with the burial of King Asa of Judah there was an extraordinarily great funeral burning, not a cremation, however, but a burning of spices. (2 Chron. 16:14) Anciently spices were added to wines to increase their “headiness.”—Song of Sol. 8:2.

The garden spice or spice plants referred to in The Song of Solomon (5:1, 13; 6:2) may denote fragrant herbs generally, or, as suggested by some scholars, balsam (Balsamodendron opobalsamum). Although condiments such as cummin, mint, dill and salt are mentioned in the Bible, the various original-language words translated “spice” and “spices” are not applied to food seasonings.

SPIDER

A small, eight-legged, wingless animal that, according to strict biological definition, is not an insect but an arachnid. Most spiders spin webs to catch their prey. They are beneficial to man by keeping the insect population in check. Spiders generally have three pairs of spinnerets or spinning organs located on the rear underside of the abdomen. These are linked with the silk glands inside the creature’s body by means of many minute tubes. To spin its thread, the spider presses its spinning organs against an object and forces out some liquid silk. Moving away from the object, it draws out the liquid, which, in turn, hardens in the air. By keeping its spinnerets together the spider can produce one thick thread. A band of fine threads results when the spinning organs are held apart. Comparatively, the spider’s silken thread has a tensile strength far greater than steel and can be stretched a fifth beyond its normal length before breakage occurs.

The web, differing according to the variety of spider making it, is beautiful in symmetry and complex in design, displaying the complicated principles of logarithms. At equidistant intervals on the silken strands are drops of glue, likewise made by the spider. After having laid a line between two spokes and smeared it with glue, the spider pulls down the thread and then lets it snap back. This results in the equidistant spacing of the tiny glue droplets. The sticky thread serves to trap the spider’s prey.

In its two occurrences in Scripture the spider figures in an illustrative setting. Bildad, in speaking to Job, referred to an apostate as one who trusts in or leans upon a “spider’s house,” or web, something that would be too frail to keep him standing. (Job 8:14, 15) The hurtful and violent works of unfaithful Israelites are likened to the weaving of a spider’s web. However, such unfaithful ones could not cover themselves with their works, any more than a cobweb would be suitable for a garment.—Isa. 59:5, 6.

SPIES

From Israel’s encampment in the wilderness of Paran, in 1512 B.C.E., Moses sent twelve chieftains (representing all the tribes except Levi) to search out the land of Canaan. This was permitted by Jehovah at the request of the Israelites, who said: “Do let us send men ahead of us that they may search out the land for us and bring us back word concerning the way by which we should go up and the cities to which we will come.” (Deut. 1:22, 23) Probably separating, perhaps into twos, they traveled through the land as far N as Hamath and W toward the sea. On returning, though all agreed that the land was indeed “flowing with milk and honey,” ten of the spies gave a faithless report that put fear into the Israelites. Only Joshua and Caleb encouraged them to go on into the land and take it. For Israel’s lack of faith in listening to the bad report, God decreed that all the men who were twenty years of age and above should die in the wilderness during an extended period of forty years’ wandering. Joshua and Caleb were excepted and the tribe of Levi was not included.—Num. 13:1-33; 14:6-38; Deut. 1:24-40.

Joshua sent two spies across the Jordan to spy out Jericho in 1473 B.C.E. Rahab the harlot assisted the spies, and was delivered with her household when Jericho fell. (Josh. 2:1-24; 6:1, 22-25; Heb. 11:31) Other instances of spying are mentioned at Judges 1:22-26; 18:1-10, 14, 17; 1 Samuel 26:4. David’s messengers to King Hanun of Ammon were charged with being spies and mistreated. (2 Sam. 10:1-7) Absalom sent spies throughout Israel, not so much to gain information for his conspiracy against David, as to stir up support for his subversive cause.—2 Sam. 15:10-12.

The apostle Paul wrote about his visit to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus, mentioning that at the time there were “false brothers brought in quietly, who sneaked in to spy upon our freedom which we have in union with Christ Jesus.”—Gal. 2:1-5.

SPIKENARD

A small aromatic plant (Nardostachys jatamansi) found in the Himalaya mountains. The stems and roots of this plant are generally considered to be the source of the nard or spikenard mentioned in Scripture. (Song of Sol. 1:12; 4:13, 14; Mark 14:3) The spikenard plant is distinguished by its clusters of blackish, hairy stems, about two inches (c. 5 centimeters) long, that branch out from the top of the root. The leaves sprout from the upper portion of the plant, which is terminated by heads of pink flowers.

