THE PROMISE AND ACTUAL MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
INTRODUCTION
In this vast universe, other than what the human eyes see, the ears hear, or what can be felt, nothing else exists to man. Man’s senses of perception, hearing and touch, on the contrary, are not sharp enough to be able to discern what is beyond his mental faculties because his senses are limited. So needless to say, and being unable to discern, man will say there is no Spirit of God: and he is unable even with the aid of astronomical and biological apparatus, to find out all that needs to be known on living things which have physical bodies, or the stars and galaxies in the universe. Consequently, since man lacks the mental faculty, he is unable to go beyond the most minute particle, or penetrate into outer and distant limits, and his limited mental faculty are also unable to see into the immaterial spiritual world. Man contradicts the truth by saying this, other than what the human eyes can see, his ears hear, and hands feel and are able to penetrate into, there is nothing else beyond but merely empty void. Thus, they proclaim widely that there is no Spirit of God, which is a very unfounded basis of reasoning!
Concerning the Spirit of God, it is as difficult as being blindfolded, impossible to study. In actuality, unless one has a lowly attitude, it is impossible to understand things on the Spirit of God. Paul was one who had the most experience concerning the Spirit of God, and what he said can solve them:
Rom. 1:19-21 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Is it impossible to understand the things of God? Or is it because we have shut our hearts from knowing God? Although man is able to see the galaxies in the universe and the created things on earth, he does not ascribe to the glory of God or His foreordained purpose, or thank Him, or give offerings to Him; on the contrary, man has changed what is true into a lie instead. This is really “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
Rom. 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This is because God is a Spirit, and thus it makes it even more difficult to know Him. Besides, in this vast void, there is not one, but other spirits. As John said:
1John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Thus we can see that other than the Spirit of God there are other spirits, and grouping them into two types, they are, “the Spirit of God” or “the spirits of false prophets”. Concerning “the spirits of false prophets” they refer to all types of evil spirits, “Lying spirit” (1Kings 22:21-22), “perverse spirits” (Isa. 19:14), “unclean spirits” (Rev. 16:13) and “spirit of error” (1John 4:6)
They are spirits of anti-Christ resisting God’s Spirit, eternally alienated, incommunicable and in enmity. The Spirit of God is the spirit of Truth, and is also called the holy and good Spirit, in short, called the “Holy Spirit” that will not lack goodness. Because man lacks the knowledge to discern the spirits, man frequently regards the Holy Spirit to be the evil spirit and the evil spirit to be the Spirit of God, not realising that this is an evil way of discerning them; for in that God whom he should obey and honour, he does not humble himself to do it, but on the other hand, he kneels and prostrates himself to things he should not worship and seek after, and this is a practice observed from of old.
If worshipping God and idols have the same results, then there is no point or necessity to know and distinguish the spirits. But because both oppose each other, therefore the results are different; and not only that, it is a very serious and important matter to the spiritual life of ours. As the Bible states:
1John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For those who disregard the teachings of God and do not worship God, but seek after devils, it is stated:
Jude :7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Man wants to have eternal life and not eternal punishment. But eternal life and eternal punishment are two different roads, and if one wants to have eternal life, one must walk on the road to eternal life, and one will only succeed if one seeks after and acknowledges God.
In fact, there is only one True God, who existed from the beginning; and all things are created by Him including mankind. But not everyone has this knowledge, and that is why till today they walk according to their fleshly lusts in worshipping many gods and lords. Although man is such, yet from long historical past, God, according to His will, still uses miracles, signs and wonders, and His grace and bestows upon His chosen people, whom He Himself also abide in them. This was done not for His own sake but to lead many children to glory. Who does not want to be a child of God? Who does not want to enter into glory? If we want to, then it is imperative that we have to seek after and know this true God.
Now we want to have eternal life, and also to be children of God, and even more to enter into glory to inherit the promise which was given to our early fathers, and this means, God who giveth all, would He not give all these things to us? (What method would God use to give them to us?)
