I. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
The Spirit of God at the creation
The Spirit of God in the gifting of man
The Spirit of the Lord in equipping man for the office of priest and king
The Holy Spirit in the repentance of David
The Spirit of the Lord in the Messianic promises of Isaiah
Promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Israel and all nations
The Spirit of God at the rebuilding of the temple
The Spirit of grace and prayer upon Israel at the second coming of Christ
The Spirit of God in the God-fearing
The Spirit of God at the Creation
Genesis 1:1-3
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void¸and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “let there be light”; and there was light.
It is a special grace of the Lord that He, in the first three verses of the Bible, intimates and reveals the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God Himself, His Spirit and His Word, created the visible and invisible world. The Spirit of God hovered over the tohubohu (without form and void) of existence. He penetrated the darkness, gave order to the disorder, and formed the mist into material. The working of the Spirit above and in the chaos below prepared the way for God´s command, so that He could say: “Let there be light!”; and there was light.
The Spirit of God is not only interested in spiritual matters, but also in the overcoming of dark, chaotic conditions. We should not presume to be able to explore or shape the universe and outer space, or to be able to find wise solutions to unsolvable and dangerous situations. Much more, we should ask for the all- encompassing work of the Spirit of God in people in difficult situations and in great need. We should patiently wait until the time is ripe for God to say: “Let there be light! Then the light will come.
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
God, the Creator, speaks in the “We” form, which signified yet another indication of the unity in His tri-unity. Followers of different religions understand this verse to only be written in the “Pluralis Majestatis”, a form of very respectful self-testimony. The early church, however, saw in the “We, Us” words an indication of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Isaiah 6:8 etc.).
Christ and His Spirit were previously involved in the creation of mankind (John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:2). From the very beginning the Spirit of God had intended to use people in building the body of His earthly temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16). Since God created man in His own image (Gen. 1:27), He created him in the likeness of the Father, as well as in the likeness of the Son and the Holy Spirit. We should, however, recoil from all representations and pictures of God, for He does not only appear as the Father of Glory (Eph. 1:14), but also, and at the same time, as the crucified Son and as the invisible Holy Spirit (Ex. 20: 4-5). God is greater than our understanding or our power of imagination.
Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
The suffering dramaturge among the prophets summarized the creation accounts. He testified that it was God who had created him through His Spirit and breathed into him the breath of life. Who among us thanks the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for His favour to us? Without His love, wisdom, and care for us we would not exist. More than that, without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5; 2 Cor. 3:5-6).
The Spirit of God in the Gifting of Men
Genesis 41:38-40
38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Pharaohs were honoured as mediums for both spirits and gods. They had experience with spiritual contacts, realities and forces. Therefore, the demonic pharaoh immediately sensed following Joseph´s interpretation of his dream that behind this young prisoner there stood the all-knowing God of the Hebrews. This God had inspired Joseph regarding the dream and its interpretation. Persons predisposed to sorcery, and sometimes even animals can more quickly perceive the existence and reality of the Holy Spirit than normal people (Numbers 22:1-33; Mark 1:23-27; 3:10; 5:6-10; Acts 19:13-16).
Exodus 28:2-3
2 ”And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 ”So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron´s garments, to sanctify him, that he may minister to me as priest.
Exodus 31:1-9
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 “to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 “in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. 6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 “the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle—8 “the table and its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 “the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base”.
Special talents of artists, handworkers, housewives, and students are gifts of the Spirit of God. Whoever is “talented” should not be proud, but humble and thankful, for all true talents originate from the Giver of all good gifts. Special giftedness often lies dormant in people who have not been educated, whose capacities have not been discovered or developed.
The Spirit of the Lord in the Equipping of Priest and Kings for Office
Judges 6:33-35
33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet him. (Numbers 27:18-23; Deuteronomy 34:9 etc.)