To preserve its fragrance, nard, a light, fragrant, reddish-colored liquid, was sealed in cases of alabaster, a soft, usually whitish, marblelike stone named after Alabastron, Egypt, where vessels of this material were manufactured. The pound of perfumed oil, “genuine nard,” poured by Mary from an alabaster case upon the head and feet of Jesus Christ, ‘in view of his burial,’ was evaluated at 300 denarii ($48.00), the equivalent of about a year’s wages. (Mark 14:3-9; John 12:3-8; Matt. 20:2) The fact that this perfumed oil was so expensive suggests that its source may have been distant India.

SPINNING

The process of drawing out and twisting together into thread or yarn plant or animal fibers (flax, cotton, wool, goat’s hair, and so forth). Spun threads were used for weaving, sewing, embroidering or the making of rope. Among the Hebrews and others the distaff and spindle were employed in this process. It is said concerning the capable wife: “Her hands she has thrust out to the distaff, and her own hands take hold of the spindle.”—Prov. 31:19.

The distaff was a stick on which the cleansed and combed or carded (Isa. 19:9) fibers were loosely wound. Methods varied, but one way was to hold the distaff in the left hand. The fibers were drawn from it to some length and attached to the spindle. This was a shorter stick with a hook at one end to hold the fibers and a whorl (a disc of heavy material such as stone) near the other end. Using the right hand, the spinner twirled the hanging spindle, thus twisting the fibers into thread. This spun thread was next wound around the shank of the spindle and fastened. Then the operation was repeated until all the fibers on the distaff had been made into one long thread.

Both men and women of ancient Egypt spun thread, but among the Hebrews women particularly seem to have done the spinning. Israelite women were privileged to spin and contribute materials when the tabernacle was to be constructed.—Ex. 35:25, 26.

Jesus Christ referred to spinning when he urged his disciples not to be unduly anxious about clothing, but to trust in God to clothe them. Jesus said: “Mark well how the lilies grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.”—Luke 12:27, 28; Matt. 6:28-30.

SPIRIT

[Heb., ruʹahh; Gr., pneuʹma].

The English word “spirit” is from the Latin spirare, meaning “to breathe” (noun form spiritus, “a breath,” “breathing”), the words “respiration,” “expiration” and “inspiration” all being derived from the same source. Similarly the Greek pneuʹma comes from pneʹo, meaning “to breathe or blow,” and the Hebrew ruʹahh is believed to come from a root having the same meaning.

The noun forms ruʹahh and pneuʹma, then, basically mean “breath” but have extended meanings beyond that basic sense. (Compare Habakkuk 2:19; Revelation 13:15.) They can also mean wind; the vital force in living creatures; one’s spirit, dominant feeling or disposition; spirit persons, including God and his angelic creatures; and God’s active force or holy spirit. (Compare Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, pages 877-879; Brown, Driver and Briggs’ Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, pages 924-926; Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by G. Kittel, Vol. VI, pages 332-451.) All these meanings have something in common: they all refer to that which is invisible to human sight and which gives evidence of force in motion. Such invisible force is capable of producing visible effects.

Another Hebrew word, n^esha·mahʹ (Gen. 2:7) also means “breath,” but is more limited in range of meaning than ruʹahh. The Greek pno·eʹ seems to have a similar limited sense (Acts 17:25), and was used by the Septuagint translators to render n^esha·mahʹ.

WIND

Consider first the sense that is perhaps easiest to grasp. The context in many cases shows ruʹahh to mean “wind,” as the “east wind” (Ex. 10:13), the “four winds.” (Zech. 2:6) The mention of such things as clouds, storm, the blowing of chaff or things of similar nature appearing in the context often makes evident this sense. (Num. 11:31; 1 Ki. 18:45; 19:11; Job 21:18, and so forth.) Because the four winds are used to mean the four directions—east, west, north and south—ruʹahh at times may be rendered as ‘direction’ or ‘side.’—1 Chron. 9:24; Jer. 49:36; 52:23; Ezek. 42:16-20.

Job 41:15, 16 says of Leviathan’s closely fitting scales that “not even air [ruʹahh] can come in between them.” Here again ruʹahh represents air in motion, not merely air in a quiescent or motionless state. Thus the thought of an invisible force is present, the basic characteristic of the Hebrew ruʹahh.

