The Spirit

The Spirit

The Holy Spirit as defined by the Trinity doctrine is fraught with illogical statements, unsupportable declarations and translation bias. These issues are discussed in the "Major issues" section below.

Vocabulary

baptism in holy spirit. In the original Greek it is baptism "in holy spirit" not "by the Holy Spirit."

ruach. Discussion over the term "Spirit of God" in Genesis 1:2 and the use of "spirit" (Hebrew: ruach) in the Old Testament.

parakletos. This word appears five times in the New Testament and is only used by the apostle John in his gospel and first letter. It is translated either as Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, or simply left untranslated as Paraclete. Trinitarians believe it refers to the Third Person of the Trinity.

pneuma. This word appears nearly 400 times in the New Testament and is usually translated as "spirit." It is of neuter gender (neither masculine nor feminine) and should always be understood and translated as "it" not "he" or "she." But, alas, that is not the case. Most Bible translations slant the meaning to the masculine.

Major issues

Summary of major issues with the Spirit

Topic Early Adventist Trinitarian

Nature of spirit Father-Son have spirits Father-Son-Spirit are spirits and have spirits (i.e. six spirits?)

Personhood Two Persons Three Persons

Divine Names "Spirit" and "Holy Spirit" are titles, not names

Non-person attributes water, wind, fire, oil, dove, etc.

Shape non-human, non-descript shape

Un-biblical titles "God the Spirit," "God the Holy Spirit," "Third Person of the Godhead"

Un-biblical co-attributes "co-eternal," "co-essential," "co-equal"

Omissions The Spirit is not found in many Biblical narratives

Translation bias Translation bias is rampant on the topic of the spirit

Spirit vs. spirit Capitalization not a part of the original languages

Wrong gender "Spirit" is feminine in Hebrew and neuter in Greek

Derivative attributes Attributes of the Spirit stem from the Father and Son

Non-familial relationship The Spirit is neither Father, Mother, nor Brother

1. Spirit via Spirit sending Spirit. As the Holy Spirit is a Spirit, so the Father is a Spirit; at least, this is the trinitarian teaching on the nature of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Here is how it reads in the Catholic Catechism:

21. Where is God? God is everywhere. God is present in everything that He has made: in the farthest star, in the whole world and in every part of it, and in each of us wherever we are. Nor is He divided up so that part of Him is here and part there: but, since He is a Spirit, He is whole and complete everywhere...

23. Has God any body? God has no body; He is a Spirit.

It is also the trinitarian teaching that the triune God is One Substance or Essence. This would mean that Jesus is also a Spirit—which is supported by 2 Corinthians 3:18,"For this comes from the Lord the Spirit." Taken together, we have the Father (who is a Spirit) utilizing His Son (who is a Spirit) to send us the Holy Spirit (who is a Spirit). So we have:

Spirit (the Father)

via Spirit (the Son)

sending Spirit (the Holy Spirit)

Once you wrap your head around that idea, here's the next thought: Since one of the properties of the Spirit is to be everywhere, then all three members of the Trinity are everywhere. Even Jesus is everywhere (see #46 of the Catechism which says, "As God, Jesus Christ is everywhere").

Question: If all three members of the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are Spirit and are everywhere, then what is the sense of sending the Holy Spirit to mankind when both Jesus and the Father are already here by virtue of being Spirit and being everywhere?

2. Person (or not). See the section below on Personhood.

3. No personal Name. The term "Holy Spirit" is a title; it is not a personal Name. It seems odd for the Holy Spirit not to have a Name when names are so important in the Bible. So important, in fact, that in the earth made new, God's children will be bearing the names of two of the Persons of the triune God (the Father and the Son) as well as the name of the Holy City, New Jerusalem—but there is no mention of the Holy Spirit (see Revelation 3:12; 14:1).

The Father has a Name. He is called "Yahweh" (Literally: YHWH) in the Old Testament. The New Testament follows the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament which translates "Yahweh" to the Greek word for "Lord" (i.e. κυριος). Otherwise, the Father largely goes by the titles "the God" (Greek: ho theos) and "Father."

The Son has a Name. He is called "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ."

The Holy Spirit does not have a Name. He only goes by titles and attributes which are largely derived from the Father and Son.

See The Divine Names for further discussion.

4. Impersonal attributes. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit is described in attributes not depicting a Person but an element or a thing (i.e. wind, fire, water, oil, dove, etc).

