True Christian Religion # 158
158. ADDITIONAL NOTE
Since this chapter has dealt with the Holy Spirit, it is of importance to note that the Holy Spirit is nowhere named in the Old Testament Word, but only 'the Spirit of holiness' in three passages, one in the Psalms of David (Psalms 51:11), and two in Isaiah (Isaiah 63:10-11). But there are frequent references in the New Testament Word, as much in the Gospels as in the Acts of the Apostles and in their Epistles. The reason is that the Holy Spirit first existed when the Lord came into the world, for it came out of Him from the Father; for 'the Lord alone is holy' (Revelation 15:4). For this reason too the angel Gabriel speaking to Mary the mother of Jesus said 'the holy thing which will be born of you' (Luke 1:35). The reason why we read 'The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified' (John 7:39), although it was said earlier that the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth (Luke 1:41) and Zechariah (Luke 1:67), as well as Simeon (Luke 2:25), was that it was the spirit of Jehovah the Father which filled them; and it was called the Holy Spirit because the Lord was already at that time in the world.
This is why nowhere in the Old Testament Word does it say that the Prophets spoke from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah. For everywhere we read 'Jehovah spoke to me', 'The Word from Jehovah came to me', 'Jehovah said', 'The saying of Jehovah.'
To remove all possibility of doubt I propose to quote the passages solely in Jeremiah where these expressions occur:
Jeremiah 1:4, 7, 11-14, 19;
9:3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 22, 24-25;
11:1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 17-18, 21-22;
20:4;
22:2, 5-6, 11, 16, 18, 24, 29-30;
23:2, 5, 7, 12, 15, 24, 29, 31, 38;
27:1-2, 4, 8, 11, 16, 19, 21-22;
29:4, 8-9, 16, 19-21, 25, 30-32;
31:1-2, 7, 10, 15-17, 23, 27-28, 31-38;
32:1, 6, 14-15, 25-26, 28, 30, 36, 42, 44;
33:1-2, 4, 10-13, 17, 19-20, 23, 25;
40:1;
47:1;
48:1, 8, 12, 30, 35, 38, 40, 43-44, 47;
49:2, 5-7, 12-13, 16, 18, 26, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37-39;
50:1, 4, 10, 18, 20-21, 30-31, 33, 35, 40;
These are solely from Jeremiah. There are similar expressions in all the other Prophets, but it is never said that the Holy Spirit spoke, nor that Jehovah spoke to them by means of the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 47
1
The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before that Pharaoh struck Gaza.
2
Thus says Yahweh: Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and those who dwell therein; and the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.
3
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers don't look back to their children for feebleness of hands;
4
because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains: for Yahweh will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.
5
Baldness is come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing, the remnant of their valley: how long will you cut yourself?
6
You sword of Yahweh, how long will it be before you be quiet? Put up yourself into your scabbard; rest, and be still.
7
How can you be quiet, since Yahweh has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there has he appointed it.
