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Unity upon the Three Angels’ Messages – Pt 4
Characteristics of Babylon
It should now be clearly established that there are distinct differences between the little flock which continued with Christ into the most holy place, after the passing of time in 1844, and the other churches which rejected the judgement hour message and in consequence, were aptly categorized as Babylon.
The fallen churches of Babylon are characterized by two distinct errors which, above all else constitutes the wine with which she drunks the nations. These are :(1) Sunday sacredness – the spurious sabbath of human invention and (2) the immortality of the soul, which forms the basis for spiritualism.
“The wine of Babylon is the exalting of the false and spurious sabbath above the Sabbath which the Lord Jehovah hath blessed and sanctified for the use of man, also [it is] the immortality of the soul. These kindred heresies, and the rejection of the truth, convert the church into Babylon.”
– White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 68.
Additional identification of Babylon is given as follows:
“The whole chapter shows that Babylon that has fallen is the churches who will not receive the messages of warning the Lord has given in the first, second, and third angel’s messages. . . . . . The message in the eighteenth chapter of Revelation is plain and clearly defined.”
– White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 68.
Characteristics of “The Little Flock”
That which characterizes God’s little flock is the acceptance of the truth, generally, but particularly, those which constitute the Three Angels’ Messages. Among these are the following: (1) the sanctuary truth which points to Christ’s final work of atonement in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and brings to view the blotting out of sins or investigative judgement which began in 1844; (2) the Sabbath truth which was the light which shone from the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary when Christ commenced the last phase of his mediatorial work which is centred there,
“I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body. God looked upon them with approbation. I was shown three steps – the first, second, and third angels’ messages. Said my accompanying angel, “Woe to him who shall move a block or stir a pin of these messages. The true understanding of these messages is of vital importance. The destiny of souls hangs upon the manner in which they are received.” I was again brought down through these messages, and saw how dearly the people of God had purchased their experience. It had been obtained through much suffering and severe conflict. God had led them along step by step, until He had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform.”
– White, Ellen G., Early Writings, p. 258, 259.
Identification of “The Little Flock”
The mark of identification of this little flock is the seventh day Sabbath.
“As I was considering this matter in the night season, it seemed as if One stood up in the midst of us and pointed us back to the Israelites as an illustration of a distinct people, denominated of God. That which made them denominational was the observance of God’s commandments. In the twelfth to the eighteenth verses of the thirty-first chapter of Exodus their distinguishing sign is mentioned. ‘Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep’, the Lord declared, ‘for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you…. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever’”.
– White, Ellen G., Manuscript Releases, Vol. 19, p. 38.
“We are Seventh-day Adventists. this is a fitting name, for we keep the seventh-day Sabbath, and look for the second advent of our lord in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Even with respect to the name indicating some of the peculiar points of faith distinguishing us from other Christians, we are denominational. In keeping the Sabbath that God declares should be kept holy as a sign between Himself and His people, we show to the world that we are His peculiar, chosen people – a people whom He has denominated.”
– White, Ellen G., Manuscript Releases, Vol. 19, p. 40.
“Do not these words point us out as God’s denominated people? and do they not declare to us that so long as time shall last, we are to cherish the sacred, denominational distinction placed on us? The children of Israel were to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations ‘for a perpetual covenant.’ The Sabbath has lost none of its meaning. It is still the sign between God and his people, and it will be so forever.”
– White, Ellen G., Review and Herald, 8/4/1904
Wherever the above-mentioned truths are accepted and adhered to, there we have members of the little flock. As to which ones will have their names retained in the book of life and which ones will have their names blotted out is not ours to determine, but such are of that “house of God” at which “judgement must begin” (1 Pet. 4:17).
In accordance with the distinctive truths that characterize the little flock, it was revealed through the Spirit of Prophecy that their name should be Seventh-day Adventists.
“We are Seventh-day Adventists. Are we ashamed of our name? We answer, “No, no! We are not. It is the name the Lord has given us. It points out the truth that is to be the test of the churches.” – Letter 110,1902. “We are Seventh-day Adventists, and of this name we are never to be ashamed.”
– White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 384.
Criteria for Denominational Identity
It is important to note that the parameters which define the boundaries of the denominational identity are not organizational criteria; rather, it is the Three Angels’ Messages and, in particular, the Sabbath. It is upon these very points which distinguish the little flock from the churches which constitute Babylon that the final conflict between good and evil will be centred.
It is primarily on account of the Sabbath that Seventh-day Adventists have been hated and despised by a large proportion of a world that has exalted the spurious sabbath above the true. This hatred will yet again blaze forth in open persecution in the final conflict that lies just ahead of us.
“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”
– White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 605.
“As the Sabbath has become the special point of controversy throughout Christendom, and religions and secular authorities have combined to enforce the observance of the Sunday, the persistent refusal of a small minority to yield to the popular demand will make them objects of universal execration. It will be urged that the few who stand in opposition to an institution of the church and a law of the state ought not to be tolerated; that it is better for them to suffer than for whole nations to be thrown into confusion and lawlessness. The same argument eighteen hundred years ago was brought against Christ by the “rulers of the people,” “It is expedient for us,” said the wily Caiaphas, “that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.” John 11:50. This argument will appear conclusive; and a decree will finally be issued against those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, denouncing them as deserving of the severest punishment and giving the people liberty, after a certain time, to put them to death.
– White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 615, 616.
It is in the interest of God’s people to recognize what makes us unique, what binds us together and where our strength lies.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Unity upon the Three Angels’ Messages – Pt 3
The First Angel
When the fullness of time came, God ordained that a message should be proclaimed which would prepare His people for the last phase of Christ’s heavenly ministry on our behalf – the blotting out of sins, also known as the investigative judgement and the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.
Accordingly, in different lands simultaneously, leading up to the end of the 2300 prophetic days (or 2300 literal years) which culminated on October 22, 1844, the message of Daniel 8:14 was heralded – “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Dan. 8.14.
These prophetic days (one literal year for each prophetic day – Num. 14:34) extended from the autumn of the year 457 BC, when the command of Artaxerxes to “restore and to build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:25) went into effect.
Fulfilling the symbolic prophecy of the first of three angels flying “in the midst of heaven” (Rev.14:6, 7), the Advent movement (as the messengers were collectively called) proclaimed that the “hour” of God’s judgement had come. True to the connotation of the prophetic symbol, the message was carried far and wide.
“Like a tidal wave the movement swept over the land. Prom city to city, from village to village, and into remote country places it went, until the waiting people of God were fully aroused. Fanaticism disappeared before this proclamation like early frost before the rising sun. Believers saw their doubt and perplexity removed, and hope and courage animated their hearts.” – White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 400.
Notwithstanding the glory that characterized the Advent movement during the days leading up to the commencement of the investigative judgement in 1844, the early stages of this very important work of Christ found only a little company focusing their faith in the direction of this final work of atonement.
“The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s judgement and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world and arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message, God had sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him . . . . . .
“But the churches generally did not accept the warning . . . . . . The message which God had sent for the testing and purification of the church revealed all to surely how great was the number who had set their affections on this world rather than upon Christ. The ties which bound them to earth were stronger than the attractions heavenward. They chose to listen to the voice of worldly wisdom and turned away from the heart-searching message of truth.
“In refusing the warning of the first angel, they rejected the means which Heaven had provided for their restoration. They spurned the gracious messenger that would have corrected the evils which separated them from God, and with greater eagerness they turned to seek the friendship of the world. Here was the cause of that fearful condition of worldliness, backsliding, and spiritual death which existed in the churches in 1844.”
– White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 379, 380.
The Second Angel
As a result of the churches rejecting the special message that was sent from heaven to prepare them for the investigative judgement, the second angel’s message (Rev. 14:8) became applicable to them.
“The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgement had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however can it be said that “Babylon is fallen . . . . . . because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” She has not yet made all nations do this. The spirit of world conforming and indifference to the testing truths for our time exists and has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the second angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination.
“The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;” and they that “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” will be left to receive “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future.”
– White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 389, 390.
The Third Angel
While the churches that existed in 1844 rejected the judgement hour message and experienced a moral fall, the few persons who accepted the message received further light. They were shown the fact that the phase of Christ’s heavenly ministry which began in 1844 was the reality to which the ancient Jewish Day of Atonement pointed; that it was the judgement during which the sins of God’s professed people would be forever blotted out or otherwise, their names blotted from God’s book of life.
The little company was further blessed with the Spirit of Prophecy which was given to one of their number, Ellen Gould White (nee Harmon). They were further awakened to the breach that was created in God’s holy law by unsanctified human hands which foisted on the world a spurious sabbath in place of God’s holy Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, which is the eternal sign that He is the creator and the One who sanctifies His people (Ex. 20:8-11 ; Eze. 20:12,20). This awakening brought to them the realization that they were specially called by God and peculiarly denominated by Him as messengers who had a special responsibility to prepare for Him a people who could stand in the judgement. In order to accomplish this task, it would be a significant part of their mission to point men and women to the perfect law of God in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary (Rev. 11:19; 2 Chron. 5:10) which is the standard by which all persons would be judged (James 2:10-12).
A transcript of God’s law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai and right in the bosom of that law was the fourth commandment which enjoined the observance of the seventh day Sabbath as holy unto the Lord. This commandment above all the others was being disregarded by a world which had almost entirely been deceived into accepting the spurious sabbath of human invention.
Hence, it would be the responsibility of each one to stand as a “repairer of the breach” (Isa. 58:12) by drawing attention, particularly, to the sabbath of the Lord as enjoined by the fourth commandment. This work was represented prophetically as that of the third angel (Rev. 14:9-12).
