THE PROMISE AND ACTUAL MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (II)
Chapter 2: THE ACTUAL MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
God promised through many prophecies on the coming of the Holy Spirit. We need not have to explain it any further here. But until when will the promise be fulfilled? Is there any time limit? We will study this aspect with the aid of prophecies given:-
“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.” (Deu. 11:14)
“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.” (Jer. 5:24)
“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 receives the early and latter rain.” (Jas. 5:7)
Do not the two terms, “due season” and “be patient” clearly indicate that there is a definite season mentioned? The “former rain” came according to the appointed time, likewise the “latter rain”; and men cannot be impatient as it would be useless to be so, for they have to wait patiently until the appointed time is due. How long must they wait? The Bible states:
2Pet. 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Isa. 9:1-2 1Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
This “great light” is the sun. Thus on whom was this prophecy fulfilled? Who was it referring to? Undoubtedly it referred to Jesus Christ, and it was fulfilled in the person of Jesus. Because, “…for we have seen his star in the east…” (Matt. 2:2, Rev. 22:16) The Lord Jesus Christ came, and was He able to explain to us the Holy Spirit? John the prophet pointed to Him (Jesus Christ) and said: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matt. 3:11)
The apostle John said: “… because the Spirit is truth.” (1John 5:6), and it came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). We must take note of this word “Christ”: “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36) Which period is this verse referring to? This is a reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and having received of the promise of the Holy Ghost which He hath shed forth (Acts 2:32-33). This fulfilled the Lord Jesus’ words when He said: “…for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)
Now we have arrived at some solutions to them: God’s promise of the Holy Spirit requires the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then only can the Holy Spirit be poured down. However, we must distinguish this clearly, what has been poured forth is not in this period “the latter rain” but the “former rain”.
I. THE FORMER RAIN CAME FIRST
Acts 1:4-5 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
These words were spoken by our Lord Jesus on the day of His ascension. The apostles had seen Him being taken up to heaven by a cloud with their own eyes. Did they dare to disbelieve these words “not many days hence”? Thus they assembled together in Jerusalem in one place and were all praying with one accord: and suddenly, “not many days hence” there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind…and there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire and the sound roused a great multitude to rush to see what had happened. They thus saw the great power of the Holy Spirit, and none was not but amazed and in doubt (Acts 2:2-12) which fulfilled Jesus Christ’s words: “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” (Mark 9:1)
But there were many who were ignorant and thought the apostles were drunk and mocked at them. Here the apostles were greatly inspired to the awareness of the words spoken by Joel in his prophecy, confirming that the promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled.
Acts 2:16-29 16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And 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: 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The apostles began to understand more and more of the spiritual significance of the Old Testament, and frequently brought out important points on the prophecies relating to Christ and the Holy Spirit. They debated with the doctors of the scriptures until both the Pharisees and the scribes could not say anything against their words and became angry with them.
The Holy Spirit is like fountains gushing forth from Jerusalem, as the deep bursting forth, the roaring of the angry billows, overflowing and sweeping over, in a short time, all of Judah, Samaria (Acts 8:19, 14-15) until it spread to Asia, Macedonia, Rome and to the gentiles; setting up churches everywhere. As the bible states: “The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field” (Eze. 31:4)
The Church spread to the gentiles everywhere and the saints prayed that the truth would be spread to all parts of the world. But in actuality, things turned out to be on the contrary. For the apostles who were the pillars of the church one by one sacrificed their lives for the Word. Furthermore, in the year A.D. 70, the Roman soldiers attacked Jerusalem for 143 days and destroyed them, and even the walls of the city were razed to the ground. After the destruction of Jerusalem there was not a single inhabitant to be found in Jerusalem for a period of over 60 years. The gospel which was spread to Rome was abruptly perverted and trodden on by the Roman government and the Pope, and great changes to the gospel took place from what was originally preached. This is like the beast and rushing flood sweeping over the church, not even one was fortunate enough to be spared. Thus there was hardly a trace left of the pure holy Word preached by the apostles, drowning until there was scarcely any left of the church, for they accepted doctrines changed by men, bowed their knees to heresies and cast away the Lord God. Whether the Holy Spirit still remained with them is nothing but tears to tell!
