The Omega Heresy and The Holy Spirit's Nature

gillespie9669

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S NATURE
AND THE “OMEGA HERESY”

Some in Adventism say the Holy Spirit is not a separate, or "third person" of the Godhead, but really (actually) is Christ Himself returning to earth "in another form" (i.e. before His Second Coming or “advent”).

However, in John 14:16 Jesus says:
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you ANOTHER Counselor [Comforter].”

What does the word "another" mean? It means different, *SEPARATE, or distinct from the one compared to, and, as confirmed by the 2003 Encarta Dictionary, means:

“One that is different: somebody who or something that is *completely separate or different from the one mentioned” -Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

When Jesus said "ANOTHER” was being sent He obviously meant that He would ask for a Counselor other than Himself, after He went away. The “Counselor” would take His place, or “act in His stead”. True Adventism eventually recognized this, and is represented in saying:

“No circumstances, no distance can separate us from the Heavenly Comforter [the Holy Spirit]. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always there, One [notice, ‘some-One’, not ‘something’] given [by the Father] in Christ’s place, to act in His stead [as a Representative]”
-E.G. White, That I May Know Him, pg. 171

N.B. Certainly, the words, “One given” [as a Representative], are profound and can hardly be explained away.

Would this be the Father in actual person (as some say), coming Himself literally as the Holy Spirit? *John 16:13,14 (compared with John 12:49) shows this cannot be so, for either the Father has no independent authority of His own, to speak while sending Himself, or He “receives” things from Himself, and “hears” from Himself, like a madman. This would be a ridiculous proposition, which does not even warrant time debating, except that error must be met head-on, and defeated by the “word of our testimony” upon the authority of the Bible.
When Jesus referred to “another” in this crucial text, He used the word “allos” for “another” in Greek, not “heteros”, a word, which, if it were used, would have then meant that He Himself would actually be back, literally, but ‘in a different form’. But He did not use “heteros”. This is significant in meaning, as the Strong’s Lexicon shows:

“ALLOS” AND “HETEROS” COMPARED IN GREEK

“ALLOS”- usually denotes numerical in distinction; and generally denotes simple distinction of individuals

“HETEROS”- involves the idea of difference of kind.
-Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995

Thus the truth that the Holy Spirit is “another”, or is separate from Christ, and is “One (some-One) given… to act in His stead” is obvious on so many fronts.
Of course there are texts that seem to say it is Christ (and the Father) literally coming to us, that is, Jesus said, “WE will come to you”. The explanation is simple. The nature of the Godhead is of such that when ONE of the Three is present, all three are present, but the other two are present REPRESENTATIONALLY. If that was not so then the word “representative” could never be applied to the Son and the Spirit, i.e. both acting for the Father, and the Spirit acting for the Father and Son. And thus “God [the Father] was in Christ” while Jesus, being Himself “God in the highest sense” (EGW), was on earth representing His Father as “God with us”.

Someone inspired in Adventism said:
“Of the Spirit, Jesus said, "He shall glorify me." The Savior came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of his love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing his grace to the world.” -E.G. White, RH.1908-11-19.006

They (Father, Son, and Spirit) know each other’s thoughts as if they were their own; they all have the same objectives, and are *exactly alike in divine nature, thus when you see one; you see all, as it were.
Some say because the Holy Spirit “intercedes for us” (Rom. 8:26, 27) this must be Christ Himself literally, because only one “Mediator” exists, but this Holy Spirit “intercession” relates only to prayer (not priestly function), and simply means that the Spirit inspires our prayers, converting it into the language of Heaven. This Mrs. White makes clear in Adventism.

“Christ our Mediator, *AND the Holy Spirit *ARE constantly interceding in man’s behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ [the Mediator], who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude, which flows from our lips, is the result of the Spirit’s striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart.”-E.G. White, Selected Messages, Vol. 1, pg. 344

Notice the conjunctives “AND the Holy Spirit ARE”, signaling more than one Person. If they actually were one and the same Person, this EGW distinction would be impossible! READ THE FOREGOING STATEMENT VERY CAREFULLY AGAIN, AND RECOGNIZE MRS WHITE NEVER ESTABLISHED A “DUO” IN THE GODHED, BUT A “TRIO”, A WORD WHICH CANNOT MEAN THE FIRST TWO JUST EXTENDING THEMSELVES AS THE HOLY SPIRIT. AN EXTENTION CANNOT PRODUCE A TRIO FROM TWO. Jesus Himself makes clear distinction that "the Comforter" is “ANOTHER”, His representative, whom He works through, operating AS if it were Himself, but is *NOT Himself. His words settle the matter! This is easily seen in the following:

“When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, HE WILL TESTIFY OF ME" (John 15:26), while not speaking of Himself.
Thus *the Spirit is not the Father and Jesus in Person, or actual personality!!!
Jesus "broke" the rules of Greek grammar here, to give the "Holy Spirit" personality. The word for "Spirit" is neuter (neither masculine nor feminine), and should, in strict Greek grammar, be referred to as "It". But Jesus refers to "the Spirit of truth" as "HE". It is NOT grammatically incorrect (by Greek rules) to refer to the Holy Spirit as “it” (as seen several times in E.G. White’s writings), but *ONLY if one recognizes that this “it” is Biblically seen as a person, who “has a personality” (E.G. White), just like Jesus, a person, is Biblically called an “it” on occasions (see 1John 1:1-3). Even a dependent child is called an “it”. The “it” expression is not the problem. *The problem comes when the Spirit’s distinct, or separate personhood is denied, as a fundamental doctrine. This amounts to heresy!!![/b] How so?

