The Revelation of God

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 3, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 47.

The Revelation of God

IN the second epistle of 2 Peter 1:21 it is said that "men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." The books of Revelation and Daniel disclose the fact that angels have revealed truth to the prophets. From these facts, some have concluded that the Holy Spirit was an angel or angels, and that any other view makes the Bible contradict itself. That this is not so, one simple principle will show; and borne in mind, will enable our readers to solve similar problems. It is this,—that because a principal is responsible for all acts of his agents or subordinates, the acts or work of his agents may properly be said to be his acts. For instance, we say, "That house was built by Mr. Jones," or "That printing-press was made by Mr. Hoe," altho Mr. Jones never did any work on the house, nor Mr. Hoe on the press. But they caused the work to be done; therefore it was their work. Thus the Father created the world through the Son. God spoke to the fathers, but He did it by the prophets. Heb. 1:1.

So God has revealed His will to men, sometimes through angels, sometimes through men. But in both cases the Spirit of God fitted the messenger for his work, gave power to his message, and prepared the heart of the individual to whom it was sent to receive the truth spoken. The Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, or rather the perfect oneness of all three, was the principal; the angel or the man was the agent. Now to say that the Spirit was an angel, would prove by the same rule that the Spirit was a human being. But neither is true. The angel was only the messenger of God; the power — the all — was furnished by the Spirit of God, who is above and before all angels and all creatures.