PENTECOST -- A REVEALING BEGINNING There has not been unanimity among professed believers concerning the events that took place on the day of Pentecost. Some have viewed the involvement in the fulfillment of the promise as confined to the twelve apostles. Others have taken the position that the events of the day of Pentecost were intended to be duplicated throughout the remaining history of the church. There is, however, another view of these things that is, in my judgment, more in harmony with revealed Divine objectives. -- Tomorrow:
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)
Devotion 2 of 28
What we have in the book of Acts is the beginning of a new era – "the day of salvation" and "the accepted time" (2 Cor 6:2). It is the time of the promised "new covenant" in which men would be changed by the Spirit of God (2 Cor 3:18). This would be accomplished BY beholding the "glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" – the glorified Christ (2 Cor 4:6). A marvelous accord with the Law of God would be wrought by it being written in their hearts of the people, and "put" into their minds (Heb 8:10; 10:16). This would lead to them thinking like God.
All of the promises of a Messiah and the covenant He would implement were applicable to this period of time – "the day of salvation," when men would actually be "reconciled to God" (Rom 5:10), be "justified from all things" (Acts 13:39), and become "a new creation" in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).
None of these promises focused on any individual other than Jesus Christ. None of these promises were presented as applicable to a certain group of people within the body of the ones made "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph 1:6). When doctrines are contrived that represent the experiences of the second chapter of Acts as particularly and exclusively those of the twelve apostles, a fundamental error in reasoning has taken place. Unless the text clearly is limited to "the twelve," there is no form of spiritual reasoning that can justify men creating such limitations.
After the commencement of the day of Pentecost, there was a point at which "the twelve" became the focus of attention (2:14). Until that time, no such limitation is affirmed. Because we are dealing with the fulfillment of ancient prophecies, it will be well to mention some of them, confirming what I have just said. I will limit myself to the texts that speak of the affectation of the people themselves during the promised "day of salvation." The texts referring to a solitary Savior, or Messiah, are evident, and do not require substantiation at this time. The following texts pertain to the people who will be blessed by the Messiah – the people who will enjoy the benefits of the New Covenant.
1. THE PEOPLE WOULD ALL HEARKEN TO THE MESSIAH. "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken . . . I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him" (Deu 18:15,18-19)
2. THE PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth" (Psa 110:3).
3. JOY AND GLADNESS OBTAINED. "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isa 35:10).
4. AGREEMENT. "Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion" (Isa 52:8).
5. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jer 31:34).
6. HOLY INVOLVEMENT. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My spirit" (Joel 2:28-29).
7. MADE NEW. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" (Ezek 36:26).
When declaring redemption and its glorious benefits, holy men declared the prophets had spoken of these things.
1. "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3:24).
2. "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come" (Acts 26:22).
3. "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43).
4. "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written" (Acts 15:15).
5. "And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening" (Acts 28:23).
In these opening devotions I will substantiate that what took place on the day of Pentecost fulfilled the promises uttered by the prophets. I will further confirm that such promises were never limited to a special group of people within the redeemed, or within the body of Christ.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the hope that is promoted by Your exceeding great and precious promises.