The infinite Spirit who could do nothing of Himself

“Now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” (John 17:5).

Wonderful thought! Glorify Me with Thine own self. Wrap Thine arms around Me with the glory We had together “from of old, from everlasting.” (Mic. 5:2).

“I wisdom dwell with prudence….

The LORD possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

I was set up [H5258 ‘anointed’] from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth [H2342 ‘calved’, ‘born’]:

While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

When He prepared the heavens, I was there: when He set a compass upon the face of the depth:

When He established the clouds above: when He strengthened the fountains of the deep:

When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment: when He appointed the foundations of the earth:

Then I was by Him, as One brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him;

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men.” (Prov. 8:12,22-31).

The beginning! When was that? The same age as the Father? No. “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” (Prov. 8:23). The furthest concept in prehistory was our creation. During the period of Bible writers the time of our creation was inconceivable to humanity, as well as the Bible writers. The Creation of our world was the beginning, for all they knew. When we interpret the prophets we much use their world-view. The only begotten was poured forth from His Father, and therefore, came after His Father.

“The Son of God declares concerning Himself: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting. . . . When He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.’ Proverbs 8:22-30.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.

    

The beginning was before the creation of Earth. We know from this context is that the Son of God was begotten before the creation that we see on our planet. But, there was a time before that when He was “brought forth”.

Prior to the Son’s begetting had been the whole period of ages of “Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever” (Rev. 4:9), “the Ancient of days” (Dan. 7:9). Only the Father is described as living forever and ever. Only He is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:15,16).

Look at the Deep Field that shows galaxies located so far away that all is darkness between us and them. Those aren’t stars filling the photo. They are galaxies that each contain hundreds of billions of stars that stretch across each galaxy for a distance of billions of light-years. That is a lot of creating!

“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.’ John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father—one in nature, in character, in purpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.

“The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36.

Sharing all the counsels of the Father gave the Beloved His greatest pleasure. In His Father’s presence was fullness of joy, and at His right hand He found pleasure for ever and ever.

       

What a picture she paints of the pre-Great Controversy throne of God! Isn’t that the picture that Matthew depicted in Christ’s transfiguration? And that John was seeing in the Revelation?

“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a Voice out of the cloud, which said, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED; HEAR YE HIM.” (Matt. 17:1-5).

Although Peter dared to step his foot on holy ground and in his mouth, Jesus was rejoicing in His Father’s presence like He had before the world was created. Again, after 3 years of wrestling with hard-hearted leaders and people, leading them to rest in Him, Jesus was getting rest. This was a Sabbath experience that no human had ever known except Adam and Eve in the garden. Jesus was praying to have what He prayed for when He would return home again, “O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self.” Thus, after His humiliation and suffering, He ascended from His disciples and with powerful cheers was brought before His Father. From His Father imbuing Him again with the glory of His own self, Jesus would send the infinite power of the Highest to His children on the earth. “And I beheld, and, lo, in themidst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain. having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5:6).

“As a priest, Christ is now set down with the Father in His throne. Revelation 3:21. Upon the throne with the eternal, self-existent One is He who ‘hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows’.” Great Controversy, p. 416.

In His eternal Sabbath rest His powerful communion helps us to rest in communion with Him. His Father was always His Helper so that He could minister and give His life a ransom for us. As it was before the controversy, so it will ever be.

“And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald…. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” (Rev. 4:3,5).

The seven Spirits, or the infinite Spirit, the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14) was Jesus glorious and bright, shining as He shone on the holy mount of His transfiguration. The presence of His Father on the earthly mount was the cause of Christ’s glory. The cloud of glory, which rolled over Peter, James, and John, was the Father.

“While [Peter] thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON: HEAR HIM.” (Luke 9:34,35).

The Father shut down Peter and his big ideas, and put terror into his soul because he had butted in and interrupted the once-in-a-lifetime reunion with His Father before His terror in Gethsemane. This resuscitation of Jesus’ soul was to help Him save the world from their sin. How ignorantly we get in God’s way! Our self-sacrificing Saviour could have been ten times better physically rested and mentally prepared to save us if He could have had the whole night to be with His Father. Oh, but Peter jeopardized the salvation of the whole human race by cutting short the Niagara volume, open communion that was rejuvenating the Saviour of the world and strengthening Him for His infinite sacrifice. The communion must end so that the Son could tend to the needs of His children. Duty called, and self-sacrificing love must respond.

It was that self-sacrifice that pleased the Father and imbued His Son with His own self. Jesus went on singing in His soul, “I will bless the LORD, who hath given Me counsel: My reins also instruct Me in the night seasons.

I have set the LORD always before Me: because He is at My right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope.” (Ps. 16:7-9).