The land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.[1] So I will destroy… my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God[2] who said “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”[3]
The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command.[4] Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets[5] (and the apostles). He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth- the LORD God Almighty is his name.[6] His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble.[7] In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations.[8]
Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.[9] On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.[10] Therefore wait for me, declares the LORD, for the day I will stand up to testify.[11] I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me.[12] Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people… and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me.[13] Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Does he do such things?[14]
Indeed, does the Spirit of the Lord get angry and is He angry? Does He do such things? Only those who have come to know the Lord the Holy Spirit will know.
Jesus said in Jn 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”, when He was praying to the Father in His final hour of prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane. To help us come to know the Father, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit saying, “the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”[15] So then, eternal life, as defined by Jesus, is based on knowledge (or getting to know) the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. If that is what eternal life is and what is involved in eternal life, then what awaits those who not only come to know the Father and the Son, but also took the time out to see and take notice of the One who had been making them known to Him? What awaits those who goes the extra mile instead of just coming to know the Father and the Son, but also comes to know the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of God? Just as the Father raised Israel as a nation for Himself to be His witnesses, that is persons who would be able to corroborate their testimonies, so the Holy Spirit needs people who know Him to be His witnesses. And only those who have seen and come to know the 3 persons of God are fit to stand in their presence and to be the full witnesses of God when He proclaims a new commandment.
Moses and Elijah were standing next to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration when God the Father proclaimed “Listen to Him” because Moses had met the 3 persons of God in Ex 34:6 And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the Lord…” Likewise, Elijah met with the 3 when he arrived at Mount Horeb and entered the cave and there the word of the Lord came to him and said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD , for the LORD is about to pass by."[16] It was also in the presence of the 3 apostles who had beheld the Son in His transfiguration, the Spirit in the bright cloud and the Father in the Voice from the cloud, that Jesus proclaimed His new commandment “Love one another as I have loved you”.
Have you not noticed the Father has issued His new command “Listen to Him” and the Son has issued His new command “Love one another…”, but the Holy Spirit has yet to speak on His own? Now if you have observed the pattern of the Father and Son, they did this in the presence of witnesses who knew them, the 3 of them. It should not surprise you then that the Holy Spirit is raising up and has raised up His witnesses - those who not only know the Father and the Son, however imperfectly, but those who know Him, who know Him as the Faithful One and the Trusted One, and above all else, know Him by name. How can you say you know Him if you only know Him by His titles, His gifts and His fruits? Even if you do know that He has 12 fruits and 12 gifts, as well as 12 titles, over 12 dominions, therefore making up His imperial title of the Spirit of Sonship…
But what does the Father call the Holy Spirit? For the Father has testified of Jesus “This is my Son, whom I love…” and we know the name of the Son is Jesus. What does the Father call the Holy Spirit? What name does the Father use concerning the Holy Spirit to those whom the Father can speak face to face, like He did with Moses and whom Jesus can speak face to face?
If we are to be witnesses of the Holy Spirit, then we must come to know the name of the Holy Spirit that the Father used. As He called Jesus “My Son” on the Mount of Transfiguration, He called the Holy Spirit by another name in Ex 33:13 when Moses said to the Lord, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."[17] In the NIV only is the word “Presence” in capital, thus denoting a person, none other than the Holy Spirit. Surely the Lord hides things for His glory and kings search them out for their glory. And Moses said, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"[18] Again in the NIV, Moses used a capital “P” for the Presence.
So what will distinguish those who are the witnesses of the Holy Spirit who can say they know the Holy Spirit? They are those who can say “He is the Presence of God”, as surely as they can say “Jesus is the Son of God”.
If the Holy Spirit is called “My Presence” by God, then the departure of the Holy Spirit must surely mean “My Absence”. And those of us who are training to come to know the Lord the Holy Spirit more, will be the ones who have to answer this question posed by God: "Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Does he do such things?"[19]
Only those who know the Holy Spirit as “the Presence of God” like they know that Jesus is the Son of God, will go on to eat the bread of the Presence[20] which is the consecrated bread that David ate in 1 Sam 21:6, and which was present when the temple was first consecrated.[21]
Indeed when Moses testified in Deuteronomy to remind the Israelites of the former days, he said, “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength…”[22]
This then is the beginning of the eating of the hidden manna which Jesus promised to all who overcomes - “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.”[23] The hidden bread of the Presence, the bread of the Holy Spirit, the life of the Holy Spirit, and the words of the Holy Spirit, that you may come to know the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses – the elect of the Lord for whose sake those days will be shortened.
The promise of Rev 2:17 was to the church at Pergamum – the church of martyrs who refused to renounce faith in Jesus, but not only that, they had to overcome the teachings of Balaam and the teachings of the Nicolaitans – the teachings of the false prophet and the teachings of those who seek to negate the finished work of Jesus. A church which is now coming into existence. A church with a spirit that would curse the Anointed of God for silver and gold. A church who would put aside the new covenant of God to re-enter into the other covenants of God so that people of all faiths and all religions would be united under one religion.
Like our forefathers at Pergamum, we are to overcome. And if we refuse to abide and tolerate the teachings of Balaam who sold his prophetic gift for silver and gold, and hate the teachings of the Judeans who treat as nothing the blood of Jesus, we will eat of the hidden manna which is contained in the bread of the Presence – the words of the Holy Spirit the Presence of God – the life of the Holy Spirit the Presence of God. And as surely as we have witnessed the life of the Lord Jesus the Son by faith, now we will witness the words and life of the Holy Spirit the Presence of God by knowledge of Him and the knowledge of His glory for He is the Spirit of Knowledge and the Spirit of Glory.
The word of the LORD came to him a second time: "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it-the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'[24]
So what will distinguish us from all the other people on the face of the earth? God’s Presence in capital “P”. The person of God who is the Presence of God will not only be with us, but we will know Him by His name “The Presence of God”, the name the Father uses to those the Father is pleased to reveal it, like He revealed it to Moses.
What will distinguish those who are the elect of the Holy Spirit? They will know Him by His name “the Presence” and they will eat of His bread and in His knowledge, they will escape destruction.
Call to Him now who is the Presence of God, whom the Father and Son had sent as they had promised. And listen, for He is about to issue His command.
[1] Hos 1:2
[2] Hos 4:5-6
[3] Mt 17:5
[4] Joel 2:11
[5] Am 3:7
[6] Am 4:13
[7] Hab 3:3-6
[8] Hab 3:12
[9] Zep 1:7
[10] Zep 1:9
[11] Zep 3:8
[12] Zec 2:9
[13] Zec 2:11
[14] Mic 2:7
[15] Jn 16:15
[16] 1 Ki 19:11
[17] Ex 33:14
[18] Ex 33:15-16
[19] Mic 2:7
[20] Ex 39:36
[21] 1 Ki 7:48
[22] Dt 4:37
[23] Rev 2:17
[24] Jer 33:1-3
