Acts
2 is one of the best known chapters in that book but perhaps the
least understood.
Here is the opening verse from the chapter which says that Pentecost
was fulfilled on that day so long ago;
Act 2:1
And in the fulfilling of the day of
Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place. MKJV
Just as Passover and Unleavened Bread were both fulfilled, so
Pentecost was fulfilled, there will be no other Pentecost. But what
was Pentecost and what does it represent?
The
majority of Christians are taught that Pentecost was the birthday of
the �Church�. Israel was put aside and gifts were given to edify the
body of Christ. These theories continue to hold sway because little
is understood about Pentecost in its original setting.
Most of us realise that Passover and Unleavened Bread were shown to
us in type or shadow way back in Exodus, but do we know where in the
Old Testament Pentecost was shown forth in type and shadow? Do we
know what happened when Pentecost was experienced for the first
time? If we can not answer these questions then how can we fully
understand what Pentecost was and represents in fulfilment? How
will we be in any position to understand what happened in Acts 2 and
beyond if we do not understand these Old Testament things? Next
lesson we shall look at the first Pentecost.
Pentecost was more than just a holy day fulfilled,
more
than gifts being given,
its effect lasted way past the actual date because
Pentecost was an anticipation, it pointed to the next group of
Feasts like a huge signpost of hope. Acts was the power of Pentecost
from beginning to end and Pentecost encapsulated and confirmed the
hope of all believers at that time.
Pentecost is one of the Feasts given to Israel as outlined in
Leviticus 23. It is found towards the middle of the annual Festive
cycle not at the beginning. Pentecost was never the beginning of
anything in its original setting but it was a preparation.
Here is a review of the Feasts in Leviticus 23; they were given
specifically to Israel who celebrated them every year. You can
follow the Feasts with a more comprehensive chart at this link:
www.bibleunderstanding.com/feasts.htm
First of all The Lord reminds Moses and Israel about the weekly
Sabbath.
Lev
23:1
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev
23:2
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to
them, The feasts of Jehovah, which you shall proclaim, holy
convocations, even these are My appointed feasts.
Lev
23:3
Six days shall work be done, but the
seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation. You
shall not do any work. It is a sabbath to Jehovah in all your
dwellings.
The weekly Sabbath was part of the 10 Commandments, it was in the
Law given to Israel (Ex.20:8). Not only so, the weekly Sabbath was a
covenant to be observed and a sign between God and the children of
Israel (Ex.31:13-17). Here it is again when the annual Feasts were
given, perhaps as a mini feast that Israel celebrated every week �in
their dwellings�. The weekly Sabbath looked back to creation and on
to a �rest to the people of God�, Hebrews 4:9.
After speaking about the weekly Sabbath the Lord declares the annual
Feasts for Israel to observe, and if we want to understand them we
must at least recognise they could have something to do with Israel.
The Feast of Passover:
Lev 23:5
In the fourteenth day of the first
month, between the evenings, is Jehovah's Passover,
Passover was observed on the14th day of Israel�s first
month, called Abib which falls in and around our March/April.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Lev 23:6
and on the fifteenth day of the same month
is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Jehovah. You must
eat unleavened bread seven days.
Unleavened Bread was observed from the 15th day of the
first month for 7 days. The first and last days were Sabbaths. This
Feast contained a first fruit, see Lev.23:10 and being unleaven
typified Christ in resurrection (1 Cor.15:20).
The Feast of Pentecost or Weeks.
Lev
23:15
And you shall count to you from the next
day after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of
the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete.
Lev
23:16
To the next day after the seventh sabbath
you shall number fifty days. And you shall offer a new food offering
to Jehovah.
Lev
23:17
You shall bring out of your homes two
wave loaves of two-tenth parts. They shall be of fine flour. They
shall be baked with leaven, firstfruits to Jehovah.
Israel had to count 7 Sabbaths after the first day of Unleavened
Bread, and after these 49 days had passed, the next day was
celebrated as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost and Pentecost means
fiftieth. This feast day was another Sabbath. Notice this Feast also
contained a first fruit, see verse 17, but this first fruit was of
leaven so did not represent Christ or His works. It looked to
something else which we shall see next lesson. Please note that 50
is a significant number in understanding this Feast because it
looked onto the 50th year which was Jubilee. In the
fiftieth year all debts were cancelled and captives set at liberty.
