PENTECOST
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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 20:19-22.
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!!!
The book of Ruth is an allegory, set in the Unleavened Bread to Pentecost period. Ruth being a Gentile or non Israelite
and not a part of the Old Covenant people, is a figure of those who have not yet been called to be a part of the New Covenant
people.
Boaz, being an Israelite Jew, belonging to those people who had been called out of Egypt, is a figure of
those called out of this world. Being a member of the Old Covenant of Israel, he is a type of those called into a New
Covenant.
This book shows the Old Covenant being extended to Ruth, a Gentile; by her being grafted
in through her marriage to Boaz. This event in type, foreshadows all mankind being grafted into the New Covenant
which will be extended to all flesh, at the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Pentecost; when God's Spirit is poured
out on all flesh Joel 2:28. This event brings all who are spiritually Gentiles, not having been called yet into the
New Covenant, into the spiritual New Covenant at that time.
For more on Pentecost, please see THE RESURRECTION OF
CHRIST AND THE WAVE OFFERING and THE SPRING FESTIVALS pages.
