The teaching of the Paraclete: fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction.

This page passionately delves into Stephen Witmer’s profound insights on divine instruction in early Christianity, where revelation transcended mere doctrine to become a transformative force! The Holy Spirit ignited hearts and reshaped souls through lived experience. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, as the Adi Shakti—the promised Comforter—fulfills this sacred vision, ushering in Self-realization through Kundalini awakening. From 1970 to 2011, Her four-decade mission completed Jesus’ message, not with words alone but through the vibrant, living transmission of the Spirit! Early Christian teachings longed for a living teacher, not a static text, and this truth radiates here: divine instruction is not bound by scripture—it is the Holy Spirit, fully manifested, speaking to humanity. The Spirit now teaches from within, heralding the dawn of the age of fulfillment!

Stephen E. Witmer, Divine instruction in Early Christianity
 "The teaching of the Holy Spirit/Paraclete

I have argued that divine instruction comes through Jesus. However, it is likely that to be "taught by God" in John 6.45 also has an internal aspect. In addition to Jesus' teaching, divine instruction seems to be an inward teaching by which an individual is drawn to Jesus. This is indicated by the parallel between the "drawing" of 6.44, and the teaching and learning of 6.45ab. That teaching in the Fourth Gospel can be understood as an internal event is clear from the reference to the Holy Spirit/Paraclete teaching all things (14.26).

John 14.26 is in fact a significant passage for discerning how the evangelist understands divine instruction. Here, the Paraclete and Holy Spirit are clearly identified. The future tense of the verbs in 14.26 is notable; the Spirit's activity is said to be (from Jesus' perspective) in the future. As Schnackenburg suggest, 14.26 is directly connected with 14.25. Jesus speaks to the disciples while abiding with them (14.25), but cannot clarify everything in his limited discourse. Therefore, he promises them the future teaching of the Holy Spirit/Paraclete (14.26). In light of the many clear parallels between the Paraclete and Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, this suggests that the Holy Spirit continues the didactic role of Jesus. If my argument in this chapter is correct (i.e., that Jesus' teaching is understood by the evangelist as direct divine instruction) then the teaching of the Paraclete, as the continuation of Jesus' teaching, must also be understood as the fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction...

The didactic storyline of the Fourth Gospel suggests that in order to portray the didactic relationship between Jesus and the Father, the evangelist develops an analogy based on the relationship of a father and son. The ultimate purpose of the analogy is to indicate that Jesus learns so perfectly from the Father that he becomes transparent to God. Therefore, when people hear Jesus' teaching, they receive direct divine instruction. I conclude the chapter by suggesting that the teaching of the Holy Spirit/Paraclete, because it is understood as the continuation of Jesus' teaching, is also regarded as the fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction.”

Stephen E. Witmer, Divine instruction in Early Christianity
Coronet Books (December 2008), pp. 106-7

The Teaching of the Paraclete as the Fulfillment of Eschatological Divine Instruction

Introduction

The promise of the Paraclete, or Comforter, as recorded in the Gospel of John, stands as one of the most significant and debated prophecies in Christian eschatology. Jesus assured his disciples that he would not leave them as orphans, but would send "another Paraclete" who would abide with them forever. For nearly two millennia, mainstream Christian doctrine has held that this promise was fulfilled at Pentecost, with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. However, a deeper analysis of the Johannine texts, coupled with an understanding of eschatological divine instruction, suggests a different fulfillment—one that points not to a collective event, but to the arrival of a specific, individual divine personality in the end times. This paper will argue that the teaching of the Paraclete, as the continuation of Jesus' teaching, must be understood as the fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction, and will present evidence that this promise has been unequivocally fulfilled in the person and teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

The Biblical Foundation: The Paraclete in the Gospel of John

The term Paraclete (from the Greek paraklētos) appears five times in the New Testament, exclusively in the writings of John (four times in the Gospel and once in his first epistle). The word itself carries a rich legal and supportive connotation, often translated as "Counselor," "Advocate," "Helper," or "Comforter." Jesus introduces the Paraclete in his Farewell Discourse (John 14-16), a series of teachings given to his disciples on the night of the Last Supper. A close examination of these passages reveals the specific functions and characteristics of the promised Comforter.

Jesus first promises to send "another Paraclete," implying that the disciples already had one in his own person[1]. This new Paraclete is identified as the "Spirit of truth" whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees nor knows him (John 14:16-17). This distinction between the world's inability to perceive the Paraclete and the disciples' ability to know him is critical. The promise is not for a vague, ethereal presence, but for a tangible guide who would be known by the true seekers of truth.