1 Samuel 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. (Exodus 29:7; 30:25-31; Leviticus 8:12; Psalm 89:21; Isaiah 60:1)
Whoever reads Bible verses relating to the anointing of those called into special service, and their filling with the Spirit of God will recognize that with this anointing they received courage, power, wisdom, strength understanding, and authority from God. Jesus, too, the Son of God born of the Holy Spirit, testified of Himself that He is the One anointed with the Spirit of the Lord, who filled Him from the moment of His baptism as our representative (Luke 4:18). Without an equipping with the Spirit of God the High Priest, king or prophet would not have been capable of speaking and acting in the name and power of God. Whenever such an official did not walk under the leading of the Lord´s Spirit there arose the danger that he would be possessed by a destructive spirit (Matt. 26:3; John 11:49-50).
The Holy Spirit in the Repentance of David
Psalm 51:10-13
10 … Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit.
The anointed king and song writer committed adultery, followed by the treacherous murder of the husband of the seduced wife. David thereby forfeited his life. His confession of sin and Spirit-initiated repentance brought about the complete destruction of his honour, his self-righteousness, and his self-supposed strength. In the end he could only confess: I am a depraved man, a hopeless case! Only a new-creation can help me. In his wrestling in prayer with the holy God he came to recognize the special attributes of the divine Spirit. This Spirit is holy, sinless, consecrated, constant, wilful and obedient. He desires to make His attributes a reality in all who receive Him. Many people sin like David, but few repent like David! In his prayer of repentance three thousand years ago he confessed for the first time that the Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit!
Psalm 143:9-10
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. 10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
David had to experience much slander and many intrigues and persecutions, even within his own family. He was no saint in the sense of the New Testament, but an oriental king with a large harem and continuous dealings in war. The Lord, however, again and again pulled him down to spiritual reality, so that he recognized: Without God I am lost! He is my only help. It was from HIM he asked for rescue and help. In so doing he was forced to recognize that he himself was responsible for his suffering: he had not lived according to the commands of God. Therefore, he not only asked for his personal rescue and survival, but that also the good Spirit of God would lead him to a consecrated life. Only the one who lives under the leading of this Spirit can live a life pleasing to God.
The Spirit of the Lord in the Messianic Promises of Isaiah
Isaiah 11:1-2
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 42:1-4
1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait for His law.”
Isaiah 59:21
“As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants´ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
Isaiah 61:1-2
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.
Isaiah 63:9-10
9 In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. 10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them.
Isaiah 63:13-14
13 Who led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that they might not stumble; 14 As a beast goes down into the valley, and the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, so You lead Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name.
The foremost priest and prophet was shattered by the revelation of the holiness of the Lord of Hosts. He confessed in dismay his uncleanness and the uncleanness of his people (Isaiah 6:1-8). He was entrusted with astonishing promises concerning the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah was forced to confess the century old obstinacy of his people (Ch. 6:8-13). Later, in further revelations, he was able to introduce the awaited Messiah as the Servant of God, who would redeem “us” through His suffering and death (Is. 53:1-18). At the very beginning Isaiah had recognized the fervently awaited “Prince of Peace” as being true God (Is. 9:5-6), who would build His unending Kingdom of God among Jews and unclean peoples with power and meekness. To be able to save and govern Israel and the depraved world He must be anointed with the Sevenfold Spirit of the Lord (Is. 11:1-2; 61:1-2). The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are worthy of all our worship and gratitude for salvation planned before all time and eternity.
Promises of the Coming Of the Holy Spirit upon Israel and all Nations
Ezekiel 36:24-27
24 “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (See also Ezek. 11:19)
Ezekiel 39:28-29
28 `Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their own land, and left none of them captive any longer. 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.”
