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The Age of the Spirit

The Age of the Spirit: Ascension, Pentecost, and the Law of Global Witness

Introduction: The Law of Empowered Delay

Before Christ returned to His heavenly throne (The Ascension), He commanded His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father—the Holy Spirit. Pentecost (Acts 2) marks the Spirit’s arrival, fulfilling the prophecy of the New Covenant (Ezekiel 36:27, KJV) and initiating the Church Age. This period is a divine delay, granting time for the Gospel to reach the entire world before the prophetic clock restarts with the final events leading to The Lord’s Return.

The Ascension and Pentecost form a crucial Prophetic Hotspot, defining the current period of spiritual warfare and global evangelism that must be completed before the King returns in physical power.

The Foundational Event: The Law of the Witness

The Ascension was necessary for Christ to be officially installed as both High Priest and King in heaven, and for the Holy Spirit to be sent to empower the Church to carry out the King’s final mandate.

The KJV Command and the Power

Christ’s last words on earth established the geographical and supernatural scope of the Church’s mission:

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, KJV)

  • The Law of Global Scope: The command to witness globally confirms that the Kingdom message is no longer confined to the nation of Israel. It must now extend to all nations (the Gentiles) during this extended prophetic period. The completion of this global mission is a condition directly related to the timing of the end (Matthew 24:14, KJV).
  • The Law of the Paraclete: The coming of the Holy Spirit (the Comforter/Paraclete) on Pentecost enabled the disciples to fulfill the Great Commission. The Spirit’s indwelling ensures the personal and corporate ability of believers to live according to the higher Law of the Kingdom (the Sermon on the Mount) and to endure persecution until the end.

Prophetic Hotspot: The High Priest and the King’s Return

Christ’s current position in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, fulfills two essential functions that directly relate to His eventual return.

  • The Interceding Priest: The Ascension placed Christ in the role of our eternal High Priest, interceding for us before the Father (Hebrews 7:25). His work on the Cross is continually applied to believers, securing their redemption during this period of delay.
  • The Promise of Return: The angels who appeared at the Ascension confirmed the certainty of His physical return, giving the disciples the precise framework for their future hope:“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11, KJV)
  • The Manner of Return: This is the absolute guarantee that The Lord’s Return will be a visible, bodily, and personal return to the earth, fulfilling the most literal expectations of the Old Testament prophets (Zechariah 14:4).

The Return Question: Where Is Your Witness?

The period between Pentecost and Christ’s return is the Age of the Witness, powered by the Holy Spirit. This time is precious and finite, defined by the need for urgency in evangelism.

If the Ascension and Pentecost established the current era as a period of global witness under the immediate empowerment of the Holy Spirit, are we living with the urgency of those who believe the King’s return is contingent upon the completion of this final command, actively working to fulfill our role in the global mission before the final prophetic clock strikes and The Lord’s Return abruptly closes the Age of the Spirit?