To accept Christ, people are encouraged to say a simple prayer indicating that they have repented of their sins and to ask Christ to come and live in their hearts.  Having done that, persons are given the assurance that they are saved.  A few questions now arise; do they need to repent of future sins?  What if they don’t?  Do they lose salvation?  If they do, was the salvation conditional?  We’ll now examine these questions.

There was a time when priests used to offer what were called indulgences.  These were said to provide pardon for sins that people committed.  A problem arose in that people were obtaining indulgences even before they committed the sins.  This gave them a sense of security, such that, there was no need to repent of sins that they committed afterwards or seek forgiveness for those sins as long as they already had an indulgence or previously secured pardon.  This matter caused conscientious people to protest.  The result was what was called the Protestant Reformation.

The indulgences were being sold by the priests but that is not the aspect of the matter that is now being looked at.  We can establish that forgiveness cannot be bought with money.  There is also the issue of whether a human priest can pardon sins but that is a different discussion as well, which we will not get into just now.  The issue at hand is simply whether or not forgiveness for sins of the past provides forgiveness for sins of the future or whether forgiveness can be obtained for sins before those sins are committed.  If we say that we have repented and we are saved, are we clear of all future condemnation even if we sin after that?  Someone may say if you are saved you will repent.  But that does not answer the question.  Based on that argument, it would also be true to say that if you are saved and Christ lives in your heart you will not sin.  But we all sin.  So is it that nobody is saved?  Or is it that you are saved whether or not you continue to sin?  Surely, we would not be suggesting that there needs be no difference in behaviour between the saved and the unsaved.

The truth is that forgiveness for sins of the past does not provide forgiveness for sins of the future and it is not true to say that once forgiven you are always forgiven.  The Bible says that we should not sin but if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).  Additionally, Jesus says that if we do not forgive others, our Father in heaven will not forgive us (Matt. 6:14, 15).  This was further explained by a parable in which Jesus spoke of a servant who was about to be sold along with his wife, his children and all his possessions in order to pay a debt that he owed (Matt. 18:21-35).  But he asked for forgiveness and his lord forgave him the entire debt.  The man then went out and saw a fellow servant who owed him a small sum.  He insisted that his fellow servant be sent to prison because he was unable to pay, even though his fellow servant asked him to be patient with him.  When his lord heard what he did to his fellow servant, his lord retracted his previous position of forgiving him his debts and ordered him to be delivered to the tormentors till he should pay all that he owed.  Jesus then went on to say that, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matt. 18:35).

This would indicate that forgiveness is on condition that you do not continue to sin.  Sin is disobedience to God’s instructions (1 John 3:4).  God’s moral instructions are summarized in the Ten Commandments.  God has made provision for us to live above sin.  We are told that the gifts of the spirit are given for the “perfecting of the saints” so that we can come to the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13, 14).  Jesus has told us, further, that our Father in heaven will not withhold the Holy Spirit from us if we ask Him (Luke 11:13).  In the final analysis, we are admonished to be kind to one another and forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32).

  “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

It is very common to hear professed Christians say that they are saved or that they have been saved from sin.  But at the same time, they still consider themselves sinners and admit that they still fall into sin.  They will also admit that they are still affected negatively by sin around them.  So, what then does it mean to be saved?  In this presentation it will be shown that salvation has three parts to it and that atonement for past sins is only one part, which many professed Christians often refer to when they say that they are saved, without recognizing the other two parts.

Salvation means deliverance or rescue.  Atonement means reparation for an offense or injury.  When there is no offense or injury, there is no need for atonement.  But if one is in danger, whether or not one has offended, one needs salvation.  If Christ has forgiven you of all your past sins and you are saved from the penalty of those sins, you still need to be saved from the power of sin so that you are able to live without committing more sins.  Further, you still need to be saved from the presence of sin around you so that you are not in danger of being robbed, murdered or in any other way negatively affected by sin.  Hence, complete salvation from sin requires that we be saved from the three ‘p’s – the penalty, the power and the presence of sin.

Atonement – Salvation from the Penalty of Sin

Atonement is for the purpose of securing salvation from the penalty of sin – the first ‘p’.  The Bible speaks of atonement as the intercessory work that a priest does on behalf of someone who has done something wrong, for the purpose of securing forgiveness for that person – “²⁷ And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; ²⁸ Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge . . . . . ³⁵ the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Lev. 4:27-35).

Christ earned the right to intercede on our behalf because He was tempted just as we are tempted and yet did not sin – ¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15).  Further, by allowing himself to be killed by Satan and his wicked agents without the slightest justification for Satan’s doing so, He has showed the extent of His love and His Father’s love for us and has exposed Satan to the entire universe as a liar and a murderer.  We are told:

“¹³Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).

“¹⁶ 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).

 “³² He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

 David’s weeping on account of the death of his son Absalom gives just a faint glimpse of what may have happened when God turned His face away from beholding the death of His only begotten Son – “³³And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam. 18:33). “⁴But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam.19:4).

 Some people tend to think of God as an emotionless ethereal entity.  But God is a Person and He has feelings.  In vision, Ellen G. White saw God’s pain and described it as follows:

“The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind.”  (Review and Herald, July 9, 1895, pr.14).

Again, she wrote:

“Said the angel, “Think ye that the Father yielded up His dearly beloved Son without a struggle? No, no.” It was even a struggle with the God of heaven”  (Early Writings p. 127.).

