PERSONHOOD OF THE HOLY SPRIT

by Vanderhoven7 6 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Vanderhoven7

  DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT -

  JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES DON'T SEE THE HOLY SPIRIT AS GOD. Instead they claim that The Holy Spirit is merely an impersonal "force" or "power")

  FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED, HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR OBJECTIONS TO THE PERSONHOOD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE ANSWERED.

  I: OBJECTIONS:

  OBJECTION 1: The Holy Spirit is called the "power of God" Ro.15:13,19

  How can "a power" be a person?

  SOLUTION 1: I Cor. 1:24 Jesus is also called "the power of God".

  Does that mean that Jesus is not a person?

  NOTE: Persons in scripture are often identified

  by pertinent impersonal characteristics such as

  "power, light, wisdom, love etc."

  OBJECTION 2: The Holy Spirit is said to "fill" (play ru o) people.

  How can a person be filled by another person?

  SOLUTION 2: Eph.1:23 Christ is said to "fill all things"

  Acts 5:3-4 Satan "fills" (play ru o) Ananias' heart.

  Does that mean Satan is not a person?

  fill = play ru o meaning to furnish or influence

  (i.e. to be completely influenced by)

  OBJECTION 3: John baptized with water, Jesus with the Spirit (Mt.3:11)

  Water is not a person, how can the Spirit be a person?

  SOLUTION 3: Ro.6:3 Those baptized into Christ, baptised into death.

  Does the fact that death is not a person mean that Jesus

  is not a person? See also Gal.3:27 (FAULTY LOGIC)

  OBJECTION 4: Acts 2:33; 10:45 says the Spirit is "poured out"

  How can a person be "poured out"?

  SOLUTION 4: Phil 2:17 Paul says "I have been poured out" See also II Tim 4:6

  II: QUESTIONS FOR JWs TO CONSIDER:

  1. IF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT GOD, WHY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT IDENTIFIED AS GOD IN SCRIPTURE?

  - Isn't the Holy Spirit identified as God in Acts 5:3-4?

  - Can an impersonal forced be sinned against and

  lied to? (verse 3) (also Mk.3:29)

  - Isn't the Holy Spirit called Jehovah God?(II Cor.3:17?NWT)

  2. COULD A NON PERSONAL UNTHINKING, UNFEELING FORCE BE IDENTIFIED AS OUR "TEACHER" AND OUR "COMFORTER"?

  - These personal, care giving roles of the Holy Spirit don't

  suggest personality to you?

  - Can a non personal force be insulted? (Heb 10:29)

  3. ISN'T THE PERSON HOOD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ESTABLISHED BY HIS ACTIONS IN SCRIPTURE?

  - Can a non personal, unthinking, unfeeling force speak

  (Acts 10:19) and call men to service? (Acts 13:2)

  - Can a non personal force intercede for people? (Ro.8:26)

  - How do you know the devil (the unholy spirit) is a person?

  4. WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PERSONALITY?

  - Aren't all three aspects of personality ascribed to the Holy Spirit?

  - INTELLECT (Ro.8:27)

  - EMOTIONS (Eph.4:30)

  - WILL (I Cor.12:11)

  5. IS IT POSSIBLE TO KNOW AND HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH A FORCE OR POWER?

  - Can you explain John 14:17 and II Cor.13:13?
• 

  factfinder

  Where in the Hebrew Scriptures does it support the idea that holy spirit is a person, let alone God? This is not a Jewish teaching.
• 

  Vanderhoven7

  Hi FactFinder,

  Here is a portion of an article you will find at:

  http://bible.org/seriespage/putting-pentecost-perspective-part-1-holy-spirit-old-testament-acts-21-13

  The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

  Some Christians seem to think that the Holy Spirit was a stranger to the Old Testament and to the Old Testament saint. In reality, the Spirit of God is much more quickly evident than the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. A look at a concordance will quickly indicate this. The Holy Spirit first occurs in the second verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:2 , actively involved in the creation of the earth. Shortly thereafter in Genesis 6 , the Holy Spirit is said to be involved with creation and specifically with men, in striving with them due to their sin. In the closing books of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is frequently mentioned, that last clear reference being found in Malachi 2:15 .

  Let us consider a number of the passages in which the Holy Spirit is mentioned. Let us look to the ways in which the Spirit worked in the days of old, and let us (later on) compare these with the work of the Spirit in the New Testament times, as well as in our own. I believe we will see a great deal of continuity. 4

  The Holy Spirit as the Source of Life

  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters ( Genesis 1:2 ).

