Archive for category: Series Defining The Kingdom

We take up here after the Tribulation has run its course, and the battle of Armageddon has taken place.

Christ has returned and crushed all the armies gathered there in the Middle East.

Now we’re getting ready for the onset of the Kingdom of Heaven that 1000 year reign of Christ where the heavens will rule the earth.

It’s worth noticing before we begin that Christ will reign over the earth in this dispensation or age or time period but where the Body of Christ is concerned we will reign with Him and that’s just too challenging to our limited minds.

Revelation 20 is the first place that the Kingdom’s brought down to a  time frame. The Old Testament speaks of the Kingdom. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom. Paul refers to the Kingdom, but none of these put it into a time frame.

But in Revelation Chapter 20 and verses 1 and 2 it’s put into a time frame that we can understand. 1000 years.

Revelation 20:1-2,

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 

Look in these next few verses how many times the term 1000 years is brought out.

The Holy Spirit puts great emphasis on the fact that this Kingdom rule and reign of Christ will be a thousand years.

Revelation 20:3,

and he cast him (Satan) into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 

The thousand years has been used twice in two verses. After the thousand years, Satan’s going to be released, and we’ll see that when we get to the Book of Revelation study.

Now in verse 4, John sees believers who have been resurrected, and brought up into the heaven of the heavens and he lists them.

Revelation 20:4-5

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Now that’s four times the thousand years is used in just four verses.

Let’s try and understand these resurrections.

We have all the believers all the way from Adam and through the Tribulation who’re now resurrected in various time frames and they’re now all in the Lord’s presence. But verse 5 refers to, “But the rest of the dead.”

There’re only two groups of people so far as God’s concerned, the lost and the saved. God desires all to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth says 1 Timothy 2:4, but sadly He doesn’t get that desire. Man’s free will prevents that ever coming about.

So, if the saved are already resurrected and in the Lord’s presence, then the rest of the dead would have to be the lost.

They’ll stay in their original state in Hades, and they’ll be there for the entire thousand years of the Kingdom rule and after that they’ll be resurrected.

In order to pick up that resurrection, which is called the second resurrection, we go to Revelation 20:14,

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

This resurrection leads the lost ones to The Great White Throne Judgment. This is the final judgement of every person who’s ever lived that’s rejected God and His salvation, whether that salvation was through the Old Testament sacrificial system or the New Testament faith in the completed works of Jesus Christ.

We’ll study this awful judgement in detail at some other time, but we must know that no true believer will face this judgement.

We just want to see that the two resurrections are separated by a thousand years.

The lost have died physically but now they’re going to experience spiritual death, their separation from God forever.

Here you have these two great groups of humanity, the saved who are resurrected in stages before the Kingdom begins. Then, the lost of all the ages who’ll be resurrected here at the Great White Throne, and then go to their eternal doom.

The lost will also be resurrected and get a body fit for their eternity in the lake of fire, even as we believers will have a body prepared for eternal life.

So, in this first resurrection we see in Revelation 20 verses 6 and 7,

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.

Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison. 

Out of the first seven verses here in Chapter 20, a thousand years is mentioned six times.

There’ll be a lot take place in that seven year period of the tribulation and one of them will be the marriage of the Lamb.

We’ll be studying that in detail later along with a study of the Bema Seat, the judgment of believers for reward.

Back now to Revelation 2:6 again,

but they (the resurrected believers) shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

This is the first resurrection. Now let’s go back to I Corinthians Chapter 15. The great resurrection Chapter, where the Apostle Paul deals with Resurrection in plain simple language.

I Corinthians 15:20-21,

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (or have died). 

For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

He clarifies that in I Corinthians 15:47,

The first man was of the earth, made of dust (Adam); the second Man is the Lord from heaven (Christ). 

When Elijah raised the widow’s son, that was not resurrection. He just brought that lad back to life, and then, at a later time, he died again. The same thing happened with Lazarus. Jesus called him from the grave, but he wasn’t resurrected. He was brought back to life. Lazarus also had to die again.

We need to be clear. Resurrection is a unique Sovereign act of God.

He’ll bring back a human being who has died, back from the dead, not just to die again, but back to eternal life.

When God breathed into man and he became a living soul back in Genesis, that separated man from all the other categories of life. How? Because man has an immortal soul.

That’s why Revelation speaks of the resurrection of the just to eternal life in God’s presence, and the resurrection of the lost to a life separated from God, or the second death. But they’ll also continue on throughout eternity.

Some teach that when a lost person dies they’re annihilated. But that doesn’t come close to lining up with Scripture. Sadly, they’re going to suffer and experience feeling and regret forever.

Christ was the first Person to ever experience Resurrection. And that’s why He’s called the first fruits (Plural) of them that slept.

I Corinthians 15:23,

“But every man in his own order Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

Paul’s referring to the believer here.  That word `order’ speaks of Christ first then the rest at a later time.

That’s the group that Paul’s most concerned with and that’s the Church Age. The Grace Age, The Age of the Church, The Body of Christ. You and I as believers.

I Corinthians 15:24,

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 

Now we know that’ll be after the Tribulation, but it’ll include various stages where all those believers who die during the tribulation are included.

So, after the tribulation we have the completed result of the first resurrection, every believer who by faith has believed the Son of God, Jesus Christ, between the beginning of the Church age through to the last believer to die in the tribulation.

Now we head back to Revelation 20:6,

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 

And, as if to confirm this we have Revelation 5 verse 10,

And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.

We can also look at Revelation 19:7,

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. 

Remember the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is to be married to the Body of Christ.

Revelation 19:8,

And to her (the Body of Christ, the Church) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 

Now to verse 14 where we see we’re now included in this army that’s coming with Christ at His Second Coming,

And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 

Let’s tie it all together.

Not only are the Tribulation saints going to be included in that reigning and ruling with Christ for a thousand years but we, as believers, are also included.

Since we’re talking about the Church Age believer in the Kingdom as this Kingdom will come on earth, let’s look to the Book of Colossians.

Now Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, doesn’t dwell on the Kingdom as much as the Old Testament and the Gospels do, because they apply to Israel.

But nevertheless, we’re involved in the Kingdom.

In Colossians Chapter 1:12-13 Paul’s been praying for the Colossi Gentile believers,

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 

Notice He’s delivered us, past tense and conveyed, or translated us, that’s you and I as believers into (what?) the kingdom of his Son.

We’re already members of the Kingdom. But remember, where is the Kingdom right now? In heaven, in the Person of Christ.

When He was on the earth John the Baptist approached Jesus and said, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Why? Because the King was at hand.

So, when the King went back to glory, then the Kingdom is again in heaven. We never refer to Him as the King in the Church Age, but as Saviour and Lord.

