Having presented my novel Buddy to you as a series of installments in the distant past, and having more recently posted other articles dealing with the gender of the Holy Spirit, including the Trinity Series within this past month, I had planned to move on to other topics. I had, in fact, developed a rather lengthy discourse on the present state of our nation and the world, which, in serial form, I was getting ready to post.
Two events changed my mind. The first was your response to my postings dealing with the Holy Spirit. From the interest I have received from you on this subject, it is apparent that there is a hunger on the part of Christians to learn more about an intimately related but terribly neglected aspect of our common faith. Despite the fervent grasping after the Holy Spirit by the Pentecostal and Charismatic branches of Christianity, and the number of books that attempt to describe the Holy Spirit’s nature and interaction with mankind, the intrinsic nature of the Holy Spirit remains to this day largely uncharted territory. Pastors and even theological “experts” admit to confusion regarding this Third Member of the Judeo-Christian Godhead.
The second event was the passing of a dear member of our congregation, a respected elder. The loss was mitigated somewhat by our anticipation that he shall have a bright spiritual future. As a result of his passing, his extensive Christian library was made available to the other members of our Church. Among these works was a remarkable little book that I acquired entitled Destined for the Throne. This book, written by Paul E. Billheimer, was co-published in 1975 by Bethany House Publishers and Christian Literature Crusade and subtitled “A Remarkable New Perspective on the Eternal Destiny of the Bride of Christ”.
Had I known of the existence of Destined for the Throne, I might have published Buddy sooner than I did, because the two books dovetail quite well. Their commonality demonstrates a sharing of viewpoint with respect to several aspects of the nature of the Godhead that oppose the conventional wisdom and yet clear up the confusion created by the mainstream understanding.
Destined for the Throne posits a Church that is intimately connected in the spiritual realm with the Triune Godhead in a family relationship by virtue of her marriage to Jesus Christ. This marriage itself is presented as a romantic one that boldly declares gender differentiation to be an important element.
As I began to read this book, I joyfully realized that I wasn’t as alone in my understanding of God as I had thought. It even had a Foreword written by Billy Graham:
“I have just read the manuscript of Paul E. Billheimer’s book Destined for the Throne, and have been inspired and challenged by the insights and fresh interpretations of the Scriptures regarding prayer, praise, and the church’s place in the world. Every Christian who feels impelled to find a deeper dimension of Christian witness should not only read this book, but study it prayerfully, and apply its principles to his life.”
Here are a few excerpts from the early chapters of the book:
“From this it is implicit that romance is at the heart of the universe and is the key to all existence. From all eternity God purposed that at some time in the future His Son should have an Eternal Companion, described by John the Revelator as “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9).” [page 23]
“This royalty and rulership is no hollow, empty, figurative, symbolical, or emblematic thing. It is not a figment of the imagination. The Church, the Bride, the Eternal Companion is to sit with Him on His throne. If His throne represents reality, then hers is no fantasy. Neither joint heir can do anything alone. (Rom. 8:17). [page 27]
“There is a clear and convincing implication in Genesis 1:27 that sex, in its spiritual dimension, constitutes an element of the image of God. If sex in its spiritual dimension is a part of that image in which man was created, then it follows that angels were not created in the image of God, whatever other attributes they man have in common with man, i.e., spirit nature; intellectual, emotional and moral endowments; original holiness. See also Ephesians 5:22-32. [note to Chapter 2, page 41]
How wonderfully warm and loving is the viewpoint of God embodied in this understanding! And how starkly it contrasts with the cold, bleak picture of Godhead as all-male and essentially sexless and void of romance that is presented by the mainstream Christian community!
As a result of these two events noted above, I am planning on presenting to you further information on a romantic Godhead that I label as “Background to Buddy”. This information is actually a nonfiction precursor to Buddy that sought to address in detail and logical fashion the concerns with my viewpoint as expressed to me by some brothers and sisters in Christ. This book-form information will be presented here as a series of articles.
friendofthefamily 