And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:3-4.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
On the day that Pentecost was being fulfilled many wonderful things took place. Things that were in the spirit realm but manifested in the physical realm by signs and wonders, but the truth of it all was within. It is the first time that people are described as “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The double portion, the Spirit with you and in you, in you and on you.
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete), that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17.
The firstborn blessing, the double portion. Do you recall what I am talking about? When I was about to take Elijah up, Elisha, his disciple, asked for a double portion of his spirit and Elijah told him if he saw him go up that his request was granted.
When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” 2 Kings 2:9-15.
Elisha saw him go up to Me. The mantle had fallen. A double portion. Elisha did twice the miracles of Elijah. The greater works.
The disciples saw Jesus go up to Me, the firstborn of many brethren, joint heirs with Christ, the mantle fell, and the double portion came. The greater works.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:12-18.
On that day of Pentecost many prophecies were fulfilled as for the first time the baptism in the Holy Spirit that My Son came to give to you was given.
John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:16.
And that event when Heaven and earth kissed did not happen quietly.
It was the pilgrim feast of Pentecost and Jews from many countries had converged in Jerusalem as was required for this appointed time. It had been many years since My glory had been seen in Jerusalem. Ezekiel saw My glory rise and leave the temple just before the Babylonian exile when the temple Solomon built, which had been filled with My glory cloud the day it was dedicated, was destroyed. Ezekiel 11:22. Since then My manifested glory had not appeared until it filled the night skies over the fields of Bethlehem in the early morning before dawn on the day that Jesus was born according to the flesh. So no one was expecting My glory to hit the city and certainly not the upper room where the 120 disciples of Jesus were gathered. But Jesus is My glory and so is His body on earth and in Heaven.
Suddenly, at the time of the morning offering of the unblemished lamb, the unleavened bread and the hin of wine in the temple, there came a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. In Hebrew and Greek the word translated “spirit” is also the word for “wind” and “breath,” which tells you much about the different types in which My Spirit manifests. The primary way you will see Him in My Kingdom though is as Melchizedek, a priest and king, speaking My Words to the church. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:22.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. The rivers of fire Daniel had seen pouring from My throne had been poured out on the believers by Jesus, now seated at My right hand, just as John the Baptist had foretold, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:16.
Peter, after he began the explanation of what occurred to the crowd that gathered, would verify this:
This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Acts 2:32-33.
When Jesus ascended up to His throne at My right hand, He opened a portal, the Holy Highway, Isaiah 35:8-10, right into My Kingdom, right to the throne of grace. You who believe now have the joy of living under an open Heaven. I showed Jacob this in his dream at Beth-el on Mt. Moriah, where he saw the ladder joining My Kingdom and earth with My heavenly host traveling up and down that ladder.
Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. He came to The Place (HaMaqom, later Temple Mount) and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Genesis 28:10-12.
Later Jesus verified to Nathaniel that this vision of Jacob was about Him, the only way to My Kingdom, the only Way to join Heaven and earth in reconciliation.
And Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51.
And that Pentecost morning they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. This was the first time that people spoke in the language of their spirit since Adam had sinned and cut himself off from the vine of divine life. He had changed you from spirit language to the language of the human intellect, worldly conversation. But now your conversation can be in Heaven. Philippians 3:20-21.
The rivers of fire that Daniel had seen flowing from My throne were poured out on the believers. And it was the fire of divine love, birthing an awakening, a revival, just as when the fire fell on Mt. Carmel at the prayers of Elijah. And that time it brought rain that revived the dry earth from years of drought. The prophesied early rain, spring rain, fell at Pentecost, the latter rain is soon to hit, ushering in the final ingathering. Tabernacles fulfilled.
Now there were Jews gathered in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing the disciples speaking in his own language, all at the same time with no merely human interpreter. The disciples had received the gift of public tongues with the interpretation built in them so that though each was speaking mysteries the interpretation was clear for all in the native language of those who heard. It was a sign and a wonder worked by My Spirit as He willed for the benefit of all.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.
They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and [l]visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”
The ones with hardened hearts to Me did not hear what the Spirit was saying, all they heard was what sounded like drunken gibberish.
But a carnal man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 1 Corinthians 2:14.
And now a different Peter than the one who had denied his Lord three times, stepped forward with great love in his heart for Jesus and for the people. He wanted them to be saved and come to know the truth. He wanted them to have the joy of a like precious faith of value beyond gold and silver so they too could be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. “Joy unspeakable filled with glory,” is the way he described it to the new believers. 1 Peter 1:8.
Thus, Peter, as leader of the disciples designated by Jesus, stepped forward to feed the sheep that he was calling into the Kingdom. He had truly become the fisher of men and of nations that My Son had called him to be. How? He got filled with the Holy Spirit and fire! And he had been forgiven and reaffirmed in love by the risen Jesus.
And taking his stand with the eleven, Peter raised his voice, as the crowed grew quiet, and began to explain the sign and wonder, showing the event from Scripture, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by My Word about Christ. He was feeding the sheep unto eternal life. And this is part of your Eucharistic journey of remembrance so open up the ears and eyes of your heart to hear what My Spirit has to say to you.
And that will be the journey for our next Life Lesson.
I love you. You have the gift of tongues in you, your own private prayer language in the Spirit that arises in your spirit as My Spirit in and on you speaks the words into you. Give it utterance. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.