But the Kingdom won’t stay in heaven, it’ll come back to the earth, and Paul says We’ll be with Him, part and parcel of that Kingdom.

So, we’re absolutely a part of this coming Kingdom, which’ll then be on the earth.

Now, Christ has returned, the Tribulation has run its course, and the question is, “Who is going to go into the Kingdom? Are they going to be flesh and blood? Will they be having families? Will they be reproducing?”

And the answer to all these question is, yes absolutely!

This Kingdom will be on the earth and will be the Utopia the world longs for but will never find.

Let’s look at Matthew 19 verse 28 and Jesus is speaking to the Apostles after Peter asks what they’ll have in the Kingdom,

So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

That’s the twelve apostles, Judas is out of course, and the twelfth apostle is more likely than not Paul. The book of Acts tells us that Matthias replaced Judas but there’s an incredible study around this that’s way beyond what we’re doing here.

The regeneration is restoring something back like it was. The earth’ll be like it was in the Garden of Eden.

When the Son of man sits in the throne of his glory, according to Psalms Chapter 2,  The twelve will also sit on twelve thrones, judging (or ruling) the twelve tribes of Israel.

This is very clear. When the Kingdom is set up the Nation is now under their King. Then, under The King, will be the twelve original Apostles each ruling the twelve tribes, there in Jerusalem in the land of Israel.

Let’s look at another verse or two and this comes back to the closing days of the Tribulation, but it’s all tied to the beginning of the Kingdom.

Luke 21:25-31 and it’s Jesus Himself speaking,

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (That’s the end of the Tribulation)

Then they (the Jews) will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Remember, He’s addressing the Nation of Israel.)

Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 

So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 

Now come on over to the Book of Acts Chapter 1. The Crucifixion has come and gone and Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s spent forty days with the Apostles. And now verse 3,

to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 

Being seen! They saw Him with their eyes.

Now, back to the question, “Who’s going to go into the Kingdom?” Go to John 3:2 and it’s the old story of Nicodemus, a portion we all know well. We’ve heard dozens of sermons on it. Here’s Nicodemus in verse 2:

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 

Notice Nicodemus was head and shoulders ahead of most of the Jews of that day. He recognised that these miracles were telling him something, that Jesus was Someone special.

Verse 3

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, (or born from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Now what does that tell us? Who can go into the Kingdom? ONLY BELIEVERS!

There will be no unbelievers in the Kingdom.

Come back to Matthew 24:15=16 and it’s Jesus speaking again and remember Matthew 24 is all about the tribulation period,

“Therefore when you see the ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 

“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

This is the escaping remnant of Israel. They go down to the mountains to the southeast of Jerusalem. It won’t be the whole nation, only the remnant and they’ll be in unbelief because they never recognised Christ as their Messiah.

God’s going to supernaturally protect them in those mountains for the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. Then, as this unbelieving remnant of Israel see Christ coming with glory and power at His Second Coming they will believe.

So, they, too, will get to go into the Kingdom.

Let’s look at this remnant as they see Jesus coming from the viewpoint of Zechariah. And remember that word `see’. They’d see Him.

Zechariah 12:10 and it’s God speaking through Zechariah,

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; (remember this is the house of David, no Gentiles are there) then they will look on Me whom they pierced. (at His Crucifixion) Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 

Not only will their physical eyes be opened but also their spiritual eyes. They’ll recognise that this arrival of The Christ, The Messiah is the One Who died back there on that Roman Cross in Judea.

Zechariah 13:6,

And one (this remnant of Israel) will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’ 

Then this remnant of Israel will experience that new birth that Nicodemus was told he had to have in order to go into the Kingdom. This remnant will be the largest number of people to survive the Tribulation. It’ll be the seed of the Nation of Israel as they come into the Kingdom.

Remember that the earth will now be restored back to the way it was in the Garden of Eden before sin entered. It’ll be glorious and beautiful.

The remnant of Israel that God had protected during the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation will believe when they see Christ coming with power and great glory at His Second Coming.

They’ll see the nail prints in His hands, the wound in His side and believe and know that He was and is their Messiah, and they’ll then go into the Kingdom.

Remember that this remnant is the mixed group of Jews we saw in Matthew 24 as they fled Jerusalem. They’re not the 144,000 Jewish men who preached during the Tribulation.

They’ll be by far the largest nation in numbers to go into the Kingdom and now we have the Nation of Israel established.

Now let’s pick up the Gentiles.

Even though the Age of Grace was primarily to the Gentiles yet even in the Tribulation, God has been preparing Gentiles to go into the Kingdom in ordinary flesh and blood bodies.

Remember the Kingdom’s going to see a tremendous population explosion. So, by the end of that thousand years when Satan will be released for a little season to test those born during this Kingdom Age, there’ll be probably as many people on earth then as there are now.

In Isaiah 24:1-2 we pick up these Gentiles.

Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. 

And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. 

This is about the terrible events taking place during the Tribulation.

Isaiah 24:3-4,

The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the LORD has spoken this word. 

The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. 

See, even their wealth is not going to protect them.

Isaiah 24:5-6,

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, (the basic laws of morality laid down back in the Ten Commandments), Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. 

Therefore the curse (that began with Adam) has devoured the earth, (it’s because of sin that all of these things take place), And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left. 

Are burned! Does this mean massive nuclear energy released? Could be.

These people are totally disobedient to everything that God’s instructed.

Despite all the terrible events, there’ll still be survivors.

There’re always some survivors even in the worst of calamities and it’ll be the same at the end of the Tribulation. They’ll be scattered around the planet from every nation that you can think of.

Let’s look at the statement of verse 6, “and few men are left.”

How many is a few? You can use any percentage you wish.

We have in the world today over 8 billion people.

Ten percent or 800 million is too high for a few. What about five percent? 400 million people.

Let’s bring it down to 1 percent of the world’s population and you still have 80 million. Still a lot of people.

Don’t forget that at the beginning of the Tribulation God sealed 144,000 young Jews who’ll preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Their main message will be, during almost all of the Tribulation, “The King is coming to set up His Kingdom.”

Many people will believe and be martyred. Some people will believe and survive.

Then some people who won’t believe will survive. So, all of the survivors combined are the “few men left” that we see in Isaiah.

Let’s go to Matthew and pick these survivors up again and see what happens to them.

Remember, no unbelievers can go into the Kingdom.

Satan’s going to be locked up, and we’ll start out with a generation of parents who’re believers.

In Matthew Chapter 25 we have the perfect description of how God’s going to do it and we’re dealing with a point in time where the supernatural will be almost commonplace.

Christ is going to supernaturally bring all of the survivors, from all over the world, to Jerusalem.