Evidently the only case in the Christian Greek Scriptures in which pneuʹma is used in the sense of “wind” is at John 3:8.

Man cannot exercise control over the wind, cannot guide, direct, restrain or possess it. Because of this, “wind [ruʹahh]” frequently stands for that which is uncontrollable or unattainable by man, elusive, transitory, in vain, of no genuine benefit. (Compare Job 6:26; 7:7; 8:2; 16:3; Proverbs 11:29; 27:15, 16; 30:4; Ecclesiastes 1:14, 17; 2:11; Isaiah 26:18; 41:29, and so forth.) For a full discussion of this aspect, see WIND.

SPIRIT PERSONS

God is invisible to human eyes (Ex. 33:20; John 1:18; 1 Tim. 1:17), and he is alive and exercises unsurpassed force throughout the universe. (2 Cor. 3:3; Isa. 40:25-31) Christ Jesus states: “God is a Spirit [Pneuʹma].” The apostle writes: “Now Jehovah is the Spirit.” (John 4:24; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18) The temple built on Christ as foundation cornerstone is “a place for God to inhabit by spirit.”—Eph. 2:22.

This does not mean that God is an impersonal, bodiless force like the wind. The Scriptures unmistakably testify to his personality; he also has location so that Christ could speak of ‘going to his Father,’ this in order that he might “appear before the person of God [literally “face of God”] for us.” (John 16:28; Heb. 9:24; compare 1 Kings 8:43; Psalm 11:4; 113:5, 6.) For further discussion, see JEHOVAH (The Person Identified by the Name).

The expression “my spirit” (ruʹahh) used by God at Genesis 6:3 may mean “I the Spirit,” even as his use of “my soul” (neʹphesh) has the sense of “I the person,” or “my person.” (Isa. 1:14; see SOUL [God as Having Soul].) He thereby contrasts his heavenly spiritual position with that of earthly fleshly man.

God’s Son

God’s “only-begotten son,” the Word, was a spirit person like his Father, hence “existing in God’s form” (Phil. 2:5-8), but later “became flesh,” residing among mankind as the man Jesus. (John 1:1, 14) Completing his earthly course, he was “put to death in the flesh, but [was] made alive in the spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:18) His Father resurrected him, granted his Son’s request to be glorified alongside the Father with the glory he had had in his prehuman state (John 17:4, 5), and God made him “a life-giving spirit.” (1 Cor. 15:45) The Son thus became again invisible to human sight, dwelling “in unapproachable light, whom not one of men has seen or can see.”—1 Tim. 6:14-16.

Other spirit creatures

Angels are designated by the terms ruʹahh and pneuʹma in a number of texts. (1 Ki. 22:21, 22; Ezek. 3:12, 14; 8:3; 11:1, 24; 43:5; Acts 23:8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:19, 20) In the Christian Greek Scriptures the majority of such references are to wicked spirit creatures, demons.—Matt. 8:16; 10:1; 12:43-45; Mark 1:23-27; 3:11, 12, 30; and so forth.

Psalm 104:4 states that God makes “his angels spirits, his ministers a devouring fire.” Some translations would render this to read: “Who makest the winds thy messengers, fire and flame thy ministers,” or similarly. (RS, JP, AT, JB) Such translation of the Hebrew text is not inadmissible (compare Psalm 148:8); however, the apostle Paul’s quotation of the text (Heb. 1:7) coincides with that of the Septuagint and harmonizes with the rendering first given. (In the Greek text of Hebrews 1:7 the definite article [tous] is used before “angels,” not before “spirits [pneuʹma·ta],” making the angels the proper subject of the clause.) Barnes’ Notes on Hebrews says: “It is to be presumed that [Paul], who had been trained in the knowledge of the Hebrew language, would have had a better opportunity of knowing its [referring to Psalm 104:4] fair construction than we can; and it is morally certain, that he would employ the passage in an argument as it was commonly understood by those to whom he wrote—that is, to those who were familiar with the Hebrew language and literature.”—Compare Hebrews 1:14.

God’s angels, though capable of materializing human form and appearing to men, are not by nature material or fleshly, hence are Invisible. They are actively alive and able to exert great force, and the terms ruʹahh and pneuʹma therefore aptly describe them.