It can be poured (Acts 2:33).

You can drink it (John 7:37-39).

Taste and partake of it (Hebrews 6:4).

Filled with it (Acts 2:4; Ephesians 5:18).

Stirred up with it (2 Timothy 1:6).

It is a wind (Acts 2:2).

It is a fire (Acts 2:3).

It is water (John 4:14; John 7:37-39).

It is oil (Psalms 45:7; Acts 10:38; Matthew 25:1-10).

It is a dove (Matthew 3:16).

5. No human-like shape. Nowhere in the Bible is the Holy Spirit shown to have human-like shape. The Father and the Son are revealed to have body parts like us—they even sit on thrones—but not the Spirit. The only shape it is ever given is that of a dove (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32), and some even dispute that the spirit looked like a dove but rather was in a visible form descending like a dove. Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), so man looks like God—but not the Spirit.

6. Unsupported titles. The Bible never uses the phrase "God the Holy Spirit". It is simply the "holy spirit" or "God's spirit" or the "spirit of God."

7. Unsupported co-attributes. The Bible never mentions or explains the terms "co-eternal," "co-essential," and "co-equal." These are all assumed attributes of the Trinity without Biblical basis. The key Bible text most often used to support the concept of "co-equal" is Matthew 28:19 which has it own set of issues.

8. Distinguished by omissions. Many omissions of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament narrative. For example,

The Lord's Prayer. Jesus' model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) does not include the Holy Spirit.

Father and Son are one (John 10:30). The Spirit is not mentioned.

Eternal life. Jesus declares eternal life to be a knowledge of the Father and Son (John 17:3)—but not the Spirit.

The throne. The Father and Son are on thrones or on a throne (Matthew 19:28; Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 3:21; 22:1, 3)—but not the Spirit.

Salutations (greetings). Nearly all the salutations in the New Testament include the Father and Son—but not the Spirit. The two exceptions are 1 Peter 1:2 and Revelation 1:4, 5, yet these give only a vague reference to the Spirit.

The temple. The temple in the New Jerusalem will be "the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Revelation 21:22)—no mention of the Spirit.

The light. The light in the New Jerusalem will be the glory of God and the Lamb (Revelation 21:23)—no mention of the Spirit.

Glory and honor. The apostles give praise, glory, and honor to the Father and Son without mentioning the Spirit (1 Timothy 1:16-17; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 2 Peter 1:16-17; Revelation 5:13; and so on). If the Spirit were part of the Trinity, this would be a grave omission.

9. Translation bias. Translation bias is rampant when it comes to the topic of the spirit in the Bible.

10. "Spirit" or "spirit." Capitalization was not a part of the original languages of the Bible, given that the Old Testament languages (Hebrew and Aramaic) did not have upper and lower case letters, while the New Testament Greek manuscripts were all written in uppercase (i.e. "uncial" or "majuscule" script). Thus, wherever you read "Spirit" or "spirit,"and "Holy Spirit" or "holy spirit" in your English Bibles, you are reading the translator's interpretation (or translation bias) for the given word when they are capitalized.

11. Wrong gender. The word "spirit" in Hebrew is feminine, while in the Greek it is neuter (i.e. neither masculine nor feminine). Yet, in trinitarian thinking, the Holy Spirit is always understood as a "he" not a "she" or an "it." In the New Testament the word "spirit" (pneuma) and surrounding context should always be understood and translated as neuter—"it" not "he" or "she." But, alas, that is not the case. Most Bible translations slant the meaning to the masculine without grammatical justification.

12. Derivative attributes. Carefully studied, it becomes evident that all of the titles and definitions applied to the Holy Spirit describe characteristics that stem from the Father and the Son and do not necessitate an additional personality.

"The Spirit of God" (Matthew 3:16)

"The Spirit of Christ" (1 Peter 1:11)

"The Spirit of Holiness" (Romans 1:4)

"The Spirit of Truth" (John 14:17)

"The Spirit of a Sound Mind" (2 Timothy 1:7)

"The Holy Spirit of Promise" (Ephesians 1:13)

"The Spirit of Meekness" (Galatians 6:1)

"The Spirit of Understanding" (Isaiah 11:2)

"The Spirit of Wisdom" (Ephesians 1:17)

"The Spirit of Glory" (1 Peter 4:14)

"The Spirit of Counsel" (Isaiah 11:2)

"The Spirit of Grace" (Hebrews 10:29)

"The Spirit of Adoption" (Romans 8:15)

"The Spirit of Prophecy" (Revelation 19:10)

Many of the Spirit's attributes can be shown to originate in the Father or the Son. For example, the Spirit is named "Comforter" in John 14:26 (KJV), yet the Father is called "the God of all comfort" in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Other examples include making intercession: Romans 8:26; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25; and enabling spiritual understanding: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 1 John 5:20.

13. Non-familial relationship. God is our Father and Christ is our Elder Brother. But, the Spirit is none of those—he (or "it") is neither Father, Mother, or Brother, a totally non-familial relationship to us. Jesus desired that the Father and Son be one with us (John 17:21-23), as a kind of family, without ever mentioning the Spirit. How could Jesus forget about the Spirit in this equation? The apostle John said that our "fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3) but failed to mention the Spirit. Are we not to have fellowship with the Spirit also? There is a reference to "the fellowship of the Holy Spirit" in 2 Corinthians 13:14 but note that it is "of the Holy Spirit" not "with the Holy Spirit."

Personhood

Person (or not). The Trinity doctrine defines the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the triune God—he is "as much a person as are the Father and the Son" (What Adventists Believe About God the Holy Spirit). Yet, it is admitted by the Catholic Church, which is as trinitarian as it gets, that this cannot be proven by the Old Testament at all and only partially by the New.

An authoritative Catholic publication states the following: "The Old Testament clearly does not envisage God’s spirit as a person…God’s spirit is simply God’s power. If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly…The majority of New Testament texts reveal God’s spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God" —"God's Spirit Not Presented as a Person," New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition, 2003, Vol. 13, pp. 426, 429 (and at source).

"On the whole the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the spirit as a divine energy or power" —W.E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, A Catholic Dictionary, 1960, p. 810.

So, if the Holy Spirit is a Person, you will have a hard time proving it from the Bible—the Old Testament is of no help at all and there is not much in the New Testament.

Personhood. When it comes to an understanding of the nature of the Spirit, definitions of "person" and "personality" are all important. In EGW's time (1827 - 1915) "person" and "personality" were understood differently. Today, a "person" can be an intangible entity such as a corporation. In a legal and taxable sense, a corporation is a person, as strange as that may sound. However, in EGW's day, this was not the case. A "person" was a physical, material, bodily, human entity. It was distinct from a thing or animal. However, and here is the one wrinkle with this definition, in EGW's time a "person" could also be used to define a person's office work or "character of office." For example, an ambassador sustains the person (i.e. character of office) of a representative of his country. This becomes all important when one tries to understand her description of "the office work of the Holy Spirit" in Desire of Ages, p. 671.2.

EGW and the early pioneers understanding of the Holy Spirit. In EGW's time and her contemporaries, the following statements made perfect sense, while they appear contradictory to us:

The Holy Spirit is not a "person" in the sense of a material, physical, bodily, human entity.

The Holy Spirit is a "person" when it comes to the agency or office work of the third "person" of the Godhead. See Desire of Ages, p. 671.2 for a full discussion of this concept.

Personality. See The Personality of God for a full discussion. The term "personality" has a different set of issues.

God is a person; the spirit is an essence. EGW distinguished between God being a "person" and the Holy Spirit being an "essence." She warned against the theotry that God is an essence.

CCh 322.6: The theory that God is an essence pervading all nature is one of Satan's most subtle devices. It misrepresents God and is a dishonor to His greatness and majesty.

FLB 40.5: The theory that God is an essence pervading all nature is received by many who profess to believe the Scriptures; but, however beautifully clothed, this theory is a most dangerous deception.... If God is an essence pervading all nature, then He dwells in all men; and in order to attain holiness, man has only to develop the power within him. These theories [pantheism, etc.], followed to their logical conclusion, ... do away with the necessity for the atonement and make man his own savior.... Those who accept them are in great danger of being led finally to look upon the whole Bible as a fiction....

3SP 47.1: He [[God]] was not an intangible spirit, but a living ruler of the universe.

19LtMs, Ms 153, 1904, par. 25: Oh, the wonderful sophistry that is coming in, the masterly sophistry—that God is an essence. We have got a God, a personal God and a personal Saviour...

However, EGW clearly stated that the Holy Spirit *is* an essence.

7LtMs, Ms 8c, 1891, par.12: The believers in all ages are to be one, and the Holy Spirit is the living essence that cements, animates, and pervades the whole body of Christ's followers.

