The Doctrine Of The Spirit Of Christ

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The Doctrine of the Spirit of Christ By

Brian Tsikada

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INTRODUCTION: Deut 29:29: “The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.” There are many mysteries concerning the Spirit of Christ that God in His wisdom has seen it wise not to reveal to man. Even if He was reveal them to us…would our finite minds understand? Nevertheless, God has revealed in inspiration enough knowledge of His Spirit so that we can know Him aright, worship Him aright and flee idolatry. Indeed, eternal life is based on the true revealed knowledge of God. John 17.3. 1 John 5.21. Rev 14.6. John 4.24. That knowledge which God has not revealed in His word on this great subject is not for our salvation. The primary purpose of this manuscript is to bring to light what scripture and the pen of inspiration have revealed to me on the doctrine of the Spirit of Christ. I invite you to study the concepts I have set forth in this paper, and to weigh the evidence and then make your own judgment. Isaiah 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them”.

Brian Tsikada. [email protected] 1 Oct 2009 Edited 25 Nov 2009 *(All emphasis in this document are mine unless indicated otherwise. You are encouraged to look up each reference, biblical or Spirit of Prophecy to see its place and meaning in its original context)*

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Sections

Page

Part One - The Personal Spirit ……………………………………4

Part Two - The Impersonal Spirit …..…………………………….24

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Part One The Personal Spirit The Spirit and the Voice of Christ in the Old Testament The scriptures reveal that there is only ONE Spirit: Eph 4:4 “[There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;” Eph 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” 1 Cor 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” This one Spirit also called the Holy Ghost, was the inspirer of the Old Testament prophets: 2 Pet.1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.” Acts 28:25 “And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, :26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.” The Holy Ghost who inspired the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament is the Spirit of Christ:. 1 Pet 1:11 “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.” 1 Pet 3:18 clearly reveals that it was Christ in the OT who by His own Spirit spoke through Noah at the time of the flood. The Spirit was the medium, channel or agency through which Jesus (Christ) communicated His will to man: 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: :19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” Here E.G. White confirms this thought:“The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. “The Spirit of Christ which was in them” “testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:11. { E.G.White Desire of Ages p 234.1}.” “It was Christ that spoke to His people through the prophets. The apostle Peter, writing to the Christian church, says that the prophets “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

5 testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10, 11. It is the voice of Christ that speaks to us through the Old Testament. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10.{E.G. White Patriachs and Prophets p366.3}. Conclusion: The voice of the Spirit in the Old Testament was the voice of the Son of God. Christ used the agency of His own Spirit to speak to man.

The Spirit of God and The Spirit of Christ The following scriptures reveal that the Father “also” has His own Spirit: Rom 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Job 33:4 “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Matt 10:20 “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Now compare the above verses with Gal 4:6 and Phil 1.19: Gal 4.6 “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Phil 1.19. “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” On the surface, the five verses above may give the impression that the believer can receive the Spirit of the Son of God and another Spirit which comes from the Father thereby ending up having two Spirits. How do we resolve this paradox?: Keeping in mind that there can only be one Spirit.(Eph. 4.4), let’s now read Romans 8.9: Rom 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” It is then clear that if there is a Spirit of God as well as a Spirit of Christ and yet there can only be one Spirit – then it follows that the Spirit of God is also the Spirit of Christ. This means that Christ and God therefore share and have the one and the same Holy Spirit. Bible writers depict this Holy Spirit as proceeding first from the Father and also from Christ to His church: John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” Acts 2:33 “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Conclusion: The Father and the Son have the same one Holy Spirit. When seen as proceeding from the Father –it is the Spirit of the Father; when seen as proceeding from the Son, it is the Spirit of Christ.

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The Spirit of Man We may gain an understanding of Christ and the Holy Spirit by studying the nature of man – for man was made in the likeness of God ( Gen 1.27). This likeness to God was both outwardly and inwardly: “Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character. Christ alone is “the express image” (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God”. E.G.White, Patriachs and Prophets p.45. One of the attributes of man is that he has a spirit within him: Zech 12:1 “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.” Prov 18:14 “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Ps 43:4 “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.” Is 26:9 “ With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments [are] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” Dan 7:15 “ I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.” This spirit of man is not the same as the Holy Spirit as is shown in Romans 8.16: Romans 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” The human spirit is the seat of the Holy Spirit in the converted man. It is the centre of man’s thoughts, feelings and will. The living human brain by its complex nervous system interactions within itself and with the body generates the mind of a person. The expressions of the attributes and dispositions of the mind is the spirit of the mind or the spirit of man. The moral condition of the spirit of a man is the quality of his character. At conversion the human spirit is renewed or transformed: Eph 4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Dan 6:3 : “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit [was] in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.” Ps 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

“The Lord Jesus, who is the judge of every man, will inquire in reference to many hard-hearted, selfish, scheming transactions, “Who hath required this at your hand?” The spirit, the character, you have manifested has not been at all after the Pattern I have given you in my life and character, when I was upon the earth.” {E. G. White, Review and Herald, October 16, 1894 par. 3}. The spirit of man is also the centre of man’s consciousness— the breath of life. Without it,the body is dead. It returns to God at death, not as a living entity but as an innate template, a transcript or a record of the character of the man:

7 James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Eccl 3:19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity.:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. :21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” Heb 12:22 “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, :23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” It is this spirit (or character) that is saved and clothed with an incorruptible and immortal body at the time of the second advent: 1 Cor 5:5: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

“Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man will have his own character.” {E.G.W. S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 6, p. 1093} 1900. Conclusion: The spirit of man is the disposition and quality of his mind. It is his character. It is under direct influence of the Holy Spirit in the converted man. At death, the human spirit returns to God as a non-living entity –It is given back to live eternally in an incorruptible, immortal body at the resurrection of the just.

