“And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending on him:” (Mark 1:10)
“And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
When Noah opened the window of the Ark and sent out birds to see if there was dry land; the birds he sent out were a raven and a dove.
The dove will not eat on dead animals, but has a diet of seeds. The raven never came back to the Ark, but the dove returned to find a place of rest for its feet.
When Jesus was 30 years old, He was baptized by his cousin John in the river Jordan. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. The dove becomes a type of the Holy Spirit.
Later in the ministry of Jesus, He enters the temple and sees money-changers who had tables set up in the Court of the Gentiles. There were doves being kept and sold in this area. According to Leviticus 12:5-6, the doves were a special offering after a woman gave birth to a child, an offering of purification.
When Jesus saw all this corrupt activity, He set about cleansing His Father’s House by overthrowing the tables of the money-changers and those who sold doves. “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you have made it a den of thieves.”” (Matthew 21:12-13)
Eventually the dove returned to the ark with an Olive leaf in its mouth. The olive, crushed, produces a thick yellow oil which was used to anoint the national and spiritual leaders of Israel. It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God that breaks the yoke of bondage in people’s lives.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” (Isaiah 10:27)
Zechariah saw two olive trees on the left and right side of the menorah, whose olive branches are like pipes pouring out golden oil. He identifies them as two anointed ones standing by the Lord. (Zech. 4:11-14)
When Jesus is being arrested in the garden, he asks a question of those coming to take Him. “Whom seek ye?” He asks this questions twice. The first time, they answer, “Jesus of Nazareth!” Jesus replies, “I am He!” When Jesus speaks these words, they fall backwards down to the ground. The second time, they are more cautious and less arrogant and this time Jesus says, “I have told you that I am He: If therefore you seek me, let these go their way.” Christ is able to release His Divine Power or retain it. He can release it in love or in judgment.
Our society has lost its respect for the Holy. Just about anything you see on the street is seen on the platform of the church today.
The church used to limit the platform to who could, and who could not, stand or sit thereon. In traditional churches there were two speaker’s stands. The one on the right was used for reading or for announcements, and was called the lectern side, and authorized lay people could stand here. The one on the left was used by the clergy to preach the Word, and was called the pulpit side.
Jesus said the temple was to be a house of prayer. A house of prayer is a place where prayers are offered to Almighty God. When we turn the house of God into a materialistic, worldly venue for entertainment and fundraising, we have lost it sacredness. It is no longer holy and set apart for that which God ordained per the Tabernacle Plan.
Under the New Covenant with Christ, our bodies have become temples of the Holy Spirit and we are commanded to separate ourselves from all that would defile it and make it unfit for the Dove of the Holy Spirit to dwell in.
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
If the Holy Spirit is like a dove, and the dove will not come near anything that is defiled or corrupted, then is it any wonder that our churches have become fellowship clubs instead of a sacred place where we can hear the anointed Word of God preached with conviction and passion?
If we can no longer distinguish between the holy and the worldly, is it any wonder that we do not recognize the need to seek out our prayer closet without distractions or interruptions?
“He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)
Ed Bounds, R.A.Torrey, Watchman Nee, George Whitefield, Charles Finney, Hudson Taylor, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray, William Carey, and many others spent two hours and up to all night alone in prayer. They credit their time shut in with God for the success of their ministries.
Paul speaks of ‘watchings’ or sleepless nights as he spent them in prayer. ( II Cor. 6:5)
Jesus arose early in the morning to be alone to pray. He withdrew from the crowd to find a place of solitude with His Father. He spent forty days without food in a wilderness, being tempted by the devil. He spent whole nights in prayer. He prayed with loud cries and tears. He withdrew up a mountain to pray alone. When facing the cross, after asking them to pray while He went to pray alone, He found a place by Himself and prayed so intensely that His sweat turned to blood.
His disciples followed His example as they ministered in the Book of Acts. Peter prayed and missed his lunch because God showed up in a vision. Paul spent three days without food or water after his road to Damascus experience with the Lord. Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns at midnight while in prison, and an angel created an earthquake to free them and all the other prisoners. The church prayed without ceasing, for Peter, and an angel set him free from prison.
The dove of the Holy Spirit cannot manifest His power until we separate ourselves from the distractions that this world offers us. The Spirit cannot rest upon and within us until we set-apart our hearts in meditation and prayer. We will never recognize the power of the Spirit, until we respect His need for purity and separation from all that offends His character.
As a young Christian, I was always drawn to the prayer room of the church. Each service, the men would gather and spend time in asking God to bless the service and the message, while the women gathered in a separate room to do the same. I remember hearing the sounds of men’s voices in prayer as I drew nigh to the room where they were gathered. I could ‘feel’ the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting in their voices as they expressed the concerns of their hearts. As I entered, I realized that I was entering a holy place. I moved quietly, seeking a place where I could also kneel and pray, trying not to disturb anyone else in their concentration to their Lord. I was on holy ground, and made sure that my movements, words and actions honored that sacred place. There was power in that room that was touching the hearts that were praying, and God was also, being everywhere present at the same time, touching what was about to take place in the hearts of those present in the forthcoming service, and touching hearts many miles away around the world.
The prayer room became the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. It became the throne room of God. It was where the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit would manifest to break the yoke of bondage in many lives. God was present in His Spirit, touching the hearts of those sincerely seeking Him.
Your personal prayer closet becomes the same holy place before God. Your personal prayer time becomes the sacred meeting place where you and God are alone together. You are on sacred ground, and need to make sure that the distractions are not allowed to interrupt your communion with your Lord. God is present, and all that come into that space should feel that Holy Presence of God and become quiet and respectful of His Spirit working through a temple of clay. The Holy Spirit, as a dove, is easily disturbed and will not abide where confusion and distractions crowd it away. The Holy Spirit is making intercession for others, sometimes in tongues of angels and at other times with groans that cannot be put into words.
Take a look at the congregation the next time you go to church. What do you see? What are you hearing? Is there a holy hush? Is there respect for the house of God? Is there a prayer being offered for service?
Take a look at your personal life. What do you see? What are you hearing? Is there a holy quiet time that you give to God? Are you aware of the Spirit of God’s Dove-like Spirit when He shows up? Are you speaking, acting, and moving in such a way that honors His temple?
One of the greatest compliments given by my children and others who visit, is: “I feel such peace when I am here and around you.” Jesus and His Holy Spirit are Peace, and we all need to get back to living in such a way that honors His Presence in our bodies, in our homes, and in our churches.
Is the raven comfortable in your life and home because it has found defilement to feed upon? Or is the dove drawn to you by your respect for His holiness, in making time and living in such a way that does not frighten Him away?
