pentecost in history and prophecy
pentecost in history and prophecy, part two
pentecost in history and prophecy, part three
pentecost in history and prophecy, part four
From history, we saw that both the Torah at Sinai and the Spirit of God in Acts 2 were poured out to men on the feast day of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks in English, or Shavuot in Hebrew). So then, rather than the Law and the Spirit being at odds with each other, we found that the Spirit is the Author of the Law. Rather than the Law and the Spirit being opposites, we found that it is by the baptism of the Spirit, by walking in the Spirit, that we are empowered to walk in obedience to God, keep His word, and observe His statutes, commandments, and judgments (Eze 36:25-27, Gal 5:16).
This union of Spirit and Law is both historic and prophetic. The first prophet of God who performed wonders by the empowerment of the Spirit, was Moses! It is he who turned the water to blood, parted the Red Sea, turned bitter water sweet, and many other signs and wonders. After him, Elijah is the most famous for performing wonders by the Spirit of God. These he did while prophesying to Israel under King Ahab, who had embraced the worship of idols. His ministry to them was to repent of the sin of idolatry and return to keeping the commandment, worship God alone, and Him only serve!
These two prophets in whom were united obedience to the Word of God, and the empowerment of the Spirit of God to do wonders, appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mar 9:2-13). The vision of the transfiguration is the vision of Jesus glorified, as He will appear in His second coming; it is the vision of the kingdom of God present with power. Moses represents the Torah, the Word, and Elijah the Spirit. When the two are united in Israel’s Messiah, then the kingdom of God will be present with power. This means that prophetically, those in the Word and obedience camp will embrace the Spirit and His gifts and operations, and those in the Spirit and gifts camp will embrace the Word (Torah) and obedience to His commandments, before the end. (Fear not, whichever camp you are in! The Word and the Spirit are sisters, not enemies!)
And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.” Mar 9:11-13
Elijah preceded the first coming of the Messiah. When the angel announced the birth of John of Baptist, he said:
“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luk 1:13-17
The ministry of Elijah is the ministry of repentance from sin, restoration to God, and obedience to His commandments (1 Kin 17-21 and 2 Kin 1-2), the same ministry which was foretold of John even before he was conceived. Jesus not only said that Elijah has come, in the person of John the Baptist, to prepare the way before the first coming of Messiah, but that Elijah will come. The spirit and power of Elijah will be poured out to prepare the way before the second coming of Messiah. The purpose of the ministry will be the same: to turn hearts back toward the Lord God. To repent of sin, and to return to love of the Lord God, expressed by obedience to His commandments (Joh 14:15).
This is why I believe a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which will manifest as true repentance and restoration to the Lord our God, and a return to obedience of Torah, with revival worldwide, and signs and wonders following, will precede the second coming of the Lord Jesus. I don’t believe that Elijah will come this time as a single man. But as it is prophesied in Joel,
“And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on Mymaidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.” Joe 2:28-31
Joel 2 describes the events that will precede the great and terrible day of the Lord. Vs. 1-11 describe a terrible army which is coming upon Israel. Vs. 12-17 describe the weeping and mourning which will take place in Israel because of this army. It is a call to turn!
“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Joe 2:12
Peter quoted this same passage in Joel on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Spirit fell upon the gathered believers, as the fulfillment of the prophecy (Act 2:14-21). In fact, it has been “those days” for the past 2000 years, as the work of the Spirit has been to seek out those who will repent at His calling and turn their hearts toward Him in obedience, to prepare the earth for the second coming of Messiah in power and glory.
Believers, repent of rejecting obedience to God’s commandments that you have been taught to reject by men, but which the Spirit does not teach. Believers, repent of rejecting the Spirit of God and the good and generous gifts of God, for you will need to be empowered by Him to shine ever brighter before His return! Embrace what you have rejected this Pentecost with a humble heart, and may the blessing of the Lord God rest upon you!
And this leads us to the prophecies of Revelation concerning Moses and Elijah; obedience to His commandments as well as walking in His Spirit …
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