Victor Houteff on the Godhead | Part: 2 The Holy Spirit

Written by Samuel Gonzalez

Introduction

The subject of the Holy Spirit has been one of the most controversial topics in respect to the nature of God since Adventism’s early days. The early Adventist pioneers were at odds as to the nature of the Holy Spirit. A number of them believed He was the “power” of God while others believed Him to be an influence. There were still others who believed He was a person or personality. Ultimately, Ellen G. White made clear that He was as much a person as God is a person, “…we need to realize that the Holy Spirit…is as much a person as God is a person...” Emphasis added—Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899), Ms 66, 1899, par. 11 Inasmuch as Ellen White provides greater details than the pioneers throughout her writings, they will not be addressed at this time. This exposition is to look at this subject through the eyes of Victor Houteff as found in the writings of the Shepherd’s Rod. In Part one of this series, it was revealed that Victor Houteff believed in the Trinity but what did he have to say about the Holy Spirit? This is a very important topic because a number of “Davidians” claim to believe in the Shepherd’s Rod yet deny the truth of the Trinity and even the existence of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Godhead. Unfortunately, many of them have accepted the Semi-Arian or anti-Trinitarian view based on the private interpretations of these dissident movements within Adventism.

Thoughts to Consider

Should I put my trust in the so-called wise men?

“Throughout the ages, all who have put their trust in the so-called wise men, and foremost Christians of the day, all reputedly godly men, have by these very ones been bereft of the crown of eternal life, as were the Jewish laity in the days of Christ because of their failing to assume full responsibility for their own salvation.”—Pre-"Eleventh Hour" Extra, Tract 1, 1941, pg. 4.1

Answer: Trust must be placed solely upon God. Believe that He is more than able to lead into all truth and only He, not men, is able to illuminate the mind and make it susceptible to His Word.  Pray the Lord for His Spirit to help you comprehend the gems of Truth that are found in His Word, “Now is the time to turn from men, and to make our own decisions in accordance with the promise that to any God-trusting and Truth-searching one God will give His Spirit to lead him into all Truth.” Emphasis added—Timely Greetings (revised edition), 1953, Vol. 1, Nos. 29, 30, pg. 14

What constitutes a “disciple?”

   “A ‘disciple’ is one who follows Christ on and on in Divinely-revealed Truth which he accepts not because others do, or do not, but because the Father which is in Heaven has through His Spirit personally convinced him of it (Matt. 16:17) -- because independent of what others do or say he is personally persuaded by the Spirit.”—Timely Greetings, 1949, Vol. 2, Nos. 41, 42, pg. 21.3

Answer: A true disciple is only lead and persuaded by the Holy Spirit of God. Heed His convictions and test the spirits to see whether a message is from God. Following the doctrinal traditions of men has been a great downfall of those who profess Present Truth. Do not be afraid to question what has commonly been accepted as truth. Study for yourself and take pains to listen carefully with a humble and teachable spirit. Become a committed student of the scriptures and of the Shepherd’s Rod to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Should I go beyond what the Rod has explained?

“Do not go beyond what the SRod has explained.”—The Symbolic Code, Vol. 1, No. 4, pg. 1.2

Answer: Unfortunately, many have gone far beyond what the SRod has explained because they do not understand what is meant by an “it is written” or a “thus saith the Lord.” Many believe it means to quote a scripture or statement and add their own private construction as to what it means and to them this is what constitutes an “it is written.” This is not what is meant by these phrases. Quoting scripture or inspired statements and allowing them to speak for themselves is the admonition. These private interpreters have no regard for the Truth but what they have chosen to believe as truth. These same ones disregard the actual truth if it doesn’t fit their preconceived ideas. An “it is written” has no effect on these persons for this phrase is what they use as a basis to build their private interpretations upon. Then you have others who are more interested in what they or others have to say rather than what the Lord has said, “Apparently, though, neither a ‘thus saith the Lord’ nor an ‘it is written’ has as much effect nowadays upon the conscience of Present Truth believers and upon their ‘ideas and theories, habits and practices’ as do the sentiments: ‘They say, ‘I have heard’ (T.M. 505), ‘I think.’”—The Symbolic Code, Texas, 1938, Vol. 4, Nos. 10-12, pg. 8.

Victor Houteff on the Holy Spirit

Is the Holy Spirit a person?

“Thus being as they were the product of the omnipotent power of the three persons of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) at work for 40 days through the personal ministry of their triune representative. Christ, this preternatural little group consequently preserved and continued the line of the church.” Emphasis Added—Tract 3: The Judgment and the Harvest (third-edition), 1942, pg. 91

 “The ‘spirits in prison’ cannot, accordingly, be any others than the antediluvians, to whom Christ, in the person of His Spirit, Who raised Him, preached aforetime through Noah, and to whom the Spirit's warning was of no moment, with fearful result that by their refusal to hear His pleadings, they became figuratively imprisoned by the circumstances of the coming flood, from the certain consequences of which they could not escape.” Emphasis added—Tract 3: The Judgment and the Harvest (third-edition), 1942, pg. 119

"…That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the work of redemption. Matt. 28:19.” Emphasis added—Fundamental Beliefs and Directory, 1943, pg. 3

Answer: These statements make it abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is a person:

1.) “…the three persons of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost)…”

2.) “…in the person of His Spirit, Who raised Him [Jesus Christ]…”

3.) “…the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead…”

Is the Holy Spirit an ‘it,” a “she,” or a “He”?

