The Misunderstanding of Isaiah 48:16: A Oneness Response to John Barnett
In a recent teaching, John Barnett pointed to Isaiah 48:16 as one of “the best verses about the Trinity.” He argues that the verse presents three divine persons, the Lord God, His Spirit, and the speaker whom he identifies as the Son. He uses this as proof that the Trinity is present even in the Old Testament. But is that truly what the verse says?
Let’s take a closer look, not through the lens of post-biblical philosophy, but through the lens of Scripture itself.
The Text in Context
“Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me.” (Isaiah 48:16, NKJV)
Barnett assumes the speaker here is the pre-incarnate Son, distinct from the Father and the Spirit. But this interpretation imports assumptions not demanded by the text. Instead, what we see is consistent with the biblical revelation of the one God manifesting Himself by His Word and Spirit.
Who Is Speaking?
🔍 A Contextual Reading: Who Is the “Me”?
Let’s rewind a few verses. In verse 12, the speaker says:
“Listen to Me, O Jacob… I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.”
This sounds strikingly familiar, doesn’t it? In Revelation 22:13, Jeshua (Jesus) says:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
That means the “Me” speaking in Isaiah 48 is the LORD Himself—Jehovah—the same one who later comes in the flesh as Jeshua.
So when the verse says, “the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me,” it’s not a separate divine person being sent, it’s a prophetic declaration of the incarnation. God, by His own Spirit, would come into the world as Messiah.
Oneness View: God Manifest in Flesh
The Oneness understanding affirms that the one true God, Jehovah manifested Himself in flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Isaiah 48:16 is a prophetic utterance pointing to the Messiah, not a pre-existent Son as a second person, but God Himself coming in flesh.
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The “Me” refers to the coming Messiah, who is God Himself.
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The “Lord GOD and His Spirit” refer to the eternal Spirit of God commissioning the man Christ Jesus (Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1).
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This is not a distinction of persons within God, but of roles within God’s redemptive plan.
Barnett’s Error: Reading the Trinity Into the Text
Barnett relies heavily on systematic theology rather than Scripture. He even references Wayne Grudem’s diagrams and Augustine’s analogies, tools from centuries after the apostles. These analogies admit that the Trinity is a mystery beyond comprehension. But God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). His revelation is clear: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
To say the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Spirit, and yet all three are the one God, stretches the boundaries of both logic and Scripture. Scripture never calls God a “person” in the plural sense. The Bible never says “God the Son” or “God the Holy Spirit” as separate persons from the Father. Instead, it says, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Christ’s Baptism and Other “Trinitarian” Texts
💬 Dig Deeper: Common Objections Answered
What about Jesus’ baptism?
Barnett points to Matthew 3 where Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends, and the Father speaks. But this doesn’t demand three persons, it simply shows God’s omnipresence:
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Jeshua in the water = God in flesh
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Voice from heaven = God’s omnipresent Spirit
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Dove = visible symbol of anointing (Isaiah 61:1)
Does God talk to Himself?
The flesh (humanity) of Jeshua prays to the eternal Spirit, not to another divine person. Just like our spirit speaks to God, so did His.
These events show the operation of God’s redemptive plan, not communication between three persons in a divine committee.
Prophecies and Personhood: Zechariah 12
Barnett also cites Zechariah 12, saying that the “I” who speaks is Jehovah, and that later this “I” is pierced, pointing again to the crucified Christ. But rather than proving the Trinity, this affirms the Oneness message: the God of Israel, Jehovah, came and was pierced (Zechariah 12:10). Who was pierced? Jeshua. Therefore, Jeshua is Jehovah in flesh!
Conclusion: Don’t Drown in Tradition, Stand on Scripture
Barnett quotes Augustine: “If you go too far, you’ll drown.” That’s because the Trinity is a doctrine built on paradox and mystery. But the Oneness of God is revealed, not concealed. Jeshua didn’t say, “We are one.” He said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Paul didn’t say, “There are three persons in the Godhead.” He said, “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
Isaiah 48:16 doesn’t prove three persons in God, it affirms the eternal Spirit speaking prophetically of His future incarnation. God didn’t send someone else, He came Himself (Isaiah 35:4).
Let us not impose philosophical constructs on Scripture. Let us return to the clear, apostolic faith: One God, revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
“Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh…” (1 Timothy 3:16)
🤔 Interactive Poll: What Do You Think Isaiah 48:16 Teaches?
Cast your vote and see how others interpret this powerful verse:
What best describes your understanding of Isaiah 48:16?
🔁 A Trinity of three eternal persons
🕊️ One God revealing Himself through Spirit and flesh (Oneness)
🤷 Not sure yet—still studying!
📚 Closing Thought: The Simplicity of One God
God doesn’t ask us to accept contradiction or confusion. He reveals Himself clearly:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Isaiah 48:16 doesn’t show three co-eternal persons, it shows one eternal God fulfilling His redemptive plan.
💥 Share Your Thoughts
🗣️ What’s your take on Isaiah 48:16?
💡 Have you ever questioned the traditional doctrine of the Trinity?
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