“As foretold in the Scriptures, the ministration of Christ in the most holy place began at the termination of the prophetic days in 1844. To this time apply the words of the Revelator, “The temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” The ark of God’s testament is in the second apartment of the sanctuary. As Christ entered there, to minister in the sinner’s behalf, the inner temple was opened, and the ark of God was brought to view. To those who by faith beheld the Saviour in his work of intercession, God’s majesty and power were revealed. As the train of his glory filled the temple, light from the holy of holies was shed upon his waiting people on the earth.
“They had by faith followed their High Priest from the holy to the most holy, and they saw him pleading his blood before the ark of God. Within that sacred ark is the Father’s law, the same that was spoken by God himself amid the thunders of Sinai, and written with his own finger on tables of stone. Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. While God gave to Moses a copy of his law, he preserved the great original in the sanctuary above. Tracing down its holy precepts, the seekers for truth found, in the very bosom of the decalogue, the fourth commandment, as it was first proclaimed: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor, thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
“The spirit of God impressed the hearts of these students of his word. The conviction was urged upon them, that they had ignorantly transgressed the fourth commandment by disregarding the Creator’s rest-day. They began to examine the reasons for observing the first day of the week instead of the day which God had sanctified. They could find no evidence in the Scriptures that the fourth commandment had been abolished, or that the Sabbath had been changed; the blessing which first hallowed the seventh day had never been removed. They had been honestly seeking to know and do God’s will, and now, as they saw themselves transgressors of his law, sorrow filled their hearts. They at once evinced their loyalty to God by keeping his Sabbath holy.
“Many and earnest were the efforts made to overthrow their faith. None could fail to see that if the earthly sanctuary was a figure or pattern of the heavenly, the law deposited in the ark on earth was an exact transcript of the law in the ark in Heaven, and that an acceptance of the truth concerning the heavenly sanctuary involved an acknowledgement of the claims of God’s law, and the obligation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Here was the secret of the bitter and determined opposition to the harmonious exposition of the Scriptures that brought to view the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary . . . . . . Christ had opened the door, or ministration, of the most holy place, light was shining from that open door of the sanctuary in heaven, and the fourth commandment was shown to be included in the law within the ark; what God had established, no man could overthrow.
“Those who had accepted the light concerning the mediation of Christ and the perpetuity of the law of God, found that these were the truths brought to view in the third message.”
– White, Ellen G., The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 273-275.
“As the ministration of Jesus closed in the Holy place, and he passed into the Holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, he sent another mighty angel to earth with the third message. He placed a parchment in the angel’s hand, and as he descended to earth in majesty and power, he proclaimed a fearful warning, the most terrible threatening ever borne to man. This message was designed to put the children of God upon their guard, and show them the hour of temptation and anguish that was before them. Said the angel, They will be brought into close combat with the beast and his image. Their only hope of eternal life is to remain steadfast. Although their lives are at stake, yet they must hold fast the truth. The third angel closes his message with these words, Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
– White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p. 162.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Revelation confirms that God is one, not three
Jesus said: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord”.[1] He said this to a scribe who queried, “Which is the first commandment of all?”.[2] The scribe responded, “Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he”.[3] To this, the Divine record says, “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”.[4] Jesus considered the scribe’s answer a discreet one. Revelation confirms that God is one person, not three.
The book of Revelation begins with a declaration of a chain of command: God gave to Christ, Christ gave to His angel, and the angel gave to John – “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Rev. 1:1). There is no confusion here, and most people seem to understand this.
The Revelation continues with greetings being brought to the seven churches from God, Christ and the seven spirits before God’s throne – “Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:4, 5). This is where some people get confused – they say that it is not really seven spirits but one spirit – the ‘seven-fold’ spirit. But the Revelation is clear that the seven spirits are seven discrete entities, not one entity – “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” (Rev. 4:5).
What are these seven lamps of fire before God’s throne, who can send greetings? They must be living beings! Is there any category of living beings who are described as lamps of fire? Let the scriptures answer – “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Heb. 1:7); and further, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb. 1:14).
There ought to be no confusion as to who these seven spirits are, who send greetings. But lest some say that they are still unclear, let the scriptures describe in further detail those who stand before God’s throne – “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God” (Rev. 8:1, 2). Recall that it is the same scene in which the throne of God is described with seven lamps of fire before it, and the lamb came to Him that sat on the throne, took the book from His hand and started to open the seals of the book. The word of God is clear, for those who will receive it.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
[1] Mark 12:29
[2] Mark 12:28
[3] Mark 12:32
[4] Mark 12:34
Unity upon the Three Angels’ Messages – Pt 2
Laodicea, not Babylon
The Seventh-day Adventist church is not Babylon. The Seventh-day Adventist church is Laodicea (2SM 66)[1]. The Lord has indicated through His messenger, Ellen G. White that the churches of Christendom which have rejected the Three Angels’ Messages are classified in their corporate capacity, as Babylon (2SM 68; GC 389, 390; TM 61)[2]. With respect to these churches we have been given a message to call people out (Rev. 18:1-4). For Laodicea, however, no such message has been given (2SM 66)[3]. The message to Laodicea is an appeal to repent (Rev. 3:19).
In the case of Babylon there are certain characteristic errors which are described by Inspiration as the “wine” with which Babylon drunks the nations. These errors are the doctrines of: (1) Sunday sacredness (2) Immortality of the soul (3) Eternal torment of the wicked (4) Denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem (TM 61; 2SM 68)[4].
So far as end-time prophecy is concerned, Babylon in the first instance is the impure woman of Revelation 17, which we clearly understand to represent the Papacy. This identification is extended to include the so-called daughters of the impure woman, which daughters we understand represent the religious bodies which have imbibed her doctrines and to some measure, have patterned after her, namely the nominally Protestant churches of Christendom which have rejected the Three Angels’ Messages in their corporate capacities (GC 389, 390)[5].
In the second instance, Babylon is an end-time confederation of the Papacy, apostate Protestantism, Spiritualism and the rulers and merchants of the earth (Rev. 16:13,14; 18:3) all of which will join forces to war against Christ, in the form of His faithful Sabbath-keeping people, by enforcing the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 19:19; 13:12-17). This will be a situation (which is currently taking shape) wherein “kings, merchants, rulers and religious teachers are all in corrupt harmony” (2SM 68)[6].
In the case of Laodicea, however, the Three Angels’ Messages and kindred truth which are of relevance and applicability to the present time have been embraced and understood. Laodicea represents “Seventh-day Adventists who have had great light and have not walked in the light” (2SM 66)[7]. Hence, the message to Laodicea is an appeal for repentance, whereas, there is no message to Babylon, but rather, a call for the faithful and chosen children of God who are in her ranks to “Come out of her” (Rev. 18:4).
Need for Repentance
Laodicea is guilty of not walking in the light. For this, the only recourse that is acceptable to God is repentance. The repentance that is needed is not only at an individual level since the individual and the church is not affected only by the personal sins of individuals (as in the case of Achan). Both individuals and the church collectively are affected also by corporate sins. Hence, the divinely specified precursor for the church receiving the latter rain is not only individual but corporate repentance, supplication and confession of sins (Joel 2:12-18).
True confession, however, is always of a specific nature and acknowledges particular sins (SC 38)[8]. The church over the years has been guilty of sins which have been of an open and public nature, for which, no public confession has been made, and in some cases involve continuing offense. These sins can be listed. One such sin was the terrible act, by the European Division, and with full knowledge of the General Conference, in endorsing the forced drafting of believers into the armed forces of Europe (World Wars 1 and 2), to bear arms, and particularly so, on the Sabbath; and going further to denounce as fanatics and facilitate and augment the persecution of believers who conscientiously refuse to so break the commandments of God. Those actions led to the formation and continuation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement. Other groups, such as the Free Seventh-day Adventists have been formed similarly, for other reasons.
For the sake of non-Adventists who might be inclined to scoff on account of such a grievous sin as denouncing and facilitating the persecution of conscientious objectors to secular warfare, it might be well considered that such actions were not unique to Sabbath-keeping Adventists. Most of the churches that existed at the time acted in a similar manner. Of course, this is no excuse or consolation, neither does it lessen the abhorrence of such actions on the part of a people who profess and ought to be a light to the world – God’s fortress in a revolted world.
This example may be considered as having its place in the distant past, but there are others which are more recent.
Uncharitable Attitude
It is particularly unfortunate that, over the years, some believers have taken a rather uncharitable attitude to those who have dared to point out any sin, by marginalizing them, denouncing them, accusing them of evil motives and in some cases even persecuting them. Such actions are bad in themselves, but they are particularly disturbing in light of the fact that the divinely stated purpose to be accomplished in the human heart by the gospel is the creation of an enmity for sin and all that savours of unrighteousness (Gen. 3:15). Therefore, anything that would stifle, diminish or suppress an individual’s sense of revulsion to any perceived act of unrighteousness could be a very serious impediment to one’s spirituality.
Unfortunately, the attitude that has been manifested by and within some churches has been to some persons, that type of impediment. This has led them to establish and maintain fellowship groups that are not subject to direct control by church leaders who may unsettle their faith or impede their spiritual development.
Error and sin, whether by teaching or practice is never harmless. Consequently, individuals have, not only a right, but a positive duty to seek an environment that offers upliftment and enrichment of their spiritual experience. Individuals are not obliged (under the gospel) to consistently fellowship in an environment where they are subjected to influences that wear down their spirituality and tend to diminish their revulsion for unrighteousness (CW 47; EW 124, 125, 7SDABC 934, Loma Linda Messages 165)[9].
All persons do not have the same spiritual experience or the same level of spiritual sensitivity to the same things. Hence, an environment that one person would find stifling to his/her spirituality might very well be of some spiritual value to another person, provided the fundamental tenets of present truth are to be found there. Hence one person cannot act as conscience for another as to determine where he/she should fellowship within the framework and setting of an established belief in the Three Angels’ Messages.
