When talk about Holy Spirit, there is every need for us to start from the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the triune God. Although His full power was not revealed to God’s people until the ministry of Jesus and later at Pentecost, there are Old Testament passages that refer to Him and His work. The Hebrew word for “spirit” is “ruah”, Greek word “pneuma” and Latin word “spirare” sometimes translated as “wind” and “breath”. Thus the Old Testament references to the breath of life from God or wind from God (Gen 2:7, Ezek 37:9-10) can also refer to the work of God’s Spirit.
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
The bible describes various activities of the Holy Spirit during the Old Testament times. The Holy Spirit had an active role in creation (Gen 1:2) says that the “Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water” preparing for the creative word of God to shape the world. The Spirit is also the author of life. When God created Adam, it was undoubtedly God’s spirit that breathed in to him the breath of life (Gen 2:7). The Spirit was active in communicating God’s message to his people. For example, it was “the spirit who instructed the Israelites in the wilderness when the Psalmist of Israel sang their sons. They did so by the spirit of the lord (Num 11:29, 1 Sam 10:5-7).
The leadership of God’s Old Testament people was energized by the spirit of the lord. Moses for example, was one with the spirit of God to such an extent that the shared God’s very feelings. And also when Moses obediently chose 70 elders to help him lead the Israelites, God took the spirit that was on Moses and put on them (Num 27:18). The same spirit came upon Gideon (Judge 6:34), David (1 Sam 16:13) and Zerubabbel (Zech 4:6).
In other words, in the Old Testament the greatest qualification needed for leadership was the anointing and empowering presence of the spirit of God.
The spirit of God could also come upon individuals to equip them for special service. A notable Old Testament example was Joseph, who was given the spirit to enable him to function effectively in Pharaoh’s cabinet (Gen 41:38). Also Bezalei and Oholiah, whom God filled with His spirit in order to do the artistic work needed for the tabernacle construction and also teach others (Exd 31:1-11, 35:30-35). The idea of “being filled with the spirit of God” here is not precisely the same as the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. In the Old Testament other words the Holy Spirit was seen only a few select individuals chosen for special services to God (Exd 3:3), the spirit of the lord came upon many of the judges, such as: Orthniel, Jophthap (Judg 3:9) Gideon (Judg 6:34) and Samson (Judg 14:5-6).
There was no general outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all Israel. The spirit only came upon or filled a few people, empowering them for service and prophecy. The outpouring of the spirit in this larger sense did not begin until the great day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8).
The Old Testament looks forward to the coming age of the spirit i.e. the New Testament age. On several occasions prophets prophesied about the role that the spirit would play in the life of the coming Messiah, Isaiah especially characterized the coming King and Servant of the lord as whom the Spirit of God would rest in a special way. When Jesus read the word from Isaiah 61 in His hometown synagogue at Nazareth, he ended with “this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21). Other Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the time, when there would be a general outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all God’s people. Most prominent among those passages is Joel 2:28-29) a text quoted on the day of Pentecost by Peter can also be found in Isaiah 32:15-17, 44:3-5, 59:20-2, Ezek 11:19-20, 36:26-27. God promised that when the life and power of His spirit would be enabled to prophecy, have prophetic dreams, live lives of obedience, holiness and righteousness and witness with great power. Thus the Old Testament prophets foresaw and prophesied about the messianic age when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon humanity would occur and be available for all people everywhere.
The Holy Spirit for All, Not for Few
John the Baptist had prophesied that Jesus would baptize his followers in the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:11) Jesus promised to give the Holy Spirit to all who asked (Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16). Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven fall on the day of the Jewish festival of the annual Pentecost, with a subsequent great harvest of salvation. As the disciples with other believers all of them about 120 in number were waiting for the promise (Act 2:1-4) says “Now while the festival of Pentecost was in progress they were all together at the same place, and suddenly there occurred form heaven a noise just like that of a rushing stiff breeze, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. And tongues as if of fire become visible to them and distributed about and one set upon each one of them, and they all became filled with the Holy Spirit and started to speak with different tongues, just as the spirit was granting them to make utterance”.
The baptism in Holy Spirit is intended for all who profess faith in Christ, have been born again and thereby have receive indwelling of the spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit brings personal boldness and the power of the spirit into the believer’s life in order to accomplish mighty works in Jesus name and to make one’s witness and proclamation effective.
The Function of the Holy Spirit
Pentecost was the second great festival of the Jewish year. It was a harvest festival when the first fruits of grain harvest were presented to God (Lev. 23:17). In like manner Pentecost symbolizes for the church the beginning of God’s harvest for soul in the world. That was also the mark of the birth of the church (Act 2:14), says “Peter stood up with the eleven and raised his voice and made this utterance to them, Men of Judea and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my sayings. This is what was said through the Prophet Joel”. He preached with boldness and presented Jesus to them. In that those who embraced his work heartily were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added. The significance of the filling with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost meant the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise of God in Joel 2:28-29. The disciples were endued with power from high, enabling then to witness for Christ. The Holy Spirit revealed His nature a spirit who longs and strives for the salvation of people of every nation.
Those who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit were filled with the same longing for salvation of the human race. The disciples became ministers of the spirit. They not only preached Christ crucification and resurrection, leading others to repentance and faith in Christ, but also influenced converts to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom they themselves had received at Pentecost. This leading others into baptism in the Holy Spirit is the key to the apostolic work in the New Testament. Through this baptism in the spirit, Christ followers became successor to his earthly ministry. They continued to do and teach in power of the Holy Spirit, the same things that Jesus “began both to do and teach”. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit, the spirit inspired utterance to believers a language they have never learned. Throughout the history of the church wherever tongues as confirming sign has been denied or lost from view, the truth and experience of Pentecost has been distorted or ignored entirely. Speaking in tongues is also described as gift of the Holy Spirit to the believers (1 Cor 12:4-10) this gift has two main purposes:
- Speaking in tongues may be a spirit given message during worship for the congregation, but must be accompanied by interpretation so that every one understands the message and is edified
- Speaking in tongues also may be used by individual believer to speak to God during his or her personal devotions and thus to build up or strengthen one’s spiritual life (1 Cor 14:4)
