“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You love us by covenant. Nothing can separate us from Your love. We need to remain in Your love and be blessed. In You, we are refined, renewed, and made holy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
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. (18) AND ON MY MENSERVANTS AND ON MY MAIDSERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS; AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY.
We, generally, take this prophecy of Joel and connect it with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We then affirm that in the last days the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecy or speaking in different tongues, are all according to prophecy.
This understanding is correct but it is a limited understanding. We must understand what the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is all about. Let us seek to understand what the Lord is communicating to us through the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, on all flesh. The flesh represents all of creation.
Isaiah 2:2-5 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. (3) Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. (5) O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD.
We see wars are increasing and this is what the Lord told us would happen in the end times. Therefore, how do we reconcile what we see taking place, which is confirmed by the Lord, and what is given here in Isaiah? Does there not seem to be a disagreement?
Isaiah, I believe, is prophesying of the new age, where Jesus would establish the fullness of His kingdom, where nations shall not learn war anymore. Nevertheless, as we progress towards the new heavens and the new earth, the church will fulfil its role of reaching the nations.
The house of Jacob or His church will begin to teach the nations, the ways of God. People will seek to walk in the paths of God. People from all nations, tribes, languages, and people groups will turn to the God of Jacob. We are seeing this move of God taking place these days.
Therefore, the filling of the Holy Spirit is about the church beginning to speak the truth of God to the nations. We should not limit the baptism of the Holy Spirit only to the different expressions, such as prophecy or tongues.
Hosea 3:5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.
Not only will the church begin to take up her assigned task on earth, but the Jews too will return to Jesus in large numbers. They will fear the Lord in the latter days.
It is when the nations begin to turn to Christ that the end will come. The end of this age will take us to the next age where there will be no more wars. One nation shall not lift a sword against another nation.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Lord is bringing all things together in Christ, in the fullness of the times.
Ephesians 1:9-10 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
It is not only mankind who is being reconciled with God, through Christ, but all things in heaven and on earth. This is the outworking of the plan of God in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is the message that Peter was communicating to the Jews.
Colossians 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
The church must be ready, willing and available to be used by God to complete His purposes.