Palm Springs was within a couple of hours drive from our home in southern California. Visiting the area for a day trip, we experienced all four seasons in the one day. The township lies in the Mojave Desert where the dry heat can reach 40 degrees Centigrade. In the morning, in our shorts and T-shirts, we marvelled at the drought resistant cacti and succulents. By the time we arrived at the scenic, forested Lake Arrowhead mountain resort for lunch, we needed long trousers and jumpers. Later we took the aerial tramway up to Mt. San Jacinto, not forgetting to take with us our parkas and gloves. As the cable car made its almost 2000metre ascent, we admired the sheer cliffs and wooded, snow covered slopes along the way. At the top we built a mini snowman and enjoyed a snowball fight.
The Earth is a planet of dramatic contrasts. Its surface has dry, hot and barren deserts; temperate fertile valleys with meandering rivers; towering mountains with permanent snow caps; snow and ice covered regions with freezing temperatures; humid tropical areas with lush jungles and rain forests; as well as vast oceans lined by sandy beaches and sprinkled with islands and coral reefs. Much of this variation is due to varying amounts and different states of water. Arid areas have minimal rain, while lush rain forests have an abundance. In cold areas, water is semi-permanently frozen.
Water as Type of the Holy Spirit
Water quenches thirst, awakens dormant seeds, sustains life, and cleanses. It cools, comforts and revives a weary person on a scorching day. The Bible uses water as a symbol for the Holy Spirit – the spirit of life, power, love, self-discipline and enlightenment. The Spirit is compared to rain, water springs, and streams of living water. Symbolically, the Spirit can even be “poured out”. Like “spiritual water”, the Holy Spirit cleanses from sin, imparts eternal life, as well as refreshes, comforts and empowers. Through the power of the Spirit, the dead will be brought back to life. The resurrection is compared to breaking the hard shell of a grain, enabling new life to spring forth.{111}
Water exists in three states – liquid, solid and gas. In a similar way to light, water behaves like both waves and particles. In a rain shower, hailstorm or snowfall, individual “water packages” fall to the earth. On the other hand, a river, lake or ocean consists of an endless series of waves hitting the shore. Like light, water defies some of the established laws of physics and chemistry. Its properties can give a small glimpse into the incomprehensible nature of the Godhead – one God in three simultaneously existing entities, all working in perfect harmony, each with a specific function. The Holy Spirit sometimes acts as a “person” and at other times as a “power” – however, ultimately the Spirit’s nature and working are humanly unsearchable.{112}
Throughout the earth’s atmosphere, as well as in every living cell, there is a large percentage of water. Moreover, the oceans and other water bodies cover about seventy percent of the earth’s surface. Even though only three percent of this is fresh water, ocean water continually evaporates and is moved by air currents over land where it dissipates as fresh water in the form of rain. Without water, life could not last long.
Similar to water, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. Having been actively involved in creation, the Spirit is continuously engaged in the sustenance of life. Every living and non-living thing is pervaded by what scientists have recognized as a form of universal energy – even undetectable so-called “dark energy”. Without it, life would cease to exist and the physical world would collapse or disappear into nothingness.{113}
In history, the personal involvement of the Holy Spirit in human lives can be seen as mirroring the earth’s surface and its amount of water. While the Spirit pervades and sustains all things, as far as directly working with individuals and imparting spiritual understanding and eternal life, it has been just in gentle showers or a few drops – compared to the earth’s desert regions. In ancient Israel, very few had the Holy Spirit as an active part of their lives, and in some cases, it was only temporary – for the duration of a certain assigned task. For example, the Spirit imparted special skills to those who worked on the tabernacle or the temple. The Spirit also worked with the prophets, as well as some of the kings and leaders. But beyond that, there is little mention of it. Before Jesus’ incarnation and death, the Holy Spirit was not generally available. Yet, it was prophesied to be poured out in the “last days”, which started with Jesus Christ’s first coming to the earth.{114}
The first “Spirit downpour” or “wave” came on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, when many Jews and proselytes from all parts of the Roman Empire assembled in Jerusalem for the holy day. The Spirit descended with dramatic signs, including mighty wind, tongues of fire, and supernatural understanding of languages, to signify the start of a new era with the new covenant sealed in Christ’s blood on the cross. The promised Comforter and Counsellor would now become available to impart eternal life, light and power to those who responded to God’s call to come out of the barren desert of the world. The Spirit would empower Christ’s disciples to live virtuous lives and fulfil their commission to proclaim his name to the furthermost ends of the earth.{115}
During the church age, there have been other periodic downpours or waves of the Spirit in various parts of the world, especially when the time was fulfilled for a special event to happen. One such time was when the gospel of the kingdom reached the first Gentile converts.{116} Later, outpourings of the Spirit may have initiated needed reforms or renewal. Typically during these waves, the Holy Spirit moved people to turn or return to the Word of God, and gave new or restored understanding of aspects of the truth. One example was the Protestant Reformation after a period of corruption in the church. Another one was when the Catholic Church made major changes at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. These days, the Spirit is moving powerfully in Africa and Asia where many are turning to Christ. Figuratively, during these times of spiritual awakening or rejuvenation, oases in the spiritual desert have sprung up, blossomed, and brought forth fruit as the Spirit enlivened and transformed various communities.
The first Pentecost after Christ’s death and resurrection as well as the numerous subsequent revivals were only partial fulfilments of Joel’s prophecy about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Through them, however, springs and streams of living water have sprung up all over the earth as millions have become born again children of God and citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ, as the good news of salvation is available in all nations, another outpouring of the Spirit is prophesied to occur – and many more will turn to their Creator for deliverance in a time of unprecedented trouble on earth.{117}
The Scriptures speak of a time when the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Spiritual and physical deserts will be transformed into gardens and forests. All will know God who will live among the people. In rich symbolic language, this time is majestically described in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. Satan, the arch-deceiver, will have been removed and for ever banished – as will have hate, fighting and wars. The redeemed are pictured in an eternity of glory – a magnificent garden city exists with the tree of life freely available to everyone. And not just one tree of life will be there, but countless ones, full of delicious fruit and healing properties, along the banks of the river of the water of life. At the beginning, humans were banished from the tree of life because of disobedience. At the end, all that was lost as a result of sin will be restored manifold.{118}
Returning to our analogy, we can imagine the Spirit’s future action not as a rain shower or even a tropical downpour, but more like a tidal wave or tsunami. It will sweep away the ungodly works of both Satan and humans, and blanket the earth. Instead of deception – compared to salty, undrinkable water of today’s oceans – true knowledge and worship of God will pervade the new heavens and earth. Suffering, sickness and death will be history, and the sparkling waters of life will freely flow for everyone to drink. When that happens, Christ’s promise of abundant, eternal life will be fulfilled to its ultimate.{119}