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NASB | Joel 2:28 ¶ "It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Joel 2:28 ¶ "It shall come about after this That I shall pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. |
Subject: Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit |
Bible Note: Greetings Sir Pent, You are welcome! I believe that the Holy Spirit was very active in God's dealings with man, right from the beginning. But I also believe that the Holy Spirit's "primary function of office" with man noticeably changed between the way the Holy Spirit 'operated' in the Old Testament compared with how He operates in the New Testament. Yes, the Holy Spirit selectively indwelt and filled many people during Old Testament times. But what is different now is that ALL true believers are indwelt with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). This means that the Holy Spirit's role with man has been greatly expanded. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (John 16:8-11), regenerates new life in us (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5), gives us a new nature (2 Cor. 5:17), and a new life (1 John 2:29). The Holy Spirit is a gift to those who place their faith in Christ (Romans 5:5), and the absence of the Spirit is proof of being unsaved (Romans 8:9). Believers in Christ may lose the "filling", but they never lose the "indwelling" (John 14:16). The difference between the Old Testament and New Testament operation of the Holy Spirit is that before Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), some were temporarily indwelt (1 Sam. 16:14; Psalm 51:11), but not after Pentecost (1 John 2:20,27). After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit baptizes us (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 1:5) and the baptism of the Holy Spirit involves all believers (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5). The baptism of the Holy Spirit happens only once (aorist tense in 1 Cor. 12:13), making us a part of the body of Christ, uniting us in His death with respect to our sin nature (Romans 6:1-10). Moreover, the Holy Spirit gives gifts to those whom He baptizes and indwells (1 Peter 4:10). So, with that said, I would say that although the Holy Spirit was active before He came at Pentecost (Acts 2), He has been so much more active through the body of Christ then He was in Old Testament times. He has taken up an 'expanded role' with the body of Christ, by sealing us for our day of redemption. However, I say this while still contending that He was not at all idle throughout the Old Testament. Blessings to you, Makarios |