Link Acts 2:2 to OT wind as God's presence.
Connect Acts 2:2 with Old Testament instances of God's presence through wind.

The Wind at Pentecost (Acts 2:2)

“Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”

• The first tangible sign of the Holy Spirit’s arrival is wind—audible, irresistible, heaven-sent.

• Luke’s wording echoes Old Testament scenes where wind marks God’s nearness and power. Re-visiting those moments deepens our grasp of what happened in that upper room.


Ruach at Creation (Genesis 1:2)

• “The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

• Hebrew ruach means spirit, breath, or wind; from the opening lines of Scripture, divine wind signals God’s creative presence.

• Pentecost mirrors creation: a fresh divine breath inaugurates the new creation in Christ.


Deliverance at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21)

• “All that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.”

• Wind becomes God’s tool of salvation, making a path where none existed.

• At Pentecost, wind again announces deliverance—this time from sin and death through the gospel.


Whirlwind on the Mountain (1 Kings 19:11-12)

• “A great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD.”

• Though God was “not in” that particular wind, Elijah learned that overwhelming power and gentle voice both accompany His presence.

• Pentecost combines the two: a violent sound demands attention; the Spirit’s indwelling voice guides quietly within.


Breath for Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:9-14)

• “Prophesy to the breath… ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!’… ‘I will put My Spirit in you and you will live.’”

• Wind/breath brings resurrection and covenant hope to lifeless Israel.

Acts 2 fulfills this promise—God’s people receive the very breath that raises the dead.


The LORD Speaks from the Whirlwind (Job 38:1)

• “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind.”

• Wind serves as God’s pulpit, commanding reverent attention.

• Likewise, Pentecost wind introduces divine speech that follows—Spirit-inspired proclamation in every language.


Psalms’ Sky-Riding God (Psalm 18:10; 104:3-4)

• “He soared on the wings of the wind.”

• “He makes the winds His messengers.”

• The psalmists celebrate wind as God’s royal conveyance; at Pentecost He rides in again, this time to dwell permanently with His redeemed.


Drawing the Lines Together

• Creation: Wind births the universe (Genesis 1:2).

• Exodus: Wind secures redemption (Exodus 14:21).

• Prophets & Wisdom: Wind conveys voice, judgment, comfort (1 Kings 19; Job 38).

• Restoration: Wind breathes new life (Ezekiel 37).

• Worship: Wind heralds divine majesty (Psalm 18; 104).

• Pentecost gathers every thread—creative, saving, life-giving, kingly—into the climactic arrival of the Holy Spirit.


Life-Giving Wind Then and Now

• The same Spirit who hovered at creation, parted seas, revived bones, and filled the disciples now indwells every believer (Romans 8:11).

• His presence is as real and mighty as that first rushing wind—empowering witness, shaping holiness, and assuring us that God still moves with sovereign breath.

How can we prepare our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit's presence?
Top of Page
Top of Page