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"Come near to me, hear this; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I." And now the Lord Yahweh has sent me, and his Spirit. Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go."

Isaiah 48:16,17
Restoration Light Improved Version

OUR trinitarian and oneness neighbors as well as some others often point to Isaiah 48:16 as proof that Jesus is Yahweh (Jehovah). We find this verse often referenced in trinitarian writings, but with very little explanation of how it is supposed to imply trinity. Some claim that Yahweh is the Father in this verse, the one speaking of himself as being sent is supposed to be Jesus, and the holy spirit is supposed to be another person of Yahweh. Others claim that Yahweh sent Yahweh, showing two Yahwehs, one who sent, and another who was sent (although the same trinitarians will often deny that there are two Yahwehs).

Many will then say that Isaiah 48:16 proves that Jesus is Yahweh, and our trinitarians neighbors claim that all three persons of the supposed trinity are found mentioned in this verse (Yahweh as the sender; Yahweh as Jesus sent; and the holy spirit, either as sender or being sent, depending on how one translates the verse).
See:
http://godandson.reslight.net/jesusnotyhwh.html
Jesus is Not Yahweh

However, common sense would tell us that God did not send himself. Without viewing this scripture through the screening process of extra-Biblical trinitarian, oneness, or "Jesus is Yahweh" philosophies, one would not see such a thing in the verse. As usual with the trinitarian or "Jesus is Yahweh" proof-texts, there is nothing in this verse about three persons in Yahweh, nor is there anything to indicate that Jesus is Yahweh. The idea has to added to and read into the scripture

Isaiah is the prophet who is writing the above, and the one referred to as being sent (Isaiah 6:9,10) by Yahweh. Isaiah speaks of himself as sent to Israel by Yahweh, and he also speaks of Yahweh's spirit being sent. In much of the book Isaiah is quoting what Yahweh has said, but in this verse he suddenly stops quoting Yahweh and speaks of himself as being sent by Yahweh. This is not all that unusual in Isaiah's writings, that is, that he stops quoting Yahweh, and starts speaking of himself without giving any indication of such a change.

A similar case is Isaiah 8:1-3. One could read verse three as a continuation of the quotation of Yahweh's words in verse one, thus making Yahweh as the one who went to the prophetess, but common sense tells us that Isaiah stopped quoting Yahweh and began referring to himself. -- See Appendix 6

Likewise in Isaiah 48:16,17. There we can see that the the latter part of verse 16 goes with the beginning of verse 17, and is not part of the quotation of Yahweh, but rather Isaiah's own remarks: "And now the Lord Yahweh, and his spirit, has sent me -- this what Yahweh says, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel,..." after which Isaiah returns to quoting the words of Yahweh.

Below are some translations that have punctuation similar to ours.

"Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there." And now the Lord GOD has sent me and his Spirit. -- Revised Standard Version.

"Now come close to me and hear what I say. From the beginning I have spoken openly and have always made my words come true." (Now the Sovereign Lord has given me his power and sent me.) -- Today's English Version

"Come to me and listen to this. From the beginning I have spoken openly. From the time it began, I was there." Now, the Lord God has sent me with his Spirit. -- New Century Version

"Come near to me, YOU people. Hear this. From the start I have spoken in no place of concealment at all. From the time of its occurring I have been there." And now the Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself has sent me, even his spirit. -- New World Translation, 1971 edition. -- New World Translation, 1971 edition.

A slightly different punctuation appears in this translation:

Come to me and hear this! Not from the beginning did I speak it in secret; At the time it comes to pass, I am present; "Now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his spirit." -- The New American Bible

Sometimes John 13:19; 14:29 are referred to with the assumption that Jesus claimed to be the one speaking in Isaiah 48:16. Yet when we read the scriptures in John, it should be apparent to anyone that Jesus is not making such a claim. He is only stating that he was telling his disciples concerning what was to happen (which power and authority had been given to him by Yahweh, his Father). -- Deuteronomy 18:15,18; Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9,10; Luke 13:35; John 3:2,17; 5:19,43; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,38; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:8,26; Hebrews 1:1,2; Revelation 1:1.

