On the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 31, just weeks after Christ’s crucifixion, His disciples gathered in Jerusalem as He had instructed. Thousands more were also there for the annual holy day.
Swiftly, a sound like a rushing wind came from the sky above and filled the entire place where the disciples had gathered.
Several times before His death, Christ told His disciples that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—also called the Helper, Spirit of truth and Promise of the Father (John 14:16-17; Acts 1:4-5).
It was God’s Holy Spirit that gave these disciples the ability to communicate in other languages. And it was the same Helper and Spirit of truth that inspired Peter’s powerful sermon on that day.
The power of the Holy Spirit
Some of those gathered in Jerusalem mocked, saying these men were intoxicated.
But Peter said, “For these are not drunk . . . But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days’” (Acts 2:15-18).
Yes, Peter told those present that they were witnessing the power of God’s Holy Spirit that had now begun to be poured out on those who believed.
Continuing his message, Peter said that this promise of the Father was available not just to the apostles, but to all who would sincerely repent of their sins and be baptized (verses 38-39).
Miraculously, about 3,000 individuals believed Peter’s words, repented of their sins, were baptized by the apostles and received the gift of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth that would now work powerfully in their lives (verses 40-41).
The Holy Spirit is the power of God, not a person
It’s important to note that Peter said that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God (verse 38). Christ told the disciples that this promise of the Father would result in their being “endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
The Holy Spirit is how God extends Himself into the physical creation.
The Holy Spirit is the power of God, the power that can be poured out and given to those God chooses.
Later in his ministry, Peter wrote that it was this power from on high that enabled the prophets to preach the messages they gave long ago: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Bible clearly states in several places that the Holy Spirit is the power of God, the power that can be poured out and given to those God chooses.
The Holy Spirit began to be poured out more widely as God established the Church on that Day of Pentecost in A.D. 31.
When would the Holy Spirit be given?
After he was endued with the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter was inspired to quote Joel, proclaiming that God’s Spirit would be poured out in the last days, enabling men and women to prophesy, see visions and have special dreams (Acts 2:17).
This is significant because before Jesus Christ came to this earth, the Holy Spirit had been given to only a select few.
- It was the Holy Spirit that enabled the prophets to understand the visions they saw and preach messages about future events.
- It was the Holy Spirit that caused Joseph to have the dream about his brothers and interpret the dreams of his fellow prisoners.
- It was the Holy Spirit that gave Daniel the understanding to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
And it is the same Holy Spirit that will enable others to have the same gifts as the prophets in the last days.
When are the last days?
The term last days typically describes the time period just before Christ’s return and on into the Millennium, when God’s Spirit will be made available to all humanity.
(To learn more about the term last days in the Bible, read “Are We in the Last Days?”)
Speaking of the millennial reign, notice what the prophet Ezekiel, inspired through the Holy Spirit, wrote that God would do for His people:
Notice that it is the power of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within His people that will give them the power to change their behavior and attitude.
God’s Spirit not only enables people to understand dreams, but also empowers people to overcome their human nature and grow to be more like God. As the Spirit of truth, it helps us identify and reject the spirit of error that surrounds us (1 John 4:6).
When Christ returns as King of Kings, He will establish the government of God on earth. Starting with the descendants of modern Israel, all people will be taught God’s truth and the purpose of their existence. As they respond, repent and are baptized, they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—a gift that will transform their lives.
This offer of transformation will expand to include everyone who is alive during the Millennium, as well as the Great White Throne Judgment period that will follow.
How will this prophecy be fulfilled?
Why would God offer the gift of His Spirit to Peter’s audience if it were not yet the last days?
For the same reason that God gave His Spirit to a select few in the Old Testament times.
Even though Adam and Eve severed themselves and their descendants from God because of sin, this did not mean humanity would forever and always be separated from Him.
God still has a plan, and that plan involves some being offered salvation now, while the majority will wait until the last days.
God often fulfills prophecies in a dual manner, beginning with an initial, partial fulfillment and later followed by a more dramatic and complete fulfillment.
Prior to Christ’s first coming, God offered salvation and His Spirit to very few. Then, during His earthly ministry, Christ selected and trained 12 disciples in preparation for another step in His plan, the establishment of God’s Church.
The Church consists of those the Father calls to be prepared to assist Christ for that future time when the bulk of humanity will have their opportunity for salvation. Those who respond to the Father’s calling are called firstfruits and have access to the Holy Spirit now to help them transform their lives.
It was on the Day of Pentecost that Jesus Christ established His Church through His disciples, who became the apostles.
On that day—marking the birth of God’s Church—His Holy Spirit began to be poured out on humanity, which is why Peter quoted the prophet Joel, showing that the fulfillment of that prophecy had begun.
God often fulfills prophecies in a dual manner, beginning with an initial, partial fulfillment and later followed by a more dramatic and complete fulfillment.
The giving of the Holy Spirit to those the Father calls is a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy—a foretaste of what will be fully realized when the Spirit is ultimately offered to all in the last days, after Christ returns as King of Kings.
The promise is also to you
Jesus Christ commissioned His Church to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).
While it is the Father who initiates the calling, salvation comes through Jesus Christ (John 6:44; Acts 4:10, 12; Ephesians 2:13-18). Christ has enlisted His Church to faithfully assist in preaching the gospel and nurturing those whom the Father has called.
This is exactly what Peter and the other apostles began doing on the day God’s Church was established in A.D. 31. Many who heard their message responded, repented and received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.
Most of those who received God’s Spirit at that time didn’t experience visions, dreams or prophecy. Yet that precious gift transformed their lives. It led them to a deeper understanding of God’s truth and enabled them to become servants of the living God. The incredible truth is that all humanity will eventually have the opportunity for salvation.
If what you’re reading is beginning to make sense, then perhaps the Father is calling you. Perhaps the Spirit of truth is opening your mind to understand. If so, consider what Peter told the crowd when they asked what they should do after being convicted by the message.
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).
How will you respond?
Date Posted: June 9, 2025
About the Author
Tim Groves
Tim Groves attends the Jefferson, Georgia, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, where he serves as a deacon.
He has been married to his wife, Teresa, for over 30 years. Together, they have two daughters and two sons and live in South Carolina. They moved there from Ohio in 1997 to flee the cold northern winters and allow him to do the things he really enjoys, like roaming though automobile junkyards looking for hidden treasures from times long past.
