Let the pioneers speak through the reprinting of their writings

“God has given me light regarding our periodicals. What is it?—He has said that the dead are to speak. How?—Their works shall follow them. We are to repeat the words of the pioneers in our work, who knew what it cost to search for the truth as for hidden treasure, and who labored to lay the foundation of our work. They moved forward step by step under the influence of the Spirit of God. One by one these pioneers are passing away. The word given me is, Let that which these men have written in the past be reproduced.”

“A few are still alive who passed through the experience gained in the establishment of this truth. God has graciously spared their lives to repeat and repeat till the close of their lives, the experience through which they passed even as did John the apostle till the very close of his life. And the standard-bearers who have fallen in death, are to speak through the reprinting of their writings. I am instructed that thus their voices are to be heard. They are to bear their testimony as to what constitutes the truth for this time.”   Counsels to Writers and Editors pp. 28, 32.

Is the Holy Spirit a person?

IS THE HOLY GHOST A PERSON ?
 

J. W. W. asks : " Are we to understand that the Holy Ghost is a person, the same as the Father and
the Son ? Some claim that it is, others that it is not."
 

ANSWER.

—The terms " Holy Ghost," are a harsh and repulsive translation. It should be " Holy Spirit " (hagionpneuma) in every instance. This Spirit is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ ; the Spirit being the same whether it is spoken of as pertaining to God or Christ. But respecting this Spirit, the Bible uses expressions which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the the Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally present. Christ is a person, now officiating as priest in the sanctuary in heaven; and yet he says that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst. Matt. 18 : 20. How? —Not personally, but by his Spirit.  In one of Christ's discourses (John, chapters 14, 15, and 16) this Spirit is personified as " the Comforter," and as such has the personal and relative pronouns, " he," " him," and " whom," applied to it. But usually it is spoken of in a way to show that it cannot be a person, like the Father and the Son. For instance, it is often said to be " poured out " and " shed abroad. " But we never read about God or Christ being poured out or shed abroad. If it was a person, it would be nothing strange for it to appear in bodily shape ; and yet when it has so appeared, that fact has been noted as peculiar. Thus Luke 3 : 22 says : " And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him." But the shape is not always the same ; for on the day of Pentecost it assumed the form of " cloven tongues like as of fire." Acts 2 : 3, 4. Again we read of the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Rev. 1:4 ; 3:1 ; 4:5 ; 5:6.  This is unquestionably simply a designation of the Holy Spirit, put in this form to signify its perfection and completeness. But it could hardly be so described if it was a person. We never read of the seven Gods or the seven Christs.        Uriah Smith, Review and Herald, October 28, 1890.

Changes and Omissions to Daniel & Revelation

Recently I was able to acquire a copy of the ‘Daniel and Revelation’ by Uriah Smith dated 1918.   Since then I have been comparing this with the modern one.  I have only read a small portion, so there may be a lot more.



There have been changes to sentence construction, and although this might make it more modern, it was not entirely unnecessary, as the wording of Brother Smith is completely understandable. Here is an example of changes to sentence construction.



Here is an example.  The original states, “Having taken the book, the Lamb proceeds at once to open the seals and the attention of the apostle is called to the scenes that transpire under each seal.  The number seven has already been noticed as denoting in the Scriptures completeness and perfection.”  p431.



The later one states, “The Lamb takes the book and proceeds at once to open the seals.  The attention of the apostle is called to the scenes that transpire under each seal.    The number seven has already been noticed as denoting completeness and perfection in the Scriptures.”   p425.



But the main difference is the omission of everything relating to Christ being the literal Son of God.  On page 422 and 423 of the new edition, relating to ‘A Clean Universe (Revelation 4:13.14), a large amount has been omitted, half of which is shown below.  This is the part that refers to Christ.



Commencing with a sentence in both books, the old version says, “To the Lamb, equally with the Father who sits upon the throne, praise is ascribed in this song of adoration.



‘Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.’  Revelation 5:13.”



Many read these words and see a Trinity, but Brother Smith tried to avoid this conclusion by his words.  “Commentators, with great unanimity, have seized upon this as proof that Christ must be coeval (same age) with the Father; for otherwise, say they, here would be worship paid to the creature which belongs only to the Creator.  But this does not seem to be a necessary conclusion.  The Scriptures nowhere speak of Christ as a created being, but on the contrary plainly state that he was begotten of the Father. [See remarks on Rev 3:13, where it is shown that Christ is not a created being] 



The remarks on Rev 3:13 on page 400 are as follows, “Some attempt by this language to uphold the error that Christ was a created being, dating his existence anterior to that of any other created being or thing, next to the self-existent and eternal God.  But the language does not necessarily imply that he was created;  the word, ‘the beginning of the creation’, may simply signify that the work of creation, strictly speaking, was begun by him…. Christ is the agent through whom God created all things, but that the Son came into existence in a different manner, as he is called ‘the only begotten’ of the Father. It would seem utterly inappropriate to apply this expression to any being created in the ordinary sense of that term.”



Continuing the original section on p430,  “But, while as the Son he does not possess a co-eternity of past existence with the Father, the beginning of his existence, as the begotten of the Father, antedates the entire work of creation, in relation to which he stands as joint creator with God.  John 1:3; Heb 1:2.   

Could not the Father ordain that to such a being worship should be rendered equally with himself, without it’s being idolatry on the part of the worshipper?    He has raised him to positions which make it proper that he should be worshipped, and has even commanded that worship should be rendered him, which would not have been necessary had he been equal with the Father in eternity of existence.  Christ himself declares that ‘as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.’  John 5:26.  The Father has ‘highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.’  Phil 2:9.   And the Father himself says, ‘Let all the angels of God worship him’. Heb 1:6.   These testimonies show that Christ is now an object of worship equally with the Father;  but they do not prove that with him he holds an eternity of past existence.”   Daniel and the Revelation p430. 1918 edition. Uriah Smith
 


There may be other references to Christ as God’s Son that are specific, however, I have not compared the whole book.   I feel this is enough to see that the work was done with a purpose.    Our Prophet Said