Thus it should be apparent to all that the doctrine that Jesus is Yahweh is not found in Isaiah 48:16 (as it is not found anywhere else in the Bible). There is definitely nothing here to indicate that God's spirit is a separate sentiency yet the Supreme Omniscient Being.

Appendices

We are providing the following due to several claims being made concerning what we have written.

Appendix 1

It is being claimed that only "Russellites" would contend that Isaiah spoke of himself as being sent by Yahweh in Isaiah 45:16, and that we take the statement out of context so as to apply it to Isaiah rather than to Yahweh. It is further claimed that we are reading into the verse that it is Isaiah, and not Yahweh, who is being sent.

By "Russellites" we assume that the respondent means Bible Students and/or the Jehovah's Witnesses. At any rate the statement is false, as nearly all the translations provided are translations produced by trinitarians -- the exceptions being RLIV beginning of this study, and the New World Translation being that of the Jehovah's Witnesses. All the rest of the translations are translations produced by trinitarians. Thus we have the RSV, TEV, and the NCV versions (and probably others which we do not have ready access to), all of which, as far we know, are produced by scholars who believe in the trinty, which contain punctuation similar to ours.

Additionally, we have the statements of many trinitarian Bible commentators that directly tell us that the latter part of the verse is the prophet himself speaking. We present some quotes, only to show that they agree with us that it was Isaiah who was sent, and not that we necessarily agree with every statement made in the quotes.

16. not . . . in secret--(Isaiah 45:19). Jehovah foretold Cyrus' advent, not with the studied ambiguity of heathen oracles, but plainly. from the time, &c.--From the moment that the purpose began to be accomplished in the raising up of Cyrus I was present.
sent me--The prophet here speaks, claiming attention to his announcement as to Cyrus, on the ground of his mission from God and His Spirit. But he speaks not in his own person so much as in that of Messiah, to whom alone in the fullest sense the words apply (Isaiah 61:1, John 10:36). Plainly, Isaiah 49:1, which is the continuation of the forty-eighth chapter, from Isaiah 48:16, where the change of speaker from God (Isaiah 48:1,12-15) begins, is the language of Messiah. Luke 4:1,14,18, shows that the Spirit combined with the Father in sending the Son: therefore "His Spirit" is nominative to "sent," not accusative, following it.

Fausset, A. R., A.M. "Commentary on Isaiah 48". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible". 1871.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/JamiesonFaussetBrown/jfb.cgi?ook=isa&chapter=048

The prophet himself, as a type of the great prophet, asserts his own commission to deliver this message: Now the Lord God (the same that spoke from the beginning and did not speak in secret) has by his Spirit sent me, v. 16. The Spirit of God is here spoken of as a person distinct from the Father and the Son, and having a divine authority to send prophets. Note, Whom God sends the Spirit sends. Those whom God commissions for any service the Spirit in some measure qualifies for it; and those may speak boldly, and must be heard obediently, whom God and his Spirit send. As that which the prophet says to the same purport with this (ch. 61:1) is applied to Christ (Lu. 4:21), so may this be; the Lord God sent him, and he had the Spirit without measure.

Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Isaiah 48". "Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible". 1706.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/MatthewHenryComplete/mhc-com.cgi?book=isa&chapter=048.

The Lord - God by his Spirit. Me - The prophet Isaiah; who was a type of Christ, and so this may have a respect to him also.

Wesley, John. "Commentary on Isaiah 48". "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible". 1754.

http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/WesleysExplanatoryNotes/wes.cgi?book=isa&chapter=048.

Thus the idea that it is Isaiah who is speaking of himself as being sent comes directly from trinitarian sources, therefore if we are "reading into" this verse that it is Isaiah who is being sent, then the same charge would have to said concerning some of the greatest trinitarian scholars.

Additionally, there are many Unitarian and Jewish scholars who do not believe that Isaiah is saying that Yahweh sent himself in Isaiah 48:16, thus further showing the falsity of the claim that only "Russellites" would say that this is Isaiah speaking of himself as being sent.

