Part 3-1: The Spiritual Significance of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Bibile Reading:

Galatians 3:14 — "...that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Joel 2:28-29 — "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants. I will pour out My Spirit in those days."

Isaiah 44:3 — "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;"

Zechariah 12:10 — "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

Ezekiel 1:3 — "...the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there."

Ezekiel 1:4 — "Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire."

Ezekiel 3:22 —  "Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”

Acts 2:1-4 — "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Acts 2:23 — "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;" 30-31— "David...being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption..." 36 — "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Acts 3:13-15 —  "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses."

Acts 4:25-26 — "who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage,And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand,And the rulers were gathered togetherAgainst the Lord and against His Christ.’"

Acts 5:31 — "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

Acts 10:36, 42 — "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all...And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead."

Romans 5:5 — "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Titus 3:5-6 — "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior"

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the action of God’s eternal will

If the Lord is willing, starting from tonight, we will have four messages in our meeting which is to continue the work the Holy Spirit over the past month or two. On one hand, this is to help brothers and sisters continue to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and walk on the path of revival. On the other hand, this is aimed to speak more deeply with brothers and sisters regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may lead us into a deeper level of understanding and experience.

To begin, we must first consider how the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is positioned in God’s own perspective. Please take note that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an ordinance that proceeds from God’s eternal will; it is the action of His eternal purpose.

1. The Blessing God Promised to Abraham

Galatians 3:14 says, "..that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." The ‘promised of Spirit’ mentioned here refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because the Lord Jesus Himself said in Luke 24:49, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you." And indeed, on the day of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. According to Galatians chapter 3, we see that this outpouring of the Spirit was something God had already promised as early as the time of Abraham, around 2000 B.C. Therefore, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an ordinance long established within God’s eternal plan.

When Jehovah promised Abraham,"In blessing I will bless you" (Genesis 22:17), Abraham did not yet know what this blessing ultimately referred to. It was not until the apostle Paul received revelation from the Holy Spirit that he told us in the book of Galatians that this blessing refers to the Holy Spirit poured out after Christ’s ascension. From this we can see that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not an impromptu action of the Lord; rather, it is an act that proceeds from God’s eternal will. It was promised to Abraham around 2000 B.C., began to be fulfilled at Pentecost, and was later revealed through Paul as the blessing God had long intended.

2. The Prophecy of the Prophet Joel

Not only so, God also spoke through several prophets to foretell the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, further confirming that the outpouring of the Spirit truly is an action that proceeds from God’s eternal will. First, more than eight hundred years before Christ, the prophet Joel prophesied, saying: And "It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; .... And also on My menservants and on My maidservants. I will pour out My Spirit in those day" (Joel 2:28-29) In Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, this prophecy was indeed fulfilled. The apostle Peter stood up and quoted the very words spoken by the prophet Joel concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17–18). Thus, God not only promised Abraham; He also revealed to the prophet Joel long beforehand that the Holy Spirit would one day be poured out.

3. The Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah

Next is the prophet Isaiah. More than seven hundred years before Christ, the Lord raised up Isaiah to speak repeatedly about the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 44:3— which is also the very promise God has been working among us this year in the Philippines— is a clear example. The Scripture says:"For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;" Here, the ‘water’ is a type of the Holy Spirit (John 4:14), the ‘streams’ also symbolize the Holy Spirit (John 7:38), and even the ‘blessing’ refers to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:14). All of these point to the outpouring of the Spirit. The reason God revealed to the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament era that one day the Holy Spirit would be poured out was to show that this is an action that proceeds from God’s eternal will.

4. The Prophecy of the Prophet Zechariah

We may also cite the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah from the latter part of the Old Testament. More than three hundred years before Christ, the prophet Zechariah received revelation and prophesied, saying: "I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication…" (Zechariah 12:10). This means that when the Holy Spirit is poured out, the result is that we will pray to the Lord. This promise was indeed fulfilled. The entire book of Acts is filled with prayer, because when the Holy Spirit was poured out, people were moved to earnest supplication. This again shows us that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is part of God’s eternal will, foretold long beforehand through many prophets.

