Some have tried to come up with a metaphor for the Trinity. The egg: white, yoke, and shell. The three phases of water: solid, liquid, and gas. These examples have serious shortcomings. And, of course, it’s just impossible to explain God. He is far beyond our comprehension. Still, He wants us to know Him. He teaches us about Him through His word. Well, it’s in that book that I found a possibility for an image of the Triune God. I like it because it came from God, not me. It is the Holy of Holies.
The tabernacle that God instructed Moses to build was 10 cubits wide, 10 cubits tall, and 30 cubits deep. The first section is called the Holy Place and it is 20 cubits deep. The final 10 cubits are separated by a veil. This is the Holy of Holies. It’s 10 cubits, by 10 cubits, by 10 cubits. It is a cube.
In the book of Revelation, we see the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. It is also a cube. This is not surprising because the city is indwelled by God. “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22).
God chose to represent His dwelling place as a cube. Perhaps this is why. The cube has 3 perfectly equal dimensions. It has 6 facets but only 3 axes. No matter which side you view into it from, you see all of what’s inside. If you remove any one of the dimensions, you lose all of what’s inside. I see the vertical axis as the Father, the invisible God. He is the vertical connection to the Son. I see the east/west axis as Jesus, the visible God. He is the horizontal connection to all the world. Finally, I see the axis pointed at me as the Holy Spirit, the indwelling God. He is my personal connection to God. But more than that, He is God in me.
We can’t truly define God, but He leaves us clues. He loves us and wants a relationship with us. I picture Him smiling whenever we catch on to something He’s teaching us. He knows us and it’s His desire that we know Him.