The Baptism in the Holy Spirit (8): What happened on the Day of Pentecost?
After the 1st disciples received the Spirit WITHIN (John 20:22), Jesus prepared them to receive the Spirit UPON 50 days later (Acts 2). He gave them the Great Commission, and promised to give them power to fulfil it by the Spirit UPON (Lk 24:47-49, Acts 1:4-5,8), which was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), when they received the Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 11:15-16). Acts 2:3-4 is the classic blueprint for this Baptism. It gives a 2-fold description: (1) The Spirit coming UPON them as FIRE, and (2) being filled inwardly with the Spirit as they surrendered their souls to Him. Then as they yielded their bodies to Him by speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them the words, He came upon their flesh. By the power of the Spirit UPON us, when we share the Gospel, His Spirit shines forth from us, empowering our words, revealing Christ to men’s hearts. We activate His power UPON us by speaking His words, which release (ignite) God’s Spirit, causing Him to shine forth as light (fire). In this way, we release His power by our words. They all used oil lamps, that SHINE by the power in the OIL (a symbol of the SPIRIT). Likewise, the SPIRIT is the only source of true LIGHT. The FIRE upon them meant they were like burning oil lamps with the Spirit within and upon them, shining His light, the oil having been ignited at their mouths. To ANOINT means to apply OIL, so to be ANOINTED means having the OIL of the SPIRIT upon us (Lk 4:18). So, to SHINE we must be anointed with the oil of the Spirit, and then IGNITE that OIL by our WORDS. The power is not in our flesh, but the Spirit (2Cor 4:7). We have the power of ignition, causing Him to shine by speaking His words (Acts 2:3-4). After receiving Christ, we must embrace His mission to shine His light, and surrender our soul to Him, so His Spirit can fill us, come upon us, and empower us to fulfil our ministry. Our surrender is only completed by our obedience to yield our tongue to speak the words He supplies from within (v4).
Peter declared Acts 2:4 fulfilled Joel 2:28-32, which prophesied the outpouring of the Spirit UPON all (believing) flesh (Acts 2:12-18), in conjunction with signs: “I will (1) show WONDERS in HEAVEN above, and (2) SIGNS in the EARTH beneath: blood, fire and vapour of smoke. (1) The SUN shall be turned to DARKNESS, and the MOON to BLOOD, BEFORE the Coming of the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord (the central event)” (Acts 2:19-20). Joel 2:28: “It shall come to pass AFTERWARD (after the central event, v31), that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.” Finally, he quoted the last line of Joel’s Prophecy in Acts 2:21: “whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Joel’s Prophecy predicted a sequence of events: (1) SIGNS in HEAVEN and EARTH, just BEFORE (2) the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord, AFTER which (3) the Spirit will poured out UPON all flesh. The purpose of the outpouring of the Spirit UPON all believers is to empower them to prophesy (speak under the inspiration of the Spirit), which we do when we witness to Jesus, for as we speak, we trust the Spirit upon us to anoint our words, speak through us and glorify Him (Rev 19:10). The aim of our Spirit-filled witness is that people will call on His Name and be saved (Acts 2:21). Peter claimed what happened was the fulfilment of the whole of Joel’s Prophecy (Acts 2:16), which he quoted in full (2:28-32), not just the bit about the outpouring of His Spirit. He declared the 3-fold sequence of events prophesied by Joel was now fulfilled: (1) The SIGNS on EARTH and in HEAVEN happened on the Day of the Cross, 2 days BEFORE (2) Christ’s RESURRECTION (the Great and Awesome or Manifest Day of the Lord), the main focus of Peter’s sermon. Then 50 days AFTERWARD (3) the Spirit was POURED OUT on all flesh. Thus, the promised Spirit was now made freely available to all, so if we put our faith in Christ, we too can receive the Gift of His Spirit (Acts 2:32-33, 38-39). Both SIGNS in the HEAVENS were fulfilled on the Day of the Cross: (1) the DARK SUN at noon, proclaiming Jesus as our sin offering (Luke 23:44-45), for the radiant SUN of righteousness (Mal 4:2), bore the darkness of sin on Himself, pictured by the midday sun made black, as predicted in Amos 8:9. Ancient historians recorded this strange supernatural darkness, dating it to AD 33. (2) The BLOOD MOON (Acts 2:20) = a lunar eclipse. On Passover of AD 33 (Friday, April 1st), in Jerusalem as the full moon rose above the horizon, it was a Blood Moon. So, Joel 2:30-31 was fulfilled on the Day of the Cross. Whereas the SUN = CHRIST, the SOURCE of LIGHT, the MOON = His PEOPLE, who, like the moon, shine by reflecting the SUN’s light. God proclaimed in the heavens that His People were now covered by the BLOOD! Acts 2:20 also speaks of SIGNS on EARTH: (1) ‘BLOOD’ = the BLOOD of CHRIST, corresponding to the BLOOD MOON. (2) ‘FIRE and VAPOUR of SMOKE’, because of the great earthquake and resulting FIRES from all the oil lamps in the dark.