8T 326.1: Fathers and mothers, teach your children of the wonder-working power of God. His power is manifest in every plant, in every tree that bears fruit. Take the children into the garden and explain to them how He causes the seed to grow. The farmer plows his land and sows the seed, but he cannot make the seed grow. He must depend upon God to do that which no human power can do. The Lord puts His own Spirit into the seed, causing it to spring into life. Under His care the germ breaks through the case enclosing it and springs up to develop and bear fruit.

Ed 99.1: Upon all created things is seen the impress of the Deity. Nature testifies of God. The susceptible mind, brought in contact with the miracle and mystery of the universe, cannot but recognize the working of infinite power. Not by its own inherent energy does the earth produce its bounties, and year by year continue its motion around the sun. An unseen hand guides the planets in their circuit of the heavens. A mysterious life pervades all nature—a life that sustains the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, that lives in the insect atom which floats in the summer breeze, that wings the flight of the swallow and feeds the young ravens which cry, that brings the bud to blossom and the flower to fruit.

Ed 99.2: The same power that upholds nature, is working also in man. The same great laws that guide alike the star and the atom control human life. The laws that govern the heart's action, regulating the flow of the current of life to the body, are the laws of the mighty Intelligence that has the jurisdiction of the soul. From Him all life proceeds. Only in harmony with Him can be found its true sphere of action. For all the objects of His creation the condition is the same—a life sustained by receiving the life of God, a life exercised in harmony with the Creator's will. To transgress His law, physical, mental, or moral, is to place one's self out of harmony with the universe, to introduce discord, anarchy, ruin.

Also consider the following:

MH 417.2: The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy beings, all waiting to do His will. Through these messengers He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. By His Spirit He is everywhere present. Through the agency of His Spirit and His angels He ministers to the children of men.

The Holy Spirit is . . .

The Holy Spirit is:

The Father's divine nature, which is manifested and imparted by Christ. God gave the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33: Acts 15:8

The Spirit of Christ.

The Power of God.

The Father's divine nature. In the Trinity doctrine God's divine nature is not the Holy Spirit but a set of attributes. However, in the Bible, God's divine nature *is* the Holy Spirit. "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4). "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit..." (Hebrews 6:4).

Christ manifested and imparts the fullness of God. God desires that we be filled with all the fulness of God, "and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" Ephesians 3:19. For this we have been given Christ in which, "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority" Colossians 2:9-10 (see also, Colossians 1:19, "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell"). Paul speaks of a veil that covers the hearts of unbelievers, but to the believer, "when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord [who is] the Spirit" 2 Corinthians 3:16-18. ["who is" is not in the Greek, but was inserted by the translators.]

The Spirit of Christ. EGW makes it plain that she saw the Holy Spirit as Christ's spirit. It was the impartation of the life of Christ.

9LtMs, Lt 11a, 1894, par. 23: The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, which is sent to all men to give them sufficiency, that through His grace we might be complete in Him. The Lord has provided that we should always be under the teaching and influence of the Holy Spirit. We shall then discover that the law of God is holy, just, and good, and we would learn to delight in the law of God. We love the requirements of the law, and from our hearts render obedience to its requirements.

RH November 19, 1908, par. 10: The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.

The Power of God. The kingdom of God has come in power. The power is the power of the Spirit.

Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

Romans 15:19: by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

Ephesians 3:16: that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

2 Timothy 1:7: for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Spirit power is not human power. It is not human influence, prestige, hierarchy or authority. The church might communicate much knowledge and service the community with very good and worthy services. But, if it does not have the life of Christ and does not experience the power of the Spirit, then it is all in vain. The work and counsel of man comes to naught (Acts 5:38). The power is in the being, not the doing. And the work we do is not of human devising, but God gives the plan and the leading. The planning is of God.

Revelation 12:10: And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

Luke 16:16: The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.

Holiness made possible. The kingdom is God's doing. It is God working in the life of a believer, creating in him a character of holiness, the likeness of His Son. It is a transformed life, a miracle, the working of God.

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the spirit....against such there is no law.

If and when you see hypocrisy and pretenders in the church, it's because they lost the reality of the kingdom of God and that is, a transformed life. Having a form of godliness but no power (2 Timothy 3:5). What we lack is a full desire and commitment to receive the life of Christ in the soul. It is willing and allowing God to work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.