By the death of Christ, Satan has been unmasked before the entire universe and his condemnation is ascertained.  In the judgement, he will be condemned and the kingdom of this world will be taken from him. (Dan. 7:26, 27).

¹⁴ 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).

¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:15).

²⁶ But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. ²⁷ And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Dan. 7:26, 27).

The pagan concept of atonement is that of blood being shed to appease an angry god.  The Biblical concept of atonement, however, is that of Christ interceding on behalf of the sinner, presenting arguments for the sinner before God, and ultimately to the entire universe.  In the first instance, the argument is for the sinner to be forgiven based on two things: one, the sinner’s repentance and two, Christ taking the sin on Himself as the ‘responsible officer’, so to speak, being the second Adam, or the new head of humanity.  In the second instance, the argument is that Satan is the real instigator who deceived us and caused us to sin and therefore is the real culprit who should bear the responsibility and hence the penalty.  Thus, in the earthly sanctuary’s representation of the reality, after the priest makes an atonement for the sinner and the sinner is forgiven, at the end of the year, all sins that were previously confessed, were then placed, by the priest (representing Christ), on the head of the scapegoat (representing Satan) and the goat bearing the sins is removed from the camp (Lev. 16:20-22).

Salvation from the Power and Presence of Sin

Salvation from the power of sin – the second ‘p’, is secured by the gifts of the spirit.  We are told:

⁸ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. . . . ¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: ¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:8, 11-15).

Salvation from the presence of sin – the third ‘p’, is secured by God changing us from mortal to immortal at the second coming of Christ and afterwards creating a new heaven and a new earth for us to live in forever.  We are told:

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:51-54).

 Also:

¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:1-5).

Some people think that God is dwelling with us now.  But God is in heaven.  He will dwell with us then.  Christ is gone to the Father in heaven and will return to take us to Him.  Then the Father and the Son will come back to earth to dwell with us.  In the meantime, Christ has not left us comfortless.  He is with us in the person of His representative, the Comforter, who will be with us until He returns.  The angels are ascending and descending between us and Christ, ministering to us and passing on to us the blessings that Christ secures from the Father for us.

May the Lord help us to repent of our sins so that we may be saved from the penalty of sin and may we pray to God for His Spirit that we might develop perfect characters and be saved from the power of sin in our lives so that when Christ returns we might be saved from the presence of sin and will live with God, with Christ, with the holy angels and with the host of the redeemed throughout eternity.

  “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

Christ in You – What does it mean?

It is very common for professed Christians to speak about Christ being in them or the Holy Spirit living in them or similar expressions.  But it is clear that there is no consistent understanding by all as to what is meant by such expressions.  In one case, it is meant that the character of Christ is in you while in the other case it is meant that Christ personally is inside of you.  We’ll examine both concepts.

The first idea is hinged on the view that Christ is a person with bodily form, who can be touched, as Thomas was told to touch Him and see that He is real.  Within this perspective, it is understood that Christ left and went back to heaven and has promised to return.  We await His return.  He has, however, sent the Comforter as His representative to minister to us through the constant companionship of our personally assigned guardian angel and other angels who go back and forth between us and Christ in heaven.  Christ is in heaven advocating on our behalf before His Father.   By our constant interaction with God and Christ through their representatives, we receive light, love and power that transform us so that we become like Christ in character.  In this sense, God and Christ dwell in us.  God, the Father, is referred to in Scripture as the eternal spirit and Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God, is the express image of His Father’s person.

The second idea is hinged on the view that Christ is personally everywhere.  So, even though He has a body, His body is really just an image through which He chooses to manifest himself because he is simultaneously elsewhere in other bodies, speaking and acting personally.  This is a form of what is called pantheism.  This view is unscriptural, it makes the work of angels redundant, it makes the Father redundant and it promotes image worship.  There are some other issues that arise from this second idea and these will now be further discussed.

This second idea results in what the Bible describes as people having a form of godliness but denying the power to perfect Christian character.  It is felt that Christians cannot be perfect in character – that, only Christ can be perfect in character, and so unless He lives inside of us and acts through our bodies, no perfection of character can be manifested in us.  This makes our minds redundant.

This view, further, maligns Christ by associating Christ with our misbehaviour.  If Christ is personally inside of you, directing your behaviour then your misbehaviour is Christ’s misbehaviour.  If your misbehaviour is your own and not Christ’s then Christ is taking turns with you (or with Satan inside of you) in directing your behaviour – still maligning Christ.  The Bible says we should not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14).  But the truth is that Christ has no fellowship with evil, for “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6).

This second idea also sets the stage for idolatry.  If Christ is inside of you then what prevents someone from bowing down before you and worshipping Christ inside of you?  Why look to Christ in heaven?  If He is here, why not worship Him and look to Him here, where He is?

Another issue arises, if Christ lives inside everyone who asks Him then every professed Christian is saved.  But the Bible clearly teaches that many will take unto themselves the name of Christ and He will say to them that He never knew them (Matt. 7:20-27).

This error takes away our responsibility to live a holy life and places it on Christ.  Christ would have no moral authority to hold you accountable for your actions.  Once you say, take me Lord, live in me and make me righteous, either He is going to refuse and leave you unrighteous or He is going to accept your invitation and make you righteous.  You would have done your part.   So, in either case, any failure in you to be righteous would be Christ’s failure.

The Biblical truth is stated clearly as follows:

“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; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” (Titus 2:11-15).

We are further told:

“The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself.  True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan’s control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.” – Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pg. 465-466.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

Do You Want Happiness?