Ephesians 6:12 speaks of Christian wrestling, “not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.” The latter part of the text in Greek literally reads: “Toward the spiritual (things) [Gr., pneu·ma·ti·kaʹ] of the wickedness in the heavenly [places].” Most modern translations recognize that the reference here is not simply to something abstract, “spiritual wickedness” (AV), but refers to wickedness carried out by spirit persons. Thus, we have such renderings as: “the spirit-forces of evil on high” (AT), “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (RS), “the spiritual army of evil in the heavens” (JB), “the superhuman forces of evil in the heavens” (NE, 1970 ed).

GOD’S ACTIVE FORCE; HOLY SPIRIT

By far the majority of occurrences of ruʹahh and pneuʹma relate to God’s spirit, his holy spirit.

Not a person

It was not until the fourth century C.E. that the teaching that the holy spirit was a person and part of the “Godhead” became official church dogma. Earlier Christians, sometimes called church “fathers,” did not so teach; Justin Martyr of the second century C.E. taught that the holy spirit was an ‘influence or mode of operation of the Deity’; Hippolytus likewise ascribed no personality to the holy spirit. The Scriptures themselves unite to show that God’s holy spirit is not a person but is God’s active force by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will.

It may first be noted that the words “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (AV) found in older translations at 1 John 5:7 are actually spurious additions to the original text. A footnote in The Jerusalem Bible, a Catholic translation, says that these words are “not in any of the early Greek MSS [manuscripts], or any of the early translations, or in the best MSS of the Vulg[ate] itself.” Modern translations as a whole, both Catholic and Protestant, do not include them in the main body of the text, due to recognizing their spurious nature.

Personification does not prove personality

It is true that Jesus spoke of the holy spirit as a “helper” and spoke of such helper as ‘teaching,’ ‘bearing witness,’ ‘giving evidence,’ ‘guiding,’ ‘speaking,’ ‘hearing,’ and ‘receiving.’ In so doing, the original Greek shows Jesus at times applying the personal pronoun “he” to that “helper” (paraclete). (Compare John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15.) However, it is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personalized or personified that is not actually a person. Wisdom is personified in the book of Proverbs (1:20-33; 8:1-36) and feminine pronominal forms are used of it in the original Hebrew, as also in many English translations. (AV, RS, JP, AT) Wisdom is also personified at Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:35, and is there depicted as having both “works” and “children.” The apostle Paul personalized sin and death and also undeserved kindness as “kings.” (Rom. 5:14, 17, 21; 6:12) He speaks of sin as “receiving an inducement,” ‘working out covetousness,’ ‘seducing,’ and ‘killing.’ (Rom. 7:8-11) Yet it is obvious that Paul did not mean that sin was actually a person.

So, likewise with John’s account of Jesus’ words regarding the holy spirit, his remarks must be taken in context. Jesus personalized the holy spirit when speaking of that spirit as a “helper” (which in Greek is the masculine substantive pa·raʹkle·tos). Properly, therefore, John presents Jesus’ words as referring to that “helper” aspect of the spirit with masculine personal pronouns. On the other hand, in the same context, when the Greek pneuʹma is used, John employs a neuter pronoun to refer to the holy spirit, pneuʹma itself being neuter. Hence, we have in John’s use of the masculine personal pronoun in association with pa·raʹkle·tos an example of conformity to grammatical rules, not an expression of doctrine.—John 14:16, 17; 16:7, 8.

Lacks personal identification

Since God himself is a Spirit and is holy and since all his faithful angelic sons are spirits and are holy, it is evident that if the “holy spirit” were a person there should reasonably be given some means in the Scriptures to distinguish and identify such spirit person from all these other ‘holy spirits.’ It would be expected that, at the very least, the definite article would be used with it in all cases where it is not called “God’s holy spirit” or is not modified by some similar expression. This would at least distinguish it as THE Holy Spirit. But, to the contrary, in a large number of cases the expression “holy spirit” appears in the original Greek without the article, thus indicating its lack of personality.—Compare Acts 6:3, 5; 7:55; 8:15, 17, 19; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9, 52; 19:2; Romans 9:1; 14:17; 15:13, 16, 19; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Hebrews 2:4; 6:4; 2 Peter 1:21; Jude 20 in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation or other interlinear translations.

