The Spirit is, Pt. 7

True, Matthew 28:19 requires baptism by water under the Holy Spirit’s full authority and involvement. That is because It is the earthly representative of Christ, the earthly manifestation, the divine presence and power from the hallowed Father through His Son to change the sinful heart. (It is the divine counterpart of the apostle’s spirit in 1 Corinthians 5:3, 4; but Paul’s spirit present was not a second person in the Corinthian meeting. It was a sense of Paul and his guidance there.) As the conceivable fruit of the inconceivable Godhead, Their Spirit must be reverenced along with Them, and Its control of the fallen human nature required; or else we have no part with Them, and we are not saved. Mentally assenting to a third Being of the Godhead cannot give us the required divine nature and supernatural control by the heavenly agencies. A mental assent only squanders the lifetime of the world’s masses and leaves their souls unprepared for eternity.

But, Satan has remade the Holy Spirit to appear to be a third being so that the evil one has a place to insinuate himself into Christianity’s conception of the Godhead. Thus, the spirit of darkness can give the mark of the Beast to all who never receive from the Creator the biblical Holy Spirit state of being, the holy spirit of the Godhead that comes through patiently enduring all of the condemnation of God and then receiving the mercy and comfort of His Son. The Spirit is the faith of Jesus born in everyone who finishes the metamorphosis to the new creature in Christ.

Having remade the Holy Spirit into a third being, Satan can eclipse the Father and Son and leave his own vicar as his earthly representative. Then, when the son of perdition is revealed from the sky imitating Christ, he will exalt his Vicar’s empire as the eighth and final king of Revelation 17:11. He will completely blot Jehovah from human thought by exalting the Holy Spirit/Queen of heaven/Mother Nature. Images of Mary, the Mother of God, will be resigned to ancient archives, as the Holy Spirit/Queen of heaven/Mother Nature worship will supersede Mary worship, and give birth to the visible manifestation of “Jesus” when he has arrived from Her cosmic womb. The most ancient occultic animism will make perfect sense to the world, as everyone will see it blended with the visible reality of Ecumenical “Jesus”. The whole world will be happy; everyone will find temporary relief from the overwhelming, supernatural chastisement of peace and the distressing natural calamities that have ravaged the earth.

Holy Spirit worship, within which Satan hides, is an accomplice with Spiritual Formation in the counterfeit revival that we currently see spreading its abominations over Christianity’s desolate landscape. Its gift is empty of tangible, helpful instruction in righteousness and redemption from sin, and is full of flattering, imaginary, emotion-laden counterfeit redemption under a lawless guise of “Grace, grace, God’s grace”. By mysterious popular vote from a carnal Christendom, the Holy Spirit’s graduation into the worshiped Godhead is the omega of apostasy of which we’ve been warned. “An host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered” (Dan. 8:12). “Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice” (Dan. 9:11, cf 2 Ki. 17:16-20). By a strange worship and a mysterious proxy practiced upon minds and hearts, Satan substitutes the worshiped Holy Spirit for himself, and the whole world worships “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). They worship “God” (John 16:2) under the delusions of the ancient Dragon. They eventually sacrifice the children of the one true God to that abominable ogre (see Jeremiah 19:5; 32:35; Deuteronomy 32:17, 19). They do this without regard to the severest condemnation of Christ,

Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt. 18:6).

So, by their flattering and lawless praise to God, people worship the Dragon through celebrating the Baal religion. In the place of the imprint of Jehovah’s Spirit upon their spirit (see Romans 8:16), they are receiving the stamp of the Dragon’s trampling footprint. Therefore, Jehovah abhors their worship.

They did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant (Ps. 78:36, 37).

In their lawless, flattering praise to Jehovah through the lawless “grace” from a mediatrix, full-of-grace “Holy Spirit”, the worshipers have much light and power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace from Jehovah. Instead of being justified and at peace with God, they receive Satan’s exacerbated chastisement of peace through the Beast power (see Isaiah 14:6) and later are swept into Satan’s arms when he arrives from the sky with his empty peace. Until that day their separation from God constantly harasses their consciences. “The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:11). They blame His tormenting condemnation of sin on Satan, and thus seek a comforter in the ancient familiar spirit, called the Devil and Satan. By worshiping Beelzebub in the name of Jehovah they blaspheme God, essentially calling Him Beelzebub (see Revelation 16:9). Their insulting prayers to Satan in God’s name do not go unnoticed by Him, and He finally stirs up His wrath against a world following Baal and Ashtoreth (see Revelation 16:2; 13:4, 15; Isaiah 1:6; Proverbs 28:9).

While worshiping the pagan Queen of heaven in the name of God, in the name of God the Queen of heaven blesses their soul with Her unholy influence. She lays claim to their heart by means of Her lawless blessing, and this way the entire person comes under Her control through their unguarded and wide-open, most sensitive avenue of the soul, their conscience. By peace She destroys humanity (see Daniel 8:25; Jeremiah 6:14; Deuteronomy 29:18-20). By this means Satan led Israel to give Jehovah the faked, flattering worship that Satan savors, he knowing that it would be a slap in God’s face and the total loss of His children. The devil continues the same today through making the Holy Spirit a being within the Godhead whose role is only comfort and grace, a very nice person to be worshiped compared to God and the Lamb.

They worship the Dragon who gives power to this insinuator into the Godhead, the third person of a Trinity. If Lucifer cannot actually sit on the Father’s throne relishing the praises of Israel, he has ingeniously thought to change church doctrine, and to lead the generous human creation to believe that they must give him worship. Thus, through gushing, sentimental love to God, being forced out of a hopeless, pained heart (see Malachi 2:13; Revelation 16:2) Satan’s conglomerate Baal and Ashtoreth molds their conscience and puts his mark in their forehead. His Baal aspect takes God’s condemnation to the extreme, thrashing the conscience by justice without mercy (see Isaiah 14:6). Then, his Ashtoreth mask takes Christ’s grace to the extreme, enabling the conscience by grace without Law. Thus, he destroys the mighty and holy people, turning them into powerless, groveling and prostrating ascetics before Ashtoreth, and into careless, angry militants before Baal and toward each other.

Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions (Ecc. 7:27-29).

Ashtoreth is the abomination in the holy place (see 1 Kings 11:7-9; Ezekiel 8:3, 9-18; Leviticus 10:1, 2), “the image of jealousy” (Ezek. 8:3) spreading her wings within men’s soul temple that makes Jesus a jealous she-bear. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation…stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)…” (Matt. 24:15). “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:4). This aberration of Christ’s true religion that desolates His people repeats just before He returns in power, when “all the tribes of the earth mourn” and wail to the rocks and mountains, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 6:16). All around us today we see this new celebration of lawless grace, and it is a sign of the shaking and the approaching Latter Rain. 

True, biblical worship is of only the Father and Son Creators of truth and grace. The biblical command is to “Worship God” (Rev. 19:10) and “Christ…, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Rom. 9:5). “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God [theos], and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10, cf 19:17).

The Father and the Son descended upon Mount Sinai, and there the precepts of His law were spoken in awful grandeur in the hearing of all Israel.― Manuscript 3, 1885 Christ Triumphant, p. 109.

 From the top of Mount Sinai the Father and Son, and only those Two, defining the Godhead, proclaimed,  

Thou shalt have no other gods before me… I the LORD [Jehovah] thy God am a jealous God (Ex. 20:3, 5).

“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” (Rev. 5:13). From the context of Revelation 5 we see that the seven Spirits which come from the Lamb (see verse 6) never receive the adoration of heaven. The praise of the angelic hosts focuses only on Him who has ever sat upon His throne and on the Lamb.

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…. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit [emphasis mine]. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world The Great Controversy, p. 464.

