Systematic Theology II The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit and the Christian Part II The Holy Spirit and Last Things

Gifts Permanence “The gifts that were miraculous in nature were not permanent because they served a foundational purpose. Once the foundations of the new dispensation were laid by the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20), there was no further need for those particular gifts. The foundational gifts were basically those of a revelatory and a sign nature. Once the transition from Law to Grace was made and the writing of the New Testament was completed, the miraculous gifts ceased” (McCune, pp. 357-58). Lots of disagreement on whether all should be permanent.

Gifts Determining One’s Gift There is no NT command to discover one’s own gift; the command is to exercise it. Just as God sovereignly bestows gifts, He will also sovereignly and providentially bring them to light. Obey what God has revealed and serve in the church. Your particular gifts will become evident to both yourself and others. How many of you have ever done a survey to determine what your spiritual gift is?

The Holy Spirit and Eschatology

The Tribulation Period While the Spirit’s restraining ministry through the Church will be removed at the beginning point of the Tribulation (2 Thess 2:7), He will still have an extensive ministry during this period, with regard to: Salvation – Despite the fact this period begins with only unbelievers on the earth, vast numbers will be saved, including: The souls under the altar (Rev 6:9-10) The 144,000 from among the Jews (Rev 7:3-4), and subsequently, all the Jews who remain on the earth (Rom 11:25-26) An innumerable multitude from among the nations (Rev 7:9-10) Revelation Through the two witnesses (Rev 11:3)

The Kingdom of God Salvation Indwelling Revelation “Spiritual salvation will be widespread in the Millennium, especially with reference to national Israel” (McCune, p. 363) (Ezek 37:1-14; 39:29). Indwelling “Regeneration or the impartation of spiritual life of necessity issues in a permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit to nurture and sustain that life. This is a transdispensational principle and doctrine within soteriology and is no less true for the saints of the millennial kingdom” (McCune, p. 363) (Ezek 36:25-27). Revelation “On an unheard of scale, far greater than in the Tribulation or any previous period of revelatory activity, the Holy Spirit will be poured out on young and old alike in an unprecedented display of prophetism” (McCune, p. 364) (Joel 2:28-29). Transformation of Nature “The Bible writers saw no absolute dichotomy or any reprehensible idea between the tangible and the intangible aspects of the future earthly thousand-year kingdom of messiah” (McCune, p. 364) (Isa 32:13-17). Messianic Enduement This is another description for theocratic anointing, the special ministry of the Holy Spirit, described above, that was available to the head of the Old Testament theocracy with its unique civil-ecclesiastical type of government” (McCune, p. 365) (Isa 11:1-2; 61:1-4).

Next Time: Systematic Theology III The Doctrine of the Church Beginning June 4