Peter declared Acts 2:4 fulfilled Joel 2:28-32, which prophesied the outpouring of the Spirit UPON all (believing) flesh (Acts 2:12-18), in conjunction with signs: “I will (1) show WONDERS in HEAVEN above, and (2) SIGNS in the EARTH beneath: blood, fire and vapour of smoke. (1) The SUN shall be turned to DARKNESS, and the MOON to BLOOD, BEFORE the Coming of the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord (the central event)” (Acts 2:19-20). Joel 2:28: “It shall come to pass AFTERWARD (after the central event, v31), that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.” Finally, he quoted the last line of Joel’s Prophecy in Acts 2:21: “whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Joel’s Prophecy predicted a sequence of events: (1) SIGNS in HEAVEN and EARTH, just BEFORE (2) the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord, AFTER which (3) the Spirit will poured out UPON all flesh. The purpose of the outpouring of the Spirit UPON all believers is to empower them to prophesy (speak under the inspiration of the Spirit), which we do when we witness to Jesus, for as we speak, we trust the Spirit upon us to anoint our words, speak through us and glorify Him (Rev 19:10). The aim of our Spirit-filled witness is that people will call on His Name and be saved (Acts 2:21). Peter claimed what happened was the fulfilment of the whole of Joel’s Prophecy (Acts 2:16), which he quoted in full (2:28-32), not just the bit about the outpouring of His Spirit. He declared the 3-fold sequence of events prophesied by Joel was now fulfilled: (1) The SIGNS on EARTH and in HEAVEN happened on the Day of the Cross, 2 days BEFORE (2) Christ’s RESURRECTION (the Great and Awesome or Manifest Day of the Lord), the main focus of Peter’s sermon. Then 50 days AFTERWARD (3) the Spirit was POURED OUT on all flesh. Thus, the promised Spirit was now made freely available to all, so if we put our faith in Christ, we too can receive the Gift of His Spirit (Acts 2:32-33, 38-39). Both SIGNS in the HEAVENS were fulfilled on the Day of the Cross: (1) the DARK SUN at noon, proclaiming Jesus as our sin offering (Luke 23:44-45), for the radiant SUN of righteousness (Mal 4:2), bore the darkness of sin on Himself, pictured by the midday sun made black, as predicted in Amos 8:9. Ancient historians recorded this strange supernatural darkness, dating it to AD 33. (2) The BLOOD MOON (Acts 2:20) = a lunar eclipse. On Passover of AD 33 (Friday, April 1st), in Jerusalem as the full moon rose above the horizon, it was a Blood Moon. So, Joel 2:30-31 was fulfilled on the Day of the Cross. Whereas the SUN = CHRIST, the SOURCE of LIGHT, the MOON = His PEOPLE, who, like the moon, shine by reflecting the SUN’s light. God proclaimed in the heavens that His People were now covered by the BLOOD! Acts 2:20 also speaks of SIGNS on EARTH: (1) ‘BLOOD’ = the BLOOD of CHRIST, corresponding to the BLOOD MOON. (2) ‘FIRE and VAPOUR of SMOKE’, because of the great earthquake and resulting FIRES from all the oil lamps in the dark.