger were not God Himself. And, this word for "angel" here is the
same as the word from Gen 19:1.
Also, Abraham's life story is in no way the only place in the Bible where God is revealed in a form
translated by the word "angel":
The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' And he said, 'Look up and
see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen
all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where
you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.' " Gen 31:11-13
The "angel of God" of Jacob's experience claims to be "the God of Bethel." It is obvious that the word
refers not to a heavenly messenger, but to God Himself. The word for "angel" is the same as the word
from Gen 19:1.
The book of Exodus gives more support to the argument that the word "angel" is definitively used
throughout the Bible in reference to God:
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. When the LORD saw
that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said,
"Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are
standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Ex 3:2a,4-6
Some would interpret this as God's angel burning the bush, and God speaking to Moses separately.
However, verse six specifically says that Moses was looking at God in the flame. Again, the word for
"angel" is the same as the word from Gen 19:1.
It is now apparent that simply because it is translated "angel," Gen 19:1 does not necessarily imply
that the two visitors to Sodom were not divine.
Returning to Genesis 19, an astute reader will see that the "angels" of this passage make claims that
only God Himself could make:
"Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place." 19:12,13
Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the Lord out of the heavens. 19:24
God destroyed the cities with fire from above. The two visitors could not have alleged any ownership
of the action unless they were actually God.
But, still another objection to the Trinitarian interpretation of this passage is found in verse 13:
"The outcry against the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."
Because they have been "sent", this seems to be a clear sign that the two visitors to Sodom were
submissive, and therefore subservient, to God the Father.
Nonetheless, this idea of subservience can be explained through analogy to Jesus' life on Earth, and
the words He said in reference to His Father. When speaking to His disciples, Jesus said,
"If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." John 14:28
He also directly addresses God in a humble manner:
"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matt 26:39
These verses seem to portray the Father's superiority to Christ. Most scholars attribute this portrayal
to the limits of the flesh. While Jesus stood on Earth in human flesh, His role was that of a servant,
and therefore He humbled Himself before the Father. Likewise, the two visitors to Sodom are still in
human flesh, and having been sent by God the Father does not make them less than Him, only filling
different roles.
Additionally, we know that the visitors were truly in human flesh because of the Hebrew word used to
describe them. In both 18:1 and 19:5 the visitors are called "men." The Hebrew word translated to
"men" is "enowsh", whose primary definition is "a mortal." This means that it would be proper for two
Persons of the Trinity who were still in the flesh and sent by the Father to be submissive.
Conclusion to follow.