[b]In John 14-16 Christ referred to the Holy Spirit 24 times with personal pronouns, “HE”, and “HIM”. He addresses the Holy Spirit as a person, and treats Him as a person. He calls Him the “Paraclete” (in Greek), which is a title, which could only be held by a person.
The “Paraclete”, is "ANOTHER Counselor" (John 14:16), thus similar to Jesus, who will come and instruct. The Holy Spirit’s presence is just like saying Christ Himself is here! Notice again:

"The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things” (14:26). This was quite similar to Jesus coming in His Father’s name, but was not actually the Father Himself in personality, despite Jesus is so similar to Him to be called “the Everlasting Father”!

"When the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who comes forth from the Father, He will bear witness to me (15:26-27)
"When the Spirit of truth comes, HE will guide you into all truth, for HE will... glorify ME, for HE will take what is mine and declare it to you (16:13-14)
The Bible speaks of Him as: the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9; 8:14), and the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Why? Because both sends Him to us, and He REPRESENTS both!
In 1Cor. 2:11, 12 the Spirit is made inseparable from the Father and Son, as a man’s spirit in him is inseparable from him, but notice the Spirit is “OF” God (verse 12), never said to be “in” God, because “God is spirit”, not a material body and a spirit within Him. Revelation 1:4 show’s the “sevenfold Spirit” separate “before His throne”, not “on” His throne.

Was it not also Revelation, which said, “I Jesus have sent mine angel with this testimony for the churches” (Rev. 22:16), and notice this was being said even while the Holy Spirit was literally present speaking to John; CLEARLY INDICATING THAT JESUS WAS NOT ACTUALLY PRESENT, BUT WAS BEING REPRESENTED BY ANOTHER! This is clear Bible evidence that the Spirit was personally separate (see Is. 48:16), and today remains personally separate from the Father and Son, in the one “Eternal Godhead”. However they remain INSEPARABLE in terms of specie, group, existence, purpose, and unity of action! There is a clear difference. Now notice Mrs. White’s testimony.

E.G. WHITE’S TESTIMONY

Said E.G. White, “The Spirit is all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive, and believe in Christ as a personal Savior”. Can fullness ever be inferior to others of its class? I wonder! But, was this all she said, in representing true Adventists? What else does EGW say about the Holy Spirit, whom she calls the “Third Person” in the Godhead? Read on.

Councils on Health, pg. 222 (from 1899 speech in Sydney, Australia)

”The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave *themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption.”

Manuscript Release 7:299
Written in 1899 (presented at Avondale College, Australia):

"We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a [singular] person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds, [and we need to realize] that the Lord God is our keeper, and helper. He hears every word we utter and knows every thought of the mind.”

Desire of Ages, 1898, pg.671

“In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart… The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men 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 the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure.”

Special Testimonies (1906), Series B, No. 7, pg. 62, 63

“The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The word of God declares Him to be "the express image of His person… Here is shown the personality of the Father. The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Savior. There are three living persons [personalities] of the heavenly *trio. In the name of these three powers, --the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.”

Signs of Times, June 19, 1901
“Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfillment of the covenant that God has made with those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with Him, with His Son, and with His Spirit in holy fellowship....”

Signs of the Times, December 1, 1898

“What gift could He bestow rich enough to signalize and grace His ascension to the mediatorial throne? It must be worthy of His greatness and His royalty. He determined to give His *Representative, the third person of the Godhead. This gift could not be excelled. He would give all gifts in one, and therefore the divine Spirit, converting, enlightening, sanctifying, would be His donation.”

Mrs. White clearly accepted the distinct personalities expressed in Heb. 9:14, Matthew 28:19, and 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. At one place (*surprisingly for some) she said about the Holy Spirit:

“The Lord [which could be either the Father, or Christ, the ‘one Lord’] will speak through His messengers…[and they, His messengers] are powerful and efficacious only as God, the Eternal Spirit (!!) shall work upon their hearts” (E.G. White, 1888 Materials 1039).

Did she understand this to mean only one Person (the Father), or even the two who share the title “Lord” extending themselves omni-presently? Well, why did she represent true Adventists in saying that (as cited in Evangelism, pgs. 614,615),“There are three [3] living [literal] personalities of the Heavenly Trio [not ‘Duo’]”?
Why did she also emphasize, in keeping with *1 Corinthians 12:11, that:

“ The Holy Spirit is a free working, *INDEPENDENT agency” (The Faith I Live By, pg. 52), thus proving that the Holy Spirit has an independent will?