Therefore, because the denominations “know not me, saith the LORD” (Jer. 9:3, cf Rev. 8:7-13), the “Spirit” being given them for unauthorized worship so commonly seen today is the same abomination of desolation from the most ancient worship. It is the conqueror of Baal, Ashtoreth the Queen of heaven, who purports to fill heaven and earth. He is the third person of the ancient Trinity who conquered the second Person; he is the unholy “spirit” who has eclipsed the Lord Jesus. The unholy spirit has “magnified himself even to the prince of the host” (Dan. 8:11). This “another spirit”, quoted above, laid his plans early, warring against Jesus while the apostles were still alive, and craftily moving into Christianity with the insurgence of Nicene dogmas. He silently laid wait within those manipulated creeds of human philosophy until, by papal bulls and doctrine, he could bring in the Dark Ages and later the New Age.

In his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant (Dan. 11:21, 22).

He shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence [H2194 zâ῾am, “be cunning”] with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries (Dan. 11:30-32).

In Spiritual Formation, this imposter to the Godhead has already made his bold move to abrogate the holy, just, and good Law of God, and the self-sacrificing cross of Christ. The apostasy away from true righteousness by faith, with Jesus at its center, has prepared for another period of darkness and ignorance of the Bible. Today, there is no longer a need to search out the ever-unfolding revelation of Jesus in the Old and New Testaments when all one needs is to walk into a church where the sounds and lights call forth a mantra, and the voice of “God” fills the mind and conscience.

Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down (Dan. 8:11).

The power of darkness has substituted the smooth and lustrous idols of humanism that cannot allow for the condemnation of God’s Law, and therefore never can their smooth religion offer the deliverance from God’s condemnation through His only Intercessor, His beloved Lamb. “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). God needs no other intercessor than Jesus, working before His majesty bodily and working in human hearts by His Spirit (see Revelation 5:6). We desperately need the Father and Son, and Their gracious Spirit to provide our access to Them. But, we need no third being. “We would see Jesus” (John 12:21). The Spirit is empty without Jesus because It does not exist apart from Him. And we must see Jesus in His Law; we must have the Spirit and life of the Law in Christ Jesus.

The “eternal Spirit” is the sealing that God gave Jesus, that Jesus gave His apostles, and that He will give to His final church. Our sins will be “blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ” (Acts 3:19, 20). The eternal Spirit in the soul is the constant, perfect emancipation from the curse of God’s Law. That liberation comes by means of giving up our rebellion against the Law’s righteous condemnation of our sin (see Galatians 2:19). The refreshing from the presence of the Lord is the Lord’s merciful sprinkling of the eternal Spirit that He causes to fall upon and wash away the evil conscience from every soul who thus submitted to the righteousness of God (see Matthew 9:2-6). Each soul humbled and surrendered to the Law of God and then to the cross of His Son have certainty of salvation “as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Heb. 6:19). Standing guilty under the Law and under the Spirit of Prophecy counsels, and yet seeking a grace from Jesus, justifies them before God. He declares them righteous, and “out of the throne [proceed] lightnings and thunderings and voices” (Rev. 4:5). His kingdom is restored in them, and He sends to their hearts the Spirit of His Son in a packet of glory that sets them free from their past. They are His little ones, and their spirit receives the witness of His Spirit that they are the children of God. Having labored under the Schoolmaster and submitted to His Law, they are forever settled and at home under the Law’s jurisdiction. They sucked honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. They have “no more conscience” “of sins that are past” (Heb. 10:2; Rom. 3:25). The Law of God is written in their hearts and their hope is worthy to enter in within the veil of the Most Holy. They have obtained the victory, and it calls forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy.

“Labour…for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (John 6:27). Row for your life with the disciples in the pitch black storm. Labor together with the Mother of all living in your own Gethsemane under the scourging Law and Spirit of Prophecy writings. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? “Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?” (Jer. 30:6).

Under heat of God’s anger strive to succumb to His will and to obtain His acceptance until He has resurrected you with Jesus into the liberty of the sons of God (see Romans 8:11). Only those who labor and surrender to the Law and to the Testimony can need a big Saviour; and only they genuinely receive Jesus and a sound conversion (see Luke 7:29, 30). They have an altar, and the right to eat from it. They have partaken of the Mother’s multiplied sorrowful rite of passage, they are virgins; therefore, only they are worthy to see the Son on His cross. And as many as receive Him receive the packet of joy and acceptance from His Father’s eternal Spirit (see John 14:23). They labored for the gift of God (see Hebrews 4:11); they accepted to be kept under the Law by God until He finished their purification. Dead to the curse of the Law, now their exceeding great reward is to “live unto God” (Gal. 2:19), and they keep His commandments naturally. They have feared before God and His Law, so He pities them (see Psalm 103:13). Therefore they “are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). They are “Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). These overcomers are powerful sons of God, unstoppable men and women, boys and girls.

“The blood of sprinkling” (Heb. 12:24) is the eternal Spirit of Christ, “as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38, cf John 19:34). The sprinkling of the eternal Spirit that the apostolic church had was the Early Rain of the Holy Spirit. And that sprinkling will come again in the Latter Rains of the last days. It comes to all who “waited on the Lord” (see Psalm 27:14), whose mediation saved them from their Father’s condemnation (see Hebrews 12:24; Romans 7:24). They rested in the LORD, and waited patiently for him (see Psalm 37:7). They “through the Spirit” waited “for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Gal. 5:5), while they worked out their “own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). They trusted in Jesus and He brought their obedience to pass. The Father’s mighty Spirit of truth condemned them, called them, and chose them. Then as Comforter, He justified them before Him and sanctified them. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied” (1 Pet. 1:2). “Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Here are they who keep all the commandments of God and all the faith of Jesus (see 1 John 4:3, 4; Revelation 14:12). Only those who submitted to the mighty hand of God had the patience and got the victory over sin.  No one else qualifies. And only their minds are fortified with the words of truth, and can stand through the last great crisis.

The eternal Spirit is the never ending love and approbation between the holy, divine Pair that They bequeath to everyone striving to share in Their holy, gracious fellowship. “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed…. The servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:31, 35, 36). Jesus was sealed in communion and perfect obedience. His holy Father and His angelic influences were sealed within His heart; Satan and his world of sin were sealed out and could find no access to Him. So will everyone be who stands in the day when Jesus returns to receive them to Himself. “Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble” The Great Controversy, p. 623:1. They will have His perfect acceptance, unmixed with His rightful indignation of their sin. They will abide in the Son’s house free, no longer under the wrath of God, and never again slaves to sin. They will have Christ’s testimony (see John 8:29). Jesus will call each of them what He called Abraham: “My friend” (Isa. 41:8, cf John 15:15; Rom. 5:8-10).

After enduring all the agony in order to give us the second birth, the Lord is very jealous toward any other spirit being (see Ezekiel 8:3; Exodus 20:4, 5) which attempts to gain even a toe-hold into His place as man’s Saviour and Lord. The “mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20), who “made the earth and the heavens” and “all the host of them” (Gen. 2:4, 1, cf John 1:1-3), protects His own as ferociously as does a she-bear her cubs (see Exodus 19:4; 15:1, 4, 5, 8-10; Matthew 23:37). Devil, beware of the She-bear.

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:14).

The Spirit is, Pt. 6

The only two beings of the Godhead are in Christ’s prayer: “O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self” (John 17:5). The glory between Father and Son is the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14) which remained unbroken even though the Father at the cross left His Son for the purpose of redeeming us and for testing His resolve as our eternal Intercessor. “God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31). Notwithstanding, Jesus never left His Father. Their holy, eternal communion is “the Holy Ghost…the power of the Highest” (Luke 1:35), the Father always powerfully initiating the communion and the Son always powerfully responding. Restored communion with Them is the power of the Christian life. Restored communion brings the victory. It will seal us and get us through the staggering troubles before Jesus return.

 

The Godhead are two persons, two beings, “one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). “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” (1 Cor. 8:6, cf Heb. 7:9, 10). And, becoming one of us, the man Christ Jesus is God’s Intercessor; and He is such specifically because He tasted “death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Only the Son of God can mediate for man because He became a man and died a man; therefore, He was crowned with “glory and honour” (Heb. 2:9). In the plan of redemption, there can be no other Intercessor.

