An overview of my new book

I wrote a post on Monday, December 08, 2014. The title was, The Seven Trumpets and The Investigative Judgment. It was a brief overview of my recent book. I had hoped the book would come out soon after that blog post. I submitted the manuscript a couple days before Christmas 2014, but it took another two years before the book was truly ready for publishing. Each time I looked at it after submission I could not publish it like it was. So, after much editing and moving whole paragraphs and sections of chapters around (and continued extra costs), the book came out a couple of weeks ago.

So I want to give another brief overview in case anyone out there might want to read the book. It is in print now, and soon will come out in e-book form.

So, without further adieu…

Introduction

Revelation chapter 4 through 11 form the core storyline of the book of Revelation. The chapters that follow chapter 11 are brought in to expand and to add more details. The seals and trumpets are not optional to understand Revelation, they form the vital center of the last book of the Bible.

Chapter 1: Revelation chapter 4

The throne of God before sin began. The praises to God concern His creation only, and no mention is made of a Redeemer.

Chapter 2: Revelation chapter 5

Sudden change in the angelic atmosphere of heaven. It’s the same picture of the throne of God, except God has a book (scroll) sealed up so tightly that only the crucifixion of Christ could open it. This book is the great controversy, the accusations against God and the issues over God’s Law. God is on trial. Has He been the proper leader? Has His government offered the best for the greatest happiness of the kingdom. Once Christ opened the book happiness was restored in heaven and then all they could sing again, but this time their song was only about was the Father’s and Son’s redemption.

Chapter 3: Revelation chapter 6

The Lamb takes the seals off of the book, one at a time. Before the 7th seal is removed we see a scene of Christ’s second coming. This was not the actual return of Christ—it was the global Advent movement of the 1830s and early ‘40s. But, the people were not ready for His coming. Before He can return, His people must be sealed. The sealing will be the necessary preparation for the day of His visitation of judgments.

Chapter 4: Revelation chapter 7

This chapter introduces the sealing. That is such a major issue that it puts unsealing the sealed book pageant on pause to explain who will stand when the Lamb comes and who will run in abject fear. The answer is: Whoever gets the seal in the conscience will go with Jesus and leave this doomed world. And this chapter gives the first picture of how happily the great controversy will end.

Chapter 5: Revelation chapter 8

After the chapter 7 intermission, we need to come back to where we were when the 6th seal closed. So, the Lamb removes the 7th seal. The sanctuary scene that follows is connected with the 7th seal. Since the 6th seal ended and the seal of God is shown ascending from the east in 1844, then, chapter 8 picks up after chapter 7’s  foretaste of all the happy celebration throughout eternity. Silence divides the chapter 7 intermission from the sanctuary scene; it separates the previous rejoicing at the end of the controversy from the solemn events to follow in order to set up a new mindset in the reader. It is a reminder that all of our full celebration is promised, but not yet ours to have. We are the church militant that must first endure the rigors of the trumpet dangers yet to come. Through a special dispensation of faith by an abundant gift of His Spirit, Jesus gives us a way of escape in the Latter Rain, so that we are able to endure the great time of trouble.

The Angel High Priest is in the Holy Place, ready to enter the Most Holy. But, first He casts His censer to the earth and the 1st trumpet blows. We can say that the 1st trumpet is connected with the previous sanctuary scene because the contents of the censer and His blood are what fall from the sky onto the earth during the 1st trumpet. The contents damage “the third part” of the trees and all the fields of grain. This signified God’s overthrow of the denominations and the worst of the Protestants, which rejected the plain truth of the blessed hope of Jesus’ return. The Bible often compares people to trees and grain.

The 2nd trumpet blew and Mt. Sinai is quenched showing the churches’ abrogating the Law of God. Now most of the Protestants had no protection from Satan’s spells.

So, the 3rd trumpet blew and Satan is seen poisoning their hearts and minds, their whole way of viewing this world and the providences of God. Faith, true, genuine faith is gone from every American who remained in the new lawless Protestantism. Now that God is fictionalized by their rejection of His Law, this world is all that most of them can live for.