A sister once came to ask me a question. She said that after receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the previous night, she went home and prayed six times before morning. She wondered whether such an experience was right or not. I told her it was a very good experience. For the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of grace and supplication, and the result of the Spirit’s outpouring is that people pray fervently. The Spirit places a burden of prayer within a person—no wonder she prayed six times in such a short period.

5. The Prophecy of John the Baptist

Finally, we come to John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament. Standing at the junction between the Old and New Testaments, and serving as the forerunner of Christ, he spoke even more clearly and definitively about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When he bore witness concerning Jesus, he said: "He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11). This too is a prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit. And indeed, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, tongues as of fire appeared (Acts 2:3), fulfilling this prophecy. God used the prophets of the Old Testament to speak repeatedly about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we might see that this outpouring is an action that proceeds from God’s eternal will. It was meant to prepare the hearts of those who would come later, so that they might be ready to receive this exceedingly great blessing.

6. The Charge of the Lord Jesus

Finally, we must quote the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Every word He spoke is important, but the words He uttered after His resurrection and just before His ascension are especially significant. For He had to make absolutely clear the most crucial matters before returning to heaven. At His departure, He charged the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4–5). Before the Lord Jesus sent His disciples out to labor, they first had to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Was the three and a half years of training from the Lord still not enough? Did they still need to receive the outpouring of the Spirit? Indeed, from the outward view, the outpouring of the Spirit is for receiving power. But the deeper reason is this: receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is part of God’s eternal will, and we must honor and accept God’s eternal purpose. From all the evidence mentioned above, it is clear that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an action within God’s eternal will. Therefore, we hope that every brother and sister will not take it lightly, but rather value it and receive it with humility. May the Lord have mercy on us.

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Began at Pentecost and Continues Until Christ’s Return

After speaking about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as an action rooted in God’s eternal purpose, we must also mention that the outpouring of the Spirit began at Pentecost and will continue until the Lord returns. Today there is a mistaken teaching among some Christians who think that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was something that happened only in the early church and has now become merely a part of history. This view is completely contrary to the facts. From the entire book of Acts, we can clearly see that the outpouring of the Spirit began at Pentecost and continues unbroken until Christ comes again.

First, we see that at Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out, and about one hundred and twenty disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4). A few years later, through Philip, the gospel reached the city of Samaria. After many believed in the Lord and were baptized in water, the apostles Peter and John came and laid hands on them, and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (Acts 8:17). Not long after, when Peter was sent to preach in the house of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit again came upon them (Acts 10:44). Later, Paul was called and sent to labor in Asia. When he arrived in Ephesus and laid hands on the twelve disciples there, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (Acts 19:6). By that time, more than twenty years had already passed since Pentecost. Moreover, the book of Acts ends without indicating that the Spirit’s work had ceased. This shows that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit has not stopped; it continues without interruption until the Lord returns.

The Spiritual Significance of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is both an action rooted in God’s eternal purpose and something that continues until the Lord’s return, we must ask: Why did God ordain this matter? Within God’s eternal will, what profound, unfathomable, vast, and wondrous meaning does the outpouring of the Spirit contain? This evening we will present three deeper, higher, and richer aspects of its significance.

1. Carrying Out God’s Eternal Will Upon the Vessel

The first point is this: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit being poured upon a vessel, and from that moment on, He carries out God’s eternal will and exercises God’s sovereign authority upon that vessel. The purpose of the Spirit’s outpouring is to execute God’s kingship upon the vessel so that God’s will may be carried out. This is the first and most important emphasis.

• The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel

The passage we just read—Ezekiel 1:3—says, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” In the original Hebrew, it is “the hand of the Lord came upon him.” The Bible translates it as “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,” but according to the original wording, it is “the hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel.” If we take the original text literally, we would have to imagine: the Lord, who is in the unseen heavens—how long must His hand be to reach all the way down to Ezekiel? Clearly, the “hand” mentioned here refers to the Spirit of the Lord. Yet the revelation of Scripture intentionally uses the expression “the hand of the Lord.” This means that when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon a person, it is as though God’s own hand has come down and been laid upon that vessel.

