I WILL RESTORE PENTECOST

A few years ago, the Holy Spirit shared a thought with me that I have not been able to shake. Gently, but powerfully I heard, “I will restore Pentecost!” In recent years, we have celebrated the 100th anniversary of the historic Azusa Street Revival of Los Angeles. Being in Los Angeles, California ministering this past week, I have found my heart being turned back to this word that was spoken into my spirit years ago. With the emergence of the Global Prayer Movement, let’s believe for a new Global Pentecost!

There are typically three main applications that come to mind in response to this word:

  1. The mighty encounter found in the second chapter of Acts.
  2. The Jewish feast of Pentecost.
  3. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the turn of the twentieth century that many refer to in church history as Pentecostalism. But, what does the Holy Spirit mean by this?

Let’s dissect this phrase by phrase for a moment. “I will…” – Who will do this thing? It is the jealousy of God. He Himself will do this great work. I will do what? “Restore!” The word restore means to return to original condition; as refinishing a antique piece of furniture. Now, let’s take some time to develop what it is that will be restored.

THE THREE MAJOR FEASTS

According to Deuteronomy 16:16, the tribes of Israel were to appear before the Lord on three major occasions each year. “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.” Three major feasts are named here. But, just as the three primary colors are broken down into seven major colors, so it is with the feasts. Leviticus 23:4 – 44 gives us a much more detailed view of these celebrations.

Passover is celebrated in the first month and is divided into 3 separate events: Passover Leviticus 23:4,5, Unleavened Bread Leviticus 23:6-8, and Feast Of First Fruits Leviticus 23:9-14. Pentecost or Feast of Weeks is held in the third month of the Hebrew year.  Tabernacles or Booths is commemorated in the seventh month and is also broken down into three distinct events: Trumpets Leviticus 23:23-25, Day of Atonement Leviticus 23:26-32, and Tabernacles Leviticus 23:33-44.

THE FEAST OF PASSOVER

Now, let’s take a look at what occurred at the institution of the Old Testament Feast of Passover, and then compare it to the New Testament fulfillment in the Lord’s Supper.

Passover Supper

  • Old Covenant Feast
  • Passover Lamb
  • flesh and unleavened bread
  • bitter herbs
  • blood of the Lamb
  • until the cross
  • until He comes
    (first coming)
  • memorial service
  • deliverance and redemption from Pharaoh and Egypt and the
    house of bondage

Lord’s Supper

  • New Covenant Feast
  • Lamb of God
  • bread of His flesh
  • sufferings of Calvary
  • blood of Christ
  • after the cross
  • until He comes
    (second coming)
  • “In remembrance of Christ”
  • deliverance and redemption from satan and the world and the Kingdom of Darkness

THE FEAST OF PENTECOST

Having compared the shadow of the Old Testament Passover to the fulfillment in the New Covenant through the work of the cross of Jesus Christ, let’s now press on to consider a similar comparison/contrast of the Feast of Pentecost.

O. T. Pentecost

  • 50th day after Passover
  • writing of the 10 Commandments on tablets of stone
  • by the finger of God
  • 3,000 died
  • ministration of death by the letter
  • glory on the face of Moses
  • face veiled so the people could not see

  • glory that faded
  • ministers of Old Covenant
  • Mount Sinai
  • birth of Judaism

N. T. Pentecost

  • 50th day after Passover
  • writing the Commandment of love on tablets of hearts and minds
  • by the Spirit of God
  • 3,000 lived
  • ministration of life by the Spirit
  • glory revealed on the face of Jesus
  • unveiled face so we can be changed into the same glory
  • glory that remains
  • ministers of New Covenant
  • Mount Zion
  • birth of Christianity

SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATIONS

Wow! Let’s build on this understanding by reading Exodus 19:16-19 when Moses ascended Mount Sinai. “So it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.” (Compare Deuteronomy 4:32-40 and Hebrews 12:18-21.)

At this original Day of the Giving of the Law (or Pentecost), there were many supernatural manifestations. The presence of God was known with tangible evidence. There proceeded a blaring sound of a trumpet, thunder, lightning, thick clouds, fire and the voice of the Lord. This resulted in great trembling, fear and quaking by Moses and the Israelites. When God drew near that awesome day, the whole place was shaken!

If this is what transpired under the Old Covenant giving of the law, then what is the description of its New Testament counterpart? Let’s take a peek at Acts 2:1-4 and 2:12-16. “And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 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. . . . . And they 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.” But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words, “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel;”

On the day that the Feast of Pentecost had its fulfillment, there likewise was a whole lot of shaking going on! The Holy Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind and filled the place with the Father’s presence. Tongues of fire appeared on each one’s head as they absorbed His presence. Gifts of the Holy Spirit were freely and wildly demonstrated. Those in observance declared that they looked like a bunch of drunks as the disciples celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit. It must have been quite a party!

As their noise grew, a crowd gathered from all across Jerusalem. Thousands came. Then Peter declared a simple, but penetrating message of the gospel which resulted in fear, wonder, shaking and conviction. Those gathered cried out, “What must we do?” Peter boldly exclaimed, “Repent” and 3,000 souls found Jesus as their Messiah that day. Christianity was born!

It is Harvest Time in the global church today! It is a new apostolic age. I just heard a report this week that in northern India 112,000 new believers came into the Kingdom in the last two years. The cry of “What must we do?” is being heard again today!

THE RESTORATION OF PENTECOST

Remember, when you restore something, through a process, you return it to its original condition. Could that be part of what is happening in our day? “I will restore Pentecost” is the word I heard some years ago. I believe we are in process of the restoration of Pentecost.

When you refinish an antique piece of furniture, you have to begin by removing the outer layers first. Then, after much labor and patience, you work your way back to the original wood or article. So it is with the restoration of the church. Much has been restored to the church through the past moves of the Holy Spirit. But today, we are in the midst of another great sweeping work restoring the church to the Spirit’s presence, power, gifts and ministries.

At the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2, we find that there were many supernatural manifestations. The wind came first. Then came the fire. This was followed by the filling of the Holy Spirit and the release of giftedness with the outward manifestation of drunkenness. In this current worldwide move of the Holy Spirit, we have seen the new wine freely flowing. The fire has been falling and now it is time for the wind to come!

The fire of God and the wind of the Lord are on the way. Fiery preaching, sanctification, the zeal of the Lord will once again consume us. The wind will shake everything in its path. The angels and the winds of God are going to be released in an unprecedented manner. The new wine is flowing. The fire is coming. The wind will blow through Papa’s House once again. “I will restore Pentecost”. It is harvest time once again! Let’s stand on the shoulders of the former moves of God, and believe for the greatest move of the Holy Spirit in our day!

Believing for Another Great Wave!James W. Goll