The 4th trumpet blew and the Sunday churches went totally dark spiritually, as institutions. But, the door of heaven was still open to them individually. Scriptures show that the darkened spheres of heaven symbolize that “the Father of lights” (Jas. 1:17), and the Bible are no longer understood by Protestantism, and its central importance is lost. Now that Protestant America has lost its only resource for a spiritual compass in God’s word, an angel flies alarming the world of the three woes that come with the last three trumpets.

Chapter 6: Revelation chapter 9

The 5th trumpet blew. God looses Satan to ransack Protestantism and bring it and the world it that has blessed into subjection to the powers of hell. Every Protestant not being sealed, especially in Protestant America, is tormented with the same vexation of spirit that Solomon and King Saul experienced when they apostatized from the Lord. Moses forewarned of this for the whole nation in his curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, 29. Specifically, Deuteronomy 29:18-22 speaks to this 5th trumpet, as does Revelation 14:9-11. In fact, the 3rd angel’s message is all about the 5th and 6th trumpet plagues; the components of those two trumpets make up the message of the 3rd angel of Revelation 14—the torment and desolation of soul that comes from not getting to know Jesus and not taking God seriously, preparing for His judgment and final return.

The ancient false religion that caused such havoc to Israel was Baal worship. But, Baal worship was simply one face of thousands of false religions around the ancient and modern world, all spawned from Babylon. It is a religion that dares to approach God with the worshipers’ own contrived repentance and holiness. The modern counterpart of this is Spiritual Formation. In Spiritual Formation the reproofs of the Law, which bring us to need a Savior from sin, are set aside. Before Christ can be a Savior, He must be a Prince who wields His glittering sword. God will have it no other way. But, Satan, stepping in between God and His people, offers a more comfortable redemption, without the messy humbling which God requires. By peace and flattery he has destroyed many from the days of Cain, and now he is doing the same in the Advent movement. We are repeating the history of Israel at Baal-peor, and many Adventists are falling for it, including many of our leaders. This is the message of the 3rd angel and it speaks of the 5th and 6th trumpet plagues.

The language of the 3rd angel’s message comes from the 5th and 6th trumpets—another reason to believe that the trumpets happen during the heaven-ordained Advent movement and investigative judgment that precede the antitypical Day of atonement.

It only makes sense that all the trumpets should blow during the Advent movement, since the typical feast of trumpets was connected with the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary. There is a time period with the 5th trumpet—5 prophetic months, 150 years. I realize Ellen White made it seem to say that there would be no more time prophecies after 1844. I believe she only communicated what Jesus wanted her to give us at the time. If we had known we would be here for 150 years we would have apostatized into pagan celebration a long time ago.

One thing is very clear, Revelation 9:4 (the 5th trumpet) and 7:3 (1844) are unarguably speaking of the same thing—the seal of God in the forehead. So, my conclusion is that Revelation 7:3 introduces the sealing, and 9:4 explains how it is received. Sr. White wrote volumes on every other subject, while she wrote almost nothing about the trumpets, because Jesus gave her no light on the trumpets. The time must wait until the prophecy was over before its meaning would come to light. That time has arrived. I believe that the 5th trumpet began as we were hammering out our fundamental beliefs in the Sabbath conferences. In 1849, the California Gold Rush altered the face of Protestant America. In 1999, 150 years later, another gold rush occurred—the stock market gold rush of the late 90’s. These two events are the bookends for the 5th trumpet.

In between those years technology exponentially developed and drew the world-loving Protestant multitudes permanently away from God and His Law. And that separation has tormented them like Jesus was on the cross because His Father had left Him. During those 5 prophetic months, the Spirit of God had been leaving Protestant America and Satan had been moving in to fill the void. Largely through the earthly agencies of Rome and her Jesuit masters of deception temptations have stolen all the freedom and happiness that the original Reformers gave Protestant Americans. The Jesuits and the Vatican are the locusts of the 5th trumpet (they are called “the beast” in Revelation 11). Satan, propelling them across the land, is the black smoke.

The 6th trumpet blew. Now that Americans have departed from God and lived on His promised land of refuge without a single thought of Him, He allows for their complete possession by the god they love so much. As the 10 tribes of Israel lived for Baal for 200 years until the Lord vomited them out of His land, so is He doing to Protestantism today. Soon, and very soon, Protestantism’s old enemy of the Dark Ages will have conquered this nation by filling the leading offices of their CIA, FBI, NSA, FDA, FEMA, AMA, Jesuit controlled media, Federal Reserve banking system, and three branches of the U.S. Government. I won’t be surprised if the Vatican initiates the official desolation of free America as Protestantism is ended. By a united, official declaration and documentation, the union of church and state will happens at Protestantism’s 500 anniversary— Halloween 2017.

In the 6th trumpet, the locusts can do what they were forbidden to do during the 5th trumpet, that is, “kill” the soul. All of their torment until 1999 came from the work of separating the people from the one true God of their Reformation fathers. Now that the denominations are fully separated from the God of the Bible, they commit the unpardonable sin and become a persecuting nation. This explains the unjust destruction of Muslims based on the phony premise that Islamists caused the black flag operation of 9/11. All the evidence of 9/11 points to specially placed and protected individuals within American government agencies, who choreographed 9/11 under the purview of Rome. (Dan. 8:12).

9/11 has set the stage for the coming tribulation of all nations. We are in the very end of time. God has just about finished His scattering of the power of the holy people (Dan. 12:7).

When the 7th trumpet will blow, the 3rd woe will mean total world domination by Satan and his filling every heart with his mean anger. Then, the few who took God and His Law and His redemption seriously will stand out from the demon-controlled crowds. Everyone who played off the Spirit of Prophecy as unneeded during the 5th and 6th trumpets God will require it of them in the 7th trumpet.

Chapter 7: Revelation chapter 10

This chapter begins to show glory at the end of the long, dark, distressing tunnel. It opens during the unconscionable desolations by the conscienceless world of the 6th trumpet. Christ is seen clothed with a cloud of incense and glory. The little sealed book (scroll) which He took from His Father in Revelation chapter 5 is now opened after the trumpets have done their work of scattering the power of faith in His Protestant people (which includes the SDAs, as seen in Revelation 11). Christ roars like a lion because His forbearing work as Lamb is finished and it’s time to judge the world, and to end the controversy. With infinite thunder, God agrees with His Son.

So, He swears by His Father that the delay of the 6th seal is completed—the sealing is almost finished—and He can finally come in power and glory. But, first He will give humanity one last opportunity to be saved, as He gave the antediluvian world. He commands John to eat the book of the great controversy and to “prophesy again.” But, if we use scripture to interpret scripture, then this is not speaking of the Millerite Great Disappointment of 1844; it is speaking of an event within the final chapter of the seal/trumpet chronology.

When do we see any prophesying taking place since Revelation chapter 4? We don’t see any up to Revelation chapter 10. But, we do see it in the next chapter, almost immediately following the command in chapter 10 to prophesy again. We see it in Revelation chapter 11.

Chapter 8: Revelation chapter 11

This chapter ends the seal/trumpet story that is the core of Revelation. The chapter introduces its intent to judge the church by John being given a measuring rod. The church is found guilty of apostasy, except for a very small remnant that defends the truth “in the days of their prophecy” (Rev. 11:6). That very small remnant sweeps through 2,000 years to include the apostles, the church in the wilderness, and the Reformation. The fire of truth shoots out of the mouths of God’s champions and devours the enemies of His gospel. This campaign against Satan continues successfully until 1849 when the hosts of darkness fly out of an opened bottomless pit. Then, the Lord’s witnesses are warred against, later overcome, and eventually cease their prophesying. This point in the lengthy prophecy is where the Revelation 10 scene occurs. Thus, it is time to prophesy again.

Satan cannot immediately kill the Advent movement while Ellen White lives. But, he first makes war (also seen in Rev. 12:17), then he overcomes, and finally he kills the Advent movement. We lay dead in the aisles of the church for a period of time that figuratively expresses judgment on God’s people (Luke 4:25; Jas. 5:17). Then, when God has accomplished our total humbling and all of our self-sufficiency is gone, then He resurrects His two witnesses (a leaner Advent movement), gives them the Latter Rain, and the earth is reaped. This ends the 2nd woe, and the 7th trumpet blows. Total chaos rules the world and the last we see is an empty Most Holy Place in heaven because Christ has left there to come and get His people. The mystery of God’s character of love and fairness, as written in the little book, is finished. His judgment is finished, and He is exonerated by His character perfectly reflected in His children.

This ends the core of Revelation. I hope it wasn’t too hard to follow. The rest of the book of Revelation expands upon the main storyline of chapters 4 through 11.

I’ve heard much about chiasms. That subject all began with the book of Revelation. I’ve looked at charts that show the chiasms of Revelation, and it all seems good. I have yet to analyze the way they stand up next to my view of Revelation. But, as I began with in this blog post, I see Revelation 4 to the end of the book simply as basically two halves of one book. First, we have the 8 chapter core that give a bird’s eye view of the book, such as my overview does for my book. Then, the next 11 chapters give details that must be brought in at the correct places of the core storyline.

This method of writing the Revelation visions seems very simple and wise. Chiasms are a little too complicated for me. But, a simple storyline is what I can handle. Even children can understand the simple core storyline. Of course, the symbology is a deeper subject, and that makes the Bible a challenge for adults. But, I’m thankful that Revelation is much more understandable than most people think because of the way it was laid out by the Spirit of God as a simple story.

I hope you get and read the book.

Thank you for your interest.

My first book completed

I finally finished my first book. It is on Bible prophecy, Revelation in particular. I use Revelation chapters 4 through 11 to explain the whole of Revelation and how current events have been working perfectly to fulfill the trumpet prophecy. Chapters 4 through 11 make up the core of the whole Revelation that John saw. Then the second half of The Revelation add details to the first half’s satellite overview.

I have brought into Bible prophecy much of what I have learned of the good news of the gospel. If you appreciate my way of expressing the Bible’s good news (and bad news) then you will find them woven into the Revelation message of blessing and curses,  its necessary plagues, as well as its healing and sealing. Even though God is Judge, Revelation shows Him accused as unworthy and being judged for His worthiness to lead His eternal kingdom.

I see a different way of viewing the trumpets, with different placements compared to most interpretations, and having different purposes. You will see that I place the seven trumpets beginning on October 22, 1844. They do not begin with the fall of Jerusalem or of the Roman Empire. They are not military campaigns that say nothing about Jesus. Thus, I see that the seven trumpets of Revelation are the anti-type of the Feast of Trumpets that signaled the approaching typical Mosaic Day of Atonement. Therefore, I see the trumpets as Advent Movement-related events that warn us of the coming of Judgment Day, when the Lamb returns sitting on the right hand of Power. The fifth trumpet’s 5 prophetic month time period concludes close to our day, at the end of 1999. Then the sixth trumpet begins in the first quarter of 2000, largely kicked off by 9/11, and soon to come into full swing. I believe that the signing of peace treaties this Halloween between the Church of Rome and the Lutheran Church, thus marking the legal end of the Reformation’s gift of peace to the world, will shift the sixth trumpet fulfillment into third gear of a five-speed eschatological transmission. Then, the last two gears “cometh quickly” (Rev. 11:14), the seventh trumpet and the Day of Judgment/Second Advent of Jesus in unearthly, divine power.

Let me add that my book seeks to reassure everyone that they still have time to make their calling and election sure. But, we must be in earnest now. It’s not all scary; in fact Revelation holds great promises for the people not swept up by all the deceptions on the right hand and the left. I have done my best in the book to lay out the path to have that assurance. I have sought to weave Jesus into everything I have written. To give you a taste, the website for Aspect Books (published by Teach Services, Inc.) lets you read the first 27 pages of the book. The Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace. See you the second Sabbath at the Tree of Life on the far side of the River of Life!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Burdick+Seven+Trumpets

http://aspectbooks.com/main/details/id/79

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seven-trumpets-and-the-investigative-judgement-david-d-burdick/1125844018;jsessionid=1AB5806D66EE7242B6BD8DBDD17EED53.prodny_store01-atgap06?ean=9781479605026

Email to a brother in Christ

http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/spirit/spirit-to-ghost.html

http://www.hebrew-streams.org/frontstuff/mechaber.html

http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/hayom/spiritanity.html

Hi Paul,

  I feel a strong kinship with you and your study into the whole Bible, and in your not handling the word of God dishonestly. I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian who loves the whole Bible. I am up-front with you about my religious affiliation not to try to convert you to my religion or to cause a prejudice against me, but to let you know where I’m coming from in my ideas. I believe also that praying and worshiping a third being of a trinity is blasphemy, and I am finding great resistance from my brothers and sisters in the faith. Ellen White made these two statements concerning the holy spirit of God, the first from Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, pg 23, and the second from Desire of Ages, p. 669:

Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.

The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.

  Ellen White was a leading writer and voice in the Advent Movement which was anti-trinitarian until shortly after the passing of the earliest leaders, including Ellen White. But, even though my church is diving deeply into trinitarianism, we have a growing interest in anti-trinitarianism moving in and I am so happy to see it. Christ and God His Father surely are eclipsed by the trespasser into the Godhead called the Holy Spirit. Ellen White never called the church to pray, adore, worship this spiritual power that comes from the Father and Son. But, she warned in her book, The Great Controversy, page 464,

Notwithstanding the widespread declension of faith and piety, there are true followers of Christ in these churches. Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world. 

    

In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God’s word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God’s blessing is not bestowed. And by the rule which Christ Himself has given, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16), it is evident that these movements are not the work of the Spirit of God.

   But, now the Adventist church is moving in that direction by the infiltration of ideas that sound like they come from Vatican II. They can’t accept the first quotation above concerning the Spirit being Christ, but they interpret it by the second statement, which is less pointed and clear. She could have been clearer, and I’m still trying to know why she overused the pronouns instead of using Christ’s name more. But, possibly she was writing to a non-trinitarian believer and saw no need to be as specific as needs to happen today, as Paul also used a lot of indefinite male pronouns.

  Thank you for your documentation on the history of this third person infiltrator/trespasser/eclipser from Daniel 8:10,11. I needed it badly.

Happy Sabbath,

David Burdick

The Lord and His Spirit

“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them.” (Isa. 34:16).

“Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and His Spirit, hath sent Me.” (Isa. 48:16).

I have wrestled over these texts, because it appears to say that the Spirit of God is separate from God, as in the Spirit being a separate person from God. And these verses have been used as solid proof that such is the case. But, when we lay precept upon precept and line upon line we see that  the Lord and His Spirit represented by two separate persons was not the understanding of the Bible writers.

Listen to David express his praise to Jesus.

“O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?...” (Ps. 139:1-7).

David’s praise sounds like Nebuchadnezzar’s.

“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?... Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.” (Dan. 4:34,35,37).

Both testimonies declare that there is the bodily King of heaven; and yet the King of heaven is felt everywhere. Likewise, in Psalm 110 David had seen Jesus Adonai on His throne next to His Father, and Jesus was even seen as travelling around the heavenly kingdom in Psalm 45. David saw Jehovah Jesus as a being, having a tangible, defined form. David saw Jehovah Jesus, the fullness of the Godhead bodily. To both David and Nebuchadnezzar Jehovah not only oversaw, but also personally worked His will. Paul penned their ideas of the work of God: “Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” (Eph. 1:11); and, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (2Cor. 5:19). At Golgotha, Jehovah was personally in His crucified Son through Their eternal Spirit, as He was personally present in the cloud on the holy mount for Christ’s transfiguration (see Matthew 17:5; Hebrews 9:14). David knew that Moses had described Christ’s bodily pre-incarnate form as “the body of heaven in His clearness.” (Ex. 24:10). Notwithstanding that, David also knew that Christ’s personal presence far exceeded His throne in heaven, as David’s Psalm 139 indicated. The difference between David’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s testimonies of the bodily persons of Jehovah and Adonai was that David added a revelation of Jehovah’s Spirit, or Jehovah’s omnipresence, that can see and intervene everywhere. Thus, David could testify of Jehovah and His omnipresent Spirit, or of Adonai and His omnipresent Spirit. Hence, Isaiah’s account of “the Lord GOD, and His Spirit” (Isa. 48:16).

God’s pervasive kingdom results from His pervasive Spirit. “And when He [Jesus] was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20,21). “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith.” (Rom. 10:8).

Nebuchadnezzar learned about the kingdom of God when he saw the goodness of God toward him. Only by the Spirit of God in the soul can a sinful mortal extol and honor the one true God. Only through the Spirit from God can we appreciate the things of God and give Him thanks. “Now we have received … the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1Cor. 2:12).

The Spirit of God in us is God the Father manifesting Himself through His only begotten Son. The Spirit is not God in the sense that God is the Godhead and the Spirit is a third member of the Godhead council. The Spirit of God is the life and soul of God through His Son that pervades all of Their created works, bringing life to all. This is what we see from Revelation 4 and 5.

“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). The Son of God embodied the seven Spirits of God, His holy person enjoying the infinitely blazing and brilliant purity of God His Father.

“One of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5:5,6). The Son of God still embodies the measureless, eternal Spirit of Him who sits on the throne. His is the Spirit that we hear, the Good Shepherd’s voice that we follow.

“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead…. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev. 3:1,6).

Revelation shows Jesus prior to His incarnation as seven lamps of fire, burning in response to the infinitely austere holiness of Him who sat on the throne. And His eternal pre-incarnate body, glorified by His Father, Jesus yearned to have again after His resurrection and ascension.

“And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” (John 17:5). That very glory and infinite Spirit without measure that clothed Jesus at His transfiguration in His Father’s invisible presence.

“And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them. And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.” (Mark 9:2,3).

“And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” (Mark 9:7).

Oh, what a relief to have His fallen human nature completely put down by His invisible Father present, before whom no unholiness can exist! God, His Father only showed His Spirit in the sparkly, shimmering cloud of glory that night in order to stop the mouth of Peter before his arrogance spread to James and John.

“God … the Father of glory” (Eph. 1:17), “the Father of lights” (Jas. 1:17), was the source of Christ’s Spirit without measure, and His pre-incarnate glory.

“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, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.’ John 1:1, 2. 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. ‘His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9:6. His ‘goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ Micah 5:2. And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting…. When He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.’ Proverbs 8:22-30.

     The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. ‘By Him were all things created,… whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.’ Colossians 1:16.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.2.

Since the very beginning, there has been no other being in the Godhead except the Two: “the Sovereign of the universe” and His “Associate”, His “Co-worker”, “Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God”, “the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God” [emphasis mine].

But, They have Their Spirit. Even as we were made in Their image and as we have a spirit, so do They each have Their own Spirit that is infinitely greater than ours.

“But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 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.” (1Cor. 2:10,11).

But, there is another spirit beside the Spirit of Father and Son. That is the spirit of Satan manifested in mankind, the “spirit of the world” (1Cor. 2:12), the “god of this world” (Gal. 4:6), “the prince of this world” (John 14:30). That spirit is what Paul called, “principalities, … powers, … the rulers of the darkness of this world, … spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12). Satan is a person, and he has his spirit. Likewise, God is a person, Christ is a person, and They have their individual Spirits that are one Spirit. “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).

“Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt. 16:23). The spirit of the world has no place in the kingdom that Jesus came to set up. It is the “spirit of antichrist”, “the spirit of error.” (1Jn. 4:3,6).

Through the false doctrines of men, the spirit of Satan influences and vehemently controls this world to be violent toward each other, and especially toward God. “Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke Me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.” (Eze. 8:17). “And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused My people Israel to err. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto Me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” (Jer. 23:13,14). Satan’s spirit whispers into the world’s minds from the devices he inspired men to create. He controls the kingdoms of this world through his idolatrous religion and lifestyles that he has pushed upon the human race. But, God is stronger than Satan, and His Spirit wages constant warfare against the spirit of Satan. “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isa. 59:19).

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1Cor. 2:12). The phrase, “Spirit of God” is simply what the words from Paul more explicitly denoted as he tried to state its terminology in more grammatical clarity—“the Spirit which is of God”. It has become the assumption that the words, “Spirit of God” was the “Spirit’s” name. Rather, the phrase was a description of the work of God Himself in the human spirit. “God is a Spirit.” (John 4:24).