Within the progressively falling churches of Babylon where the Three Angels’ Messages have been rejected there can be no safety in seeking fellowship (EW 124, 125)[10]. With respect to such, individuals are admonished “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul” (Jer. 51:6). For Laodicea, however, the message is: “Repent”. All Laodicean churches do not offer the same influence. Some churches offer a greater backsliding influence than others. One’s safest course is to repent, get back to the old paths and fellowship in an assembly where one can grow spiritually, where the truth is best upheld. In thus working out one’s own salvation with fear and trembling, one is better able to minister to others and in the process, help to strengthen that nucleus where the truth is upheld.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
[1] White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 66.
[2] White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 68; White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 389; White, Ellen G., Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 61.
[3] White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 66.
[4] White, Ellen G., Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 61; White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 66.
[5] White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 389, 390.
[6] White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 68.
[7] White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 66.
[8] White, Ellen G., Steps to Christ, p. 38.
[9] White, Ellen G., Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 47; White, Ellen G., Early Writings, p. 124, 125; White, Ellen G., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 934; White, Ellen G., Loma Linda Messages, p. 165.
[10] White, Ellen G., Early Writings, p. 124, 125.
Unity upon the Three Angels’ Messages – Pt 1
Unity upon the right premises
This series was born out of a sincere desire to see unity among believers in the Three Angels’ Messages.
After the passing of time in 1844, God raised up a people to do a special work which would prepare His followers to receive the Latter Rain and to hail Christ as their Saviour at His glorious return. It is today, as it has always been, Christ’s desire to see his followers united in heart and spirit upon the solid, immovable platform of truth.
Unity is good, only if the premises on which unity is established is good. Uniting upon a false premise or uniting to do something that is bad is worse than not uniting at all. The scriptures record an occasion when Israel was so united that when they shouted, “the earth rang again” (1 Sam. 4:5) and “the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.” (1 Sam. 4:7, 8). But unfortunately, it ended with the Ark being taken away by the Philistines, the shock of the news causing Eli, the High Priest, to fall over and break his neck and a woman in labour, dying in child-birth and crying “Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel” (1 Sam. 4:21). What was the reason for such a tragedy? Simply put, God was not with them on that mission! Yes, they were still God’s people, but He was not with them! On any mission, we must first ensure that God is with us.
Efforts are being made to unite the Advent people today, and that is good. The 28 Fundamental Beliefs are being promoted as a doctrinal foundation for unity. But is this the foundation on which God would have us unite? Would the pioneers and all faithful Seventh-day Adventists be able to unite on such a foundation? Or is it a foundation that would exclude some of God’s faithful children? A faithful believer who got baptized in 1978, pointed out that the Baptismal Vow that he took, had, as the first belief, the following: “I believe in God the Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit”. That vow came straight from the scriptures – Matt. 28:19, 20. But now, for his faithful children to be accepted into fellowship, they are required to make the following vow: “I believe there is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons.”. This new version includes elements that are not explicitly stated in scripture, and thus excludes those who have chosen to go no further than what the scriptures explicitly say. Was the previous statement not clear enough and scriptural? Why then change it to exclude some of the faithful?
Present state
It is very unfortunate that the present state among those who embrace the special truths for this time is a far cry from the state of unity that is envisioned in Christ’s earnest prayer of John the seventeenth chapter. Numerous groups and factions of varying sizes, all of which claim to be Seventh-day Adventist endeavour to establish legitimacy (and in some cases, exclusive right) for their operations, while at the same time manifesting towards each other, in some cases, a cold indifference, suspicion and virtual hostility, even denouncing each other openly at times.
It is a fact that the coming of the Lord is near, and before He comes, the venom of the Beast and his Image will be unleashed against, not one only, or another of these groups, but against all Sabbath-keeping Adventists. The inspired messenger has repeatedly urged “the little company” to “press together”.
We cannot afford to deny our history at this time, because we have nothing to fear for the future except as we forget how God has led us in the past. Therefore, there is need for a re-focus on the distinctive truths which have brought the Advent people into existence. Otherwise, we run the risk of failing to acknowledge the Divinely established criteria that identifies Seventh-day Adventists as God’s denominated people. We are likely to establish our own criteria for the identification of God’s denominated people and hence continue either to exclusively acknowledge the faction with which we identify ourselves, or wrongfully denounce those who we think have no right to consider themselves as being numbered among God’s denominated people.
History and denominational identity
This series outlines some of the more notable aspects of the history of the Advent people. It extracts from Inspiration the parameters which delineate the boundaries of the denominational identity of Seventh-day Adventists. It further notes the primary role that Seventh-day Adventists have been called to fulfill as the controversy between good and evil approaches its culmination, and in view of all the above, makes an earnest appeal for unity.
To the reader, an earnest appeal is made, that we consider the subject that is discussed here prayerfully and with a genuine spirit to establish the truth. We are reminded that:
“There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed and that all our expositions of Scripture are without error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation.” – White, Ellen G., Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 35.
“There are those who oppose everything that is not in accordance with their own ideas, and by so doing, they endanger their eternal interest as verily as did the Jewish nation in their rejection of Christ.” – White, Ellen G., Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 35, 36.
“We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and Heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion will be disappointed.” – White, Ellen G., Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 37.
Indeed, one might hold opinions on the subjects that are discussed here and feel satisfied with one’s already established perspective. This should not, however, inhibit an open and fair consideration of that which is presented here. One’s experience could be, as was the Apostle Paul’s, of which he testified as follows:
“For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” – Rom. 7:9.
He was satisfied as he was. He felt settled (in whatever it was that he was doing). But when the law came, he saw himself differently.
Fuller understanding
The point being made is not that the thoughts presented here are presented as ‘the law’, but simply that, a feeling of being settled does not mean that one’s perspective might not still need some measure of adjustment in order to place it in fuller consistency with the truth. And such an adjustment (if needed) may not necessarily be apparent to the individual prior to his/her considering the perspective being given for him/her to consider. In fact, adjustments might not even bring the individual to the exact perspective that he/she is presented with; it might well be just a stepping stone or even that which triggers a thought that leads to further enlightenment.
If this presentation can help in whatever way to lead to a fuller understanding or more complete acceptance of that which is the truth, then, may God be praised, for there is hardly a greater hope in the heart of this writer in presenting this series. This is particularly so because the truth is the instrument by which the Holy Spirit accomplishes the work of sanctification in the human heart and brings us into closer fellowship with God, according as the Holy Scripture declares: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17).
Unfortunately, sometimes, in our state of feeling settled, we close the door to all possibility of seeing anything otherwise. This situation has resulted in a rejection of truth in numerous instances, the consequences of which have been extremely detrimental to both individual and church alike.
The writer’s hope and prayer are that the reader will be uplifted and enlightened through a fair consideration of the subject that is here presented, and that individuals and the church will be guided by the Holy Spirit in arriving at and settling into the truth.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
The Spirit that Fills Us and the Spirit that Ministers to Us
The spirit of God is to God what the spirit of man is to man – His mind, character and personality – “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11). This is the spirit of God that we may be filled with.
The Comforter that is sent is a messenger or representative who ministers under Christ’s instructions – “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7); “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).
Like the angels of God, the Comforter appeared as a flame of fire and enabled miracles to be done – “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:2, 3).; “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Heb. 1:7); “The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering were wrought by the power of God through the ministration of the angels. And it is through Christ, by the ministration of His heavenly messengers, that every blessing comes from God to us.” DA 143.
Knowing the difference between the spirit of God that fills us and the Comforter who is sent to minister to us will serve as an antidote against the alpha of deadly heresies along the lines of pantheism and the omega of deadly heresies along the lines of demon possession or spirit worship.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Righteousness by Faith – Distinguishing the true from the false
There is a popular view that righteousness by faith means that once you accept Christ, you are righteous solely because Jesus lived a righteous life, thus absolving you of any need to resist temptation and live righteously. This presentation examines the issue of what exactly is righteousness by faith and seeks to distinguish the true concept from false ideas associated with it.
New Heart
The truth is that, by accepting Christ, He forgives us of past transgressions and gives us a new heart that enables us to live righteously (Ezek. 36:26, 27). He transforms our minds (Rom. 12:2). Thus, where there was selfishness He plants love. God has no problem accepting any of us. The problem is that sin makes us afraid of God, like Adam who went hiding in the garden (Gen. 3:8). God did not have a problem to come and look for him. Therefore, God sent His Son who is just like Himself to show us that God is Someone we can freely relate to as Jesus related to His disciples, contrary to Satan’s lies concerning God (Heb. 1:1-3; John 17:6-8). God is not standing over us to smite us because we are not perfect. He knows our frame and knows that we are dust (Ps. 103:14). He knows that we cannot change ourselves any more than the leopard can change its spots (Jer. 13:23).
Righteousness by faith is simply that God has made provision for us to be changed while we hang out with Jesus His Son. It is not that God will accept His Son but not accept us, so His Son must sort of possess us (like demons possess people circumventing their minds). Rather, He transforms us and purifies us. How and when are His to sort out – if we submit to His instructions. Love Him, accept Him and constantly hang out with Him, as the disciples did, and you are fine – unless you are not sincere, like Judas. Whatever purification is needed He will do it in due course.
Christ not Diffused
On the contrary, some persons hold a metaphysical concept that mystifies the process – a concept that sounds pantheistic, like Christ is diffused throughout, with a little bit of Him in you, in me and all over, possessing people and living through them, speaking and acting in their place. The Spirit of God is the mind of God which is put in us through His word (John 6:63). His word transforms our thinking and make us different individuals. It is by this means that Christ purifies us – “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17).
