After the King had been crucified and raised from the dead there was to
be a time of preparation for Israel; for the next thing to take place
after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ was to be a time of
great tribulation.
The Kingdom, which was in view, was to be entered through much
tribulation (Acts 14:22). There was an urgent need to get the Gospel of
the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. The elect out of all of Israel was
to be called. This call would come through the proclamation of the
Gospel of the Kingdom.
The Lord told the Apostles just prior to His ascension:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem , and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts
1:8).
The receiving of the power mentioned in Acts 1:8 is also referred to
as being endued with power from on high
(Luke 24:49). The Holy Ghost, imparting the gift of tongues as in Acts 2
to the Apostles, was to be the Divine signal for the Apostolic
Missionary Program to begin.
THE GREAT COMMISSION OF MARK 16
The marching orders for the twelve Apostles were given them in Mark
16:15; for it was here the Lord Jesus told them what they were to do
after they received the Divine enablement.
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel (i.e. of the
Kingdom) to every creature. "
This was the command which was to be carried out by them when they
received the "promise of the Father",(Luke 24:49). The promise of the
Father was the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3:14) which the Lord
identified in Acts 1:5 as the baptism with the Holy Ghost- The baptism
with the Holy Ghost was the imparting of spiritual gifts by the Spirit
to the Apostles.
The signal to "Go ye into all the world" was to take the form of the
gift of tongues. This enduement took place on the Day of Pentecost as
the Apostles were empowered by the Spirit to speak in the languages of
men. The language or dialect was unknown by those who spoke them under
the influence of the Spirit of God. This gift to speak in another
language accomplished a great deal on the Day of Pentecost as well as
after that.
This ability caused great wonderment and amazement by all those who
were in Jerusalem during the Feast Days. As they heard the Apostles
speak in foreign languages, knowing they were Galileans, they marveled
and said "how hear we every man in our own tongue, where in we were
born?" (Acts 2:8). They were so amazed at this that they asked further,
"What meaneth this?" (Acts 2:12).
It is Peter who responds to the question of "What meaneth this?". His
Pentecostal sermon following "Tongues" were what gained the attention of
the Jews who were dwelling in Jerusalem.
"Tongues" enabled the Twelve to speak to the multitude in their own
mother tongue. It foreshadowed the enabling of the Pentecostal
Missionary Program. Since there was an urgency for the proclamation of
the Kingdom message, the gift of "tongues" enabled the Acts period
missionaries to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom without the
hinderances of the language barrier. Therefore the Acts
missionaries did not have to attend to the time consuming details of the
learning of foreign languages.
TONGUES AN EVIDENTIAL SIGN
The ability to speak in "tongues" was also to be an "evidential sign"
confirming the fact that the Lord was working with
the believers.
And
these signs shall follow them that
believe; In my name they shall cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if
they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall
lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto
them, He was received up into heaven, and sat at the right hand
of God.
And they went forth, and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word,
WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING" (Mark 16:17-20).
Tongues" were an integral part of this commission. "Tongues"
confirmed the fact that the Lord was working with the believers. The
Mark 16 Commission was a commission to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.
It was in effect throughout the Acts of the Apostles. Signs confirmed
the Lord working in harmony with His Word as far into Acts as Acts
28:1-10.
It is noted in Acts 28:1-10 that Paul is bitten by a venomous viper
and suffered no hurt. He heals a man of a bloody flux on the Island of
Melita. That is not all, we note as late as Acts 28:10, "So when this
was done, others also, which came with diseases in the island, came, and
were healed."
Thus we are aware that signs confirmed the Word and the Lord working
with the Apostles from Acts 2 (Pentecost) all the way through Acts
28:10. "Signs following" penetrated as far as the twenty-eighth chapter
of the Acts of the Apostles.
"Tongues" were one of the "signs following" as enumerated in Mark
16:17-18. "Signs following" were in operation from Acts 2 up until Acts
28.
NEXT>
<BACK