The primary role of the Paraclete is didactic. Jesus states, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). This teaching is not a new revelation, but a continuation and clarification of Jesus' own message. The Paraclete's function is to guide the disciples "into all truth" (John 16:13), to declare what is to come, and to glorify Jesus by taking what is his and making it known[2]. This act of reminding, teaching, and guiding implies a personal, intelligent presence, not merely an abstract force.

Theological Context and Eschatological Fulfillment

The promise of the Paraclete is deeply embedded in the eschatological framework of the Gospel of John. Jesus speaks of the Paraclete's arrival in the context of his own departure, situating the Comforter's ministry in a future age. Theologian Stephen E. Witmer argues that the teaching of the Holy Spirit/Paraclete, because it is understood as the continuation of Jesus' teaching, must also be regarded as the fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction[3]. This is not merely a spiritual presence but a fulfillment of prophecy tied to the end times, or "last days."

The traditional interpretation, which equates the Paraclete's coming with Pentecost, fails to account for several key aspects of Jesus' prophecy. The events of Pentecost, while significant, do not align with the description of a personal, teaching Paraclete who would guide believers into all truth and reveal things to come. The Paraclete described by Jesus is a personality, not a phenomenon. As Daniel Stevick notes, "The Paraclete will come as Jesus has come into the world... The Paraclete cannot be received by the world, as Jesus himself was rejected... The world which does not know the Paraclete did not know Jesus"[4]. This parallel between Jesus and the Paraclete suggests a human incarnation, a divine being walking the earth in a physical form, yet unrecognized by the masses.

"The Message of the Comforter does not detract in any way from the teachings of Jesus the Christ. It does not encroach on the long-established system of organised, orthodox belief. On the contrary, the World Mother is coming into physical manifestation at this critical time to expound the teachings of the Christ, to present them in a form that will be acceptable to all God's children, to draw the peoples of the earth together, to unite, to bind, to gather the scattered flocks of the human family; to function as the Comforter of the world during the period described in the Scriptures as 'The last tribulations'."[5]

Furthermore, the concept of the Holy Spirit as a feminine principle, or Mother, is not a new or radical idea but one with roots in early Christian and Gnostic thought. The Hebrew word for spirit, Ruach, is feminine, and Gnostic texts often refer to the Holy Spirit as the "Mother Spirit"[6]. This understanding aligns with the prophecy of a coming "World Mother," a comforter who would embody the divine feminine and bring a new era of spiritual understanding.

References

[1] Wilson, Ralph F. "3. The Holy Spirit Paraclete (John 14-16)." Disciple's Guide to the Holy Spirit, JesusWalk, n.d.
[2] Wilson, Ralph F. "3. The Holy Spirit Paraclete (John 14-16)." Disciple's Guide to the Holy Spirit, JesusWalk, n.d.
[3] Witmer, Stephen E. "Divine instruction in Early Christianity." Coronet Books, 2008, pp. 106-7.
[4] Stevick, Daniel. "Jesus and His Own." Adishakti.org, 2011, p. 292.
[5] Brandt, Johanna. "The Paraclete OR Coming World Mother." 1936, pp. 4-5.
[6] Malachi, Tau. "Living Gnosis: A Practical Guide to Gnostic Christianity." Llewellyn Publications, 2005.

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi: The Paraclete Incarnate

The prophecies of the Paraclete find their modern fulfillment in the life and teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923-2011), the founder of Sahaja Yoga. Shri Mataji not only claimed to be the Paraclete promised by Jesus but also brought a tangible, verifiable experience of the Holy Spirit through the process of Kundalini awakening. Her teachings, far from being a new religion, are presented as the culmination of all previous spiritual traditions, the key to unlocking the universal truth that lies at the heart of them all.

Shri Mataji's central teaching revolves around Self-realization, the spontaneous awakening of the Kundalini energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine. This energy, which she identified as the reflection of the Holy Spirit within every human being, ascends through the subtle energy centers (chakras), purifying them and connecting the individual consciousness to the all-pervading power of divine love. This experience, which is often accompanied by a cool breeze felt on the hands and top of the head, is the tangible proof of one's connection to the divine, the "second birth" spoken of by Jesus.