  The spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life ( Job 33:4 ).

  When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth ( Psalm 104:30 ).

  The Holy Spirit is described as creative, life-giving, and life-sustaining. Is it any wonder that in the New Testament He would be similarly described (cf. John 3:5-8 ; 6:63; 2 Corinthians 3:6 )?

  The Holy Spirit Strives with Men

  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years” ( Genesis 6:3 ).

  The Holy Spirit as a Teacher and Guide

  You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst ( Nehemiah 9:20 ; cf. also 9:30).

  But it is the Spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding ( Job 32:8 ).

  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground ( Psalm 143:10 ).

  The Holy Spirit as the Manifestation of God’s Presence

  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me ( Psalm 51:11 ).

  Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ( Psalm 139:7 ).

  But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear’ ( Haggai 2:4-5 ).

  The Holy Spirit’s Special Relationship with Israel

  You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst ( Nehemiah 9:20 ).

  For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples ( Nehemiah 9:30 ).

  By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips ( Psalm 106:32-33 ).

  “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, Forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge” ( Isaiah 30:1-2 ).

  Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people—where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name ( Isaiah 63:10-14 ).

  “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry ( Zechariah 7:11-12 ).

  The Holy Spirit Filled and Empowered Men in the Old Testament

  A. Craftsmen, Artists, Designers, Builders:

  Bezalel (and others, involved with tabernacle furnishings):

  And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts ( Exodus 31:3 ).

  Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded” ( Exodus 35:30 –36:1).

  David (design of the temple):

  He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things ( 1 Chronicles 28:12 ).

  B. Administrators and Leaders (including kings):

  Joseph:

  So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” ( Genesis 41:38 ).

  Moses and the 70 Elders who help him:

  17 “I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” … 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again. 26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” ( Numbers 11:17, 25 -29).

  Joshua:

  So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him ( Numbers 27:18 ).

  Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses ( Deuteronomy 34:9 ).

  Saul:

  The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you” ( 1 Samuel 10:6-7 ). 5

  When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying ( 1 Samuel 10:10 ).

  When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger ( 1 Samuel 11:6 ).

  Saul and his men—preventing them from doing harm to David, God’s anointed:

  When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied. 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said. 23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ( 1 Samuel 19:18-24 ).

  David:

  13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him ( 1 Samuel 16:13-14 ).

  “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue ( 2 Samuel 23:2 ; cf. also Acts 1:16 ; 4:25).

  C. The Judges of Israel:

  Othniel:

  The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him ( Judges 3:10 ).

  Gideon:

  Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him ( Judges 6:34 ).

  Jephthah:

  Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites ( Judges 11:29 ).

  Samson:

  And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol ( Judges 13:25 ).

  6 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done… 19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father’s house ( Judges 14:6, 19 ).

  As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands ( Judges 15:14 ).

  D. The Prophets:

  Balaam:

  When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him ( Numbers 24:2 ).

  Elijah and Elisha:

  I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth ( 1 Kings 18:12 ).

  9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your Spirit,” Elisha replied.… 13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The Spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him ( 2 Kings 2:9, 13 -15).

  But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? ( 2 Kings 5:26 ).

  Isaiah:

  “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens I am there.” And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit. This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go” ( Isaiah 48:16-17 ).

  Ezekiel:

  He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day” ( Ezekiel 2:1-3 ; cf. also 3:12, 14, 24; 11:1, 5, 24; 13:3; 43:5).

  Daniel:

  8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) 9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me ( Daniel 4:8-9 ).

  “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you” ( Daniel 4:18 ).

  There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king, I say—appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom ( Daniel 5:11 ).

  Micah:

  “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say. “Do not prophesy about these things: disgrace will not overtake us.” Should it be said, O house of Jacob: “Is the Spirit of the Lord angry?

  Does he do such things?” ( Micah 2:6-7 )

  “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin” ( Micah 3:8 ).

  E. Others, Who Spoke to Men for God:

  Amasai:

  Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands ( 1 Chronicles 12:18 ).

  Azariah:

  The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded ( 2 Chronicles 15:1 ).

  Jehaziel:

  Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly ( 2 Chronicles 20:14 ).

  Zechariah:

  Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you’” ( 2 Chronicles 24:20 ).

  The Holy Spirit in Prophecies Concerning Israel’s Future

  Isaiah

  The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain ( Isaiah 4:4-6 ).

  5 In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. 6 He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7 And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. 8 All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth ( Isaiah 28:5-8 ).

