The eternal Spirit

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).

“The eternal Spirit”. Is this eternal Spirit the third person of a trinity God? Is this Spirit the only person in the Trinity God who is eternal, “the eternal Spirit”? Does the scripture really say that? Not at all. Scripture says that the Father is the eternal Spirit. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship (Him) in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).

The scriptures also say that He is eternal.

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5:11-14).

“I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Which in His times [our Lord Jesus Christ] shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:13-16).

God the Father was, is, and always will be that Eternal Spirit. “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (2Cor. 5:19).

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).

Even though the Lamb of God felt forsaken, His Father hadn’t forsaken Him. His Father was in Him, as the Spirit. “He had by Himself purged our sins” (Heb. 1:3), but, evidently, as a Spirit, God can choose to enter or leave our soul, as it suits His purposes, for He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11). “He be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27), but that doesn’t mean He is in every one of us. On the contrary, most people to whom He is near have a giant chasm in their hearts, with much chastisement of…peace” (Isa. 53:5), because He is not in them as the “holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). That is what we see with King Hezekiah. “Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” (2Chron. 32:31).

The kings of Judah were representatives of the Son of God, and of His regenerated Christian children. And all scripture testifies of Him. It was for the sake of us, His present day representatives upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1Cor. 10:11), that the Father shut off the flow of His Spirit to His Son’s soul so that His presence there was not noticeable to His Son. The unreserved opening in Christ’s spirit, which was bestowed upon Him at conception, which He was born with, and which He consciously kept open throughout His life, was left unaccessed by His everlasting Father and empty of His Spirit. That was for our sakes, when we feel surrounded by temptation and trials, and this world of sin and unbelief, when we unconsciously or willfully have absorbed the poisonous “course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). Christ was separated for our sinfulness during the times when God would be feel so far away that it would seem impossible to be reconciled back with Him. Yet, in those times He is surrounding us like He did His Son in His pitch black. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” (Matt. 27:45).

For our sakes, He is keeping us in the dark and using a spiritual abstinence from this world’s stimulating sensory placebos, strengthening patient endurance in us, and cooperating with us to strain every faculty to be restored to His eternal Spirit. He will hone our yearning to remain with His presence and approval, and He will lead us into a purer standing before Him by revealing more sin, deeper sin, to be repented of and forsaken.

Our prayers will be:

“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness.” (Mic. 7:8,9).

“Thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly.” (Neh. 9:33).

“We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments…. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought Thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.” (Dan. 9:5,15).

“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” (Ps. 106:6).

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.” (Ps. 51:5-8).

“Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” (Ps. 51:9-12).

Jesus was sinless. He had no iniquities or transgressions to repent of. But, His Father loaded him down with all the abhorrence that He had toward a race of sinners, ten billion fold. The fear of the guilt and shame and eternal loss from His precious Father was suffocating, debilitating, depressing. Christ’s sense of unworthiness overcame Him, despite all of His effort to reclaim His Father’s blessed presence, the Spirit without measure upon Him “who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Rom. 9:5).

“For God had given “not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” (John 3:34).

All the infinite blessedness that Jesus carried with Him from His Father’s blessed presence was completely and utterly rescinded. It was like a trillion Hg vacuum sucking out life from His soft heart and sensitive soul. His spirit felt all the justice that all of our race, wicked and righteous, will feel the day Jesus leaves His post as Mediator between God and man, in order to come to Earth and deliver His righteous children from the claws of the wicked and the vindictive dragon. Only because He never ceased to have it back could it be said, “through the eternal Spirit” He was acceptable to His Father. only because He had spent His whole life pressing toward the high prize of His Father’s calling could His Father of spirits be satisfied with His 1000% consecration. By His knowledge of sin and separation from God could He justify many. By His faithfulness could He be made our High Priest forever. He has been faithfully providing us with conviction of sin for the forgiveness of sin. And with that forgiveness He has been dispensing the seven Spirits of His eternal Father to be witness to our spirit that we are the children of God indeed.

But, the day is coming when He will step out from between God and man in order to come and save them from their wretched world of sin and the power of sin. “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” (Rev. 15:8).

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,… we shall be changed.” (1Cor. 15:52).

“At the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible…. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1Cor. 15:52,53).

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Phil. 3:20,21).

It is true that Hebrews also says that the Son has lived forever, and not the Father only. This may sound like the trinity God is true, that Father and Son are equal in age and power.

“Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.” (Heb. 1:8).

But, Hebrews also says that the Son has a higher authority than Himself—His God.

“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” (Heb. 1:9).

“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).

“And He said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” (Matt. 19:17).