"Declare to all the nations now that I am the Holy Ghost and I have come for this Special Time, that is, the Resurrection Time.”[7]

The parallels between Shri Mataji's work and the prophesied role of the Paraclete are striking. Jesus promised that the Paraclete would "teach you all things" and "guide you into all truth." Shri Mataji's extensive lectures, delivered over more than three decades, offer a comprehensive understanding of the subtle system, the nature of divinity, and the path to spiritual evolution. She did not present a new dogma but rather an experiential science of the spirit, a "meta-science" that validates and integrates the truths of all the world's religions. Her teachings are not meant to be accepted on faith alone but to be experienced and verified through the awakening of the Kundalini.

Moreover, Jesus stated that the Paraclete would "testify about me." Shri Mataji's teachings consistently glorify Christ, placing him as a central figure in the spiritual evolution of humanity. She revealed his true role as the son of God who came to open the Agnya Chakra, the energy center of forgiveness and resurrection, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Comforter. In Sahaja Yoga, the experience of Kundalini awakening often begins with the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, and the vibrations of Christ are readily felt within the subtle system. Shri Mataji's teachings do not supplant Christ's but rather fulfill them, providing the practical means to experience the spiritual reality he proclaimed.

References

[7] Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. "This time, by the end of this century, this should happen." Adishakti.org, 18 June 2010.

Evidence and Verification: The Cool Breeze and the Subtle System

The most compelling evidence for Shri Mataji's claim as the Paraclete lies in the verifiable experience of Self-realization. The awakening of the Kundalini is not a subjective belief but a tangible event that can be felt on the central nervous system. The cool breeze (known as Chaitanya) that is felt on the hands and head is the primary indicator of the Kundalini's awakening and the flow of divine energy. This experience is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise of a "second birth" and the tangible proof of the Holy Spirit's presence within.

Furthermore, Sahaja Yoga provides a detailed map of the subtle system, with its seven major chakras and three energy channels. Each chakra corresponds to a specific aspect of our physical, emotional, and spiritual being, and the state of our chakras can be felt on our fingertips after Self-realization. This allows for a process of self-diagnosis and healing, as we can identify and clear the blockages in our chakras through simple meditation techniques. This is the practical knowledge that the Paraclete was prophesied to bring, a knowledge that empowers individuals to become their own spiritual guides.

Conclusion

The teaching of the Paraclete, as the continuation of Jesus' teaching, represents the fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction. The prophecies of the Gospel of John point to a personal, teaching Comforter who would come in the end times to guide humanity into all truth. The traditional interpretation of Pentecost falls short of this promise, while the life and teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi align perfectly with the prophesied role of the Paraclete. Through the verifiable experience of Self-realization and the awakening of the Kundalini, she has provided the tangible proof of the Holy Spirit's presence and the practical means for spiritual transformation.

The evidence is clear and irrefutable for those who are willing to seek the truth with an open heart. The choice, as it was in the time of Jesus, is between clinging to outdated dogmas and embracing the living truth of divine revelation. Shri Mataji has fulfilled the promise of the Paraclete, and in doing so, has inaugurated a new era of spiritual evolution for all of humanity. The Kingdom of God is within, and the key to entering it has been given.


Apokalypsis: The fulfillment of eschatological instruction by the Paraclete in the Age to Come promised by Jesus at the Last Supper

Shri Mataji
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923-2011) was Christian by birth, Hindu by marriage, and Paraclete by duty. In the photo, she is seen addressing a spontaneous crowd in Rahuri, a town in Maharashtra, India, on January 26, 1984, in a manner reminiscent of Jesus.

Paraclete Papers Articles

Part One: THE PARACLETE PAPERS: An Investigative Report on Christianity's Greatest Cover-Up
Part Two: The Paraclete's Human Personality and the Theological Fallacy of Pentecost
Part Three: The Greatest Deception in Human History: Pentecost as Satan's Trojan Horse
Part Four: Unveiling the Church Born from the Prince's Millennia of Deception
Part Five: Apokalypsis: Paraclete's Fulfillment of Jesus' Eschatological promise from the Last Supper in the Age to Come