Suppose you were asked directly, “Do you want happiness?” by someone like Jesus who you know has the power to grant you your wish, what would be your answer?  Would you say, “No, thank you, I have it already!” or would you quickly say, “Oh Yes! Thank you, I most certainly do!”?  If your answer would be the second response or something along that line, I am inviting you to consider a few things seriously.

If you are not perfectly happy now, why are you not?  The Bible provides an answer, in one word, Sin!    The root of sin is selfishness, which leads to rebellion against God – which is ultimately what sin is.  “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) – that is, disobedience to what God says.  Rebellion in heart ultimately manifests itself in disobedience to God’s instructions.

God is love!  His instructions are not for His sake.  They are for our sake – to provide for our happiness.  Selfishness creates unhappiness for others and hence unhappiness for all.  Happiness is possible in a continuous sustainable way only if selfishness is eliminated.

God’s plan is to eliminate selfishness.  The plan has the following elements:

1. He will change our hearts and minds by showing us what it is like to love and be unselfish continuously and to have everyone else around us being similarly loving and unselfish – that revelation comes to us by an invitation to look at the life of Jesus, His only begotten Son. Imagine if you were loving and kind as Jesus was, in His life on earth, (of course He continues to be and has always been that way – which is why He lived like that here) and everybody around you was similarly loving, kind and unselfish!  No one would hurt anybody!  Nobody would be insensitive as to be trampling upon others in any ambitious attempt to get ahead.  Everyone would care about everybody else! This is the recipe for lasting happiness!

2. He will cause sin and selfishness to be destroyed by bringing it all together in one space and circumstance where it will be destroyed. Fire will not only destroy the sinful and selfish (including Satan and his angels) but it will also purify the environment in preparation for the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.

3. God will create a new heaven and a new earth and place those who have accepted Him and His principle of love to live there in peace and happiness forever. The location (or space) where sin and selfishness will be destroyed is right here on this earth ( 20:4-15).  Some people think that this old earth will continue indefinitely with improvements in human relations and protection of the environment.  But the old earth will not continue as it is to be replaced by a new.  Those who submit to God and His superior wisdom, as reflected in His law of love, will be taken out of the space before the destruction.

There is an open invitation to accept the principle of love, reject selfishness and be saved.  Accepting love means accepting Jesus Christ who came from heaven to earth to show us what love is.  The ultimate expression of love was Jesus giving up His life (into the hands of the wicked and selfish) in order to allow us to see what selfishness does ultimately (that is, destroys the good) and provide an opportunity for confirmation of God’s promise to us to raise us from the dead, by God’s raising Jesus from the dead (1 Cor. 15:12-23).

In the same way that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead (Gal. 1:1), God has empowered Jesus to raise us from the dead (John 5:21, 25, 26) and if we are alive at the second coming of Christ, to change us to immortality (1 Cor. 15:51-54).  When sin and selfishness are eliminated, God will place those who have accepted Him and His principle of love into a restored earth – the new earth (Rev. 21).

Will you accept the invitation?  Do you believe it?  This is the only assurance of continuous unending happiness.  Or will you vainly invest in seeking happiness here at all cost?  The truth is, even if we have times of happiness here, it is never sustained and it is always interspersed with sadness, disappointments, sickness, pain, death of loved ones and even uncertainties about our own lives.  The promise is real.  Let no one cause you to spiritualize away the reality of it.  Jesus is real.  God is real.  They are persons.  We will see them one day, hopefully, not for us to try to flee from them because we would have been rebellious, but hopefully to embrace them and find in their presence everlasting happiness because we would have believed and accepted the reality and submitted to God, His love and His infinite wisdom.  Believe and be saved!

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

Challenge!

Here is a challenge!  Can anyone show one Scripture where God is described as Three-in-one, Triune or Trinity?

If we cannot find one Scripture that describes God as Three-in-one, Triune or Trinity, then we must ask ourselves, which God do we worship – the Biblical God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or is it a god or theological concept of our own making?

Without going into the history of where this Three-in-one concept originated, namely in ancient Babylon – as the worship of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz, which later became a snare to ancient Israel under various names such as Baal, Ashtoreth and Tammuz, my challenge to us today is the same as that which Elijah gave to Israel: “If Yahweh be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” – 1 Kings 18:21.

Picture of God in Heaven

How much clearer can the Bible get than to give a physical description of heaven in which it shows God seated on the throne, with angels numbering “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands” gathered before Him, and Jesus, one like the Son of man, in one case, being brought before Him to receive a kingdom, and in the other case, as the Lamb, to receive a book?  These physical descriptions are given in Daniel 7 and Revelation 4 and 5 respectively.

According to the account in Revelation 4, “one sat on the throne” and the angels worshipped Him saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty, which was and is, and is to come” – Rev. 4:8.

It goes on to say:

“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.

Quite distinct from Him that sat on the throne, who is worshipped as the Creator – the One who “liveth for ever and ever”, is the Lamb that was slain.  When Christ, the Lamb, came and took the book out of the hand of Him that sat on the throne, the angels sang: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Rev. 5:12.

Then everyone sang:

“Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Rev. 5:13.

It continues:

“And the four beasts said Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” Rev. 5:14.

Who Else is Worshipped in Scripture?

Apart from the Almighty, who is the Creator – the Most High, and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ – the Lamb, who shed His blood for us, who else is worshipped in all the Scriptures? Can anyone find even one text of Scripture?