So, beginning in Matthew 25:31-2 Jesus speaking,

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, (that includes you and I; this is at His Second Coming) then He will sit on the throne of His glory. (His Kingdom rule in Jerusalem).” 

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 

The biggest percentages of the population of the nations have been killed, as this is at the end of the Tribulation.

But we still have the survivors, who’re representative of their nations and He (The King) will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

Here Christ the King will separate the believers from the unbelievers.

Matthew 25:33-34 Jesus still speaking,

And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Then the King (notice He’s already on the throne here ready to start ruling over the Kingdom) Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Ephesians Chapter 1 tell us we were chosen in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.

God in His foreknowledge knew exactly which one of these Gentiles would hear the Gospel of the Kingdom from the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and believe.

Now to verses 35 and 36 and we must see this is not what saved them but what distinguished them as believers,

for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 

I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 

Matthew 25:37-40,

“Then the righteous (these surviving believers) will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 

When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 

Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.‘

That word `brethren’ is the secret here. Jesus was a Jew, so His brethren were Jews.

So, who is He referring to? The 144,000 that had preached the Gospel of the Kingdom during the Tribulation. It wasn’t their good deeds that saved these people when they helped the 144,000 evangelists. It’s never good works that saves anyone. They were saved by their faith in this message that was preached to them. And as soon as they were saved they were willing to help these people who had brought this saving message to them, even at the risk of their own lives.

Why? Because it’s a Christians’ nature to do things like this. So here, Jesus is showing that these 144,000 are going to suffer terribly all through their ministry. Go back to Revelation Chapter 7 verse 3 for a moment, where the angel says,

“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Like when God put a mark on Cain, that no one could take his life, it’s the same way with these 144,000.

They’re sealed so that they could not be killed. Suffer, yes, but they couldn’t be killed.

Reading on in Revelation 7 we see that there’re 12,000 sealed from each of the twelve tribes.

Remember, if people don’t take the mark of the beast during this time, they won’t be able to buy or sell, and seven years is a long time if you can’t buy groceries.

It’s a long time if you can’t pay the mortgage, buy fuel, or pay a medical bill.

So, they’ll end up hungry and thirsty, and naked.

So, the 144,000 suffered during the Tribulation. They’re thrown in prison and they’re going to be hungry, and the only help they get is from these believers, who, although they will have little to spare, will sacrifice to help these 144,000. Then Jesus said in Matthew 25 verse 40,

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 

This is the only setting in which this text fits. You can’t put it into anything else. It’s simply the response of these believers who’ve survived the awful events of the Tribulation. Then in Matthew 25 verses 41 to 45 Jesus addresses the goats or unbelievers.

“Then He (The King, Christ) will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (and they will ask why): for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these (the 144,000), you did not do it to Me.’ 

And now He gives each group what they deserve in verse 46:

And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 

And although the Kingdom is described as a thousand years it is still the beginning of eternity. Everything concerning the Kingdom is an introduction to the eternity.

It’ll be interrupted, by a new heaven and a new earth.

So, when Jesus tells these people that’re going into the Kingdom that they are going into eternal life, they really are!

Will there be animals in this Kingdom?

Yes, Isaiah 11:6-9,

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 

The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. 

A little child shall lead them. Where did that little child come from? From believing parents.

Until next time my friend when we head back and take up the rest of the book of Matthew, May God reveal Himself to you through His Word.

Last time we saw how the Apostle Peter a good law abiding Jew, has been told by The Lord to go down to the House of the Roman officer Cornelius, a Gentile. Gods dealt with this legalistic Jew who would never have normally done this let alone eaten the same food as the gentiles.

God’s about to unleash a new dispensation the Age of Grace and the gentiles will very much be the focus.

Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles is being prepared for this way out in the dessert and Peter’s being prepared for it here.

We left off last time in Acts 10:28 with Peter entering into this house of these Romans, these Gentiles, and military ones into the bargain. Imagine how this good Jew must have felt when everything he had held as sacred all through his life is now turned upside down? He can’t fight against it of course because it’s all initiated by God Himself. Let’s read verse 28 as a sort of recap,

Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 

So, Peter says that under the circumstances I’m here.

Here we have this massive change, this huge re focusing of God.

He’s now going to operate with and through the Gentile world instead of exclusively through the Jew.

All of the Jewish Apostle would eventually get on board this new and very different direction of God, but one Jewish apostle especially would be directly given the responsibility of The Apostle to the Gentiles and that is Paul, originally Saul of Tarus, the great persecutor of the Jewish believers.

But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves.

Peter comes into the house of Cornelius and, of course, all he can tell them is that this Jesus of Nazareth presented himself as Israel’s Messiah, that Israel had rejected Him and killed Him, and how God raised Him the third day.

Acts 10:34-44,

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 

But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 

The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 

And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 

Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 

And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 

To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. 

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 

In other words, peter hadn’t even got to his point yet when the Holy Spirit fell on all of them who heard the word.

We don’t know how many there were.  A house full?  Ten, twelve, fourteen—your guess is as good as mine.

But they all suddenly became believers by believing that Jesus was the Christ and that He’d been raised from the dead.  All right, so the Holy Spirit fell in response to their believing, but what have they not yet done according to the Jewish plan?

Now, I’ve got to take you back to Acts chapter 2 and compare Scripture with Scripture, and you can’t help but see the difference.  Acts chapter 2 verse 36 and it’s Peter on the day of Pentecost talking to Jews.  Not Gentiles.

Acts 2:36-37,

Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, (There are no Gentiles in the house of Israel.) that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked (Convicted) and they said, Men and brethren, what shall we (the Nation of Israel) do?”

Now look at the process.  Repent.  Be baptized.  Be forgiven and be filled with the Spirit. Acts 2:38,

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Please, let’s remember this!

Repent, be baptized, be forgiven, and experience the Holy Spirit.  That’s the Jewish process.

Now, look what happens up in a house of Gentiles.  It’s a complete reversal, an opposite process.

Instead of repenting and being baptized and being forgiven, it’s the other way around.

The Romans, the Gentiles, suddenly believe, and they’re being forgiven.

They haven’t repented.  They haven’t been baptized.  And Peter is just completely at odds!  But, but, but.. this isn’t the way it’s supposed to work!  It’s all backwards!

Why?  Because we’re dealing with Gentiles.

We’re not dealing with Israel. It is a whole new ballgame, a whole new way of operating.

Here’s the beginning of God’s dealing with Gentiles and there’s a whole different foundation.

It’s not with repentance and water baptism, not with a forgiveness and then that filling of the Holy Spirit.

Instead, the moment these Gentile Romans believed, they were forgiven, and the Holy Spirit showed Himself upon them, and Peter’s just beside himself.