This doesn’t diminish anything of the Son’s. But it does duly exalt the Father above all.

“So careful was the great Healer to direct attention from Himself to the Source of His power, that the wondering multitude, ‘when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see,’ did not glorify Him, but ‘glorified the God of Israel.’ Matthew 15:31. In the wonderful prayer that Christ offered just before His crucifixion, He declared, ‘I have glorified Thee on the earth.’ ‘Glorify Thy Son,’ He pleaded, ‘that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.’ ‘O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.’ John 17:4, 1, 25, 26.” Prophets and Kings, p. 69.

  

The Son’s carefulness to revere His beloved Father was due to His Father’s eternal existence before His, from whom He received His anointing and creative power before He laid the foundation of the Earth, and formed our world.

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands.” (Heb. 1:10).

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.” (Ps. 90:2).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth.” (John 5:19,20).

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

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. 4:8-11).

The Son said, “My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28).

His Father’ glory was greater than His because the Father of all was greatest of all, “all in all”. “For He [God the Father] hath put all things under His [Christ’s] feet. But when He [the Father] saith all things are put under Him [Christ’s], it is manifest that He [God the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under Him [Christ]. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him [the Son], then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him [God the Father] that put all things under Him [Christ], that God may be all in all.” (1Cor. 15:27,28). The Son’s glory came from His Father’s own self. “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). Everything about the only begotten Son was dependent upon His Father who is incomprehensibly infinite to us, “THE UNKNOWN GOD”.

“A throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald….

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. 4:2,3,5).

The thunders came from the great Father. “Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I HAVE BOTH GLORIFIED IT, AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered….” (John 12:27-29).

“And I saw another mighty Angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon His head, and His face was as it were the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire:…  And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when He had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.” (Rev. 10:1,3).

I have capitalized “Angel” because the mighty Angel that roared is the glorified Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. “His face was as it were the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire.”

“And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;

And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.

And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” (Rev. 1:13-16).

Jesus, perfect obedience in angelic form, and the joy of the universe, was the representative of His seven Spirits and of the kingdom of Their children. He represented the seven Spirits of God, He had the seven Spirits of God (see Revelation 5:6), and He was the seven Spirits of God; just as He lived by every word of God, He taught the word of God, and was the Word of God. “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” (Col. 1:19). The greater Almighty Father who speaks like thunder, in comparison to His mighty Son’s roar, is the one who put all the fullness of the Godhead in His Heir because His Son pleased Him so perfectly.

From eternal ages the Almighty said, “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” (Matt. 17:5). The Son is in His Father’s divine, spiritual image and in our human, fleshly image. While the Father is incomprehensible to us, the Son can be comprehended, and is very personable.

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.… For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:3,9).

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature:

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:

And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell;

And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Col. 1:15-20).

“To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1Cor. 8:6).

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:14). “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” (Col. 1:13).

“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:5,6). Today.

“Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2Cor. 6:2).

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Rev. 2:7).

 “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43). Today we may have the eternal life with which God anointed Him, His eternal Father’s eternal Spirit.

A YouTube testifier explaining what the Spirit did and examining Its work in her

I truly appreciate this testimony because the person who experienced it, Chelsea, had been trying to find truth and peace for 20 years, starting in her formative years of life. She involved herself in every kind of drug and witchcraft to look deeper into the realm of the invisible principles of life. So, she honed her skills for investigation. And when Jesus finally could get an opening, He entered with power to change her heart and mind, giving her new eyesight. And she had a heyday with all the new spiritual knowledge that He was able to download into her intellect through her spirit.

But, she has learned of God and His Spirit from her Trinitarian pastor. And thus, I believe, she holds on to the falsehood of a third person of the Godhead. Nevertheless, she does her best to be careful and accurate in her theological treatment of the Spirit. She loves the way that Romans called the Spirit, “It” because she connects the impersonal Spirit “It” with what she called an “objective voice”. I’m thrilled that her focus is on Jesus, and not another intercessor. So, the following is the last part of her testimony. The whole testimony is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHJgYimhR8g&t=5s

So, on to Chelsea:

And yeah, I wasn’t sure what was going on. I knew Jesus was the truth. I didn’t really know about the Holy Spirit, though. And so this objective voice that was inside me, this prompting, this new dimension to my spirit that I had never felt before was telling me that Jesus was real. It was glorifying Jesus. And it also was making me want to read the Bible. I had new desires all of the sudden. Completely new desires. Everything just changed. And I was really made anew in that moment when He revealed His truth to me.

And so I went and read the Bible, and it was just absolutely, it still is absolutely such a blessing to know Jesus personally as your own Saviour, and have a relationship with Him, not a religious, traditional, man-based religion. It’s not about that. And so I was prompted then to…it was really difficult for me to relate to people I once related to because I just wanted to tell everyone about Jesus, and I was with Muslims that thought He was only a prophet. So it was really difficult to find common ground. And I was so passionate. So I spent a lot of time on my own and I was prompted to read scripture.

And I remember I sat in a café. And I had gone back to the beach where my original Bible was that my momma had given me when I was travelling. I went back to it and I opened the pages. I was just prompted to go and chill on my own, get the Bible, and just open the pages.

And something that really stood out to me was this passage in John 14:6, where it says: “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” And that’s such an important passage because it was through Jesus that I found God, that I had this experience where everything changed inside my spirit. And I still wasn’t sure what was going on, you know, because I hadn’t really read the Bible much before. I didn’t know really about the Holy Spirit. I kind of thought that was a separate thing.

And again, I opened the Bible to another page randomly. I started reading. And it was like absolutely, absolutely what I was going through. And it was like God was speaking to me there and then. The Holy Spirit was prompting me to read, and read about Itself. That’s just incredible. And so I wrote it all down in my book when I was in the café because it was just so, so, it’s such a profound thing. Because I was just a little bit like, “What is going on with me? Why am I all the sudden…”, you know. I was so thankful that I knew the truth of Jesus, and that I finally had that void filled, and I knew spiritual truth. But I was still a bit like questioning, “What was going on?” Because now I’ve got this objective voice inside prompting me. And I knew that was God. I knew it was God.

But I kept on reading the Bible, and…where is it? It’s in Romans 8:14-21. I turned to this page. And it says,

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God…” (Rom. 8:14-16).

And there was that inside spirit going, “Yes! Read on! Read on! This is what you need to know!” And it said:

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:17-19).

So I was feeling really down, and like, “Oh, everyone needs to know Jesus. This is an incredible gift. So I was so full of joy and happy, but also full of sorrow for…because I just didn’t know anyone could experience a relationship firsthand with God through the Holy Spirit. That that could come and dwell within you. And that you could actually have a personal relationship with God. And I finally found spiritual truth, which was Jesus. But then it made me sad because I just wanted everyone to experience this.

And then again I was reading in Romans 8:26 to 27. It says,

“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.

And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of...Spirit, because He [It] maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

I mean that just completely clarified what I was going through. There was this objective voice all of a sudden revealing truths that I had no idea about. You know, I wasn’t with Christians. I wasn’t reading the Bible. I wasn’t learning. It was all of a sudden this knowing of spiritual truth. Just completely just, BOOM! And it was like, “What is going on?”

But then I read this [scripture passage], and it was like, “OK. That’s what going on!” This holy Spirit from the Father that is come to dwell within me, “the Spirit Itself maketh intercessions for us” “with groanings which cannot be uttered.” And that is what was going on. And also, “And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of...Spirit, because He [It] maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

You know, the Spirit was making intercessions, it was showing me things for the will of God. And I just broke out in tears. I mean all the time because it’s just an incredible thing. And I just, yeah I just wanted to share that with people about the Holy Spirit, and about how we can have a real connection with our Father. And that’s through calling on Jesus Christ—when you accept Jesus Christ as your Messiah.

And so I was very comfortable where I was in Spain. I had loads of lovely brothers and sisters there. But, you know, none of them were speaking about Christ as being the Messiah. And it was breaking my heart. So, then I left the place where I was[, where] in my normal state would be comfortable and want to be there, you know. It was beautiful weather. Lovely place. But I was now holding onto Jesus, you know. I knew His truth, and I wanted to follow Him. So I had to leave.

And now I’m back at home. I’m living at my mother’s house. I don’t have a vehicle at the moment. I don’t have the things that I normally would require to be happy. I don’t need anything else. I spend most of my time either working or reading scripture or doing Bible study or fellowship with other Christians. And it’s just enough for me. Jesus is enough.

And when you experience this relationship with Him firsthand, it’s, that’s, that’s just, yeah, it’s just incredible. So, you know, people that think that Christianity is just a religion, and it’s just a dusty old Book, and that it’s not very spiritual…. Man, I’ve done every type of spiritual thing you can think of.  You know, I used to be involved quite a lot with all of the New Age stuff. You name it I did it. And at one point I did Iowaska [Ayahuasca] ceremonies. And did all sorts of stuff searching spiritual, spiritual food.