We know that the hand of God is a hand full of power, a hand that rules over all things, a hand that holds unlimited authority and acts according to His own will. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, it is God’s hand being laid upon us. From that moment on, God carries out His sovereign authority upon us through the Holy Spirit—His hand—upon this vessel. Throughout the entire Bible, many instances of the laying on of hands are mentioned, and the primary meaning of this act is union. Thus, when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us—when the hand of the Lord rests upon us—it signifies that God has united Himself with us. As a result, God’s own sovereign authority is exercised in our lives, directing, governing, and ruling over us.

Although at that time God could not yet carry out His will freely on the earth, once His hand came upon Ezekiel—once the Spirit of God was poured out upon him—it was as if God were declaring: “Ezekiel, from this moment on, you no longer have freedom. You may no longer hold your own opinions or make your own choices. You must submit entirely to My sovereign authority. I will direct you and govern you. From now on, you will act according to My will.” From that moment forward, Ezekiel no longer had personal freedom. His whole being was led and governed by God. Wherever the Lord told him to go, he went. Whatever the Lord told him to speak, he spoke. Whatever the Lord commanded him to do, he did. His entire life—his words, his actions, his movements—was no longer his own. He was completely constrained and controlled by God. Thus, we see that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit carries a deeper spiritual meaning: it is the execution of God’s sovereign authority upon His vessel according to His eternal will.

Today many believers readily accept the teaching that the indwelling Spirit governs our whole being, yet they still have questions about the outpouring of the Spirit as the execution of God’s sovereign authority upon His vessel. Therefore, we must add further explanation. In the book of Ezekiel, some passages speak of the indwelling Spirit. For example, Ezekiel prophesies that God will give us a new heart and a new spirit, and that the Spirit of the Lord will dwell within this new spirit to enable us to walk in His statutes. This refers to the indwelling Spirit, as foretold in Ezekiel 36:26–27. But what we are considering tonight is the Holy Spirit being poured out upon a person. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel, it was the hand of the Lord resting upon him. The result was that God gained Ezekiel as His vessel, and the Spirit of God governed and directed Ezekiel according to God’s own will. In summary, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is God laying His hand upon us so that He may gain us as vessels fully governed and directed by Him. This truth was fulfilled even more clearly on the day of Pentecost.

• The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples at Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit was poured out. It was like a mighty rushing wind that filled the house where they were sitting. Then tongues as of fire appeared and rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:2–4). The result of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the disciples was that they spoke according to the utterance given by the Spirit. It was not that, after the Spirit was poured out, each person spoke whatever he wanted, freely expressing his own thoughts. No, absolutely not. The outpouring of the Spirit resulted in speaking according to the Spirit’s intention. This alone is sufficient proof that the purpose of the Spirit’s outpouring is to govern a person—that the Spirit may carry out God’s eternal will and exercise God’s sovereign authority in that person. This is one of the clearest examples.

James says, “If anyone does not stumble in words, he is a perfect man” (James 3:2). Our words represent the whole of our living. On the day of Pentecost, the result of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring was that they spoke in other tongues according to the utterance given by the Spirit. This means that the outpouring of the Spirit causes a person to no longer live or act carelessly, but to come under the Spirit’s governance—to conduct oneself according to the Spirit’s intention. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit carries a deeper meaning: it brings in the Lord’s sovereignty. The entire vessel is gained by God, and the Holy Spirit executes God’s authority upon that vessel according to His will.

Dear brothers and sisters, our experience also tells us that whenever the Holy Spirit is poured out and fills us, it is always when we are humbled, bowed low, and fallen before Him. It is when the Holy Spirit establishes the kingship of Christ and fully governs and directs us. May we all allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to carry out God’s will in us.

2. Imprinting God’s Eternal Will Upon the Vessel

The second meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is that God lays His eternal will upon the vessel—that is, He entrusts His eternal purpose to this person. Brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the revelation of God’s will to us. God causes us to see His great and glorious purpose, so that we may live within His will.