Okay, now come on down to chapter 11 just to show how unusual this was.  The Jews weren’t used to it at all.  The Jerusalem church had never heard of such a thing.

Gentiles coming into a knowledge of our God?  There’s complete unbelief of that, so you come into chapter 11 verse 1,

Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea (that’s the Jerusalem church) heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 

Messengers ran faster than Peter to tell them in Jerusalem what’d just happened up in Caesarea.

Before Peter gets back to Jerusalem, they already knew what he’d been involved in.

Verse 2 and 3,

And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went into uncircumcised men and ate with them!” 

So, the Jerusalem Church didn’t exactly praise the Lord and hug Peter and shake his hand and say, “Well done”.

What did they do? They argued with him over what?  Because he went to men who were uncircumcised! Gentiles!  Romans!  And as if that wasn’t bad enough he actually ate with them! There world was shattered!

Archaeological studies and digs have shown that Pork was a mainstay or at least very common in the diet of the Gentile of that day, So it’s quite likely that if Peter went in and ate with them, he would’ve eaten pork.

These Jews came unstuck and couldn’t believe it!.

Peter then told them all the things that took place and how that God was in it.

To get the flavour of just how seriously the Jews looked on this we’ll go to Acts 11 verse 19,

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 

They travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, (which I believe is north of present day Beirut) preaching the word. This is only Old Testament, there’s no New Testament yet, but notice to none but unto the Jews only.”  We mustn’t lose sight of that, or we’ll get confused again.

See, at this time we’re about ten years after Pentecost, and the Jews haven’t made any approach tom the Gentiles at all with the Word of God. To them everything of God is related to them, the Jew, only.

This’s the one time when God forced Peter to share with Cornelius, so that about twelve years later Peter could come to Paul’s defence in Acts 15 and Galatians chapter 2.

We should be aware that Acts is a transitional book, coming out of Judaism and the dispensation of Law, and jumping over into the dispensation of Grace and Paul’s epistles.

So, there’s an overlapping of Judaism with Grace. But as we go along, Judaism is going to fall away, and Peter and the eleven lose their authority with the church at Jerusalem, because Israel is still rejecting everything.

Then Paul becomes the most prominent apostle until we get to the return of God dealing with Israel in the Tribulation.

That’s where the Rapture is taught and how we, the Body of Christ can’t be here for the Tribulation. We’re just not part of God dealing with Israel.  But we’ll come to that soon.

So, in Acts chapter 11 we see the beginning of the move from Jew to Gentile.

Acts 11:20

But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 

“Some of them” refers to some of these Jerusalem church members who’ve been preaching the word to none but Jews only in verse 19.

Many of the newer Bible translations have this word “Hellenists” or “Grecians” as the King James version has as Greeks while some even use the word Gentiles. Hellenists and Grecians actually refers to non-Palestinian Jews, so it wouldn’t have been noteworthy to say that these fellows preached to Jews since we already know that from previous verses. It looks like that here the newer translations are more correct in that these being preached to were Greeks, Gentiles. In other words, these Jews who initially preached to Jews only start preaching the Lord Jesus to Gentiles.

Now again, why did the Jerusalem church react the way it did?

Many of these Jerusalem church members had moved on. Many would have strongly disagreed with the very idea of bringing Gentiles into the knowledge of the things of God that they regarded as theirs exclusively.

Acts 11:21

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. 

These Gentiles are taking an interest now in the things of Israel’s God.

Now verse 22:

Then news of these things (Gentiles getting interested.) came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 

Again, did they shout–praise the Lord? Definitely not!

They send Barnabas to Antioch. Why? To see what’s happening there. What are these people doing?  They’re not adhering to our Jewish customs and they’re actually bringing in Gentiles!

Had anybody but Barnabas gone to Antioch, they’d ruin the whole thing.  But Barnabas was the man.

Acts 11:23-24

When he (Barnabas) came (to Antioch) and had seen the grace of God, (Saving Gentiles! ) he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 

For he (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 

See, Barnabas wasn’t as bigoted as most Jews naturally were.  He didn’t just have that mindset.  He saw that God was doing something different, and he’s not about to stand in God’s way.

Now, what did that prompt Barnabas to do?  Go and find Saul.

How come Barnabas understood that Saul was the man that was needed?

Gentiles.  What was the purpose of God sending Saul out into the desert?  To be the Apostle of the Gentiles.  And Barnabas had enough Spirit-driven understanding to realise that with Gentiles coming in, the Apostle of the Gentiles was required.

Acts 11:25

Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 

He goes out from Antioch to Tarsus, to look for Saul, with the purpose that he had to have God’s man for the Gentiles.

Acts 11:26

And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. 

We don’t know how Barnabas looked or for how long, but when he’d found Saul, he brought him unto Antioch.

Now, the word church always means a called out assembly.

But let’s see the incredible difference here. From the tiny seed of Peter preaching to Cornelius, the Gentile, there’s a huge wave started that can never be stopped, a wave that’ll continue until the day of the rapture.

This a called out assembly, this church, is now becoming a congregation predominately of Gentiles, rather than Jews.

It’s now Gentile!  All right, and Paul, now the Apostle of the Gentiles, is the absolute answer to their need.

For a whole year they Paul and Barnabas assembled themselves with the church where they taught many people, disciples, followers. This wasn’t Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and James disciples, these were a whole new breed of disciples and here at Antioch is the first place they’re called Christians.

Now, Why weren’t the Jerusalem church people called Christians?  They were following the same Christ.  The Bible never calls them Christians.  So, who were Christians?

The Gentiles believers, you see?

Here at this Gentile church up in Antioch, not the Jerusalem church, but the Gentile church up in Antioch, those believers were called Christians for the first time.

So, now we’ve progressed with the puzzle pieces of our picture to where we’ve got Paul who’s now established dealing with the Gentile church.

Now, to finalise how the Body of Christ, The Church, fits into the future, we’re going to see the necessity of a pre-Tribulation Rapture in the uniqueness of Paul’s ministry to the Gentile world.

Let’s go to Ephesians chapter 3, and this is now the dispensation that you and I find ourselves in.

This verse becomes vital for us as the Gentile Church today.

Before that, though, let’s be sure we understand that individual Jews who believe are also in this church, this body, with us Gentiles.

Individual Jews can be saved in this dispensation even though most of them will reject God’s salvation.

There’s no difference between Jew and Gentile.

What’s different is the Jewish nation, National Israel, which is still in rebellion against God. That nation will now be dealt with by God after our current age, The Age of grace or the Age of the Church is over.

So, we never exclude the Jewish people.

Ephesians 3:1

For this reason (In other words, what he’s written in these first two chapters of Ephesians.)  I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 

Where is Paul when he writes this letter to the Ephesians?

He’s in prison in Rome.  What got him in prison?

