Theosophy: Is the messiah the great world spirit?
This text is from a letter written by David Gooding.
The basic doctrine, which you have arrived at, is not in fact new, but very old. Its basic principle is the same as that which informs some varieties of Hinduism and, in Britain and America, Theosophy. According to Theosophy, all the sacred books teach that the Messiah is coming again. Theosophy is prepared to say that in some sense Jesus is the Messiah; but if you ask Theosophy to define what it means by 'messiah', it will tell you that:
the historical Jesus was not, strictly speaking, the Messiah;
the Messiah is the great world spirit;
the historical Jesus lent himself to the world spirit, which then filled him;
the Messiah who is coming will not be the historical Jesus, but another man;
this other man will be filled with the great world spirit, and thus can be regarded as the Messiah.
This basic doctrine was already known in the time of the New Testament, and the Apostle John speaks explicitly about it. He says it is a doctrine put about by the antichrist, and by him 'who is the liar' (1 John 2:22). According to the Apostle John, the historical Jesus is the Messiah. The idea that the Messiah, when he comes again, will be different from the historical Jesus, but nevertheless be the Messiah, originates, says John, with the devil himself.
Do, please, for your own soul's salvation, read what the Apostle John says about this matter. It is not a question of my ideas against your ideas; it is a question of what Christ's own apostle explicitly says in God's word.
Similarly, God's word spoken through the angels at Christ's ascension states with utter clarity who it will be that comes at the second coming: 'This same Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you beheld him going into heaven' (Acts 1:11).
You have written to tell us where to look in order to see the present messiah, who is supposed to have been born in the Great Depression, and is now supposed to be about seventy years old. But the messiah that you claim came at the Great Depression is, according to you, not the same Jesus who ascended. This new 'messiah' is only human, and not the Son of God. And when he came, according to you, he did not come in the same manner as the apostles saw Jesus going into heaven; he came by being born of two parents, mother and father, not born of the Virgin Mary.
The 'Jesus' you have is 'another Jesus', and not the Jesus preached by the apostles. Do, I beg of you, let the apostles warn you that the messiah you promulgate is a deception fabricated by the father of lies, the devil. To believe that deception will be your spiritual and eternal ruination, if you persist in it.
In marked contrast to what you say, the Lord Jesus told us that, when he comes again, no one will need to tell anyone where to look in order to see him: it will be like lightning that all will see, from one end of the sky to the other (see Luke 17:22–24).
I speak firmly because it is not a question of my views against your views. We are all meant to think as best we can, but we are warned against exalting our speculations against the plain, straight, written word of God. That word tells us that salvation is to be had in Christ alone, and on God's terms as set out in the gospel: see 1 Corinthians 15:1–11; 50–58. There is no salvation in your 'other messiah'.
Yours sincerely,
