The words “another Paraclete” imply, of course, that Jesus has been a Paraclete (as John confirms explicitly in 1 John 2:1), and now he is leaving and “another” Paraclete is coming in Jesus’ place.
When Jesus goes away, he “will send” the Paraclete to them (16:7). Just as the Son came “from the Father” (para tou patros, 16:28), so also the Paraclete will come “from the Father” (para tou patros, 15:26). That is, like the Son, the Paraclete is a heavenly, divine figure who was with the Father in heaven and will be personally coming to the disciples to be with them.
Just as the Son was someone who came into the world from the Father, the Holy Spirit is also someone who was going to come from the Father to be with the disciples as “another” Paraclete.
It is because the Spirit is presented in this narrative context as Jesus’ successor or replacement following his return to heaven that the term “Paraclete” must be interpreted as referring literally to a divine person, not a mere force or power.
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