 

Jesus alone could give security to God; for He was equal to God. He alone could be a mediator between God and man; for He possessed divinity and humanity [emphasis mine] (RH April 3, 1894) SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 914.

 

Isaiah knew about the Spirit (see Isaiah 63:10), for he was moved by the Holy Ghost (see Isaiah 48:16). Yet, he wasn’t shown that the Spirit would be exalted in the New Testament; instead, the One Isaiah saw exalted would be the servant Son of God, specifically because He went so low (see Isaiah 53:12). Should the third person of a Trinity be exalted to a place as our second intercessor, both second Person and a third person interceding for us, when this third person never went low? Can God have security by a third person mediator who never knew our infinite shame and damnation? Can such a person correctly represent God’s self-sacrificing nature to us? And, how can we need two intercessors working together between God and man, when God made One all-sufficient, with all power and authority, and we are complete in Him (see Matthew 28:18; Colossians 2:10)? Only one has died for me, Christ alone and once for all. “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34). He alone can I intimately trust (see Hebrews 10:20), and He alone can the Father perfectly trust. Does our one Intercessor need another intercessor to broker between God and man? Do we need an Intercessor in the third person of a Trinity to mediate between us and God’s biblically designated Intercessor, His atoning and adopting Son who lives for one thing—to intercede for us? “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Does the Father love the Holy Ghost like He does His only begotten Son? No. It doesn’t say so in the Bible. Then, what kind of example do the Trinitarians learn from a Trinity? Loveless, Christless religion.

 

“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin―; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Ex. 32:32). A snapshot of the great controversy seen at Sinai, Moses beautifully interceded like the Son of God did in Gethsemane. But, Aaron, the third person in Israel’s intercession led out in the apostasy. Does our one biblically authorized Mediator need a mediator or mediatrix; does His redemption need a co-redemptress? Absolutely not.

 

As with Adam and Eve’s types, Abraham was a type of God, and Sarah typified the pre-incarnate Son of God. Another wife for Abraham could never be the mother of the Messiah and His redeemed. All that Hagar could produce would be enemies against His people. “What saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” (Gal. 4:30). The third person of the ancient Trinity cannot sit with the Heir of God and must leave church doctrine at once, never to return (see Genesis 21:12).

 

Scriptural evidence indicates that Lucifer acted as high priest of the angelic hosts. As covering cherub and of perfect beauty, by his multi-colored glory and stones of fire as he approached God on His holy mountain, his musical instruments for worshiping God paint the picture that he was the organizer and leader of praise to the Highest. Peerless was his representation between God and angelic hosts, which rooted their loyalty to him deeply in their hearts. His mediation, though not perfect on the Father’s infinite scale, worked well to order the government of heaven. However, his role as intercessor was only temporary while the Son was preparing to take that scepter.

 

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father (Gal. 4:1, 2).

 

Eventually the day arrived to exalt the Son to His eternally designated place as Heir to the throne and High Priest over the angelic hosts. This need not have been a demotion for Lucifer. He was to continue his work among the angels. But, now he would represent them before the Son instead of before the Ancient of days. Another more worthy than he was to go before the great King. Naturally, the Son of God should stand in that place. No one else knew the Father like the Son. No one else than the Son could the Father so deeply appreciate; and no one could better understand the Father’s plans than the Son. The heaven of angels deserved the Son of God to publically minister to His Father and to speak to them in His Father’s behalf. It shouldn’t be any other way.

 

Now, Lucifer had the privilege to demonstrate the spirit of God’s home—self-sacrificing love. He could offer such a gift to the King which would have struck a higher note of joy and thanksgiving among the hosts under his leadership. His Gethsemane of stepping down would have taught a lesson to the whole family in heaven, which would have gone down in eternal history. Self-sacrifice, the rule of law and citizenship would have been cemented more firmly than ever.

 

Nevertheless, when the Father’s providence made that arrangement possible for His mightiest cherub, emotion trumped reason in the mind of Lucifer.

 

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation (Jas. 3:1).

 

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (1 Cor. 10:12).

 

The new under-secretary allowed envy toward Michael to destroy his service to God. When, he could have joyfully served the Crown Prince, Lucifer failed the great test from the Father. Pride had been silently sneaking into the motives of highest created being as he discharged his high office and won the acclaim of his brethren. Rather than pushing out errant thoughts of his high status and achievements, as enemies of the kingdom, he dwelt upon them and entertained them. All of this the Father and Son saw long before the dissention that erupted later. From the beginning of Lucifer’s creation the Son knew him. Michael discerned his strengths and weaknesses, his talents and wisdom and power to influence. While Lucifer had rapidly developed head and shoulders above the angelic ranks for his capabilities, Michael’s communion with His Father had, from the beginning of the kingdom, taught the Son that Lucifer would have to face a difficult test one day.

 

That test would be the day of inauguration of the only begotten Prince to His place before His Father. He who came out from the bosom of His Father must remain next to the Most High as co-Regent. The place which Lucifer held as prime minister must become secondary to the Crown Prince. The roots of pride which Lucifer had not disciplined now took their natural course, springing up into internal rage and hidden insolence. The spirit of sin motivating Lucifer was noticed by no one among the joyful sons of God. But, Father and Son sensed every heart-felt grumble in Lucifer’s discharge of duty. While the happy hosts accomplished his orders, Lucifer began weaving in a new familiarity undue to his office of justice and mercy. He created a new office for himself where self-pity dictated its commands and requests. Self-exaltation would replace self-abnegation. Self-indulgence would take the place of self-denial. Subtly, the old paths where is the good way was altered. The original religion was changed in those whose minds the most powerful angel could bend away from the true Rulers of the kingdom.

 

Ashtoreth, the Queen of heaven was born. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Eze. 28:15). Lucifer competed with Michael for the office of Crown Prince and High Priest. She would be the mediatrix of God, and ascend even higher than God, to become the mother of God. This third person competing for divine honors is what the great controversy is all about. The contest between Christ and Satan is what made up the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. “Worship God”, “Worship Him who made heaven and earth.” “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come.” These all speak to the dissatisfaction of Lucifer in the very courts of heaven. During the warfare after Christ’s successful accomplishment of the provisions for the salvation of mankind, Lucifer early on moved into his long sought-for place in the Godhead. Even as third person, he would manipulate the doctrines of Christianity to exalt his presence above the true Father and Son Godhead in the hearts and minds of the lukewarm, worldly, non-discerning Christians.

 

As he had done throughout the Old Testament period, Lucifer used dissembling and flattery to God, and the same gushing and doting, unduly familiar, selfish, carnal love, which had been so successful to win holy angels, now to attract the weakened natures of fallen mankind. Ashtoreth and her many other guises in all the world religions wove that undue familiarity and love-sick sentimentalism into her new religion to simulate the only one, true religion founded upon principle and entrusted by Christ to Adam and the holy seed of Eve. The whole period of heavy truth and justice upon sin would be fought against until Michael the Prince Messiah would come. Christ would raise truth and grace to a higher standard; but Ashtoreth would then subsume Christianity and make the renovated, God-given system his own again.

 

But, the ancient Queen goddess of doting and persecution, would again arise among her peer saints and be worshiped on earth, even as the indefatigable angel Satan would take his Queen of heaven throne as the third person of the Godhead, again inhabiting the praises of Israel. “They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:4). The Queen would ascend again to the heights of heaven and stand up against the Prince of princes. She would again cast down and devour the faith of God’s people and persecute those whose faith would not be robbed by her captivating pagan mysteries and fictions, and by her complex sacraments.

 

There is more to the final test for humanity than the Sabbath issue; and simply whether or not to worship is not the issue of today. The final issue of worship today centers on who we worship; the issue is who gives the soul rest because both opposing powers, Christ and Satan, promise to give peace and rest. False worship through Spiritual Formation and celebration are looming higher and higher on today’s horizon of deception. Yet, our current dangers are deeper than Spiritual Formation and celebration. Those two new-comers are but the lying medium for Protestants to worship “they know not what.”