When the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom opened themselves to idolatry, the Lord pulled back His protecting hand from them, allowing them to be sold by the Assyrians as slaves into all the world (722 B.C.). When the Jewish Southern Kingdom no longer walked in the laws of the LORD they were carried off into Babylonian captivity (587 B.C.). There the saying came true: “Whenever need is the greatest the Lord is the nearest!” Within the total bankruptcy of the chosen people, the Holy One of Israel revealed through the prophet Ezekiel that He had answered the prayer of repentance of David regarding the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in repentant sinners: His own divine Spirit will take up residence in the despairing, give them compassionate hearts, and help them to follow His laws. Their uncleanness will be washed away and their mortal evil will be overcome by the immortal God. Their slavery will be transformed into freedom (Isaiah 40:1-5).
Ezekiel 37:14
“I will put My breath in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.”
In a dramatic vision of the dead field of Israel (Ezek. 37:1-14) the Lord assured His prophet that He would breath into the dead bones of His people and revive them. This was after they had returned home from their Babylonian banishment. Various translations (in Israel, the USA, Germany) speak here of the Spirit of God, who will enter the newly raised up Israel. In the event the Holy Spirit cannot reside in the Jewish nation following thorough repentance, then it will have to remain a spiritually dead society, with all the negative consequences. Spirit-enabled Jewish Christians are today a lighthouse of admonition for all residents of their land.
Joel 2:28-32
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; 29 And also on My menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 32 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Among terrible visions of the last judgment, it was revealed to the prophet Joel that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not to be limited to the twelve tribes of Israel. Much more, this mercy of God should be offered to all mankind. Not only were the pious old and the passionate young to be revived by the Spirit of the Lord, but foreign workers and slaves were also to benefit from the privilege of this Spirit. The Spirit of God will not be reserved just for men, but reach women and girls in the same way. This revelation signified a revolution in Jewish thinking and demolished the borders of the Old Covenant in numerous ways (Isaiah 49:6). “Whoever calls on the Lord shall be saved!”
PRAYER: Father, we thank You through Jesus Christ, Your Son, that You not only touch us with Your deity, but also desire to fill us, in that Your Holy Spirit desires to indwell all followers of Your Son. Furthermore, we thank You that this offer of the Spirit´s indwelling is valid for all races, men and women, lords as well as servants. Who are we and who are You?! We do not deserve Your grace and are unworthy to receive Your love. Permit us to offer heart-felt thanksgiving, to trust and to testify to Your truth!
The Spirit of God at the Rebuilding of the Temple
Haggai 2:4-9
4 `Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,´ says the Lord; `and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,` says the Lord, `and work; for I am with you,` says the Lord of Hosts. 5 `According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!` 6 “For thus says the Lord of Hosts: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 `and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,` says the Lord of Hosts. 8 `The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,` says the Lord of Hosts. 9 `The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,` says the Lord of Hosts. `And in this place I will give peace,` says the Lord of Hosts.”
Zechariah 4:1-7
1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 “Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my Lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: `Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,` says the Lord of Hosts. 7 `Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!`”
Zecharia 6:7-8
7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My spirit in the north country.”
These promises primarily deal with the construction of the second temple in Jerusalem at the hands of the politically appointed Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua. The time followed the release and return of a selected number of captives from the Babylonian deportation. The Lord assured them of His faithfulness and of the presence of His Spirit, especially to those who preferred their desolate homeland to the lofty culture of Babylon. To be sure, they possessed inadequate financial means to restore the temple of God. Nevertheless, the Lord guaranteed them that His Spirit was endlessly more important than military strength or economic power – for the Holy Spirit is Himself the Lord, to whom all gold and silver belongs and to whom all the Host of Heaven stand at His disposal. Whoever trusts in Him “abides and is victorious”, regardless of unsatisfactory conditions.
Perhaps the prophecy in chapter 6:1-8 refers to the missions-movement of Paul and his co-workers, who established churches in regions north of Israel, where the Spirit of the Lord chose to dwell. The church of Jesus is the promised glorious temple of God that will be built up through His Spirit. This promise is especially realized where poverty, weakness and want are predominant (1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2 Cor. 12:9-10). The Lord promised to severely shake all the nations so that everywhere repentance would take place, and that all those cleansed through the blood of Christ would let themselves be built up into the temple of God (Eph. 2:20-21; 1 Pet. 2:5-10).
