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#7 Jesus - The "God" of the Old TestamentEarly on in my Christian experience I used to believe that the God of the Old Testament was the Father and that Christ was the focus of the New Testament. Many things have changed my mind about this. First, I learned that Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. He did this throughout the Old Testament and well as the New - and the God that was revealed was the same God. This drastically changed how I approached and understood many of the things recorded in the Old Testament! Second, I learned that it was Christ that had performed many of the things that I had mistakenly attributed to the Father (e.g. Christ gave the Law and wrote them on the tables of stone. Christ delivered Israel from their Egyptian bondage. Christ was the one who created all things. Christ was the one who appeared and spoke to people like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the prophets and others, etc.). Third, I learned that many of the names for God that I had believed were reserved for the Father alone, were actually names for Christ also. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, I learned that the Old Testament Sanctuary (Tabernacle) revealed the good news (Gospel) of the plan of redemption - That it typified Christ and that all of it's design and furnishings are symbolic of Christ and of His work on man's behalf. I now believe that the God that is revealed as the active agent in the Old Testament is Christ and Christ alone. As the only "medium through which He [Father] could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world" (SC p. 13, par. 2), Christ came to reveal the true nature (character) of the Father. And while it is conceded that the Father was "in Christ reconciling the World to Himself" (2 Cor. 5:19); the Father acted only through Christ, so that it is Christ who was the One performing all of the acts attributed to God throughout the Old Testament. This realization brought many things sharply into focus for me in regards to the "Spirit of God" and the plan of Redemption. It clarified and deeply enriched my understanding of the process of "Righteousness by Faith" and the vehicle through which it is carried out, and why "One interest will prevail, one subject will swallow up every other,--Christ our righteousness." [RH December 23, 1890; par. 19] "This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." [Isa. 54:17; KJV]. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." [2 Cor. 5:21; NASB]. "All power is given into His [Jesus] hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel's message which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure." [Testimonies to Ministers, p. 92]). In Study #6 we explored many instances that showed that Christ - in His brought forth form - interacted with men like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc. It is not within the scope of this study to examine all the instances that show that it was the person of Christ that interacted with men of old to inspire, direct, lead, advise, command, free, bless, and reveal the character of God. We've already seen that Christ was the One who worked many miracles, in order to save His people and in order to convince us to follow the One True God. All of this is worthy of our study and I would encourage you to discover more about this yourself. Suffice for the purposes of this study, the instances sighted reveal that Christ - in His brought-forth form - was the one who interacted with men on behalf of the Father and always for the purpose of revealing the character of God and the plan of Redemption. We must be ever mindful of the fact that the Old Testament is as "Christ-Centered" as the New Testament! Christ is the One to whom all of the "types" and sacrifices pointed. Christ is the One who is revealed as the only hope for the salvation of mankind! And while Christ is the One upon whom our salvation rests - He is also the One who has been responsible for revealing Himself as our "Blessed Hope." Christ is everything to us, and everything is Christ! I fear that we sometimes forget this and that in forgetting we have sometimes drawn the wrong conclusions with regard to how God is dealing with the Sin problem and how He has interacted with mankind in the past. Some of the problem that we have had with certain of God's dealings in the Old Testament is that we find it hard to reconcile the harshness and severity of the God exhibited here with the God that Jesus reveals in the New Testament. In short, we have often viewed the God of the Old Testament as stern and strict while the God of the New Testament seems so loving, forgiving and kind. Many of us have concluded that the God of the Old Testament is the Father (the One who is stern, strict and severe); and that the God of the New Testament is different from that of the Old because Jesus has interceded for us, and the Father has now tempered His anger and adopted a more gentle and loving attitude towards us because of what Jesus has done. Nothing could be further from the Truth! The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament. God has not changed in His attitude towards us. Nor does He require anything more, or less, from us than what was required of the people living prior to Christ's first coming. More importantly, we must remember that Christ is the medium through which the Father acts and interacts in the affairs of this world. Christ is effectively the God of the Old Testament. Christ not only delivered the Israelites and parted the Red Sea -- He is the one who sent the plagues upon Egypt and the one who slew Israel's enemies. We often refer to Jesus as the "meek and lowly Jesus" -- but Jesus is the "Mighty" and "Just" God! Jesus is not some "watered-down" version of the Father - He is the Son of God: invested with authority, power, and ultimately judgment! If this is true (and it is) how then do we reconcile this Christ with the Christ of the New Testament? The severity of many of God's (Christ's) actions in the Old Testament are reconciled with His Love when they are understood as "typical" (symbolic) of Christ's final actions in resolving the Great Controversy and the eradication of "Sin" (and those who cling to it). Much of the violence and bloodshed of the Old Testament - such as the slaying of the Amorites and the Canaanites of Exodus 23:23 -- can be seen as a "type" of Christ's eradication of all those who openly oppose God and attempt to hinder the entrance of His people into the "promised Land." The deaths of people like Uzza, Achan, and in the New Testament--Ananias and Sapphira; can be understood as "typical" of those who refuse the "priceless gift of His [Christ's] own righteousness" and treat the things of God lightly and with indifference. Any and all of God's seemingly severe actions in His interactions with the people of Old Testament times, become understandably "Loving" when they are seen as "acted parables" (object lessons) that are associated with the final vindication of God and the permanent eradication of Sin at the end of the world! Jesus took the high road - always. He never shrank from adversity or did only those things that were "pleasant" and "easy" for Him. Many times Jesus must have struggled with having to be "firm" and doing the "hard" things (just as we must often do as parents), but Jesus did not back down and try to sugar-coat the Truth. Jesus never shrank from doing whatever was needed, in order to save us. Jesus is a loving Father, and being a loving Father He has had to be strict sometimes, in order to get us to realize the dangers of Sin and to try to spare us the agony that Sin creates in our lives. Jesus said: "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Eze. 33:11) and describes His work in destroying the wicked as; "His strange work . . . His strange act" (Isa. 28:21) - yet Jesus has performed this act many times because it was necessary in order to teach us the dangers of Sin and to Redeem us from its destruction. Jesus knows how serious Sin is and He knows the "infinite and inconceivable price" that has been paid, by Himself and His Father, to provide us with eternal life - Do we? I really don't think we do - else we would not trifle with it so often. We have often mistakenly concluded that certain Hebrew names for God refer only to the Father and not to Christ. The one name that we have often attributed to the Father alone is "Yahweh," or "Jehovah" (written in capital letters as "LORD" in our Bibles). This has caused us to mistakenly think that when we read the title "LORD" that it must always be speaking of the Father and that when we find the "LORD" speaking to the men of the Old Testament that it must be the Father that is speaking. This is simply not true! The name and title of "LORD" belongs to Christ as well. We have already examined and shown this to be the case earlier. Christ was the "LORD God Almighty" who revealed Himself and spoke with Moses: "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land." God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them. I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.'" (Ex. 6:1-8 emphasis mine). Christ was the "LORD" who established His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Christ was the "LORD" who freed Israel from Egyptian bondage and established them as His "chosen people" (Duet. 7:6). And Christ worked many mighty miracles in order to establish the fact that He was the "LORD." If Christ was the One who did all of these essential, pivotal and impressive things for the Patriarchs, how then is it that we do not seem to recognize that it was Christ, the "LORD," who spoke to all the prophets of Old? Why do we still seem to think the Father is the one speaking in the Old Testament? "Jehovah is the name given to Christ. 'Behold, God is my salvation,' writes the prophet Isaiah; 'I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day ye shall say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.' 'In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.'" (ST: May 3, 1899, p. 2. [SDA BC 7A; p. 439, par. 3]). It is my contention that we can only understand God's workings in the Old Testament by viewing and understanding them within the context of the Great Controversy. If we fail to do this, and fail to scrutinize every experience and doctrine recorded in the Bible within the context of that Controversy - then we will never understand the Truth. We will most assuredly misunderstand much about such things as Christ's being "brought-forth", the Fall, the Creation, the plan of Salvation, the Godhead and the nature of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the only hope for the salvation of mankind and He has been appointed as such by the Father. Jesus is the person to whom all things pointed and who was active in the Old Testament, revealing the Father's character as well as His "will" in all that He said and did. "From everlasting he was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted him, were to be blessed" (RH