Spiritual Interactions (8) Pentecost

Sin closed the spiritual realms off from human sight. Jesus death and resurrection dealt with the problem of sin. His ascension opened up the spiritual realms for those who trust in him. Jesus followers perceived by faith what he had seen naturally. The Day of Pentecost was a massive intervention from the spiritual realms.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).

The spiritual realms opened up and observers heard and saw a violent wind and fire. The believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, which gave them continuous access to the spiritual realms. They were equipped to speak languages that could be understood in the spiritual realms, but not by people on earth.

Spiritual gifts are an intervention from the spiritual realms into the physical world.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant… There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work... All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines (1 Cor 12:1,4-6,11).

Paul said we should be informed about “spiritual gifts”. However, the word gift is missing from the original text. A more precise translation would say, “I want you to know about the spirituals”. Paul wants us to know about the spiritual realms, so we can facilitate intervention from there into the spiritual world by exercising them.

When I speak in tongues, I am speaking a language from the spiritual realms that other humans cannot understand. Receiving a word of knowledge is hearing words being spoken in the spiritual realms. I hear them because I am walking in the Spirit and he enables me to hear what is being said in the "room" next door. The people who are stuck in this room need me to tell them what is being spoken on the other side of the wall. A word of wisdom is insight received from the spiritual realms. These spiritual gifts support our interaction with the spiritual realms.

Pentecost and Government (3)

Human governments do two things: justice and salvation. They sometimes provide justice, but we do not really need their feeble attempts, because God has already given his perfect law that produces better justice. Why would we want the imperfect laws of human rulers?

The second thing that human governments do is provide salvation. Salvation delivers people from the consequences of sin, but Jesus had done that too, and done a much better job of it. Pentecost brought a much better salvation.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Act 2:21).

Jesus makes human political powers and governments redundant.
Pentecost brought about radical change. This was not just a change of government, but the death of government as we know it. The implication is that as the Kingdom of God expands by the power of the spirit, human government will shrink and disappear.

Karl Marx prophesied the withering away of the state. His philosophies did the opposite. They made the state more powerful than ever. But what he dreamed for will come. As the kingdom of Jesus expands through the outworking of the gift of Pentecost, the state with wither away and die.

This is why the idea that Jesus will return to Jerusalem and rule the world from there is such a monstrous idea. It is a denial of Pentecost. Jesus is already seated at the right hand of the father. The Holy Spirit was sent to bring all human rule and power into submission to Jesus. That is how his Kingdom comes and Gods will is done on earth.

Pentecost and Government (2)

Joel had a radical message. He promised that God would pour out his Holy Spirit on all people. A consequence of that outpouring will be the death of human government. Peter quoted Joel to prove the importance of the events the people of Jerusalem were observing. The outpouring of the Spirit that they saw will bring about the destruction of empires and political rulers of all persuasions. Caesar should be shaking in his boots.

Peter understood that Pentecost was proof that Jesus had been raised up to the right hand of the father.

Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ
(Acts 2:33-36).

The gift of the Holy Spirit is proof that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. That makes him Lord of all. It means that he is king of everything. This world cannot have two kings, or two rulers or two lords. A lord is a political ruler. Jesus is not going to stop being Lord. That is why all other lords and powers will have to become his footstool. This will be accomplished by Pentecost.

Pentecost and Government (1)

The day of Pentecost was the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on every believer. Now every person who believes can have a relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit living within.

The day of Pentecost was also a day of judgment for the kings, emperors and political rulers of the world. When he got up to preach, Peter quoted from Joel 2. We all remember the verses that describe the Spirit being poured out on all flesh, so that people would dream and see visions and prophesy.
What we often forget is that Peter did not stop there, but went onto quote three more verses.

I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
(Act 2:19-21).

These forgotten verses describe an important consequence of what happened at Pentecost. The Old Testament prophets use the sun, moon and stars as symbols of the emperors and rulers of the nations. One example is found in Ezekiel 32:7:

When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

Ezekiel was speaking about the defeat of Egypt by Babylon. The words give a graphic description of the collapse of Egypt before a greater power. They were not fulfilled literally, but in a prophetic sense they were fulfilled. Other prophets used the same kind of language to describe the collapse of a nation. In prophetic language, the sun and moon represent powerful human governments.

So for Joel, the sun and moon represent powerful political powers. Blood symbolizes death. So Joel is using prophetic language to describe the destruction of powerful political powers. They will not just fall, but they will be destroyed. This is the consequence of the day of Pentecost.

Pentecost and Kingdom

The coming of the Spirit will bring the collapse of kings and governments. Peter preached these words on the day of Pentecost.

I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:17-21).

Peter was describing the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. People of all ages had been touched by the Holy Spirit. The three thousand people who called on the Lord that day were saved.

Peter said that after the coming of the Spirit, the sun would be turned to darkness and the moon to blood. He was not prophesying literal events in the sky, but using normal Old Testament imagery for the destruction of a kingdom. The prophets often described the collapse of a great nation or empire in similar language. For example, Ezekiel used the following words to describe the defeat of Egypt by Babylon.

When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light (Ez 32:7).

The words give a graphic description of Egypt being overcome by a greater power. This prophecy was fulfilled when Pharaoh lost his throne.

The sun and moon are symbols of kings and empires (see also Isaiah 13:6, 20,11; 24:21; Jeremiah 15:8,9; Amos 8:9-11), so Peter was warning that the coming of the Holy Spirit would bring the collapse of human kings and governments. Instead of calling on them for salvation, people will call on the name of the true Lord, who is Jesus.

Towards the end of his message, Peter said,

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:33-36).

The outpouring of the Spirit is proof that Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God. He will remain there until all his enemies have been defeated. Peter declares that Jesus has been made Lord and Messiah. These are both political terms. Part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring all things into submission to Jesus. When that happens there will be no role left for human kings and governments. They have no place in the kingdom of God.

Christians are keen to see visions and dream dreams, but we are not so excited about the impact of Pentecost on kings and governments. I am not sure why?