The Spirit of Grace and Prayer upon Israel at the Second Coming of Christ
Zechariah 7:11-12
11 “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders , and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 “Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 12:2-3.9-10
2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3“And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. … 9 “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
The spirit of resistance and opposition to every shattering of pride and an imagined righteousness of works did not retreat from most members of the Old Covenant. Their hearts were hard like diamond. They grieved the Spirit of God. Their hardness and hatred increased toward all preachers of repentance, who called them to be reconciled to God. They cast off their promised Messiah and let Him be crucified by the Romans. Most of them also closed themselves to the message of the apostles of Jesus, so that they missed both the merciful gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the Spirit Himself. Once again they were dispersed among the heathen nations.
At the end of time, however, when Jewish immigrants will have once again built up Jerusalem without their Messiah, all nations will futilely attempt to solve the legal problems between Israel and the Palestinians. Jerusalem will become a chalice of poison for all humanists and Free Masons! The rumbling of war in the Middle East will grow louder from day to day. The depravations will become unbearably great, while still those in Israel refuse to repent (Matt. 23:37-39). Only when the crucified and risen Messiah comes in glory will they, in horror, look on Him and recognize their king “whom they have pierced” (John 19:37; Rev. 1:7). A special outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the despairing will unite them at the last moment in a great prayer of repentance and national mourning.
The Spirit of God in the God-Fearing
Wisdom 1:4-7
4 Wisdom will never enter the soul of a wrong-doer, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin; 5 for the holy spirit of instruction flees deceitfulness, recoils from unintelligent thoughts, is thwarted by the onset of vice. 6 Wisdom is a spirit friendly to humanity, though she will not let a blasphemer´s words go unpunished; since God observes the very soul and accurately surveys the heart, listening to every word. 7 For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world, and that which holds everything together knows every word said. (Jerusalem Bible- Apocrypha)
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 34:13-16
13 The spirit of those who fear the Lord can survive, for their hope is in someone with power to save them. 14 No one who fears the Lord need ever hesitate, or ever be daunted, since the Lord is his hope. 15 Happy the soul of one who fears the Lord…(Jerusalem Bible-Apocrypha)
There is a hint of the hidden working of the Holy Spirit in the God-fearing in the Jewish wisdom literature. He is understood to be the Spirit of discipline, of truth and of wisdom. The Holy Spirit compels the God-fearing to love all people, while not denying the deserved punishment of the evil. This Spirit searches our hearts, knows every thought, and hears every word that we speak.
Those who fear God believe in the victory of the Spirit of God in our world, which will encompass the entire globe. The Spirit of the Lord cannot die. He is eternal, just as God is eternal. Blessed is the one who trusts Him, who fears and loves the Lord.
Prayer: We worship You, Father, and thank You from our hearts, for You have promised to sink Your own Holy Spirit into our unruly, evil generation! Your Spirit is powerful, and will not be overcome or stained by our malice. Indeed, the very opposite happens: Your spirit overcomes us, the depraved, according to the greatness of Your wisdom. He sanctifies us through and through by grace. By Your Spirit You create eternal life in dead matter. Your promises are closely knit together with the coming of the Messiah, who Himself was baptized and anointed by Your Spirit. From His fullness we have all received grace for grace. Have compassion upon the hard-hearted children of Abraham! You love every one of them. We await a new heaven and a new earth, born from Your Spirit, and in where righteousness dwells. Amen.
I will
give you a new heart
and put a new Spirit within you;
I will
take the heart of stone out of your
flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
I will
put My Spirit within you and cause
you to walk in my statutes, and you
will keep my judgments and do them.
(A promise of God from Ezekiel 36:26-27)