Down Through The Ages
Scripture insights from the Coover family, 03/07/5767 (06/04/2006)
In Acts 2, we read about fire coming on the disciples’ heads as they were gathered for Pentecost. If we look back previous to Acts, we will see that Yahweh’s Spirit was typified in this manner all along.
Traditionally, the Law was given from Mount Sinai on the Day of Shavuot (or Pentecost). Exo. 19:18 - “And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because Yahweh descended upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” Here we behold the power of Yahweh descending to the mountain, and as His power does so, the mountain becomes covered with fire and a cloud of smoke.
Let’s step back in time a bit to another incident occurring near this mountain, also called Horeb. Exo. 3:1-5 - “Now Moshe kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of Elohim, even to Horeb. And the Messenger of Yahweh appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moshe said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, Elohim called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moshe, Moshe. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is set-apart ground.”
So we see that Yahweh called Moshe with the fire of His power, and after Moshe went to Egypt and led the people out, He revealed to him once again that same power on Mount Horeb (or Sinai) according to His promise. (See Exo. 3:12.)
Another example of Yahweh being revealed by fire is found in Exodus 13. Yahweh led the Israelites through the wilderness by His powerful hand, and a sign of that Divine power that was going with them was given. Exo. 13:21 - “And Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light to go by day and night.” Once again there is fire and a cloud (just like the smoke and fire on Mount Sinai).
A mountain is a sign of power too. Yahweh revealed the fire of His power near Mount Sinai (or Horeb) two times - once to Moshe alone, and afterwards to the whole congregation of Israel. Later on in the Apostolic writings, much the same picture is painted. Mark 9:1-8 - “And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here which shall not taste death till they have seen the Kingdom of Yahweh come with power. And after six days, Yahshua taketh with Him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and He was transfigured before them. And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Eliyah with Moshe, and they were talking with Yahshua. And Peter answered and said to Yahshua, Master, it is good for us to be hear, and let us make three tabernacles: one for Thee, and one for Moshe, and one for Eliyah. For he wist not what to say, for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him. And suddenly when they had looked round about, they saw no man anymore, save Yahshua only with themselves.” Yahshua told them that they would see the Kingdom of Yahweh coming with power, and then in accordance with His Word, He led them to a mountain to give them a taste of that heavenly power that would be revealed at the end of the ages. Just as on Mount Sinai, there was a cloud, there was a shining brightness as of fire and light (his face and raiment; See also Matt. 17:2), there was a voice coming out of the cloud (the voice of the Almighty), and the voice was instructing them to hearken and obey. However, unlike when the Law was spoken to all Israel, this was a private occasion between just a few. It was a foretaste of something that was coming for the whole body of Yahshua’s called out ones. Just as when Yahweh revealed to Moshe His power near Mount Horeb as a token of what was to come after the Israelites came out of Egypt, Yahshua revealed His power to three disciples on Mount Olivet, as a token of what is coming in the end times for all of His Israel. Zech. 14:4 - “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the East, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West, and there shall be a very great valley, and half of the Mountain shall remove toward the North, and half of it toward the South.” Now there is power, and it is revealed on Mount Olivet in the end of the age, not only to a few, but to all of His body as a whole.
In every case that we have looked at, this fire is not something which consumes. The only people which the fire of the Spirit consumes is those who do not obey Him. Exo. 19:12 - “And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death.” Rev. 20:7-9 - “And when the thousand years are expired, satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the set-apart ones about, and beloved city: and fire came down from Elohim out of heaven, and devoured them.” Everyone will be touched with the fire of the Spirit, though not all in the same way. Mk. 9:49 - “For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” For those who do not obey the message of the truth, this fire is something which consumes. Mk. 9:45-46 - “.... cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” However, while it destroys the enemies, it brightens and rejoices the children of light. Isa. 30:27-29 - “See, the Name of Yahweh comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; His lips are full of wrath, and His tongue is a consuming fire. His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; He places in the jaws of the people a bit that leads them astray. And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a set-apart festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of Yahweh, to the Rock of Israel.”
Down through history, we see over and over again the power of Yahweh revealed through a mountain, through fire, and through an overshadowing or a cloud. From this we see that the Spirit of Yahweh will lift us to new heights, reveal understanding and knowledge (an opening and enlightening of the eyes), and overshadow us with a cloud of protection and guidance.
May Yahweh’s Spirit be with you this Shavuot, this Pentecost, as it has been with His people all down through time, and as it will continue to be with His called out ones throughout all eternity.