Blaspheming the Holy Spirit: Page 62

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
 

On the cross, Jesus asked His Father to forgive those who were putting Him there (Luke 23:34), 

 

which, in essence, is all of us. 

 

He was paying the penalty for their individual sins and for all the sins of all of mankind, from the First Adam to the last created soul. 

 

During Jesus’s earthly ministry, Jesus had told His people that there was one sin He would not forgive, blaspheming of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Blasphemy may be considered to be the act of insulting or showing contempt or the lack of reverence to God or something that should not be violated.
 

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 

 

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come (Matthew 12:31-32).
 

Jesus had prophesied that God the Holy Spirit, the third divine entity of the Godhead, would take a prominent ministry position in the lives of the Little Flock after Jesus had completed His earthly ministry and had gone back to heaven to be seated at the right hand of His Father (Hebrews 10:12). 

 

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).
 

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).
 

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (John 15:26).
 

God had promised to pour out His Spirit on the Nation of Israel in the latter days (Joel 2:29-32). 

 

In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the Kingdom Church believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Jewish Kingdom Church grew in number with great momentum. 

 

They had everything in common and they were fellowshipping and praising God. 

 

Miracles were prevalent. 

 

They were excitedly waiting for their Jesus to come back and set up their long-awaited Kingdom.
 

Peter, with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, was enabled to know the intent of the hearts of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. 

 

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 

 

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 

 

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 

 

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

 

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 

 

Shortly after, his wife also received the same judgment (Acts 5:1-5).
 

In the next chapters, Acts 6 and 7, Dr. Luke introduces us to Stephen, a man filled with the Holy Spirit, a man full of faith and power, who did great miracles and signs in the presence of the people. 

 

There were those in Israel’s leadership, whom Jesus had called vipers (Matthew 3:7; 23:33), had opposed this Jesus and now they were opposed to His followers. 

 

God’s remnant was creating a disturbance in the long-established culture and they were a threat to those in power (Acts 5:17-18, 33, 40). 

 

This Stephen was taken before a council for questioning in Jerusalem. 

 

After presenting a long dissertation of Israel’s lengthy history of bad behavior toward God, their prophets, and their Messiah (Acts 7:1-53), 

 

Stephen proclaimed in this setting that these leaders of the Nation of Israel were stiff-necked and had always resisted the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:10; Ezekiel 3:24-27; 11:5-9).
 

51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost:  as your fathers did, so do ye. 

 

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 

 

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 

 

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 

 

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 

 

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:51-56).
 

Those present at this meeting ran upon Stephen, gnashed upon him with their teeth, and stoned him to death. 

 

As he was dying, Stephen could see Jesus, who was not sitting, but standing the right hand of God, standing in a position to judge the Nation of Israel. 

 

Similar to when Jesus was dying on the cross, Stephen also asked God to forgive those who were present. 

 

Soon God would forgive Saul, the one who had been before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, consenting unto the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1). 

 

But Saul said he obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

 

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (I Timothy 1:13). 

 

As for the Nation of Israel, who for the past few years had demonstrated open rebellion: the beheading of John the Baptist, the crucifying of Jesus, and now the stoning of Stephen, at this time, as Jesus had promised, the Nation of Israel would not be forgiven. 

 

Her authority figures and citizens had continued to resist the Holy Spirit and rejected their King (Psalm 2:1-6). 

 

The Nation of Israel was judged by the IF/THEN principle of the Mosaic Covenant and her Kingdom hope was TEMPORARILY set in abeyance.
 

The stoning of Stephen and the postponement of the Great Tribulation most likely occurred about one to four years into the life of the baby Kingdom Church, just when it had started to grow. 

 

This thought is connected to a time in Jesus’s ministry when He saw a fig tree that was not bearing fruit, and we learn in a parable that one more year should be given to this plant to bear fruit before it should be hewed down.
 

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 

 

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 

 

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down (Luke 13:7-9).