We present the following to show that there are many others besides the "Russellites" who believe that Isaiah was speaking of himself as being sent in Isaiah 48:16. We do not necessarily agree with all conclusions presented on the pages:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/1551/prophets/is48v16.htm

http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/web/faq/faq122.html

http://www.drazin.com/chap4.phtml

http://www.christian-thinktank.com/trin02.html

http://www.inner.org/monothei/mono5.htm

The context indicates that it is Isaiah speaking for it is evident that Isaiah is speaking at the beginning of verse 17.

Appendix 2

The claim is made that there is no punctuation in the Hebrew text in Isaiah 45:16 to indicate a break, but that there is such in Isaiah 8:1-3. Actually the original Hebrew had no punctuation; the punctuation marks that appear in the Masoretic and later texts were added about the fifth century CE. A comparison of the Masoretic text with the earlier Dead Sea Scroll verifies that even in Isaiah 8:1-3, there is no punctuation (although the Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah, being a later copy, does contain what appears to be paragraphing).

Appendix 3

One respondent remarks regarding our statement concerning using common sense regarding Isaiah 48:16, and who is speaking in the latter part of the verse: Don't you mean "human logic"? Your argument reduces the infinite God to the reasoning capacity of the finite human mind. The argument assumes that there are not several Persons in the Godhead. God, to you, must conform to your limited mind for Him to make "common sense."

This is somewhat silly, since the statement was concerning using common sense regarding who is speaking in Isaiah 48:16. The respondent has turned our statement around to make it an issue of "reducing the infinite God to the reasoning capacity of the finite human mind," something of which we made no statement whatsoever. Trinitarians like to fall back on this argument since they do realize that their extra-Biblical philosophy of three persons in one being is not reasonable, logical nor can it be found in the scriptures without adding a lot to the scriptures that is not there. The point seems to be that if you are not willing to believe this extra-Biblical illogical teaching then you must be reducing 'the infinite God to the reasoning capacity of a finite human', which is a total strawman argument and proves absolutely nothing.

Of course, if by our claim that Isaiah is the one being sent in Isaiah 48:16 means that our reasoning is only "human logic", then the same accusation must be directed toward the trinitarian translators and scholars who also make the same statement.

Appendix 4

We have been told that Isaiah 49 proves that the one speaking all through Isaiah 48 is Yahweh, and that it is Yahweh who is sent as the Messiah. Of course, we do believe that Isaiah (as well as Cryus) is a figure of the Messiah. However, the thought in some vague way appears to be that the "servant" of Yahweh spoken of in Isaiah 49 is Yahweh (Isaiah 49:3), who evidently chose and formed himself. (Isaiah 49:5)

If the one speaking in Isaiah 49:1 is indeed Jesus as claimed, then this would prove Jesus is not Jehovah, but rather the servant of Jehovah. And if indeed that this servant is the one speaking in Isaiah 48:16,17, as the one proclaiming that he was sent, this would still not mean that the servant (Jesus) who proclaims that he was sent is actually the one (Yahweh) who is doing the sending. Thus, "And now the Lord Yahweh has sent me [Jesus], and his Spirit." This would agree with Isaiah 61:1,2; Luke 4:18,19 and John 3:34. Therefore, there is nothing in this line of argument that would lead us to believe that Jesus is Yahweh.

"Yahweh has called me from the womb." (Isaiah 49:1) Yahweh says to the one speaking: "You are my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified." (Isaiah 49:3) Thus, verse 3 identifies the one speaking as "Israel". However, in Isaiah 49:5 we read: "Now says Yahweh who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered to him." Thus we have to conclude that two different "Israels" are being spoken of: one who is the servant that gathers the other Israel to Yahweh. I believe the servant "Israel" spoken in verse 3 is not the Israel of flesh (1 Corinthians 10:18) that is being spoken of in verse 5, but the Israel of faith -- Jesus and his body members. (Romans 9:6; 11:7; Galatians 3:26; 6:16) The Geneva Study Bible states concerning "Israel" in verse 3: "By Israel is meant Christ, and all the body of the faithful, as the members and their head." (Beza, Theodore. "Commentary on Isaiah 49". "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible". http://www.studylight.org/com/gsb/view.cgi?book=isa&chapter=049. 1599-1645.)

