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