• Ezekiel Saw a Vision

In Ezekiel 3:3, it first says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel. Immediately afterward, in verse 4 and onward, it describes how he looked and saw the likeness of a throne above the living creatures, and above the likeness of the throne was something like the appearance of a man. This was Ezekiel beholding the vision of Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not merely to stir us up or create excitement. Its deeper meaning is to bring us into the sight and understanding of God’s eternal purpose.

• Ezekiel Heard the Lord Speaking

When we read Ezekiel chapter 3 carefully, we find in verse 22 another record: “The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me…” This shows that when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us, God speaks to us. God speaking means that He is revealing His will to us. Therefore, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not merely to give us power, nor simply to produce outward manifestations or allow us to receive certain blessings. The outpouring of the Spirit has a deeper purpose—to bring us into the sight and understanding of God’s eternal will. Once Ezekiel saw God’s will, he lived within that will, was used by God, and eventually wrote the book of Ezekiel.

• Peter Received the Revelation of the Fullness of Christ

We can also see a striking example from Peter. In Matthew 16, while in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Peter—through revelation given by God—declared that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is the central revelation, and Jesus was certainly pleased to hear it. But immediately afterward, the Lord began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised on the third day. Peter then took the Lord aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Lord! This shall never happen to You” (Matt. 16:22). Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!” From this we see that although Peter had received revelation from the Holy Spirit—recognizing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God—he had absolutely no understanding of the cross. He had revelation concerning the reigning Christ, but he had not seen the suffering Christ. Therefore, he tried to prevent Jesus from going to the cross.

Not only so—John 6 records Peter saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” He had set his heart to follow the Lord. He even declared, “Even if I must die with You, I will never deny You” (Matt. 26:35). Yet in the end, in the courtyard of the high priest, he denied the Lord three times before a servant girl. And when the Lord rose from the dead, Peter had already taken the disciples back to fishing, until the Lord sought him out and brought him back. Although Peter had received revelation, what he lived out was still unstable and wavering, because the revelation he had was partial. He did not yet know the suffering Messiah, nor did he understand the fullness of Christ. But remember—when the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were gathered together in one place. The Holy Spirit was poured out. Peter was filled with the Spirit, and the entire Scripture was opened to him. God’s eternal purpose and the fullness of Christ were unveiled to him. How different Peter was after Pentecost compared to before Pentecost!

• By Acts Chapter 2

In Matthew 16, Peter did not recognize the suffering Messiah. He did not understand the cross, and therefore he tried to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. But in Acts 2, the Peter who stood up on the day of Pentecost suddenly understood. The result of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon him was that God’s will was laid upon him—imprinted into his very being. In other words, the outpouring of the Spirit opened to him the eternal purpose of God. Thus, on the very day the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the entire Scripture—God’s eternal purpose—was unveiled to Peter. When he stood up to preach his first message, he first explained that the outpouring of the Spirit was not drunkenness, but the fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel. Immediately, he spoke forth the revelation from the book of Joel. Then he went on to explain the meaning of the cross.

In Matthew 16, Peter was completely confused about the cross. But in Acts 2, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, the meaning of the cross was opened to him. He proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ: “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;” (Acts 2:23) He now understood that Christ’s crucifixion was according to God’s determined purpose and foreknowledge—part of God’s eternal will. The Peter who received the Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost had the eternal purpose of God unveiled to him, and he was able to explain the meaning of the crucifixion of the fullness of Christ.

Next, the Psalms were also opened to Peter. He could quote the Psalm to proclaim the resurrection of the fullness of Christ. In his first message he said concerning the Lord Jesus: “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” (Acts 2:27) He explained that this was the fulfillment of David’s prophecy regarding the resurrection of Christ (Psalm 16:10).

We also see that Psalm 132 — concerning Christ’s ascension, enthronement, and kingship—was opened to him. He quoted verse 11 regarding Christ’s enthronement, and then boldly declared: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36) From this we see that God’s eternal purpose was opened to Peter. This is the goal the Holy Spirit’s outpouring seeks to bring us into

• By Acts Chapter 3

Dear brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not merely to give us some outward form of spiritual service. It carries a far higher meaning—to lay God’s eternal purpose upon us. After Acts chapter 2, the outpouring of the Spirit did not stop. Likewise, Peter’s revelation did not stop. His understanding of God’s eternal purpose and of the fullness of Christ continued to advance and expand.

