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The Acts of the Apostles
the church the riches of the Spirit’s grace. And under the influence
of the Spirit, words of penitence and confession mingled with songs
of praise for sins forgiven. Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy
were heard. All heaven bent low to behold and to adore the wisdom
of matchless, incomprehensible love. Lost in wonder, the apostles
exclaimed, “Herein is love.” They grasped the imparted gift. And what
followed? The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed
in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands
were converted in a day.
“It is expedient for you that I go away,” Christ had said to His
disciples; “for If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” “When He, the Spirit of
truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak
of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He
will show you things to come.”
John 16:7, 13
.
Christ’s ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers
were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait
before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within
the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the
angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit
descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed
glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all
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eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication
that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His
promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a
token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven
and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.
“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.” The Holy Spirit, assuming the form of tongues of fire,
rested upon those assembled. This was an emblem of the gift then
bestowed on the disciples, which enabled them to speak with fluency
languages with which they had heretofore been unacquainted. The
appearance of fire signified the fervent zeal with which the apostles
would labor and the power that would attend their work.
“There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of ev-
ery nation under heaven.” During the dispersion the Jews had been