PENTECOST

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Next Sunday, June 15th 2008, is the Feast of Pentecost according to the Biblical Calendar. 

The Holy Spirit was given by Jesus Christ to His disciples on the Sunday immediately after His resurrection, the Wave Offering Sunday, John 20:19-22.  Before this the Holy Spirit (Ghost kjv) was given to John Baptist from his birth Luke 1:15.  Paul tells us in Heb 11 of the many who had the Holy Spirit since the days of Abel.  We know they had God's Spirit because; spiritual things are spiritually discerned 1 Cor 2:14 and because the carnal mind is not subject to God Rom 8:7 and therefore cannot please God.  These people DID please God, showing that they had God's Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was poured out in a public manner on the Feast of Pentecost in Acts 2.  This revealed publicly the existence and power of God's Spirit and the fact that God would now dwell only in men and no longer in a temple at Jerusalem and to make the New Covenant OFFICIAL!  This event kick-started the fledgling church, causing that the gospel be preached in the language of every country.  The many visitors at Jerusalem for Pentecost who were converted at that time were then able to spread the Word of God, all over the world as they returned home.

In Acts 2:16-21, Peter quoted Joel 2:28 which says that God's Spirit shall be poured out on all flesh, in the last days.  Now we know that the words of Joel were not fulfilled some 1,900 years ago.  For, the Spirit was not poured out on all flesh, just a few; the heavenly signs mentioned, did not happen in the first century; and the first century was not the last days.

We do know that the Holy Spirit was poured out on some at that first century Festival and we know that Peter did quote Joel 2:28.  Did Peter misquote, not understanding what was happening?  NO, most definitely not.  God was inspiring Peter, for His Spirit was falling down upon Peter and inspiring his speech, just as surely as it was falling on others.  In fact Peter was given this gift, some fifty days previously, Pentecost falling on the fiftieth day after the Wave Sunday, upon which the disciples were given God's Spirit John 20-22.

Why then did God inspire Peter to quote Joel?  To reveal to us that this was a type, a precursor of an event which was to occur, on this Festival Day during the latter days!  That event, in the first century was a small representation of what God would do at the end of the age of man.  There is no misunderstanding Joel 2:28; this is for the end time, the last days.

After Israel was delivered from Egypt, they entered a covenant of marriage with God, on the Feast of Pentecost.  This ended centuries later with the death of one of the covenanter's, Jesus Christ.  Who having been made flesh, allowed Himself to become a sacrifice and propitiation for our sins. 

A covenant of espousal between God and all those people, called by the Father since creation, was made sure at that special Pentecost in the first century.  Many people were called by God over the thousands of years since creation, IN FAITH,  that Christ would come and atone for them.

That FAITH was now JUSTIFIED.  Christ DID come and ATONE for their sins! Thus enabling their covenant of faith, their covenant of espousal to be MADE SURE; to be MADE OFFICIAL! 

This espousal being made sure, on the Feast Of Pentecost!  God's church began, in actual fact when the first person was given God's Holy Spirit, shortly after creation.  This espousal was made OFFICIAL, on the Feast of Pentecost in the first century. Only at that time, after Christ had atoned for sin could that covenant of FAITH be MADE SURE, be MADE OFFICIAL officially beginning the church!

The church began in FAITH after creation, it began OFFICIALLY at Pentecost, in the first century!

On the Feast of Pentecost at the last day, this covenant of espousal between man and God, will be extended to ALL FLESH!  God's Spirit will be poured out upon ALL Flesh, at that time Joel 2:28!!!