Question: John 7:37-38 ESV

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> 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[f] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
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We are told that during the feast of Booths Christ cried out extending an invitation to those who are thirst.The text describes the invitation as referring to the giving of the Holy spirit,yet later in the same book it seems the coming of the the Holy spirit is connected to Christ ascension

John 16:7 ESV

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> 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, ***for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you***. But if I go, I will send him to you.
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Did Christ intend giving the Holy spirit prior to his ascension?

Answer: 
The answer to this question is in the next verse so let me quote the John 7:37-39 -

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> **37** On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me
> and drink. **38** Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said:
> ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ” **39** He was
> speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him **were later
> to receive**. **For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus
> had not yet been glorified**.
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Thus, there is nothing inconsistent between John 7:37-39 and the other references to the Holy Spirit in John 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7 that likens the Holy Spirit to an Advocate, Helper, comforter, or "paraklete" in Greek.

The Holy Spirit would come "with power" (Acts 1:8, 10:38, Eph 3:16, 1 Thess 1:5, Rom 1:4, 15:19, etc) only after Jesus' ascension as described in Luke 24:49 (NLT) -

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> “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But
> stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with
> power from heaven.”
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And also in John 20:21, 22 after the resurrection -

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> Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent
> me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed
> on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
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> Now this he (Jesus) said about the spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39
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> Exalted then, to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised holy spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Acts 2:33
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There is no indication that we can conclude from John 7:37 that this concerns a *time* for this event. Other verses do give a time. The verses noted should be the primary reference for understanding this matter.

An invitation is not the same as the actual event and so no contradiction or uncertainty is evident.

Jesus in his pre-ascended, pre-crucifixion, mortal state of humanity is not able to grant such a thing as the spirit of God - unless God grants it through him as He did through the prophets etc. Once exalted, Jesus has the power within himself because God has given that to him.