Subject: How Could John The Baptist Be “Filled With The Holy Spirit From His Mother’s Womb”?

[Posted June 28, 2023]

Hi Mike,

Quick question: In Luke 1:15 we are told John the Baptist would be “filled with the Holy Ghost” from his mother’s womb.

The Holy Spirit was not made available to anyone until the Day of Pentecost, so how could John be filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb?

Thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate your online ministry, have a blessed day,

Your brother,

C​____​

Hi C​____​,

Thank you for your question.

Yo​u​ ask:

In Luke 1:15 we are told John the Baptist would be “filled with the Holy Ghost” from his mother’s womb.

“The Holy Spirit was not made available to anyone until the Day of Pentecost, so how could John be filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb?” (End Quote)

John was “filled with the holy spirit” in the same way Samson and King David had the holy spirit.

Here is what we are told about Samson:

Jdg 13:24  And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
Jdg 13:25  And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

This is what we are told about King David:

Psa 51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Both Samson, and King David were living under the law of Moses and so was John, the Baptist. We know this is true because Christ told us:

Luk 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The “bread from heaven” was not “the true bread from heaven”:

Joh 6:30  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Joh 6:31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. [Psa 78:4]
Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

As you noted, the holy spirit, also called “The spirit of Truth” was not given to dwell within the Lord’s people until the day of Pentecost, as Christ promised:,

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Joh 16:13  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 shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The ‘spirit of Truth’ and “the comforter, which is the holy ghost” are one and the same. They are the holy spirit which the Father gives to Christ​,​ ​W​ho then gives it to us. As Christ tells us, the Father gave it to Him, therefore, it is His to give to whom He will to dwell within us to teach us and to help us to overcome our flesh.

Samson married a Philistine and cavorted with Philistine harlots. King David died with these words on his lips:

1Ki 2:5  Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
1Ki 2:6  Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

1Ki 2:8  And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
1Ki 2:9  Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

King David wanted his son Solomon to take vengeance on his enemies, Joab and Shemei. He wanted Solomon to see to it that Joab did not die “in peace”, and he wanted Shemei to die a ‘bloody’ death at the hands of Solomon.

Neither Samson nor King David had the holy spirit which teaches us to forgive all men their sins against us.

Therefore, the answer to your question about how John the Baptist was ‘filled with the holy spirit from his mother’s womb’ is that he was filled in the same manner that God gave Israel “bread from heaven.” It was “not the true bread fro​m​ heaven”, and John’s filling with the holy spirit was not the true filling of the holy spirit. The ‘bread from heaven’ and the ‘filling of John with the holy spirit’ we​re​ Old Testament types of the True, just as Samson and King David had the holy spirit in type. It was an outward fulfilling which typified the true filling of the holy spirit on the day of Pentecost, and it did not dwell within John because, as Christ told us, John will not be in the kingdom of heaven:

Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

I hope this helps you to see that everything before Christ was just a type and a shadow “of good things to come.”

Heb 10:1  For the law [which included John] having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

YbiC, Mike