Will anyone take up the challenge?

If no one can find a text, then we must ask ourselves, who else in the entire universe wanted to be worshipped, who coveted the position of Christ and wanted to be like the Most High?  Are we worshipping him unwittingly?

We are told that “the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” – Zech. 6:13.

“God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to his Son.” – Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 268.

“Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God , was one with the eternal Father – one in nature , in character, in purpose – the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.”  (Ellen. G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34).

Someone wanted to be a third member of the heavenly council, and to be likewise worshipped.  Lucifer said: “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. 14:13, 14.

One Supreme Being

But there is one Supreme Being and He admits only one other, his only begotten Son, to all His counsels and purposes.  When Isaiah saw Him, Isaiah’s whole perspective changed.  The account says:

“¹ In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

² Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

⁴ And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isa. 6:1-5.

We need to get a glimpse of the Most High, like Isaiah.  Then we would see our uncleanness – our unworthiness, and bow down in awe before Him so that we can obtain mercy and be cleansed like Isaiah was.  Then, like Isaiah, when the LORD says: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” we will be able to say: “Here am I; send me.” – Isa. 6:8.  Then, we will be bold like Elijah in carrying God’s message and calling the world to “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.” – Rev.14:7.

Elijah’s Challenge on Mount Carmel

So, back to where we started: Can anyone show one Scripture where God is described as Three-in-one, Triune or Trinity?  Which God do we worship – the Biblical God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or is it a god or theological concept of our own making?

Remember Elijah’s challenge on Mount Carmel:

“How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” – 1 Kings 18:21.

Will anyone answer?

 “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

 – Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

“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.

An angel (Rev. 18:1) is commissioned to bring about the latter rain.  The latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit will supersede the former rain outpouring at Pentecost.  In Gethsemane an angel was sent to comfort Jesus.  This brief presentation poses two questions that arise.

The first question

What evidence exists that the Comforter who brought the early rain at Pentecost could not have been an angel?  As a corollary to that question, we may also ask, what is the basis for the view that the outpouring at Pentecost could only have been brought about by a Divine Personality?  It should be emphasized that the relevance of the issue is the matter of whether we should worship the Comforter.

The typical answer has been that the Greek word for “another” in the promise that Christ made to send “another Comforter” means another of the same kind.  This is not sufficient to answer the question as the subject was comfort and not divinity – so it’s another of the same kind in relation to the giving of comfort, not in relation to God-status.  The point was that with Jesus’s departure, the disciples would be no less comforted.

In seeking to answer the question, one might wish to consider the following statements:

“Read and study the fourth chapter of Zechariah… The golden oil represents the Holy Spirit.” – Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 188.

“From the two olive trees the golden oil was emptied through the golden pipes into the bowl of the candlestick, and thence into the golden lamps that gave light to the sanctuary. So from the holy ones that stand in God’s presence His Spirit is imparted to the human instrumentalities who are consecrated to His service. The mission of the two anointed ones is to communicate to God’s people that heavenly grace which alone can make His word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6. – Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 408.15.

The same thought is expressed at another place, the only difference being that the golden oil that was said to be God’s Spirit is now said to be divine light, love and power. It says:

“In this vision the two olive trees which stand before God are represented as emptying the golden oil out of themselves through golden tubes into the bowl of the candlestick. From this the lamps of the sanctuary are fed, that they may give a bright, continuous light. So from the anointed ones that stand in God’s presence the fullness of divine light and love and power is imparted to His people, that they may impart to others light and joy and refreshing. Those who are thus enriched are to enrich others with the treasure of God’s love.” – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings p. 594.1

The anointed ones that stand before God and empty from themselves the Holy Spirit into the believer are said to be angels.

“And when these angels empty from themselves the golden oil of truth into the heart of him who is teaching the word, then the application of the truth will be a solemn, serious matter.” Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 337

“The anointed ones standing by the Lord of the whole earth have the position once given to Satan as covering cherub.” –  Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, July 20, 1897. (also Ellen G. White, The Truth about Angels, p. 150).

The second question

What evidence is there that the person sent to comfort and minister to us after Jesus’s return to heaven could not be an angel under whose direction the other ministering spirits (angels) minister to us?  As a corollary to that question we may also ask, what is the basis for the view that none other than a Divine Personality could be sent to comfort us after Jesus returned to heaven?  It should be noted that when Jesus was in Gethsemane and needed comfort and strength to face the cross, an angel was sent to comfort and strengthen Him.

We should consider the following:

Christ said that He would send the Comforter and when the Comforter comes, he would not speak of himself. He will only speak what he hears –“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). Further, “he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:” (John 16:13).

Christ is obviously greater than the Comforter.  In the sending of the Comforter, the order of authority is clearly seen. Christ prays to the Father and asks Him to give the Comforter. Then Christ sends the Comforter –“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:16).

Angels are similarly commissioned: ^“And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”;  ^“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” – Heb. 1:7, 14.

The ultimate issue

As stated before, the ultimate issue is worship.  We are called upon to preach the “everlasting gospel” 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.” – Rev. 14:6, 7.  Let us not adulterate our message by calling people to give worship where it does not belong.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

“The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with His glory, will not come until we have enlightened people that know by experience what it means to be labourers together with God.” – Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, July 21, 1896.

In this presentation, two basic issues are raised: 1. why was the early rain given? 2. Will God empower us to go and preach error?

Why was the Early Rain Given?

