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 1
1
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2
to whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4
Now the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
5
"Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."
6
Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I don't know how to speak; for I am a child."
7
But Yahweh said to me, "Don't say, 'I am a child;' for to whoever I shall send you, you shall go, and whatever I shall command you, you shall speak.
8
Don't be afraid because of them; for I am with you to deliver you," says Yahweh.
9
Then Yahweh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Yahweh said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10
Behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
11
Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree."
12
Then Yahweh said to me, "You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it."
13
The word of Yahweh came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a boiling caldron; and it is tipping away from the north."
14
Then Yahweh said to me, "Out of the north evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.
15
For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north," says Yahweh; "and they shall come, and they shall each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.
16
I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
17
"You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Don't be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
18
For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
19
They will fight against you; but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you," says Yahweh, "to deliver you."