Righteousness is attained by faith in Jesus Christ. It is by looking to God for transformation that we are made righteous. God, through Christ, will accomplish His purposes in us and for us. It is His work to bring about transformation at His own pace, depending on where we are at, once we have genuinely committed to Him. This commitment, Christ alone can judge. Once that commitment is there, he will give us his Spirit and work to purify us. If we die before we are fully perfected, we are assured of a place in his kingdom since we are His and have His Spirit (Rom. 8:1, 5-9). But if we are alive until Christ returns, His character must be sealed in us so that we are no longer committing sins (Rev. 22:11, 12).
To Know God
To know God is life eternal (John 17:3). Some people minimize the value and importance of this knowledge, by saying that we need more than just information – more than just knowing all the right things. Indeed, knowing God is more than just information. But one cannot know God and not know Him at the same time. You cannot truly know God and be a Muslim or a Buddhist – based on how they view God, as distinct from the way Christ portrayed Him. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom.12:2) – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5). This means that our thoughts and outlook are changed. It is the Word of God that does this. This is how He describes His work of cleansing and purifying His church: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:26). The Word of God changes our thinking. When God plants His Word in us, like a seed, it remains in us and bears fruit, causing us to see things differently and act differently. It is just like a person who used to eat meat at a popular restaurant who happens to see them butchering a dog around the back. It is enough to make him not eat meat there ever again. God knows exactly what to reveal to us to change our minds. If we ask Him to change our minds He will do it.
Christ in Us
There are those who would say that Christ must live inside of us if we are to be considered righteous because only God is good, so, with Christ inside of us, He, being God, will be seen and not us. But, when the Bible says that there is none good but God (Matt. 19:17), it is simply saying that God is the fountain of goodness. We must receive His word consistently if we should maintain a life of goodness. If we are cut off from Him, we will soon err for the simple reason that we do not know everything and will never know everything; but He does. Therefore, we must always be guided by Him and obtain from Him the abilities to do what is right and good. So, He is in us in the sense that His words are the directing force in our lives. He is not in us in a physical sense. God is in heaven. Jesus prayed: “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). If He were in us in person, then might not someone bow down before us, worshipping the God who is inside of us? By his angels (ministering spirits – Heb. 1:7, 14), God is in constant contact with all His creatures throughout the length and breadth of the universe. This is not to say that He does not move and have personal knowledge of His entire creation, but there is no evidence that God leaves heaven and takes up residence inside anyone. Certainly, in the earth made new, God and Christ will take up Their abode with us here (Rev. 21:3; 22:3, 4).
A Part to Play
Others say that we do not play any part in the process because we cannot be righteous based on anything that we do. So, it is Christ who is righteous and who is seen instead of us, once we accept Christ. This removes the need for them to strive against sin, because their actual lives are unimportant. That is not how it works. Our thoughts and actions are important and we must utilize the grace that God has given us through Christ, to overcome sin – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11, 12).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
“Try the spirits whether they are of God”
The Bible says we should not believe every spirit, but we should “try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). We have been warned that spiritualism will be woven into every form of deception in the last days – “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” and “his ministers also” “transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14, 15); “spirits of devils, working miracles” will be gathering the “kings of the earth and of the whole world” (Rev. 16:14). The final message to the world will be a call out of the false systems of worship because Babylon would have become “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit” (Rev. 18:2). It is therefore, worthwhile to consider what light can be obtained from the Bible regarding the working of the spirit of God.
Some people are saying that the Holy Spirit is a third God-being who may/should be worshipped. Others are saying that the Holy Spirit is God and Christ personally living inside of us. Still others are saying that it is really the disembodied spirit of God that operates separately from God Himself. What is the truth regarding the Holy Spirit? Judge for yourself.
The Spirit of God
God’s spirit gives you life; it does not make God live in you – “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live” (Eze. 37:14). God does not need us to live. God lives independently of us. God has been and will be, regardless of us.
Further, you are not alive without God’s spirit being in your body – “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7); “It is the spirit that quickeneth [makes alive]” (John 6:63).
The spirit of God also gives power – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8).
This Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit that gives power is the same spirit that gives life – “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:11).
Jesus gave a measure of the Holy Spirit to His disciples when He was with them – “he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22). When Jesus breathed on His disciples, He remained where He was – He did not go inside of them. But He gave them more power.
Spirit Belongs to God
The spirit of life does not belong to us. It belongs to God. He gives it to whomsoever He wills. At death, it goes back to Him. It does not wander around – “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecc. 12:7); “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4); “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” (Luke 23:46).
God blows the breath of life into whoever or whatever He chooses, and life enters them – even into dry bones – “Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” (Eze. 37:5, 6).
This is the Creator who says, I am God, “and there is none else” – “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:18. (See also Isa. 46:5, 9).
This is the God, whose breath moved over the face of the earth and breathed life into every living creature – “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen. 1:2, 3).
This is the God, in whose image and likeness human beings were made, who said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26; John 1:1-3).
Jesus Filled with the Spirit of God
Jesus Christ was filled with the spirit of God – “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” (John 3:34); “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2); “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan” (Luke 4:1).
While Jesus has the spirit of God without measure, everyone has a measure of God’s spirit – the “spirit of wisdom”, “understanding” (Isa. 11:2) and “the spirit of life” itself (Rev. 11:11). But, to be saved, we must have other elements of God’s spirit that include “the spirit of meekness” (1 Cor. 4:21), and “the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [reverence] of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2); “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear [to be afraid]; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7). God gives His spirit to those who ask and obey Him – “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him” (Luke 11:13); “the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).
The most evident manifestation of someone being filled with the Spirit of God or of God being in someone is the case of Jesus Christ himself. Jesus prayed to His Father in heaven and taught His disciples to do the same. He had a mind and will of His own – He prayed in Gethsemane, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matt. 26:39). Christ’s knowledge is separate from the Father’s – “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32). In several instances, the Father even spoke to Him audibly, not from inside of Him, but from heaven (Matt. 3:17; John 12:28; Matt. 17:1-5).
“God was in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:19) but the Father was not in Christ as another mind or intelligence that took up residence inside of Him. Christ was controlled by His own will but consciously chose, moment by moment to align His will with His Father’s will. This is what God expects of us as free moral agents, not for us to be taken over by another intelligence as in the case of demon possession. When Jesus needed to be comforted as he faced the most trying phase of His earthly sojourn, in the garden of Gethsemane, God did not leave heaven and come personally to Him but “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43).
Jesus Christ is the prototype, for us, of what it means to be filled with the Holy Ghost and how the spirit of God might dwell in us.
The Comforter
When Jesus was soon to return to heaven, He promised that He would not leave His disciples comfortless; He would send them the Comforter, whom He also refers to as the Spirit of truth and the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) – “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7); “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26).
The Comforter was sent on a mission to dispense spiritual gifts and to comfort the disciples. He would not speak of himself but would speak only what he hears – “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).
Whereas the Comforter brought the Early Rain of God’s spirit (spiritual gifts) at Pentecost, a mighty angel will bring the Latter Rain of God’s spirit in the last days even more extensively – “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” (Rev. 18:1; see also Acts 2:17, 18; Joel 2:23, 28-31). This mighty angel carries out a similar mission to that which the Comforter carried out at Pentecost. The Comforter is a person but not a God-being like the Father and the Son – there is no precedent in scripture for anyone praying to or worshipping the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
The True God, Christ and the Holy Spirit
The Spirit of God that dwells in us in measure are the spiritual gifts (including the gift of life) by which we live and are empowered to be God’s witnesses. The term Holy Spirit may refer to the spiritual gifts that we receive and that remain in us or it may refer to Christ’s representative, the Comforter, who dispenses the gifts to us. We should not confuse the two; neither should we confuse these, with references to God Himself as a spirit being.
May the Lord help us to recognize the true God, who created us and gave us the spirit of life. In the strength of the power that He gives, we “live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Eternal life is something that we do not have naturally, but through His Son, Jesus Christ, God freely offers it to all who believe – “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16); “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3); “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev.2:10).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me”
Christians, Muslims and Jews believe in common that there is one true God. While they all differ in general beliefs, they are all agreed that this one true God is presented in the Old Testament Torah of the Bible. The New Testament continues the same concept of the one true God and speaks even more specifically about who this one true God is. The New Testament equally testifies to the divinity of Christ. How then should we understand the biblical teaching that there is one true God? Is the one true God three persons, two persons or one person? And does it matter? It matters in that a concept of God that is inconsistent with the scriptures is a creation of man – an idol. Would this not be a violation of the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3)? Let us see what the Bible says about the one true God. Judge for yourself.
About the one true God, the Bible says the following, starting with the words of Jesus himself:
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” – John 17:1-3.
Jesus identified His Father as “the only true God” and himself as the “Son” of that only true God. The question has been answered. If Jesus cannot settle it, then who else can? Is that the only place in scripture that this is said? No! The same thought is expressed elsewhere. In another instance, almost as if anticipating a question as to whether there is someone else to whom the title ‘only true God’ could also apply, the Apostle Paul says:
“As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge” – 1 Cor. 8:4-6.
The Apostle Paul says that “there is none other God but one”, that “there is but one God, the Father” but “there is not in every man that knowledge”. One would hope that Christians are not among those that the Apostle Paul says do not have that knowledge. The Bible is clear when it says that there is “One God and Father of all, who is above all” (Eph. 4:6). He is clearly the “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” – 2 Cor. 11:31. There is only one Person who is above Christ and that is His Father. The Father of Christ “appointed” Him “heir of all things” (Heb. 1:2), “anointed” Him (Heb.1:9), “sent” Him “into the world” (John 10:36), “raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1) and has “highly exalted him” (Phil. 2:9).
No true revelation will contradict what either Jesus or Paul said.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus himself declares that He is the “only begotten Son” of God (John 3:16). God Himself also spoke from heaven more than once and said that Jesus Christ is His Son (Matt. 3:17; Mark 9:7). The Bible says that Jesus “hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name” than the angels (Heb. 1:4). Jesus is so much better than the angels that God commanded angels to worship Jesus, His Son (Heb. 1:4-6). The Father addresses Jesus as God while indicating at the same time that He is the God of Jesus and the One who “anointed” Him – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Heb. 1:8, 9). This confirms Jesus’ full divinity while showing that even as God (being divine but not the one true God), Jesus is subject to His Father.
Jesus Christ is the Mediator between us and God and there is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” – 1 Tim. 2:5. And Jesus said: “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” – John 14:6. There ought to be no confusion as to who the one true God is and who Jesus is.
Eternity has no break
Of God, the Bible further says that He is:
“the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto” – 1 Tim. 6:15, 16.
According to that scripture, the Father is the only one who “hath immortality”. All who have or will receive eternal life, would have received it from Him. This means that even the life of Jesus was obtained from His Father. Jesus himself said this as follows:
“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” – John 5:26.
Jesus died and was raised from the dead by His Father (Gal.1:1). The fact that Jesus died means that He has not always existed and is therefore not eternal since eternity has no break.
God has no equal
God declares of Himself: “I am God, and there is none like me” – Isa. 46:9. The Bible reveals God as a majestic being who has no equal in heaven or in earth. Jesus came to earth to reveal Him to us so that we can be reconciled to Him. Various prophets have gotten a glimpse of Him (His form, not His face – Ex. 33:20-23) and described the majesty of His being. Among those are Ezekiel (Eze. 1 and Eze. 10); Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders of Israel (Ex. 24:9, 10); Daniel (Dan. 7:9-14); and John (Rev. 4 and Rev. 5). This is the God who says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” – Ex. 20:3. Therefore we ought not to have a concept of God that places anyone else on equal footing with Him. That would be idolatry. He is the Creator of whom the Bible says there is none else:
“For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:18. (See also Isa. 46:5, 9)
The Creator sits on the throne
In heaven, God sits on the throne and is worshipped as the Creator of all things –
“a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Rev. 4:2);
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:10, 11).
Jesus is identified separately as the Lamb who died:
“And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:7-9).
True God or false Christ?
It is interesting that Jesus told us who the “only true God” is (John 17:1-3), yet people are saying something else, that God is a Trinity or that God is “Jesus only”. Paul told us that even “though there be that are called gods” whether in heaven or in earth, but to us there is but one God (1 Cor. 8:5, 6) and he tells us who He is, yet people prefer to go by their own speculation, saying that God is three-in-one or that the Most High is Jesus Christ himself rather than the Father of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus died, yet people insist that Jesus is co-eternal with the Father as if Jesus never ceased to live at one point.
Are people worshipping a false Christ that they consider to be “like the Most High” as Lucifer sought to be (Isa. 14:14) as opposed to worshipping the Christ who is the Son of God? Will the true Christ accept from them a designation that belongs only to God, His Father, or will He tell them in that final day that He never knew them, as the Bible says that He will tell many who would have been saying “Lord, Lord” (Matt. 7:22, 23)?
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Holy Spirit – Power or Person?
God’s spirit gives you life; it does not make God live in you – “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live” (Eze. 37:14). God does not need us to live. God lives independently of us. God has been and will be, regardless of us. Further, you are not alive without God’s spirit being in your body –
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7).
“It is the spirit that quickeneth” (John 6:63).
“he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22).
This Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit that gives power is the same spirit that gives life –
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you . . .” (Acts 1:8).
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:11).
When Jesus breathed on His disciples, they received more power – more life; but Jesus remained where He was – He did not go inside them. He gave them more life. He is willing to give us more life and power too.
Spirit Belongs to God
The spirit of life does not belong to us. It belongs to God. He gives it to whomsoever He wills. At death, it goes back to Him. It does not wander around –
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecc. 12:7).
“The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4).
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” (Luke 23:46).
Let’s commit our spirits to God, as Jesus did, and God will return it to us at the resurrection. This is the spirit of God that dwells in us, in measure. We may ask God for more of His spirit and be more empowered but let us not fool ourselves in thinking that we have the spirit of life in and of ourselves or that God needs to occupy our bodies for Him to live and execute His will. God blows the breath of life into whoever or whatever He chooses, and life enters them – even into dry bones:
“Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” (Eze. 37:5, 6).
This is the Creator who says, I am God, “and there is none else”:
“For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:18. (See also Isa. 46:5, 9).
This is the God, whose breath moved over the face of the earth and breathed life into every living creature:
“And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen. 1:2, 3).
This is the God, in whose image and likeness human beings were made, who said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26; John 1:1-3).
The Holy Spirit and Gifts of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not a third God-being to be worshipped; neither is the Holy Spirit a being that takes up residence inside of us. We have seen that the term Holy Spirit may refer to the gifts of the Spirit (including the gift of life – Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:11). The term Holy Spirit, in a different context, may also refer to the representative of Christ who dispenses the spiritual gifts. This is evident in Christ’s promise to send the Comforter, whom He calls the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) –
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7).
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26).
However, quite separate from the representative that Jesus would send in His place, the term Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) may also be used in reference to gifts of the spirit that Jesus has without measure inside of Him that He can give us in measure.
“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” (John 3:34).
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2)
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan” (Luke 4:1).
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22).
While Jesus has the spirit of God without measure, everyone has a measure of God’s spirit – the “spirit of wisdom”, “understanding”, “knowledge” (Isa. 11:2) and “the spirit of life” itself (Rev. 11:11). But, to be saved, we must have a greater measure of God’s spirit that includes “the spirit of meekness” (1 Cor. 4:21), and “the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [reverence] of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2); “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear [to be afraid]; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7).
Holy Spirit Poured Out – Early and Latter Rain
As gifts, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers at Pentecost, in fulfilment of a promise that God made through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28, 29). Peter referred to this promise and its fulfilment in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost:
“But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17, 18);
Jesus says that we should ask the Father for the Holy Spirit – “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was like the early rain that gave a kick start to the newly germinated seeds. When the plants are mature, latter rain showers are needed to ripen the crop and prepare them for the harvest. Based on Joel’s prophecy there would be an Early Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit and in the last days, a Latter Rain outpouring.
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” (Joel 2:23).
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” (Joel 2:28-31).
The Latter Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit is described as the work of a Mighty Angel who descends from heaven and causes the earth to be lightened with his glory.
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev. 18:1, 2).
The Latter Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit is given in the last days at a time when modern Babylon is taken over by demons and evil spirits. This final outpouring of the Holy Spirit will empower God’s true and faithful believers to overcome the Devil as Moses was able to overcome the magicians of Egypt.
Representative of Christ Dispenses Gifts
It is important that we do not confuse the spiritual gifts that we receive in us with the representative of Christ who dispenses the gifts. Whereas the Comforter dispensed the gifts at Pentecost as the Early Rain, the Mighty Angel of Revelation 18 will dispense the gifts in even greater measure as the Latter Rain.
The Comforter is not a third God-being like the Father and the Son. Like the Mighty Angel of Revelation 18, the Comforter was sent on a mission to dispense spiritual gifts and to comfort the disciples. He would not speak of himself but would speak only what he hears –
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).
There is no precedent in scripture for anyone praying to or worshipping the Holy Spirit. Of course, the references to Spirit in this discourse does not detract from the generally known fact that God, Christ, angels and humans are spirit beings, and each has their own spirit (or inner person). It is also recognized that some references to the Spirit of God in scripture, are references to God Himself. Such references are usually self-evident as, for example, “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24) and “Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?” (Isa. 40:13).
The word spirit or the words translated spirit are used hundreds of times throughout the Bible. Therefore, there is no lack of scriptural references to assist us in getting a clear understanding of its meanings. The fundamental challenge that many people overlook, that results in confusion, is the fact that the word spirit is used to refer to several different things. To take a meaning that is intended for one thing and apply it to something else will cause the intended sense to be missed. The challenge of one word having more than one meaning is not unique to the word spirit. It is a normal occurrence with many other words and the approach to understanding the sense of their usages is the same. It is the context of the usage that helps us to understand the intended meaning. This study has explored different meanings of the word spirit and ultimately has sought to shed light on the matter of who or what is the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God that dwells in us in measure are the spiritual gifts (including the gift of life) by which we live and are empowered to be God’s witnesses. The term Holy Spirit may refer to the spiritual gifts that we receive and that remain in us or it may refer to Christ’s representative who dispenses the gifts to us. We should not confuse the two; neither should we confuse these, with references to God Himself as a spirit being.
May the Lord help us to recognize the true God, who created us and gave us the spirit of life. In the strength of the power that He gives, we “live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Eternal life is something that we do not have naturally, but through His Son, Jesus Christ, God freely offers it to all who believe – “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts
In the Bible, the term Holy Spirit may refer to the gifts of the Spirit or it may refer to the representative of Christ who dispenses the spiritual gifts. Christ said that He was going away, and He would send the Comforter, who He calls the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7).
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26).
Quite separate from the representative that Jesus would send in His place, the term Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) is also used to refer to something that Jesus is said to have inside of Him and that He can give us so that we can have it in us in measure.
“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” (John 3:34).
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Luke 4:1).
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22).
Holy Spirit Poured Out
As gifts, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers at Pentecost, in fulfilment of a promise that God made through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28, 29). Peter referred to this promise and its fulfilment in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost:
“But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17, 18);
Jesus says that we should ask the Father for the Holy Spirit:
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
Early Rain and Latter Rain
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was like the early rain that gave a kick start to the newly germinated seeds. When the plants are mature, latter rain showers are needed to ripen the crop and prepare them for the harvest. Based on Joel’s prophecy there would be an Early Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit and in the last days, a Latter Rain outpouring.
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” (Joel 2:23).