April 5, 1906; par. 5). It was not the Father revealing Christ to mankind - it was Christ revealing the Father and Himself to mankind. Christ spoke the words of the Father and the Father expected that: "The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father." It was to be understood that "He was invested with the honor and authority of Heaven" and "to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His [Father's] will." (SOP vol. 1, p. 17, par. 1-2; DA p. 212, par. 3; PP p. 36, par.2). "The crowning glory of Christ's attributes was his holiness. The angels bow before him in adoration exclaiming, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. He is declared to be glorious in his holiness." (RH March 12, 1908; par. 4). Just to make sure that what I am saying here is not totally misunderstood let me try to summarize it more concisely. Jesus has always pointed us to God the Father as the source of all goodness and of all power. But the Father has appointed Jesus as the only medium through which He can bestow His blessings to mankind. The Father has set it up this way and I believe that we can understandably see why He has done so. Apart from Jesus, we could not approach God at all, and the absolute purity of the Father would have consumed us the moment we sinned. You and I would not be discussing these issues right now were it not for Jesus. In short, the Father can only show us His goodness and reveal His glory in and through the person of Jesus Christ. The Father can only speak to us in Christ. Christ is the Father's only link to us, and Christ is most assuredly our only link to the Father. I believe that the only times that the Father spoke directly with mankind after the fall were the times when He wished to encourage Christ in His mission and when He wished to directly confirm Him as His Son in the eyes of the disciples (see Mat. 3:17; 17:5; Mk. 9:7; Lk. 9:35). Otherwise, the Father spoke through Christ and through Christ alone. "In the beginning was the Word "-- Christ has always been the spokesperson for the Father, speaking as He has heard and doing that which He has been shown. (Jn. 5:30; 8:20,28,38; 12:49; etc). Christ has always been the executor of the Father's will. Christ is the Father's representative to His creations and in a very special way Christ is the Father's representative to "mankind." Jesus was the GOD of "Israel." "Christ Himself was the originator of the Jewish system of worship, in which, by types and symbols, were shadowed forth spiritual and heavenly things. Many forgot the true significance of these offerings; and the great truth that through Christ alone there is forgiveness of sin, was lost to them." (ST Jan. 2, 1893 - [7BC 933.1]). Sadly, Israel never fully grasped this - "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him" (Jn. 1:11). The Lord God said: "My people…are called by My name…" (2 Chron. 7:14, see also Dan. 9:19). Were God's people called "LORD"? Were they called "I AM"? Were they called Jehovah? Were they called by any other "name" we normally associate with God? No! God's peculiar "people" were called "Israel." Is "Israel" God's name? More specifically, is "Israel" Jesus' name? The answer is Yes! In Hosea 11:1 we read, "When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son." Traditionally this has been understood to refer to the nation of Israel, and this is true in one sense. But we must let the Bible reveal it's own primary meaning and understanding. In Matthew 2:13-16 we find the true meaning of the words contained in Hosea 11:1. Here we find the record of Joseph being instructed by an angel to take Mary and "the child" (Jesus) out of their land and into Egypt until King Herod should die. Then He was instructed to come back into the land of his forefathers. Matthew tells us that this is when "Israel" was "brought out of Egypt": "So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.'" (Mat. 2:14,15). Genesis 32:28 tells us the origin of the name Israel. Jacob had wrestled with the Christ all night and would not let Him go until He blessed Him. Jesus then renamed Jacob, "Israel" -- "He said, 'Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.'" We can immediately see that the name "Israel" has a "Spiritual" meaning and context. Did Jesus "strive" with God and prevail? Again the answer is yes. While the Father had developed the plan of Salvation and in unison with Christ agreed to carry it out -- still, when the time came for Christ to actually make His tremendous sacrifice, the Father was hesitant to let Him go! "Sorrow filled heaven as it was realized that man was lost and that the world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and that there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die. I then saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance. Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, "He is in close converse with His Father." The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with His Father. Three times He was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time He came from the Father we could see His person. His countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and trouble, and shone with a loveliness which words cannot describe. He then made known to the angelic choir that a way of escape had been made for lost man; that He had been pleading with His Father, and had obtained permission to give His own life as a ransom for the race, to bear their sins, and take the sentence of death upon Himself, thus opening a way whereby they might, through the merits of His blood, find pardon for past transgressions, and by obedience be brought back to the garden from which they were driven. Then they could again have access to the glorious, immortal fruit of the tree of life to which they had now forfeited all right." (Early Writings p. 126, par. 1). Jesus "strove" with God. Jesus was the "Son" called "out of Egypt." Jesus is "Israel," and He was the GOD of Israel. Jesus was the "I AM" that spoke to Moses: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Jn. 8:58 & Ex. 3:6). And when Jesus was speaking to the Jews of His day, Jesus said: "if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46). Jesus was the God of the Old Testament (I am not suggesting that the Father is not revealed in the Old Testament. What I am saying is that Jesus is the One who came to reveal the Father to us and we have no understanding of the Father apart from Christ. When Christ cried out "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me" He was speaking to His God and Father. For man, however, Christ is our Father and our Savior and our GOD. For man; "there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me." [Isa. 45:21]). The people of God in New Testament times are also called by His Name - they are called "Christians": "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). Peter tells us that it is they, who take the name of Christ, that are favored by God as His "chosen people" -- "you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). What is true in New Testament times was true in the Old Testament times and visa-versa: "if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Gal. 3:29). JESUS is our Lord, our Savior, and our God. We simply must understand that Christ is the "LORD" who speaks in the Old Testament as well as the New (Gen. 17:1; Ex. 6:3 cf. Rev. 11:17). And since this is true, then this brings new significance to the words of the Old Testament where we find such statements as: "For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior" (Isa. 43:3 - see also 2 Sam. 22:3 & Hos. 13:4). "I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isa. 51:12). Or; "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). And: "It will come about after this That I will pour out My Sprit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions" (Joel 2:28; see also Isa. 44:3 & Prov. 1:23). If it is indeed Christ who is speaking here - then He must be indicating that HE is our God, our Father, our comforter -- and that it is HIS Spirit that will be "poured out" upon His people at the end of Time! [Note: This is not to say that the Father is not our God also. But we must remember Christ's special and unique role as it relates to us as men. He is our "Creator," our "Savior," our "Revelator," and our "God." Some will say that Christ is referring to the "Father" as the One who "comforts" and speaking only of His "Father" pouring out His Spirit at the end of time - we will see that this is not the case when we examine this closely in the next two studies!]. When we look at the New Testament we seem to find God introducing a third person into the plan for our salvation - and this "person" seems to take on the primary role in our salvation after Christ's ascension. Is this the "Third Person" of the Godhead? And is the "Trinity" doctrine, as we have taught it, been right all along? Has the "Holy Spirit" actually existed as the third member of the Godhead all along and simply was "revealed" at this time? Did Christ complete His work and a different member of the Godhead step in to fill His place? When we consider the Wilderness Sanctuary and its Services, we have one of the most conclusive proofs that this is not the case. The plan of Redemption is represented in its entirety in the services of the Sanctuary. The whole plan of Redemption is revealed here from start to finish - and we find that its focus is on Christ and Christ alone. We do not find Christ doing His work only up to a point and then being replaced, or supplemented, by someone else! It is Christ who is seen represented as our sacrifice, our priest (mediator), and ultimately as our judge. Even the construction and furnishings of the Tabernacle represent Christ - and Christ alone. This is not a "Exhaustive" study on the Sanctuary or the Tabernacle. Many fine books have been written on this subject that go into detail about such things as the materials used, what the shapes and colors and the number of items used represent. The best book that I have seen on the Old Testament Tabernacle and how it relates to Christ is Stephen N. Haskell's book "The Cross and Its Shadow [ First printed by (The Bible Training School, South Lancaster, Mass. 1914) and reprinted by (Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, MD., 1984) - Ellen White Treasured this book. Another fine book is M. L. Andreason's, "The Sanctuary Service" (Review and Herald Publishing Association, Takoma Park, Washingtion, D.C., 1937). Frank B. Holbrook has also written much on this subject and is an excellent authority to consult.]. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about the Tabernacle, its services, what is represented by what, and how everything ties in to Christ and the plan of Salvation. For my purposes I wish only to convey the evidence that shows that the Tabernacle and its furnishings all represent Christ and Christ alone. I must admit some frustration at this point. To be fair to the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy quotes that speak of the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and what these things all represent - I must include quotes that make reference to the "Holy Spirit." Since we have not yet proven that the Holy Spirit is, in fact, Christ's Spirit (and not a being exclusive of His personage) one could become confused and draw the wrong conclusions. However, when we consider the "Atonement," we are forced to conclude that it was made possible through the person of Jesus Christ alone. Any mention of "someone else" must cause us to be "suspect" in concluding that this "being" is anyone other than Christ. So, while I will include these references to a "third" person's involvement in the Atonement, I will do so in light of what we have already considered about Christ's being "brought-forth" and will deduce any conclusions about the identity of this other person from that perspective. I understand and admit the difficulty in doing this, but I believe that as we progress through the following chapters it will become clear that no injustice is being done to the quotes used and that the conclusions I am drawing are correct. I believe that by the time you finish these studies that you will be able to come back to some of these quotes and understand them in a different "light" then you may understand them right now. So let's continue. The Wilderness Tabernacle:As we enter the outer court of the Tabernacle from the east, the first things that we see is the Alter of Burnt Offering. Next, between the Alter and the door to the first apartment of the Tabernacle (the enclosed portion of the tabernacle represented the heavenly Sanctuary) we find a laver filled with water. As we enter the first apartment of the Tabernacle we see three pieces of furniture - the Table of Shewbread, the Alter of Incense, and the golden seven-branched Candlestick. When we enter the second apartment (the Most Holy Place) we find the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat and two golden "Cherubim" with wings spread over the Shekinah Glory (the visible presence of God - God's Throne, if you will). All of these things represent Christ, His Sacrifice, and His ministration on behalf of fallen man. The first two items, the Alter of Burnt Offering and the Laver, existed in the outer court of the Tabernacle and were representative of Christ's Sacrifice (as the "Lamb" of God) here on this earth.
As we enter the Tabernacle itself, we are presented with a number of furnishings.
The alter of incense and the incense itself represent Christ - and the "Spirit" (Divine Fire) that makes effectual what Christ has and is doing must be "The Spirit of Christ" - it must be Christ's Spirit. It is significant that when the visible presence of Christ (the Shekinah Glory) had departed from the Temple, it had paused upon the Mount of Olives. Christ, when He was to Ascend to Heaven also paused upon this mount and with a yearning heart overlooked Jerusalem: "As the place of His ascension, Jesus chose the spot so often hallowed by His presence while He dwelt among men. Not Mount Zion, the place of David's city, not Mount Moriah, the temple site, was to be thus honored… Jesus, weary and heart-burdened, had gone forth to find rest in the Mount of Olives. The holy Shekinah, in departing from the first temple, had stood upon the eastern mountain, as if loath to forsake the chosen city; so Christ stood upon Olivet, with yearning heart overlooking Jerusalem" (DA p.829, par. 2). Ellen White summarizes the Tabernacle, its services, and its relationship to Christ beautifully in the following words: "The typical sacrifices and offerings of that dispensation represented Christ, who was to become the perfect offering for sinful man. Besides these mystic symbols and shadowy types pointing to a Saviour to come, there was a present Saviour to the Israelites. He it was, who, enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, led them in their travels; and he it was who gave direct words to Moses to be repeated to the people. . . He who was equal with the Father in the creation of man was commander, lawgiver, and guide to his ancient people" (RH March 2, 1886; par. 2). And so He is to us today. We are told that "…in order to preach the gospel in its fullness, they [we] must present the Saviour not only as revealed in His life and teachings, but as foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament and as symbolized by the sacrificial service" (COL p. 127, par. 1). "Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament. Our Saviour, the outshining of the Father's glory, is both the Old and the New" (Ibid. p. 126, par. 3). In all of the Old Testament we see Christ revealing the character of God, and Christ revealed as God. In all of the things associated with the Tabernacle we see Christ is the focus and the One represented by all the furniture/services of the Tabernacle. The "Spirit" that is mentioned in connection with many of these things - the Shewbread, Incense, Candlestick, and the Shekinah Glory -- is always mentioned in inseparable connection with Christ. This is because it is Christ's Spirit and not a person who is not Christ. This will become absolutely clear when we examine this more fully in the study devoted to the Holy Spirit. We will find that the Holy Spirit is indeed Christ's Spirit and not some independent, ever-existing third person of the Godhead apart from the person of Christ.
Next - #8 The Incarnation - Jesus Becomes A Man Back -- #6 The Pre-Advent Incarnation |
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