This is That Acts 2:14-21 Central Idea: Symbols of the Holy Spirit help us to understand His Person and Nature, as well as His function. Introduction As we have been studying the Holy Spirit, we have found out many of the things that He is involved in as the third member of the trinity. But throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit is revealed to us through images and symbols. These symbols help us to see more of who he is and what He does. These become trademarks for the Holy Spirit in the Bible. When you think of a person, sometimes there are certain individual qualities or characteristics you pick out that remind you of that person. Perhaps it s a favorite brand that they use all the time. For instance, my favorite kind of tea on the road is Snaple. This is not an endorsement for them, but everyone knows what I m getting when I stop at a gas station for a drink on a road trip. I used to be known by giant thick Coke bottle glasses because I had to wear them all the time before I got contacts. We all have little things that make us unique, and the Holy Spirit also has images that are common to bring up His involvement throughout Scripture. Let s take a look at them. Text Acts 2:14-21 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I. The Holy Spirit is symbolized through wind and water. A. Wind is a primary image of the Holy Spirit. 1. The words for wind and spirit are the same in both Greek and Hebrew. The original languages lend themselves to imagery that has to do with the spiritual realm and the unseen winds. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 1
2. The words ruach and pneuma can be used for wind or breath. But they are also the same words used for spirit or the spiritual realm. Ghost can also be a proper translation, but currently in the English language, spirit is a better translation. 3. This correlation lends itself to images of wind and spirit being intermingled. This allows Jesus to use the example of wind and its affects to explain the Holy sspirit and His work in regenerating the human soul for salvation. 4. In john 3:8, Jesus uses an example to explain the mystery of what happens in salvation with the Holy Spirit, how He does the regenerative work in salvation. 5. Jesus says that just because we can t understand or observe spiritual things themselves, this does not mean they are not real and don t happen. Wind is the same way. 6. We only know wind exists because of its effects. We can t see the wind, but we see what it can do. There are tornadoes and hurricanes that are driven by winds that are so powerful. 7. And yet, no one can see the wind. It does what it wants, and we can only see the effects of wind. So also, the Holy Spirit is like wind because we can t see Him, but we can observe the effects of what He does! B. Water is one way the Spirit is explained as well. 1. John 7:37-39 talks about the Holy Spirit as the living water that Jesus gives to those who believe in Jesus. This is part of having the Holy Spirit in us as believers at salvation. 2. We as Pentecostals love to talk about the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we grow closer to God in our discipleship. But we tend to not emphasize enough the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. 3. All who are saved into Jesus are blessed with the down payment of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us and is God s presence in us and in our lives. 4. Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, especially living water, as John uses the phrase. Jesus talks about living water in John 4, John 7 and also a bit in Revelation. The living water is a source of life to all who know Christ. 5. Throughout civilization, cities and settlements have always been built around water and water ways. Water provides a key ingredient to life. Without water for more than 3-4 days, people die! 6. Water is part of what makes us alive, and it is so also in spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit is part of the process of regenerating the human soul so that we can be alive to the message of the gospel. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 2
7. Then, the Holy Spirit becomes our living water. When we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes His home in our souls and lives with us, showing us the ways and the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is our source of life in Christ! 8. Application: We need the Holy Spirit to live in God as much as we need water to live every day. We need fresh water every day. There should never be a day that you are not intimately connected with God through the Holy Spirit and His speaking into your life. If you haven t heard the Holy Spirit in a while, then you re not living the abundant life God has for you! Don t get stagnant in your spiritual life! II. The Holy Spirit is symbolized through the dove and oil. A. The Holy Spirit is represented as a dove in the New Testament. 1. The dove throughout the Bible shows up in the most interesting places. It is the dove or a turtledove that can be offered by the poor in a sacrifice if they don t have enough money to buy a bigger animal. 