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” (Joel 2:28-31).
The Latter Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit is described as the work of a Mighty Angel who descends from heaven and causes the earth to be lightened with his glory.
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev. 18:1, 2).
The Latter Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit is given in the last days at a time when Babylon is taken over by demons and evil spirits. This final outpouring of the Holy Spirit will empower God’s true and faithful believers to overcome the Devil as Moses was able to overcome the magicians of Egypt.
Representative of Christ Dispenses Gifts
It is important that we do not confuse the spiritual gifts that we receive in us with the representative of Christ who dispenses the gifts. Whereas the Comforter dispensed the gifts at Pentecost as the Early Rain, the Mighty Angel of Revelation 18 will dispense the gifts in even greater measure as the Latter Rain.
The Comforter is not a third God-being like the Father and the Son. Like the Mighty Angel of Revelation 18, the Comforter was sent on a mission to dispense spiritual gifts and to comfort the disciples. He would not speak of himself but would speak only what he hears.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).
If the Comforter who brought the Early Rain was a third God-being, then we have a situation where the Mighty Angel would be dispensing spiritual gifts more extensively in the Latter Rain than the third God-being was allowed to do in the Early Rain. Would that be signalling that the Mighty Angel is more powerful than this third member of the Godhead, or that he is a fourth member? Or rather, is it suggesting that the Comforter, like the Mighty Angel, is not a Divine Being to be worshipped, but rather, a messenger (angel) carrying out a similar mission? The latter suggestion is more consistent with scripture.
The Adventist Pioneers in their Statement of Fundamental Principles published in the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook 1889 and onward until about 1930 described the Holy Spirit as Christ’s Representative. This is consistent with scripture.
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit is not a third God-being to be worshipped; neither is the Holy Spirit a being that takes up residence inside of us. The Spirit of Christ that dwells in us in measure are the spiritual gifts of Divine light, love and power, by which we reflect the character of Christ and are empowered to be His witnesses.
In conclusion, the term Holy Spirit may refer to the spiritual gifts that we receive and that remain in us or it may refer to Christ’s representative (or messenger – angel) who dispenses the gifts to us.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
The Holy Spirit and the End Time
In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is spoken of, both as gifts that are poured out on the believer, and as the Giver of the gifts. The gifts include power, truth and Godly attributes. The Giver is ultimately God Himself who gives to Christ and Christ sends the Comforter or an angel to give them to us.
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26).
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13-16).
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Rev. 1:1).
As a gift, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers at Pentecost, in fulfilment of a promise that God made through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28, 29). Peter referred to this promise and its fulfilment in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost:
“But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17, 18);
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was on both Jews and Gentiles, and by this, God showed that in the new dispensation there was to be no difference between Jews and Gentiles.
“And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 10:45).
Jesus says that we should ask the Father for the Holy Spirit – “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
The Early and Latter Rain
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was like the early rain that gave a kick start to the newly germinated seeds. When the plants are mature, latter rain showers are needed to ripen the crop and prepare them for the harvest. Based on Joel’s prophecy there would be an early rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit and in the last days, a latter rain outpouring.
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” (Joel 2:23).
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” (Joel 2:28-31).
The latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit is described as the work of a mighty angel who descends from heaven and causes the earth to be lightened with his glory.
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev. 18:1, 2).
End Time Conflict
The latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit is given in the last days at a time when Babylon is taken over by demons and evil spirits. This final outpouring of the Holy Spirit will empower God’s true and faithful believers to overcome the Devil in the final conflict as Moses was able to overcome the magicians of Egypt.
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” (Rev. 16:13-16).
The final conflict will see the Dragon (Satan), the Beast power and another power described as a “false prophet” bringing the world together to what is called the “battle of that great day of God Almighty”. In this battle, they will be gathered to fight against Christ and His people (See Rev. 19:19-21). The issue will be whether people will worship the true God or worship the Dragon (Satan) working through the Beast and his Image (a look-alike of the Beast power). The Beast and his Image will have the support of another power in the world (called the“false prophet”), that appears to have some lamb-like characteristics, but which speaks as a dragon (Rev. 13:12, 13). This other power will cause the world to worship the Beast and his Image. They will have almost the entire world on their side.
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:4).
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.” (Rev. 13:8, 9).
The power that has lamb-like characteristics will have the capacity to empower the Image of the Beast – an entity that looks like the Beast power – and cause it to exercise authority over the whole world. This signifies that this power with lamb-like characteristics is a superpower. Of this superpower that has lamb-like characteristics, it is said:
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Rev. 13:15-17).
So, both the Beast power and the superpower that has lamb-like characteristics will work through an agency (the Image of the Beast) that they would have empowered, and that the nations of the world will respect and submit to. Through this agency, the Mark of the Beast will be enforced.
Final Gospel Message
Before the final conflict, the Gospel will be preached to all the world as a witness, so that no one will have any excuse. The message to all the world will call everyone to worship the true God who created the heaven, the earth, the sea and all that is in them.
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:14).
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:6-12).
The saints are identified as those who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”. To be safe, we must know who the true God is and what is the sign that He has given, by which we show that we acknowledge Him as the Creator.
Worship the True God
Jesus said: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).
The true God sent His only begotten Son into the world. We are called upon to worship the Father as “the only true God”. In worshipping Jesus as the Son of God, we are giving honour to His Father, who sent Him and who He represents. But we should not worship angels, not even one sent from heaven –“And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” (Rev. 22:8, 9).
The angels in heaven worship God and Christ – no one else (Rev. 5:13); and so, we should, as it will be in the new earth – “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” – Rev. 21:22.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
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The Spirits of God, Christ, Angels and Humans
The word spirit or the words translated spirit are used hundreds of times throughout the Bible. Therefore, there is no lack of scriptural references to assist us in getting a clear understanding of its meanings. The fundamental challenge that many people overlook, that results in confusion, is the fact that the word spirit is used to refer to several different things. To take a meaning that is intended for one thing and apply it to something else will cause the intended sense to be missed. The challenge of one word having more than one meaning is not unique to the word spirit. It is a normal occurrence with many other words and the approach to understanding the sense of their usages is the same. It is the context of the usage that helps us to understand the intended meaning. This study explores the different meanings of the word spirit and ultimately seeks to shed light on the matter of who or what is the Holy Spirit.
Spirit Beings
In the Bible, God, Christ, angels and humans are all referred to as spirit beings. Of God, the Bible says: “God is a spirit” (John 4:24). It also says that Jesus Christ is a spirit: “The first Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45). Angels are also spirits: “Are they not all ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:14); holy angels are referred to as ministering spirits that have been sent by God to minister to those who are heirs of salvation and generally to execute God’s will (Ps. 104:4; Heb. 1:7,14); evil angels are referred to as unclean spirits, evil spirits, lying spirits, demons or devils (eg. 1 Kings 22:19-23; Acts 19:13-16; Mark 3:11; Acts 3:22,23; Acts 5:6-15; Jude 6,7). Man is also referred to as a spirit: “That which is born of the spirit is spirit” (John 3:6); “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1-5); “he went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Pet. 3: 18-21).
The word that is translated “Ghost”, as in “Holy Ghost”, in the New Testament – pneuma, is the same word that is translated “Spirit”, “spirit” or “spirits” depending on the translators’ opinion of what they thought was being referred to. The word that is similarly used in the Old testament – ruach, is also translated “Spirit”, “spirit” or “spirits”. If the preceding adjective is “evil” or “unclean” and it is thought that a plurality of personalities is being referred to, then the word is translated “spirits”. This causes one to understand immediately that reference is being made to fallen angels as evil spirits or unclean spirits. If the reference is to holy beings and there is a clear plurality implied as in the case of “four” (Zech. 6:5) or “seven” (Rev. 1:4; compare with Rev. 8:2), the word is translated “spirits” which allows for an understanding that these “spirits” are holy angels.
But in some other cases when the adjective is “holy” and it seems to be referring to one being, the word is translated “Ghost” or “Spirit” and the first letter of the adjective is capitalized to render the expression “Holy Ghost” or “Holy Spirit”. This translation has helped to foster the popular notion that there is a third divine personality of worshipful status. The concept of a third divine personality results in the glaring anomaly that in some instances where it would have been expected that the supposed third divine personality should have been mentioned, instead the expected reference is entirely missing and in its place is a reference to angels (eg. Luke 9:26: “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels”; also 1 Tim. 5:21: “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels”). Further, it creates the inexplicable spectacle of a divine personality that is sent and has no authority to say anything of himself (John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak”).
It is interesting also that Paul always brought greetings from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son but not from the Holy Spirit (eg. Eph. 1:2: “Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” – no mention of any other; likewise, Phil. 1:2; Col.1:2; 1 Thess.1:1; 2 Thess. 1:2; Philemon 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor.1:2). John does the same (2 John 1:3). Jesus also said that no man knows the Son, but the Father, and no man knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal Him (Luke 10:22). The idea of a third divine personality is entirely excluded.
The question therefore is: When the Bible speaks of spirit in personal terms, what evidence can be produced that it is someone else other than God, Christ, angels or man that is being referred to?
Personal Beings
Notwithstanding the fact that God, Christ, angels and humans are all spirit beings, they are also personal beings.
None would doubt that Jesus Christ is a personal physical being – after He was resurrected He showed His disciples His hands and feet and told them to touch Him to prove that it was He himself – a person (Luke 24:39).
