A common belief among those in christianity is that, when the bible was completed, the Holy Spirit stopped communicating directly with people. To maintain such a belief, they must twist scriptures and lift verses out of their contexts (which is a common tactic found in many christianese false teachings).
Such a belief is necessary mostly because of the counterfeit salvation christianity peddles. As christianity removed the “endure in belief” part of the path to salvation (which includes being led personally by the Holy Spirit), and falsely teaches that salvation is an immediate condition based upon a person’s decision or prayer, the actual confirmation of one’s salvation was perverted, and changed to being one’s feelings, one’s lifestyle choices, and words in scripture ABOUT the doctrines of salvation (scripture cannot confirm anybody’s salvation).
Messiah’s bride was revealed on the earth with the giving of the spiritual (new) covenant on the Feast of Weeks that followed Messiah’s resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits (Acts 2). Now, on that very day, the apostle Peter quoted the prophet Joel, because Peter recognized that what Joel had prophesied had just happened.
AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS, Yah says . . .
When are the “last days”? Man is given a “week” on the earth (remember, with Yah, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day—2 Peter 3:8). There were 4 “days” (4000 years) from Adam’s fall to Messiah’s earthly ministry. The “last days” are the final 3 “days” (3000 years), and that period began with what is shown in Acts 2.
Note that Joel and Peter were speaking about a period of 2000 years, from the giving of the spiritual covenant to Armageddon (“the great and terrible day of the Lord”), or the end of the sixth “day” of man. We know that the seventh day (Sabbath) of that week will be Messiah Yahoshua’s millennial reign on this earth.
THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND . . .
This means that the new covenant was not given to a physical people, as the old covenant was (Ten Commandments to the physical Jews), but that there is no longer a distinction between physical Jews and Gentiles. Thus, the spiritual covenant (Holy Spirit) was made available to all people, regardless of bloodline or gender.
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY . . .
Now, this is important. During the OT, it was specific people who would prophesy, and the Holy Spirit communicated directly with them to speak the words of Yah to others. Those words could foretell coming events, or they could merely be the truths of the Holy Spirit being proclaimed. And, when we read through the books of the prophets, HOW did the Holy Spirit communicate directly with them?
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY.
“Your sons and daughters” is speaking of Y’isra-el—the spiritual real substance of it. While we have covered this in other posts, it is speaking of those who are in Messiah, according to Romans 8:9—they have the seal of the Holy Spirit. As we’re told in Romans 11, they are the real substance of Y’isra-el, being grafted into her.
Understand that the prophecy begins with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit as the new covenant, which occurred in Acts 2, but continues on to “the great and terrible day of the Lord,” which will end the tribulation at Armageddon.
Of course, we have not yet gotten to Armageddon, so clearly, the prophecy that Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to repeat on that Feast of Weeks is still active TODAY!
Where in that prophecy are we told that, when the bible is completed, direct communication from the Holy Spirit will cease? Nowhere. In fact, we are told exactly the opposite. We’re told that when the Holy Spirit is poured out onto someone, he will see visions and dream dreams, and that would continue happening until the tribulation, which will end with Armageddon.
Now, we’re told in Genesis 40:8 exactly who owns the interpretation of dreams (Yah does), and if He owns the interpretations, He owns the dreams. Elihu told us in Job 33:14-18 how the Father speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit warns, confirms, and instructs people through dreams (subconsciously) because demons have access only to our conscious thoughts (our soul).
Demons cannot counterfeit what the Holy Spirit communicates subconsciously through dreams (our spirit); but they can, and do, counterfeit everything else where our conscious thoughts are concerned (our soul). That’s why verses like Jeremiah 17:9 warn us about trusting our “hearts” (our conscious thoughts and feelings).
It is also why Paul said in Romans 8:16 that the Holy Spirit Himself testifies to our spirit that we are children of Yah. How did the Holy Spirit testify to the spirit of the prophets? Just read through their books, if you don’t know.
Even though there are many passages that support this truth, this passage in Acts 2 alone definitively debunks the notion that “the Holy Spirit doesn’t communicate directly with people that way anymore.” And yet, I have heard many, many christians make that claim. Would someone to whom the Holy Spirit communicates directly ever state such a thing?
Actually, sometimes, people simply do not recognize that the Holy Spirit is speaking to them because they’ve been taught that He no longer does that—even though the scriptures are clear that He would, and He does.
Because this truth has been obscured by christianity’s false teachings, many christians elevate their English translations of the scriptures to the role and authority of the Holy Spirit. They falsely call their human translations of scripture the “Word,” even though the scriptures and the Word are two different things (see: Acts 17:11).
And, some even take that false belief (that the scriptures and the Word are the same thing), and turn it into a cult—especially with the human translation known as the King James VERSION of the scriptures. They misinterpret specific verses to twist what is said, and call their work of men “the PERFECT WORD of God.” Not only is that false—it is idolatry. It is elevating something created to the role and authority of the Creator.
They claim their English translation is the “Living Word,” which is absurd, as words are not alive. Those who belong to such a cult don’t understand that the Holy Spirit was sent to be the Word (Hebrew: dabar, Greek: logos) to the bride, and that HE is not a book.
To claim that the Holy Spirit has changed how He communicates with people is to contradict the scriptures, and to expose oneself as not being led by the Holy Spirit. Of course someone who is not actually led by the Holy Spirit is not qualified to discuss how the Holy Spirit communicates directly with people. So, why would anyone ever regard such a person as a teacher?
For more information: How Do You Know You Are Saved?