St. Cyril of Alexandria (+444), in his famous commentary on the Gospel of John, wonders about the verse that says: “There was no spirit yet, because Jesus had not been glorified” (7:39). The question that our saint poses is: “How can it be said that the Spirit did not exist before Christ, knowing that the Spirit spoke many words through the prophets?” (We must not forget that today we say in the Creed that the Holy Spirit speaks through the prophets). Then Cyril cites the biblical verse that says: “And they came to a multitude, and behold, the multitude of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied in their midst” (1 Samuel 10:10); and the gospel verse that is said by the Lord Christ: “David himself, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, said…” (Mark 12:36). Cyril himself then answers his question by saying that God created man incorruptible, for “He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7), but after the fall man found himself deprived of the Spirit and susceptible to corruption. As for the prophets, they received various gifts in order to prophesy the coming of Christ and to rebuke their people for their distance from God. The Alexandrian bishop concludes by saying that the difference today is that all Christians have been given the opportunity to become, through their baptism, dwellings and temples of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God would come upon the judges for a time, then leave them after they had completed the mission entrusted to them. Thus we see “the Spirit of God come upon Gideon” (Judges 6:34), or “break down” upon Samson and Saul (Judges 15:14, 1 Samuel 11:6). Without any prior preparation or waiting, the Spirit of God would intervene and inhabit these judges for a period in order to unite the people and lead them. After the judges comes the era of the kings, whose responsibility was permanent, unlike the judges, whose mission was limited to one thing. Hence comes the anointing of oil as an expression of the continuity of the mission entrusted to them, as Samuel said to Saul when he poured oil on his head: “Then the Spirit of the Lord will break upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will become another man” (1 Samuel 10:6). As for David, the Bible says about him: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13). However, this anointing was not enough to make David’s descendants kings after God’s heart, until the Messiah, descended from this lineage, would come and establish justice and peace forever: “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might” (Isaiah 11:2).
The true tongues of the Spirit in the Old Testament are the prophets. The oldest among them: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah felt the power of the Spirit controlling them, so they called it “the hand of the Lord” instead of his spirit. Isaiah says: “For thus spoke the Lord to me when he took me by the hand” (8:11), while Jeremiah says: “Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth’” (1:9). They were therefore in the grip of God, declaring nothing but his will and speaking nothing but his words. The Spirit conveyed the word of God to them, and they proclaimed it powerfully to the people. But the prophet who would grant salvation to the world was none other than that Messiah (i.e. the one anointed with the Holy Spirit), upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rests forever: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor and to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 16:1).
The Old Testament prophets, inspired by the Spirit, announced that this same Spirit would be given to the world, and this is what happened at Pentecost. Isaiah says: “For I will pour out waters on the thirsty, and floods on the dry land; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring” (44:3). As for the Prophet Joel, he says in his book: “And it shall come to pass after these things, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions; and on the male and female servants also I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (3:1-2). It is worth noting that the Apostle Peter, in his first sermon after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, quotes this Joelian prophecy (Acts 2:17-21). The Prophet Ezekiel shows us that the Spirit is able to revive and recreate bones, when He enters them, the flesh and skin return and cover the bones, and the dead rise to life again. The prophet ends this prophecy by saying on the tongue of the Lord God: “I will put my spirit within you, and you will live” (Ezekiel 37:14).
The Holy Spirit does not appear in the Old Testament as a being separate from God, but rather as “His Holy Spirit” (Isaiah 63:10) because He comes from Him. He is the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ revealed to the world, just as He revealed the Father. We know about God to the extent that God reveals Himself. The incarnation of the Word of God in Jesus Christ revealed to us that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Before the incarnation, the Son and the Spirit worked without revealing their names and powers; even the name of the Father was not revealed to the world. The incarnation of the Son—that is, His becoming man—has enabled human beings to share in God’s glory, for this incarnation has illuminated their path to knowing the truth face to face.
Quoted from: My Parish Newsletter
Sunday, May 17, 1998
Issue 20