The Father also has a shape and form. Man was made in His image (Gen. 1:26). The Father was seen in heaven seated on a throne (Dan. 7:9) and the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) coming to Him (Dan. 7:13); Stephen also saw heaven opened and the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56); John the Revelator saw God in heaven also sitting on a throne with millions of angels around the throne (Rev. 4:2, 8-11; 5:11); Ezekiel saw God on His throne and His appearance was “the appearance of a man” (Eze. 1:26). Man, a personal being, was made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26), after His likeness. When Moses and Daniel saw God, they saw someone with physical features like what man has: face (which Moses was not allowed to see – Ex. 33:20), hand and back parts (Ex. 33:20-23), head, hair, feet (Ex. 24:9-11; Dan. 7:9). Jesus who is described as the express image of His Father’s person (Heb.1:3) and the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15) was seen before His incarnation (Dan. 10:5,6; 12:7) and after His resurrection (Rev. 1:12-15), having human-looking features like what God is described with.
The angels are also personal physical beings. In answer to Daniel’s prayer, an angel came and talked with Daniel, telling him that he was delayed with the prince of the kingdom of Persia for 21 days and when he is through talking with Daniel he would go back to the prince of Persia (Dan. 10:12,13,20). On more than one occasion the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel, talked with him and even touched him (Dan. 8:16-18; 9:21). Gabriel also appeared to Mary (Luke 1:26, 27). Angels are described as looking like humans and having wings with which they fly (Isa. 6:1,2,6; Eze. 10:5,20-22).
Without question, man is clearly a physical personal being. The difference between man and other spirit beings is that man has a terrestrial body, whereas other beings have celestial bodies – “But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” (1 Cor. 15:38-40).
Real Bodies
Christ had a glorious body like His Father before He came to earth. But He put off that glorious body and took on a human body; that is, He became flesh – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6, 7); “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14).
Having been resurrected from the dead, Christ now has a glorious body like the bodies that we will get at His Second Coming – “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Phil. 3:20, 21).
It is critical for it to be understood that Christ is in Heaven at this time, interceding for us before his Father and an innumerable company of angels – “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Rev. 3:5). When His intercessory work on our behalf is finished, He will return to take us to be with Him (John 14:1-3). An angel told Mary “He is not here: for he is risen” (Matt. 28:6). And Christ later appeared to Mary and told her “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17). It is evident that after His resurrection, Jesus was not present everywhere at the same time. He now has a body like the ones that we will get when He returns the second time. In His glorious body, Christ is not everywhere, and neither will we be everywhere at the same time, in the glorified bodies like His, that we will have.
Jesus is the “express image” of His Father’s person (Heb. 1:3). We also, were made in God’s image, after His likeness. When God sees us, He sees an image of Himself. This is a part of the reason that God loves us so much – all of us. Hence, God and Christ were willing to make such a sacrifice to save us; and we will be exalted even above angels in the New Earth. God and Christ will make their dwelling on earth with us, in a real world where we will be able to see them and interact with them as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden – “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Rev. 21:22); “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Rev. 22:3, 4).
The notion that God and Christ are everywhere inside of people is a form of pantheism and it leads to a complete distortion of the reality of the relationship and interaction that we, as free moral agents – beings with minds of our own, can have with God, Christ and the angels.
All living beings have a spirit
Although God, Christ, angels and humans are said to be spirit beings, they are also said to have their own spirit.
The spirit of man is said to be a part of him: “what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). Man’s spirit is unique to him and so is God’s spirit unique to God. The spirit of God is described as a part of God: “I will pour out of my spirit” (Acts 2:17). The spirit of Christ in the prophets is described as “it”: “the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand” (1 Pet. 1:11). The spirit of Christ is spoken of as the spirit of God: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8:9) – Note: the word “dwell” is the same as is used in Rom. 7:17 in relation to sin. So, the spirit of Christ in us is not a living being inside of us but rather Christ’s attributes, like the “mind” of Christ that we are called upon to have – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5).
Living creatures called cherubims (angels) are described as having a spirit: “for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels” (Eze. 1:20, 21); “I knew that they were cherubims” (Eze. 10:20). It is to be noted that beasts are also said to have a spirit: “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” (Ecc. 3:21).
Other meanings of Spirit
We have already seen that spirit can refer to the whole person and it can also refer to the inner being of the person. Based on the usages of the word spirit other meanings include breath – “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26); “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it” (Ecc. 12:7). The word spirit is also used to mean personality, mind, disposition, countenance or character – “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled” (Gen. 41:8); “Why is thy spirit so sad?” (1 Kings 21:4, 5); “be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).
Power, as in the means of causing things to be done, is also conveyed by the word spirit – “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand” (Judg. 14:6); “And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy” (1 Sam. 10:6); “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).
God in you – How?
Given the various ways in which the word spirit is used, what then does it mean for the spirit of God to be in someone? Some such expressions are: “Spirit of God dwell in you” (Rom. 8:9) – the same word for dwell (oikeo) is used in relation to sin: “no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Rom. 7:17); “by his spirit that dwelleth in you” (Rom. 8:11); “I will dwell in them” 2 Cor. 6:16) – the same word dwell (translated from the word enoikeo) is used in Col. 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you” and in 2 Tim. 1:5: “unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois”. God’s spirit, in the sense of something dwelling in us, is God’s mind or character. This is made possible by us receiving and believing his word – “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).
God, Christ, the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ being in us could not mean that the whole Person is in us because of the following reasons:
- The whole Person is omnipotent, omniscient, immortal, and divine – which we are not. If the whole Person is in us, then we must likewise be omnipotent, and all that God is.
- The whole Person cannot be in one of us and be in someone else at the same time. The part that is in one must be a different part from what is in another, even if similar in quality. Further yet, the divine quality cannot be in us in totality as we would then be like God Himself in every particular – power, wisdom and all.
- The Bible is clear that God and Christ are in heaven and heaven is neither everywhere nor inside an individual – “Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, 45); “Our Father which art in heaven” (Luke 11:2); “Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive” (2 Chron. 6:30); “And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left” (1 Kings 22:19). Jesus went back to heaven and promises to return – “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3). Jesus even likened His departure to a man traveling to a far country to receive a kingdom – “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his servants, and delivereth unto them his goods”; “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them” (Matt. 25:14, 19); “He said therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (Luke 19:12).
Since it is clearly not the whole person that is in us, it must be aspects of God that may include: life (or breath), personality (character or attributes) or power (abilities). The spirit is “poured out” by measure (Acts 2:17) – hence we are not omnipotent, omniscient, immortal or other attributes that are unique to God. Christ has God’s spirit (attributes) without measure – “God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him” (John 3:34, 35).
Lucifer wants to be worshipped
Lucifer wanted to be like the Most High – “I will be like the most High.” (Isa. 14:12-14). The heavenly Council was between two – The Creator and His Son – “the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zech. 6: 13); “All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.” (Luke 10:22).
Lucifer’s ambition caused him to rebel against the Most High and he was consequently put out of heaven – “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isa. 14:12-14; See also Eze. 28:12-19; Rev. 12:7-9).
From the earliest days, idolatry centred on the worship of three – Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz who were called by different names in different cultures. The concept of worship being given to three was common to many pagan religions (eg. Hindu – Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva; Egyptian – Isis, Horus, Set). Obviously, Lucifer has not given up the idea of being worshipped as a third deity.
Apart from direct idolatry as in pagan religions, Lucifer applies deception to achieve the same objective among professed Christians by leading people to believe that God is three-in-one, a concept that is not found anywhere in the Bible. Through the concept of a triune god, professing Christians are drawn to accept the concept of worshipping the “Holy Ghost” which is perceived as a third divine personality. Through this means Lucifer accepts the worship and adoration being given and even makes himself the focus. In other cases, he gains control of the minds of persons who open themselves to receive his controlling influence which they think is the “Spirit” of God “filling” them – thus bringing professing Christians to the same place of worshipping him as do pagans, notwithstanding their professed belief in the Most High and His Son Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
From the information gathered we can conclude the following: God is a personal being of whom Christ is the image and likeness. Man is also made in the same image and likeness. Nowhere is God represented as being a mysterious immaterial essence without body or parts; neither is God’s spirit separate from God Himself. God is a spirit and so are Jesus Christ, angels and human beings – real, literal persons. God is in heaven, a real, literal place that is not everywhere. The spirit of God is either God Himself or an aspect of Him. When the Bible speaks of spirit in personal terms, as in the various references to the Holy Ghost, it is referring to no other than God Himself, Christ, angels or one of God’s representatives. The Christian’s hope is to one day be united with God and Christ in Person and see them face to face (1 Cor.13:12) and live with them throughout eternity in a real and literal, material new earth (Rev. 21:1-4, 22-25).
Satan’s studied purpose is to be worshipped like the Creator. He seeks to achieve this through deception. By creating confusion in people’s minds concerning the reality of God, Christ, angels and man as personal beings, he can weave himself into the spiritualized mix of uncertainty (which is often described as a mystery), thereby deceiving people into worshipping and interacting with him and his host of fallen angels without their realizing it. “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matt. 24:4);
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
One True God
The Bible speaks unequivocally of one true God. Most Christians believe this, but many differ as to who this one true God is. Does the Bible indicate who the one true God is? Most certainly it does. So, why are there different opinions as to who the one true God is? Is it that the identification in the Bible is ambiguous? Judge for yourself. About the one true God, the Bible says the following, starting with the words of Jesus himself:
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” – John 17:1-3.
Jesus was speaking to His Father and refers to Him as “the only true God”. The question has been answered. If Jesus cannot settle it for Christians, then who else can? Is that the only place in scripture that this is said? No! The same thought is expressed elsewhere. In another instance, almost as if anticipating a question as to whether there isn’t someone else who the true God is also, the Apostle Paul says:
“As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge” – 1 Cor. 8:4-6.