His preaching the Gospel of Grace to the Gentiles.

All the opposition of the Jews along with the opposition from the Romans, results with him in prison in Rome.

And the Spirit leads him to write as a prisoner of Jesus Christ on behalf of you and me as Gentiles.

All right, now Ephesians 3:2,

if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 

Paul doesn’t say here that the dispensation of the grace of God was given “to us”. Not to the other Apostles.  Not to the Prophets, not to Israel, but to ME! To Paul!

And it’s been given for us, Gentiles!

That’s what a dispensation is, remember?  It is explicit directions for the period of time in which we live.

See how perfectly plain and simple it is?  Why is it then that many people can’t see this?

That’s why we need to ask questions of the Word and pull it apart, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little.

So, this dispensation of Grace is the set of directions that are given primarily for the Gentile world to come into a relationship with God.  It’s our hope for eternity, and it’s the only way we can find it.

Now to emphasise this let’s turn ahead a few pages to Colossians chapter 1 and verse 24 and it’s Paul writing,

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 

In other words, all the hardships of his apostleship – hunger, thirst, imprisonment, beatings, stoning — you name it, it was all for you and me.

He’s physically suffered immensely for 28 years, which he’s clarified in his previous epistles, for his body’s sake, which is the church:”

The Body of Christ, which is that composite of Gentile believers, I think from Paul’s own conversion on.   Now, here’s the parallel for Ephesians 3 verse 2.

Colossians 1:25

of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God, which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

Notice, it isn’t we, it’s I.

It isn’t a group of people; it’s the single man, the Apostle Paul. This stewardship or dispensation of God is given to me for you, the Gentiles and the final purpose is to fulfill, or bring to completion, the word of God;”

Now verse 26 is a unique part of Paul’s revelation of this dispensation.  It’s what he calls the mysteries.

Colossians 1:26

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 

Now, notice he’s just dealing with one mystery here, the mystery which has been hidden. Who hides it?  God does!

Let’s go all the way back to Deuteronomy 29:29,

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

This again shows the Sovereignty of our God.  He’s absolutely sovereign.  He can do whatever He wants.

It’s God’s the choice to keeping things secret, but those things which are revealed or that are no longer secret, belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”  Now that, of course, is Moses under the Law. However, the overall point is that God is secret and He can keep things secret as long as He likes.

Now, look at Luke 18 during Jesus’s earthly ministry.

He’s now ready to go up to Jerusalem and the Passover and the Crucifixion.  Now we know that the Gospel, the Gospel of Salvation as we know it is faith in the truth that Christ died for all and was buried and rose from the dead.

People say that’s always been the only Gospel.  So, then how do we explain Luke 18 verses 31 through 34? And remember we’re looking here at how God keeps things secret.

Luke 18:31

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.

We’re at the end of His three years of His earthly ministry. What’s He talking about?  Well, the coming crucifixion.  Everything pertaining to it as prophesied is going to happen.  Now verse 32, He explains what they are.

Luke 18:32-33

For He will be delivered to the Gentiles (the Romans) and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 

They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.

He knew what was coming.  It wasn’t any secret to Him.  Now He shared this openly with the Twelve.  Now look at the next verse, verse 34.

But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. 

So, they, the Twelve, didn’t have a clue what He was talking about. Notice, it was hidden from them. Who hid it?  God did.

It wasn’t time for them to know. See, God kept it secret even though He told them.

Why did the Lord even tell the Twelve something that He wouldn’t let them understand?

For our benefit.  Now, we know that He was totally God.  He knew exactly what was going to happen moment by moment.  But on the other hand, He’s going to keep it from the Twelve.  He hid it from them.  That’s His choice.

Even though He told them what was going to happen, they didn’t have a clue that He was going to die.  And when they saw Him dying on that Roman Cross, did they just say, hey, so what?  Three days and He’s going to be back alive?  No!  They didn’t know He was going to rise from the dead.  They thought it was all over.

All right, now here’s the proof of it in John’s Gospel on resurrection morning.  You all know it.  Mary comes to the tomb and it’s empty. She runs and tells Peter and John.

John 20:4-5

So, they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 

And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 

In other words, young John outran Peter, but he was a bit reluctant, you know but then comes old Peter.

John 20:6-8

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 

Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.

He saw the evidence and believed.”   Believed what?  That Christ had supernaturally risen from the dead because the grave clothes were undisturbed.  But now look at the next verse.

John 20:9

For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 

They still didn’t get that He must rise again from the dead.

Now isn’t that plain?  They didn’t know.  They didn’t have a clue that after He was crucified He’d be raised from the dead.  Yet Jesus told them, but He hid it from them.

Now let’s return to Colossians chapter 1 and we should remember that in this dispensation of Grace, Paul has a whole group of what he calls mysteries that were totally secret from everybody until God revealed it to this Apostle.  They come out one at a time, but they make a whole picture.  All right, here we go.  This dispensation of the grace of God includes:

Colossians 1:26,

the mystery which has been hidden (by an act of God) from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (That is to these Grace believing Gentiles who are saved now by Faith and Faith alone in that finished work of the Cross.  To these believers now–)

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

See, you have to be a believer to understand these things.  The unbeliever can’t get a handle on it whatsoever because it’s way over their head.  And it stays over their head until they become a believer, and then it becomes something that we can just feast on like a sumptuous banquet.

Colossians 1:27

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

See, not among the Jews now, but among Gentiles.  And what is this particular mystery?

Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Eternal glory!

It’s been now made known to us!

And that’s why when we believe the writings of this Apostle to us Gentiles, we don’t have to say I hope so or I think so.

We know so, and not because of any pride on our part.  It’s because we give all the credit to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us!

That’s one of the secrets that’re a part of Paul’s revelation which no other portion of Scripture ever even hints at—that God would come down and, in the form of the Holy Spirit, of course, indwell believing Gentiles and make us a child of God in complete relationship with the Creator, God Himself.  He is in us and us in Him, and we take that by faith.

Let’s see another passage that makes that so plain.  I Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13.  This ‘s all unique to Paul’s revelations of this dispensation of Grace.  You won’t find it in the four gospels.  You won’t find it in the book of Revelation or in the Old Testament.  It’s unique to the letters of Paul.

I Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 

The One Spirit here is, of course, the Holy Spirit. Not just a few.  Not just the elite.  Not just the best, but all, every believer from the bottom to the top are baptised into One Body.

We’re placed into the whole by the work of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we have to believe as we take it by faith. You don’t feel it.  You don’t all of a sudden jump up and say, Wow, what an experience or Oh, what a feeling, but rather we take it by faith because the Book says so.

Now go back to Ephesians chapter 3 to pick up again.