And it just led me further and further away from the truth. And you could see that by the fruits of what happened with me. I got really depressed from it. But now I know the truth of Jesus Christ. It’s like this dusty old Book that I thought before was not really sp…it’s the most spiritual thing ever when you accept Jesus Christ into your life because you have a relationship with the Creator firsthand. It’s not about going to church, and doing Mass and everything, all man-made, and tradition. It’s nothing like that. It’s literally talking to your Creator. And Him talking back. Him prompting you. Him showing you things. Him guiding your life.

Yeah. I mean so I just wanted to talk about that today because I thought it was pretty incredible. You know. That I was experiencing these things before I even understood what they were. And how the Holy Spirit inside me prompted me to read certain scriptures about Itself. You know. It was intercess… It was taking me somewhere to look, and clarifying what was going on, and then the spirit inside me was going, “See. Yeah. That’s me! That’s me! That’s what’s going on! That’s what’s going on!”

And it’s just like incredible, incredible to have this ever spiritual level to knowing the Creator. And that is through calling on Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Yeah. That’s beautiful.

So, anyway. It’s a beautiful day today. Nice and sunny in England, which is rare. And yeah, God bless to everyone! Love you so much. Bye!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHJgYimhR8g

Creation

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deut. 6:6-9).

“And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.” (Gen. 15:2,3).

In the long ago, before there existed the first animate creature, either angelic or corporeal, the Father and Son were alone among the galaxies. The Father had begotten His only Son. Slowly through the eons, the Almighty with joy brought up His Prince, instructing Him in every aspect of holiness and righteousness. The Son knew the Law of His Father and feared His Father, yet He had an overwhelming desire for children. Like Abram, all He could think about was children to raise up in godliness and joy and love. But, He never would create them apart from His Father. So He voiced His burden to His beloved, holy Father.

“The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19).

The King said to His Son, “No, not yet. Are We prepared for the ramifications of this? The only way We can have children is if they are all brought up perfectly on the principles of righteousness and love. Not a moment can pass that they will not be reminded. Not a moment will pass that they will not practice loving kindness and, ‘peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled’ (Heb. 12:14,15). My kingdom will not have anything less! The plague of imperfection will not infect My kingdom. Never!”

The Son, as burdened and anxious as He was to surround Himself with holy, happy children, heard the power of His Father’s tone, and agreed to give Himself more development into His Father’s ever-growing sense of exacting perfection. But, children! Oh, blessed little ones, who would come from Their holy persons and be born with an attachment to Them, especially to Him, the one would personally call them into existence and life, whose face they would first see and whose voice they would first hear, and whose loving caresses they would first feel! “Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!” He could know the joy already! So eventually, He broached the subject of creation again.

But the King said to His Son, “No, not yet. Are We prepared for the ramifications of this? The only way we can have children is if they are brought up perfectly on every principle of righteousness and love. Not a single moment must pass that they are not be reminded of what constitutes perfection. Not a moment will pass that they do not live and think holiness, whose foreheads not for a moment are not crowned with ‘lovingkindness and tender mercies.’ (Ps. 103:4). I will not have rebellion infect my kingdom. Never!”

Again, the Son was set back by the King’s almighty determination to keep His kingdom strong. Love for children is beautiful, but it can never trump the eternal existence of the universe of order and perfection. And Michael understood His Father’s bigger picture, the larger issue of the Law being more important than the individual issues of personal needs that will most assuredly arise among each children born of free choice. Each child will be in Their image, filled with imagination and plans and desires. And each individual mind and heart must be trained to keep the kingdom of utmost important, and its Law foremost in the imagination, plans, and desires. All must be imbued to the depths of their soul with the knowledge that the kingdom was prior to them, and the One who brought them forth was eternally prior to the kingdom, and prior to the Creator was the King, “the eternal, self-existent One” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36.2, “who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:16).

“For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28). “There is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1Cor. 8:6).

But, all of the Father’s testing was designed to infinitely instill into His divine Son the message that He must instill into the creation under His control the same delegation of authority in a chain of command. “The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God” (1Cor. 11:3).

At the helm of the universal government was God the King, a condition that the royal Prince accepted and loved. He was ever happy to support and agree with His almighty God and Father of all. Though put off He knew that ultimately His Father wanted the universe to be peopled. He knew His Father wanted to be surrounded with happy children, as much as He wanted it. But, He also realized that His Father was greater than He in the infinitude of big picture issues. More weighed on His Father than on Himself. Future realities were comprehended by His Father to a degree that He had not the ability to grasp.

Finally, when the Son was overcome with desire for children the Father saw the opportunity that He had always waited for. The Son’s motherly, all-controlling, earnest need for children was repeated in the life of Hannah.

“Hannah had no children.…

And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.…

Therefore she wept, and did not eat.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?…

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life.” (1Sam. 1:2,4,5,7,8,10,11).

