[OBW]

I think the key to that verse is that as far as the experience of the people was concerned, the Spirit was not yet. He was poured out at Pentecost and has been with us ever since. So even the terse rendering that Lee favored so much was correct — just not in the way he taught it.

In terms of the sequence that God had ordained, God — the one who did so much but could not be looked upon — became flesh. Not the whole Godhead, but the Son. Yet because of the shared existence, the fullness of the godhead dwelt in Him. But the sequence required that the man, Jesus, fulfill certain things. He had to die, arise, and be taken away from this world as a physical person. Then the Spirit came to be with all of us, not just the ones in the right place at the right time.

Lee erred in making it into a sequence of "becomings." But the Trinity had decided that the Son would come to the earth as a man. Not to just any random group of people, but to one that was prepared to a sufficient extent to be looking for him and already following his ways (generally, as a people, not specifically in every way). From there he had a way to generate followers without coercion. Their life and testimony (heavily that life) would attract more followers. At that point, the group of followers would expand beyond what could go find the person Jesus within a few days of walking and so it was time to put the next phase in motion. The Spirit came which made the invisible God more closely connected with his people without sending prophets or signs.

Yes there was a process. But it was not really a processing of God as Lee would have it, but a preparation of the people. It was a preparing of the way. And one day the preparation was close to complete so a man came saying "prepare the way." Then he came as man. He changed their thinking from ritual that covered sin to redemption that forgave sin. Then the Spirit was poured out and we all have a better way than even the disciples did during Jesus' time on earth.

Yes God had a process and it was to prepare man, not to prepare God.