We’re we’re going to be moving to the place where we can hopefully see that now we’ve defined the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of heaven and the Church and we’ve seen how we, the Gentiles fit into that picture. Now what about that all important destiny where we as the church, The Body of Christ fit into the next soon coming dispensation, The Millenium, or the Millennial reign of Christ.

We should be able to see beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can rest on the out-calling, the snatching up of the church from this earth, this event that we call the Rapture, and that this event will undoubtedly take place before the terrible times the Bible calls The Tribulation or The day of the Lord.

Now, one of the big arguments against the rapture is that the word Rapture isn’t even in the Bible.

Well, neither is the word Trinity.  Neither is the word Sovereign.  But we use them all the time, and same is with the word Rapture.

It’s in the Roman Catholic Vulgate, not that that makes it any more secure, but they translated the caught up in I Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 17 as “rapture” from which, I suppose, the English got the word Rapture.

In most translation the Greek word used, harpazō is rendered as being caught up. It also can mean snatched up.

But anyhow, we’re not showing it just from one or two verses.  We want to show the big picture.

We drop each puzzle piece in its correct place and the result is a clear big picture.

Firstly, how did all these things come about that brings the necessity of an out calling a catching up of the Body of Christ before God picks up His dealings with the Nation of Israel again?

As we’ve said we need to recognise the dispensations of Scripture where God’s dealt differently with the human race over different periods of time.  In other words, how has God dealt with humanity?

As we’ve pointed out a number of times it all starts in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve, were given very simple directions.

Of that one tree you shall not eat.  The rest are yours to enjoy.  But of that one tree you shall not eat.  That was it.  But they couldn’t even follow that!

It wasn’t long until Satan twisted their thinking and deceived them, and they ate of that one tree that they were told not to.

Well, that ended that dispensation with a judgment, which was the expulsion out of the Garden.  And you start up with another dispensational program. It was that way up through human history.  God has dealt at different times, under different circumstances with different sets of directions.

Moses and the Children of Israel came to Mount Sinai, and God put them under the Law.  Basically, from the Ten Commandments and everything that was associated with it.

For 1,500 years Israel lived and practiced under the Law.  And again, it was a set of directions.

Well, of course, they rejected everything that God had promised under that dispensation, which was really the coming of their Messiah to be their King.

Instead of recognizing and taking Him and trusting Him as their King, what did they do?  They crucified Him.  They killed Him, and of course that bought on a judgment which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D 70, and Israel was sent out into a dispersion that took them to every nation under heaven.

Until next time my friends where more of our puzzle pieces will fall into place, may God make His face to shine on you.

Last time we left off in Acts 2 verse 5 where we saw that after Our Lord had ascended back into Glory, It was a Jewish feast day, the Feast of Pentecost; and Jews have gathered from every nation in the then known world to come to the Temple for the Feast, as they did for all the feasts throughout the year.  There’s a mass meeting of Jews from every nation at this Feast of Pentecost.

Acts 2:5,

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 

We saw that these were devout men, devout about what?

They’re devout about the Law. They’re keeping the Temple worship, the sacrifices, all that was Judaism, and we noted that they’re from every nation under heaven.

They were from India and Persia, which is present day Iran, and from present day Arabia and present day Iraq, which were Babylon and Syria and Egypt and North Africa.

They’d gathered from every part of the then known world for this Feast of Pentecost and they’re all Jews.

Now let’s continue at Acts chapter 2 verse 6,

Acts 2:6

And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 

First, what sound occurred?

It was the sound as described in verse 2 of this chapter,

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of (or like) a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 

As a side note we’re not going to study this at this moment because it’s a large study by itself. For the purpose of what we’re trying to understand, which is the Body of Christ and its relationship to the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Here’s verse 6 again,

And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 

You see whatever region these people came from, whether it was North Africa or India or Persia, wherever, they heard them speak in his own language.

Now, I’m sure that for all of us that’s very plain and easy to understand.

In other words, if they were from Syria, they heard it in the local language of the Syrians.

The Jews had been there now for generations, and the second, third, and fourth generation started speaking the local languages and had largely forgotten their Hebrew.  I’m sure many would’ve remembered a ceremonial type version of the ancient Hebrew but generally, if they came from Turkey, they were speaking the Turkish language and so on.  Every Jew gathered there in that Pentecostal crowd was hearing the Apostles, especially Peter, James, and John, speak in their own language.

Acts 2:7

Then they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 

In other words, they’re asking themselves how come all these speakers are Galileans and yet they’re speaking to us in our own languages?

Now notice, are there any Gentiles involved?  No, not one. There’s not a Gentile in the place.

The people who were present were Torah-keeping, Law-abiding Jewish people from every nation under heaven.

It’s a totally Jewish feast, and we shouldn’t forget that.

Now we come down to verse 22 where Peter says,

Men of Israel, (That’s Jews.) hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 

And then he goes through who Jesus was and what had happened and how God had raised Him up, and in verse 30 that His destiny was still to sit on David’s throne in this glorious kingdom that’s been promised through the Old Testament.

So, all through these early chapters we’re seeing that we’re in a pivotal part of Scripture.

We’re moving from Israel under the Law and Judaism to the beginning of the Church.

However, and it’s a big however, It’s still a Church made up of Jews. Verse 41 tells us that 3,00 souls were added to the number of believers that very day and verse 47 tells us that the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Now there may have been the odd Gentile included in these vast numbers who were being saved and added to the church, but we’re not told of any here. But we are told time and again that the people involved were Jews.

We’re now moving to the place where the Apostle Paul comes on the scene and is sent by Jesus Himself to the Gentile world because of Israel’s rejection.

We move to Acts chapter 3 and Peter’s again preaching to the Nation of Israel.

Peter and John had just healed a lame man there at the Temple and the Jews are all greatly amazed, and the deeper meaning is that they were utterly astounded.  Where did these blokes get the power to heal this guy who’s been lame for 40 years?

This is just two months after Jesus probably performed His last miracle, and the people can’t figure it out.  “How did you do this”? they ask.

In Verse 12 and 13, Peter saw this astonishment and amazement of the people and we read,

So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, (again, how many Gentiles are in that statement?  Not one.) why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers.

Did that mean anything to the average Gentile?  No, nothing! But to a Jew? Everything!

Now remember we’re trying to establish how we as Gentiles and as the Body of Christ fit into God’s eternal plan.

Now Acts 3:13-15,

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 

But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 

Now, let’s look closely.  Peter never associates the salvation of these Jews on that finished work of the cross.

All Peter is showing here is the one that they demanded be put to death is alive and can still fulfill the promises.

A dead man can’t rule as a king. But He’s not dead. The tomb is empty! He’s alive. And Peter’s proving that.  He can still be the King.

