First and Last Mentions of “Spirit” in Bible

Let’s look at the first mention of the word, “Spirit” in the entire Bible, and then let’s look at the last mention. The first mention of the word, “Spirit” should be in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Sure enough, in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, in the second verse, we have the first mention of “spirit” in the Bible.  The first verse of Genesis talks about creation, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Verse 2 begins with the words, “And the earth was without form and void…” It seems like something was wrong on the earth or it was just ready for creation at that point. Then it says that the Spirit of God brooded or hovered over the face of the waters. Here you have the first mention of the Spirit in the Bible. This is a very unique passage.  Here was God with the Heavens and the earth.  God wanted to do something. The earth needed something.  Bible scholars look at Genesis one in different ways.  Many scholars say that Genesis 1:1ff is talking about the original creation. Others say, “No, the original creation was described in Genesis 1:1, and then what follows in Genesis 1:2ff is a restoration.”  I really don’t want to get into that point right now because Bible scholars who love the Lord and who handle the Bible properly come to two different conclusions about that point.  I don’t believe either viewpoint dishonors the Word of God.  Both viewpoints could be argued.

In Genesis 1:2, you have the Spirit of God coming on the scene. Here, in Genesis 1:2, God is about to do something. God is about to do the original creation or He is about to restore things. What happens first?  Verse 2 says the Spirit of God was hovering or brooding over the situation. In our experience as Christians, many times, when God is about to do something, the Spirit of God will come in and prepare our hearts for what God wants to do.  God was going to do some very dramatic things on earth by creating plant and animal life, as well as man. The Spirit of God comes on the scene.  This is the first mention in the entire Bible of the word, “Spirit”.  This Spirit, here, is referring to the divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit, or he Spirit of God.

The Spirit and The Bride saying, “Come”

Let’s go to the end of the Bible. The last book of the Bible is the book of Revelation. In the last chapter of that book, chapter 22, we have several mentions of the word, “Spirit”. I believe that the last verse that mentions the Spirit of God is verse 17 and it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This is the last mention of the word, “Spirit” in the Bible. Here, actually, it is a call or a cry, or an invitation to come. It is not just the Spirit, but the Spirit and the Bride saying, “Come.”  Come to what? Come to the living waters.  This is the last mention of the term, “Spirit” in the Bible, and we find it in the last chapter of the last book, the book of Revelation.  In Genesis 1:2 we saw that the Spirit of God was brooding over the situation before God created.  We also looked at the last verse that mentions the Spirit in the Bible in the book of Revelation. There the Spirit and Bride say, “Come.”  So we have covered the first and the last.