Regarding the first question, the Bible is clear that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was to empower the disciples to be witnesses of the truth concerning Jesus.  Miracles were for the purpose of calling attention to the message that the disciples brought.  Consider the following texts:

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8.

^“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” – Heb. 2:3, 4.

The gifts of the Spirit were also intended to build us up unto perfection.

^“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things” – Eph. 4:11-15.

It should be clear to us that the power to work miracles was not given to make the disciples feel powerful or to draw attention to themselves.  Simon, the sorcerer, wanted the power for such reasons and Peter had to rebuke him and told him: “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” – Acts 8:22.

The fact is, even if we heal someone today, the person will eventually die unless the person lives to see the second coming of Christ and is translated.  In fact, at a certain point it will be considered a blessing to die because of what is coming upon the earth.  We are told:

^“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” – Rev. 14:13.

The point is that the working of miracles is not an end in itself.  It is the preaching of the truth that is paramount.  It is by believing the truth that people are saved.  Further, miraculous healing is not intended to replace obedience to God, which includes taking care of our bodies.  Believing in God is the ultimate cure for sin, which is rebellion against God that leads to wilful disobedience.  Christ came to earth to reveal the Father so that we can believe in Him – or trust Him (John 18:37).  This includes accepting God’s promise to raise us from the dead, of which the resurrection of Christ is God’s confirmation of that promise.

Will God Empower Us to Go and Preach Error?

The answer to the second question is obviously, No!  God will not empower us to go and preach error.  We need to make it a priority to ensure that our doctrines are sound.  We need to stop telling ourselves that we have it all together, thinking that the work is delayed because we are not working fast enough or pursuing the right programmes.  The work will be finished, not by our projects and methods but by the Spirit of God – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” – Zech. 4:6.  What therefore hinders the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Rain?  It is our lack of knowledge of the truth which would strengthen our commitment!

Is there any area in which we are not exactly sound?  The answer is, Yes!  There are at least two areas in which we are not only unsound, but in those two areas we have actually deviated from the positions that were established by the pioneers and which were included in the Spirit of Prophecy testimony in what was described as “a solid, immovable platform” from which a block should not be moved nor a pin be stirred (Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts Vol. 1, pgs. 168, 169). The two areas are:

1. The matter of who God is – the very first and great commandment ( 6:4, 5; Matt. 22:36-38). How can it be considered a light thing that we hold a different view of God from the pioneers?
2. The atonement – the next most critical area of faith – the Gospel itself! How can it be seen as a light thing that we have a different view, as to what was accomplished at the cross, than the view that was held by the pioneers?

Is there any wonder that whereas miracles were being wrought among the pioneers and visions and dreams were given to them, today we are not able to say that we are experiencing the same?

Let the Pioneers Speak

So, the appeal is to go back and study again – study what God had led the pioneers to!  The prophet said: “let the aged men who were pioneers in our work speak plainly, and let those who are dead speak also, by the reprinting of their articles” – Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases Vol. 1, pg. 55 (also Manuscipt 62, 1905, pg. 6). She also said in 1905: “the past fifty years have not dimmed one jot or principle of our faith as we received the great and wonderful evidences that were made certain to us in 1844, after the passing of the time. . . . Not a word is changed or denied.  That which the Holy Spirit testified to as truth after the passing of the time, in our great disappointment, is the solid foundation of truth.  Pillars of truth were revealed, and we accepted the foundation principles that have made us what we are – Seventh-day Adventists, keeping the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus.” – Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies Series B, – 57, Sanitarium, Cal., Dec. 4, 1905.

Consider the words of a few of the notable pioneers on the very points on which we have deviated:

“The greatest fault we can find in the Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming.  Had they gone 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, AD 325.  This doctrine destroys the personality of God, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” – J. N. Andrews, Review & Herald, March 6, 1855.

“Thus the remark is just, that the doctrine of a trinity degrades the Atonement…” – J. H. Waggoner, The Atonement, pg. 166.

 “The Scriptures abundantly teach the pre-existence of Christ and His divinity, but are entirely silent in regard to a Trinity.” – J. H. Waggoner, The Atonement, pg. 173.

 “It is not very consonant with common sense to talk of three being one, and one being three.  Or as some express it, calling God “the Triune God”, or “the three-one-God”.  If Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are each God, it would be three Gods; for three times one is not one, but three.” – J. N. Loughborough, Review & Herald, Nov. 5, 1861.

“But to hold the doctrine of the Trinity is not so much an evidence of evil intention as of intoxication from that wine of which all the nations have drunk.  The fact that this was one of the leading doctrines, if not the very chief, upon which the bishop of Rome was exalted to popedom, does not say much in its favour.” – R. F. Cottrell, Review & Herald, July 6, 1869.

Central Doctrine of Rome

It should be noted that the doctrine of the Trinity on which we have now distanced ourselves from the position of the pioneers is the very central doctrine of Rome.  Rome declares:

“The mystery of the Trinity is the central doctrine of the Catholic faith.  Upon it are based all the other teachings of the church.” – Handbook for Today’s Catholic, pg. 16.

Is this a place where we want to be while we claim to be awaiting the Latter Rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit?  I invite us to think again! 

