The acts of the apostles after the ascension of Jesus
Part 2
33AD
In our 1st. lesson about the beginning of the church, we saw Jesus ascending to heaven from the Mt. Of Olives while the desciples watched and were probably amazed. We also learned that they remained in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded until the coming of the Holy spirit on Pentecost.
Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks or 7 x7(49 days ) after Easter, also known as resurrection Sunday, hence its name.
Here again we see the importance of 7 in Gods plan. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday.
Pentecost is historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus from the bondage of Egypt. At that point, the Jews were no longer in spiritual bondage and slavery to Egypt. God had freed them. He also set up the year of Jubilee that the Jews were to keep every 50 yrs. All debt was to be canceled every 50 yrs., so the poor in Israel would be debt free.
Here in the book of acts we see the Holy Spirit coming to Christians on the 50th day after the ascension to set us free from bondage to the flesh, the world, death and the devil. You will notice that Shavuot or Pentecost is associated with the harvest in Israel. Pentecost also, in the new testament, began the harvest of souls (or grain) and the harvest of first fruits into the kingdom of God. Jesus spoke of this when he described the white harvest into Gods kingdom.
Pentecost now also commemorates the descent of the Holy spirit upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2 in the New Testament. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as "the Church's birthday".
We see again the importance of number patterns in God's plan of the ages in both the old and new testament, and how things in the old testament have their more complete fulfillment in the new Testament.
The Pentecostal movement of Christianity derives its name from this biblical event.
It is commonly believed by most Bible scholars that the book of Luke and Acts were both written by Luke, a friend and companion of the apostle Paul. The events in the book of Acts covers the period from from 33ad when Jesus ascended back to heaven, to 62ad or approximently 29 yrs. Nowhere in the book of Acts does it mention the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. We can, therefore, asume that it covered the history of the early church and deeds of the apostles before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple by the Roman armies under general Titus in the year 70ad. The book of Acts was finished by Luke 8 yrs. before the fall off Jerusalem.
In 33ad Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, Luke 21:20: and when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Luke 21st chp Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains and let them which are in the midst of it depart out, and let not them that are in the countries enter there into. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days ! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The Jews that accepted Jesus as Messiah remembered the above warning that he gave. When in 70AD they saw the armies of Rome come against Jerusalem, they fled the country. They survived and spread the Gospel in other countries. As for the rest of the Jewish nation, many were taken in to slavery and sold. They were scattered all over the world even until now. This happened because they rejected their Messiah.
God began to regather them again into their own land of Israel after world war two. He promised in 37th chp. of Ezekiel that he would bring them back. We have seen God fulfilling that promise in our days. That means the times of the Gentiles, or the Church age, is about fulfilled.
Now lets take a look at some of the acts of the apostles as they began to obey Jesus. He told them, in what is called the great commission, just before he ascended to heaven, to preach the Gospel in the whole world baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He said "he that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be dammed." or ( go to Hell ) He also said 'I am with you always even unto the end of the age'.
Please read or listen to chps. 3 and 4 below. Then return and study with us as we continue this series in the lives of the apostles and the history of the early church. In this series we will try to cover the whole book of Acts. Bill Hicks