Introduced, Pitches, Writes   (Click here to return.)

Many downplay certain religious experiential things and relegate them to the future after being "caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." (1 TH 4:17) But personal experience is signified because He "pitches" (Heb 8:2), "introduces" (Heb 12:22), and "writes" (Rev 3:12), and we become "ready." (Rev 19:7) The "marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rev 19:10) occurs in heaven with the bride of Christ, and "new Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven" (Rev 21:2) after the tribulation. But we are involved now because we are in this "church (i.e. city) of the firstborn" (Heb 12:23) and are being prepared (Rev 21:2) as the "bride of the Lamb." (Rev 21:9) So the baptism of the Holy Spirit was not just for the times of the apostles but is for our personal development as Christians.

Breathed   (Click here to return.)

Stanley M. Horton says "the fire [at Pentecost] here signified God's acceptance of the Church Body as the temple of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:21, 22; First Corinthians 3:16), and, then, the acceptance of the individual believers as also being temples of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Thus, the Bible makes clear that the Church was already in existence before the Pentecostal baptism. Hebrews 9:15, 17 shows that it was the death of Christ that put the New Covenant into effect. From the resurrection Day when Jesus breathed on the disciples, the Church was constituted as a new covenant Body." (The Book of Acts. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1981. page 31.)

Utterance   (Click here to return.)

When you give an oath they say, "Repeat after me." Is the utterance just something you verbally repeat after hearing it in your head? No. It bypasses the mind and comes directly via the spirit. We are "spirit, soul and body." (1 TH 5:23) Is the spirit transcendent or just a term designating man's existence? It is permanent because "the body without the spirit is dead." (James 2:26) For regarding death "it is appointed for man to die once and after this comes the judgement." (Heb 9:27) The spirit of man continues on after death and encounters God. Make sure He doesn't say, "I never knew you; depart from me." (Mat 7:23)

Lampstand   (Click here to return.)
Promise   (Click here to return.)
Anointed, Offering   (Click here to return.)

The lampstand in the Holy Place is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The oil in the lamp is of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Place is before the Holy of Holies where God is enthroned. Revelation 1:4 says there are "seven spirits before His throne." It is interesting that there are seven lamps on the candlestick. The anointing was upon Jesus to give him power to do what Isaiah 11:2 and Luke 4:18 described. Isaiah's empowerments are: 1.) wisdom, 2.) understanding, 3.) counsel, 4.) power, 5.) knowledge, and 6.) the fear of the Lord. Luke's abilities are: 1.) preach news, 2.) proclaim freedom, 3.) recover sight, 4.) release oppressed, and 5.) proclaim the Lord's year. Each list is composed of "several" which compares to the seven flames on the lampstand.
Stanley M. Horton says "Grace and peace come from the seven Spirits, that is, from the sevenfold Spirit on the Messiah prophesied in Isaiah 11:2 as well as to the sevenfold lamp in Zechariah 4:2,6,10... Then John gives special attention to the fact that this grace and peace come through the work of Jesus Christ." (The Ultimate Victory. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1991. page 26.) Also, consider that "there appeared to them tongues of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them." (Acts 2:3) These are gifts from the Spirit "upon" a person which are received at Pentecost. Deuteronomy 16:10 says that this Feast of Weeks is celebrated by an offering according to the blessings received. What better way to give than to exercise the gifts that you have been given?