George H. Warnock — Anthropology
b1 — The Feast of Tabernacles
Manifestation of the Sons of God
The anthropological core of the work is the calling and destiny of the believer as a “son of God” (Rom. 8:19). Warnock identifies the “apokalupsis” (unveiling) of the sons of God as the goal of redemptive history:
“the eternal purposes of God in the Church are about to be revealed; that we stand now on the brink of Jordan prepared and ready to follow the priests of the Lord and the ark of the covenant into a new experience in Christ” — Feast of Tabernacles, ch. 1
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ… The word ‘Revelation’ is ‘Apokalupsis,’ the very same word that is translated ‘The manifestation (apokalupsis) of the sons of God…’ (Rom. 8:19).” — ch. 7, l. 1509-1511
Interpretation: Warnock identifies the revelation of the sons of God directly with the apokalupsis of Jesus Christ — the glorification of the believer is identical with the unveiling of Christ within his people.
The New Man: Seed Grown to Maturity
Warnock describes regeneration as a seed that must come to full development, not as a completed final state:
“We have been reproduced after God’s likeness like the seed which is produced by the flower, or the egg that is produced by the bird. That seed or that egg is a genuine birth, containing all the potentialities of a new flower exactly like the flower that produced it… But the full glory and the potentialities of that new life lie dormant within the seed or the egg.” — ch. 7, l. 1893-1898
“Thank God for the seed, the incorruptible seed, in virtue of which we have become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2 Pet. 1:4), or ‘born again’ (1 Pet. 1:23). But that seed in the hearts of God’s people has scarcely developed beyond the germ state.” — ch. 7, l. 1907-1911
Interpretation: The human being is reborn in God’s likeness, but the full actualization of that still lies ahead. The new man is real but not yet manifest.
Crucifixion of the Old Man
Warnock interprets Rom. 6:5-7 as a completed work, not an ongoing self-struggle:
“‘For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.‘” — ch. 7, l. 1843-1846; quoting Rom. 6:5-7
“There is no suggestion here whatever of suppressing the old nature, keeping the ‘old man’ under your feet so that he will not be able to raise his head, or constantly dying out to self. It is a finished work.” — ch. 7, l. 1854-1856
Interpretation: The death of the old man for Warnock is a once-for-all positional exchange (identification with Christ’s crucifixion), not a continuous ascetic struggle.
Spirit vs. Flesh
Warnock employs a consistent flesh/spirit dualism in which the flesh prevents the church from reaching her destiny:
“the gifts of the Spirit were restored to the Church we had a faint conception of what they meant… the flesh practically reigns in the Church.” — ch. 7, l. 1625-1626
“In this realm the flesh ‘profiteth nothing.’ Natural advantages, fleshly attainments, racial distinctions, educational standards, ecclesiastical success—these profit nothing.” — ch. 9, l. 3428-3430
“choose the way of the flesh rather than the heritage of the Spirit, they will receive…” — ch. 12, l. 3285
Interpretation: Flesh in Warnock denotes human nature in its fallen state; the Spirit is the medium through which the believer attains his destiny as a son of God.
Conformity to Christ / Glorification
The destiny of the human being is full conformity to Christ, attained through the Spirit:
“They must see Him in the grain that would be reproduced after His very likeness, in His very image.” — ch. 14, l. 5317-5318 (on John 12:24)
“It is the Appearing of Christ within His people, and their consequent transfiguration after His very likeness by beholding Him as He is: not by rapture, but by the Spirit! ‘…transfigured into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18.)” — ch. 13, l. 4832-4835
“‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him—for we shall see him as he is.’ (1 Jn. 3:2,3.)” — ch. 13, l. 4828-4831
Interpretation: Glorification for Warnock is primarily an inward process of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18), not only a future physical event. This distinguishes him from a standard eschatological reading.
Mortality and Immortality
Warnock affirms the future bodily resurrection but emphasizes that resurrection life can be appropriated now:
“This is the final victory for the Church, when mortality is clothed upon with immortality, and corruption puts on incorruption. This is the consummation of the Church’s last great victorious event, for then it is that ‘Death is swallowed up in victory,’ and the ‘last enemy,’ even Death, is destroyed. (1 Cor. 15:26,54.)” — ch. 12, l. 4547-4550
“before this cherished rapture or resurrection takes place, there is to arise a group of overcomers who shall appropriate even here and now their heritage of Resurrection Life in Jesus Christ.” — ch. 12, l. 4557-4559
“God is perfectly free to raise whom He will any time He chooses… Enoch did it. So did Elijah. And so shall the sons of God.” — ch. 12, l. 4585-4587; 4622
Interpretation: Warnock maintains a tension: bodily immortality is eschatological (1 Cor. 15:52), but victory over death is partially available now for overcomers.
Adam’s Fallen Race (brief)
Warnock briefly references the fallen state of humanity as background:
“it is not within the power of any man in Adam’s fallen race to present himself acceptably before God.” — ch. 3, l. 651
Interpretation: The Fall is assumed as an axiom, not developed as a separate doctrine.
Adam and Eve as Complementary Pair (brief)
“There is Adam and Eve, two and yet, one,—Eve being the complement, the likeness, the counterpart of Adam.” — ch. 5, l. 1063-1064
Interpretation: Single reference, not developed into a theology of marriage or gender.
Royal Priesthood / Dominion Mandate
The sons of God receive royal authority to reign and intercede on behalf of suffering humanity:
“‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people…’ (1 Pet. 2:9). A royal priesthood! A priesthood of kings, and a kingdom of priests! A company of overcomers, who have power with God and with men!” — ch. 9, l. 3414-3417
“As priests they have power with God, and as kings they have power with men… in fact he reigns by interceding.” — ch. 9, l. 3418-3423
“This priesthood knows nothing of father, mother, genealogy, beginning of days nor end of life. It is the sphere and realm of the Spirit of God, a priesthood and a Kingdom which the sons of God shall enter into as they grow up into Christ.” — ch. 9, l. 3430-3432
Interpretation: The dominion mandate in Warnock is not primarily earthly-cultural (creation) but eschatological-pneumatic: through the Spirit the sons of God exercise royal authority during the Great Tribulation.