The Personality of the Spirit of Man The spirit of man or “heart of man” (1 Cor 2:9) is the seat of man’s personality and consciousness. It is personified in “the third grammatical person” in the masculine gender as “the old man”, “the new man”, “the inner man,” or “the inward man”: Eph 4:22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; :23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Eph 3:16 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” Rom 7:22 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:” 2 Cor 4:16 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day.” Col 3:9 “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

8 As already mentioned above, this ‘inner man’ of every person is the seat of the attributes of personality and consciousness. Some of these active living attributes of the human spirit are shown in the table below: Personality Attribute of the Human Spirit Has personal pronouns – “His”, “Him” Has gender attributes : inner man, inward man, new man, old man Can have heaviness, anguish, sorrow, sadness, etc Can rejoice Can be jealous

Verses

Personality Attribute of the Human Spirit Can sustain a man, can be wounded Has deeds

Verses

Is 61.3 ,Ex 6.9, 1 Sam 1.15, 1 King 5.21, Job 21.4 Lk 1.47 Num 5.14

Can seek God

Is 26.9

Can err Has will power

Can have understanding Can constrain Can commune, can search Can be faithful

Job 20.3 Job 32.18 Ps 77.6. Pr 20.27

Can perceive Can sigh deeply Can purpose

Is 29.4 Ex 25.31, Mat 26.41, Mark 2.8 Mark 8.12 Acts 19.21

Pr 11.13

Can bear witness Can glorify God Can pray Can bless Can be quiet Can be apportioned or measured out

Rom 8.16 1 Cor 6.20 1 Cor 14.14 1 Cor 14.16 1 Pet 3.4 2 Kings 2.9, John 3.34

Can worship/can serve God Can have knowledge Can speak Can sing Can lust Can confess Can “come”

Col 3.9, Col 3.10 Eph 3.16, Rom 7.22, Col 3.9

Pr 18.14 Col 3.9

John 4.24, Rom 1.9 1 Cor 2.11 1 Cor 14.2 1 Cor 14.15 James 4.5 1 John 4.3 Judges 15.19, 1 Sam 30.12

It is of particular note that all the active and living attributes in these verses are ascribed only to that part of man that is called the spirit of man and not to the whole person. It is to be recognized that the ‘outward man’ is merely the medium through which these inner personality attributes are expressed. Carrying the above thought further, it is important to note that though Paul called his spirit, “the inner man” or “the inward man”, yet it cannot be thought that his spirit was one individual being and his “outward man” another second separate different being, therefore making Paul two beings or two persons. Paul was one being with one individuality and one personality; his spirit was not another independent being, but was the inner part of himself – his “inner-person”, his “inner reality”. At conversion it is this “inward person”, “the old man” or “the spirit of Paul’s mind” that was transformed or renewed by the regeneration of the Spirit. (Eph 4:23, Col 3:9, Rom 12:2).The “old man” was reckoned ‘dead’ by this transformation, and Paul himself became a “new man”. This

9 change was so radical that in reality it was a “new birth”; he in fact became a “new creature”. John 3.3-5, 2 Cor.5.17,Gal 6.15. Conclusion: The human spirit in reference to conversion is personified “in the third person” in scripture either as an “old man” or a “new man”. It has active, living attributes of personality. In fact, the human spirit, it is the very root of man’s personality. Though that human spirit is referred to as a ‘man’ it is in reality not a second separate individual being from the man himself – but it is his inner reality, a part of his self. It is his inner substance and nature.

The Spirit of Man and the Being of Man As already seen, the human spirit as a living entity inhabits and is confined to the body of man. The spirit animates (gives life to) the body, expressing itself through that body. Separated from each other, both the body and the spirit are dead (James 2:26). The body, the flesh enters the grave and decomposes, the spirit returns to God as an inanimate or life-less template. Eccl 12:7, Lk 23:46, Heb 12:23. Sometimes Paul speaks of being absent in body but being present elsewhere with other believers in spirit: Col 2:5 “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.” 1 Cor 5:3 “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, [concerning] him that hath so done this deed, :4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,” How is this to be understood? The following scriptures help to unlock the meaning of the above passages: Isaiah 40:13 “Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?” Romans 11:34 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” Notice how Paul by the Holy Spirit quotes and interprets Isaiah 40:13; he understands that the presence of the spirit of Christ is the presence of the mind of Christ. It can therefore be easily understood that when Paul says he is present in spirit with the believers but absent in body he was in reality with them in purpose, in thought, in feeling: he was with them in mind. The believers likewise, were to have a real understanding of the thoughts and feelings of the apostle over certain matters even though he was not physically present with them. (Paul’s spirit like any other man’s could not leave the habitation of the body and maintain separate existence in a different location from his physical being or person). Conclusion: Though a person can be physically in a certain location, he can also be present in another place in spirit: this presence in spirit is a presence only ‘in mind’ and not in being.

The Personality of the Spirit of Christ Paul draws an analogy between the spirit of man and that of God in 1 Cor 2.11: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” 1 Cor 2.11.

10 Notice that Paul here is not contrasting the spirit of man and the Spirit of God, but He is emphasizing the similarities. Therefore, by understanding the relation of man to his spirit, we may gain an in-sight of the relation of God to His Spirit. Just as the spirit of man has active living personality attributes so also does the Spirit of God. (See the list of the various attributes of the divine Spirit in the table here below – a comparison of this list with the list for the human spirit in the previous table clearly reveals near identical similarities): Personality Attribute for Holy Spirit The spirit referred to as “he”, “him”, “his” Can teach Can bear witness Can reprove, convict Can guide Can speak Can hear Has a will Can help

Verses

Verses

John 16.7,8,13,14

Personality Attribute for Holy Spirit Can intercede

John 14:26. John 15:26 John 16:8. John 16:13. Mar 13:11. John 16:13. I Cor. 12:11. Rom.8:26

Can groan Has knowledge Can be grieved Can be lied to Can be blasphemed Can reveal Can testify Can desire

Rom 8:26. Acts 15:28. Eph. 4:30. Acts 5:3 Matt 12:31. Luke 2:26. 1Pe 1:11. Gal 5:17.

Rom 8:26.

It is most important to recall at this point that we have seen that the possession of personality attributes by the spirit of man does not make it a second separate individual being to the man himself. The same would necessarily be true of the relation of the Spirit of God to God Himself (for man was made in the image of God. Gen 1.27). Comparing the scriptures in Isaiah 40.13 and Romans 11:34, we have already learnt that presence of the Spirit of Christ as also being the presence of the mind of Christ. The scriptures also show that the Spirit of Christ is His divine person as much as the human spirit is the inward person of man: Let us compare the following three verses: 1 Cor 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Eph 3:14 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,:16, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” Col 1:27 “To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Are we to understand from the above scriptures that having the mind of Christ is one thing, having the Holy Spirit of God another and having Christ within yet another different experience? Surely not! All these verses point to one thing: Having the Spirit of Christ in the inner man is having the mind of Christ – having the mind of Christ is having His person. (The word person here is not referring to the outward bodily form of Christ, but to His inner divinity – this is shown more clearly further down in this paper).

11 In another place in Eph 3:16-18, Paul, in one passage shows that the dwelling of the Spirit in the human spirit or inner man is the in-dwelling of the divine person of Christ: Eph 3.16 :“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man :17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height :19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” E.G. White comments showing that the presence of the mind of Christ is the presence of His Spirit: “The teacher must be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then the mind and spirit of Christ will be in him, and he will confess Christ in a spiritual and holy life.” {E. G. White, Review and Herald, February 9, 1892 par. 21} “All the followers of Christ are to be laborers together with God. Filled with the Spirit, having the mind of Christ, in perfect sympathy with him, they are, in their sphere, to bend every energy to the salvation of souls”. {Signs of Times, March 7, 1892 par. 10}. “Could there be a convocation of all the churches on earth, the object of their united cry should be for the Holy Spirit. When we have that, Christ our sufficiency is ever present, we shall have every want supplied. We shall have the mind of Christ.—Letter 114, 1894. { Manuscript Releases Vol 4. p 335.5} “Frank Belden knows the earlier history of the work in the office; he knows the testimonies which God has sent to him and others in regard to self-denial and sacrifice. He is not ignorant of the many opening fields where the standard of truth is to be lifted, and where means are needed to establish the work. If he had the Spirit of Christ, he would reveal the mind of Christ”. {1888 Materials 1107.1} E.G. White comments showing that the Spirit of Christ is Christ’s own divine person: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” Christ declares; “no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Christ is invested with power to give life to all creatures. “As the living Father hath sent me,” he says, “and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. . . .It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Christ is not here referring to his doctrine, but to his person, the divinity of his character. {E.G. White Review and Herald, April 5, 1906}. Notes on the above passage: The spirit that quickeneth is the person of Christ; His divine character ---another word for character is spirit. “Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” Jesus used bread as a figure to illustrate the vitalizing power of his Spirit. The one sustains physical life, while the other satisfies the heart, and strengthens the moral powers. Said he, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” {Spirit of Prophecy Vol 2. p 276.2}. Notes on the above quotation: Christ is the bread of life, yet eating of that bread is the receiving of His Spirit.

12 Conclusion: The presence of the Holy Spirit is the presence of the mind of the Lord. The Spirit is the inner divine personality of Christ as much as the human spirit is the inward person of man.

The Omnipresent Spirit and the Being of Deity The scriptures reveal that both God and Christ bodily sit on the throne in heaven: 2 Chronicles 18:18 “Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and [on] his left.” Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” Heb 8:1 “Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;” Rev 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Zec 6:13 “Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both”. The Scriptures reveal that though God bodily sits on His throne in heaven, yet He is present everywhere by His Spirit: Ps139:7 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there]. :9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me…….” Ps 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” The life and operations of the Spirit of the Deity, unlike the life and operations of the human spirit is not confined to the persons of their being. The Spirit “proceedeth” from within God and Christ and extends their personal presence throughout all creation, throughout all dimensions of space and time. In other words, through this agency of their one Holy Spirit, both God and Christ are made omnipresent: . E.G. White comments on the Spirit being the omnipresence of God and Christ: “….Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name." "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" [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, "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" [John 16:12, 13]. {E.G. White Manuscript Releases vol14. p 179.2} “The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. “The Lord’s throne is in heaven” (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present. He has an intimate knowledge of, and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand” E.G. White Education.p.132.

13 “The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek for those things that alone can give peace and rest—the grace of Christ, the joy of holiness. Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him.” {E. G. White, Steps to Christ, p.28} 1893. Conclusion: In this section, we have seen that though the two beings of Deity (God and Christ) are sitting on the throne in heaven, yet they are made omnipresent throughout the universe by their divine mind or Spirit.

The Spirit of Life, the Breath of God The mind is the fountain, the centre and the seat of consciousness. All consciousness is life. The divine mind of God and Christ is therefore the fountain, the source of the divine life. As elsewhere shown, the divine mind is the Spirit. Possessing life within itself, that divine mind is therefore also the Spirit of life. It can quicken, resurrect, and impart the life it possesses, even the very life of God and Christ: Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Revelation 11:11 “And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them” Romans 8:10 -11 “And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness.11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you”. 2 Cor 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.” 1 Pet 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

“The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul.” {E. G. White, Manuscript Releases Volume 4, p. 332}1896.

“The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.” {The Desire of Ages, p. 805} One of the words for spirit in Hebrew is “ruach” meaning breath or wind. So in scripture the Spirit of God is also referred to as the “breath of God”—which “breath” proceeds from “within” Him. This breath of God is omnipotent divine energy with infinite capacity to create matter both animate and inanimate: Job 32:8 “But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding”.

14 (The word for inspiration here is ‘neshamah’ in Hebrew; it means breath or spirit – this verse therefore means that God’s Spirit or breath gives understanding to the human spirit). Ps 33:6 “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” Gen 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Ezek 37:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: :6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD. :7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but [there was] no breath in them.:9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. :10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. :13 And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken [it], and performed [it], saith the LORD.” Job 37:10 “By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.” Ps 104:30 “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.” Job 33:4 “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” 2 Thes 2:8 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” John 20.22: “And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” E.G. White comments on the Spirit, life and breath of Christ: “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not take place till after Christ’s ascension. Not until this was received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the gospel to the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose. Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties in connection with the church, Christ breathed His Spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most sacred trust, and He desired to impress them with the fact that without the Holy Spirit this work could not be accomplished. “The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who

15 are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.” {Desire of Ages p 805.3} “I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, “Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself.” Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, “My Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.” Early Writings p 56 “Christ came to our world to restore the moral image of God in man. He takes human agents into co-partnership with himself, giving them the breath of his own Spirit, the life of his own life. To all who would obtain a correct view of their duty in regard to their fellow men, Christ gives power to obtain righteousness and to do their work successfully. These breathe the atmosphere that surrounds Christ. They live the true life that he lived in our world……..None who breathe the breath of God, receiving the Holy Spirit from him, can be indifferent in regard to the welfare of others. Their own souls are inspired with the love of Christ, and they use all their powers in the work of presenting Bible principles. …..” {Review and Herald, July 19, 1898 }. We have already seen that the Holy Spirit is the divine personality of Christ and that the presence of this divine personality is the presence of the divine mind. We have now just seen that the divine Spirit is the Spirit of life as well as the breath of life of God. Job 33.4. John 20.22. Gen 2.27. When this breath of life is breathed upon man, the mind of man is infused with the divine nature, even the mind of Christ or the Spirit of Christ.(Isaiah 40.13. 1 Cor 2.16). From this breath, flows out the divine life of Christ or ‘the fruit of the Spirit,’(Gal 5.22,23), which is revealed/expressed in the character. Conclusion: The Holy Spirit is the Spirit and breath of life possessing infinite creative energy. The impartation of this breath to man generates the personal presence and life of Christ in the soul.

The Spirit of Christ - the Soul of Christ “He (Christ) united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united himself with the temple. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” because by so doing he could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam. The glory of Christ was veiled, that the majesty and beauty of his outward form might not become an object of attraction.” {E.G. White Youth Instructor, December 20, 1900 } “Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift,the Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the

16 efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin”. {E.G.White Review and Herald, May 19, 1904 } “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” Christ declares; “no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Christ is invested with power to give life to all creatures. “As the living Father hath sent me,” he says, “and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. . . .It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Christ is not here referring to his doctrine, but to his person, the divinity of his character. {E.G. White Review and Herald, April 5, 1906} Conclusion: The divine Spirit that dwelt within the Son of Man was the soul of His life. This was the Holy Spirit, this was His own glorious divine person veiled under the garb of humanity.

Christ Divested of the Form of Divinity – the Incarnation Phil 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God” Christ before the incarnation was in the divine form of God. He was outwardly and inwardly divine. The incarnation was a transformation of that nature from the absolute divine state into a form that was both fully human and fully divine. This transformation caused Him to become mortal and divested (or “stripped-off”) of the outward divine glorious form of God. His divine Spirit – His divine mind – His divine person - His divine soul- His Godhead, was then “clothed” or “veiled” under the garb of humanity: Heb 10:5 “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:” John 1:14 “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.” “He (Christ) united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united himself with the temple. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” because by so doing he could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam. The glory of Christ was veiled, that the majesty and beauty of his outward form might not become an object of attraction {E.G. White Youth Instructor, December 20, 1900 }. Note of the above comment: Christ’s divine spirit or divinity was veiled under the flesh. “He was in all things like unto us. Though He was God, He did not appear as God. He veiled the manifestations of Deity, which had commanded the homage and called forth the admiration of the universe. He divested Himself of the form of God, and in its stead took the form of man. He laid aside His glory, and for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich. “ As a member of the human family, Jesus was mortal; but as God, He was the Fountain of Life to the world. He could in His divine person have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion. He might even in His human nature have withstood the inroads of disease, His divine nature imparting vitality and undecaying vigor to the human.

17 “ But He voluntarily laid down His life that He might give life, and bring immortality to light. He must bear the sins of the world, and endure the penalty that rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. The whole treasure of heaven was poured out in one gift to save fallen man. The Saviour brought into His human nature all the life-giving energies that human beings may need and will receive. Wondrous union of man and God!” {E.G. White Manuscript Releases Vol 17. p339.2}. “Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men, assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem”….. (E.G. White Manuscript 29, 1899). {S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol 7. 915.3}. Note on the above two comments: By the incarnation (which was a painful process), Christ hid His divine person or divinity under His humanity. “In His incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a Redeemer”. { E.G. White Manuscript Releases Vol 12 p 409.2} Manuscript 111,1897. The incarnation was painful process, which involved an infinite sacrifice, at an infinite cost. Christ divested Himself of His original, glorious outward divine form of God. The voluntary adoption of the human nature encumbered Christ; He sacrificed both His omnipresence and immortality. By the incarnation, Christ voluntarily sacrificed the exercise of His innate divine omniscient, and omnipotent attributes for Himself even though He had unrestrained, unlimited and instant access to all of them. He daily chose to place Himself in man’s experience, wholly dependent on God for life, deliverance from disease, and death. Though still in possession of His Godhead, His own original divine mind, Christ in His humanity and as our example, voluntarily depended on the supply of the Father’s Spirit for divine instruction and victory over temptation, sin and Satan. He willfully neither consulted nor employed for His own convenience the powers of His own Godhead. “We need not place the obedience of Christ by itself as something for which he was particularly adapted, because of his divine nature; for he stood before God as man’s representative, and was tempted as man’s substitute and surety. If Christ had a special power which it is not the privilege of a man to have, Satan would have made capital of this matter. But the work of Christ was to take from Satan his control of man, and he could do this only in a straightforward way. He came as a man, to be tempted as a man, rendering the obedience of a man. Christ rendered obedience to God, and overcame as humanity overcome. We are led to make wrong conclusions because of erroneous views of the nature of our Lord. To attribute to his nature a power that it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, is to destroy the completeness of his humanity. The obedience of Christ to his Father was the same obedience that is required of man. Man cannot overcome Satan’s temptations except as divine power works through humanity. The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what God in his own divine person could do, but what he could do through humanity. Through faith man is to be a partaker of the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset. It was the Majesty of heaven who became a man, who humbled himself to our human nature; it was he who was tempted in the wilderness and who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself”. E.G. White. Signs of the Times, 10 April, 1893.

18 “The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering were wrought by the power of God through the ministration of the angels” { E.G. White Desire of Ages p 143.1} Conclusion. The incarnation of Christ resulted in a Christ divested of His original outward majestic and glorious form of God. His divine Spirit, His divine person, or Godhead, was veiled under human flesh and united to it. This voluntary and painful transition was an infinite sacrifice with an infinite cost.

Christ Divested of the Form of Humanity - The Spirit of Christ, “Another Comforter.” Christ speaking to His disciples says : “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 14.18. In the above passage, Christ speaking of the Comforter says that the disciples already knew the Comforter; He said they even dwelt with that Comforter. Christ then promised that this Comforter shall dwell in them. Who is this Comforter whom the disciples knew, who even abode with them? Christ answers this question Himself ---- He says “I will come to you”.John 14.18. Christ says that He will come Himself to the disciples as a Comforter, as “another Comforter”. Why “another Comforter”? He further explains : John 14.19 “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. :20 At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” In His original absolute divine state of God, Christ was invisible and dwelt in light inaccessible. (1 Tim 6.16). But as “the Word made flesh”, He was visible to the world. The incarnation, taking on human nature over His divine nature, made Him visible and accessible to all men: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” John 1.14. In His humanity, Christ could only dwell among men but could not possibly be in them. For Him to come in a form that is both invisible to the world and that can also dwell within a person – it then necessitated that He should come in an entirely different nature or form than He had when on earth. The limitations of His humanity would have to be “stripped-off” in order to fulfill the role of the promised Comforter. Divested and independent of the outward personality of humanity, Christ in His divinity, then comes as “another Comforter”. He comes in a spiritual manifestation to His people, in His inward divine person, as the Holy Spirit. In this second and new manifestation, Christ is seen as ‘another Comforter’, both invisible (to the world) and omnipresent. E.G. White comments on Christ coming as ‘another Comforter’:

“That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation.” {E. G. White, The Southern Review, September 13,1898 } Notes on the above passage: The promised Comforter is none other than Christ Himself in Spirit form.

19 “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall (although unseen by you), [THIS PHRASE WAS ADDED BY ELLEN WHITE.] teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” [John 14:26]. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will come not unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” [John 16:7]. { E.G. White Manuscript Releases Vol 14 p 23.3}. Notes on the above passage:- Please take note that when she says that the Holy Spirit is Himself divested…..the ‘Himself’ here is a reference to Christ according to context. In other words the passage can be read as follows: “The Holy Spirit is divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” This is the only reasonable way to understand this passage. “There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart….. But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, he is always there, one given in Christ's place, to act in his stead. He is always at our right hand, to speak soothing, gentle words; to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. This Spirit works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of this Spirit reveal its fruit,--love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” { E.G. White Review and Herald October 26, 1897 par. 14}. . “Christ breathed on his disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." This is the great gift of heaven. Christ imparted to them through the Spirit his own sanctification. He imbued them with his power, that they might win souls to the gospel. Henceforth Christ would live through their faculties, and speak through their words. They were privileged to know that hereafter he and they were to be one. They must cherish his principles and be controlled by his Spirit. They were no longer to follow their own way, to speak their own words. The words they spoke were to proceed from a sanctified heart, and fall from sanctified lips. No longer were they to live their own selfish life; Christ was to live in them and speak through them. He would give to them the glory that he had with the Father, that he and they might be one in God.” {E.G. White General Conference Bulletin, October 1,1899 par. 14}. “The workers should keep the soul constantly uplifted to God in prayer. They are never alone. If they have faith in God, if they realize that to them is committed the work of giving to the people light on Bible subjects, they constantly enjoy the companionship of Christ. “The Lord Jesus standing by the side of the canvassers, walking with them, is the chief worker. If we recognize Christ as the One who is with us to prepare the way, the Holy Spirit by our side will make impressions in just the lines needed.” E.G White. Manual for Canvassers p.40. 1902.

20 Notes on the above passage: The companionship of the Holy Spirit is the companionship of the Christ Himself. “The Holy Spirit always leads to the written word. The Holy Spirit is a person; for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries with it its own evidence. At such times we believe and are sure that we are the children of God. What strong evidence of the power of truth we can give to believers and unbelievers when we can voice the words of John, "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. “The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. "For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man, which is in him; even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."— E.G. White Manuscripts 20, 1906. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Christ declares: “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Christ is invested with power to give life to all creatures. “As the living Father hath sent me,” He says, “and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:57, 63). Christ is not here referring to His doctrine, but to His person, the divinity of His character.{ E.G. White 1Seleced Messages p 249.} Notes on the above passage: The spirit that quickeneth, (which is the Holy Spirit), is the person of Christ in His divinity. The following is a similar passage to the one above: “Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” Jesus used bread as a figure to illustrate the vitalizing power of his Spirit. The one sustains physical life, while the other satisfies the heart, and strengthens the moral powers. Said he, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. { E.G. White Spirit of Prophecy vol 2. p 276.2} Notes on the above passage: Note that Christ is the bread of life. The life in that bread is the vitalizing power of His Spirit. Conclusion: 2 Cor 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty”. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His divine person, is that Holy Spirit, the promised Comforter.

The Spirit of Christ, the Representative of Christ By His Spirit, His own divine person, Christ is His own representative on earth. As a divine-human Saviour, Christ ministers as a high Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. He also ministers His divine Spirit to His church on earth. By the presence of His Holy Spirit, Christ Himself is represented among men:

21 “After His inauguration, the Spirit came and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had from all eternity with the Father. During His humiliation upon this earth, the Spirit had not descended with all its efficacy; and Christ declared that if He went not away, it would not come, but that if He went away, He would send it. It was a representation of Himself, and after He was glorified it was manifest. { E.G. White Signs of Times, May 17, 1899 par. 3} Notes on the above passage:- Notice here that E.G. White says that Christ represents Himself by His Spirit. “The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high”.— E.G. White .The Desire of Ages, p. 669. “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall (although unseen by you), [THIS PHRASE WAS ADDED BY ELLEN WHITE.] teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” [John 14:26]. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will come not unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” [John 16:7]. { E.G. White Manuscript Releases vol.14 p23.3}. Conclusion: Christ does not send another different separate being apart from Himself to represent Him. Instead, the divine-human Saviour represents Himself on earth by sending His own divine personality as His successor. In Spirit form, Christ Himself is the Omnipresent.

The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead Christ speaks of the Comforter in John 14 in the third person and masculine gender. If this passage is not read in its entirety, it may give the impression that the Holy Spirit is another being, wholly independent and separate to the person of Christ. A close reading, however, clearly shows that when Christ was speaking of the coming of ‘another’ Comforter, He was in reality speaking of Himself in the third person. It is in this same way that Paul speaks of his own spirit (inward man) in Rom 7.22: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:” Rom 7.22: See also how Paul speaks of himself in the 3rd grammatical person in Eph 3.16; 2 Cor 4.16; Eph 4.22 and Col 3.9. Likewise, Christ in Matt 20:17-19 also speaks concerning Himself in the third person: “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to

22 mock, and to scourge, and to crucify [him]: and the third day he shall rise again.” Matt 20.17-19. See also Matt.17.12, Matt 22.42; Lk 24.46 . Below an instance in which Sister White referred to herself in the third person: “How can the Lord bless those who manifest a spirit of "I don't care," a spirit which leads them to walk contrary to the light which the Lord has given them? But I do not ask you to take my words. Lay Sister White to one side. Do not quote my words again as long as you live until you can obey the Bible. When you make the Bible your food, your meat, and your drink, when you make its principles the elements of your character, you will know better how to receive counsel from God, and will be partakers of His divine nature……. I exalt the precious Word before you today. Do not repeat what I have said, saying, "Sister White said this," and "Sister White said that." Find out what the Lord God of Israel says, and then do what He commands. Christ said, "I must work the works of him that sent Me." The Father and the Son are united. Will you [during this] morning address consecrate yourselves to God? { E.G.White Manuscript Releases vol.13 p 248.1} Besides the Holy Spirit being Christ Himself in the third grammatical person, the Spirit is also shown in scripture as the third personal agency by which the Godhead* is revealed to created beings. This is further explained here below: 1) The First Person of the Godhead* God, or the Father, reveals Himself directly as a person, as a fully divine individual being literally sitting on the throne in heaven and surrounded by cherubim and seraphim. This revelation of God is accessible only to unfallen beings and the holy prophets in vision. Rev 4.2-11. Of the redeemed it is written: “Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” “And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads”. Matt 5.8, Rev 22.4. The Second Person of the Godhead* 2) The Father (God) also reveals Himself in and through His only begotten Son. The Son of God, as a personal divine-human individual being literally sits on God’s right hand on the throne of Majesty. He is the revelation of the Father, the outshining of His glory, the express image of His person. Heb.1.3, John 14.9 3. As the living expression of the Father’s thought Christ is the Grand Executer of all His counsels. As the Word of God, He represents the will, the voice, and all the authority of Father to all creatures. The Third Person of the Godhead* 3) The Father (God) also reveals Himself through a third manifestation, His own divine Spirit. The Spirit of God is not another individual God-being, but is another manifestation of the one and selfsame God. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (who bodily is on His throne in heaven) and extends His (the Father’s) divine personality, presence and power to every part of creation. By it the Father (God) reveals Himself as an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent divine person. In this third manifestation of the person of God, the Father’s divine person and Christ’s are fully, perfectly and completely one.

