Wisdom—Do We Have It?

If we do not know the secret knowledge held back from most of mankind, then we will not hear nor speak words of that knowledge (Matt. 13:11-17).

If we do not know of the “hidden wisdom” “kept secret from the foundations of the world,” then we will not hear the “word of wisdom,” much less speak the “word of wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:2:7-9). For we cannot properly channel the spiritual gift of Wisdom’s words if we have never been taught them. The very first of the much talked about “gifts of the Spirit” is the “word of wisdom” (1 Cor. 12:8).

Yet, few Christians know what the word “wisdom” means. Few know its scriptural definition. So we consult the concordance, and we find this: “The fear of the LORD, that is wisdom” (Job 28:28). But what does “fear” really mean here? So, we look up “fear” and find that in Hebrew it means “reverential awe.” In other words, “wisdom” is being in reverential awe of Yahweh. You know, the kind of awe of a hundred million galaxies out there, beyond our Milky Way and beyond our wildest imaginations—the kind of awe where you gasp for air, falling onto our knees—it’s that kind of reverence and awe of the One who created it all. That is wisdom.

And it is the foundation upon which the rest of the gifts of the Spirit are laid. “Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom” (Prov. 4:7). It’s the main thing that we need, in order to grow spiritually. But how do we get wisdom? We simply ask Him for it (James 1:5).

And He will give it to us. That means that He has wisdom. Yes, He has reverential awe of Himself. He used it to create the heavens. “To him that by wisdom made the heavens” (Psm. 136:5). The question for us all is this: Do we fear Him today? Do we have wisdom?

 Kenneth Wayne Hancock

Two Outpourings of the Spirit—One “Good,” One “Bad”

[Continued from 4-5-22]

In the dream, the Voice coming through my mouth shouted, “I will pour My Spirit upon all flesh! UPON ALL FLESH! Through study, I discovered that the Spirit at Pentecost was not poured out on “all flesh” present that day in Jerusalem. It was only poured out on His servants and handmaidens, the disciples of that era. Here the scene is painted (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21).

Both renditions contain two different and distinct visions of how the Spirit will be poured out. In Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-18 we see the blessed outpouring on His servants. Reading on in the very next verses, we see another kind of outpouring. Yahweh says, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD [Yahweh] come” (Joel 2:30-31).

That day will not be nice day for many. In both prophetic passages, there are two vastly different outpourings. The first section reveals the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will take place during the “time of the end.” The second part of that prophetical flow reveals a pouring out of natural disasters and “acts of God,” a day of gloom and terror (Joel 2: 30- 31). This day of terror is when Yahweh has His angel pour out the vials of wrath. This shows us that both the latter day pouring forth of the Spirit and the pouring out of the vials of wrath happen at basically the same time in history—our time. The Upper Room pouring out of the Spirit was a type and shadow of what will take place on the earth at the beginning of “the time of the end” (Dan. 12:1). We are living in that time.

Christ warns us of that time (Matthew 24:15, 21- 22, 29). The pouring out of His Spirit that brings power from on high happens first. But not every human being will be so blessed.

But Joel, right after the first outpouring of His Spirit, speaks of a universal scourge. Christ calls it the pouring forth of the vials of wrath. How ghastly that will be for all the inhabitants of the earth. For all will see the sun “turned to darkness before the great and terrible day of the LORD  come.”

Some will say that the outpouring can only mean the baptism of the Holy Spirit like on the day of Pentecost. However, the scriptures are very clear that “all things are of God” (2 Cor. 5:18). And because “God is a Spirit,” then “all things are of the Spirit” (John 4:24). Even the pouring forth of the wrath of God upon all flesh [except those spared for the elect’s sake]. Yes, the elect, the sons and daughters of God will be on earth during tribulation.

He says, “Pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” After all seven vials are poured out, “a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne [said], It is done” (Rev. 16:1. 17). This pouring out of God’s wrath is heavy stuff. It is the destruction of the world system, including the Battle of Armageddon (v. 16). This is major end time misery for mankind and runs parallel with the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His chosen ones.

The Former and Latter Rains

The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost partially fulfilled the prophecy spoken by Joel and it was confirmed by the apostle Peter. We have seen that the Spirit was poured on “all flesh” that were prepared for this happening. It did not fall on everyone in Jerusalem that day.

This partial outpouring of the Spirit has been called the “former rain.” The Hebrew word translated “former rain” means “teacher of righteousness.” The Spirit moved them to teach this gospel throughout the Mediterranean world. Christ did promise us that the Spirit “shall be in you” (John 14: 17). He also promised that the Holy Spirit “shall teach you all things…” (John 14: 26). Furthermore, the Spirit “will guide you into all truth” (John 16: 13).

