Jn.16:13 – But when the truth-giving Spirit comes, he will unveil the reality of every truth within you. He won’t speak his own message, but only what he hears from the Father, and he will reveal prophetically to you what is to come.
This is one of those verses that can just slip by you if you are not paying close attention. Think for a minute, who knows the things to come? Only God in His omniscience has that capability. So Jesus is ascribing deity to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is more than a force or a power, He is actually God, the same as the Father and the Son. So consider what Jesus is saying to the disciples in this passage. He has already said that He would send another helper, allos paracletos, to be with them. He also said that He would not leave them as orphans, the Spirit would adopt them into God’s family. What else? They would do the same things that Jesus did and the Spirit would make Jesus even more real to them. Now He is telling them about the Spirit of prophesy, the Holy Spirit would speak to them about things to come. Here is how the New Covenant Commentary describes this verse.
“The Spirit will proclaim the things that are to come and will reiterate what Jesus has already said. The Spirit will declare the events that will happen at the end of this age. “Telling what is to come” is possible only for the true God and for the coming Messiah rather than for the idols. This will be done by the Spirit in the believers’ life at present. Therefore Jesus said, “All that the Father has is mine . . . and he will take what is mine and declare it to you”. Just like the Father gave authority to the Son to speak his words, the Son has given authority to the Spirit to declare his words. The message of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is identical because they, being essentially one, hear one another in essential agreement.”
In light of the year that I live in, 2024, it seems like the Spirit of prophesy is more needed than ever. There are so many things shifting politically and economically every day, there are natural disasters never seen in our lifetime becoming more and more common, and a violence and unrest in the population of the world that is really unprecedented. I need the Holy Spirit more than ever, I need for Him to lead me into things to come.
Amen.
Everyday and night, there seems to be a must in my spirit to seek the Holy Spirit to lead me in every thing I do. Not seeking Him only in worship and prayer but in His word for is so easily to get caught up in the drama a the world; even my drama.
I have to say, that in worship, I’m not just adoring and edifying Him, I have need to pray to Him for the world and for my close ones during worship; and declaring to Him how much I love Him and need Him; declaring how He has saved me and still saving me despite myself; declaring how is forever mighty, powerful, and faithful. He is my world. The Holy Spirit draws a deep yearning within me for prayer in my soul during worship.
Holy Spirit, I pray for You to continue to bring my prayers and worship into a deeper relationship with God. In Jesus name, Amen.
Awesome!!
I don’t think I could live without the Holy Spirit’s guidance and protection. I could sense his ‘going before me’ on a daily basis. When I miss spending time praying and thanking God, my day may get distorted ~ Peace is amiss!
More than ever, the Holy Spirit will help and see us through the madness of this Earth that is not our home…Amen