Now, what did Israel have to do?  Well, nothing has changed so far as the Nation is concerned.

Let’s drop down to verse 19.  Notice the first word?

Acts 3:19

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. 

How did John the Baptist start his ministry?  Repent.  Nothing’s changed.

Repent therefore and be converted or have a change of mind concerning who?  Jesus of Nazareth.  That’s the problem. That’s what these Jews are to repent of now. They need to repent, change their minds of the killing and the rejection the Promised Messiah.

What’s the times of refreshing?  The King and His Kingdom!  Heaven on earth.

Refreshing is a calming sort of word and that’s what he says.  They could have it all if they would just confess and repent of the sin of having rejected their Messiah.

Now, we look at verse 20 to clarify this.  What would God do if Israel would repent?

Acts 3:20

and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 

So He, God, may send Jesus Christ, the same one of the earthly ministry just ended who was before preached to you, To be the king.

But now there’s a period of time that has to be fulfilled from the Old Testament prophecies before the King can come again.  And what time is that?  Tribulation. Seven years of horror must now come. We can’t skip them.  And this is what the next verse says, Acts 3:21,

whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 

The Whom is the same Jesus Christ the heaven must receive, or hold, as Psalms 110 said,

The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 

So, heaven must hold Him until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Well, what’s the time of restitution? After the seven years of the horrors of the Tribulation and all the destruction and terror has happened and this old planet is reduced to ashes, will come a glorious new planet—like the Garden of Eden again.

Then he goes on to say, now remember, this is all the Old Testament promises being rehearsed before the Nation of Israel, Acts 3:22,

For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR IN ALL THINGS, WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU. 

You see, He will be a fellow Jew, as Jesus was, of course. Like me; (In other words, as Moses was a deliverer, so Christ at His Second Coming will be a deliverer. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR IN ALL THINGS, WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU.  Because He’s going to be your king.”

Acts 3:23

AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERY SOUL WHO WILL NOT HEAR THAT PROPHET SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE.’ 

This is because there’re no unbelievers going into the Kingdom.  None, they’ll be removed.

And Jesus made that so plain in His earthly ministry that they’ll go to their perdition or their damnation or condemnation, and the believers will go into the Kingdom.

Acts 3:24

Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 

All the prophets were foretelling to Israel the coming of this glorious Kingdom.

But now, before the Kingdom can come, the wrath of God must precede it.

Acts 3:25

You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ 

Now again who’s Peter talking to?

Jews.  No Gentiles here.

Who did God make the covenant with? Abraham! This all started with Abraham and the appearance of the Nation of Israel.

Then, again to Abraham, God says AND IN YOUR SEED (That is in the offspring of Abraham.) ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.

Here we see just one little glimpse, just a tiny part of all that this Book, The Bible is about, we see us, all the families of the earth being blessed in the Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.

This Book came from the offspring of Abraham.  That’s part of what he’s talking about.

Where would this world be without this Book?  It’s bad enough as it is, but how much worse would it be without this Book.

This is where we draw all our comfort, and it all came by the prophets and the coming of the Nation of Israel, whom God used to give us the printed Word.

Then, in Acts 3:26

To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” 

To you first (the Nation of Israel with all of their promises, with all of their written Scriptures) God, having raised up his Servant, or Son, Jesus.

Now remember what the “raised up” meant.

He was raised from the dead.  He’s no longer dead. He’s alive and well. He sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”  But did Israel turn?  No!

Now we’re moving to Acts chapter 7, where Stephen’s addressing the high priest and some of the other religious leaders of Israel.

This is Israel’s last opportunity to repent of having killed their Messiah and to finally recognise Him for What and Who He was.

So, Stephen lays it all out on the line throughout chapter 7.

And if there’s any doubt that He’s talking to Jews we just need to look at verse 51.

He’s winding up his message, a message that’s all Holy Spirit inspired, it’s all God’s Word.

Stephen says to these religious leaders in Acts 7:51-52,

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 

See, this lot were circumcised in the flesh but not in the heart which is the true circumcision according to Paul in Romans 2:29.

In other words, all the way through Israel’s history when the prophets would come and warn them of the chastisement to come and the blessings that could follow, what would they do?  They’d kill the messenger—over and over again it happened.

Stephen’s reminding them of that.

Is this the message that you hear given today?  You killed the Messiah.  Repent of it.  No.  But for Israel, that was their dilemma.

In unbelief they’d rejected their Messiah and killed Him. That’s what they were guilty of. For you and me, it’s the other side of the coin – He loved us and died for us.

That’s the big difference.

Now in Acts 7:53-54 Stephen continues,

who have received the law (So you know he’s talking to Jews.) by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” 

When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 

They were convicted.  But they didn’t respond the way they should have. They should have responded in repentance and sorrow for what they’d done, but instead they even rejected Stephen, the messenger, just as always, and they’re now going to put him to death.

Acts 7:55

But he (Stephen), being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Now, every other Scripture says He’s seated; He’s sitting. Why here is He standing?

Well, these old priests of Israel knew scripture and they knew the Psalms especially Psalms 68.

As soon as Stephen said, I see Him standing, they related to this Psalm.  And it infuriated them, and it may have scared them at the same time.

Let’s look at it. Psalms 68:1

Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him. 

What were these priests of Israel?  Enemies!  They hated Him. Let them also that hate him flee before him.

Verse 2.

As smoke is driven away, So drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 

Did that sound lovely to these Jews?  No way. Their anger was simply stirred all the more, and that caused them then to cry out.

Now to Acts 7:57-58,

Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, (see, they didn’t want to hear another word like that.) and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

Let’s highlight that name, Saul.  He’s the next player on this stage, this soon to be, new Apostle. who’ll later be called Paul.

Acts 7:59-60

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 

Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. He died physically.

This really is the last Hurrah of Israel’s rejection. They’re stating in no uncertain terms, “We will not have Jesus of Nazareth as our Messiah and King!”

Now go into chapter 8.  And again, here’s where we see Saul’s name coming to the top.

Now we move to Acts 8:1,

Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Now we need to notice something important.

The church stated here is the church at Jerusalem and it’s a Jewish church as all the churches were at this time. These churches are at this time made up of Jewish believers who had believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. There’s no Gentiles amongst them. Oh, there may have been the odd one here and there but generally these congregations were made up of Jews.

Why do we always take pains to point out the separation between Jew and gentile?

Because it’s vital to our understanding of where and how we as Gentiles fit into the church.

This was the church composed of believing Jews who’d embraced Jesus as the Messiah.  They formed the local Jerusalem Jewish church starting on the Day of Pentecost.

They’re law-keeping Jews, but they are Messianic Jews.  They’re not Paul’s Gentiles, and we need to be aware of that or we’ll keep getting confused.

This Jerusalem church was under great persecution by Saul and the rest of the Jerusalem priesthood.

Let’s take a moment to understand these Jewish believers who in spite of this persecution from Saul and the Jewish elders, firmly stood on their belief that Jesus was in fact the Messiah.

They would have recognised all the fulfilled prophecy associated with His coming, all the promises God had made about Him. They understood that only God could have caused the many thousands of miraculous events that had occurred.

They would’ve either been eyewitnesses to all the events surrounding Jesus’s life, death, burial, and resurrection, or heard from eyewitnesses.

Everyone knew about these events. So, in believing that Jesus was the Messiah they’re also virtually automatically believing in his death, burial and resurrection.

The Gentiles who would soon start coming into the church under Paul’s ministry were different in the sense that they generally knew very little of the Jewish prophecies or God’s promises to the Jewish Nation. They didn’t follow the Mosaic law at all, nor the feats and customs of the Jew and they certainly didn’t go through the ritual of circumcision.

They didn’t know about the promised Messiah who would set up a Kingdom on earth.

Around the time of Christ, the Gentile nations believed in a variety of gods and idols. The ancient Greeks and Romans worshipped gods and goddesses, such as Zeus, Apollo, and Venus. The Egyptians worshipped gods and goddesses, such as Ra, Osiris, and Isis. The Babylonians and Assyrians worshipped Marduk and Ishtar. The Canaanites worshipped Baal and Asherah. The Persians worshipped Ahura Mazda and the list goes on.

So, back to Acts 8:1

“…and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

You see, The Apostles didn’t leave.

They didn’t go out into the Gentile world.  They stayed right there at Jerusalem.

Then to Acts 8:3.

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

See, Saul continues his incredible persecution against these believing Jews.

Paul had to live with that for the rest of his life and it plagued him. It’s one reason he was able to cope with all the hardships of his ministry.  He could never forget the misery he’d caused the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

Drop down to Acts chapter 26 verse 7 and it’s Paul speaking to King Agrippa,

To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 

In other words, there’s still the hope of this coming King and His Kingdom.

Then verses 8 and 9 and its still Paul speaking,

Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? 

Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth

He’s saying, “Agrippa, you’ve got enough knowledge of Scripture to know that resurrection is a part of our Jewish belief. But what I did in those days to the believers is what brought on this hate and persecution.

Now to Acts 26:10,

This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 

That was the Jewish believers. These Jewish believers who’d been imprisoned and then committed to death and Pauls saying I gave my vote against them.

Verse 11-12,

And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 

He’d go in and arrest them if they were gathered together in the worship of their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

He “compelled them to blaspheme” could indicate torture.

Verse 12,

While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 

And then of course he tells, as he did many times, of his Damascus Road experience.

Now let’s look at Acts chapter 10.

Pauls now had his Damascus Road salvation experience back in chapter 9, and the Lord has led him out to the backside of the desert. possibly even to the same mountain where Moses received the Law.

But in the three years while Paul’s out in the desert, God’s doing something to get ready for another future event.

He’s getting Peter ready for a great conference in Jerusalem twelve years later.

Had Peter not had this experience in Acts chapter 10, it’s doubtful if he’d have ever come to Paul’s defence in Acts 15 and Galatians 2, where they finally agreed that Paul would be the Apostle of the Gentiles.

Peter would have never agreed to that.  But here God had to supernaturally bring Peter to an understanding that God was going to save Gentiles.

Now remember, a Jew could never understand that. It was beyond them.

From the time Israel came out of Egypt, what was their constant instruction concerning the Gentiles around them?  Have nothing to do with them! Nothing!

Don’t intermarry with them. Don’t do anything, because if you do, they’re going to convince you to worship their pagan gods and you’ll go down with them.  So, stay away from them!

Well, that stayed with the Jew all the way through. Even though they rebelled and disobeyed, it was still God’s teaching that the Jew was to have nothing to do with the Gentile.  Nothing.

They were never told to go out and evangelise the Gentile; they were to stay separated and insulated from them.

So now God has to show Peter that this is now changed.

He’s going to go to the Gentiles, but not through Israel.

It’s going to be through one little Jew, not through the Nation. It’ll be through one man, Saul of Tarsus.

So, while Saul’s out there in the desert being dealt with by the Lord Jesus Himself, teaching him all the things pertaining to this next dispensation that’s going to follow the dispensation of the Law, God deals with Peter.

Here we go with Acts chapter 10 and verse 7.

An angel has appeared unto this Roman officer, up there in Caesarea on the sea, up there on the Mediterranean seacoast. The angel tells him to send for Peter down in Joppa and at the same time, the Lord works on Peter from the other end, and he brings the two together.
;

Acts 10:7-8

And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. So, when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

In other words, this Roman officer’s going to send a couple of his underlings down to Joppa to tell Peter that he has to come up and fulfill God’s obligation.

Okay, now at the same time, you see, down at Joppa, God’s going to deal with Peter in verses 9 and 10,

The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour (or midday). 

Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat (It was lunch time, but lunch wasn’t ready yet); but while they made ready (this would be the women of the house), he (Peter) fell into a trance.

This is all happening in a matter of minutes at midday.

Acts 10:11-13

and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 

In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 

And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 

So, here’s this great mix of all the unclean things that a Jew would never think of eating. Then what does God say? Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.”

What a despicable, loathsome thing for a Jew.  Look at Peter’s response in verse 14,

But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 

Why not?  Because he was a law-keeping Jew.  He wouldn’t eat pork or birds of prey or anything like that.

Verse 15,

And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 

This was done three times.

Well, to summarise the story, Peter is now forced by an act of God to go with the messengers from Cornelius back up to Caesarea.

Peter didn’t want to go any more than Jonah the prophet wanted to go to Ninevah.

Peter’s a good Jew who knows better than to try to have anything to do with Gentiles.

But God forced the issue, and so Peter gets there.

Now, just to display how legalistic he is let’s go to verse 28 and we’re in Acts 10.

He’s now entering into this house of these Romans. Can we imagine how that good Jew must have felt?

Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 

What’s he saying?  Cornelius, you know enough of our Jewish customs that I can’t rightfully come to a Gentile house.  It’s unlawful.  And I’m not a lawbreaker. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Since when?  Since right now that God’s ready to go to the Gentile world with salvation.

He’d never done this before, except in exceptions – when He sent Jonah to Nineveh and a few other exceptions where Gentiles were brought in, but that was always on the basis of Jewish law.

On the whole they, the Jews, could have nothing to do with anything other than Jewish people.

Now until next time my friends where we’ll keep those puzzle pieces coming together and finally put the whole picture together of The Kingdom of God, The kingdom of Heaven and the Body of Christ, may God richly bless you.