The Apostle Paul says that “there is none other God but one”, that “there is but one God, the Father” but “there is not in every man that knowledge”. One would hope that Christians are not among those that the Apostle Paul says do not have that knowledge. The Bible is clear when it says that there is “One God and Father of all, who is above all” (Eph. 4:6). He is clearly the “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” – 2 Cor. 11:31. There is only one Person who is above Christ and that is His Father. The Father of Christ “appointed” Him “heir of all things” (Heb. 1:2), “anointed” Him (Heb.1:9), “sent” Him “into the world” (John 10:36), “raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1) and has “highly exalted him” (Phil. 2:9).
No other revelation should be interpreted in a way to trump what Jesus said or to contradict what Paul said.
Jesus the Mediator
Jesus Christ is the Mediator between us and God and there is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” – 1 Tim. 2:5. And Jesus said: “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” – John 14:6. There ought to be no confusion as to who the one true God is. He declares of Himself: “I am God, and there is none like me” – Isa. 46:9. Of God, the Bible further says that He is:
“the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto” – 1 Tim. 6:15, 16.
Jesus died
According to that scripture, God is the only one who “hath immortality”. All who have or will receive eternal life, would have received it from Him. Jesus died and was raised from the dead by His Father (Gal.1:1). This means that even the life of Jesus was obtained from His Father. Jesus himself said this as follows:
“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” – John 5:26.
God has no equal
The Bible reveals God as a majestic being who has no equal in heaven or in earth. Jesus came to earth to reveal Him to us so that we can be reconciled to Him. Various prophets have gotten a glimpse of Him and described the majesty of His being. Among those are Ezekiel (Eze.1 and Eze. 10); Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders of Israel (Ex. 24:9, 10); Daniel (Dan. 7:9-14); and John (Rev. 4 and Rev. 5). This is the God who says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” – Ex. 20:3. Therefore we ought not to have a concept of God that places anyone else on equal footing with Him. That would be idolatry. He is the Creator of whom the Bible says there is none else:
“For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:18.
The Creator sits on the throne
In heaven, God sits on the throne and is worshipped as the Creator of all things – “a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Rev. 4:2). Angels and other beings in heaven worship him:
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” – Rev. 4:10, 11.
Jesus is identified separately as the Lamb who died:
“And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” – Rev. 5:7-9.
True God or false Christ?
It is interesting that Jesus told us who the “only true God” is (John 17:1-3), yet people are saying something else, that God is a Trinity or that God is “Jesus only”. Paul told us that even “though there be that are called gods” whether in heaven or in earth, but to us there is but one God (1 Cor. 8:5, 6) and he tells us who He is, yet people prefer to go by their own speculation, saying that God is three-in-one or that the Most High is Jesus rather than the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus died, yet people insist that Jesus is co-eternal with the Father as if Jesus never ceased to live at one point. What will it take to break through to them? Are people worshipping a false Christ that they consider to be “like the Most High” as Lucifer sought to be (Isa. 14:14) as opposed to worshipping the Christ who is the Son of God? Will the true Christ accept from them a designation that belongs only to God, His Father, or will He tell them in that final day that He never knew them, as the Bible says that He will tell many who would have been saying “Lord, Lord” (Matt. 7:22, 23)? There is a saying that a word to the wise is sufficient.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
- Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)
Other presentations can be found at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Religious Liberty and the New Covenant
The most fundamental principle of the New Covenant is religious liberty or freedom of conscience. Under the Old Covenant, God’s Moral Law as contained in the Ten Commandments, along with the Statutes and Judgements that amplified and clarified the finer principles contained in the Law, were administered externally by the Mosaic System. Under the New Covenant, the Law is written, not on tables of stone to be externally administered, but on the tables of people’s hearts, to be self-administered. This is the essence of religious liberty. Regarding the New Covenant, the Bible says:
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.” – Heb. 8:10, 11.
God intended that ancient Israel should have been a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6) but, while there was external conformity to the commandments in many instances, there was no genuineness of heart. As a result, Jesus repeatedly told the Pharisees that they were hypocrites and pointed them to the spirit of the law by which God would judge their sincerity. Accordingly, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews pointed out that “finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Heb. 8:8). Under the New Covenant, both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled in one body, the Church (Eph. 3:6; 1:22, 23), and within this body, God’s original intention would be fulfilled, so that the Church would be a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9).
Dark Ages
God’s intention for the Church, however, has been perverted in many instances as church leaders have repeatedly sought to make of the Church another theocracy like ancient Israel in which the priesthood of believers is supplanted and liberty of conscience is suppressed. Starting with the Roman Catholic Church, true believers were persecuted simply because they sought to serve God according to the dictates of their own conscience. They were called heretics, they were tortured, burnt to the stake, had millstones put around their necks and drowned, cast out of society and had other atrocities committed against them.
Many churches today claim to believe in religious liberty but to them, this liberty only extends to those who embrace their faith and subscribe to their creeds. Differences of views are tolerated only within the bounds of their established creeds or Statements of Beliefs. Dissent is frowned upon and while many do not label those who have different views as “Heretics”, possibly because of the historical baggage of persecution that the label carries, they have modern equivalents such as “Offshoot” that is used for the same purpose of social exclusion. What is the result? – The same as in the Dark Ages – ignorance and suppression of truth. Free thought in religious matters is discouraged and uniformity is promoted. This situation, as in the days of ancient Israel, makes hypocrites of those who profess things that they often do not understand or lead many to join in ostracizing persons that God has raised up to help in advancing His work. This is the reason that the prophets and messengers of God have been seldom embraced during their lifetimes. The New Covenant was intended to change that.
Popular error embraced
God accepts only genuine belief, not mere profession; and He is not fooled. Only the New Covenant principle of liberty of conscience allows truth to thrive. In an atmosphere of intolerance error finds fertile ground. People will embrace popular error and avoid listening to anything that would show them otherwise. Such is the case, even now, where popular Christianity has embraced a concept of God that is not taught in the Bible – that God is three-in-one.
There is nowhere in the Bible that says God is three-in-one or triune. This concept is at best an assumption, yet it is stated in most church creeds as a required belief, even while many of the churches claim sola scriptura – the Bible, and the Bible alone. Where did that belief come from? – From Paganism, and brought into Christianity by Rome through a series of deliberations starting at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. The Jews had no such concept of God but the pagans around them did. The early Apostles had no such concept, but the pagans around them did. The early Adventist pioneers had no such concept but the churches around them did. Two notable Adventist pioneers expressed the view that was generally taken by early Adventists as follows:
“The greatest fault we find in the Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming. Had they gone on, and onward, till they had left the last vestige of Papacy behind, such as natural immortality, sprinkling, the trinity, and Sunday-keeping, the church would now be free from her unscriptural errors.” (James White, Review & Herald, Feb. 7, 1856).
“The doctrine of the Trinity was established in the church by the Council of Nicea, A.D. 325. This doctrine destroys the personality of God, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (J. N. Andrews, Review & Herald, March 6, 1855).
Most fundamental truth
The most fundamental truth is the truth about God. The Biblical teaching regarding God is that there is “one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5); “One God and Father of all, who is above all” (Eph. 4:6); “But to us there is but one God, the Father” (1 Cor. 8:6); “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:3). Jesus is the Son of God – fully Divine and of the same nature as God, His Father (Heb. 1); He is the Mediator between us and God and is the only way to the Father (John 14:6); He was sent into the world by God, his Father and went back to the Father (John 16:28; 17:8), of whom He said: “If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28). Before Jesus returned, He said “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:6). Regarding the Comforter, Christ said: “when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father” (John 15:26), “he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak” (John 16:13).
The Scriptures speak in clear and unambiguous language that there is one God who is above all, who sent His Son into the world and His Son left and sent the Comforter to represent Him until He returns at His second coming. God is one and not three-in-one. Any confusion and mystery as to the relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit are brought about because people are speculating and stretching the scriptures to accommodate a pagan concept of three-in one that was brought from paganism into Christianity by Roman Catholicism, in a similar way that some persons try to stretch the references in the New Testament regarding the first day of the week, of which there are only eight places that it is mentioned, to teach Sunday-sacredness, which the Bible clearly does not teach.
New Covenant rejected
How have these unscriptural pagan teachings come to be so widespread among professed Christians who claim to be guided by sola scriptura? The answer is simple – they have rejected the New Covenant principle of liberty of conscience, even while claiming to embrace the New Covenant. Almost without exception, the churches have sought to re-create an Old Covenant theocracy where belief is externally controlled and enforced. Hence, the Deceiver only needs to have the false doctrines infiltrated among the leaders and eventually it would filter down through every congregation and the entire body would be led astray.
Among the few churches that have been able to maintain diversity of beliefs are the Baptists. They were persecuted in their early beginnings in seventeenth century England and came to the United States of America. Roger Williams, who was forced out of the Massachusetts colony because he maintained that individuals should be free to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, fled from Boston and founded the Rhode Island colony on the principles of civil and religious liberty. He established the first Baptist Church in America and Rhode Island became a haven for believers of all faiths, including Sabbath-keepers, the Seventh-day Baptists, who passed on the Sabbath truth to Adventist pioneers who became Seventh-day Adventists. The principle of religious liberty was eventually embraced by the framers of the United States Constitution and is represented as the First Amendment to the Constitution. But while religious liberty is promoted to protect the Church from imposition by the State, there seems to be no protection of the believer from imposition by the Church. Hence, the truth is not advancing.
Religious liberty fundamental
Religious liberty is the most fundamental principle of the New Covenant, yet most churches do not even have it as one of their stated Fundamental Beliefs. The New Covenant provides the basis for religious liberty and is the single greatest provision that facilitates the spread of the truth. The truth needs only to be given a fair opportunity to be heard for it to prevail. The Devil knows this and so his greatest weapon against truth is suppression. Those who suppress the expression of other views may think that they are protecting others from error, but they are doing the cause of truth a disservice and they are acting contrary to the principles of the New Covenant. May the Lord help us to recognize the truth and allow it to flourish on its own and under God’s direction.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
- Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)
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