The Scripture use
several symbols to represent the
offices, functions, and
ministrations of the Third Person
of the Godhead. These emblems,
figures, and representations help
to portray the magnitude of the
Spirit’s power and work.
Oil: The oil used
in connection with the ancient
sanctuary symbolized the
Spirit’s presence. God
commanded that anointing oil be
used at the dedication of the
Tabernacle to signify its setting
apart for holy purposes. In
Israel’s economy, prophets,
priests, and kings were anointed
for holy office. God thus
indicated that the Holy Spirit
would guide these men in
discharging their duties.
For example, God
instructed Elijah to anoint his
successor, Elisha. (1 Kings
19:16.) Samuel anointed David in
the midst of his brethren, and
‘the Spirit of the Lord came
upon David from that day
forward.” (1 Samuel 16:13.)
At Aaron’s dedication to the
priesthood joy prevailed. David
commented, “Behold, how good
and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in
unity! It is like the precious
ointment upon the head, …
even Aaron’s.” psalm
133:1,2.
Similarity, the
gospel provides an unction or an
anointing of the Spirit for every
believer. The Spirit sets apart
every born-again soul to live a
dedicated life. (1 John 2:20,27.)
Water: People
living in the Near East call
water the gift of God. As there
can be no life without water, so
there can be no spiritual life
without the Holy Spirit. Paul not
only associated the Spirit of
life (Romans 8:20, but he even
declared, “The Spirit is
life” (Romans 8:10). Isaiah
equated water with the Spirit;
“I will pour water upon him
that is thirsty, and floods upon
the dry ground: I will pour out
my spirit upon thy see.”
Isaiah 44:3. Of Jesus’
statement about “rivers of
living water” that were to
flow from each believer, John
commented, “But this spake
he of the Spirit, which they that
believe on him should
receive.” (John 7:38,39.) In
vision, John saw “a pure
river of water of life…
proceeding out of the throne of
God.” (Revelation 22:1.)
Over a millennium, earlier
Ezekiel had seen in vision waters
issuing out of the restored
sanctuary. (Ezekiel 47:1-7.) Both
prophets picture the blessing as
coming from the throne of God.
When Israel asked
for water, God told Moses to
strike a rock. When he did so,
water flowed freely from the
rock. (Exodus 17:1-7.) Paul later
explained, “they drank of
that spiritual Rock that followed
them: and that Rock was
Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4.
Christ sustained and led Israel.
At the cross, He bore the stroke
that He might provide the
sustaining Spirit for all who
thirst.
Bible writers
associated water with
regeneration (Titus 3:5) and the
new birth (John 3:5). Thus in a
special sense, baptism, immersion
in water, symbolizes spiritual
cleansing. (Acts 22:16.)
Allusions in the
Bible to springs, fountains,
wells, rivers, dew, showers, and
rain in many cases refer to the
ministry of the Spirit. Not only
are the faithful to drink out of
the wells of salvation (Isaiah
12:3), but also they are to
dispense living waters to others;
that is, they are to let the
Spirit in them flow out as rivers
of blessings for other (John
4:14; 7:38).
Wind: The rushing
wind at Pentecost announced the
presence of the Third Person of
the Godhead. (Acts 2:1-4.) The
wind also portrays the new birth.
“The wind bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the
sound thereof, but canst not tell
whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is
born of the Spirit.” John
3:8. The Spirit, like the wind,
works invisibly only its effects
are seen.
Fire: Fire
consumes the dross and refines
the gold. When the angel touched
Isaiah’s lips with a
“live coal… from the
altar,” the Lord said unto
him. “thine iniquity is
taken away.” (Isaiah 6:6,7.)
Fire denotes
spiritual energy, divine fervor,
penetrating enthusiasm, and holy
inspiration. The passive soul
touched by the fire of the Spirit
becomes possessed with a burning
passion to save souls. Neither
education, training, nor
environment brings about this
change. The Holy Spirit creates
it.
John the Baptist,
whom Jesus described as a burning
and shining light (John 5:35),
prophesied of the Messiah,
“He shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost and with
fire.” Luke 3:16. After
Christ’s return to heaven,
He did baptize His followers with
the Holy Spirit. On the day
of Pentecost cloven tongues of
fire sat upon 120 disciples of
Christ, and they went forth as
blazing torches and set ablaze
3,000 other converts that very
day. (Acts 2:1-4, 41.)
When persecution
later broke out in Jerusalem, the
disciples “went every where
preaching the word.” (Acts
8:4.) Thus, fires were lighted
here and there and continued to
spread until within thirty years
salvation’s thrilling story
had encompassed the Roman world.
(Romans 1:8.) Bible prophecy
depicts in time’s last hour
yet another gospel conflagration
when the message of Christ’s
return will be heralded with
power “to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and
people.” (Revelation 14:6.)
God needs more
such flames of fire today. How
can one become a firebrand for
Christ? By fully accepting Christ
and His Spirit, as did the
totally committed Paul, who said,
“I am made all things to all
men, that I might by all means
save some.” 1 Corinthians
9:22.
Total commitment
led Martin Luther to testify
before the Diet of Worms,
“Unless therefore I am
convinced by the testimony of
Scripture, … I cannot and I
will not retract … Here I
stand, I can do no other; may God
help me. Amen.”
Total commitment
led John Knox to pray, “Give
me Scotland or I die.”
Total commitment
led John Wesley to exclaim,
“I look upon the world as my
parish.”
Total commitment
led William Carey to reply,
“Serving Christ is my
business, and I cobble shoes for
a living.”
Total commitment
led David Livingston to insist,
“I will place no value on
anything I have or may possess
except in relation to the Kingdom
of Christ.”
Ministers ablaze
for Christ and “fervent in
spirit” will cross the
hottest deserts scale the
steepest mountains, defy the
densest jungles, pierce iron and
bamboo curtains, penetrate Muslim
and Hindu strongholds, invade the
most forbidding cities, to
conquer the unconquerable. They
will scorn the unheroic, the
mediocre, and unchallenging, to
spend and be spent, do and dare,
give and go, in utter abandon
following the Spirit’s
direction for the salvation of
souls and the glory of God.
Memory Verse:
Romans
8:10. “And if
Christ be in you, the body is
dead because of sin, but the
Spirit is life because of
righteousness.