How baptized in its “name”

At Matthew 28:19 reference is made to the “name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” A “name” can mean something other than a personal name. When, in English, we say, “in the name of the law,” or “in the name of common sense,” we have no reference to a person as such. By “name” in these expressions we mean ‘what the law stands for or its authority’ and ‘what common sense represents or calls for.’ The Greek term for “name” (oʹno·ma) also can have this sense. Thus, while some translations (AV, AS) follow the Greek text at Matthew 10:41 literally and say that the one that “receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man’s reward,” more modern translations say, “receives a prophet because he is a prophet” and “receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man,” or similar. (RS, AT, JB, NW) Thus, Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament (Vol. I, p. 245) says on Matthew 28:19: “The use of name (onoma) here is a common one in the Septuagint and the papyri for power or authority.” Hence baptism ‘in the name of the holy spirit’ implies recognition of that spirit as having its source in God and as exercising its function according to the divine will.

Other evidence of its impersonal nature

Further evidence against the idea of personality as regards the holy spirit is the way it is used in association with other impersonal things, such as water and fire (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8), and Christians are spoken of as being baptized “in holy spirit.” (Acts 1:5; 11:16) Persons are urged to become “filled with spirit” instead of wine. (Eph. 5:18) So, too, persons are spoken of as being ‘filled’ with it along with such qualities as wisdom and faith (Acts 6:3, 5; 11:24) or joy (Acts 13:52), and holy spirit is inserted or ‘sandwiched in’ with a number of such qualities at 2 Corinthians 6:6. It is most unlikely that such expressions would be made if reference were being made to a divine person. As to the spirit’s ‘bearing witness’ (Acts 5:32; 20:23), it may be noted that the same thing is said of “the water and the blood” at 1 John 5:6-8. While some texts refer to the spirit as ‘witnessing,’ ‘speaking,’ ‘saying’ things, other texts make clear that it spoke through persons, having no personal voice of its own. (Compare Hebrews 3:7; 10:15-17; Psalm 95:7; Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Acts 19:2-6; 21:4; 28:25.) It may thus be compared to radio waves that can receive a message from a person speaking into a microphone and transmit the message to persons a distance away, in effect, ‘speaking’ the message by a radio loudspeaker. God, by his spirit, transmits his messages and communicates his will to the minds and hearts of his servants on earth, who, in turn, may convey that message to yet others.

Distinguished from “power”

Ruʹahh and pneuʹma, therefore, when used with reference to God’s holy spirit, refer to God’s invisible active force by which he accomplishes his divine purpose and will. It is “holy” because it is from Him, not of an earthly source, and is free from all corruption as “the spirit of holiness.” (Rom. 1:4) It is not Jehovah’s “power,” for this English word more correctly translates other terms in the original languages (Heb., koʹahh; Gr., dyʹna·mis). Ruʹahh and pneuʹma are used in close association or even in parallel with these terms signifying “power,” which shows that there is an inherent connection between them and yet a definite distinction. (Mic. 3:8; Zech. 4:6; Luke 1:17, 35; Acts 10:38) “Power” is basically the ability or capacity to act or do things and it can be latent, dormant, inactively resident in someone or something. “Force,” on the other hand, more specifically describes energy projected and exerted on persons or things, and may be defined as “an influence which produces or tends to produce motion, or change of motion.” “Power” might be likened to the stored energy in a battery, while “force” could be compared to the current flowing from such battery. “Force,” then, more accurately represents the sense of the Hebrew and Greek terms as relating to God’s spirit, and this is borne out by a consideration of the Scriptures.

ITS USE IN CREATION

Jehovah God accomplished the creation of the material universe by means of his spirit or active force. Regarding the planet Earth in its early formative stages, the record states that “God’s active force [or “spirit,” (ruʹahh)] was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2) Psalm 33:6 says: “By the word of Jehovah the heavens themselves were made, and by the spirit of his mouth all their army.” Like a powerful breath, God’s spirit can be sent forth to exert power even though there is no bodily contact with that which is acted upon. (Compare Exodus 15:8, 10.) Where a human craftsman would use the force of his hands and fingers to produce things, God uses his spirit. Hence that spirit is also spoken of as God’s “hand” or “fingers.”—Compare Psalm 8:3; 19:1; Matthew 12:28 with Luke 11:20.

Modern science speaks of matter as “organized energy,” like “bundles of energy,” and recognizes that: “Matter can be changed into energy and energy into matter.” (World Book Encyclopedia, 1970 ed., Vol. 13, pp. 246-248) The immensity of the universe that man has thus far been able to discern with his telescopes gives some slight concept of the inexhaustible source of energy to be found in Jehovah God. As the prophet wrote: “Who has taken the proportions of the spirit of Jehovah?”—Isa. 40:12, 13, 25, 26.