When the desolation of childlessness fully controlled Michael, when the King heard His Son promise to be surety for any that would ever waver from obedience, the King’s protectiveness for His kingdom was satisfied. He saw sufficient self-sacrificing love in His Son, for Him to fill the infinite vastness of space, to make His Son Creator of everything that would decorate His sanctuary—His own sanctuary by right, Their own sanctuary by love.

“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” (Col. 1:16,17).

The Father was satisfied that love reigned supreme in His Son—love for His Father and His Law, and love for all the future children as though they had already come into existence. “Having loved His own…He loved them unto the end.” (John 13:1). Such infinite, self-sacrificing, pitying, long-suffering love in the Creator would ensure an intelligent creation obedient to the eternal Law.

Thus, the Father filled with the face of His Son’s willing, determined, perfect surrender to His will and a heart full of yearning for children, creative power from His perfect mind never before expressed rose up in the Father. His infinite love and holy union filled His Son to bursting with more than infinite wisdom, and propelling Him with the dynamic ability of His Father. So Michael, the “Mother of all living”, rejoicing in a God-sized yearning to love and with a God-sized prospect of being loved, went forth to call into existence an intelligent creation that would befit a kingdom over which the Holy God reigned.

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Ps. 33:6,9).

Leaving our parents and joining our Parents

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24).

“What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1Cor. 6:16,17).

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom. 8:16).

“The family institution is a divine ordinance. Parents stand in the place of God to their children. How grievous in the sight of heaven is the neglect of parents to train their children for the future immortal life. Christians should look upon children as the younger members of the Lord’s family, intrusted to the parents and to the church to be trained up as children of God, to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Christian family is to be a school of Christ, where parents are to be the visible teachers, but Christ himself the great invisible teacher. The lessons which Christ imparts to the parents they are to repeat to their children line upon line and precept upon precept. Patiently, tenderly, and lovingly their steps are to be guided in the narrow path of holiness. Parents are not to compel their children to have a form of religion, but they are to place eternal principles before them in an attractive light.” Signs of the Times, May 14, 1894 par. 1.

As children we grew up under the guidance of the ones who gave us life. Our parents were everything to us. They were all that we knew as consummate leaders. We needed their love and training. We were completely open to them and to their lessons. We learned from our parents rapidly because our hearts were knit with theirs. We had no fear to doubt their loving protection and providing. Home was our world and our parents were our Godhead.

Our young minds couldn’t comprehend a world bigger than our home. We couldn’t comprehend a humanity much larger than our family. Our young intellects couldn’t comprehend a Godhead bigger than our parents. Naturally we accepted our parents as God, their voice as the voice of God.

But wisely, they began to explain to us a bigger world, a bigger family, and a bigger God. They needed to stay ahead of our developing minds and hearts and consciences. If they had not trained us in the truth as we developed, the world would train us. We would get our training from somewhere and someone. We are always sponges for more knowledge.

So, as we developed under the tutelage of our self-sacrificing parents we were slowly being handed over to God. While our comprehension was young the home protected us from the ravenous, roaring lion-like devils who want to devour every child born to planet Earth, especially those being raised in the truth. While we were developing intellectually, spiritually, and physically we were vulnerable, but protected in those areas. While the devils were raging that we were over-protected and “mommy’s boys” and “daddy’s girls”, we passed on remaining oblivious and innocent of the grotesque traps those devils had created for us.

As we moved into adolescence our dependence on our earthly parents began to be challenged. Our natural-born identity and personality, which we were designed to have for our self-guidance as adults, came to the fore. We were becoming adults. We were transforming into the people that were coded into our genetics at birth. Our adulthood was the real purpose for our birth—to be rational, good, loving, energetic beings that would glorify our Creators in the heavens and bring honor to our parents who invested their lives in us.

As our intellect developed, so did our concept of God. Jesus became increasingly real to us because our godly parents and our pastors trained us to study for ourselves, to meditate on the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, and to think for ourselves. An early foundation of faith was laid for our later conversion, a true conversion where we could understand the concept of sin, and have a conscience that recognized our personal sins. A need for a Saviour grew stronger and stronger until we cried out to Him and crumbled at His feet. Then the Son of God, who has charge over our redemption, justified us by our faith. He who died in hard labor to give us this second birth must raise us up in spiritual adulthood, sanctified and pleasing to His Father in heaven that He can trust us to assist Him in faithfully handling the affairs of His eternal kingdom.

Now we are walking in full man-hood or woman-hood. Our dependence on our earthly parents is cut off because our consciences are fully developed. Our moral compass is guided by our Creator, our spirit linked with the heavenly Spirit, Christ’s Spirit and God’s SPIRIT.