That this "Israel" is both Jesus and the church is attested by the application that Paul gives to Isaiah 49:7-9 in 2 Corinthians 6:1,2.
See:
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r4542.htm Reprints 4542

Israel [both Israel after the flesh and the Israel of faith] will become the "light to the heathen" in the Millennial age, after Satan is abyssed, thus destroying the covering of darkness over the nations. -- Isaiah 2:2-4; 25:7,8; Revelation 20:3.

Appendix 5

We have been asked if there are any other instances that could be cited in the book of Isaiah where there is an abrupt change from quotation of Yahweh's words to that of the prophet Isaiah. We can give the following, which includes not only places where there is abrupt change (without identifying such) from the quotation of Yahweh or others to the words of Isaiah, or the other way around: Isaiah 1:1-9; 5:1-8; 8:5-10; 10:12-19; 10:24-32; 14:24-27; 27:1-11; 28:14-22.

Appendix 6

It is claimed that Jewish scholars believe that Yahweh sent Yahweh in Isaiah 48:16. The citations given for this are all Jews turned trinitarian Christian. Actually, Jewish scolars who have not accepted the trinity doctrine do not accept the idea that Yahweh sent Yahweh.
See:
http://members.tripod.com/GHaas/prophets/is48v16.htm
http://www.geocities.com/queball23/Isaiah48trinity.html
(See also Appendix 1)

Appendix 7

The claim has been made that Isaiah 48:14-15 is about how Yahweh is going to use someone (Cyrus) to bring judgment to Babylon. Isaiah 45:1,2 is referenced concerning Cyrus. It is claimed that if Isaiah is the one speaking of himself as being sent, then Isaiah would have to live 200 years later to be in the instrument that Yahweh uses to bring Cyrus against Babylon. What we can say is that regardless as to whether the application is to Jesus as the one being sent, or whether Isaiah was speaking about himself, there is still nothing there about three persons in one God. (We do believe Isaiah is a type of Jesus and the church).

Yet it is our belief that Isaiah is speaking of himself as the one being sent, and the that holy spirit is sent, to declare this message: Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go, etc.

Quoting from Young's Literal Translation -- our comments in braces {}:

{Evidently Yahweh speaking:} Be gathered all of you {both of Judah and Israel}, and hear, Who among them {the idols} did declare these things?

{Isaiah speaks:} Jehovah hath loved him {Israel, spoken of in the verses before}, He {Yahweh} doth His pleasure on Babylon, And His {Yahweh's} arm [is on] the Chaldeans. {Isaiah contrasts Yahweh's view of Israel, whom he says Yahweh loves, as compared with Babylon, upon whom his arm, or power, is to come.}

{Yahweh speaks:} I -- I {Yahweh} have spoken, yea, I {Yahweh} have called him {Israel}, I {Yahweh} have brought him {Israel} in, {probably referring back to their deliverance of Egypt and when they were brought into covenant relationship, as alluded to in Isaiah 48:1}

{The following probably is another sentence, with Isaiah speaking:} And he {Yahweh} hath made prosperous his {Israel's} way.

The last part could be read as a continuation of Yahweh speaking, with Israel referred to as he, as in "And he {Yahweh} hath made prosperous his {Israel's} way." This would somewhat agree with Joshua 1:8. The context, however, is showing that all of the works being described are of Yahweh, and not the work of any other idol or man, thus we believe this last part should be read in accord with that idea.

{Yahweh speaks:} Come ye {Israel} near unto me {Yahweh}, hear this, Not from the beginning {of your existence} in secret spake I {Yahweh}, From the time of its {Israel's} being, there [am] I {Yahweh},

{Isaiah speaks;} And now {not later} the Lord Jehovah hath sent me {Isaiah}, and His {Jehovah's} Spirit.

However to think that these verses somehow relate back to Isaiah 45:1 just doesn't appear to fit the context.

Updated: June 29, 2007

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