 

When no new questions are started by investigation of the Scriptures, when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves, to make sure that they have the truth, there will be many now, as in ancient times, who will hold to tradition, and worship they know not what Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 39.

 

The very foundation of worship lies in these two diverging paths, either the doctrine of God or the doctrine of the Trinity. We were created with the strong propensity to worship God who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and to worship the Son of God who is the fullness of the Godhead manifested. But, the doting, grace-only Queen of heaven is alive and seductive, and particularly ravenous to receive worship from every religionist.

 

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world The Desire of Ages, p. 324.

 

The deceiver wants to inhabit the prayers and praises of Israel. He salivates to exalt himself this way, as he did since the start of the great controversy (see Isaiah 14:14). By using the ancient Trinity, the seducer can insert an assent to another intercessor in the place of surrender to God’s justice and repentance for Christ’s mercy. Thus, he can minimize the gospel’s impact to the world by the 144,000 and attempt to derail the conversion of the “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9). And thus, the worship of the Holy Spirit, which is sweeping the Protestant churches today, displaces the character study of, imitation of, and reliance upon, God the Father and His only-Begotten, both being the only Fullness of the Godhead.

 

The “new power” that gives the “new heart” is the Spirit of Christ, Christ Himself with His “heavenly agencies” being one of “the two great powers” that contend for the control of humanity. Much more than a casual, carnal assent to a third person of the Trinity, God’s Spirit must cause us to stand “guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19) and then “dwell” (Rom. 8:11) in us in order to make us subject to “my law” (Jer. 31:33), “the law of God” (Rom. 8:7). Therefore, to set aside the offensive Law and the bold Testimony, and to join with the whole world in assenting to a third person of the Trinity for fear of Catholic excommunication or Protestant ostracism, praying to and worshiping that third person, is a subtle denial of the biblical, transformational gift of God. It is denying God the surrender of our will to His Law and of our heart to His Son’s heavenly agencies (see 2 Timothy 3:5; John 4:10; Genesis 32:25-28; Matthew 21:44). Assent to a third being of the Trinity is the most ancient rebellion.

 

Such Ecumenical worship means to receive the pagan Queen of heaven into the heart and the mark of the Beast into the conscience (see Revelation 13:3, 4; 14:4, 9-11) until the last plagues result. The Trinity falsehood provides a sensual substitute in place of surrender to the true Spirit’s condemnation of sin and our “work of conforming…characters to the divine model” The Great Controversy, p. 464. The new source of peace in a global revival comes from empty emotion and love-sick sentimentalism. As warned of in the third angel’s message, in order to counteract the wrath of God’s justice unmixed with mercy, Spiritual Formation and Queen of heaven trinity worship will add drunkenness to the last days’ tremendous thirst. Worship deluded and drunken with imaginary peace (see Jeremiah 6:14; Daniel 8:24, 25) will overwork the world’s emotions until the soul is left dark in the fifth plague. Imaginary peace will gather the deluded masses of the world to accept Satan’s impersonation of Christ’s Second Advent. Trinity worship and Spiritual Formation reveries will be instrumental in leading the nations of the earth to obey the prince of darkness when he commands the masses to hunt down all who are sealed with the holy Spirit of Christ, who are wrestling with a unique depression by seeing God’s wrath against a world sunken in sin, and with uncertainty of being prepared for His return. The preaching of that lawless, “amazing grace”-only false gospel will preempt the true Spirit of holiness that clothes us with power to overcome sin in our battle for primitive godliness. But, the gift of the Holy Spirit will not be given in full until the true Jesus returns in unearthly, inconceivable power, and we are permanently changed. Until that day, we are not the church victorious over sin, but groaning for that victory and militant against our ungodliness.

 

Is the Spirit ever called Jehovah, as the Father and Son are? No. As the first man and his wife were named Adam (see Genesis 5:1, 2), so the Father and Son alone are named Jehovah. To call the Spirit, “God the Holy Spirit”, is extremely unbiblical, and blasphemous. The Holy Ghost is not a “being” to be worshiped. Jehovah alone is to be worshiped. “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10). Neither the Bible nor the Spirit of Prophecy calls us to worship or pray to the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit was never worshiped in the Bible, how can It be God or a member of the Godhead? But, nowadays we see such a worship practice running rampantly throughout the denominations, and in our own. Not only is this biblically unsound, but it is opening the door to the long foretold Baal-peor apostasy and spiritualism.

The Spirit is, Pt. 5

The voice of the Lord is essentially the Lord, even as a voice on the radio or an image on the television we say is President so-and-so or Mister so-and-so, although understood in a substitutionary sense. God’s strong breath, His transforming life, His disposition, His mind, His pneuma (G4151), or His word logos (G3056), felt by His church can be called “Him” because It is essentially God. “He” is the Spirit as much as Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev continued to be felt by many Americans as the sound of his forceful voice and rapping shoe rumbled down through a decade of Cold War.

 

The spirit of the Law that makes us free (see Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:17) can be said to be the Spirit of God, because the Law is God’s representative. God so equates His Law with Himself and holds Himself subject to It, that we can say God is bound in His Law. He is the Spirit of the Law. And God’s word is full of metaphors; without a parable spake He not. We can equate God with His Law; we face Both and tremble (see Isaiah 66:2). However and whatever and wherever He must use to reach us with conviction, that place is forever holy; the Law is holy because of its divine origin in Him who is holiest of all. Elijah believed Mt. Sinai forever to be God’s holy sanctuary. God is not bound in the Ten Commandments; but He is found in it. He is not the Law, but He places it before Himself in all His communications with humanity, so that It is all we see of Him. If we want to know Him intimately, we must go to His other interface—His Son. We cannot come to the Father through His Law and live. His Law needs a Mediator.

 

In our limited perspective, we say that God is where we found Him, and that such a place is forever holy: Penuel and Bethel remained holy to Jacob, as did Mt. Sinai for Moses and Elijah, and the field near Zorah for Manoah, the brazen serpent of Mt. Hor for Israel; in Jerusalem David “was born there”. We identify the holy Creator with material places and things, and the practice is biblical and was acceptable to the Lord as long as the objects or places weren’t worshiped (see 2 Kings 18:4). God didn’t literally reside at Penuel or on Sinai or in Jerusalem or behind the brazen serpent. But, the faculty of faith was supernaturally charged in the individuals who had met God there and from that time forward the place/object could be a spiritual interface with Jesus. Yet faith gave them the discernment to look beyond the place/object medium of the divine touch, to build there an altar to Jesus, and by faith to speak directly with the Holy One. The new spirit of meekness and faith in His redeemed child made sanctifying the place/object acceptable to the Lord. But, too often the place/object was revered without faith in its Originator and they incurred His rightful anger; for “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6).

 

The Spirit is the divine medium for the Godhead to interface with Their material creation. God’s new gift of spirituality in the soul, which is “sent down from heaven” (1 Pet. 1:12), is receptive to God’s mortifying spirituality in those whose “circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit” (Rom. 2:29, cf Jer. 9:26; Num. 11:29; Rom. 8:26). We must seek a greater measure of this solidification of Jesus’ character into ours both intellectually and spiritually, our heart and mind hardened in conviction by Jesus, walking after His Spirit. The “hand of the Lord God” (Eze. 8:1) must be upon us, “straitening” (see Luke 12:50) our loose, fallen propensities to presumptuous worship and sin, His Spirit’s firm straightjacket keeping us under the control of the heavenly agencies. But, we must never worship the hand of the Lord; we must worship the Lord,  in the beauty of holiness and under the control of His stringent hand.

