THE REVELATOR

Jackson Jose continues the series on the Holy Spirit.

The Prophets

The Revelator is one of the many names of the Holy Spirit because He can reveal the mind of God to His people. It was the Holy Spirit who spoke through the Prophets in the Old Testament, “because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:21) It was the Holy Spirit who inspired Holy men and women to great action throughout the Bible.

Christ’s Birth Foretold

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit revealed to God’s people that He was going to send them a saviour and helped them to prepare for the coming of Jesus. The birth, suffering and even the death of the coming saviour who would redeem the world was revealed to the prophet Isaiah by the Holy Spirit. What Isaiah wrote about the birth of Christ, over seven hundred years before it actually happened, he said, “The young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) This prophecy is repeated in the New Testament when the angel came to St Joseph in a dream giving him these instructions about Mary. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).

The Annunciation

This prophecy was fulfilled at the Annunciation. When the Blessed Virgin Mary asked the Angel Gabriel how she was going to conceive and bear a child and he replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; He will be called Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) It was the Holy Spirit who brought forth Jesus into Mary’s womb, the same Holy Spirit who had spoken to the prophets about His birth so long before.

Pentecost Foretold

Another Old Testament prophet, Joel filled with the power of heaven, prophesied about the coming of the Holy Spirit on God’s people, “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29) Hundreds of years later, on the day of Pentecost, those who were gathered with the Blessed Virgin Mary were filled with the Holy Spirit. “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Discern The Truth

Jesus often talked about the coming of the Holy Spirit to His disciples. He said that the Holy Spirit would help us to decide what is sinful and what is righteous (John 16:8-11). This same ability to discern the truth from lies was given to Joseph in the story in Genesis. When Potiphar's wife tried to lure him to sin, Joseph listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit within him and this gave him the courage to refuse her (Genesis 39:7-9). In the same way the Holy Spirit would like to reveal God's will to us in everything that we do. So let us allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us God’s will for our lives and show us the right pathway.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, the Revelator please give us more revelation, give us more insight into heavenly things and help us to do your will. Amen.

LET US ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO REVEAL TO US GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES AND SHOW US THE RIGHT PATHWAY.