The Holy Spirit, teaching righteousness through the apostles, was that former rain. This has gone on for the past 2000 years. You and I know Christ because of the early apostles’ work. The beauty of this event is captured in the poetry of Hosea:

“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know Yahweh: His going forth is prepared as the morning;        And He shall come unto us as the rain, As the latter and the former rain unto the earth” (6:3).

He shall come to us as the former rain, as the teachings of righteousness. He is pouring His Spirit over our minds and hearts, and it will teach us and prepare us for the latter rain. The latter rain will fall on us at or near the “time of the end.” It will fall upon those who are prepared to bear 100-fold spiritual growth (Matt. 13:3-9; 18-23).

For the righteousness shared by the “former rain” apostles will engender growth in us to be sustained in these latter days. For they spoke of our time, the time when our exiled King returns to this earth to establish righteousness and peace and judgment in the earth. Brothers and sisters, that’s what we’re working for. We do not believe anything into existence. We just believe what Christ believes.

The latter rain will fall through the teaching of apostles and prophets that God is raising up. They will teach righteousness and the truth about our King. They will raise up many princes and princesses and Yahweh will wipe the slate of the earth clean. It is all there in the book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, our King.

This shows that God pours from His mind His plan according to the record in heaven. He pours forth out of his Spirit, what we would call the “good” and the “bad.” We need only think about Pentecost and Him pouring out the vials of wrath. Yahweh spoke in the dream: “I will pour My Spirit upon all flesh. UPON ALL FLESH!” We see that these words are not only precious promises of personal spiritual growth, but also a dire warning of His displeasure and a subsequent cleansing of evil from the earth. [Share with us your thoughts about these things in the comments.] Kenneth Wayne Hancock

Dream: “I Will Pour My Spirit on All Flesh”

“I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh!” That was the message in the dream. But unlike most dream-plays, I was not the protagonist. Nor was God’s voice speaking to me through another character in the dream. Neither I nor His words remained in subconscious dreamscape, but rather, we were both translated into a loud reverberation, travelling into the real conscious world. Let me explain.

I had been longing to have contact from the Almighty in some way. Or have Him contact me. And as I lay in bed praying, waiting to fall asleep—a year and a half ago now—I asked God, “Please, Father, will You give me a word from You? Would You let me know You are there? Maybe in a dream?”

So, I went on to sleep, and then this voice had found its way into me, and I began to be its vocal cords.  And it resounded in a thunderous blast: “I will pour My Spirit upon all flesh. UPON ALL FLESH!” It seemed that the windows rattled. I was the reed; the Spirit was the breath that vibrated the reed, and the message in His words was the music played through the collective saxophone made from the words of His prophets and apostles down through the ages.

That is when my wife Linda shouted, “Wake up! You’re dreaming!”

And as I began to stir, I knew that the voice had come through my mouth. I did not originate the voice or the words spoken by the voice. The message was not the fruit of my will. I was not aware that I was even there. I then got up; it was three o’clock, and I stumbled over to my desk  and took some notes about the experience. It is only until now that I have been able to begin to wrap my mind around this immediate, profound and specific answer to prayer.

I have tried to make some sense of it but have been hindered by a preconception of just what the “pouring out” entails. The most famous “pouring” is the Upper Room experience, the pouring forth of His Spirit at Pentecost. Peter quotes Joel 2: 28-29 in his famous attribution in Acts 2:16-20. This has impressed many that Joel’s prophecy starts and ends with the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit.

Two Outpourings

But herein lies a problem. He said, “all flesh,” but “all flesh” did not have the Upper Room experience. Thousands were in Jerusalem that day, but only a few received the Spirit. Who then received the Spirit? “On My servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour out of my Spirit…” (2:18). That is who received the Spirit in the upper room. Not everybody in Jerusalem, not everyone in the world…

  As we read on in the very next verse, we see another kind of outpouring. Yahweh says, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD [Yahweh] come” (Joel 2:30-31).

In both prophetic passages, there are two vastly different outpourings. The first section reveals the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will take place during the “time of the end.” The second part of that prophetical flow reveals a pouring out of natural disasters and “acts of God,” a day of gloom and terror (Joel 2: 30- 31). This day of terror is when Yahweh has His angel pour out the vials of wrath. This shows us that both the pouring forth of the Spirit and the pouring out of the vials of wrath happen at basically the same time in history…

[Don’t miss the deep dive into the scriptures next time as the Spirit teaches us what the Voice in the dream meant. If you believe that this article or any of my writings would help someone, share it with someone dear to you. Share it on the internet. Let His light shine. Somebody asked me one time, “What can I do with this truth?” Share it. Use the computer to stir up the people. Have compassion on them. Most won’t listen, but the one that God wants to reach just may read one of these articles. Sow the seed, His words of truth.] Kenneth Wayne Hancock