“The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of man to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead,* who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by

23 the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church. { E.G. White Review Herald, May 19, 1904 par. 3}. Notes on the above passage: Notice that the third person of the Godhead* is Christ’s own Spirit. By it, Christ impresses His character upon the church. “Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit--the Spirit of Christ--is to bring unity into their ranks.” {E.G. White, Testimonies Volume 9, p. 189} 1909. Conclusion: There are three living personalities of the Godhead*: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father, (God), is a divine person with His own individuality and being (or form). He sits on the throne in heaven. The only begotten Son of God also sits on the throne in heaven as “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1.15). He is also a divine person with His own individuality and being. (The individuality, being and personality of the Son, unlike that of God, by the incarnation underwent a transformation that became irreversible. Christ was forever made fully divine and fully human). The Holy Spirit is the third personal omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient manifestation of the Godhead*. In this manifestation the individuality and the divine personality of both God and Christ have full, perfect, and complete divine oneness or unity. *The word ‘Godhead’ is commonly and erroneously interchangeably used for the word Trinity. Godhead (‘theios’ or ‘theiotes’ in the Greek New Testament) does not refer to a group of Godbeings. It simply means “deity” or “divinity” and has a primary reference to the divinity of the Father in the contexts in which it is used. (see Acts 17.29, Romans 1.20 and Col 2.9. In 2 Pet 1.3 and 2 Peter 1.4, ‘theios’ is translated in the KJV English bible as “divine” in the phrase ‘divine nature’). The phrase ‘third person of the Godhead,’ therefore would primarily refer to a third manifestation of the divinity (the divine nature), or the person of God, the Father.

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Part Two The Impersonal Spirit Introduction Except in a number of places, in this paper we have been focusing mainly on the personality of the Spirit of Christ. We have seen that the Spirit has both individuality and personality – not of its ownself -- but of both the Father and the Son in perfect and complete divine unity or oneness. In this last shorter section, we now focus on another aspect of the Spirit that is less commonly spoken or written of – the impersonal attributes of the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit Itself ”……… The word ‘Spirit’ in the Greek New Testament is in neuter gender and thus the use of the pronoun “it” for the Spirit in the KJV English translation of the Bible is a valid usage. There are at least four places in scripture where there is such reference to the Spirit. (Please bear in mind that such impersonal references are never used for either the Father or Christ in inspiration): Isaiah 34:16 “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.” John 1:32 “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.” Rom 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”. Rom 8:26 “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.” 1 Pet 1:11 “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.” The above passages like other passages of scripture are inspired by the same Spirit and they also testify of the grand truth about the Holy Spirit. Moreover, that same Holy Spirit also inspired the Lord’s messenger to use the same impersonal language in many places in reference to it and to its operations. See highlighted areas in the following sample quotations –( all other similar quotes written before the publication of the Desire of Ages in 1898 - her most complete work on Christology- have been deliberately left out): “Every church is in need of the controlling power of the Holy Spirit, and now is the time to pray for it. But in all God's work for man He plans that man shall co-operate with Him.”. {6 Testimonies 266.2} 1901.

25 “Christ's visible presence was about to be withdrawn from the disciples, but a new endowment of power was to be theirs. The Holy Spirit was to be given them in its fullness, sealing them for their work. "Behold," the Saviour said, "I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49. "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts of the Apostles p 30. 1911. “During the patriarchal age the influence of the Holy Spirit had often been revealed in a marked manner, but never in its fullness. Now, in obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift, and in heaven Christ added His intercession. He claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it upon His people”. {Acts of the Apostles p 37.3}, 1911 “Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of His Spirit, with its reviving, sanctifying power." { Acts of the Apostles p 56.2} 1911. “Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind.” Desire of Ages pg 827, 1898 “The Holy Spirit, with its quickening, vivifying power, presents the ingratitude and lack of love that have sprung from the hateful root of bitterness. Link after link of memory's chain is strengthened. The Spirit of God is at work upon human minds.”--Review and Herald, June 7, 1898. {Evangelism pg 274.2}. “In harmony with the word of God, His Spirit was to continue its work throughout the period of the gospel dispensation. During the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart from the revelations to be embodied in the Sacred Canon. The Bible itself relates how, through the Holy Spirit, men received warning, reproof, counsel, and instruction, in matters in no way relating to the giving of the Scriptures. And mention is made of prophets in different ages, of whose utterances nothing is recorded. In like manner, after the close of the canon of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God.” {Great Controversy viii.1}1911 “ I pray that the Holy Spirit may lend its sanctifying power to the workers in our institutions.My brethren and sisters, arouse, and become laborers together with Him who gave His life for the saving of the world.”.--Manuscripts. 57,1912. {Medical Ministry pg 196.2} “Christ gives them the breath of His own Spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in mind and heart. Through the grace given us we may achieve victories that because of our own erroneous and preconceived opinions, our defects of character, our smallness of faith, have seemed impossible.” Ministry of Healing, pg 159,1905 “Accept the Holy Spirit for your spiritual illumination, and under its guidance follow on to know the Lord. Go forth where the Lord directs, doing what He commands.” Letter 78, 1906