By the time we reach chapter 3, when Peter rises to testify for Jesus, he does not simply repeat what he preached in chapter 2. Instead, he bears a further testimony. He says: “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of our fathers—has glorified His Servant Jesus…” and “You denied the Holy One and Just… you killed the Prince of life.” (Acts 3:13–15) Peter’s proclamation of Christ did not remain at the level of Acts 2. His light kept advancing. His knowledge of the fullness of Christ continued to increase. Having been filled with the Holy Spirit, with God’s word opened to him, Peter stood up in chapter 3 and, when speaking of the Son of God, declared that He is the Servant whom God has glorified, the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of life whom they had killed. The Christ Peter preached was a progressing Christ—a Christ revealed in ever-expanding fullness.

• By Acts Chapter 4

By chapter 4, Peter faced persecution from the rulers, elders, and scribes. After he was released, he immediately gathered with the disciples to pray. While they prayed, Psalm 2 was opened to them. Peter prayed, acknowledging that those who persecuted Jesus Christ were actually fulfilling what God’s hand and God’s purpose had predestined to occur. He then quoted Psalm 2, saying: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed.” (Acts 4:26) Peter declared that God’s Son, Jesus, is the Anointed One — the fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 2. God has already set Him as King upon Zion, His holy mountain. Peter was able to connect the Psalm to the ascension of Jesus, proclaiming that God’s Son is the Anointed Christ, the One in whom God’s entire plan and eternal purpose are centered. God has anointed Him and entrusted everything to Him, that through Him God’s plan and purpose might be accomplished. Peter’s revelation had expanded even further. As we read Scripture, we see that Peter was continually filled with the Holy Spirit, continually experiencing the Spirit’s outpouring, and his revelation never stopped advancing. For the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is to cause a person to see God’s great and eternal purpose—and to live within that purpose.

• By Acts Chapter 5

In chapter 5, Peter again faced persecution. Standing before the council, he proclaimed Christ once more. This time he spoke even more boldly: "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior" Here, Peter gained yet another fresh understanding of the Christ he preached. His revelation and experience continued to advance. Brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit comes, He always leads us into the fullness of God’s purpose. Praise the Lord!

• By Acts Chapter 10

When Peter went to Cornelius’s house to preach the gospel, the revelation of Christ he proclaimed was even broader. He preached that Jesus Christ is Lord of all (Acts 10:36) — the One before whom the entire universe must bow, acknowledging Him as the sovereign Lord over all things. Finally, he declared that Jesus is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). Christ is the standard of all judgment. Peter’s message continued to rise higher and move forward. Dear brothers and sisters, in Peter we truly see that the result of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring was like what Ezekiel experienced: the hand of God laid upon him, claiming him as a vessel and exercising kingship over him. At the same time, God’s eternal purpose was imprinted upon him—opened to him—so that he lived within God’s will. In the same way, the deeper spiritual meaning of the Spirit’s outpouring for us is no exception.

Perhaps after hearing these messages, you might ask: “That sister was recently filled with the Holy Spirit—then let’s have her explain God’s eternal purpose to us.” or, “That brother was powerfully filled with the Spirit last time—let’s invite him now to give us a detailed exposition of God’s eternal purpose. Let’s see whether he can explain it or not. Otherwise, how can we know whether God’s purpose has been opened to him?” Brothers and sisters, the unveiling of God’s eternal purpose does not come merely through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We also need to experience the deeper work of the cross, and we must become thoroughly acquainted with God’s Word—truly understanding the Scriptures. If from the beginning of the year to the end, we have not even read through the Bible once, and we rely only on the Spirit’s outpouring — almost like depending on dreams and visions — how can we possibly understand God’s eternal purpose? God does not work in that way. God desires that we become deeply familiar with His Word, and that we ourselves undergo a substantial experience of the cross. Then the Bible becomes a living book to us, and only then can God’s eternal purpose be opened to us.