But, the Spirit of God is God the Father meeting His children in their spirit. “The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead” (Rom. 8:11) is the “God the Father, who raised Him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1). Again, the Spirit of Him that resurrected Jesus is “God” who “raised Him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9); it is “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” who “wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:17, 20); the Spirit is “God, who hath raised Him [Christ] from the dead” (Col. 2:12), “the living and true God;… to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1Thess. 1:9,10).

The Spirit is not “the Spirit of the Godhead”, as in an individual, a person separate from the Father, His Spirit, His mind. “The Spirit” is “the Spirit of your Father” (Matt. 10:20), who has a Spirit like the spirit which He gave every human to have, but which Spirit in the children of God is a special gift of God in all whose spirit has cried out in desperation, “O, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?”, and have surrendered to God. The Spirit of God is God’s Spirit, His person, His mind, His creative and redemptive influence upon His creation, animate and inanimate, His intelligent creation and otherwise. It is because we are made in His image that our spirit taps into the things of man (our thoughts and intents and memories), and fills our homes and our spheres of influence.

The “spirit which is of^G1537 God” is the Spirit of God, or the Spirit from God. G1537 ek, ex. A primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds), from, out (of place, time or cause; literally or figuratively; direct or remote): - after, among, X are, at betwixt (- yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for (- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, +very highly, in, …ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with )-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.

Only the Son can reveal His Father. The Son of God is the recipient of His Father’s glory and 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).

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18, cf John 17:25).

“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).

“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” Manuscript Releases, p. 23.3.

    

Some have misinterpreted this statement to say that a third person of a trinity is spoken of here. But, is it correct to say that “the Holy Spirit is [the Holy Spirit]”? Why would Ellen White write that the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit? Does it make sense? Not at all. It is a waste of words and intelligible nonsense. Or, how about, “[The Holy Spirit] would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit”?  Does the Holy Spirit have a Holy Spirit? Does saying that make sense? Not at all. The Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself, divested of His human person and independent of it. He represents Himself by His Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit is Christ’s own Spirit, His representative. And let us not forget the definition of  “divest”. To divest means that one was formerly vested, or invested. therefore, to be divested of the personality of humanity is to have have previously been vested with human personality. Jesus is the only being of the Godhead who is disemcumbered from His human form and divested of human personality.

“The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.” Desire of Ages, p. 669.2.

“He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21). John was most certainly keeping Jesus’ commandments and His word. He had spent many years preaching the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And, true to His promise, Jesus manifested Himself to John.

“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” (Rev. 1:9,10).

It was this Spirit voice of Jesus, divested of the personality of His humanity, speaking with the volume of a trumpet, that spoke to the apostles during the Early Rain. And it was the same voice all the apostles heard command them as He led them in victory after victory, “the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” (Mark 16:20).

“While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.” (Acts 10:19).

“And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.” (Acts 11:12).

“After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.” (Acts 16:7).

“And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:4).

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

The voice was Jesus. “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Rev. 6:2).

A poem dedicated to Jesus, the great Mother of all living, who love His children like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings

How the changing years have borne me
     Far away from days of home!
Now no Mother bends above me
     When the time for sleep has come. 

But it gives my poor heart comfort,
     And it brings me rest within,
Just to dream that I am little
     And my Mother tucks me in.

As I kneel there with my brother
     By the bed above the stairs,
And I hear my gentle Mother
     Whisper, “Boys, remember prayers!” 

Then she comes and prays beside us,
     “Father, keep them from all sin.”
Oh! her kiss is tender, loving,
     When my Mother tucks me in.

When at last the evening finds me
     And life’s busy day is done,
All the bands of earth that bind me
     Shall be broken one by one. 

Then; O Lord, be Thou my comfort,
     Calm my soul Thy peace to win;
Let me fall asleep as gently
     As when Mother tucked me in. 

-H.M.S. Richards Sr.

The Spirit of Christ

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom. 8:26).