26 “I awoke from my sleep last night with a great burden upon my mind. I was delivering a message to our brethren and sisters, and it was a message of warning and instruction concerning the work of some who are advocating erroneous theories as to the reception of the Holy Spirit, and its operation through human agencies”. Review and Herald, 28 JANUARY 1909 “Those who are really under the influence of the Holy Spirit, will reveal its power by a practical application of the eternal principles of truth. They will reveal that the holy oil is emptied from the two olive branches into the chambers of the soul temple. Their words will be imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit to soften and subdue the heart. It will be manifest that the words spoken are spirit and life.--Letter 352, Dec. 16, 1908, to Elder S. N. Haskell, president of the California Conference. “The lessons we are to learn from the existing state of things in the publishing institution is that any resistance against the Holy Spirit in any of its workings is dangerous.”.-- Manuscript 66, 1898. “ The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Letter 132, October 10, 1900. “Those who dig beneath the surface discover the hidden gems of truth. The Holy Spirit is present with the earnest searcher. Its illumination shines upon the Word, stamping the truth upon the mind with a new, fresh importance”. Manuscript Release 1525, 10 OCT. 1900. “Those who put their hand to the work of God must depend on the blessing and wisdom that come from above. It is the Holy Spirit that makes powerful the presentation of the truth, and changes the temper and habits of man. He who submits to its working is changed from a sinner into a child of God. "{Review & Herald, June 2, 1903 par. 5} “When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. {Desire of Ages p173.1},1898. “It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare It 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.” {Desire of Ages pg 321.3}, 1898. “The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted a soul who is looking to Jesus. It takes of the things of Christ, and shows them to the seeker.” --Signs of the Times, Sept. 27, 1899. “After His inauguration, the Spirit came and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had from all eternity with the Father. During His humiliation upon this earth, the Spirit had not descended with all its efficacy; and Christ declared that if He went not away, it would not come, but that if He went away, He would send it. It was a representation of Himself, and after He was glorified it was manifest. { E. G. White Signs of Times, May 17, 1899 par. 3}.

The Dynamic Representations of the Holy Spirit Though the scriptures do not reveal the Holy Spirit as a being having a definite form, He however, in many cases, reveals Himself in a personal manifestation. (i.e. a manifestation that shows Him to

27 be a personality). At the same time, the scriptures also reveal the Holy Spirit’s presence and operations in varied symbolic and dynamic non-personal/impersonal representations (which may give the impression that the Spirit is not a personality). (See examples in the table below): Non-personal/ Impersonal Manifestations of Presence of the Spirit As a dove As sound of a mighty rushing wind As cloven tongues As burning light from oil As Christ’s “horns” (symbol of complete power) As Christ’s “eyes” (symbol of omniscience) As finger of God

Verse

Impersonal Dynamic Operations of (or by) the Spirit Can fill a person Can be poured out

Acts 2.4, Lk 1.15 Prov 1.23, Isaiah 44.3

Acts 2.2-4 Zech 4.4-6, Rev 4.5 Rev 5.6

Can be breathed out Can be quenched

John 20.22, Job 33.4 1 The 5.19

Can flow

John 7.38

Rev 5.6

Can be ‘channelled’ John 7.38,39; Acts from one person to 8.17,18 another Can fall upon a person Ez 11.5, Act 10.44

Mat 3.16 Acts 2.2-4

Lk 11.20

Verse

Conclusion Q. What shall we say then? How do we resolve this tension? Is the Holy Spirit a personality or is He/it not? A. If, as sincere students of the Word, we accept all scriptures just as they read, acknowledging their internal underlying harmony and not their seeming contradiction, what do we see? To us is revealed the most wonderful truth: that whilst the Holy Spirit is a personality, He also has impersonal attributes. The Spirit of God is a “He” as well as an “it”. How both can be true at the same time is a fact stated but not explained. The nature of the Spirit is heaven’s most beautiful divine mystery not clearly revealed. It seems evident that E.G. White understood this non-personal aspect of the Holy Spirit and in many places, (as seen above), called the Spirit an “it”. Such references to the Spirit were made well into her mature years as the Lord’s messenger. The latest reference in the above quotes was written in 1911 in her last books before her death in 1915. We therefore can safely conclude that throughout her prophetic ministry she did not understand the Holy Spirit to be only a personality like God and Christ – but that the Spirit also has impersonal aspects which are never attributed to the Father or to Christ.

Why the Spirit of God is not Revealed as Another Co-existing Third God-being. Up to this point it is now clear that the Holy Spirit is not another separate co-existing God-being alongside the Father and the Son, but it bears the same relation to God and Christ as that of the

28 human spirit to man. It is to be acknowledged, however, that the nature and the operations of the divine Spirit are infinitely higher than the nature and operations of the human spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is revealed in inspiration as no other person than the person both God and Christ, we may gain an understanding why there may be so many verses that only refer to the Father and the Son but never mention the Holy Spirit. (Below are some sample verses that completely exclude any reference to the Holy Spirit as another separate co-existing independent additional being to God and Christ):Mention of the Father and Son….but no mention of the Holy Spirit Father speaks to Son on the throne.

Verse

Counsel of peace is only between God and Christ Anti-Christ is one who denies the Father and Son.

Zec 6.13

Eternal life based on knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ. Christ comes in the glory of the Father & angels at second advent. Timothy charged by Paul before God and Jesus and angels only The seal of the 144, 000 contains the name of God, Jesus and the City of God….no mention of Holy Spirit. The throne in New Jerusalem is of God and the Lamb

John 17.1-3

The redeemed are first-fruits to God and the Lamb.

Rev 14.4

The redeemed are priests of God and Christ

Rev 20.6

Mark 12.36

1 John 2.22-24

Matt 16.27

1 Tim 5.21

Rev 3.12

Rev 22.1,3

Mention of the Father and Son….but no mention of the Holy Spirit The Son and angels (no mention of Spirit) do not know the day of the 2nd advent but the Father only Our fellowship is with the Father and the Son The redeemed walk in the light of the city which is enlightened by the glory of God and the Lamb The redeemed shall see God and Jesus …..no mention of Spirit.

Verse

Worship is to God and Jesus…no mention of worshipping of the Spirit or prayers to the Spirit At creation there was the LORD and His begotten Son at work….no mention of Spirit Stephen in vision of heaven only sees the glory of God and Jesus standing next to Him

Heb 1.6, John 4.23,24 Prov. 8.2230

All men to honour the Son as they honour the Father ..…no mention of Spirit The Revelation of Jesus Christ is given by God to Jesus. It is then signified and sent by His angel to John…no mention of Holy Spirit One mediator, one Advocate between God and man……Jesus Christ.