You can read about this in Lev.25, a very important passage if we
are to ever understand Acts 2:42-45 and 4:34-35.
Between Pentecost or Weeks and the next Feast, Trumpets, there was a
gap of some months. During this time Israel were hard at work in
their fields vineyards and orchards. You can read about this in
verse 22. The Lord warns Israel not to completely harvest their
fields making provision for the poor Israelites and the Gentiles who
lived among them.
The Feast of Trumpets.
Lev 23:24
Speak to the sons of Israel saying: In the
seventh month, in the first day of the month, you shall have
a sabbath, a memorial summons, a holy convocation.
Trumpets fell on the first day of the 7th month. This
Feast day was also a Sabbath, Notice the MKJV says a memorial
summons because trumpets were used to gather Israel but the Trumpet
was also blown on the day of Jubilee when all debts were cancelled
and captives set free. See Lev.25 above. Please carefully note this
Feast of Trumpets is not the Feast of Trumpet.
The Feast of the Day of Atonement.
Lev 23:27
Also, on the tenth of this seventh month,
this is a day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to
you. And you shall afflict your souls and offer a fire offering to
Jehovah.
This
fell on the 10th day of the 7th month. This was also a Sabbath and a
very serious one at that; they were to �afflict their souls�. This
was a day of great solemnity, no dancing, no rejoicing, no feasting
but introspection and reflection. If you want to understand a little
about this Feast read, Zachariah 12.
Lev
23:28
And you shall do no work in that same day,
for it is a day of atonement, in order to make an atonement
for you before Jehovah your God.
Lev
23:29
For any soul who is not humbled in that
same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev
23:30
And any soul who does any work in that
same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
The Feast of Tabernacles, Booths.
Lev
23:34
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, The
fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of
Tabernacles for seven days to Jehovah.
Lev
23:35
On the first day shall be a holy
convocation. You shall do no work of labor.
Lev
23:36
Seven days you shall offer a fire offering
to Jehovah. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you.
And you shall offer a fire offering to Jehovah. It is a
solemn assembly. And you shall do no work of labor.
This Feast fell in the 7th month as well. It also doubled
as the Feast of Booths when Israel built booths made of branches and
large leaves. This was a Feast of great rejoicing, all the harvests
of trees and fields and vines were gathered in and Israel was called
upon to dance. The disciples asked about the fulfilment of this
Feast in Matthew 24:3.
Apart from the weekly Sabbath, Israel�s Feasts were divided into two
groups of three falling in the first and second half of their
festive year.
The early Feasts;
Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost.
The later Feasts;
Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles/Booths.
Pentecost is the last of the early Feasts and is not the beginning
of anything, it anticipates the last group of Feasts. When Pentecost
was fulfilled on that day in Acts 2, all believers were very excited
about the imminent fulfilment of that last group beginning with
Trumpets.
Before arriving at any understanding of Pentecost we must remember
this original instruction of God:
Lev
23:1
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev
23:2
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to
them, The feasts of Jehovah, which you shall proclaim, holy
convocations, even these are My appointed feasts
My dear readers, the Feasts were given to Israel; perhaps Pentecost
has something to do with that nation and her destiny rather than the
Church which is His Body.
Today we shall let Peter, the other apostles and disciples give us
some background to Acts chapter 2.
We have been in the Old Testament and while some of it is fresh in
our minds let us see it refreshed and deeply ingrained in the minds
of these people and the effect it had on them.
Some
incredible things happened to them in those days between our Lord�s
resurrection and His ascension and these are too often overlooked.
We all
know the tradition which says Pentecost was the birthday of the
�church�. Accompanying this tradition is the teaching that the
disciples were either confused regarding the Feast of Pentecost or
at least unaware of what was about to happen. Apparently they were a
sad and unfulfilled group who were finally made aware of God�s
�real� purpose when the Holy Spirit gave them the enlightenment. But
is this true?
The
book of Acts was written by Luke and his gospel happily overlaps
events of that time for our clearer understanding.
Here are some verses from the last chapter where our Lord had
revealed himself to the two on the road to Emmaus and later the
other disciples. In both cases He confirming some things to them;
Luk 24:25
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken:
Luk 24:26
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into
his glory?
Luk 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them
in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
Luk 24:44
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you,
while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the
psalms, concerning me
The
resurrected Saviour said, suffering must be endured before glory.
