The Promise of Pentecost

Acts 2:17-18 – “‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Pentecost is promised in both the Old and New Testaments. In Luke 24:49 Jesus shared this promise, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” John the Baptist prophesied of this mighty outpouring in Matthew 3:11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The following Old Testament Scriptures promised the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:

· Isaiah 28:11 – “For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.”

· Isaiah 32:15 – “Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.”

· Isaiah 44:3 – “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;”

· Ezekiel 39:29 – “And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”

· Joel 2:28 – “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.”

· Joel 2:29 – “And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

The beginning of this mighty outpouring is recorded in Acts 2:1-4, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

This is a powerful day. There were thousands of people in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. The morning reading in the Temple was from Ezekiel 1:4, I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north, an immense cloud with flashing lightening and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal."

Imagine the scene, thousands of Jewish worshippers leaving the Temple after the morning service having just read this passage of Scripture. Suddenly some of these manifestations of the Holy Spirit started to appear before their eyes. They heard the wind. They saw the fire. What was going doing? He was revealing His glory and fulfilling the promise of Pentecost. We have this same promise today.

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