26. Daß der Herr des Menschen Sohn genannt wird, wo von Seiner

Ankunft die Rede ist, erhellt aus folgendem:

„Die Jünger sagten zu Jesus: Welches wird das Zeichen Deiner Ankunft und der Vollendung des Zeitlaufs sein? Da sagte Er ihnen die aufeinanderfolgenden Zustände der Kirche bis zu ihrem Ende voraus, und fügte in Beziehung auf das Ende derselben noch bei: Dann wird das Zeichen des

Menschensohnes erscheinen; und sie werden des Menschen Sohn in den Wolken des Himmels mit Kraft und Herrlichkeit kommen sehen“: Matthaeus 24:3, 30; Markus 13:26; Lukas 21:27. Durch die Vollendung des Zeitlaufes wird die letzte Zeit der Kirche; durch die Ankunft in den Wolken des Himmels mit Herrlichkeit wird verstanden die Aufschließung des WORTES und die Bekanntmachung, daß das WORT in Beziehung auf Ihn allein geschrieben worden sei.

„Ich sah, und siehe, mit der Himmel Wolken kam eines Menschen Sohn“: Daniel 7:13.

„Siehe, mit den Wolken kommt Er, und sehen wird Ihn jedes Auge“: Offenbarung 1:7. Auch dies vom Menschen Sohn , wie aus Vers 13 daselbst erhellt.

„Ich sah, und siehe! eine weiße Wolke, und auf der Wolke saß Einer, ähnlich einem Menschensohn“: Offenbarung 14:14.

Daß der Herr etwas anderes durch den Sohn Gottes, und etwas anderes durch des Menschen Sohn bei Sich verstanden hat, geht aus Seiner, dem Oberpriester gegebenen Antwort hervor: der Oberpriester sagte zu Jesus: „Ich beschwöre Dich beim lebendigen Gott, daß Du uns sagst, ob Du Christus bist, der Sohn Gottes. Da sagte Jesus zu ihm: du hast es gesagt: Ich bin es; doch sage Ich euch: von nun an werdet ihr des Menschen Sohn zur Rechten der Macht sitzen, und kommen sehen auf des Himmels Wolken“: Matthaeus 26:63-64. Hier hat Er zuerst bekannt, daß Er der Sohn Gottes sei, und nachher sagt Er, daß sie des Menschen Sohn werden sitzen sehen zur Rechten der Macht, und kommen auf des Himmels Wolken, wodurch verstanden wird, daß Er nach dem Leiden am Kreuz göttliche Macht besitzen werde, das WORT zu eröffnen und die Kirche zu gründen; was nicht früher geschehen konnte, weil Er vorher die Hölle noch nicht besiegt, und Sein Menschliches noch nicht verherrlicht hatte. Was durch das Sitzen auf den Wolken des Himmels, und durch das Kommen in der Herrlichkeit bezeichnet werde, ist im Werk vom »Himmel und der Hölle« Nr. 1 erklärt worden.

46. The Holy Spirit Is the Divinity Emanating from the Lord, and It Is the Lord Himself

Jesus said in Matthew:

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the completion of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

We have already shown that the Divine called the Father and the Divine called the Son are united in the Lord. Now, therefore, we must show that the Holy Spirit is identical with the Lord.

[2] The Lord told His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, because there is a trine or trinity in the Lord. For there is the Divinity called the Father, the Divine humanity called the Son, and the emanating Divinity called the Holy Spirit. The Divine called the Father and the Divinity called the Son are the originating Divinity, and the emanating Divinity called the Holy Spirit is the instrumental Divinity.

That no other Divinity emanates from the Lord than the Divinity which is Himself is something that will be seen in short works to come regarding Divine providence and Divine omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience, for it entails a deeper investigation.

[3] That there is a trine in the Lord may be illustrated by comparison with an angel. An angel has a soul and a body, and also something emanating. That which emanates from him is himself beyond his person. (I have been given to know much about this emanation, but this is not the place to present it.)

[4] Everyone who looks to God is, after death, first taught by angels that the Holy Spirit is not someone different from the Lord, and that to emit and emanate means nothing else than to enlighten and teach by His presence, which depends on a person’s reception of the Lord. Most people after death accordingly put away the concept they had formed in the world regarding the Holy Spirit, and accept instead the view that the Holy Spirit is the Lord’s presence in a person by means of angels and spirits, by which and in accordance with which a person is enlightened and taught.

[5] Furthermore, the Word customarily refers to the Divine by two names, and sometimes three, which nevertheless constitute one Divine. So we find, for example, Jehovah and God, Jehovah and the Holy One of Israel, Jehovah and the Mighty One of Jacob, and God and the Lamb. Because these are one and the same, we are also told in other places that Jehovah alone is God, that Jehovah alone is holy, and that He is the Holy One of Israel, and no other besides Him. We find also that instead of God He is sometimes called a Lamb, and instead of a Lamb, sometimes God — the first in the Prophets, the second in the book of Revelation.

[6] That the Lord alone is meant by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Matthew 28:19 is apparent from the verses that precede and follow there. In the preceding verse the Lord says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” And in the following verse He says, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the completion of the age, ” thus speaking of Himself alone. He spoke, therefore, as He did in order that His disciples might know that He had in Him a trinity.

[7] For it to be known that the Holy Spirit is not some other Divinity than the Lord Himself, we must show what is meant in the Word by spirit. By spirit is meant the following:

1. A person’s life in general.

2. Because a person’s life varies in accordance with his state, therefore by spirit is meant the life’s varying affection in a person.

3. It is also the life of a regenerate person, the life called spiritual life.

4. Whenever the term spirit is applied to the Lord, however, it means His Divine life, thus the Lord Himself.

5. In particular it means the life of His wisdom, which is called Divine truth.

6. Jehovah Himself, that is, the Lord, spoke the Word through the prophets.