Study Again

We need to go back and study.  A good place to start is with the Pioneers’ 28 Fundamental Principles that were published in the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook of 1889 which represented the defining Statements of Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church from 1888 to 1930 before the Pioneers had passed off the scene.  The link to the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook of 1889 in the Adventist Archives is: http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1889.pdf

The original document has 208 pages.  An extract of the section that deals with the Pioneers’ 28 Fundamental Principles, as they were then held, can be found at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/2017/02/15/adventist-pioneers-28-beliefs-in-the-seventh-day-adventist-yearbook-1889/

 “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

Rev. 16 speaks of unclean spirits like frogs that will be gathering the whole world to the final battle (Rev. 16:13, 14). This final battle will see the world on one side and Christ and His people on the other side along with the hosts of heaven (Rev. 19:19, 20). The main agency of deception will be evil spirits.  This domain of religious deception is called spiritualism, which capitalizes on two things: 1. The false notion that people can communicate with the dead – who are, in reality, evil spirits and; 2. Confusion in people’s minds  as to who or what is the Holy Spirit and the nature of God’s presence. The Bible gives the final warning against this deception as follows:

“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.

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Rev. 18:4, 5.

Our only safeguard is to know the truth from the scriptures about this very important matter.  Regarding the first deception, Seventh-day Adventists have, for years, been teaching the truth from the scriptures that the dead are asleep and are unable to communicate with the living.  Since there is an abundance of literature, from that source, on that particular point, it will not be the focus of this presentation.  However, literature on the second deception is woefully lacking and so, the focus of this presentation is to establish the truth about God – who God is, who is Jesus Christ and who or what is the Holy Spirit.

In another presentation, “Multiple Meanings of Holy Spirit”, it was established that the terms “Spirit” and “Holy Spirit” have multiple meanings and are not always used in scripture to mean the same thing in every context.    It has been shown that in some instances, God Himself (the Father) is referred to as “Spirit”.  Of course, a danger that has previously been spoken of is that of worshiping a “Spirit” that is neither God (the Father) nor Christ (the Son of God) – for which there is no scriptural support and could be an act of false worship or idolatry.

It has also been shown that in some instances, “spirit” refers to holy angels sent from heaven who minister to and comfort the saints on Christ’s behalf.  In other instances, “spirit” refers to Divine attributes such as life itself, light (truth), love and power that we receive from God – attributes that will be inside of us as a part of our being.    Confusion often occurs when the latter case is confused with the idea of “spirit” referring to a living being that, it is assumed, takes up residence inside of us and takes over our mental faculties.  This confusion is dangerous and could leave us open to demon possession.  There is a difference between the ministering spirits of God and the spirit of God – both are referred to as “Holy Spirit” and “Holy Ghost”.  This presentation will establish the difference.

 The Biblical Testimony

A simple text summarizes quite eloquently the consistent perspective that is given throughout the scriptures, as follows:

 “And of the angels he saith, who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter 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. 1:7-9.

The perspective is simply that the Supreme God (the Father) anoints His Son (Jesus Christ) who is God by nature and above the angels (spirits). Thus is presented the three powers of heaven – God, Christ and angels.

A simple question can help in showing the difference: With what was Jesus anointed? We are told:

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” – Acts 10:38.

“Holy Ghost” here is that with which Jesus was anointed.

This is clearly different from the following reference where the Apostle John is conveying grace and peace from God, Christ and the Spirits. He says:

“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: 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.

The Three Powers of Heaven are identified – God, Christ and the Spirits. “Spirits” here are ministering spirits.  Some people represent the “seven Spirits” here as the “seven-fold Spirit”, giving the impression that it is not seven but really one.  This is easily clarified by comparing this verse with another verse that is very similar, in which there are four Spirits mentioned and each goes to a different place.  Here it is.

“And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.” – Zech. 6:5

These spirits are of course ministering spirits or angels.  Some go into the north country and others go into the south country (Zech. 6:6).

The next few verses again speak of the three powers of heaven:

1. “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things.”- 1. Tim. 5:21. There we see the three powers – God, Christ and angels.
2. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”- Matt. 28:19.

[The word Pneuma translated Ghost, is also properly translated Spirit or Spirits. It is the same word translated “spirits” in reference to the ministering spirits – Heb. 1:7, 14].  So, the reference is to the three powers again – God, Christ and angels. Note also that the whole family in heaven and earth is named after the Father (Eph. 3:14, 15).

3. “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.” – St. Luke 9: 26. There we have the three powers again – God, Christ and angels.
4. “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. It is evident here that the three powers are not co-equal.

The Bible is clear that we should not worship angels.  It says:

“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels.”  Col. 2: 18.

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”  Rev. 19:10.

5. “For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son? And again, when He bringeth the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship Him”- Heb. 1: 5,6. Here again the three powers are identified showing the order of precedence: God first, Christ next and then the angels.
6. “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 . Once again the three powers are indicated showing the order of precedence – God gave to Christ and Christ gave to the angel to dispense to John.

Some persons say that the Holy Spirit is a third divine being to be worshiped.  If that were the case, these verses that have been highlighted would have presented the equivalent of a big elephant in a room being missed.

Testimonies of the Prophet of the Last Days

The pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Movement fully understood the truth as presented here from the scriptures.  A sample of the perspective that was commonly understood among them is reflected in the following unambiguous statements from Ellen G. white:

“Read and study the fourth chapter of Zechariah… The golden oil represents the Holy Spirit.” Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 188.

“From the two olive trees the golden oil was emptied through the golden pipes into the bowl of the candlestick, and thence into the golden lamps that gave light to the sanctuary. So from the holy ones that stand in God’s presence His Spirit is imparted to the human instrumentalities who are consecrated to His service. The mission of the two anointed ones is to communicate to God’s people that heavenly grace which alone can make His word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6. – Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 408.15.