Source of animate life and reproductive powers

Not only inanimate creation but also all animate creation therefore owes its existence and life to the operation of Jehovah’s spirit that produced the original living creatures through whom all living creatures today have come to exist. (Compare Job 33:4; see section of this article under “Breath; Breath of Life; Life Force.”) Jehovah used his holy spirit to revive Abraham and Sarah’s reproductive powers and therefore Isaac could be spoken of as “born in the manner of spirit.” (Gal. 4:28, 29) By his spirit God also transferred his Son’s life from heaven to earth, causing conception in the womb of the virgin Jewess Mary.—Matt. 1:18, 20; Luke 1:35.

JEHOVAH USES SPIRIT ON BEHALF OF HIS SERVANTS

A principal operation of God’s spirit involves its ability to inform, to illuminate, to reveal things. Therefore David could pray: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your spirit is good; may it lead me in the land of uprightness.” (Ps. 143:10) Much earlier, Joseph had given the interpretation of Pharaoh’s prophetic dreams, being enabled to do so by God’s help. The Egyptian ruler recognized the operation of God’s spirit in him. (Gen. 41:16, 25-39) This illuminating power of the spirit is particularly notable in prophecy. Prophecy, as the apostle shows, did not spring from human interpretation of circumstances and events, so that the prophets were able to explain the meaning and significance of these or forecast the shape of coming events by their own ability. Rather, such men were “borne along by holy spirit,” conveyed, moved and guided by God’s active force. (2 Pet. 1:20, 21; 2 Sam. 23:2; Zech. 7:12; Luke 1:67; 2:25-35; Acts 1:16; 28:25; see PROPHECY; PROPHET.) So, too, with all the inspired Scriptures. These were “inspired of God,” which translates the Greek the·oʹpneu·stos, meaning, literally, “God-breathed.” (2 Tim. 3:16) The spirit operated in various manners in communicating and guiding such men, in some cases causing them to see visions or dreams (Ezek. 37:1; Joel 2:28, 29; Rev. 4:1, 2; 17:3; 21:10), but in all cases operating on their minds and hearts to motivate and guide them according to God’s purpose.—Dan. 7:1; Acts 16:9, 10; Rev. 1:10, 11; see INSPIRATION.

God’s spirit, then, not only brings revelation and understanding of God’s will but also energizes his servants to accomplish things in accord with that will. That spirit acts as a driving force that moves and impels them, even as Mark says the spirit “impelled” Jesus to go into the wilderness after his baptism. (Mark 1:12; compare Luke 4:1.) It can be like a “fire” within them, causing them to be “aglow” with that force (1 Thess. 5:19; Acts 18:25; Rom. 12:11), in a sense ‘building up steam’ or pressure in them to do certain work. (Compare Job 32:8, 18-20; 2 Timothy 1:6, 7.) They receive the “power of the spirit” or “power through his spirit.” (Luke 2:27; Eph. 3:16; compare Micah 3:8.) Yet it is not merely some unconscious, blind impulse, for their minds and hearts are affected as well so that they can intelligently cooperate with the active force given them. Thus the apostle could say of those who had received the gift of prophecy in the Christian congregation that the “gifts of the spirit of the prophets are to be controlled by the prophets,” so that good order might be maintained.—1 Cor. 14:31-33.

Variety of operations

Even as a force like electricity can be used to accomplish a tremendous variety of things, so God’s spirit is used to commission and enable persons to do a wide variety of things. (Isa. 48:16; 61:1-3) As Paul wrote of the miraculous gifts of the spirit in his day: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but there is the same spirit; and there are varieties of ministries, and yet there is the same Lord; and there are varieties of operations, and yet it is the same God who performs all the operations in all persons. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for a beneficial purpose.”—1 Cor. 12:4-7.

The spirit has qualifying force or capacity; it can qualify persons for a work or for an office. Though Bezalel and Oholiab may have had knowledge of crafts before their appointment in connection with the making of the tabernacle equipment and priestly garments, God’s spirit ‘filled them with wisdom, understanding and knowledge’ so that the work could be done in the way purposed. It heightened whatever natural abilities and acquired knowledge they already had, and enabled them to teach others. (Ex. 31:1-11; 35:30-35) The architectural plans for the later temple were given to David by inspiration, that is, through the operation of God’s spirit.—1 Chron. 28:12.