 

We can identify the Father and Son with Their medium, the Spirit. We call the holy medium “He” by our affectionate identification of It with our new Friend in “God our Saviour” (1 Tim. 1:1) and in His only begotten Son. However, while we identify It with Them, we must give Them our affection. Yes, we must honor and obey the Spirit, no less than we honor and obey the Father and Son ― because we are obeying Them through Their holy medium, the Spirit, Their Spirit. Likewise, to honor and to obey Their media of the prophets who spoke by “the Spirit of your Father” (Matt. 10:20, cf Heb. 1:1) has always received the same reward, benefits, and blessing as honoring and obeying “the LORD your God” Himself (2 Chron. 20:20, cf Matt. 10:40, 15). And, to dishonor the holy Medium and the token of our reconciliation with God is to give Them dishonor. They deny Christ in God who deny His medium of godliness, His power to make them righteous (see 2 Timothy 3:5). They have snubbed Him in whom is all authority in heaven and earth, and He will deny them before His Father. Similarly, to call Their Spirit’s promptings and convictions the work of the prince of devils is to deny and to blaspheme the Father and Son Godhead who gave It (see Matthew 12:32; 1 Peter 1:11).

 

We baptize in the name of the Holy Ghost, Their holy representative, because of the medium’s necessary involvement in Their condemnation of our sin and in Their comforting our humbled heart, a great work which is done under the Father’s management and by the Son’s direct labors. Yet, the holy Medium is not a third Person of the Godhead; It is Their holy extension, Their means of accomplishing Their will in the human heart for our justification and sanctification (see 1 Corinthians 6:11). We can worship the Godhead by springboarding off of the work of Their medium which is made holy by Its place as the extension of Divinity. But, we cannot worship Their medium, the Spirit. Worshiping the holy extension of God takes our eyes off of the Father and Son who alone all heaven worship, and who deserve our highest love (see Revelation 5:13). We can love and appreciate the Spirit, as we appreciate and love our neighbor; but, as is often the case in this misguided world, the principalities and powers of creation receive higher love and reverence than the Creators. Worse, worshiping the divine/matter Interface of the Godhead creates a diversion, an opportunity and an avenue for Satan to insert himself into our worship. That resourceful genius will make use of the church’s slightest step away from the holy path set up by its Lord and His messengers; and little by little, by the subtlest moves over time take the church far off her original course.

 

God’s holy extension/interface/medium, in the Spirit of God, is purely functional and does not love. It never visibly walked among the children of men; It never pled with us, or fellowshipped with us; It never affectionately called us “little ones”, or disciplined and forgave us. Proverbs chapter 8 refers not to the Spirit, but to Jesus; and every other action by the Spirit has been in conjunction with the Father or the Son. Why should God expect us to love a Person who hasn’t first loved us? He doesn’t.

 

The Spirit has never suffered. It never sacrificed Itself, as both Father and Son did at the cross. Only Jesus reveals the incomprehensible effort of God to save us. The Son of God stretched every limit of His humanity to reconcile the Father to us. But, a nebulous Spirit’s sacrifice does not exist in Christianity, and would mean nothing to us. A Spirit’s sacrifice is unthinkable; it is a spiritual and theological oxymoron. The nebulous Spirit causes no empathy and awakens no sorrow for sin. It reclaims no selfish heart from sin to righteousness; It has no redemptive affect upon our corrupted hearts. The Spirit, independent from Christ, cannot redeem a single soul; It is not the primary cause of our redemption. The Spirit only represents the avenue for our redemption. It is the Father working through the spiritual gestation capability of His only Begotten to quicken our soul’s receptors through which we may know the Deity’s self-sacrificing love for us. Only Father and Son have from the beginning been like a lamb slain. That should leave suspect a third Being in the Godhead.

 

Worshiping the Spirit leads only to confusion of face to no less a degree than worshiping the golden calf, which also never died, but also had a spiritually elusive, religious sense to it. To worship the Spirit that has not suffered even hardens hearts in sin, as Cain discovered by sacrificing inanimate objects. Worshiping the elusive third Person parallels Cain’s worship. Such false worship only exacerbated his chastisement of peace, even while Jesus counseled him to turn back to the true form of worship which pointed to Him. Praying to and worshiping the impersonal, inanimate Spirit not only turned Cain into a murderer, but it has ever since his day generated a race of murderers and assassins, oppressors and enslavers. No less a desolate condition will come from the new focus of Protestantism on the Spirit. We need to set our love on the Son. Everyone who chooses to not know Jesus, the wrath of God abides on him (see Psalm 91:14; John 3:36).

 

In His instruction to His disciples, Christ dwelt upon the great gift of the Spirit [emphasis mine], declaring that nothing was too great to be expected from the coming of the divine Spirit. He longed to quicken and enlarge the conception of His disciples by communicating to them His own complete appreciation of God’s love, that they might be able to comprehend the value of the gift of all gifts [emphasis mine], given by God with the giving of His beloved Son [emphasis mine], ― the gift of the Holy Spirit [emphasis mine]. On all who love and serve God this gift has been bestowed. Christ has made provision for all to receive His Spirit [emphasis mine]; for He desires to see human nature released from the bondage of sin, and, by the power which God gives, renewed, restored, raised to a holy rivalry with the angels Signs of the Times, August 7, 1901 par. 2.

 

The Bible (John 4:10; Luke 11:13, cf Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22), and the Spirit of Prophecy repeatedly, call the Holy Spirit a gift from the Father. The only time a person can be a gift is if that person were a slave. Otherwise, a gift is a thing; that is, a product or a service. Do Trinitarians believe that the third member of the Trinity is a slave or a thing, and wholly subject to the will of God? Not so, if they use the ancient formula of the Nicene Council’s three co-equal persons. And please remember that the gift of the Spirit is tagged with the Son (“Spirit of His Son”, “Spirit of Jesus Christ”, “Spirit of the Lord”, “in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”, etc). Even when mentioned separately, it is in close context to the Father and His Son. At His baptism we see that there were only two divine persons present and a gift from the Father ― not another person, but a special package of glory ― “beams” ― as a message of His love, appreciation, and approval for His Son. The Father of glory is the great Giver of every good and perfect gift.

 

“”…beams of glory rested upon the Son of God, and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, p. 60.

 

“”…the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the Saviour’s head descends a dovelike form of purest light, ― fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowly One The Desire of Ages, p. 112.

 

The beams of glory could have been the Father’s reminder to Jesus’ of His heavenly home surrounded by His Father’s eternal love. As we read earlier, “The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36. The dove-like form was emblematic of Jesus’ gentleness and meekness, not another, third person of the Godhead. Jesus is the Gift from God at His baptism, there opened to earthly and heavenly public display. Salvation was of the Jews because of Jesus.

 

“”The Father is all the fullness [emphasis mine] of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

The Son is all the fullness [emphasis mine] of the Godhead manifested.… 

The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness [emphasis mine] of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour…. ― Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, pp. 62, 63. (1905) Evangelism, 614, 615.

 

Notice the distinction Ellen White was making between the Spirit and the actual Godhead. In the above statement, she did not write that the Comforter “is” the fullness of the Godhead, as she did for Jehovah and His Son. But, the Comforter has the fullness of the Father and the Son. The fullness that It possesses comes from the Father and Son. It is recognizable only as Their fullness. Their Representative coming from Their fullness is not a source of Godhead fullness, but comes from Their fullness and in Their fullness. Nevertheless, It must be honored, heeded, and obeyed even as much as the eternal Father and His only Begotten are honored, heeded, and obeyed (see John 5:23).

 

Jesus said that He would send “another” convicter and comforter like Himself.

 

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….

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

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?...

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you….

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:…

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 14:16-18, 20-22, 26; 15:26; 16:13-15).

 

Many have read the above statements from the Lord, and naturally concluded that they teach a third person of a trinity Godhead. “Another Comforter”, “he”, “the Spirit of truth”, all seem to clearly speak of someone other than Jesus, who is talking to the disciples. But, He said plainly, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Of the coming Comforter, He was speaking of Himself. Jesus was both present and future Comforters. And, though Judas didn’t understand Jesus, he heard Jesus to say that He would later manifest Himself to His followers but not to all the people outside their group. Can the Lord say that He will be their comforter, yet also speak of Himself as another comforter? There is a precedent for this in the Old Testament by the Angel in the cloudy pillar.

 

“And the LORD said unto Moses…. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee….