Stephen E. Witmer, Divine instruction in Early Christianity “I conclude the chapter by suggesting that the teaching of the Holy Spirit/Paraclete, because it is understood as the continuation of Jesus' teaching, is also regarded as the fulfillment of the promise of eschatological divine instruction.”
Stephen E. Witmer
Divine instruction in Early Christianity
F. B. Meyer, Love to the Utmost “And when Jesus foreannounced another Comforter, He must have intended a Person as distinct and helpful as He had been.”
F. B. Meyer, Love to the Utmost
Robert Kysar, John, the Maverick Gospel “The Paraclete has a twofold function: to communicate Christ to believers and, to put the world on trial.”
Robert Kysar, John The Meverick Gospel
Danny Mahar, Aramaic Made EZ “But She—the Spirit, the Paraclete...—will teach you everything.”
Danny Mahar, Aramaic Made EZ)
Lucy Reid, She Changes Everything “Grammatical nonsense but evidence of the theological desire to defeminize the Divine.”
Lucy Reid, She Changes Everything
David Fleer, Preaching John's Gospel: The World It Imagines “The functions of the Paraclete spelled out in verses 13-15... are all acts of open and bold speaking in the highest degree.”
David Fleer, Preaching John's Gospel
Berard L. Marthaler, The Creed: The Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology “The reaction of the world to the Paraclete will be much the same as the world's reaction was to Jesus.”
Berard L. Marthaler, The Creed: The Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology
George Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament Bultmann calls the “coming of the Redeemer an 'eschatological event,' 'the turning-point of the ages.”
G. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament
In Spirit and Truth, Benny Thettayil “The Paraclete equated with the Holy Spirit, is the only mediator of the word of the exalted Christ.”
Benny Thettayil, In Spirit and Truth
Jesus and His Own: A Commentary on John 13-17 “The divine Paraclete, and no lessor agency, must show the world how wrong it was about him who was in the right.”
Daniel B. Stevick , Jesus and His Own: A Commentary on John 13-17
Marianne Meye Thompson, The God of the Gospel of John Stephen Smalley asserts that “The Spirit-Paraclete ... in John's Gospel is understood as personal, indeed, as a person.”
Marianne Thompson, The God of the Gospel of John
Eric Eve, The Jewish Context of Jesus' Miracles “The Messiah will come and the great age of salvation will dawn (for the pious).”
Eric Eve, The Jewish context of Jesus' Miracles
D. R. Sadananda, The Johannine Exegesis of God: an exploration into the Johannine understanding of God “The remembrance is to relive and re-enact the Christ event, to bring about new eschatological decision in time and space.”
Daniel Rathnakara Sadananda, The Johannine Exegesis of God
Michael Welker, God the Spirit “The Spirit acts in such an international situation as the revealer of 'judgment' on the powers that rule the world.”
Michael Welker, God the Spirit
Georg Strecker, Theology of the New Testament The Paraclete's “Appearance means that sin, righteousness, and judgment will be revealed.”
Georg Strecker, Theology of the New Testament
Tricia Gates Brown, Spirit in the writings of John “While the Spirit-Paraclete is the true broker, the brokers they rely on are impostors.”
T. G. Brown, Spirit in the writings of John
Michael Welker, The work of the Spirit: pneumatology and Pentecostalism “The pneumatological activity ... of the Paraclete ... may most helpfully be considered in terms of the salvific working of the hidden Spirit.”
Michael Welker, The work of the Spirit
Robert Kysar, Voyages with John: Charting the Fourth Gospel “The pneuma is the peculiar power by which the word becomes the words of eternal life.”
Robert Kysar, Voyages with John
John F. Moloney, The Gospel of John “The gift of peace, therefore, is intimately associated with the gift of the Spirit-Paraclete.”
Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John
“Jesus therefore predicts that God will later send a human being to Earth to take up the role defined by John .i.e. to be a prophet who hears God's words and repeats his message to man.”
M. Bucaille
The Bible, the Qur'n, and Science
Harvey Cox, The Future of Faith “This utopian hope, even when modestly expressed, links Jesus and the prophets to a much wider history of human longing.”
Harvey Cox, The Future of Faith
Robert Kysar, John “Because of the presence of the Paraclete in the life of the believer, the blessings of the end-times—the eschaton—are already present.”
Robert Kysar, John
Robert E. Picirilli, The Randall House Bible Commentary “They are going, by the Holy Spirit's power, to be part of the greatest miracle of all, bringing men to salvation.”
R. Picirilli, The Randall House Bible Commentary
George Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament “The Kingdom of God stands as a comprehensive term for all that the messianic salvation included... is something to be sought here and now (Mt. 6:33) and to be received as children receive a gift (Mk. 10:15 = Lk. 18:16-17).”
G. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament