The Coming of the Holy Spirit

The coming of the Holy Spirit is pivotal as the focus of God's program of salvation, since Genesis twelve, shifts from the nation of Israel to the Church. For the first time in the history of the world, the baptism of the Holy Spirit will take place as the Spirit brings the hearts of those who hear the Gospel under conviction of their sin. This time of Gentile salvation takes place from the coming of the Holy Spirit until the rapture of the Church.

The Spirit manifested Himself where the believers were gathered by a sound, a visible sign, and by enabling the apostles to speak in other languages. This ability given by the Spirit provided the way for apostles to communicate with many different peoples in the native language of their ethnic group as they were gathered at Jerusalem for Pentecost. This fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy took place before their very eyes as a sign of God's judgment on Israel as the focus of salvation was shifting, for a time, to Gentiles.