John’s message was the baptism of repentance and water, but Christ’s ministry was the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. He even felt unworthy to untie Christ’s shoes, but His baptism foreshadowed the baptism that Christ would bring about. Jesus said, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46-49) He and John both preached repentance unto the remission of sins, which was provided through the sacrifice Jesus paid at Calvary. However, if they would choose to wait for the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the upper room, they would receive it in a great and mighty measure, one that cannot be explained. It is truly the evidence of the supernatural as one would die to death itself in order to receive the newness of life through the very breath of God! It is dying to the natural in order to cling to the supernatural!

Acts 2:1-4 says, “1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Five hundred were present at the time of Christ’s ascension (1 Corinthians 15:6), but ten days later, on the Day of Pentecost, there were only 120. Only 120 did not lose faith and patiently waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit because they did not want to miss what God had in store for them. Do not leave too early! When the promise did come, they were in unity in one place glorifying and meditating upon God. The Holy Spirit moved as a mighty rushing wind and the baptism of tongues of fire rested upon them. Afterwards, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them the words to say. It was not just words. This was straight from the throne of God!

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was revealed through His wind as God breathed new life into them and the Spirit of Christ rested upon them and within them. God moved in this way for two ways. First of all, it was to correct everything that happened at the Tower of Babel. In the construction of the Tower of Babel, people were united in pride to exalt themselves in their own religion. In the construction of the church, the Day of Pentecost was to bring about unity in order to fulfill the mission of God’s kingdom by spreading the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all languages so everyone can understand it. They were to be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit so that signs, wonders, and miracles followed and confirmed their ministry.

Secondly, it reflected what happened in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle of Moses on the Day of Atonement. It was entered into one day of the year by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, a day for the entire nation to enter into prayer and fasting. The High Priest would shed off all of his garments, only going before the LORD with linen garments. He would make sacrifices for the entire nation. It was a dark room, and the only piece of furniture in that place was, again, the Ark of the Covenant, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwells, or is enthroned, between the cherubim (2 Samuel 6:2). If the sacrifices of the high priest on the Day of Atonement were accepted, the nation of Israel would know it because God’s presence would come down, and when He comes, He does so in power and authority! A light would fill the Holy of Holies because God Himself is the light of that room, a Consuming fire, not the sun or a golden lamp stand. The children of Israel looked upon the Holy of Holies, and when God’s presence filled that room, it would expand like a lung, and the sound that was made in the Hebrew was “rooach,” which is the “breath of God.” They knew God showed up when the wind came in! You will either be moved by the wind of false doctrine or the wind of the Holy Spirit. Wind can either generate electricity or damage, and while the wind of false doctrine is like a tornado or hurricane that may entertain some but only leads to destruction, the wind of the Holy Spirit will generate an electricity in you unlike anything else in this world. There needs to be the sound of a mighty rushing wind of the Holy Spirit in our lives once again!