PERSONALITIES OF THE GODHEAD AND THE "OMEGA HERESY" IN ADVENTISM

                                           by Derrick Gillespie

Choice Quote from this Presentation: "Many too, when confronted with the force of the already established truth in Adventism about the Holy Spirit's identity as the "third" of "three holiest beings of heaven", pass it off as being a truth not as important as accepting that Jesus is the real and literal Son of the Father, who was really begotten from all eternity. This betrays an equally potent heresy, because an important truth that is already established about a Godhead person is being DENIED and downplayed in favor of another truth. How ironic, and how sad, because servants who wish to have "no guile in their mouths", find themselves falling prey to the same "father of lies" who deceived many into thinking that Jesus is not a real Son of the Father in the "begotten" sense"!! Yet, if the purity of the truth of Jesus being the literal Son of the Father, as a separate being, is to be preserved it must relate to the fact that he and the Father CANNOT be the same being at the same time as the Holy Spirit."

INTRODUCTION:

It is always of great interest to me to see how certain groups within the SDA Church interpret the "omega" prophecy of Ellen White, and usually point the finger away from themselves. I am NOW of the view that the "omega heresy" relates to a wide spectrum of heresies (being entertained by various groups within Adventism; by Trinitarians and anti-Trinitarians alike) that deny certain already established truths in Adventism about the personalities within the Godhead, since E.G. White did hint that this prophecy would center around "controversies" (in our Church) related to the "personalities" of the Godhead. Many jump to the rather untenable conclusion that this prophecy only relate to the acceptance of a trinity (i.e. a literal trio of beings) in Adventism's theology, but fail to tie together the loose ends of this interpretation in light of

what really happened in Adventism's history. Why do I say so? Because in their haste to become "accusers of the brethren" they never stopped to think this one through carefully. Some even go as far as saying that any acceptance of the personalities of the Godhead in any "blended" way (no matter the context of the expression) amounts to the "omega" heresy. I find that rather ironic though, for several reasons.

Many of these individuals feel that the Holy Spirit is not a third being of the Godhead, and is simply the united presence or personalities of the Father and Christ in a rather mystical way; an essence that has no distinct personality or identity of his own, even if he has some semblance of being an entity!! Now, truth be told? Ironically, this teaching is one of the greatest examples of the "blending" of personalities of the Father and Son that does exist in Adventism!! Why? Because if you make the Holy Spirit simply the literal and united personage/presence of BOTH the Father and Son at the same time, then you make neither the Father or Son their own separate persons, or beings in and of themselves; beings who are in fact being "Represented" by "the" third being (the Holy Spirit) as if they themselves are present. Fancy that!! And yet it usually this heresy (in and of itself) that is seen usually pointing the accusative finger at those it thinks is fulfilling the "omega" heresy. Here is the simple truth!!

a] Mrs. White never once hinted that "who" the Holy Spirit is should be considered a "mystery", but always said "what" he is certainly is a "mystery" (just like how she equally said "what" God is certainly is a "mystery" as well; one that we should not dare even touch). Yet many seek to confuse the words "what" and "who" when discussing the Holy Spirit, while unwittingly denying that

b] Mrs. White was soooo plain that the Holy Spirit is one of "the THREE holiest BEINGS of heaven", that "he personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality" (how much plainer can one get?), that he is "sent" by both Father and Son as "the [specific article] third person of the Godhead" (i.e. he is the THIRD of "three holiest BEINGS of heaven"), that he is one who "is a person AS God is a person", because "he [himself] has a personality" (NOT that he is

the personality of another', but notice he himself "has a personality")  and so therefore in conclusion she was pointed that he "is ALSO a divine person". She was so pointed in always talking about "three" beings/personalities/persons of the Godhead (all descriptive words used by her), that it amounts to the purest form of HERESY (!!) to deny that this is indeed an already established truth in Adventism long before the 1900s came around.

In fact, a stalwart of pioneering Adventism, A.T. Jones, demonstrated his full conversion to this new pioneering thinking after the controversial 1888 Conference, and the subsequent and controversial publishing of Trinitarian teachings in Adventism for the first time way back in 1892 (through the Spear's Trinitarian article, "The Bible Doctrine of the Trinity", thus trinitarianism could not be itself the "omega" coming before "Kellogg's "alpha heresies" thereafter), when he said in 1899:

“God is one [person]. Jesus Christ is one [i.e. another person]. The Holy Spirit is one [the third person of three]. And these three are one: there is no dissent nor division among them .”

                      -A. T. Jones, Review and Herald, January 10, 1899, 24

Notice carefully his 1899 use of the trinitarian language "no dissent nor division AMONG THEM", when he spoke of "these three" being "one" in the Godhead (i.e. they are not one undivided substance of the traditional Trinity teaching, but are literally subsistent beings). Only when three [or more] beings are in focus do you use the expression "among them" (and not "between them"; an expression which would have suggested only two beings involved in the Godhead). This is perfectly clear as to what A.T. Jones had come to accept long before Mrs. White died in 1915, yet this is a truth many are denying today.

Many too, when confronted with the force of the already established truth in Adventism about the Holy Spirit's identity as the "third" of "three holiest beings of heaven", pass it off as not being as important as accepting that

Jesus is the real and literal Son of the Father, who was really begotten from all eternity. This betrays an equally potent heresy, because an important truth that is already established about a Godhead person is being DENIED and downplayed in favor of another truth. How ironic, and how sad, because servants who wish to have "no guile in their mouths", find themselves falling prey to the same "father of lies" who deceived many into thinking that Jesus is not a real Son of the Father in the "begotten" sense!! Yet, if the purity of the truth of Jesus being the literal Son of the Father, as a separate being, is to be preserved it must relate to the fact that he and the Father CANNOT be the same being at the same time as the Holy Spirit.

No wonder Adventism's pioneer, J.H. Waggoner, had sensibly but unwittingly indicated that:

“A Trinity is three persons. To recognize [admit to] a trinity [the true type], the distinction between the Father and Son must be preserved.”

                             -J.H. Waggoner, 1884, The Atonement, pgs. 167-169

 

Thus a TRUE trinity in not (supposed to be) a single being, as critics rightfully charge the Roman Catholics to be teaching. Yet, if in Adventism, since 1892, and long before 1931, the three beings in the Godhead (and in fact trinitariansim through Dr. Spear’s article) were directly affirmed by a leading editor in the church, then as sure as trilogy, tricycle, triennial, triplicate, trident, tripod, and tripartite all relate to “three” distinct, but related entities, pioneering Adventism became supportive of a “trinity” in the Godhead (if even not by orthodoxy).

This now leads me to declare my full belief in the already established truth from the days of pioneering Adventism that Jesus is indeed the TRUE AND LITERAL SON of the Father in the "begotten" sense from all eternity. And while it is an already established truth that he is fully eternal, as a distinct being from the Father, yet it should not be denied that:

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son – not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father’s Person, and in all the brightness of His majesty and glory, One equal with God*IN AUTHORITY, [notice] DIGNITY [rank, office, title] , and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”.

                                       E.G. White, Signs of the Times, May 30,1895

This is where many of those who rightfully accept a trinity of the Godhead are in DENIAL (one which actually amounts to heresy, and is certainly part of the "omega" as well).

WHAT TRUTHS ARE BEING DENIED IN THE "OMEGA" HERESIES?

In Part 1 of the presentation, it was made clear that any denial that the Holy Spirit is the third of "the three holiest beings of heaven" is not only a denial of what Adventism's chief pioneer (E.G. White) taught (and hence must be considered part of the "omega heresies" as well), but this denial also unwittingly denies that the

truth about Jesus and the Father being separate beings can only be truly preserved if they are "represented" by the Holy Spirit as a "third" separate being. Why? Because if the Holy Spirit is simply the literal being and literal presence of both the Father and Son at the same time, then the only inescapable conclusion is that they in fact are not separate beings, but are "blended" together like conjoined Siamese twin, in order to own the same literal presence and being at the same time. This "blending" of identities is what both the traditional Trinity teaches, as well as (ironically) the teaching of those who deny that the Holy Spirit is a third being of the Godhead. Yet we see clearly in the Bible that:

a] If the Holy Spirit is owned by both the Father and the Son *at the same time, and  Scripture is replete with the Holy Spirit being depicted as personal, and is  listed separately from Father and Son in very many Scriptures, and

b] If both Jesus and the Father equally sends the Spirit to us, and

 c] If a "sent" and a "sender" must logically be personally separate (it would be absurd otherwise, *unless one is a "Jesus only" or "Sabellian" believer), and

d] If both Father and Son could not send themselves (that too would be absurd), and

e] If the Father is *never sent by Jesus, since the Father is *not subject to or led ("Headed") by Jesus, but both Jesus and the Spirit are owned by the Father, and both speak/act in response to the Father who leads them both, and sends them both, and

f] If the Holy Spirit intercedes to the Father for us in our praying (not in human  priestly function as the Jesus the Lamb, or the

one Mediator does, but the Spirit   influences our prayers, and God reads the mind of the Spirit in us to know what is  meant when we pray), and

 g] If the Father could not intercede to himself (that would be equally absurd), then

*THE ONLY LOGICAL CONCLUSION WHICH SATISFIES *ALL THE RULES OF LOGIC *AT THE SAME TIME IS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSONAL "REPRESENTATIVE" OWNED BY BOTH FATHER AND SON, AS A THIRD AND SEPARATE PERSON! IN THAT ROLE HE CAN BE SENT BY BOTH AS THEIR OMNI-PRESENT 'EMISSARY', AND NONE BE SEEN AS RIDICULOUSLY SENDING THEMSELVES (AS SABELLIANS OR 'JESUS ONLY' PRPOPONENTS BELIEVE)!! AND THUS WE CAN SEE WHY BOTH FATHER AND SON WHO SAID, "WE WILL COME TO YOU AND MAKE OUR ABODE WITH YOU", "COMES" *REPRESENTATIONALLY THROUGH THE AGENCY OF THE SPIRIT AS IF THEY THEMSELVES ARE LITERALLY PRESENT! THE SPIRIT CAN ALSO INTERCEDE TO THE FATHER FOR US, BUT *ONLY IN OUR PRAYING, AS HE RESIDES IN OUR HEARTS/MINDS, AND IT WOULD MAKE PERFECT SENSE ALL AROUND, SINCE THE FATHER WOULD NOT BE RIDICULOUSLY SEEN AS INTERCEDING TO HIMSELF. THESE CRUCIAL FACTS IRREFUTABLY PROVE THE *NECESSITY OF THE DISTINCTLY LISTED HOLY SPIRIT BEING A "THIRD" OR SEPARATE PERSONAL BEING IN THE GODHEAD; A GODHEAD OF FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT-- ALL WORKING IN UNISON, AS 1 COR. 12:4-6,11 CLEARLY SHOWS, AND THUS INDICATING WHY MATTHEW 28:19 LISTS THEM SEPARATELY IN JESUS' OWN WORDS!! WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH BETTER THAN JESUS HIMSELF SENT TO REVEAL IT TO US?

This inescapable biblical reality makes it plain why Mrs. White led the S.D.A. Church to accept that the Holy Spirit is "the third person of the Godhead", but he not literally sharing one indivisible substance with the Father and Son, but rather he is the "third" of "three holiest BEINGS of Heaven"!! It would take much twisting of plain English and denial of fundamental doctrine (which is what "heresy" is) to teach otherwise and remain an Adventist. Yet this what Ellen White predicted would have happened in the "omega"- heresies as it concerns the personalities of the Godhead.

In the compiled book called “Selected Messages, Volume 1”, on pages 197-204, (excepted from “Special Testimonies”, Series B, No. 2; a compilation of some of Mrs. White’s late manuscripts,) there is a reference to a future ‘heresy’ that was

to come after her time (she died in 1915). In this writing she compares the “alpha of deadly heresies”, of Dr Kellogg in 1903 , to a future “omega” of likewise “deadly heresies” that, quote, “would follow in a little while” (Selected Messages, Volume 1, pg. 203). While she explained what the “alpha heresy” was then, she did not explain the future “omega heresy”, but left its explanation up to the insightful among the future members, who would use careful rules of prophetic interpretation to find its fulfillment.

But lest we become mis-interpreters of this prophecy of Adventism's leading pioneer, let us be reminded that Mrs. White wrote most of her clear statements on the “Three Persons" of the Godhead or, better yet, of the "three holiest beings of heaven"  after the ‘pantheism crisis’, had developed within the Adventist Church, led by Dr Kellogg through his 1903 book, "Living Temple". One only has to note the years of her manuscripts that especially mentioned the “Heavenly Trio” or the “Three Dignitaries and Powers of Heaven”, etc., and this truth becomes clear, very clear. Dr Kellogg, who later left the Adventist Church, was trying to teach that the “essence” of God was His presence in nature and in all life. This was clearly pantheism and Mrs. White came out strongly against it after 1903, named it for what it was, and denounced it. Here following is a sample of that fact.

 

“The theory that God is *AN ESSENCE PERVADING ALL NATURE [pantheism] is received by many who profess to believe the scriptures; but however beautifully clothed this theory is a most dangerous deception. It misrepresents God, and is a dishonor to His greatness and majesty. And it surely tends not only to mislead, but to debase men… The result of accepting it is separation from God”.

-E.G. White-Ministry of Healing, 1905, pg. 248

 

“Pantheistic theories are not sustained by the word of God. The light of His truth shows that these theories are soul-destroying agencies”.

                            E.G. White- Review and Herald, Jan. 21, 1904, pg. 9

 

"In the book Living Temple there is presented the alpha of deadly heresies. The omega will follow, and will be received by those who are not willing to heed the warning God has given."                  - E.G. White, Selected Messages, pg. 200

"Separate from the influence exerted by the book Living Temple; for it contains specious sentiments. There are in it sentiments that are entirely true, but these are mingled with  error. Scriptures are taken out of their connection, and are used  to uphold erroneous theories"                      -E.G. White, August 7, 1904, Selected Messages, Vol. 1, pg. 199

That is one of the clearest ‘no holds-barred’ rejection, that we have on record, of what Mrs. White saw as false doctrine about the Godhead. Here, the leading pioneer, and “watchman on the walls of Zion”, did not ignore the issue or fail to say what was God’s attitude to this representation of the Godhead. She could not do otherwise since she was ‘God’s mouthpiece’ in the Church. The greatest doctrinal errors within or without, *ABOUT THE GODHEAD, must be laid bare. The trumpet was thus sounded, as she had sounded it time and time again in the past on the subject of the Godhead!

What did she then hold up as the truth in its place? This is probably the most fascinating part of the story and dear reader you should take note. In its place she clearly taught that the “essence of God” is, firstly, one that is *PERSONAL. “The existence of *A PERSONAL GOD” is in reality “the *UNITY of Christ with His Father”, she said in one place. Secondly, she taught that the “essence of God” is exhibited in the life and character of the man Christ Jesus and that, ultimately, the complete “essence of God” is itself exhibited in the Godhead unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit--- in other words  “THE ETERNAL GODHEAD”. She even went as far as saying Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all "pledge" to "receive" and be "A FATHER" to us, and she is on record praying to all three that she calls the "three Great Worthies"!! Never, ever, did she speak out against a trinity, or against Kellogg's acceptance of the Holy Spirit being a third being of the Godhead....only directly against Kellogg's  mixing of pantheism with the truth about the Godhead.

But in her treatment of the "alpha of deadly heresies" propagated by Dr Kellogg, we see that she upheld the truth of the Godhead being comprised of three personal beings; not a Godhead that is an impersonal essence pervading all of the universe!!

Therefore I maintain, that the "omega" heresies that were to follow after Mrs. White's departure could not have been an acceptance of a trinity in the Godhead per se, since the SDA Church had been endorsing that truth ever since 1892, but the "omega" must mean a denial of

fundamental truths already established about those three Godhead persons!!

TRINITARIAN DENIALS:

Some today, on the Trinitarian side in Adventism, have not only denied that Jesus was indeed begotten by the Father from all eternity (a truth Mrs. White and all the SDA pioneers upheld, just like all Trinitarians historically), but, in their poor handling of the truth that a trinity or literal trio of separate beings are indeed in the Godhead, have gone to the extreme of teaching that they are all eternally self-originate beings who are simply 'role playing' as Father and Son, and Holy Spirit. Others (not all) have even been reverting to the traditional Trinity explanation (i.e. the three sharing one indivisible substance) because they think this is what Mrs. White's teaching meant when using the expression "of one substance" about Father and Son. These are clearly all part of the denial of what the pioneers came to believe and accept about the Godhead. Closeness to what Catholics believe about the three persons of the Godhead does not mean we should not note the critical differences. As Adventists we have been entrusted with truths that differ from what Roman Catholics teach, no matter the closeness of certain common truths that we share.

ANTI-TRINTARIAN DENIALS:

Then there are those in Adventism, however, who are so ‘anti-Catholic’, and so ‘anti-Trinity’, that the real truth gets ‘lost’ on them, or gets “thrown out” by them, in their passionate or

emotional bid to be ‘separate’. And in this bid to appear not to have anything even distantly resembling what ‘Catholics’ believe about the “Eternal Godhead”, they go to the extreme of twisting and even denying the very root meanings of certain words that have long been historically used in Adventism. Though to an honest, unbiased thinker, that action would appear ridiculous, if not dishonest, however, to some dissidents in Adventism today, calling themselves ‘Adventists’, that is what the message of Rev. 14:6-12 seemingly call upon them to do: twist and deny. And yet they wish not to have any doctrinal “guile in their mouth” regarding the Godhead.

                 Notice carefully some words and phrases, which though they have long been used in Adventism from its pioneering days, some in the Church today twist or deny even their very root meanings, in order to appear ‘anti-Trinitarian’. To them the following has nothing to do with what the dictionary says:

WORDS USED BY THE SDA PIONEERS, BEING DENIED BY SOME TODAY

 

“the Eternal Godhead”- does not mean “three persons” or "three holiest beings of heaven" with the ‘divine  nature’, but the Father only

“Trio”- does not mean three persons or beings but only two (a ‘duo’)

“Third”- (when it relates to the Holy Spirit) does not mean separate from and    

                    coming after 1st and 2nd, but an extension of 1st 

“Person”- (when it relates to the Holy Spirit) does not always mean an individual being but sometimes a ‘split-personality’ of another person, similar to what a mad-man has (when it relates to the Holy Spirit)

“From all eternity” – when it relates to Jesus, it does not mean the complete measure of eternity, but ‘partial eternity’ or ‘everlasting in a limited sense’

“Of one substance”- when it relates to Jesus in the divine sense, it does not mean that He and the Father, different persons, have “the same attributes”, but must mean they are the same identical being numerically, however when used of Jesus in the human sense it does mean that He is related to us, as a different person, but is not an extension of us

“Equal in dignity”- when it relates to Jesus, it does not mean He is on the same level with the Father, but inferior in rank, title, or office, while being equal in nature only with Him

“One in authority”- when it relates to Jesus, it does not mean equal or united in authority, but ‘next to’, or ‘inferior’ in authority to the Father

     Now if these denials are not “heresies”, or ‘denials of fundamental doctrine’, as it concerns the meanings of words used in the “Godhead” doctrine, then what is? If this is not doctrinal ‘confusion’ of the highest order, and even dishonesty, then what is?

NO WONDER WHEN MRS. WHITE WROTE ABOUT THE "OMEGA" TO COME SHE WROTE THAT SHE "TREMBLED FOR OUR PEOPLE", BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT HEED THE WARNING NOT TO ENTER INTO CONTROVERSY OVER THE GODHEAD, BUT TO MAINTAIN THE LANDMARKS OF TRUTH ALREADY ESTABLISHED ABOUT THEM, AS "IMMORTALIZED" IN HER WRITINGS; WRITINGS FUNCTIONING AS A "LESSER LIGHT" LEADING US BACK TO THE GREATER LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD IN THE BIBLE.

“All… truths are immortalized in my writings. The Lord never denies His word. Men may set up scheme after scheme, and the enemy will seek to seduce souls from the truth, but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from many delusions that will come in these last days”            

             –E.G. White- Manuscript Release, pg. 22, 23

                                            MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND APPEAL

Let me now close with my personal experience. In 1998 I was confronted squarely with the challenge that the Trinity issue in our Church

needed revisiting, and after agonizing over the contrasting expressions of our early pioneers and certain of the present teachings I went on my knees before God and asked him to help me learn the truth. He answered, and made me realize that the errors that existed in my Church was not just on the side of those teaching the unorthodox "three self-originated beings" version of the Trinity, but certain errors were also being entertained by those also opposed to it. He made me realize that the truth was not in the extremes (i.e. the Athanasian Trinity or outright anti-Trinitarianism), but rather was in the middle, and that if one accepts the relational Trinity with the Father as the Source of all (i.e the "relationship-based" Godhead of "three holiest beings of Heaven" that A.T. Jones accepted in 1899, that F.M. Wilcox declared in 1913, and that the SDA Church started to align itself with since 1892 without rebuke from Mrs. White), then I would be safe. Since then I have noticed how very easily this approach relates to the truth of the Bible, and I am yet to see where there is any contradiction.I have seen that the battle for truth in our church is an indication that Satan realizes that the best way to overcome the remnant is to have us divided over what should hold us together- the Word. He did the same thing with the apostolic Church, and hence why Christianity is the most divided religion today...a testimony to it being the greatest target from the Enemy of souls. But God's true sheep will hear his voice and will follow. For that I am not worried. My prayer is that he will use me, a puny worm in His service (despite my painful and ongoing failures), to do my little bit to cause his truth to triumph eventually, but only and always through the power that comes from His Holy Spirit that represents Him everywhere. My prayer too is that his people (on both the Trinitarian and anti-Trinitarian sides) will listen to his voice, and unite around the real biblical truths that have been gradually

hammered out by our pioneers, and realize that only God is infallible, and sometimes we must be prepared to accept that we were wrong on some issues (the pioneers themselves recognized this fact). Only then can we really unite and finish the work given to us as a people in these closing days of earth's history.