And the LORD said unto Moses… I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite…

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle….

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence” (Ex. 32:33, 34; 33:1, 2, 9-11, 13-15).

 

“And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous” (Num. 12:5-10).

 

“Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him” (Ex. 23:21). That Angel who Israel was to fear was the Son of God, the Lord God, and His heavenly agencies (see Ezekiel 1). In that Angel, He showed Himself as the manifestation of His own voice on Mt. Sinai.

 

In all these revelations of the divine presence the glory of God was manifested through Christ. Not alone at the Saviour’s advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents there has been no direct communication between God and man. The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God. All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses understood the gospel. They looked for salvation through man’s Substitute and Surety. These holy men of old held communion with the Saviour who was to come to our world in human flesh; and some of them talked with Christ and heavenly angels face to face. 

  Christ was not only the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness ― the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah, and who, veiled in the cloudy pillar, went before the host ― but it was He who gave the law to Israel. Amid the awful glory of Sinai, Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of His Father’s law. It was He who gave to Moses the law engraved upon the tables of stone Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 366.

                                   

“All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ…. Christ was not only…the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah, and who, veiled in the cloudy pillar, went before the host ― but it was He who gave the law to Israel.” In other words, the Angel was the LORD God, whose voice had also spoken to Moses on Sinai. From Sinai Christ spoke of this Angel, who was Himself, “the Lord GOD, and his Spirit” (Isa. 48:16). He spoke of Himself as another person. And please recall His words regarding the Angel, “My name is in Him” (Ex. 23:21). If Christ had never said, “I will send an angel before thee” (Ex. 33:2; 23:20), then Moses could have easily assumed that the God of Israel spoke to him on the mount and then appeared in the pillar of fire and cloud; because this was precisely the truth. Then why veil the truth of Christ in two persons?

 

This interesting duplicity was not meant to deceive Moses or the children of Israel. He wasn’t telling a lie or being convoluted to hide something. It may have been simply using a cloaked third person literary device for discretionary purposes, to keep a personal and loving monotheism as a hedge against an impersonal and violent Egyptian polytheism, and a barrier against Israel’s worshiping the cloudy pillar, which they could see, instead of “seeing him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27), the Person in the pillar who they couldn’t see without faith. And it was a teaching tool to begin the revelation of the Binitary Godhead, an object lesson revealing the eternal order of heaven to deliver sinful man from Satan.

 

Similarly, Christ in the upper room used the same construct in order to be a help to His disciples and to “them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). They needed to cease worshiping and hoping in “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). They still needed to see beyond the visible Descendent of David, fully believing in His invisible divinity, as evidenced from the Father’s Spirit without measure. They must know the Holy Ghost experience from His Father above, ever fearing to blaspheme and never to deny It (see Matthew 12:31, 32; Exodus 23:21).

 

Therefore, in both cases with the disciples and with Moses, the Master Teacher spoke in parables. Even though it was the Angel who abode above the mercy seat, the LORD didn’t say that the Angel of the cloud would appear upon the mercy seat. The LORD speaks of Himself appearing there in a cloud.

 

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat (Lev. 16:2).

 

Christ was their instructor. As He had been with them in the wilderness, so He was still to be their teacher and guide. In the tabernacle and the temple His glory dwelt in the holy shekinah above the mercy seat. In their behalf He constantly manifested the riches of His love and patience Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 288.

 

Again, the Lord who also spoke on the mount was the Angel in the cloud, who would not “pardon…transgressions” (Ex. 23:21, cf Ex. 34:7), yet was sitting upon the mercy seat. Another picture of His “grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 

Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance (Ps. 89:14, 15).

 

It was Jesus speaking from the mount, for He was the Word of God, God’s thoughts made audible. Jesus is the eternal Mediator between God and His creation. The Son of God had ever been God’s divine, ordained Representative, His Father speaking through Him. Jesus was speaking as God from Mt. Sinai in behalf of His Father, and simultaneously pointing to Himself as His Father’s servant to bring His Father’s people into the land that Christ Himself had long before promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. He did the same at the end of the desert wandering, claiming the eternal existence of His Father “who only hath immortality…. Amen” (1 Tim. 6:16). He declared, “For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever” (Deut. 32:40, cf Dan. 12:7).

 

Jesus spoke of Himself as another Person, another Comforter and Guide. “All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ.” There has never been a divine mediator between Christ and mankind. The Lord of hosts through His prophets is capable of getting and keeping our attention and our hearts.

 

The Lord God who brought the Israelites through the Red Sea would be the same Comforter/Intercessor/Deliverer of the church (see Isaiah 51:10-13; Ephesians 3:9; Revelation 6:2). “Where is the fury of the oppressor?” “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Isa. 51:13; Rom. 8:34, 35).  “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?... I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: the LORD of hosts is his name” (Isa. 51:12, 13, 15). “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He who died to deliver us from sin is our Intercessor and Comforter and our exceeding great Reward. There can be no other.

 

Another double talk construct, similar to the voice and the Angel both being the Lord, comes in a dream when He spoke to Jacob above the ladder that bridged the gap between God and man (see Genesis 28:12, 13), even though later He manifested Himself as that ladder (see John 1:51). He shows Himself as both the ladder of salvation and the Lord of the ladder. So, as Deliverer He said He would send Himself to guide Israel into Canaan; and as Comforter He said He would send Himself to guide His church into all truth.

 

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 (John 15:26).

 

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).

The Spirit is, Pt. 4

I believe that Ellen White’s insistence upon the use of “He”, “representative”, “three living persons of the heavenly trio” in relation to the Spirit was her effort to prevent or to preempt the spread of pantheism. If Dr. Kellogg had gone unchecked in his book, The Living Temple, when he changed his new pantheistic theology from saying that God the Father was in all created works, to saying that the Holy Spirit was in all created works, then pantheism would have ravaged the Advent movement. We would have moved toward the idea of anything divine as a blind force. No longer would God be the Father of creation, and many would have given Him no authority over their conscience. Therefore, not only did Ellen White stress the realness and personality of God the Father, but she emphasized the same for His Spirit.

But, the Bible is clear that creation is separate from its Creator. Material creation is not made of His invisible person or “substance” (whatever Nicene “substance” meant, for God is invisible Spirit; and all we see of Him is glory). He, by His Son’s word, upholds creation; by His living word all things consist (see Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17) ― the material creation reacting to His almighty power. “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). The power of the Highest moves upon creation, and its atoms stand at attention or do as the Lord commands them. “With the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea” (Ex. 15:8). The Creator is not in creation, but creation reacts to its Creator. Matter pushes away and bows when He passes through (see Revelation 20:11).

However, regardless of Adventism’s correct biblical stance on the Godhead before and after The Living Temple, another problem had been casting a dark shadow over many Adventist hearts. That was the pervasive lack of genuine conversion, even among the leading anti-Trinitarian pastors and elders. Right doctrine cannot compensate for spiritual poverty; purity and devotion of one aspect of the life will not offset the want of these qualities in another. Therefore, in order to shake the stony anti-Trinitarian hearts into the realization of their lack of spiritual life, new prominence needed to be brought to the Holy Spirit’s work of holiness, and even more so the restoration of Christ as the greatest focus. Ellen White knew this. How could we remain in God’s good graces without coming under His transforming power? How could the Advent movement remain under His government without a valid connection with His beloved Son? How could we grasp deep truth without a daily renewed heart for righteousness? Without spirituality, wouldn’t Adventists be ever searching and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth? Wouldn’t we repeat the history of Israel and end up without a barrier against sin? In the study of the scriptures we thought we had eternal life; but the scriptures testified of Jesus, and we would not come to Him that we might have life.

My SDA brethren and sisters, let’s be honest with the Advent movement, even of today. Laodicea had locked us into her gates; and although we had right doctrine, we were not saved. Even if we were under God’s gracious forbearance, how could Jesus grow the 144,000 in Laodicea? So, He moved our prophet to bring to the forefront of the Advent movement the subject of spiritual things: Righteousness by Faith by Jesus through the Spirit.