2. The dove also displays a certain beauty and innocence in God s Word. Jesus talked about being wise as serpents, surely a reminder of how cunning the serpent in the Garden of Eden was, and also calls us to be innocent as doves. 3. Doves especially show up in redemptive themes, such as the dove that Noah sends out to see if the flood is over, which brings back confirmation that it is. 4. As mentioned before, the dove can be used in the sacrifices and offerings for sin. This is a secondary understanding of the dove in the Bible. So it is interesting then that the Holy Spirit is also symbolized as a dove in the Gospels. 5. At the baptism of Jesus, there is a clear representation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together in the same moment. The Father speaks from Heaven, This is My Son, with whom I am well pleased. The Son is coming up out of the water, and the Spirit is represented in a dove that comes down and rests on Jesus. 6. Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit would come upon one or two people, or even a small group. In the baptism of Jesus, there is a clear understanding that the Spirit has come upon Him like the prophets, priests and kings of old. 7. The dove represents the Holy Spirit in the innocence and the peace that He gives us through His presence in our lives. He comes into us when we are walking with God in righteousness and bears witness to our relationship with God. B. Oil is a common symbol for the Holy Spirit and anointing. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 3
1. There are several keys to remember about oil in the Bible. First, and most frequently, oil in the Bible has to do with anointing. Anointing is a process involved in preparation for service to God. We will be talking about anointing next week. 2. Second, oil was used in cooking and food by many in the Bible times. It was made from olives and used in cooking like it is today. It was considered an essential ingredient and common in almost all households. Usually it is mentioned as a necessity with wine and flour. 3. The key to this is that as the Holy Spirit is symbolized through oil, we must realize that He is essential to the believer. All that He is and has for us should be our goal to receive from Him. We need Him just to live. 4. Next, oil was used as a source for fuel and burned quite brightly in the lamps of the Bible times. This is of great interest, because Jesus teaches us that we are the lights of the world. 5. As God s lights of the world, we need to be fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be brighter for Him! He helps us to be bolder witnesses of Jesus and to live lives that make people notice God s goodness. 6. Finally, oil was used in the healing process. It is notable in some verses of the Bible, like Isaiah 1:6 and Luke 10:34 speak directly of applying oil to a wound to help it heal. So also, specifically, in Mark 6:13 and James 5:14, Jesus disciples anoint others with oil for healing. 7. The oil may have been a help medically in some cases to open sores and wounds, but it was more symbolic of the healing of God s Spirit in the lives of believers, as part of the benefits of salvation. 8. Application: Anytime that you need God s healing, we are called as a church to lift you up before God s throne. We can t heal you, but God can. And so those who are effective in touching God s throne in prayer and intercession are called upon and we anoint you with oil and pray the prayer of faith in God s ability to heal you! When you need a touch from God in healing, please don t hesitate to let us know so we can pray for you! III. The Holy Spirit is symbolized through fire and the seal. A. Fire is used of the Spirit throughout the Bible. 1. Fire is used throughout the Bible as well, and especially in the Old Testament is a symbol of God s presence, His voice, and His Spirit. In the New Testament, the Spirit is used as fire in several ways. 2. In the Old Testament, the presence of God went before His people in the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. The people would follow this presence throughout the wilderness. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 4
3. When God visits Israel on Mount Sinai, the fire and presence of God comes down upon the mountain in purely frightening ways to the people. God s power and His presence are certainly visible to them. 4. So fire and presence are directly connected in the Old Testament. Fire was part of burnt offerings and sacrifices made to the Lord, a symbol of redemption in the Old Testament as well. 5. The fire of God came down upon the altar at Mount Carmel when Elijah prayed for God to show Himself as the powerful and only God of Israel in a time of idolatry to Baal. 6. God spoke through fire at the burning bush to Moses when he was a shepherd on the backside of the desert. There also, the ground was made holy by God s presence with Moses. 