The same thought is expressed at another place, the only difference being that the golden oil that was said to be God’s Spirit, is now said to be divine light, love and power. It says:

“In this vision the two olive trees which stand before God are represented as emptying the golden oil out of themselves through golden tubes into the bowl of the candlestick. From this the lamps of the sanctuary are fed, that they may give a bright, continuous light. So from the anointed ones that stand in God’s presence the fullness of divine light and love and power is imparted to His people, that they may impart to others light and joy and refreshing. Those who are thus enriched are to enrich others with the treasure of God’s love.” – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings p. 594.1

“And when these angels empty from themselves the golden oil of truth into the heart of him who is teaching the word, then the application of the truth will be a solemn, serious matter.” Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 337

“The anointed ones standing by the Lord of the whole earth have the position once given to Satan as covering cherub.” –  Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, July 20, 1897. (also Ellen G. White, The Truth about Angels, p. 150).

This last statement is consistent with the “Great Controversy” vision that Ellen G. White had in which she indicated that she saw that, before Lucifer sinned in heaven, God (the Father) was supreme, Christ was next in position and line of authority to the Father, and Lucifer was next in position and line of authority to Christ.  There was no third divine being.  Lucifer wanted to be exalted as the third.

She said:

“The Lord has shown me that Satan was an honored angel in heaven, next to JESUS CHRIST.  His countenance was mild, expressive of happiness like the other angels. His forehead was high and broad, and showed great intelligence.  His form was perfect.  He had a noble, majestic bearing.  And I saw that when God said to his SON, Let us make man in our image, Satan was jealous of JESUS.  He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man.  He was filled with envy, jealousy and hatred.  He wished to be the highest in heaven, next to GOD, and receive the highest honors.  Until this time all heaven was in order, harmony and perfect subjection to the government of God.

It was the highest sin to rebel against the order and will of God. All heaven seemed in commotion.  The angels were marshaled in companies with a commanding angel at their head.  All the angels were astir.  Satan was insinuating against the government of God, ambitious to exalt himself, and unwilling to submit to the authority of JESUS.  Some of the angels sympathized with Satan in his rebellion, and others strongly contended for the honor and wisdom of God in giving authority to his Son.  And there was contention with the angels.  Satan and his affected ones, who were striving to reform the government of God, wished to look into his unsearchable wisdom to ascertain his purpose in exalting JESUS, and endowing him with such unlimited power and command.  They rebelled against the authority of the SON of GOD, and all the angels were summoned to appear before the FATHER, to have their cases decided.  And it was decided that Satan should be expelled from heaven, and that the angels, all who joined with Satan in the rebellion, should be turned out with him.  Then there was war in heaven.  Angels were engaged in the battle; Satan wished to conquer the SON of GOD, and those who were submissive to his will.  But the good and true angels prevailed, and Satan, with his followers, was driven from heaven.”  (E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, pp. 17, 18.

She also said:

“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate – a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes”.
“Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God , was one with the eternal Father – one in nature , in character, in purpose – the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.”  (E. G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34).

 Speaking of the creation, she said:

“His Son would carry out His will and His purposes, but would do nothing of Himself alone.  The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.”  (E. G. White, Signs of the Times, Jan. 9, 1879, pr. 2).

No need for Confusion

There need not be any confusion.  It is doubtless for these reasons – to prevent us from falling into confusion – that the lesser light (the visions given to the last-days prophet) were given to help us understand the greater light (the Bible) especially in these last days when the Devil will intensify his deceptions so that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24).

In summary, the ministering spirits (angels) of God bring to us God’s spirit, the golden anointing oil (Divine light, love and power).  The Holy Spirit is not someone to be worshiped.  Neither is the Holy Spirit someone who takes up residence inside of us.  Let us therefore hold fast to the truth and not be drawn into spiritualism or into modern Babylon.  Our worship should be given to God and Christ, as it will be in the new earth, as the scriptures say:

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Rev. 21:22.

May the Lord bless you.

 “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

– Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

Holy Spirit Has Different Meanings

“The Bible is not given to us in grand superhuman language.  Jesus, in order to reach man where he is, took on humanity.  The Bible must be given in the language of men.  Everything that is human is imperfect.  Different meanings are expressed by the same word.”  Ellen G. White, Selected Messages Book 1, p. 20.

A part of the confusion that exists regarding the Holy Spirit is the fact that based on the different contexts of the usage of the term, different meanings are intended.  Last week, it was pointed out that a number of references to “Holy Spirit” or “Spirit” were references to God the Father.  It was pointed out that the Bible says: “God is a spirit” – John 4:24; and “The Lord is that Spirit” – 2 Cor. 3:17.  The terms “Holy Ghost” and “Spirit of truth” are used in John chapters 14-16 in reference to the “Comforter”.

Holy Spirit The Comforter Sent

The Comforter is someone who is sent from the Father at Jesus’ request –

 ^“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.

  ^“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.

The Comforter speaks only what he is told to speak –

^“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.

Spirit Also Refers To Angels

The term “spirit” is also used in reference to angels.  The case of Philip illustrates  –

^“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.” – Acts 8:26.

Philip went and saw the Ethiopian eunuch.  He was given further instructions as described in the following words:

^“Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” – Acts 8:29.

At the end of the encounter, we are told:

^“And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more” – Acts 8:39.