 

“As yet the disciples were unacquainted with the Saviour’s unlimited resources and power. He said to them, ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name.’ John 16:24. He explained that the secret of their success would be in asking for strength and grace in His name. He would be present before the Father to make request for them. The prayer of the humble suppliant He presents as His own desire in that soul’s behalf. Every sincere prayer is heard in heaven. It may not be fluently expressed; but if the heart is in it, it will ascend to the sanctuary where Jesus ministers, and He will present it to the Father without one awkward, stammering word, beautiful and fragrant with the incense of His own perfection.” Desire of Ages, p. 667.

If Christ’s resources were unlimited, why would He need a third person to do His work for Him? He doesn’t. “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.” (Isa. 48:13). From the very beginning Jesus has been the medium of communion with the Father. As in creation so in redemption. Jesus speaks the word and the power of sin flees and our faith stands fast.

“As Christ lived the law in humanity, so we may do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength. But we are not to place the responsibility of our duty upon others, and wait for them to tell us what to do. We cannot depend for counsel upon humanity. The Lord [Jesus] will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will be imparted to them, as Christ has promised. Whatever was given to Christ—the ‘all things’ to supply the need of fallen men—was given to Him as the head and representative of humanity. And ‘whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.’ 1 John 3:22.” Desire of Ages, p. 668.

Christ and His Spirit

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” (Acts 3:19,20).

How was Jesus to be sent to those first generation converts?

“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto Me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.

And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy Seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:21-26).

How was Jesus sent to bless the Jews to turn them all from their iniquities? Did He come visibly, bodily? No, but He did come. He came after God raised Him from the grave and He had ascended. He came at Pentecost, in the Spirit. The candlestick that lit the seven churches of Asia lit up the 120 followers of Jesus in the baptism of His Spirit.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

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.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4).

This was the Spirit of truth that Jesus promised He would pray to His Father to send. All that Jesus had told them in secret they could now made public from the housetops. And what sermons they boldly preached!

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.

If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:12-18).

The first disciples had stayed in Jerusalem, as Christ commanded them. They had made amends between each other, were united in a fellowship they had never known as followers of Jesus, the Son of David, the King of the Jews. They knew He was hearing them by a faith they hadn’t had before they touched His throne of grace and glory. They were loving Him and keeping His commandment that they love one another. They were abiding in Him and His words repeatedly rehearsed among themselves were abiding in their hearts. Oh, how they groaned that they had been so slow of faith and hardhearted while the Saviour was with them! So Jesus prayed His Father to send them His Spirit, just as He had given a token of that when He breathed on them before ascending, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (John 20:22). Their obedience to the gospel moved the Father of glory to send them another Comforter which was Jesus Himself, so that He could keep His promise, “I will come to you.”

In this way at Pentecost Jesus came to them, as Peter revealed to them, “Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26). They received the refreshing from the presence of the Lord when He would send Jesus.

Two thousand years after the Early Rain of the Father’s Spirit through His Son, the second bookend of the baptism of His Spirit would see the same scenario in the Latter Rain of the Spirit of God through Christ.

“Said the angel, ‘List ye!’ Soon I heard a voice like many musical instruments all sounding in perfect strains, sweet and harmonious. It surpassed any music I had ever heard, seeming to be full of mercy, compassion, and elevating, holy joy. It thrilled through my whole being. Said the angel, ‘Look ye!’ My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. Their countenances expressed the severe conflict which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they had passed through. Yet their features, marked with severe internal anguish, now shone with the light and glory of heaven. They had obtained the victory, and it called forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy.  {EW 270.4} 

     The numbers of this company had lessened. Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks. Evil angels still pressed around them, but could have no power over them.  {EW 271.1} 

     I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect. Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents. The honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, ‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.’”  Early Writings, p. 271.

“The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel’s message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel’s message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel.  {GC 611.1} 

     The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As the ‘former rain’ was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the ‘latter rain’ will be given at its close for the ripening of the harvest. ‘Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.’ Hosea 6:3. ‘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.’ Joel 2:23. ‘In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.’ ‘And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Acts 2:17, 21.  {GC 611.2} 

     The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said: ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus.’ Acts 3:19, 20.  {GC 611.3}

     Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.  {GC 612.1} 

     The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.” Great Controversy, p. 612.

By His Spirit, Jesus will be very near, personally, literally, by faith.