7. In the New Testament, it is most often used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Especially in talks of baptism, John the Baptist told the people that he baptized with water for repentance, but Jesus would baptize or immerse with fire and with the Holy Spirit. 8. The fulfillment of these promises is in Acts 2, where the Spirit comes upon Jesus followers and is like tongues of fire that separate and stand on their heads. 9. The fire of the Spirit once again shows a boldness, a light of the world kind of imagery. And yet, the New Testment talks about fire not only as a boldness, but also as a punishment and as a purifier. 10. At one point during Jesus ministry, He is rejected by a certain town and the sons of thunder, James and John, ask Him if He wants them to call down fire from Heaven on them. 11. There is also the imagery of God as a consuming fire. He is one who will deal with us. Jesus has eyes that are aflame in Revelation, eyes that burn through the excuses of our souls to the heart of our sin and disobedience. 12. God also prunes and purifies us through His Holy Spirit, bearing witness to our consciences and making us more sensitive to sin and the things in our lives that displease God. 13. Application: Through God s Spirit, we are granted the powerful penetrating presence of His goodness. There is a boldness, a power that comes from His Spirit as represented by fire. But there is also a purifying and a disciplining by the Spirit, and we must be obedient to God s Spirit and accept both His blessings and His disciplines! B. The Seal is used of the Spirit in the New Testament. 1. Especially in Ephesians 1:13-14, the Holy Spirit is also spoken of by Paul as a seal of God upon those who bear His presence and walk in His ways, who trust in Him alone. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 5
2. Those who are saved have the Holy Spirit of God upon and in them as His seal. Now this is not a seal like you put on a lid to guarantee the contents inside will be protected. 3. It is the kind of seal that a king would use in the ancient times. A seal was a hot piece of wax that the king would then place his signet ring in and impress the image upon the seal. 4. As it cooled, the seal would then bear the image of the king s signet. It would convey the official authority of the letter and its authenticity from that king. 5. It would also convey His ownership of the message and contents inside. The Holy Spirit, then, is brought into our lives because He is making us to be like Jesus, the King. 6. As God s seal, He is like a down-payment in our lives. He is the beginning of the many benefits and blessings that we will enjoy as we live for Him and walk in His ways. 7. Having the Holy Spirit in us at salvation shows that we bear Jesus image, and that we have His authority. Because of the Holy Spirit in us, we have the power and authority of Jesus as we go about our lives. 8. The seal of the Holy Spirit is something that is noticeable to others. They see the Spirit s fingerprints on our lives, our character, and our actions. They also see the Spirit s influence in our thoughts, our intentions and our speech. 9. As believers who bear the seal of the Holy Spirit, we belong to God, and then must be obedient to Him. We are not our own, but we are bought at a price. We must then live for Him in righteousness which glorifies Him. 10. Application: We have been given the precious gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit. But we must be obedient to God and represent Him well. We must live for Him and actively pursue the life of righteous thinking and acting that God is pleased with. Since we have God s seal, we must live for Him every day in every situation. Are you bearing God s seal well? Conclusion There are so many images for the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible. Each image shows us a different facet of the Spirit s character and Person. The Spirit is our guide, our Helper, our Comforter and our connection to God. The Spirit helps us to commune with God and helps us to live for Him. Sometimes we are purified from sin and from the things that displease the Lord. Sometimes we are guided into righteousness by the Spirit. Sometimes we are prepared for service through the anointing oil of His Spirit. Sometimes we are healed by His presence and power in our bodies. But all the time, the Spirit is in us and among us, working His wonderful works through and in us! By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 6
Action Points Do you trust in the Spirit s work even when you don t know what it looks like or all the details? Like the wind, we can see His effects. What is He doing in you right now? Do you rely on the Spirit of God for your very life? Is He the source of your spiritual walk and of your life with God? Do you look to Him for your next blessing and your next move? Are you prepared to serve God? Are you anointed for a task in His Kingdom? What is the Spirit telling you to do for God? How is He leading you? And is your life a living example of His discipline? Do you walk the walk and talk the talk? By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 7