BACKGROUND LEADING TO PENTECOST
The long history of Israel as recorded in the O.T. is one of
failure; failure to obey the Lord, and accept His preparation of them
for their part in the blessing of the world. Throughout their history in
O.T. times despite their continued failure, there shown brightly a
glorious promise of a coming Christ (i.e. Messiah). During the reign of
David the Lord made an important covenant with David. It was that the
Christ would come through his seed and sit upon his throne.
After the Davidic covenant was made Israel
became a divided nation; splitting into two kingdoms, one
in the north (Israel), and one in the south (Judah). Neither proved
to be very faithful to the Lord. Consequently the Lord judged both
kingdoms.
The Northern Kingdom was crushed by Assyria (2 Kings
17:1-23), and then the Southern Kingdom was carried away into Babylon as
captives (2 Kings 23:26-27, 24:1-25:21). After 70 years the people of
Judah were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple which
had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzer, the King of Babylon. From that
time the people of the Nation were dominated by the Gentile nations.
When the New Testament opens, Rome is the master of the world and
dominates the affairs of Israel.
From David to the New Testament times the hope of the coming
of the Christ never dimmed in the hearts of the faithful. Examples of
those who were "Waiting" for the "consolation of Israel", for "Israel's
Redeemer", for the Christ to show up were Zacharias and Elizabeth (Lu.
1:5-6), Anna (Lu. 2:35-38), Joseph (Mk. 15:43) and Cleopas (Lu. 24:21).
These were the "waiters for the Kingdom of God" and God's Christ.
The Four Gospels record the coming and earthly ministry of
the long awaited Christ. They record what "Jesus began both to do and
teach" (Acts 1:1).
In Matthew 4:23 we read:
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their (the Jews)
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all
manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."
As a result of this preaching the gospel of the Kingdom in the Jewish
synagogues and His healing, which was according to prophecy (Isa. 29:18,
42:7), His fame spread.
"And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto
Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and
torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those
which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and He healed
them" (Matt. 4:24).
There were no failures. He healed all that came to Him. The miracles
were signs which confirmed that He was in fact the Christ and the
Kingdom was at hand. His credentials were the signs or miracles which He
performed. These miracles were the ones the O.T. told about. These were
the signs Moses associated with the Prophet which God would raise up
like unto Moses (Deut. 18:15).
Despite His fame, His credentials and His announcement that the
Kingdom was at hand the leaders of Israel chose their king to be Caesar;
concerning Israel's King they said, "Away with Him, we have no king but
Caesar. Release unto us Barabbas."
Even though Pilot said he found no fault in Jesus of Nazareth he had
Him crucified. Therefore Israel's long awaited Christ showed up but the
leaders of Israel did not want Him to reign over them (Lu. 19:14). They
rejected their Christ who was to have been their Deliverer from the
tyranny of the Romans.
THE LAST GENERATION
There was every indication to believe that the generation which was
alive at the time of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry was to be the
generation that was going to experience the terrible judgments of God
which were to be associated with the Great Tribulation. In fact the
generation which was alive during the earthly life of Christ and the
period covered by the Acts period was to be the last generation on earth
prior to the dawning of the new age, the millennium.
The Lord Jesus told His disciples that, "there would be some standing
here, which shall not taste of death, till they, see the Son of Man
coming in His Kingdom" (Matt. 16:28). At the time He said this the
interval of the Mystery was still hidden and was not in view at all.
During His earthly ministry He limited Himself, even though He was God
"manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16). He limited Himself to certain
knowledge because of His Tabernacle of flesh. Having limited Himself to
a fleshy tabernacle the God of Glory takes on limitations including
hunger, thirst, sadness and pain. Also, notice His limitations as there
is a time lapse between the occurrence of a thought which someone has
and the time He perceives it. Notice the time element in thought reading
by God manifest in the flesh.
"Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among
themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when
Jesus perceived, He said unto them, 0 ye of little faith. . .(Matt.
16:6-8).
Another passage to show that He, while in the Tabernacle of flesh,
limited Himself somewhat as to the time lapse in thought reading.
"And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves,
This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said,
wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matt. 9:3-4).
Other passages to check are Mark 2:8 and Mark 8:17.
Thus being somewhat limited He also limited Himself to ministering to
Israel as their Christ in such a manner that allowed Him to be unaware
of that which was to take place after Acts 28:28, that is, the ushering
in of an unprophesied dispensation. Otherwise He lied in Matthew 16:28.
Of course, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2. The only explanation for this
limitation is summed up thusly - without controversy, great is the
mystery of godliness (I Tim. 3:16).
Therefore when the Lord said there would be some who would not have
to taste of death before they saw the Son of Man coming, prophetically
He was speaking the truth, for that was what was next on God's agenda.
The generation that was living then was to be the one that was to
live through the Great Tribulation. It was that generation which was to
experience the wrath and judgments of God. In fact the Lord Jesus said:
" That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from
the foundation of the world, may be required of THIS
GENERATION. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple;
verily I say unto you, It shall be required of THIS
GENERATION" (Lu. 11:50-51).
The blood of the prophets from Abel to
Zacharias was to be required of that generation, since it was in
God's plan that Christ must "suffer many things, and be rejected of this
generation" (Lu. 17:25).
After He was rejected by His generation of His own earthly people and
nailed to a Cross He secured for them another chance by His dying
prayer, "Father forgive them" (Lu. 23:24).
Therefore after His resurrection He told the Apostles to remain in
Jerusalem until they receive the promise of the Father which was the
enduement with power from on high (Lu. 24:49). Therefore the Apostles
waited in Jerusalem until they were endued with Spiritual power, that is
supernatural power. This Divine equipment was to enable them to
fulfill the commission of Mark 16:15-18, which was a very urgent
commission of "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature." The baptism with the Holy
Ghost was to be the Divine enablement for them to do so. Much had to be
accomplished in a short time.
On the Day of Pentecost the men of Israel asked Peter what must they
do since he convinced them that they had crucified their Christ. He
replied that they must "Repent and be baptized"
in order for them to "save (themselves) from this untoward generation"
(Acts 2:40). This was a "wicked and adulterous generation" upon whom God
was going to require of them the blood of all the prophets. Judgment and
tribulation were staring that generation in the face. It was to be the
last generation before the millennium was to be ushered in. Wrath was to
be poured out upon those who were alive at the time.
John in Revelation states this when he says that the judgments which
he saw in the visions on the Isle of Patmos "must shortly come to pass."
The judgments were about to take place.
Paul says in I Corinthians 10:11, "Now all these things happened unto
them (i.e. Israel in the wilderness) for ensamples: and they are written
for our admonition, upon whom the ENDS OF THE WORLD ARE COME. The end of
the age was rapidly approaching.
Time was running out for Israel. There was an urgent need for her to
be prepared to go through "Daniel's Seventieth Week", the Great
Tribulation. The Apostles were to be supernaturally equipped to get out
the Gospel of the Kingdom. There was no time for "language school",
there was no time for them to learn foreign languages.
Since the Lord operates on the basis of never giving anyone a job to
do without first equipping them. He told the Apostles to wait for power
from on high.This they received on the Day of Pentecost. It took the
form of tongues. Therefore, the heralding of the Kingdom gospel "to
every creature" (Mark 16) and to "the Jew first" (Rom. 1) would not be
handicapped by the language barrier. Thus "tongues" were to play an
important part in the Kingdom gospel because of its urgency.
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