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Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy. Acts 2: 18

DISPENSATION

The fourth major telling is to the Dispensation. Dispensation means different things to different people. In this understanding, however, dispensation is used to qualify and quantify the manifestation of the poured out Holy Spirit on God’s servants, male and female alike. It is simply the fruit one is given to bear. Look at it like this. You have poured out time, money and energy into chicken rearing. You are then given the dispensation of being called a chicken farmer and more than that, much more than that, you are able to offer the public whole chickens, chicken parts and even chicken eggs. Jesus has stated that the manifestation of the outpoured Holy Spirit in His servants, both women and men, is that they will prophesy. I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy.

Pause for a moment. Ask yourself these pertinent questions. Who is the author of these words, as quoted in our Scripture text? Is the author the prophet Joel? If you know that he is not the author, then who is? The One who gave him this word to foretell is the One and Only Author. Yes, God is the Author and if God has said that He will do something, God will do it as He says. God does not lie. Will God tell His people a lie? Will He speak falsely and falsity to them? Will you carefully listen to God’s Promise and hear it like this? Will you, in faith, hear God Himself speaking these words?

• I will pour out My Spirit – God is the Person who is pouring out, no one else, for it is His Spirit, no one else’s.

• They will prophesy – God is the Person who says that those on whom He pours His Spirit, will prophesy, no one else.

Is it then that a person knows that he or she is filled with the Holy Spirit, when he or she prophesies? Then what does it mean, to prophesy? For one thing, every Spirit-filled person is not necessarily made into a prophet as Joel, or any of the other Minor or Major Prophets were. However, before we are given further wisdom on what it means to be prophesying in the Spirit, we will be taken to an occasion, where people have been given enablement by the Holy Spirit to prophesy. In each case you will note how none of them was given the indwelling of the Spirit, just His enabling power for a season and specific reason. I have quoted the relevant Bible verses which speak much to us.

David, running for his life from murderous King Saul, seeks refuge with Samuel, God’s prophet. Samuel takes David to safety in Naioth in Ramah. But Saul hears of it.

So he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied. Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, Where are Samuel and David? Over in Naioth at Ramah, they said. So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, Is Saul also among the prophets? 1 Samuel 19: 20 – 24.

They were all enabled, Saul and his servants, enemies of God and God’s servant, to have the Spirit come on them so that they prophesied. But were they indwelt by the Spirit?

We follow through, tomorrow.