As was the sign of circumcision in the Old Testament, so is the gift of the Holy Spirit in the new. The term Holy Spirit is a descriptive term, not a proper name. Yet, He is a mark, the seal, a verification of a covenant between God and those of us who will be baptized into Christ for the remission of sin. He is and possesses all the attributes that define the nature called God. Commensurate with all of His power, ability to create, and extreme intelligence beyond our comprehension; the Holy Spirit is defined as holy, that is the function given Him, by complete agreement, at the Council of Eternity, before the beginning of time, when the mystery of the gospel was introduced by God the Father to those of like nature. Both Old and New Testament show that people received the Spirit, and that they were of a special kind, type, to perform a special service to bring man to a knowledge of the coming Son. It is not then hard to understand, how that we who have been graduated into Christ by being baptized for the remission of sins, have been selected by our obedience, not some extra-terrestrial experience.
Although it is not considered mockery by those who act so feverishly insensitive to the nature of such a High Being, the falling backward, laughing uncontrollably, doing some kind of uncontrollable religious dance; speaking in a foreign gibberish, shows the depth of study and understanding of this great member of Deity! A note: literally, the word glossolalia is a combination of old Greek nouns which referred to speaking in other languages. Glossa meant tongue, language, and lalia meant such things as talk and discussion. These are usually the words that are used to describe this denominationalism exaggeration(s). When the apostles received the “promise of the Father” on the day of Pentecost and were asked to explain why they could speak “to every man in their own native tongue the wonderful works of the Lord,” Peter standing up with the 11 said: “these are not drunken as you suppose, seeing this is but the third hour of the day, but this is that was spoken by the prophet Joel.” It shall come to pass in the last days sayeth God, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.” These who received what Jesus called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, where those who were commanded to “tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until they were endued with power from on high.” Luke 224:47-49 Before He ascended He said: “but wait for the promise of the Father you heard from Me. John truly baptized with water that you should be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.” Acts 1:4-5
Jesus had said to His disciples, those who had been with him during his three-year ministry: “If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:13 The question then is how could they ask the Lord for anything if “God doesn’t hear the prayer of the sinner.” John 9:31, Isaiah 59:1-2 The answer is given in that He instructs those who will keep His commandments. These are described as “worshipers of God who will do His will.” 99% of the religious people today who claim the Holy Spirit have never ever done what the Holy Spirit had the apostles write!! The day of Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit came from heaven, was a first- fruits related harvest Festival in the Old Covenant ritual. It appears that amongst other things, that high day had symbolized and foreshadowed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which began as recorded in Acts 2. What began on the day of Pentecost and concluded 40 years later was the bringing in a new law from heaven. Every time something new was brought into existence, there was a season of miracles to usher it in, then a law of Providence to sustain that that was new!!