God’s spirit acted on and through Moses in prophesying and performing miraculous acts, in leading the nation and acting as judge for it, thereby foreshadowing the future role of Christ Jesus. (Isa. 63:11-13; Acts 3:20-23) However, Moses as an imperfect human found the load of responsibility heavy, and God ‘took away some of the spirit that was on Moses and placed it upon seventy older men’ that they might help in carrying the load. (Num. 11:11-17, 24-30) The spirit became operative on David from the time of his anointing by Samuel onward, guiding and preparing him for his future kingship.—1 Sam. 16:13.

Joshua became “full of the spirit of wisdom” as Moses’ successor. But the spirit did not produce in him the ability to prophesy and perform miraculous works to the extent that it had in Moses. (Deut. 34:9-12) However, it enabled Joshua to lead Israel in the military campaign that brought about the conquest of Canaan. Similarly, Jehovah’s spirit “enveloped” other men, ‘impelling’ them as fighters on behalf of God’s people, fighters such as Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson and others.—Judg. 3:9, 10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:24, 25; 14:5, 6, 19; 15:14.

The spirit of God energized men to speak his message of truth boldly and courageously before opposers and at the risk of their lives.—Mic. 3:8.

Its being ‘poured out’ upon his people is evidence of his favor and results in blessings and makes them prosper.—Ezek. 39:29; Isa. 44:3, 4.

Judging and executing judgment

By his spirit God exercises judgment on men and nations, also carries out his judgment decrees, punishing or destroying. (Isa. 30:27, 28; 59:18, 19) In such cases, ruʹahh may be fittingly rendered as “blast,” as when Jehovah speaks of causing “a blast [ruʹahh] of windstorms to burst forth” in his rage. (Ezek. 13:11, 13; compare Isaiah 25:4; 27:8.) God’s spirit can reach everywhere, acting for or against those who receive his attention.—Ps. 139:7-12.

At Revelation 1:4 the “seven spirits” of God are mentioned as before his throne and thereafter seven messages are given, each concluding with an admonition to “hear what the spirit says to the congregations.” (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) These messages contain heart-searching pronouncements of judgment and promises of reward for faithfulness. God’s Son is shown as having these “seven spirits of God” (Rev. 3:1) and they are spoken of as being “seven lamps of fire” (Rev. 4:5), and also as seven eyes of the lamb that is slaughtered, “which eyes mean the seven spirits of God that have been sent forth into the whole earth.” (Rev. 5:6) Seven being used as representative of completeness in other prophetic texts (see NUMBER, NUMERAL), it appears that these seven spirits symbolize the full active capacity of observation, discernment or detection of the glorified Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, enabling him to inspect all the earth.

God’s Word is the spirit’s “sword” (Eph. 6:17), revealing what a person really is, exposing hidden qualities or heart attitudes, and causing him either to soften his heart and conform to God’s will expressed by that Word or to harden his heart in rebellion. (Heb. 4:11-13; compare Isaiah 6:9, 10; 66:2, 5.) God’s Word therefore plays a forceful part in predicting adverse judgment and, since God’s word must be carried out, the fulfillment of that word produces an action like that of fire on straw and like that of a forge hammer in smashing the crag. (Jer. 23:28, 29) Christ Jesus, as God’s principal Spokesman, as the “Word of God,” declares the divine judgment messages and is authorized to order the execution of such judgments upon those judged. This is doubtless what is meant by references to his doing away with God’s enemies “by the spirit [activating force] of his mouth.”—Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Isaiah 11:3, 4; Revelation 19:13-16, 21.

God’s spirit acts as “helper” for the Christian congregation

As promised, upon ascending to heaven, Jesus requested of his Father the holy spirit or active force of God, was granted the authority to exercise this spirit and ‘poured it out’ upon his faithful disciples on the day of Pentecost, continuing to do so thereafter for those turning to God through his Son. (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7; Acts 1:4, 5; 2:1-4, 14-18, 32, 33, 38) As they had been baptized in water, now they were all “baptized into one body” by that one spirit, immersed in it, as it were, somewhat like a piece of metal can be immersed in a magnetic field and thereby be imbued with magnetic force. (1 Cor. 12:12, 13; compare Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5.) Though God’s spirit had operated on the disciples before, as evidenced by their being able to cast out demons (compare Matthew 12:28; Mark 3:14, 15), it now operated on them in a heightened and more extensive manner and in new ways not previously experienced.—Compare John 7:39.