AND WHICH TRUE ADVENTIST CAN DENY THAT:

“When we have accepted Christ, and…have [or should have] pledged ourselves to *SERVE [venerate, obey, worship-seeJoshua 24:14,15 and *Matt. 4:10] God, the Father, Christ, *and [thirdly] the Holy Spirit, the three Dignitaries…of Heaven pledge Themselves that every facility will be given us if we carry out our vows…” (-E.G. White, Manuscript 85, 1901).

Now if that is not reference to plain personal distinction of a “Trio” of Heavenly “Dignitaries”, and a reference to, and endorsement of all “three” being “served” (or venerated in the spiritual sense) then I don’t know what is. CLEARLY SOME TODAY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVED VOWED, OR “PLEDGED” AT THEIR BAPTISM!!
THIS IS CLEAR, AND ANY DENIAL OF THIS, AND THE FOREGOING, IS HERESY!!!!!

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE “OMEGA HERESY”?

In a booklet that has been circulated to S.D.A.'s, called "Who is Telling the Truth about God?” (AND IN OTHERS LIKE IT), the independent authors deny that the Holy Spirit is the third (separate) PERSON of the Godhead, and say the Holy Spirit is ACTUALLY Jesus "coming back in ANOTHER FORM". The Holy Spirit, they say, is JUST the inner Spirit of Christ, and of God. The Spirit, to the writers of “Who is telling the Truth About God?” is JUST the inner being of Christ, ‘a personified force’, as it were, but not a “living” individual person on His own. Clearly they need to look up the words “three”, and more so “LIVING” in the dictionary!
There is no "spiritualistic” or PERSONIFIED force floating around. We deal with a personal Godhead “Trio”. It is Bible truth that when ONE of the “three living personalities” of the Godhead is present, their "oneness of thought, and purpose" makes it so as if all three are actually present, for God “knows the mind of the Holy Spirit”, “the Spirit searches the deep things of God”, and Jesus’ mind is “the mind of the Spirit” (see proof in Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 2:10,16; Is. 40:13,14). But they are separate personalities, or persons (same meaning). No escaping that!!
A very big lie promoted by some (like the writers of “Who is Telling the Truth About God”) is that of insisting that because the Holy Spirit “proceedeth” from God, then He is not a separate, independent willed, and personal entity. Well if this were true, then God’s words, which also “proceedeth from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4), would likewise not be separate entities (now on written pages like your Bible) but would be extensions of God Himself! How ridiculous this latter proposition sounds, but to be consistent regarding their definition of “proceedeth” this would also have to be supported by them!

But since the “omega [final adventist] heresy” would evidently be (in substance) a mirror image of the “alpha” heresy, which misunderstood the “presence and personality of god”, *but more-so the Spirit of God, then the “omega heresy” will evidently also misunderstand, and misrepresent the nature of the Spirit of God, thus denying the testimony of the scriptures, the “Spirit of Prophecy” writings, and even the dictionary meanings of words like “another”, “trio”, “third”’, “three”, “person”, “living”, “representative”, “independent”, “dignitaries”, and “themselves”.

What can you say to people who go beyond the simple declaration (of e.g. White) that “what”, not “who”, but notice, “what” the holy spirit is, really, “is a *mystery” (e.g. White, acts of the apostles,), and seek to ‘solve’ this mystery by confusing it with, and denying *who he is declared to be? there is a difference between the words “what” and “who”, which some have not yet recognized! What else is needed to identify who are the fulfillers of the very “omega heresy”?
Complete self-deception is clearly ‘part and parcel’ of this “omega”, now unfolding before our very eyes, thus testifying to the truth of the “Spirit of Prophecy”. He that hath an ear let him hear!!!

Amen.

Author and Editor- Derrick Gillespie

Phone- (876) 634-2987, or 787- 2495; E-mail- derricgillespie955@hotmail.com
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Derrick Gillespie (Mr)

Eugene Shubert · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 7:08 am Post subject:

The “omega [final Adventist] heresy” would evidently be (in substance) a mirror image of the “alpha” heresy, [exactly], which misunderstood the “presence and personality of God”, [because it taught a pantheistic view of the “presence and personality of God”] *but more-so the Spirit of God, [are you correcting the Spirit of Prophecy here?], then the “omega heresy” will evidently also misunderstand, and misrepresent the nature of the Spirit of God [because I'm presupposing that conclusion].

The alpha heresy had nothing to do with Trinitarianism. Kellogg was a Trinitarian but his heresy (the alpha) was pantheism. [1]. A. Graham Maxwell is a Trinitarian but his pantheism (the omega) is the only conceivable mirror image of Kellogg's alpha. [2] [3].

gillespie9669 · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 1:13 pm Post subject: