The Spirit of Truth, the Advocate (Helper)
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Advocate, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
— John 14:16–17
These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion. In summary, Jesus promised that He would ask the Father to send “another Advocate” to remain with them forever.
The Korean term Bohyesa (보혜사, 保惠師) literally means “a teacher who protects with grace.” In this passage, however, the Advocate is specifically identified as “the Spirit of Truth.” In other words, the Holy Spirit as the Advocate is the Spirit who teaches and reveals the truth.
During His first coming, Jesus declared that He Himself is the Truth (John 14:6). In the author’s interpretation, the “truth” spoken of in Scripture refers to the actual fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Since Jesus appeared exactly as foretold in the Old Testament, He identified Himself as the Truth.
Accordingly, the author understands Jesus Himself to have been the Advocate during the First Coming (1 John 2:1). Therefore, before leaving this world, Jesus promised not Himself, but “another Advocate.” According to this interpretation, the promised Spirit of Truth would appear when the Book of Revelation is fulfilled.
“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was over his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He held in his hand a little scroll that lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.”
— Revelation 10:1–2
According to Revelation, when its prophecies are fulfilled, another mighty angel appears carrying an open scroll.
Angels belonging to God are holy spirits. Therefore, in this interpretation, the open scroll carried by the angel represents God’s revealed message—His revelation and truth. Thus, the angel appearing in Revelation 10 is understood to be the promised Spirit of Truth, the Advocate spoken of by Jesus.
This is also the angel who reveals every event recorded throughout the Book of Revelation to John.
“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you, with your fellow prophets, and with all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!'”
— Revelation 22:8–9
The Work of the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate
Why, then, is the Spirit of Truth necessary?
During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven through parables, fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 78:2. This means that it had already been foretold that Jesus would speak the secrets of the Kingdom in figurative language.
If we are to understand these heavenly mysteries, we must first understand the meaning of Jesus’ parables. According to the author’s interpretation, Jesus promised that another Advocate would later reveal the true meaning hidden within those parables.
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.”
— John 16:25
Here Jesus explains that He had spoken in figurative language, but that the time would come when He would explain these hidden meanings plainly.
Since Jesus’ Father is God, and God is identified with the Word (John 1:1–5), the promise to speak plainly about the Father is understood here as a promise to reveal the true meaning of God’s Word.
In other words, the hidden meanings concealed within the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven would one day be openly explained. According to this interpretation, that time is when the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, appears.
Does this mean an angel personally visits every individual to teach the truth?
The author’s answer is no.
Just as God’s Holy Spirit dwelt in Jesus’ physical body during the First Coming and spoke the truth through Him (Matthew 3:16), so at the Second Coming, the Spirit of Truth is understood to dwell in the messenger (a human body) whom Jesus sends to the churches and to testify to the truth through that person (Revelation 22:16).
Since Jesus said that the Spirit of Truth would dwell within you, the Spirit is understood to work through a human body, speaking to people through that individual.
The author therefore distinguishes between the spiritual Advocate and the physical Advocate. The one people can visibly encounter is the physical Advocate.
According to this understanding, if such a physical Advocate has appeared, it is only natural to welcome him, because through him people can understand the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and ultimately enter God’s Kingdom.
The Apostle John wrote that anyone who adds to or takes away from the words of Revelation will receive God’s judgment and will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Revelation 22:18–19).
The author argues that many Christians have done exactly this.
To add to Revelation means to insert human ideas into God’s sealed mysteries and teach them as truth.
To take away from Revelation means to ignore or fail to keep the Book of Revelation, despite Jesus’ promise that its prophecies would be fulfilled.
According to this interpretation, no one may alter Revelation in any way. Instead, believers must understand and obey the hidden meanings contained within its figurative language (Revelation 1:3).
However, because Revelation contains the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, it was written symbolically and is therefore difficult to understand.
For this reason, the author concludes that humanity needs a physical Advocate through whom the Spirit of Truth is working.
Through this person, believers can learn the true meanings hidden within the Bible’s parables. Once those meanings are understood, they can also recognize the actual realities that fulfill the prophecies of Revelation.
By doing so, they keep Jesus’ promise, recognize the fulfillment of biblical prophecy when it appears, and gain genuine faith through witnessing those fulfilled realities (John 14:29).
Through that faith, believers may finally attain the Kingdom of Heaven they have long hoped for.
“Then I fell down at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'”
— Revelation 19:10