“And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them…” (Numbers 11:17, ESV).

During their wilderness wanderings God told Moses to select seventy elders to help him judge and lead the people of Israel.  Moses gathered the elders and placed them around the circumference of the tabernacle. Then, God poured out His Spirit on them as they were gathered around the tabernacle and they prophesied.

Two of the elders were not present at the tabernacle when the Spirit was poured out. Yet, these two also received the Spirit and prophesied while they were still in the camp.

A young man saw the two elders prophesying in the camp and told Joshua, Moses’ assistant. Joshua asked Moses to make them stop prophesying because they were not with the others at the tabernacle at the time they received the Spirit.

Moses responded to Joshua, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them” (Numbers 11:29).

Moses’ exclamation was itself prophetic. And, God has done the very thing that Moses declared!

Today, God pours out His Spirit on all His people and empowers them to proclaim His gospel of Christ wherever they are–at the tabernacle or in the camp.

Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:14-18, ESV)