“He”

“Settle it forever then, that, you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hands, or closing your eyes in ways that He does not seem to use with others.” Emphasis added—The Symbolic Code, Texas, 1938, Vol. 4, Nos. 4-9, pg. 7

“Himself”

“If it is hard enough for the average-mind to admit that he is wrong, then pray tell me how easily will our wise men, who think themselves to stand without a peer, to admit their mistakes?  For this is exactly what they must do to their audiences if they themselves are ever to accept the prophecies when unfolded by the Holy Spirit Himself.  And if they do not give up their private interpretations and take the interpretations of the Spirit, will they not sin against the Holy Ghost?” Emphasis Added—Timely Greetings, 1948, Vol. 2, Nos. 23, 24, pg. 17

“Him”

“He who denies inspired interpretation of the Scriptures is denying the office of the Holy Spirit, and is sinning against Him -- committing the unpardonable sin!” Emphasis Added—The Shepherd's Rod, 1932, Vol. 2 pgs. 286

Answer: He describes the Holy Spirit by the pronouns “He”, “Himself”, and “Him” unequivocally designating a masculine gender.

Does the Holy Spirit have His own mind?

“‘Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter 1:20, 21); that is, had the Scriptures come by the will of man, then they could be interpreted by the will of man without the aid of the Spirit.  But the fact that ‘holy men of God’ received the Scriptures from the Spirit of God, and as it is impossible for man of himself to know the mind of the Holy Spirit, he cannot interpret the Scriptures without the Spirit's aid--he must, therefore, be inspired as verily as the ones to whom the Scriptures were given at the first.” Emphasis added—The Symbolic Code, Texas, 1938, Vol. 4, Nos. 10-12, pg. 3

Answer: Yes, the Holy Spirit has His own mind.

Is the Holy Spirit Jesus Christ?

“Briefly summarized, the words, ‘messenger of the covenant,’ mean nothing more or less than to say, The Holy Spirit in Heaven's visible representative, or the invisible Christ in the message.” Emphasis added —The Symbolic Code, California, 1934, Vol. 1, No. 4, pg. 6

“Briefly summarized, the term Messenger of the Covenant means the Holy Spirit (the invisible Christ) in Heaven's visible representative--be it Moses, John, Christ, Elijah, or some other.” Emphasis added—The Answerer, Book No. 1, 1944, pgs.

Answer: Inasmuch as this is a very difficult fact to accept it’s nonetheless true. Victor Houteff states that the Holy Spirit is “the invisible Christ”:

1.) “…The Holy Spirit in Heaven's visible representative, or the invisible Christ in the message.”

2.) “…The Holy Spirit (the invisible Christ)…”

These statements clearly state that the Holy Spirit is “the invisible Christ in the message” or more simply: “the invisible Christ” but what does this mean? Did Ellen G. White say the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ?

“The Lord is soon to come. We want that complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give. It is not safe to catch the spirit from another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ.” Emphasis added—Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894), Lt 66, 1894, par. 18

These statements are all true and must be accepted as true. However, what do these statements mean? The anit-trinitarians would like you to believe by these statements by Victor Houteff and Ellen G. White that if the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ then the Holy Spirit cannot be a separate or third person in the Godhead. Was this what they meant when they said the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ? No, not at all. You do not find this idea in either Victor Houteff’s or Ellen G. White’s published writings. This is a presumptive conclusion that these persons have manufactured to eliminate a three person Godhead without any attestation. What else did Ellen G. White say in respect to the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ? All of her statements must be harmonized to understand what she meant when she said the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ, to wit:

 “There is altogether too little made of the work of the Holy Spirit’s influence upon the church. . . The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, in Christ’s name. He personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality.” Emphasis added—Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893), Ms 93, 1893, par. 8

In this statement, she provides more clarity by stating, “…He [Holy Spirit] personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality.”

Inasmuch as this statement speaks volumes and testifies that the Holy Spirit is a separate person from Christ, evaluate the words distinct and personality below to better understand her verbiage.

 The phrase distinct is synonymous with the word separate:

  “DISTINCT, adjective [Latin See Distinguish.] 1. Literally, having the difference marked; separated by a visible sign, or by a note or mark; as a place distinct by name. 2. Different; separate; not the same in number or kind; as, he holds two distinct offices; he is known by distinct titles.” Emphasis added—1828 Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language

 The word personality is synonymous with the word person:

 “PERSONAL'ITY, noun That which constitutes an individual a distinct person, or that which constitutes individuality.” Emphasis added—1828 Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language

 The language is undeniable. The Holy Spirit personifies Jesus Christ but is NOT His person but a separate person as clearly distinguished in the Spirit of Prophecy and as defined in the 1828 Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language.

 Christ is in the Person of the Holy Spirit

Ellen G. White

 “Lift up Christ in His power in the person of the Holy Spirit.” Emphasis added—Letter 59, 1899, par. 11.

 Victor Houteff

“The ‘spirits in prison’ cannot, accordingly, be any others than the antediluvians, to whom Christ, in the person of His Spirit, Who raised Him...” Emphasis added—Tract 3: The Judgment and the Harvest (third-edition), 1942, pg. 119

Both Victor Houteff and Ellen G. White are in perfect harmony. Jesus Christ is in the person of the Holy Spirit. In other words, that’s the “how” to the “what.”