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Chapter 2 Prophets of Pentecost Looking Toward the Promise The Spirit that descended on the day of Pentecost was not God's after thought or one time anomaly. The coming of God's Holy Ghost was as needful as the sacrifice of Messiah. (John 14:16-20) First, Jesus purchased our salvation, next, the Holy Ghost empowered the Church to spread the Good News. (Romans 10:13-14) The prophets had long foreseen the arrival of God's Holy Spirit. By reading their prophecies we gain matchless insights into the Holy Spirit's work in us. Listen to the Prophets of Pentecost! Isaiah -- God's Refreshing Spirit Poured Out! Isaiah 44:3 "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:" Isaiah 59:21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever." Isaiah 28:11-12 "For with stammering lips and another tongue (Acts 2:4) will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear." Isaiah foresaw the coming of the Pentecostal blessing. (including tongues) He further wrote that when the spirit of God arrives, so does the Spirit of Prophecy. (Anointed speaking of God's Word) Never separate God's Spirit and God's Word -- both must work together. God's Spirit must anoint our speech, while God's Word (Scripture) guides our soul or human spirit. Both elements must be present to achieve true Gospel ministry! Notice: Although our Christian witness becomes feeble without the Spirit's fresh anointing, we dare not allege that the Holy Scripture constitutes a dead letter. Paul was not degrading the Scripture when he spoke of the letter that kills, rather, he was describing the Law of Moses and the deadly wages of sin. (2 Cor. 3:6-7) Paul further illustrated the hopelessness of trying to satisfy God's law through human effort in Romans seven. In contrast, Romans eight revealed the miraculous life of victory that is available through the Spirit. Isaiah had foreseen this triumph when he prophesied of today's Pentecostal refreshing and rest. Isaiah foresaw Israel receiving of God's Spirit and Word and passing it from one generation to the next. (Acts 4:4, Acts 5:14, Acts 13:45 Acts 6:7-8, II Tim. 2:2) Joel would add that not only the Jews but also the gentiles would receive the Pentecostal blessing. Finally Isaiah compared the coming of Pentecost to Israel's entrance into the Promised Land of rest! Our prayer is that none of us fall short of God's rest and God's best. (Heb. 3:18-19) Joel -- God's Spirit Upon All Nations Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:" Acts 2:16 "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:" Acts 2:39 "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Paul declared that God has provided salvation to the Jew and the Gentile alike. This truth caused Paul more trouble than any other part of his message. The Jews jealously hoarded God within their dying religious system.(Heb. 8:13) However, prophets like Joel gave a different description of God's chosen family. God intended to reach all nations through the sacrifice of messiah and the coming of the Holy Ghost. What glory -- Oh wonder, that outsiders (ALL FLESH) are included in the family of God. During the age to come all of Israel will serve God. (Rom. 11:26) Gentiles and Jews alike will serve the King of Kings as Christ shall rule the Earth!(Isaiah 2:2) Joel said that until that future day, the Pentecostal experience is for all that are called. Do you hear His voice and have you caught the vision? Yes! Ezekiel -- God's Spirit by Measure Ezekiel 37:10 "So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army." Ezekiel 47: 3 ...the waters were to the ankles. 4 ... the waters were to the knees. 5 "Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over." John 3:34-35 "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." Matthew 25:2-4 "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." Ephesians 4:6-7 "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Because the Holy Spirit is a person some fail to understand how that the Spirit can be received by measure. We will clarify this truth if we explain that God might only have a little of us. Certainly every born again believer has God's Spirit living within.(Gal. 4:19) The indwelling Christ is comparable to Jesus inside of Mary. He was there and growing but Mary needed to take care of her self or the growing infant would suffer. Even so, we need to nourish our new man until we come to "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13) Some Christians will be embarrassed at Christ's return, because, Jesus indicated that many would be left behind. (Matthew 25) These failed to keep oil (the Spirit) in their vessels and the Word in their hearts. Let's all be filled up and watching for Jesus. If we invest our talent wisely we will increase in Him. Sorrowfully, many have aborted or neglected the new man within. Many have run to dead formalism to camouflage personal sin. Some have moved away from Scripture by opposing the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. These are all like Ezekiel's dead army, first lacking flesh, next lacking life, and all without the breath of God. How can we be filled with the spiritual breath of God? Jesus pointed to the heart of man as the field of battle. Refraining from adultery was never enough as thoughts and desires became foundational issues. Therefore, to be filled with God's Spirit we must sing to and praise God in our heart. The words of God must fill our living every day. The pleasure of God must be our highest desire. Always choose the greater filling of the Spirit. Never try to see how little can be maintained before the empty mark is reached. Paul exhorted, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;" (Ephesians 5:18-19) Daniel -- When the Blessing Comes Daniel 12:11-12 "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." Many Orthodox Jews have missed God's blessing by denying fulfilled prophecy. The Church might also miss God's best though unbelief or misguided interpretation. Daniel's 70 weeks clearly foretold of the coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled Daniel's timing perfectly. Daniel also predicted when the Holy Ghost would arrive in chapter 12:11-12. Daniel 12 speaks of Christ's passion and three connected outcomes. First, when Jesus died for sin, the sacrifices of the Temple were no longer legitimate or effective. Secondly, because God no longer recognized animal sacrifice, the Jewish Temple was later destroyed and an idol was set in its place. Daniel described this as the abomination (idolatry) desolation (destruction). Finally, Daniel's prophesied blessedness spoke of the arrival of the Holy Ghost in a specific number of days. Daniel's predictions all proved correct! For the benefit of dedicated prophecy scholars, there is a commentary about Daniel 9 and 12 in the appendix of this book. Most modern scholars believe that Daniel's prophecy tells of a coming personal antichrist. However, I am quite willing to exchange a future antichrist for Christ's present Pentecost! Salvation and God with us -- In this age there is nothing more blessed! Since the coming of Pentecost we live in a special day. We live in the CHURCH AGE MIRACULOUS! God is on the move and we are participating in God's wonderful advance.
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