We are men and women by God’s estimation. We walk by faith. Faith links us to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Our internal guidance system is not imagination. It’s not intellectualism. It’s not passion or emotion or epiphany. It’s faith. It’s surrender to the only true God. It’s trusting in the Father who alone is 100% faithful and true. And perfect trust brings liberty such as the world cannot comprehend. They that are in the flesh cannot please God because trust means everything to God. Trust is the whole loyalty and fealty that He requires for the restoration of His eternal government that Satan compromised.

“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom. 8:8). Only those in the Spirit can please God, and “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” (Heb. 11:6). Therefore, faith is the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14). The eternal Spirit is the permanent faith that comes with genuine conversion. Born again, we are all the necessary spiritual genetics encoded into our consciences that will either result in a sanctified representative of heaven, or it will result in death.

Being born again, Jesus is now our teacher. We will still have under teachers, such as our parents or pastors or educators. But, with Jesus as our Master teacher, He will show us which teachers to choose. Faith in Jesus is the operating program that we follow. We have followed after Him, fought to have Him, felt Him in the dark, and found Him. Now we will always fear that we might lose Him and say with Mary, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.” (John 20:13).

Being led by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus we have life and peace.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Rom. 14:17).

The mind of faith is a happy, free mind. The Christian has a liberty that the world doesn’t have. The Christian can think for himself like the world can’t. The Christian can be honest with facts like the world can’t. The truly profound things of life are comprehensible to his peace-filled, quickened, free mind. The worldling is blind to reality because Satan won’t let him be honest with hard facts.  But with those who have found the Saviour reality is perfectly acceptable and wonderful.

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor. 3:17,18).

“Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is under the control of another power. He is not his own. He may talk of freedom, but he is in the most abject slavery. He is not allowed to see the beauty of truth, for his mind is under the control of Satan. While he flatters himself that he is following the dictates of his own judgment, he obeys the will of the prince of darkness. Christ came to break the shackles of sin-slavery from the soul. ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ ‘The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus’ sets us ‘free from the law of sin and death.’ Romans 8:2. 

     In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. 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 the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.   

     The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ. ‘The truth shall make you free;’ and Christ is the truth. Sin can triumph only by enfeebling the mind, and destroying the liberty of the soul. Subjection to God is restoration to one’s self,--to the true glory and dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into subjection, is ‘the law of liberty.’ James 2:12.” Desire of Ages, p. 466.

“He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1Cor. 6:17).

By our parents letting go of us so that we could grow up into Christ we know the fullness of life, all the happiness and pleasures that He originally intended for Adam. Today we can be with Him in paradise.

The prophet Moses spoke of—Jesus, the Giver of prophecy and of every good thing

“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.” (Acts 3:22,23).

“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken…. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.” (Deut. 18:15,18,19).

“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:

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 3:19-26, cf Isa. 11:1-10).

In a past post we looked at Acts 3:26. This verse is the finale statement to the people that great day in Jerusalem. A miracle healing had grabbed the consciences of the people and their ears were circumcised to hear truth. How did the miracle happen? Was it Peter and John having divine power, or sufficient holiness, to heal? No. It was Jesus who had that power and holiness. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.” (Acts 4:10). “God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you.” (Acts 3:26). This was not referring to Christ’s blessing them during His 3 ½ year earthly ministry, but to His blessing as a result of the event that took place that day with Peter and John. About 5,000 people who saw the miracle and repented received blessing from their Father in heaven. “God, having raised up His Son Jesus” who “was preached unto you” “by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began”, “sent Him to bless you”. “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.”

“These days” Jesus blessed the Jewish people who witnessed the healing of the man lame from birth, and He led them to repentance, per Isaiah 11:4-6 and Romans 4:2. That day God sent Jesus in Spirit to heal the lame man laid at the temple gate for the healing of the people’s souls. Their repentance created another revival like at the beginning under Joshua. “And an Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break My covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed My voice: why have ye done this?... And it came to pass, when the Angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.” (Jdg. 2:1,2,4).

That Jesus would be sent for a refreshing had been proclaimed to the Jews in advance of the Gentile world. First to the nation of Israel new hearts would receive conversion. They would have reprieve from the curse of God before the remainder of Isaiah’s chapter 11 prophecy would be completed for the world. Then when the Gentiles would join the Jews, it would be said, “His rest shall be glorious.” (Isa. 11:10, cf 49:7-13,17-26;59:17-21; 60:1-22). The reuniting of a redeemed race would be wonderful beyond description.

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” (Isa. 11:6-16).

So, from scripture Peter explains to the people that this wonderful occurrence was the fulfillment of prophecy from Moses. Christ would bring to Israel a replacement, another Moses, and exalt Him from among His Israelite brethren. Moses had said that some of the people would heed Him and find Him to present the same truths that Moses gave. But whoever wouldn’t heed this Prophet to come would be cut off from God.

“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:35,36).

Yet, there would remain forbearance for anyone who would turn and repent.

“And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.” (Rom. 11:23).

When Messiah came, Moses’ prophecy was fulfilled in every detail. Jesus, the Son of the Highest, who was God in the flesh and the fullness of the Godhead manifested, grew up among His people of Israel. Most of His own people knew Him not, but to as many as received Him He gave power to become sons of God. And His rejectors were blinded.

But, according to Peter, Jesus did not end His work of blessing the people after He ascended to heaven. He must serve as High Priest in our behalf before His Father. He must remain at His Father’s side physically, just as His 500 disciples saw Him bodily go into heaven. He must not yet return bodily in vengeance against all of His Father’s enemies for the reconstitution of His Father’s sinless kingdom in heaven and earth. But, until that full reconstitution, there would be, as there had been in the past, “times of refreshing” when the Father would send His Son.

Until the Day of Judgment, the promise would remain, “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” (Isa. 55:6).

There would be times when their jealous God would be near enough to make contact with them, but only because they had removed all the idols that divided their hearts from full repentance and obedience.

“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:27).

“So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” (Deut. 32:12).

Being humbled after seventy years of captivity would be one of those “times” when there could be restoration of the heaven-earth relation.

“For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jer. 29:10-14).

The refreshing would come through deep repentance and conversion of the heart, sins blotted out and God’s reconciling blessing poured out.

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them…. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.” (Eze. 36:26,27,29).

Jesus would cause them to “prosper and be in health, even as [their] soul prospereth.” (3Jn. 1:2). To His contrite and humbled children He promised, “[I will]…open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Mal. 3:10-12).

Jerusalem didn’t become that glorious utopia, but Antioch did. “Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.” (Acts 11:25-27).

Archeology shows that Antioch became a prosperous center of commerce and a city of comparably large dwellings, with a spiritual, scripture-based influence that stretched around the world. History declares of Antioch:

“It was at Antioch, capital of Syria, that the believers were first called Christians. And as time rolled on, the Syrian-speaking Christians could be numbered by the thousands. It is generally admitted, that the Bible was translated from the original languages into Syrian about 150 A.D. This version is known as the Peshitto… “The Peshitto in our days is found in use amongst the Nestorians, who have always kept it, by the Monophysites on the plains of Syria, the Christians of St. Thomas in Malabar, and by the Maronites, on the mountain terraces of Lebanon.” .… And the Greek New Testament, the Received Text they brought with them, or its translation, was of the type from which the Protestant Bibles, as the King James in English, and the Lutheran in German, were translated.… Onward then pushed those heroic bands of evangelists to England, to southern France, and northern Italy. The Mediterranean was like the trunk of a tree with branches running out to these parts, the roots of the tree being in Judea or Asia Minor, from whence the sap flowed westward to fertilize the distant lands.” B. G. Wilkinson, Our Authorized Bible Vindicated, p. 12-15.

Jesus was at the helm of this great spreading of the gospel truths, as Joshua had reclaimed the land of the Canaanites promised to Israel. “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).

To a church newly delivered from the paganism of Rome, Jesus said, “As captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.” (Josh. 5:14).

“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?” (Dan. 4:35).

Jesus was that prophet Moses spoke of and His work as commander of the hosts of heaven would bring blessing and cursing.

“Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.” (Luke 2:34).

Jesus, whom His Father had raised up, even from the dead, brought Him up to Himself as He ascended to God to sit at His right hand. “While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9). The “[Man-]Child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.” (Rev. 12:5).

This same Jesus would be sent to bless us. As that day at the temple their hearts were convicted of sin, the Man-Child comes to all as the Spirit of truth. “God…sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26). “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21). It is by turning us away from iniquity that Jesus blesses all who will be humbled by the conviction of sin. To them truth becomes more precious than all besides.

Jesus comes as a Prophet. “I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” (John 14:29). Thus, “the Lord is that Spirit.” (2Cor. 3:17). The Spirit of Prophecy is His voice, His testimony. “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10). “Thou shalt stand before Me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth.” (Jer. 15:19).

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (1Pet. 1:10,11).

“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).

Jesus would come to the prophet as He came to faithful and “greatly beloved” Daniel.

“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. Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:21-23).

To all who hold truth dear, the Father would give the Spirit of truth, the Comforter. It would be the presence of Jesus to His forlorn disciples. He would come to them via this divine transmission from God. The Father would “receive of Mine, and…shew it unto” His apostles. Gabriel would have a part in this transmission, as he had to the greatly beloved prophet of the past (see Dan. 10:4-21, cf Dan. 8:16; 9:21).

“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.

And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Of sin, because they believe not on Me;

Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see me no more;

Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:7-15).

The Spirit of truth who “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), is the Lord’s breath and His anointing. “He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (John 20:22). Jesus enacted Pentecost in miniature. “The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” (1Jn. 2:27,28).

The Prophet of prophets is the Spirit of prophecy, the Giver of every gift and every truth. “The same anointing…is truth” “I am…the truth” (1Jn. 2:27; John 14:6). The anointing that teaches us all things is Jesus as He promised to draw near to us, to be with us, and even to be in us unto the end of the world. No man spake like this Man because no other man was the Truth. The Spirit of Christ which was in the prophets was the voice of Christ to their soul. He anointed them with His presence, where is fullness of joy. His Father anoints Him with His own Spirit; and Jesus takes of His own Spirit and anoints His fellowservants, His brethren who “have the testimony of Jesus”, which “is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10, cf Rev. 1:1).

“Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of My lips shall be right things. For My mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to My lips.” (Prov. 8:6,7).

“Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” (Ps. 45:7).

“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.…

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps. 16:9,11).

Prōtotokos Monogenēs

In the previous post I wrote,

“‘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.

All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:1-10,14).”

And, then I quoted a large section from Proverbs chapter 8. I won’t quote Proverbs 8 again, but I will quote a portion of it from my comment that followed the larger scripture I quoted from Proverbs 8.

“Both ‘beginnings’ [in Proverbs 8 and John 1] were not eternity past, but what seemed like eternity past; that is, creation week. Creation was ‘the beginning’ to the Israelites and the Bible writers. Thus, we can know from Proverbs 8:22,23,30 that the Word of God and the Wisdom of God was the only begotten of God the first-begotten Son of God, the Prōtotokos. ‘The LORD possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:...

Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him;

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men.’”

In Patriarchs and Prophets Ellen White quoted John 1 and Proverbs 8 when describing the growing up of Michael, the only begotten of God.

“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.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.

From the other verses in Proverbs 8 we see that not only was Michael brought up with God the Father, but He was brought forth from God the Father. How the bringing forth happened may forever remain a mystery. But what is revealed is for us and our children forever. And what has been revealed is that the begetting of Michael did happen. And the begetting from the Father happened only once; it never happened again. One begetting. One bringing forth of the only-Begotten, “the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14).

“When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth^H2342…”

H2342 chûl a primitive root; properly to twist or whirl…, to writhe. in pain (especially of parturition) or fear…: - bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve…be in pain,… travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently)…

H525 ‘âmôn From H539, probably in the sense of training; skilled, that is, an architect (like H542): - one brought up.

Among other related interpretations of chûl the meaning comes through that the bringing forth of the Holy One, the Son of the Highest was a real event. Added to Mrs. White’s use of Proverbs 8 are her non-trinitarian statements in the same paragraph from Patriarchs and Prophets, page 34. Even though she didn’t quote from the “bringing forth” verses, she repeatedly used Christ’s title as, Only-begotten Son, and described another non-trinitarian thought—that a third person of a trinity was not involved in creation. “The Sovereign of the universe … had an associate”, “a co-worker”, “Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God”, “one in nature, in character, in purpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God”, “…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.’” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.

“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants....” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36.

The only-begotten Son was the only being who could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God, “…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..’” Then what does that make the Holy Spirit if Christ could be the only other being in the work of creation? Doesn’t it make the Spirit a non-being? Doesn’t the above texts exclude the Holy Spirit as a co-worker in creation? Doesn’t it exclude a third person of a trinity as an associate among Them who said, “Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness”, and then They made Adam and Eve without a third person?

“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” (Gen. 5:1,2).

All by itself, her use of those two words, “Only-Begotten”, makes Ellen White a non-trinitarian, because the Trinity doctrine states that Father, Son, and Spirit are co-eternal, and that they were three co-equal Gods who decided at some point in eternity past to each role-play three parts for the benefit of intelligent creation. The Trinity was pagan pantheism dressed in Christian theology. Paganism is at the core of the very subtle Godhead heresy. The Bible and Ellen White both call the Son “firstbegotten” “only begotten”, G3439 G4416, “prōtotokos” “monogenēs”, the only first begotten Son of God.

Our Prōtotokos Monogenēs is and—from the beginning—was the only Co-worker with His Father in the work of creation, “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.”