We were not to abandon our original truths, or our strong stance on the Law and the honest handling of the word of God. But, we were to find the grace of Jesus in the Law of the Bible. We were to suck honey from a stone Law, and oil from a flinty Bible. We needed both Law and grace; and the grace would come through the Law. We needed the Protestant stance against Rome and against her Trinity; but, we also needed the link with Jesus that would lead us to fuller truth, the truth as it is in Jesus. With Jesus centrally focused we would speak the truth in love and have tears in our voice when calling sin by its right name. Without Jesus and His Spirit, we would turn into zealots and Jehu’s. Without a new focus on Christ and His Spirit’s conversion of the heart, we could no more cooperate with Jesus in fighting in the future Latter Rain than the newly delivered children of Israel could overthrow the Canaanites and establish anything better in their place. We needed Ellen White’s new emphasis on Jesus and His Spirit.

Yet, Mrs. White left much apparent evidence that she didn’t completely see the Holy Spirit as a person. For example, she didn’t always refer to the Spirit as “Him”, but sometimes as “It”.

Before we engage that issue, let’s admit that “It” can be the properly used pronoun in the case of the Spirit because it has no form, it is not in our image. But, while our Father in heaven is a Spirit and is invisible to human sight, He has a form; the Almighty is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. “The Father Himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape” (John 5:37). Thus with a dimensionless entity called the Spirit, it seems that the human mind must accept either pronoun, “It” or “Him”, in order to relate to the third Person of a Trinity Godhead.

But, a distinguishing attribute of the Godhead is independence of thought and action. In Their oneness of purpose, the Father has worked independently of His Son, most apparently during His earthly life, His incarnation, baptism, transfiguration, and crucifixion. But, the Spirit is not independent of the Father and Son. We have quoted scripture which indicates the Spirit to be wherever the Father is or the Son is, to be attached to Their Person, to work only in unison with the Father’s and Son’s independent actions. (See John 16:13,14; John 14:15-17,21,23; John 7:39, cf Rev. 5:5,6; John 3:34; Gen. 1:2; Isa. 48:16).

Now, let’s hear how Sr. White related to the Spirit of God and the Spirit of His Son.

“Let it be understood in every institution in America that it is not commissioned to you to direct the work of the Holy Spirit, and tell how it [emphasis mine] shall represent itself [emphasis mine]. You have been guilty of doing this. May the Lord forgive you, is my prayer. Instead of being repressed and driven back, as it [emphasis mine] has been, the Holy Spirit should be welcomed and its [emphasis mine] presence encouraged. When you sanctify yourself through obedience to the word, the Holy Spirit will give you glimpses of heavenly things.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 435.

To “welcome” the Spirit is not to pray to It. We are not to sing to It and praise It until It comes down, “as the heathen do.” (Matt. 6:7). Our pioneers never sang,

“There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place.…

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet Heavenly Dove,

Stay right here with us filling us with Your love….” SDA Hymnal, #262.

This is abominable heathen religion. It ranks with the 70 elders with their backs to the Lord and worshiping Nimrod at sunrise, and the women serving the Queen of heaven and Tammuz at sunrise.

Rather, “we are to pray [to God] for the impartation of the Spirit as the remedy for sin-sick souls.” 1888 Materials to S. N. Haskell, p. 1540. We are to “sanctify [ourselves] through obedience to the word.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 435. “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” (Prov. 6:20-22).

“My soul is deeply stirred at the things that have been represented before me. I feel an indignation of spirit that in our institutions so little honor has been given to the living God, and so much honor to that which is supposed to be superior talent, but with which the Holy Spirit has no connection. The Spirit of God is not acknowledged and respected; men have passed judgment upon It; Its [emphasis mine] operations have been condemned as fanaticism, enthusiasm, undue excitement.” Counsels to Teachers, p. 367.

“We are to pray for the impartation of the Spirit as the remedy for sin-sick souls. The church needs to be converted, and why should we not prostrate ourselves at the throne of grace, as representatives of the church, and from a broken heart and contrite spirit make earnest supplication that the Holy Spirit shall be poured out upon us from on high? Let us pray that when it [emphasis mine] shall be graciously bestowed, our cold hearts may be revived, and we may have discernment to understand that it [emphasis mine] is from God, and receive it [emphasis mine] with joy. Some have treated the Spirit as an unwelcome guest, refusing to receive the rich gift, refusing to acknowledge it [emphasis mine], turning from it [emphasis mine], and condemning it [emphasis mine] as fanaticism. When the Holy Spirit works the human agent, it [emphasis mine] does not ask us in what way it [emphasis mine] shall operate. Often it [emphasis mine] moves in unexpected ways. Christ did not come as the Jews expected. He did not come in a manner to glorify them as a nation. His forerunner came to prepare the way for him by calling upon the people to repent of their sins and be converted, and be baptized. Christ’s message was, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent ye and believe the gospel.” The Jews refused to receive Christ, because He did not come in accordance with their expectations. The ideas of finite men were held as infallible, because hoary with age. This is the danger to which the church is now exposed, ― that the inventions of finite men shall mark out the precise way for the Holy Spirit to come. Though they would not care to acknowledge it, some have already done this. And because the Spirit is to come, not to praise men or to build up their erroneous theories, but to reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, many turn away from it [emphasis mine]. They are not willing to be deprived of the garments of their own self-righteousness. They are not willing to exchange their own righteousness, which is unrighteousness, for the righteousness of Christ, which is pure, unadulterated truth. The Holy Spirit flatters no man, neither does it [emphasis mine] work according to the devising of any man. Finite, sinful men are not to work the Holy Spirit. When it [emphasis mine] shall come as a reprover, through any human agent whom God shall choose, it is man’s place to hear and obey its [emphasis mine] voice.” 1888 Materials to S. N. Haskell, p. 1540.

“The Holy Spirit will guide into truth. If men are willing to be molded by it [emphasis mine], they will be guided by our great Leader. There will be a sanctification of the whole being, soul, body, and spirit. You both need the spirit of understanding; then you will have the Holy Spirit, and you will discern it [emphasis mine] as it [emphasis mine] is, ― your Counsellor. . . .” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 285.

“The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; for it [emphasis mine] is His representative. Through it [emphasis mine] He infuses spiritual life into the soul, quickening its energies for good, cleansing it from moral defilement, and giving it a fitness for His kingdom. Jesus [emphasis mine] has large blessings to bestow, rich gifts to distribute among men. He is the wonderful Counselor [referring to both Isaiah 9:6 and John 14:16, 17, emphasis mine], infinite in wisdom and strength; and if we will acknowledge the power of His Spirit [emphasis mine], and submit to be molded by it [emphasis mine], we shall stand complete in Him. What a thought is this! In Christ ‘dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him.’ Messages to Young People, p. 55.

“The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency. The God of heaven uses His Spirit as it pleases Him: and human minds, human judgment, and human methods can no more set boundaries to its [emphasis mine] working, or prescribe the channel through which it [emphasis mine] shall operate, than they can say to the wind, ‘I bid you to blow in a certain direction, and to conduct yourself in such and such a manner.’ As the wind moves in its force, bending and breaking the lofty trees in its path, so the Holy Spirit influences human hearts, and no finite man can circumscribe Its [emphasis mine] work….” You Shall Receive Power, p. 323.

Even while Ellen White is calling the Spirit’s work free and independent, she continues to call it an “It”. And in this context of “It”, she specifically, purposely(?), then uses the phrase, “God...His Spirit...”. There is no hint of co-equal, coeval, divine minds conferring. We only read that the Father uses His Spirit as we would use a whip or a hammer. The Spirit is totally at the Father’s will and whim. It’s His, just as our arm, hand, foot, or leg is ours. The Spirit is Him, just as our extremities are us. Our extremities are not separate body parts that are mechanically plugged in or popped on, but they are members of our fearfully wonderful body with seamless transitions from torso to limb. God’s Spirit is just the same. His Spirit, His mind, is Him, just as our spirit and mind are us.