Omnipresence through spirit and angels

Through Christ and angels. After the Fall of Man, God only communicates through Christ and angels. As EGW describes it:

ST January 30, 1879, par. 19: Without the atonement of the Son of God there could have been no communication of blessing or salvation from God to man. God was jealous for the honor of his law. The transgression of that law had caused a fearful separation between God and man. To Adam in his innocence was granted communion, direct, free, and happy, with his Maker. After his transgression, God would communicate to man only through Christ and angels.

Through His Spirit and angels. After Christ's ascension, the Spirit was given and now God communicates through His Spirit which was given to us through Christ (Acts 2:33) and through His angels.

MH 417.2; 1905. The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy beings, all waiting to do His will. Through these messengers He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. By His Spirit He is everywhere present. Through the agency of His Spirit and His angels He ministers to the children of men.

YI July 5, 1894: Christ, our Mediator, is the one who gives the Holy Spirit; and by the office work of the Holy Spirit, the atonement made on Calvary is brought in contact with the soul of man to transform his character, and change his nature

Omnipresence through His Spirit. It is by the Father's Spirit that He is everywhere present:

Ed 132.2; 1903. The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. “The Lord's throne is in heaven” (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present. He has an intimate knowledge of, and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand.

See also

The Seven Spirits and Seven Angels of Revelation. It is only in the Book of Revelation that we find a reference to both seven spirits and seven angels. This study is suggestive that the two are in some way related.

Spirit typology

Oil. The oil of the two olives trees is the symbol of the Holy Spirit which is poured into the minds of believers. This oil nourishes faith, love and patience. The following quote references Zechariah 4:3 and Matthew 25:1-12. See also Luke 12:35-40.

1888 1761.2: Let every soul note the importance of having a supply of oil. Fill your lamps with holy oil from the two olive trees. This oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, which is poured into the minds of believers, that they may be co-workers with heavenly agencies. The wise virgins, the waiting ones, had their faith and love and patience nourished by the oil of the Spirit of God. Thus it must be with each one who is saved. It is by the Spirit, the gracious agency of heaven, that the lamp is kept from flickering.

Appendix

Further reading

On the "Spirit" of the New Testament. Eric C. Schlichting. Good analysis of Acts 5:1-11 (Ananias and Sapphira) and general comments about pneuma.

Where is the Third Person? Bible verses that exclude the Holy Spirit and what is the true identity of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Is Not a Person. Posted on 2/17/2011 by United Church of God. Estimated reading time: 9 minutes. Entirely Biblically based.

Who is the Holy Spirit?. From RestorationMinistry.com

The Holy Spirit. From Smyrna.org.

Church Power - Nader Mansour. Duration 1:04:35.

The Holy Spirit is God the Father's Divine Nature. The Trinity Delusion article.

Not WHAT but WHO:

14MR 179.2: It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, “the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name.” “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth” [John 16:12, 13].

The Genealogy as the Key to the Gospel According to Matthew. By Herman C. Waetjen. Also discusses the generative power of the spirit in the birth of Jesus.

The following is also quoted in: 10LtMs, Lt 18, 1895, par.12.

EA 231.1: True faith and repose in God are always accompanied by the illuminations of the Holy Spirit, whose temple we are. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, it is His representative. Here is the divine agency that carries conviction to hearts. When the power of His spirit is revealed through the servants of God, we behold divinity flashing through humanity. When accompanied by the Holy Spirit, the presentation of truth as it is in Jesus will be of more value than all the honor or glory of the world.

ST November 23, 1891: “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” The divine Spirit that the world's Redeemer promised to send, is the presence and power of God. He will not leave his people in the world destitute of his grace, to be buffeted by the enemy of God, and harassed by the oppression of the world; but he will come to them. The world cannot see the truth; they know not the Father or the Son, but it is only because they do not desire to know God, they do not wish to look upon Jesus, to see his goodness, his love, his heavenly attractions. Jesus is inviting all men to accept him; and wherever the heart is open to receive him, he will come in, gladdening the soul with the light and joy of his presence.

Notes

The three self-similar realms are (a) matter, (b) life, and (c) mind — the Bible, somewhat archaically, calls them: water, blood and spirit: "For there are three that testify: the spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement" (1 John 5:7). There is a "mental sphere" and that's the reality whose fabric is words. This realm is neither spatial nor temporal, and exists only as a continuum that is formed from all separate consciousnesses combined.