Pentecost

Under the Old Testament, Pentecost was one of the three great annual feasts to be attended by every male Israelite of twelve years old and above. It was celebrated seven weeks after Passover. It was a feast in remembrance of the giving of the law at Sinai, seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt and the blood shed of the Paschal Lamb. Seven weeks after the Passover in Egypt, Israel received the formation into a free nation with its own lawgiving. Likewise, seven weeks after the sacrifice of the true Paschal Lamb Christ, the formation of a free Christian Church would take place through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

For ancient Israel it was also a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest, so two loaves were offered by the priest as a wave offering to the Lord along with the other sacrifices, thanksgivings, and utterances of joy. On that memorial day of the law, according to God’s counsel and according to His promise, the proclamation of the gospel law as well as the resurrection of Christ was to take place on the first day of the week. This first day of the week was to become the New Testament Sabbath, and after this, the Church of the Lord was to commemorate all those benefits on this day. The greatest benefits for God’s people—namely, the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—made the first day of the week a day of the Lord, on which His name should be glorified and thanksgiving should be exercised by the power and operation of the Holy Spirit.

On the notable day of Pentecost, the disciples of the Lord were gathered together in one accord, no longer disputing who of them should be the greatest but in love praying and supplicating for the fulfillment of the promises of the Spirit. They were being prepared by the operation of the Spirit to know the Person of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, the Sealer of His work in their heart. One hundred twenty people of entirely different natures and with different experiences were gathered, yet they were one in love for the Lord Jesus, one in the most holy faith and living hope. The same need filled them all, namely, the fulfillment of the divine promise.

Behold, suddenly, there came from heaven a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, filling the whole house in which they were. Although they were expecting Him, He came suddenly, yet unexpectedly from heaven, with the sound of a rushing mighty wind, to signify therewith His sovereignty, as the wind cannot be ordered by time or place. He came with majesty to break down all opposition and to purify His domain, namely, the hearts of the disciples. He filled the whole house where they were, just as the Holy Spirit in every true conversion blows through the secret places of the heart and drives out all refuges of lies. The same Spirit— who at Creation moved over the waters to awaken life, preparing for the further unfolding of God’s creating wisdom, and who was already recreating in the hearts of the elect from the Fall of Adam—came on this notable day of Pentecost to declare and apply the redemptive work of Christ to many hearts.

His coming into the Church of God was foretold by the prophets centuries before; just think of David, Joel, Zechariah, and others. He was promised and entreated for by Christ and was now also sent by Christ, who obtained His ministry for the good of His own. As Christ had breathed on His disciples, saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22), so it was a sound as of a rushing mighty wind reporting His coming. We read farther: “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” Thus, to the audible sign a visible sign was added—the disciples were baptized “with the Holy Ghost and with fire” as had already been announced by John the Baptist. It indicates that the fire of the Spirit melts the hearts and cleanses from sin and that it kindled in the disciples a burning desire to glorify God.

Not only was fervent love for God and the Lord Jesus Christ the fruit of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but also love for fellow men, according to the second table of the law of love. A holy zeal to preach the gospel, the glad tidings of grace and reconciliation through the sacrifice of Christ to the many gathered at Jerusalem, filled the hearts of the apostles. Purifying holiness, worked by the Holy Spirit, delivered them from all fear of men, and the divided tongues pointed out that with all their tongues, God in Christ was to be believed and praised, according to the word of promise, “They shall speak with new tongues.” They were allowed to speak in foreign languages—for the confounding of languages of Babel, which was a consequence of sin, was in principle removed by the grace of God in Christ— as a loud preaching of the future glory of the Church of God, where there shall be no more confounding of languages forever.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit; they were sealed by the Spirit of Christ regarding their state for eternity and received all-fulfilling, sensitive joy and peace in their hearts. They did have the fruits of the Spirit before, though in a lesser degree, but now that the day of Pentecost had come, they learned to know His Person. Never before had they been so weaned from the world and been so heavenlyminded. Also, never before had the free grace of God been so glorified in them. As Christ was publicly condemned by Jew and Gentile, mocked, blasphemed, and finally crucified, He now had to be publicly preached and glorified, according to the will of the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit. He who was dead proved in the sending of the Spirit that He wanted to be the living, exalted Saviour of sinners who are lost in themselves.

As He caused His Spirit to testify, the disciples could not be silent. What rich grace was given to God’s Church there! The same Peter who had so recently denied Him, now preached Christ with amazing clarity and courage. What enlightenment in the knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures shone through in his preaching. How properly the prophecy of Joel was explained by Peter and the sixteenth psalm applied to Christ. That Pentecostal preaching bore much fruit. Three thousand people were converted to God!

That Spirit of Pentecost has withdrawn Himself in our time because of sin. How rarely are true conversions found, and how far from their place are even God’s people. However, no one needs to look for the cause of this in others; let everyone check within himself. There is much reasoning about the work of the Spirit, but so little is experienced of the purifying and cleansing power of the Spirit. The corruptions of the still unmortified nature are so manifold that one might well ask whether the Spirit of Christ was ever truly poured out in the heart. If it is already so sad with those who speak of new life, how can it be but a most sad decay with natural men! Where should it go with the visible church on earth if the spiritlessness which prevails everywhere no longer causes great sorrow? It is to be feared that God’s Spirit will depart more and more, that the judgment of hardening will continue, and that thousands will abandon the truth in order to go into the world.

However, may it happen once again on this Feast of Pentecost, that people are added to the Church who shall be saved. May the Lord have mercy on our sinking people and country and not entirely take away His Holy Spirit from us. May He grant God’s people the Spirit of grace and of prayer, who sighs in them with groanings which cannot be uttered.

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