Pentecost Power Revealed: The Baptism With The Holy Spirit
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In this article we will explore the New Testament understanding of the Feast of Pentecost and its relationship to the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Pentecost event in the Book of Acts has high prophetic significance for Christians today, as it enables us to live a fulfilling and dynamic life of service to God through Spirit Baptism.
Introduction
Historical Background
Pentecost is mentioned three times in the New Testament. Firstly, in the account of the Spirit’s descent upon the disciples in Acts 2:1–4 (KJV) and throughout the whole chapter. It is highlighted again in Acts 20:16 (KJV), where it states that the Apostle Paul desired “to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.” Lastly, it is referred to in 1 Corinthians 16:8 (KJV) as a cross-reference to the same event in Acts 20.
Pentecost is the same as the Old Testament Sabbath Feast of Weeks, the second of three annual High Sabbaths in Ancient Israel to be held on the sixth day of the Hebrew month Sivan, fifty days or seven weeks after the Passover held on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan (Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23:15–16; Deuteronomy 16:10–16 KJV).
The Hebrew word “shavuot” means “week” or “seven,” hence the Feast of Weeks or seven full weeks from Passover. The Greek word “pentecoste,” transliterated in English as “Pentecost,” is an express name for the Feast of Pentecost, with the derivative meaning of “fiftieth,” signifying fifty days after the Passover when it was to be celebrated.
The Feast of Weeks is also known as the celebration of the “firstfruits of wheat harvest” (Exodus 34:22 KJV) in acknowledgment of the arrival of the wheat harvest in Ancient Israel, where several offerings were to be made to the LORD recognizing His blessing upon the land through a fruitful annual wheat and grain harvest.
The Power of Pentecost
The Promise of the Father
Pentecost is significant for Christians in terms of the power and direction of the Holy Spirit and its application to the Christian life. Without a clear understanding of Pentecost and the events that transpired in Acts 2, the Body of Christ is void of direction and power.
The Acts 2 Pentecost marks the Apostolic Church’s Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is called the promise of the Father by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts:
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
The Father’s promise of Spirit Baptism was received by the New testament Church on the day of Pentecost following the ascension of the Lord Jesus to heaven ten days earlier. The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit was instrumental in driving, guiding, and personally directing the Church’s mission from that point on, as detailed in the Book of Acts.
The Pentecost Event
In Acts 2 we see the key event take place on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, where the Apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus were filled the Holy Spirit in the upper room:
And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
What we see here is the Holy Spirit appearing in a supernatural manifestation consisting of a sound likened to a rushing mighty wind and what is described as “cloven tongues like as of fire,” being a supernatural sign that represented the gift of tongues.
During this manifestation, all who were present were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, which we understand in this case to be foreign languages that were able to be understood by attendees of the feast who had gathered while this was happening:
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
The disciples who spoke in tongues did not know these languages, confirming the supernatural ability given to them by the Holy Spirit. The passage tells us that the event sparked a revival that resulted in three thousand Jews being saved on that day, marking the birth of the Apostolic Church and its supernatural empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
The Significance of Pentecost
Prophetic Significance
The Acts 2 Pentecost event is often misinterpreted by biblical scholars to be fulfilled. However, it is evident that its fulfillment is ongoing, finding completion in the end-times “ingathering” or harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God before the return of Jesus.
This event began the end-times harvest through the power of the Holy Spirit with the Apostle Peter announcing the fulfillment of Joel 2:28–32 (KJV):
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The prophecy of Joel referenced in the Book of Acts above tells us that the Holy Spirit would be poured out in the last days, followed by a series of cataclysmic events resulting in the arrival of the “great and notable day of the Lord,” or second coming of Christ.
Prophetic Fulfillment
The passages in Joel and Acts reveal a prophetic fulfillment over the end-times period from Acts 2 until the Second Coming of Christ. During this time the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all nations or “all flesh,” beginning with the initial outpouring upon the Jews from all nations during the specific Acts 2 Pentecost event.
This outpouring would be evidenced through supernatural power being poured out upon God’s elect of all nations, converting them to Christ and enabling them to share in the prophetic gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the ability to speak in tongues, receive prophetic dreams and visions, and prophesy under the revelation of Christ.
This powerful fulfillment signaled the beginning of the New Testament Church age and gave perpetual direction to the Body of Christ to achieve the goal of harvesting souls into the Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Baptism With the Holy Spirit
What is Spirit Baptism?
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a supernatural endowment of the Holy Spirit that can be received by believers today, likened to the Pentecost event of Acts 2 explored earlier. It is also referred to as Spirit Baptism and is distinguished from the seal of the Spirit received as an inward witness upon salvation.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives God’s people prophetic revelation and provides them with supernatural evangelistic power for effective Gospel witness. Spirit Baptism can be received by all believers upon faith and is evidenced by speaking in tongues as described repeatedly throughout the Book of Acts.
The Acts 2 account of the Apostles and disciples receiving Spirit Baptism is the first of four accounts where the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is received by believers. The church in Samaria (Acts 8:14–17 KJV), a group of Gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10:44–48 KJV), and a group of disciples near Ephesus (Acts 19:1–7 (KJV) all received Spirit Baptism.
In three of these narratives the event is accompanied by the supernatural manifestation of tongues, with added prophesying in two accounts, including Peter’s prophetic discourse at Pentecost. What we see here is a repeated pattern of Spirit Baptism evidenced by speaking in tongues in the Apostolic Church. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a practice which the entire New Testament never abrogates but confirms is active today.
Jesus and Spirit Baptism
The Gospel accounts show an explicit connection between the New Testament ministry of Jesus and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus Himself would baptize His disciples with the Holy Spirit:
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
This prophecy of John the Baptist is reiterated in Mark 1:8 (KJV), Luke 3:16 (KJV), and John 1:33 (KJV) and echoed again by Jesus in Acts 1:5 (KJV). Each account makes a clear distinction between water baptism and Spirit Baptism, meaning that Spirit Baptism is a key ministry of Jesus and a distinct experience separate from water baptism.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the ministry of Christ that empowers His people for supernatural witness. It is the method He uses to continue His work of Gospel proliferation among the nations and is deeply tied to His earthly prophetic ministry. End-times believers are called to be witnesses for Jesus and need the power of the Holy Spirit today.
Holy Spirit Empowerment
The Need for Empowerment
It is clear in Scripture that the Apostles and other disciples, although being saved, did not receive the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit until the day of Pentecost.
Jesus said in the Book of Acts:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In the above verse, Jesus declared that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them for the function of being His witnesses. Before this time, they did not possess the power for witness outside of specific anointings given to them while Jesus walked the earth, as confirmed by the Apostle John:
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
This pattern is now repeated in today’s churches where myriads of Christians have been saved and justified but have yet to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Traditional interpretations have limited the believer’s receiving of the Holy Spirit to the event of salvation, which is more properly the seal of the Spirit, resulting in confused doctrines and errors in the practical application of the Scriptures.
This theological confusion has produced many powerless Christians who may attend church and perform religious duties but are unable to be effective and dynamic witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
The Empowered Christian
A Christian life that is empowered and has clear direction will be a fruitful one. This is why the Holy Spirit must be received in power as on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
Too many Christians are living a powerless and inactive Christian life simply because they have no revelation about Pentecost and do not possess the power of the Holy Spirit.
This lack of spiritual power is most prevalent in non-supernatural denominations that hold to the doctrine of cessationism. Adherents of cessationism are unable see this revelation in Scripture because of doctrinal blindness to the supernatural realities of Christianity, so they cannot receive the promised power of the Spirit.
When Does Spirit Baptism Occur?
God’s Timing
Scripture declares that the Holy Spirit is to be received in power following salvation, whether immediately or delayed at a subsequent time.
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
The above passage clearly states that the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples of Samaria quite a while after their salvation. They had heard the Word of God but had not received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit until the Apostles came with the revelation and power.