So, even though “It” “works the human agent”, and “It” “does not ask us in what way it shall operate”, and although “It” “often...moves in unexpected ways”, “It” does all this because “It” is “the God of heaven” using “His Spirit as it pleases Him”. Ellen White compared the Spirit to Christ because Christ is the immediate Medium in the Spirit, while the Father is the distant source and official Sender and Operate/Director of His Medium; “His Spirit” is His Son, “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6) that God sends “into your hearts”, “the Lord...the Messenger of the covenant...behold He shall come” (Mal. 3:1). “Christ did not come as the Jews expected. He did not come in a manner to glorify them as a nation.” Likewise, shouldn’t we expect that when Christ comes in the Spirit to personally direct in the Latter Rain, that It/He will “not come as the” Advent movement expects. It/He will “not come to glorify them as a [denomi]nation”.

The Spirit does not exist apart from the Father or His Son. It is never apart from Them, any more than our mind is apart from us. There is no such thing as our mind apart from us. Neither is there such a thing as the Spirit apart from God and the dearly Beloved of His Soul. This can be defined by 1 Corinthians 2:11, where Paul explains the simple relation of “the spirit of man“ and “the Spirit of God”. The Spirit is animated by the Father’s use of it and by His words which are spirit and life. The Spirit is that which proceeds from Him, as His glory does. We can’t comprehend how His Spirit can create and recreate. That is not ours to ever understand, or to attempt to understand. But, it is ours to know the identity of the Spirit because we must know the Father, who He is, and who His only begotten Son. We must be wise and discerning as serpents in these days of tremendous deception.

“It was just before this that Jesus had a second time performed the miracle of healing a man possessed, blind and dumb, and the Pharisees had reiterated the charge, ‘He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.’ Matthew 9:34. Christ told them plainly that in attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, they were cutting themselves off from the fountain of blessing. Those who had spoken against Jesus Himself, not discerning His divine character, might receive forgiveness; for through the Holy Spirit they might be brought to see their error and repent. Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ; but he who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him. It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare It [emphasis mine] to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul.” The Desire of Ages, p. 321.

“We need to feel the converting power of God’s grace, and I urge all who have closed their heart against God’s Spirit to unlock the door, and plead earnestly, Abide with me. Why should we not prostrate ourselves at the throne of divine grace, praying that God’s Spirit may be poured out upon us as it was upon the disciples? Its [emphasis mine] presence will soften our hard hearts, and fill us with joy and rejoicing, transforming us into channels of blessing.” Signs of the Times, September 27, 1899 par. 7.

These hints from Ellen White are whispers of her broader biblical view of the Spirit. Her several references to the Spirit using the pronoun “it” reveal that there was much more to her understanding of the “personality” of the Spirit of God than the standard Trinitarian third Person who is a Being co-equal with the Father and Son. Although her older usages of “it” for the Spirit were more abundant, she retained that usage as late as 1898. (And an argument could be made that the later few usages of “it” reflected the desire to be less offensive to our sister denominations.) In her writings, sometimes He was an “agent” (as in, a person), and sometimes It or it was an “agency” (as in, a non-personal office) or “agencies” (as in, not alone in that office, It being only part of a larger office or group of created beings).

She called the Holy Spirit the representative of God on Earth. Can a non-personal “it” be viewed as a person-like representative? Yes, that is possible. But, doing so requires a broader paradigm of the Spirit, which many are not willing to allow. We can understand this by two definitions of “representative” from the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary used by Ellen White:

REPRESENTATIVE, n.

1. One that exhibits the likeness of another.

A statue of Rumor, whispering any idiot in the ear, who was the representative of credulity….

2. In legislative or other business, an agent, deputy or substitute who supplies the place of another or others, being invested with his or their authority. An attorney is the representative of his client or employer. A member of the house of commons is the representative of his constituents and of the nation. In matters concerning his constituents only, he is supposed to be bound by their instructions, but in the enacting of laws for the nation, he is supposed not to be bound by their instructions, as he acts for the whole nation.

3. In law, one that stands in the place of another as heir, or in the right of succeeding to an estate of inheritance, or to a crown.

4. That by which any thing is exhibited or shown.

This doctrine supposes the perfections of God to be the representatives to us of whatever we perceive in the creatures.

Notice the fourth definition does not use a person as the representative. Rather than a relative pronoun “who” or “whom” that denotes a person and describes an intelligence owning the right to represent as in definitions 2 and 3, in definition 4 the relative pronoun “that which”, and the intangibles, “any thing” and the example “the perfections of God”, use conceptual subjects for a “representative”. “Any thing” refers not a person or persons, but to things—to an “it” or to many “it”s.

And looking at definition 1 we see this again in reverse. This definition does involve a person. We read that so-and-so is “the representative of credulity”. In this case of “representative”, today we might use the word, “personification”: a person is representing, personifying an intangible concept. In the fourth definition example, an intangible concept is representing a person, i.e. “the creatures” in our perception represent to us attributes exclusive to divinity, “the perfections of God”, or, “perfections…in the creatures” represent the exquisite “God” Himself.

 Did Ellen White even once call Jesus or the Father an “it”? No, because she knew that They were persons, and only persons. She always referred to the Father and Son as “Him” “He”, etc., for she knew that They were divine beings. And divine beings, as well as human beings made in Their image, are never called, “it”.

Ellen White would never have called the Father or the Son the pronoun, “It”, or the possessive pronoun, “Its”. To her, They were “He”, “Him”, or “His”, “Them”, “Their”, and nothing else. What was she trying to communicate, but that she saw in the Holy Spirit something other than the typical “person” or “personality” as we know it in human terms or thinking?

But, I also believe that, more often than not, Ellen White wisely added the personal pronouns “He” and “Him” in place of her “It” usages of the Spirit because the personal pronouns “He” and “Him” were used almost exclusively in the then wide-spread King James Bible. She may not have known that the King James translators fully understood the word, “Spirit”, Gr. pneuma, and that its neuter form always demanded an impersonal “it” as a pronoun. Yet because of the strong prevailing prejudice in favor of a third co-equal, male person of a Trinity, and their own prejudice in that regard, the translators used the personal pronoun of “he” when describing the Spirit. If the translators had retained their integrity with grammatical correctness and used the pronoun “it” instead of “he”, then much of the misconception toward the Trinity would by now have disappeared. Or, the attacks from Rome would have increased, by open war, intrigue, and subversion. Or, the King James Bible would have created a new uproar among the people, contrary to the main purpose of King James, who commissioned his new translation in order to bring peace to his already religiously divided realm. Based on these facts, it’s easy to assume that the king would have rejected all accurately grammatical references to “the Spirit” as an “it”. Ellen White, along with multitudes of Protestants, knew nothing about the Greek grammar pneuma-neuter-impersonal-“It”-pronoun issue, so the Trinity untruth would perpetuate itself within 20th century Protestantism and, later after her death, among the late Remnant.

By her use of both pronouns I believe Sr. White was trying to be faithful to the biblical references of the Spirit, as the Bible at times also used the pronoun, “it” (see Isaiah 34:16; Romans 8:26). And she was not theologically wrong to emphasize the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of God as “He” and “Him”. The Spirit of God is essentially God Himself; the Spirit of Christ is essentially Christ Himself. The arm of the Lord is essentially the Lord; the hand of the Lord’s providence is Him in action, as is the metaphorical “finger of God” (Luke 11:20). Therefore what we experience of the government of heaven via the Spirit, by His extension is the Lord and His Father God, and can be metaphorically said to be Them. The Spirit of Christ, which we sense by faith, can be called Christ. By one touch, He broke through our hearts that were hardened in sin by His supernatural means. If I use a sledge hammer to break a slab of concrete, did I break the concrete, or did the sledge? “We” broke it, my sledge and I. I couldn’t have broken it by myself. But, I did break it. I broke it, and the sledge was the medium I used. So it is with the holy Medium of the almighty God and the mighty Son of God to break my self-will and wily, wrangling, tangled heart.