Second foundational truth: a wide spread erroneous teaching by many Pentecostals and non Pentecostals is that the Holy Ghost only came upon people in the Old Testament and did not dwell in them as He does in the New Testament. This teaching is so easy to disprove it's a wonder anyone believes it.

      During the first sermon I heard on this, I turned to the back of my Bible and looked up a few key words in my concordance. I immediately saw the falsehood in the preacher's message. God the Holy Ghost is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

      The key words to look at are: upon, in, within, dwell, filled, and enter. As we examine some scriptures which use these words, remember that those New Testament verses dealing with events prior to the resurrection, death, ministry and especially the birth of Jesus Christ occur under the "old covenant" and are thus "Old Testament."

      According to Acts 1:5, 1:8 and 2:4, the terms "baptized," "upon," and "filled" are synonymous. In Luke 1:41 & 67 Elisabeth and Zacharias, while under the old covenant, were "filled" with the Holy Ghost. In Exodus 35:31, Bezaleel was "filled with the Spirit of God."

      The Spirit is recorded as being in the following persons: Joseph (Genesis 41:38), Joshua (Numbers 27:18), Daniel (Daniel 5:11), the prophets (Nehemiah 9:30 AND I Peter 1:11), us (Romans 8:9), and within Moses (Isaiah 63:11).

      The Spirit is recorded as being upon the following persons: David (I Samuel 16:13), Moses (Numbers 11:26), Simeon (Luke 2:25 - under the old covenant), the apostles and disciples (Acts 1:8), Jesus (Mark 1:10), all flesh (Acts 2:17 AND Joel 2:28).

      Ezekiel 2:2 and 3:24 speak of the Spirit entering into Ezekiel. This is clearly God's Spirit for the "spirit" speaks to Ezekiel.

      Only in Revelation 11:11 does the New Testament actually mention the Spirit "entering" into someone, yet we know He often did so. The New Testament over and over and over again says upon, upon, upon. Yet, we correctly assume that it was when the Holy Ghost came upon Jesus, the Apostles, the disciples, the Samaritans, the 12 men at Ephesus, etc. that He also entered into them.

      In light of these scriptures, no true seeker of truth can draw any other conclusion than that those mentioned under the old covenant who had the Spirit come upon them also had Him enter into them at the same time!

      The prophet Jesus referred to in Matthew 13:35 was King David, quoting David's words in Psalm 78:2. Thus, David is clearly one of the prophets IN whom the Spirit of Christ was (I Peter 1:11). I Samuel 16:13 tells us when the Spirit first came upon, and thus entered into, David. This verse also says that the Spirit did not depart from David "from that day forward." Even when David was backslid he still had the Holy Spirit (Psalms 51:9-11)! When the Spirit enters into someone and never departs, the Spirit is dwelling within that person.

      The Spirit dwelt within Moses, David and all those He came upon in the "Old Testament" just as He came upon the New Testament saints and began dwelling within them. The crowd of devout Jews at Pentecost were knowledgeable of this, and they were ready to receive!

      The dispensation doctrines of men cannot negate the truth of God.