SOUNDS AND SHAKINGS OF THE SPIRIT

And suddenly there came a SOUND FROM HEAVEN, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting – Acts 2:2

The New Testament Outpouring of the Spirit came as “A SOUND FROM HEAVEN as of a rushing mighty wind” (Acts 2:2). When God pours the breath of His Spirit, it is hardly ever a hidden or silent affair; everyone would know He has! His breath came at Pentecost suddenly with “a strong wind, a blast” and the appearance of “divided tongues, as of fire” (v.3). What a terrific Day: Sound, Wind, Fire, and Tongues! The sound of the Spirit was mighty, rushing, and saturating: “It filled the whole house where they were sitting” (2:2). No ground was left for the devil to occupy! It was however, not only the house that was filled; hungry and thirsty hearts were filled to overflowing abundance: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (v.4). The Spirit’s sounds are significant among His signs. Soundless believers are ‘signless’ believers!

Moreover, when the Holy Spirit comes, He shakes up everything in sight: “For thus says the LORD of hosts: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake the heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory’…” (Hag.2:6-17). The Sound of the Spirit comes with the Move – yea, the Shakings – of the Spirit. If natural forces such as winds, waves, and fires could manifest substantial sounds and dynamism, how much more the Supernatural Outpouring of the Holy Spirit! True, the Holy Spirit is gentle in Personality and has been known to manifest by “a still, small voice” and “like a dove” (1Kgs.19:12b; Mt.3:16). However, His Outpouring is often a more dynamic manifestation!

Peter and the disciples saw that what took place at Pentecost was the prophesied outpouring from heaven. He immediately stood up and declared, “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…I will pour out My Spirit in those days…” (Acts 2:16-18).  Jerusalem’s religious rulers were however distraught at what they saw happening among the followers of the Lord Jesus. They tried shutting down the effect of that mighty blast from heaven. But the Holy Spirit moved on Peter, anointing him to declare in effect: “You can bully and even imprison us; but you cannot stop the supernatural sounds or arrest the Spirit’s mighty wind that is blowing through the land. You can threaten us to shut up, but we shall not stop speaking. Because God has breathed upon us, anointing and empowered us, we cannot but speak from the abundance of our filled-up hearts!”

Three chapters after the Pentecost account, we read again of the believers gathering in a great praise assembly and praying: “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30. The outcome: “the place where they were assemble together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

All of these simply buttress what the Old Testament prophets had spoken about the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit on God’s people – His Church – in these last days: that everything that can be shaken will be shaken. This shaking will includethe very elect of God: “whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven” (Heb. 12:26). Beloved, more than ever before, we are in the days of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit – the days of supernatural sounds and shakings. By the workings of the Holy Spirit, everything that ought to be shaken in this decaying world and in and around our lives shall be thoroughly shaken, that there might be unhindered release of God’s revelations and manifestations – particularly in these last hours!