God has given us His promise, and He has also sworn, and will not repent, neither will He lie. As stated in the Bible:
Heb. 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
Ps. 110:4up The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent…
What are the methods God will use to give them to us? It is through His Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God, the Life of God), and if the Holy Spirit is not poured, these things cannot be spoken of. Just as the Bible states:
Gal. 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal. 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
2Pet. 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Eph. 1:14 “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
That is why God Himself came to the world in the form of flesh and blood, to be crucified on the cross for the sins of many, the theme of mankind’s salvation, that the body of the Messiah (called Christ) was changed into a spiritual body. What is recorded on the relation between God and man is divided into two Books, the Two Testaments of the Bible, and the summary of the Old Testament bears witness of Jesus Christ, whereas the summary of the New Testament bears witness of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament came first before the birth of the New Testament, likewise Jesus Christ came first and then after that the Holy Spirit. What is to be discussed below is on the Holy Spirit, who followed after Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER １: PROPHECIES ON THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
God’s promise of the giving of the Holy Spirit to lead many children to glory is a very perfect plan, complete from beginning to end, and running in a sequence, until it gradually becomes actuality. Thus the coming of the Holy Spirit is not something that happened by mere coincidence, but was foreordained even at the beginning of creation. How do we know? Prior to Christ’s coming to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice to redeem sins, there are numerous prophecies from prophets:
I. THE LORD’S SPIRIT WILL BE POURED DOWN
Eze. 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Isa. 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:
Zech. 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
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:
Eze. 37:26-27 26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Undoubtedly when God pours His Holy Spirit on men, it is to enable them to prophesy, dream dreams, see visions; and most important of all, that they may be sons of God to inherit the heavenly blessing. It is therefore beyond saying that only with the Holy Spirit can men submit themselves to God and keep His statutes.
Bible states “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”(Rom. 8:9) Christ rose from the dead. To those who are able, God will raise them up from the dead. How will they resurrect? It is stated, “… he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.(Rom. 8:11) This means: God will give the Holy Spirit to save many so that they will rise from the dead. So God admonished men through the prophets, saying, “ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isa. 55:1, Rev. 22:17)
II. LIKE SHOWERS
Eze. 34:26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
Hos. 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hos. 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
“Rain” prefigures the Holy Spirit, this point none will fail to identify. But here is one important key which every one of us who is analysing the Holy Spirit must be very clear about. This important key is: “the former rain” and “the latter rain”. The Bible mentions four times regarding this and they are :
Deu. 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
Jer. 5:24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
Joel 2:23 23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
Jas. 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
All these four instances recorded are in this sequence, the “former rain” preceding and the ”latter rain” following. This line of order was not without significance or wrongly given. Why must the “autumn rain” be preceding and then the “spring rain” following it? There is a geographical factor involved. In Israel, the farmer sows in autumn as summer is dry and the rainfall comes in autumn, thus it is called the “autumn rain”. After winter, there will be the spring rain, when the rainy season begins and the wheat then begins to ripe. Is not the spring rain important? What Joel said concerning “the showers” is the “spring rain”. The former and the latter rain are named according to the appointed seasons of the sowing and the ripening of the wheat. It is because of the seasonal factor that many translators have defined the ”autumn rain” as the former rain, perhaps also to make it easier for the reader to understand. On the whole, the significance is the same. The following will clarify it:
Autumn
Rain - Early Rain - Former Rain : Sowing
Season Rainfall
Spring Rain - Late Rain - Latter
Rain : Pre-harvesting Season Rainfall
N.B.: The following explanation on the autumn rain and spring rain are termed as former and latter rain.
The rainfall is divided into the former rain and the latter rain. This key point is neglected by the present churches, thus a wrong concept as regards the Holy Spirit. We must now portray the real picture of the “former” and the “latter” rain as well as the crisis of the present day churches.
(Acts-13-0102-Eng)