48. Pentecost(s) Power and Prototypes
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When I arrived at the upper room, I found the students or disciples or apostles or whatever they want to be called milling about talking to each other and to God. Still feeling disappointed that I couldn't stay in heaven with Jesus to participate in the festivities of His return I decided to lay low and just wait and watch with them. Fortunately no one could see me pouting.
“Peter, what are we waiting for?” asked John, the youngest of the group.
“We are waiting for the Holy Spirit, but I have no idea of what to expect. Let's be patient.”
“We have been sitting here for over a week!” whined John.
(Now that was a man after my own heart!) thought I.
Peter responded, “Tomorrow is Pentecost, Shavuot. I have a feeling something will happen then. Come, help me get ready.”
As Peter and John were preparing for Pentecost, it occurred to me that God would cleverly pour out His Spirit on the anniversary of the day that He poured out His law. The Law and the Spirit both are needed for mankind to become holy. But, I wondered why Jesus had to leave in order for the Holy Spirit to be distributed. If I was still in heaven I could have asked, but I am not.
The deep darkness of night stilled the men and each found a place to sleep. I appreciated the dark quiet that reminded me of the night sky and began to feel more peaceful in my angel heart.
While it was still dark an hundred luminous angels poured into the room. They positioned themselves like an army beside each man. None of them even acknowledged me. I didn't mind as I could tell that they were focused on their mission, and I was here simply to witness.
At daybreak, suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where we were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among the students, and a tongue rested on each of them. It looked quite strange, but oddly enough no one seemed afraid, which I attributed to the angels.
All of the men were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. I could hardly believe my eyes! I was at the same time amazed and envious to see God's Spirit enter men. I wondered how the Spirit would affect the humans.
The disciples delighted in their newfound ability to speak many other languages. The cacophony of the room reminded me of the Tower of Babel scene. I was there. This tower was erected upon the pride of men. In those days God did not want the men to be like Him. They were not ready, He was not ready. So He confounded their speech making it so that each man spoke a different language and they could not understand each other. I laughed and laughed. I think that was the funniest moment I have ever experienced. Eventually the people became so frustrated that they separated, scattering around the face of the earth, and taking their new languages with them and their families.
Back to this day, the men full of joy and power walked out of the upper room into the streets of Jerusalem to proclaim the glory of The Lord God. Men, women, and children left their homes to hear what the disciples were saying.
Reversing the days of Babel, no matter what language was spoken there was someone who understood. Arabs, Asians, Libyans, Egyptians and many others all heard God glorified by the Galileans in their own languages. The barrier of language between men melted away as did the barrier between man and God when Christ died on the cross.
This was truly a sight to behold.
I could see in this verbal unity of mankind the birth of a Bride, one holy and universal mate for the Word of God, Christ, comprised of people from every country around the world in unity with each other.
I exaggerated. There were some skeptics in the crowd who thought everyone was drunk. Being 9 am, that was unlikely, but some people stuck to their skepticism. I could clearly see the difference between a human fill with the Holy Spirit, and one who was not.
Peter, standing with the eleven, boldly raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, we are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, what you see and hear is what was spoken through the prophet Joel.
‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out 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.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
And I will show ominous signs in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Peter continued, “You that are Israelites listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.” Peter stopped speaking and peered into the eyes of those in the crowd surrounding him.
I was shocked that Peter, the louse who wouldn't even admit that he knew Christ on the night of His arrest, suddenly had the hutzpah to accuse these Jews of killing their Messiah. Surely this was a difference that the Holy Spirit made.
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
So those who welcomed His message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons entered into the unity of the Bride, Christ's beloved Church. Each person who made up the one Bride devoted him or herself to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.
By the end of that day, I was mush. It had been so intense and amazing that I think every ounce of my spirit was overwhelmed and exhausted. Here I was more than two-thirds of the way through the Bride's year and She had just been born! I had to chuckle. I think I am growing to love Her more and more every day.