The suffering was all foretold in the OT and the glory that was to
surely follow was foretold in the OT as well. It will help us to see
that the two on the road to Emmaus had Israel in mind;
Luk 24:21
But we had trusted that He was the One who was about to redeem
Israel. And besides all this, today is the third day since these
things were done.
This
should begin to prepare us for the fact that disciples had Israel in
mind and not once did the Lord correct this. Perhaps the glory the
Lord spoke about was for Israel as well.
Then
the Saviour did something marvelous for them, He opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures;
Luk 24:45
And He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures.
The
disciples had their intellect opened to comprehend the very
Scriptures our Lord had been using to describe the glory that was to
come. No doubt they would now be asking about �the church�. But this
is not true and it is near to ridiculous to suggest that the
disciples had no idea what Pentecost was all about. Christ opened
their minds to the OT Scriptures and the OT Scriptures of glory were
to take place as assuredly as the sufferings. So does the OT speak
about �the church�? Not really, it speaks about redemption and
salvation, but the plan and purposes of God in the OT are centred on
Israel. Pentecost was a Feast given to Israel.
The
disciples are now intellectually attuned to the glory soon to follow
and we note at the end of Luke a statement is made concerning their
emotional state:
Luk 24:51
And it happened as He blessed them, He withdrew from them and was
carried up into Heaven.
Luk 24:52
And worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
Luk 24:53
And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.
Amen.
Let
all Christians note, the disciples were not dejected and confused,
nor uncertain in any way of what was about to happen but were filled
with great joy, in the Temple, praising and blessing God.
The
opening chapter of Acts adds further evidence that the disciples
were not ignorant of the Lord�s purposes or confused or dejected or
downhearted;
Act 1:1
Truly, O Theophilus, I made the first report as to all things that
Jesus began both to do and teach
Act 1:2
until the day He was taken up, having given directions to the
apostles whom He chose, through the Holy Spirit;
Act 1:3
to whom He also presented Himself living after His suffering by many
infallible proofs, being seen by them through forty days, and
speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Pentecost was the 50th day from the wave offering in the
Feast of Unleavened Bread. For forty of those days the Lord, after
he had opened their understanding, spoke to them of the things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Some Christians think that the term �the Kingdom of God� really
means �the church�. However we note that after all this speaking by
the Lord and His command to tarry in Jerusalem until they were
baptized in the Holy Spirit, the disciples had one question and one
question only. And this question is asked in the light of Pentecost,
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which was about to befall them;
Act
1:6
Then, indeed, these coming together, they asked Him, saying, Lord,
do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
Tradition links this baptism of the Holy Spirit with �the church�
but the educated and illuminated disciples linked it with the
restored Kingdom to Israel. Which is true?
Tradition says the disciples had no idea of what was going on at
Pentecost. Tradition inadvertently believes our Lord Christ didn�t
open their minds. Tradition implies our Lord Christ was one of the
worst teachers the world has ever seen. Tradition implies the
disciples must be listed as the dumbest followers of Christ ever
because they asked a question totally off the mark. But friends it
is the tradition of men which creates all these problems.
Perhaps the Apostles were now able to accept with great joy the
words of the Lord specifically to them;
Mat 19:28
And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that you who have
followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man
shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
We
must stand with the Word of God. The disciples were correct in their
question and later, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit
Peter says this;
Act 3:17
And now, brothers, I know that you did it through ignorance, as also
your rulers did.
Act 3:18
But those things which God before had shown by the mouth of all His
prophets, that Christ should suffer, He fulfilled in this manner.
Act 3:19
Therefore repent and convert so that your sins may be blotted out,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord.
Act 3:20
And He shall send Jesus Christ, who before was proclaimed to you,
Act 3:21
whom Heaven truly needs to receive until the times of
restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth
of His holy prophets since the world began.
We do
not restore, regenerate, or
refresh anything by bringing in something entirely new or
different.
Peter
refers to the times of �refreshing� or revival for Israel the very
times of �restoration� the prophets spoke about. The prophets did
not speak of the birthday of �the church�; they spoke about the
restoration of Israel. This is the glory the Lord confirmed was to
come. It was to follow the suffering. The question in Acts 1:6 and
Peter�s statements in Acts 3:17-21 confirm tradition has missed the
mark. There was no church born at Pentecost.
Next
time we shall let the Word of God prove there were no Gentiles at
Acts 2. Please read Acts 10 and 11.