Therefore, if a brother is very familiar with the Scriptures and has also experienced the work of the cross, even if he has not received an obvious outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he can still clearly expound God’s eternal purpose. For when the Spirit of revelation comes, He will open these things to him. On the other hand, if a brother or sister has experienced a powerful outpouring of the Spirit but is unfamiliar with the Scriptures, then it is impossible for them to understand God’s eternal purpose. The Spirit of revelation must work through the Word of God in order to reveal God’s eternal purpose to us. If we are people who know the Scriptures well, who have also undergone a deep experience of the cross, and who already possess some revelation, light, and understanding of God’s will—and then we also receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—then God’s Word will be opened to us even more. We will gain a deeper and broader understanding of God’s eternal purpose.

3. The Work of Inner Transformation

Regarding the deeper spiritual meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we must add one more point: The outpouring of the Spirit is not something that comes and goes for a moment. Each time the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, the result is that our spirit is opened afresh. The impurities within our spirit are cleansed, giving the indwelling Spirit more ground and strengthening His function within us. He works inwardly to transform us, so that this vessel may be aligned with the will of God.

• Strengthening the Function of the Indwelling Spirit

Remember this: there is never a single instance of the Spirit’s outpouring that remains merely on the body without touching the indwelling Spirit within. Only those without experience would say somethig like that. The Holy Spirit never pours Himself out casually upon the flesh. Whenever the Spirit is poured out, it is always at a moment when our heart and spirit are aligned toward the Lord. If our inner being is not turned toward the throne, the Spirit will not be poured out. But when our heart is truly directed toward the Lord on the throne, the Holy Spirit comes upon us. As a result, the Spirit connects with our inner being—He touches our spirit—and our inner spirit overflows. Naturally, the function of the indwelling Spirit is strengthened. For example, His functions such as: Conviction (John 16:8), sealing (Ephesians 1:13), Putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13), burning and cleansing (Isaiah 4:4), teaching (1 John 2:27), revelation (Ephesians 1:17), comforting (John 14:16), bearing fruit (Galatians 5:22)—all these operations begin to work more powerfully within us. Through them, the Spirit performs His transforming work, changing us inwardly so that we may live out God’s will and be aligned with His purpose. This is the deeper, higher, and fuller meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

• Pouring Out God’s Love Into Our Hearts

Romans 5:5 says, “Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” This means that the result of the Spirit’s outpouring is that we truly come to know this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Oh! brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, He often vividly sets the cross of Christ before our eyes. Our hearts are stirred by the love of the Lord, and we offer ourselves to Him. Our hearts are melted, our first love is rekindled, and we willingly deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Him. Thus, the outpouring of the Spirit also brings the great love of the Lord into us, transforming our inner being—turning us from hard, rebellious, selfish, self‑seeking people into those who are tender, obedient, self‑denying, and living for the Lord.

I recently met a brother in Cebu who often experiences the outpouring of the Spirit. He told me personally that whenever he sees a picture of Jesus on the cross in the marketplace, tears flow down his face. In the breaking‑of‑bread meeting, he often weeps with gratitude as he is moved by the Lord’s love. Whenever I fellowship with him, I sense a spirit that deeply knows the love of Christ.

• The Renewal of the Holy Spirit

Finally, we must mention one more work of the Spirit’s outpouring—the renewing work that makes us spiritual. Titus 3:5–6 says: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Here we see that the rich outpouring of the Holy Spirit is for our renewal. When we were saved, our spirit was made alive and we became a new creation. But as time goes on, through the assaults of sin, the influence of the world, and the disturbances of the flesh, we can become old, dull, and weighed down again. Yet the result of the Spirit’s outpouring is that our spirit — whether in fellowship, intuition, or conscience—is awakened and made more sensitive. Even the mind of our soul is renewed. In this way, our inner being is gradually transformed and renewed, making us truly spiritual.

In summary, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit carries at least these higher, deeper, and richer spiritual meanings described above. May the Lord lead us out of superficiality and into deeper experiences, so that the spiritual significance of the Spirit’s outpouring becomes the personal experience of each one of us. This is the higher and deeper revival.

<-- Back 　 Part 3-2 -->