II. THE SHOWERS WERE WITHDRAWN
The promise and actual manifestation of the Holy Spirit has been clearly expounded by the prophecies of the prophets. But did the Holy Spirit continue to work in a church that had lost her chastity and changed the gospel of Christ and allowed heresies to abound in her? Concerning this doubt, we have to analyse it based on the prophecies of the prophets:
· Would the down pouring of the Holy Spirit cease?
· What were the consequences of the withdrawal of the downpouring of the Holy Spirit?
A. Would the down pouring of the Holy Spirit cease?
Isa. 5:6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
A man’s heart is “laid waste” when it does not have the gospel of Christ and the truth to fatten it, nurture it and take care of it, and how can corn and herbs thrive there? It would produce in their place, thorns and briers – heresies and false teachings. The integral point here is God commanded the clouds that they rain no rain – the Holy Spirit – upon it.
Hag. 1:10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
Why did the heaven “stay her dew”? This is because the people have departed from the truth by believing in men’s perverted doctrines and a different gospel which is equivalent to worshipping other gods.
Matt. 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Thus anger is poured on them and rain from heaven is withheld, and “the earth is stayed from her fruit.” Just as God warned the people through Moses.
Deu. 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Hos. 2:9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
The farmer plants, hoping for the harvest. Today, they toil to till their field, yet God does not want them to harvest. This is because God will cause the “corn” - the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the “wine” - the truth, to be taken away from them, and even garments of righteousness will be taken away and their nakedness will be exposed.
Isa. 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35). The gospel of Christ is the bread of life, and the Holy Spirit is the water necessary for men’s survival. But God will take them away from the church – Jerusalem and Judah. This is because 8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. 9The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. (Isa. 3:8-9)
Ps. 107:33-34 33He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; 34A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
Jesus came to the world to turn the wilderness into rivers, to make men’s belly flow with rivers of living water, but the people dwelling in the land – the believers of the church – departed from the truth, and did not keep the truth and sinned against God. Therefore the living water was stopped, the “watersprings” dried up, a “fruitful land” turned into “barrenness” and the temple, the dwelling place of God, became the dwelling place of devils.
Jer. 51:36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.
The sins of Babylon “have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities”, “the wine of the wrath of her fornication” – perverted gospel- to cause all nations to fall (Rev. 18:3-5). She does not keep her chastity in Christ, thus he said:
Rev. 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
This fits exactly what Isaiah termed her as “a licentious woman”. Will the Holy Spirit still dwell with a licentious woman? The prophet said:
Isa. 47:5-9 5Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms. 6I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. 7And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. 8Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. 9But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.
The prophets prophesied that the down pouring of the Holy Spirit would cease, and there were many prophecies mentioned. By now we already know that the down pouring of the Holy Spirit must cease and why the cessation occurred. It was due to the change in the doctrines of the church and the believers did not have a pure and morally upright heart any more.
Gen. 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
God is a merciful and sympathetic God. Will He forbear our rebellious and unlawful ways? The word of the Lord came to Hosea and Isaiah:
Hos. 2:4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
Isa. 57:3-6 3But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. 4Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, 5Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? 6Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
Based on the prophecies of the prophets, God will be severe and unmerciful to those who rebel against His words and change the doctrines of the church. He will ignore these believers and He will not forbear them but will withdraw the Holy Spirit. Here again we ask: If the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, what children and fruits will these believers bear? Needless to say, their end is corruption, misery and pity. We will bring out only a few, generally.
~ to be continued ~(Extracts from Holy Spirit Times - 1936 Volume:11 No:1,2)
(Acts-13-0304-Eng)