Jacob had a dream and in that dream he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28:12). Then in John 1:51 Jesus said to one of His disciples, “You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” The ladder is the Lord Jesus Christ, the connecting link between earth and heaven. The messengers of God ascending in the Lord, receiving from God, and returning to earth is a picture of spiritual ministry.
You will notice that the activity is vertical movement and not horizontal. God is eternal! And in the realm of eternity there is no past or future as it is with us. Naturally speaking, we live on a horizontal plane. That is why many preachers have their horizontal time line charts showing the various time periods from Genesis to Revelation. The sons of God, though, are going to learn how to break the horizontal time barrier. God has made provision for those who believe to move vertically in the Lord that we might be “raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). The horizontal time line can be broken! We can move up in the Lord! We must learn to think differently!
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
A better rendering says, “When the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled…” We must understand that the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled in the upper room as the disciples were waiting upon the Lord in prayer and worship. Change was taking place in them; they were moving up in their relationship with the Lord. When they reached a certain place of change, they were all filled with the Spirit. You could say, “Well, it happened because it was the day of Pentecost.” I realize the importance of types and symbology, but the upward, spiritual progression of the disciples was far more important. Had they not moved up into the realm where the Holy Spirit was to fill them, their anointing would have had to wait for another Day of Pentecost. There was a set relationship with God whereby the 120 could become the Body of Christ. It was not the Day of Pentecost that made the difference so much. If that particular day and that particular place were the deciding factors, then everyone there at that time would have received the Holy Spirit, but it was only those who had been in the upper room ascending in God that received. It was not merely that particular day that was preset for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon man. Everything in God is eternal. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is always in the mode of what we call being poured out. There is a place of relationship in the Lord where this is continually happening. So the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, because they moved up into the relationship in God where it was happening. It was a provision waiting for them.
As we grow spiritually we pass through many levels of relationship with God. There is a preset provision at each level; that is, there are things of God that are provided for you that you may appropriate. As you move up in your relationship with the Lord, more and more is available for you. That is what Jesus was speaking about when He said to His disciples, I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. John 16:12-14.
Let’s take a look at one more passage of Scripture. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. II Peter 1:2-3. All things pertaining to life and godliness have been given to us. You might ask then, “Why don’t we have them?” It is because they are given in provision. You do not have to wait till a certain day in the future to receive them. They are provisions that you move into. If you do not grow spiritually, then there will be many things that God has provided for you that you will never experience. God has made provision at each level of growth. The level of your relationship with the Lord determines what is available for you. All things are yours (I Corinthians 3:21). Move up to where they are provided. Move up to the provision!
Copyright © 2003 by Henry DuBose