Matt 24.36

1 John 1.3 Rev 21.23

Mat 5.8, 1 John 3.2

Acts 7.55,56

John 5.23

Rev 1.1

1 Tim 2.5, 1 John 2.1

29 Paul consistently omits in his introductions reference to the Holy Spirit. If he had believed the Holy Spirit to be another separate independent God-being, co-existing and co-equal in every way with the Father and the Son, he would have surely included Him in the following texts: Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians1:2; Colossians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1: 2; Titus 1:4 and Philemon 1:3. “James, Peter, Jude and John, in the introductions to their letters, did exactly the same as Paul. They also said from God the Father and Jesus Christ but never included from the Holy Spirit see James 1:1, 1 Peter 1:1-3, 2 Peter 1:1-2, Jude 1:1, 1 John 1:3. If these inspired writers did believe the Holy Spirit to be a person like God and Christ, then it is very strange indeed that in these introductions they not mention Him. After all, they were writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit led these writers to write this way. We can look at this in another way. This is that if God wanted us to think of the Holy Spirit as another person like God and Christ, then why didn’t He have these writers say from the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit? It can only be reasonably concluded that if these inspired writers did believe the Holy Spirit to be a person like God and Christ, they would have included Him in their introductions. I say this because there must have been a reason for every one of these writers, each under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not including Him.” Is The Holy Spirit a Person – section Two (What the scriptures reveal) Pg 20. 15. April 2009.Terry Hill. email: [email protected]. Ellen White confirms the testimony of scripture in the following references that mention God and Christ but not the Holy Spirit : “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.” Patriachs and Prophets pg 34. “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.” Review and Herald Vol 2, p 422; “Can anyone consider the condescension of God in preparing the gospel feast, and its great cost, and treat the invitation slightingly? No man, nor even the highest angel, can estimate the great cost; it is known only to the Father and the Son.” Bible Echo, p4, 28 October, (1895).

30 “From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character.” The Youth’s Instructor 16 December, 1897, p 5 “By Christ the work upon which the fulfillment of God’s purpose rests was accomplished.This was the agreement in the councils of the Godhead. The Father purposed in counsel with His Son that the human family should be tested and proved to see whether they would be allured by the temptations of Satan, or whether they would make Christ their righteousness, keeping God’s commandments, and live.” Letter 126, (1898) to Kellogg MS Vol 21 p 54. “In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested upon the Sabbath after their work of creation.” Desire of Ages, p 769 (1898). “The Father and the Son alone are to be exalted.” The Youth’s Instructor, 7 July, (1898) p 2 “Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled. When upon the cross He cried out, ‘It is finished,’ He addressed the Father.” Desire of Ages, p 834 (1898) “God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son.” 8 Testimonies for the Church p 268 (1904) “God and Christ knew from the beginning of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety….” Review and Herald, 5 April, (1906) p 13 “God Our Leader I write this that all may know that there is no controversy among Seventh-day Adventists over the question of leadership. The Lord God of heaven is our King. He is a leader whom we can safely follow, for He never makes a mistake. Let us honor God and His Son, through whom He communicates with the world.” 8 Testimonies for the Church, 1907, p 238 “In the Psalms, in the prophecies, in the gospels, and in the epistles, God has by revelation made prominent the vital truths concerning the agreement between the Father and the Son in providing for the salvation of a lost race.” Review and Herald, 24 September (1908) p 1 “The plan of salvation was laid open before the foundation of the world was formed. In counsel together, the Father and the Son determined that Satan should not be left unchecked to exercise his cruel power upon man.” Manuscript release Vol 18, p. 345; MS 31, (1911 “The Son of God was next in authority to the great Lawgiver.” Spirit of Prophecy Vol 2, pg 9. Let us compare the above quote with this one below……

31 “But there was one that chose to pervert this freedom. Sin originated with him, who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God, and who stood highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of Heaven.” Great Controversy chapter 29, pg 493. 1888. Let us also compare with…… “God requires obedience to his law. But Satan, ever since his fall, has been working against this law. He created disaffection in heaven by his ambition to be higher than Christ, the Commander of the heavenly host; and then he attacked the law of Jehovah. He held a position next to Christ, and in his rebellion he carried the angels with him.”{Review and Herald, May 3, 1898 par. 2} “Among the inhabitants of heaven, Satan, next to Christ, was at one time most honored of God, and highest in power and glory”.—Signs of the Times, July 23, 1902. Notes on the above four references: Please notice that God the Father was highest in honour and authority, next was Christ, then it was Lucifer – not the Holy Spirit. “At the general conference of believers in the present truth, held at Sutton, Vermont, September, 1850, I was shown that the seven last plagues will be poured out after Jesus leaves the sanctuary. Said the angel, "It is the wrath of God and the Lamb that causes the destruction or death of the wicked. At the voice of God the saints will be mighty and terrible as an army with banners, but they will not then execute the judgment written. The execution of the judgment will be at the close of the one thousand years." {Early Writings pg 52.1} “Many parents plead that they have so much to do that they have no time to improve their minds, to educate their children for practical life, or to teach them how they may become lambs of Christ's fold. Not until the final settlement, when the cases of all will be decided, and the acts of our entire lives will be laid open to our view in the presence of God and the Lamb and all the holy angels, will parents realize the almost infinite value of their misspent time.” 3 Testimonies to the Church pg145. “When there shall be a "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph's tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as "from one Sabbath to another" (Isa. 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb”.—Desire of Ages pg 769, 770.

Final Conclusion Whilst the Holy Spirit is a personality, it also has impersonal attributes. It is not seen in scripture as third self-existing, un-originated God-being alongside the Father and Christ, but as the omnipresent divine person of God Himself and Christ Himself. The presence of the Holy Spirit is therefore the spiritual personal presence of God Himself and Christ Himself. So we therefore understand why the scriptures never refer to ‘God the Spirit’ but to the Spirit of God and to the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit represents the third personal way that God manifests the power of His Godhead or divinity to all inhabitants of the universe…….

32 “….the Lord Jesus will always be at your right hand to help you. He is a merciful high priest pleading in your behalf. He will send his representative, the Holy Spirit; for He says, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." By the Spirit the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with you.” {Bible Echo, January 15, 1893 par. 8} “ Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name." "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" [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, "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" [John 16:12, 13]. {14 Manuscript Release pg 179.2}.” “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall (although unseen by you), [THIS PHRASE WAS ADDED BY ELLEN WHITE.] teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" [John 14:26]. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will come not unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you" [John 16:7]. {14 Manuscript Release pg 23.3}. “Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin. {Review and Herald, May 19, 1904 par. 1}.

The End

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