This is the case today across the Body of Christ, where many have been saved by grace through faith, being born again by the Word of God, but are yet to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit in power.
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
The above passage from Acts 10 shows us that it is also possible for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall upon believers at the same time as salvation. In both cases, whether delayed following salvation or at the time of it, Spirit Baptism is not without the evidence and power, which is the manifestation of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
The Evidence of Spirit Baptism
Tongues and Prophecy
The Bible says that Spirit Baptism is evidenced by speaking in “tongues,” which are defined as earthly languages called “other tongues” (Acts 2:4 KJV) or spiritual languages called “new tongues” (Mark 16:17), “diversities of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28 KJV), “tongues of angels” (1 Corinthians 13:1 KJV), or “unknown tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:2 KJV).
When Spirit Baptism is received, the believer speaks in tongues through the utterance of the Holy Spirit and is also endued with prophetic revelation and power for the Christian life of service as a witness to Jesus.
The Book of Acts reveals that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues is explicitly connected to the gift of prophecy.
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.
The above passage in Acts 19 details the Apostle Paul’s engagement with a group of disciples in Ephesus during his missionary journeys in Asia Minor.
This group had only received the John’s baptism of repentance but had not yet received the Gospel or heard of the Holy Spirit at all. Once they had believed the Gospel and were baptized in water, they received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of Paul’s hands and immediately spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Receiving Spirit Baptism
How to Receive Spirit Baptism
It is essential to the survival of the True Church of God and the continuance of the ministry that today’s Christians receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The greatest barrier to receiving the Holy Spirit is the blindness of denominational tradition.
Traditional strongholds have paralyzed thousands of sincere Christians from serving the Lord and fulfilling their God-given mandate to be witnesses to Jesus Christ in the world by proclaiming the Gospel to the lost and bringing in the harvest.
To receive Spirit Baptism, there must be simple faith in the Word of God and trust in God concerning the practical manifestation of the Spirit, particularly speaking in tongues. Many Christians will not experience the power of God due to fear or lack of faith.
It is fair to say that there are many counterfeit manifestations and abuses of this truth that have caused doubt in many churches, hindering the Spirit’s work, but ultimately those who will innocently receive the power of God will receive it.
Seek the Manifestation
Our first piece of advice to those who have not received the Baptism with the Spirit is to begin studying the Scriptures away from denominational instruction.
The biblical evidence for Spirit Baptism is overwhelming, being abundantly and repetitively witnessed throughout all four Gospels, the Book of Acts, the Epistles, and in various parts of the Old Testament, especially the prophetic books.
Secondly, there must be supernatural personal confirmation, which is sought through prayer. Pray to the Lord for revelation and a supernatural experience to confirm His Word on the subject, which will ultimately lead to the experiential manifestation.
The evidential manifestation of Spirit Baptism is speaking in tongues. Once the Holy Spirit has placed the gift of tongues within the believer, the witness of the truth is undeniable, and the transforming supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is manifested.
Conclusion
Pentecost Power Revealed
Pentecost is the revelation of the end-times harvest of souls achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just like the Acts 2 Pentecost, Christians today can receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues—a supernatural New Testament practice and prophetic promise of Scripture that remains active today.
In the end-times, the significance and power of Pentecost are still hidden from many sincere Christians who have yet to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit due to the blindness of traditional theology void of God’s power.
The exhortation for all believers in this hour is to seek the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and receive the supernatural power of God to live a dynamic Christian life as witnesses to Jesus and the Gospel. This is our God-given purpose in life, and we need the power that He has promised us to be faithful and effective witnesses.
To the born-again Christians who have already received the Baptism with the Spirit, let us rejoice in the fact that we are Spirit-filled believers, but be mindful that we have a great and noble responsibility to declare the Gospel as instruments of the Spirit’s outpouring and dynamic witnesses of Jesus Christ till that great and notable day of the Lord comes.
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