As the Messianic king, Christ Jesus has the “spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.” (Isa. 11:1, 2; 42:1-4; Matt. 12:18-21) This force for righteousness is manifest in his use of God’s active force or spirit in directing the Christian congregation on earth, Jesus being, by God’s appointment, its Head, Owner and Lord. (Col. 1:18; Jude 4) As a “helper,” that spirit now gave them increased understanding of God’s will and purpose and opened up his prophetic Word to them. (1 Cor. 2:10-16; Col. 1:9, 10; Heb. 9:8-10) They were energized to serve as witnesses in all the earth (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Eph. 3:5, 6), granted miraculous ‘gifts of the spirit’ enabling them to speak in foreign languages, to prophesy, heal and perform other activities that would both facilitate their proclamation of the good news and serve as evidence of their divine commission and backing.—Rom. 15:18, 19; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; 14:1, 2, 12-16; compare Isaiah 59:21; see GIFTS FROM GOD (Gifts of the Spirit).

As the congregation’s Overseer, Jesus used the spirit in a governmental way, guiding in the selection of men for special missions and for serving in the oversight, teaching and “readjustment” of the congregation (Acts 13:2-4; 20:28; Eph. 4:11, 12, NW, 1970 ed.), moving them, as well as restricting them, indicating where to concentrate their ministerial efforts (Acts 16:6-10; 20:22), and making them effective as writers of ‘letters of Christ, inscribed with the spirit of God on fleshly tablets, human hearts.’ (2 Cor. 3:2, 3; 1 Thess. 1:5) As promised, the spirit refreshed their memories, stimulated their mental powers and emboldened them in bearing witness even before rulers.—Compare Matthew 10:18-20; John 14:26; Acts 4:5-8, 13, 31; 6:8-10.

As “living stones,” they were being formed into a spiritual temple based on Christ, one through which “spiritual sacrifices” would be made (1 Pet. 2:4-6; Rom. 15:15, 16) and spiritual songs sung (Eph. 5:18, 19) and in which God would reside by spirit. (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19, 20; Eph. 2:20-22; compare Haggai 2:5.) God’s spirit is a unifying force of enormous strength and, as long as they allowed it free course among them, it joined them peacefully together in bonds of love and devotion to God, his Son, and one another. (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 John 3:23, 24; 4:12, 13; compare 1 Chronicles 12:18.) The gift of the spirit did not equip them for mechanical types of activity, as it had for Bezalel and others who manufactured and produced material structures and equipment, but fitted them for spiritual works of teaching, guiding, shepherding and counseling. The spiritual temple they formed was to be adorned with the beautiful fruits of God’s spirit, and that fruitage of “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,” and similar qualities was proof positive that God’s spirit was operating in and among them. (Gal. 5:22, 23; compare Luke 10:21; Romans 14:17.) This was the basic and primary factor producing good order and effective guidance among them. (Gal. 5:24-26; 6:1; Acts 6:1-7; compare Ezekiel 36:26, 27.) They submitted themselves to the ‘law of the spirit,’ an effective force for righteousness working to keep out the practices of the innately sinful flesh. (Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:16-21; Jude 19-21) Their confidence was in the energy of God’s spirit operating in them, not in fleshly abilities or background.—1 Cor. 2:1-5; Eph. 3:14-17; Phil. 3:1-8.

When questions arose, the holy spirit was a helper in arriving at a decision, as in the question of circumcision, decided by the body or council of apostles and older men at Jerusalem. Peter told of the spirit’s being granted to uncircumcised people of the nations, Paul and Barnabas related the spirit’s operations in their ministry among such persons, and James, his memory of the Scriptures doubtless aided by holy spirit, called attention to the inspired prophecy of Amos foretelling that God’s name would be called on people of the nations. Thus all the thrust or drive of God’s holy spirit pointed in one direction, and hence, in recognition of this, when writing the letter conveying their decision, this body or council said: “For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things.”—Acts 15:1-29.

Anoints, begets, gives ‘spiritual life’

As God had anointed Jesus with his holy spirit at the time of Jesus’ baptism (Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; 4:18; Acts 10:38), so he now anointed Jesus’ disciples.