“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh…and on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days: and they shall prophesy.”
Acts 2: 17-18
Not everyone may understand what this verse is trying to tell us. The word “pour out” makes us think of a liquid, which the Holy Spirit is not. The Holy Spirit is a person, He is part of the Godhead. And for those who take note, the word “pour out” may seem very memorable.
Another translator renders our text as follows: “I will pour out my Spirit on all that is called man … Yes, on my servants and on my handmaids I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will speak as prophets.” “Pour out” therefore means ‘to flow out’.
When there is a heavy rainfall outside or we are even caught in it, we usually say: “It is pouring.” Our text should also be understood in this sense. When it says: “I will pour out…”, we recognize that this represents a significant work of God.
The disciples had been prepared for this event. At His ascension, Jesus gave them the comforting promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8a). They had been so profoundly taught about this Spirit that their Master could say: “You know Him!” (John 14:17).
He described Him as the “Spirit of Truth”, who would guide them into all truth. He made it clear that this Spirit comes from the Father and will bear witness to Him (Christ). He called Him the “Helper” (or the Comforter or Advocate in other translations) and explained: “the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). He also impressed upon them that this Spirit would punish the world for sin and give clarity what sin, righteousness, and judgment really are. Particularly noteworthy is the clear reference: “[This Spirit] will glorify me” (John 16:14). These explanations are necessary for us as well!
The disciples back then needed to learn to distinguish the Holy Spirit from all other spirits by these clear characteristics, and we need to learn the same in our time. Today, very often, various strange and false spirits are mistaken for the Holy Spirit! People give themselves over to the influence of these spirits, behave in a directly offensive manner and yet believe that they are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Oh, may we pay attention to the characteristics that Jesus gave us about the Holy Spirit!
Of course, the Holy Spirit can reveal Himself in such a powerful way that people are astonished and horrified. This is what happened on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. The disciples were prepared for this day. Their gathering was characterized by unanimity and oneness. They stood in obedient and God-fearing readiness to receive the promised gift.
Luke explains the outpouring of the Holy Spirit using two symbols: He compared the powerful work of the Holy Spirit with the purifying power of fire and His invigorating, driving effect with the power of a mighty wind!
In this similar way, the disciples were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, who could now work through them! This caused astonishment among many and others mockingly said: “They are full of sweet wine!” The disciples took a stand against this derogatory assessment and declared: “For these are not drunk, as you suppose … but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh …’” (Acts 2:15-17).
The time had come and the promise given was now fulfilled. Everything happened in an orderly way, and wherever the Holy Spirit worked, it was done with the clear characteristics that Jesus had taught.
We can therefore say with complete certainty: in an assembly where these characteristics do not exist, the Holy Spirit does not exist either. All improper, strange, disorderly and even offensive behavior is not of the Spirit of God, even if one claims that it is. Rather, the Holy Spirit keeps us far away and free from the peculiarities of other spirits and from what they do. It is therefore necessary to know the nature and characteristics of the Holy Spirit and to abstain from the influence of all other spirits!
The Holy Spirit had indeed been poured out on the praying crowd of disciples, but His powerful work encompasses “all that is called man”. It is true that He works on the hearts of God’s children in a different way than on those who are still living in sin. But He can have an effect on all people. Who else would awaken a human heart alienated from God? Who would work divine repentance and sorrow? Who would work the necessary recognition of sin and bring people under the cross? If the work of the Spirit had been limited to the disciples alone, no other person could have been converted and the church would not exist today.
In sending His Spirit, God thought of all mankind, and it is important that we all take the right attitude towards this Spirit. Every obedience and every submission to the influence of this Spirit will have postive and valuable results.
The special reason for His outpouring, however, is that the church would be filled with this Spirit and experience His power and influence as well as His guidance and protection. May our faithful God grant this today!
Friedrich Krebs
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