This role of the “spirit” or “angel”, in this instance, bringing truth to God’s children is consistent with Jesus’ promise regarding the “Spirit of truth”.  The role of angels who, we know, are “spirits” (Heb. 1:7, 14) is also illustrated in the experience of John the Revelator.  God gave the revelation to Christ who gave it to His angel who in turn gave it 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.

Spirit of Truth

To some people it is blasphemous to think of the “Spirit of truth” as an angel.  Yet they would accept that the term “angel of the Lord” was used in some places, particularly in the Old Testament, to refer to Christ or God Himself (as in the case with Moses by the burning bush: “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” – Ex. 3:2).  In the case of Elijah, “the angel of the Lord” who appeared to him was also referred to as “an angel” –

^“And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” – 1 Kings 19:5.

 ^“And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” – 1 Kings 19:7.

The point is that the terms “Spirit”, “Holy Spirit”, “angel”, “angel of the Lord” and other terms have multiple meanings and references.  It is the context that helps us to understand and we cannot be dogmatic.

Holy Spirit the “Golden Oil” of Zechariah 4

A fertile line of research from the Spirit of Prophecy writings, that sheds light on the matter of who or what is the Holy Spirit is the subject of the “golden oil”.  Ellen G. White says that the “golden oil” of Zechariah 4 is the Holy Spirit.  If one should do a brief search of the E. G. White database under the subject, “golden oil”, it will clarify significantly, if not entirely, much of the ambiguity and speculation surrounding who or what is the Holy Spirit.

Further, as is common to any process of defining things, a good understanding usually allows one to distinguish the matter being defined from other things that it is not.  In that vein, another line of research that should prove edifying would be to establish the difference (or differences) between the work that is done by the Holy Spirit and that which is done by the angels.

Holy Spirit Not Worshiped in Scripture

In the final analysis, the original point stands: we cannot be dogmatic about matters that are at best debatable and have not been fully revealed to us.  We should not allow our own speculative ideas to influence us to place worship where there is no example in the Bible of it being given.  Nowhere in the Bible is it taught that we should worship the Holy Spirit.  If we should follow the example of holy beings in heaven, in our worship we would be saying:

“Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, AND unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” – Rev. 5:13.

And if we would be worshiping as we will be worshiping in the New Earth, we would be in line with John the Revelator who said:

“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).

 – Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)

Sabbath School Lessons Focus on Holy Spirit

We have a very interesting set of Sabbath School lessons this quarter (January to March, 2017).  I wrote to one of our church leaders on the 16^th of January advising him as follows:

“I have taken them cautiously and have not advanced any unique views in my Sabbath School class. But I have suggested to them, as was pointed out in the lesson last week, that the Bible has not spoken a lot about the identity or nature of the Holy Spirit. If we, therefore, follow the Biblical precedence and focus more on the work of the Holy Spirit, we should be on safe ground.”

I further said to him:

“Privately, though, I wish there was a way to discuss some of these matters more intellectually as some aspects of the ideas conveyed in the lesson are speculative and at best moot.  My personal view, as I would have expressed to you privately, is that we should not be too dogmatic on such points.  Of course, I understand that it would not be appropriate to discuss some of these matters in the pews, in order to avoid confusion.”

Lessons Promoting Worship of the Holy Spirit

Having said that and received a cordial response, I was confronted with the bold assertion three days after, in the lesson of January 19, that “The Holy Spirit is affirmed as a proper object of worship”.  I then had to ask myself, where in the Bible is there any such assertion?  And do I do well in not raising the question?  In case we miss the gravity of the matter, it is nothing less than a question of whether or not we are practising idolatry!  If we place worship where it does not belong, we are in breach of the very first commandment of the Ten Commandments, which states: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3).  So, I am impelled to invite you to consider a few things.

The lesson of Tuesday, Jan. 17, states: “Obviously the biblical writers saw God and the Holy Spirit on par with each other.”  Is that so?  That is not obvious!  Have we considered the possibility that some references to “Holy Spirit” and “Spirit” are actually references to God himself – that is the Father, rather than to someone else?  The Bible says: “God is a spirit” – John 4:24; and “The Lord is that Spirit” – 2 Cor. 3:17.

The following day (Wednesday, Jan. 18), the lesson continues: “The Bible states that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead”.  Indeed! But, the Bible states that it was “God the Father, who raised him from the dead” – Gal. 1:1.  So, why assume that the Holy Spirit is someone different from the Father himself?  Is it that the Father needed help?  Let us be careful that we do not give God’s praise to another!  This is serious business.  God says: “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another” – Isa. 42:8.

Unwarranted Assumptions

A number of references are cited, based on which the same conclusion is drawn as in the lesson of Tuesday, Jan. 17, that: “the Holy Spirit does the same action as God is doing, powerful evidence that the Holy Spirit is equal to God.”  Not necessarily!  It would more suggest that it is the same person being referred to, namely, God the Father, who the Bible describes as : “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Eph. 4:6).

The Bible says: “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” (1 Cor. 8:6).

When God says, “I am the LORD, and there is none else” (Isa. 45:5), make no mistake, God the Father is the only Supreme Being, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Cor. 11:31) who has “anointed” His Son (Heb. 1:9) and “appointed” Him heir of all things (Heb. 1:2).   Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, “the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3) and the Father has commanded both men and angels to worship Jesus Christ, his Son; and his Son is subject to Him – “the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:3).  He has not given to us any right to worship anyone else!  Take heed!

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

• Zerubbabel (Zech. 4:6)