  12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines 13 and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers—yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. 14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, 15 till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. 16 Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. 19 Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, 20 how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free ( Isaiah 32:12-20 ).

  1 “But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. 2 This is what the Lord says—he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. 5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel ( Isaiah 44:1-5 ).

  20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord. 21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the Lord ( Isaiah 59:20-21 ).

  Ezekiel

  “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord” ( Ezekiel 11:18-21 ).

  “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! ( Ezekiel 18:30-32 ).

  22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. 24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel! ( Ezekiel 36:22-32 ).

  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” … Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord’” ( Ezekiel 37:1-3 a,11-14).

  I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord” ( Ezekiel 39:29 ).

  Joel

  28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls ( Joel 2:28-32 ).

  Haggai

  3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ 6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty” ( Haggai 2:3-9 ).

  Zechariah

  6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. 7 “What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’” 8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you ( Zechariah 4:6-9 ).

  I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?” The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.” When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth. Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north” ( Zechariah 6:1-8 ).

  10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives ( Zechariah 12:10-14 ).

  1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him. 4 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. 5 He will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.’ 6 If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ he will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’ 7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. 9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’” ( Zechariah 13:1-9 ).

  The Holy Spirit will Empower Messiah

  Isaiah

  1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist ( Isaiah 11:1-5 ).

  “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations ( Isaiah 42:1 ).

  1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor ( Isaiah 61:1-3 ).

  Listed above are those references in which the Spirit of God is clearly identified as such. There could also be many other texts in which the ministry of the Spirit is clearly implied or referred to, but using other terms than that of the Spirit of God. From these references, however, let us attempt to draw some conclusions about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Next, we will attempt to draw together some general conclusions as to the future ministry of the Spirit, as predicted by the Old Testament prophets. This will serve as a foundation for our next study of the ministry of the Holy Spirit as depicted in the Gospels.

  The Old Testament Ministry of the Holy Spirit......
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  Diest

  I dont have the time to look it up but I would bet that most Jewish Rabbi's wouild not agree with your opinion on the Holy Spirit. I do think that the NT teaches a triune god, but that is because they are taking their teachings from the egyptians and greeks.
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  ProdigalSon

  The Holy Spirit is the female aspect of God. How anybody thinks anything can come into existence without a mother is beyond comprehension. "As above, so below." The Jews called her "Shekinah". In Proverbs 8 she is portrayed as "Sophia" or "Wisdom". There was a book allegedly written by Solomon by the name of "Wisdom" that didn't make it into the Protestant Canon. The female aspect is compassionate and wise. This is why Jesus referred to it as the "Helper". That's why the wise King kept "going after Ashtoreth" even after allegedly receiving all this wisdom from Jehovah.

  Removing the female aspect of God is what has made the human race, especially in the West, a Narcissistic society. The Tetragrammaton is the name of a double-sexed God: The Iod represents the phallus and the He-Vau-He is the female aspect which is where we get the name "Eve". Crosses are ancient representations of the union of male and female, making it comparable to the symbol for yin-yang. This is the underlying truth in all the major religions.

  The return of the Divine Feminine is vital for humanity to evolve to a higher level of consciousness. The kabbalistic Tree of Life is a good representation of this. The left and right pillars (represented in the Temple as the pillars of Jachin and Boaz) are male and female. The path in the middle is the way to ascension, which strikes a perfect balance between the two. Too much masculine and you have cruelty and selfishness. Too much feminine and you have passiveness and weakness, allowing the narcissists to take advantage. This is why Christ is represented as impaled upon a tree or cross, it represents the middle path to ascension.

  Needless to say, the Watchtower's version of the HS is absolutely ridiculous and absurd. Religion for dummies is what they specialize in. Those who think they are the most enlightened are the most ignorant.
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  factfinder

  Hi Vanderhoven,

  Thank you for the article. While much mention of God's spirit is made in the Hebrew Scriptures, I still don't see it as teaching that the spirit is a seperate person of God, and I keep recalling that the Hebrew word for spirit ( Ruach) means breath or wind or something similar-it really does seem more like a force God uses rather than a seperate person.

  Thank you for the information.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Thank you for your openness Factfinder.

  It is true that a full blown NT presentation of the Holy Spirit is not found in the OT. Coming from a Bible Student background, I was always puzzled by the NT scriptures that pointed to the Holy Spirit being more than a non-personal force or influence. Fortunately our understanding of the Holy Spirit is not critical to being a Christian or being born of or filled with the Holy Spirit of God.