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Acts 2.2
August 16th 2015
Okay – so here we are – about to study one of the most important, revealing, “chocked full of defining doctrine” chapters in all of scripture – Acts chapter 2.
Prior to these events happening we know that Jesus had resurrected, ascended and prior to doing so instructed the eleven apostles to go Jerusalem and wait there to be “empowered from on high.”
So here they are – in Jerusalem and apparently there were 120 believers gathered together.
Last week we read how they used this time to cast lots to bring another person in to replace the vacancy in the twelve apostles left by Judas.
Verse 1-4
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now, years ago there was a band called Earth, Wind and Fire – remember them?
Boogiewonderland
Shining Star
Got to get you into my life
Well we could label our verses today as the Original Earth Wind and Fire because all three are presented in the first three verses.
I think these symbols (not the band) are significant when we think about God and his manifestations to man.
We have Jesus (the Word) coming down to? (earth)
We have the Holy Spirit manifesting itself as? (wind)
And we have two passages in scripture that say God is a consuming (fire).
(beat)
So next time your grooving to Boogie wonderland remember, God came well before the band Earth Wind and Fire.
(EARTH)
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
First things first.
The Religious Festivals of Ancient Israel.
Leviticus 23 tells us that there were daily festivals, weekly, monthly, and yearly festivals, and great stress was laid on the regular observance of them. (Numbers 28:1-8; Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 6:8-23; and Exodus 30:7-9; 27:20).
Let me break them down:
A – the festivals that were divided into sevens – what we would call “septenary festivals” were,
(a) The weekly Sabbath (every seven days)
(b) The seventh new moon, or the feast of Trumpets festivals (Numbers 28:11-15; 29:1-6).
What was call the Sabbatical year (Ex 23:10,11; Le 25:2-7).
And the year of jubilee (Le 23:1-35; 25:1; 8:1-16; 27:16-25).
B – the GREAT feasts were,
(1) The Passover.
(2) The feast of Pentecost, (or of weeks) and
(3) The feast of Tabernacles, or of ingathering.
And then C – the Day of Atonement.
According to Deuteronomy 27:7 on each of these festivals every male Israelite was commanded “to appear before the Lord.”
And based on Luke 2:41 and 1st Samuel 1:7 and 2:19) the attendance of women was voluntary.
Interestingly and according to Exodus 34:23-24), God promised to protect the homes of the Jewish males while they were away to attend the mandatory festivals and according to ancient Jewish history he was always faithful in this promise as NEVER, between the whole period between Moses and Christ do we never read of an enemy invading the land at the time of the three festivals.
Again, and just as interestingly, the first instance on record of an invasion during the celebration of the festivals was thirty-three years after Jesus was crucified when Cestius, a Roman general, slew fifty of the people of Lydda while all the rest had gone up to the feast of Tabernacles, A.D. 66.”
Because all Hebrew males were commanded to attend the city of Jerusalem was bloated with people from all over at the time we are reading about.
Also, the times affixed for the festivals observance were arranged so as to interfere as little as possible with the lifestyle and work of the people.
For example, the Passover was kept just before the harvest commenced, then Pentecost (or the Harvest Feast) was held at the conclusion of the harvest and and then the feast of Tabernacles was held after all the fruits of the ground had been gathered in (or what was called the gleaning).
There is another festival that was initiated AFTER the exile and which was not mentioned in Exodus – actually two – but Im just going to talk about the feast called “Dedication.”
It was started by a man named Judas Maccabaeus in commemoration of the purification of the temple after it had been polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes.
Now, in Exodus 23:16 we read about the feast of the Harvest – later it is called the day of the first fruits.
Seven weeks after the Passover (49 days) and on the fiftieth day “the feast of the Harvest” or “the feast of first-fruits” was held. The feast was also called “the Feast of Weeks,” and also to some Jews it was a feast to commemorate Moses delivering the Law at Sinai.
When we get to the New Testament, the Greek word for fifty is Pentecost so that is the word we use to describe when this event in Acts chapter 2 took place – again – On the same day as the ancient and traditional feast of harvest.
Let me put it to you this way: if we were living back in the day of the Apostles and we brought up the subject of the Day of Pentecost they would have no idea what we were talking about. The word means fiftieth or fiftieth part to a Greek and a Jew would have to put the Festival of Harvest together with the seven weeks plus a day bit to understand.
“The feast of the Harvest” OR the “feast of first fruits” they would have understood. But the Day of Pentecost would have required further explanation.
The way the feast of the harvest was to be kept is described in Leviticus 23:15-19 and Number 28:27-29.
So gathered there in Jerusalem were all the faithful male Jews – by the millions. And they would be there to offer sacrifice and the “tribute of a free-will offering.” (according to Deuteronomy 16:9-11).
Why?
They were commemorating the completion of the grain harvest and according to law this is what they were supposed to do – bring “two leavened loaves” of bread made from the completed harvest AND two lambs.
And they were to take those offering and wave them before the Lord.
Why?
As thanks for the harvest and for providing them a harvest – so in commemoration of this they offered two loaves of bread and two lambs.
So think about the wonders of God and His purposes. For centuries upon centuries the Nation of Israel had been celebration their liberation from the bondage of Egypt by holding Passover which required the slaying of a lamb to put its blood on their door posts to enable the Spirit of Death to Passover them.
Fifty days after this celebration, during which the harvest of the first-fruits of the field were gathered and God given the praise for them, another celebration was held – call it the feast of weeks, the feast of the Harvest or the feast of first fruits it was one and the same.
Now here, in Jesus day, we have all of it coming together.
First, we have the Lamb of God (Jesus) offered up for the sins of the World by and through the shedding of His blood.
Because of this the Spirit of Death passes over everyone who symbolically is protected by his blood.
God had sent the Spirit of Death over Egypt as a means to help free the Children of Israel from bondage.
When their own first born sons did not die due to the blood on the door posts they were freed from captivity – we could suggest then that the blood of the lamb released them from bondage.
At the celebration of Passover the picture is not one bit different as it is the blood of the Lamb that frees all men from captivity of sin and death.
But the symbolism continues now – fifty days later. Jesus had been promising the chosen eleven that God would send His spirit to them.
He told them to go to Jerusalem and wait – which they have. And so gathered up there in Jerusalem we have the eleven and another 109 disciples.
And then a million plus more have come in and joined them to celebrate the
Feast of the Harvest
(AKA the Feast of the First Fruits)
And also the Feast of Weeks)
All the way back to Moses day the feast of the harvest or first fruits was celebrated as a means to thank God for the harvest – especially the harvest of first fruits.
And what are WE about to read about?
The harvest of souls, even the FIRST FRUIT harvest of souls in the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
We are about to read about the first the conversion of the first true believers in the Body of Christ.
Those who were converted are OUR eternal brothers and sisters in the Lord.
A couple of more amazing things about this. First do you remember what Deuteronomy 16 called this offering?
A FREE WILL OFFERING – in other words the men of the Nation of Israel came to Jerusalem and freely chose to gather from their harvest and offer it up to the Lord.
I would suggest that the very same thing happened here when some freely believed (gave a free-will offering of themselves over to God) while others refrained. We’ll read more about this being the case in the weeks to come.
Finally, what we are about to read about is the reason Jesus was sent, it is the reason He lived perfectly, and it is the reason that He suffered, bled, died and rose from the grave.
If Jesus came and did what He did all the way up to ascending into the heavens but what we are about to read about NEVER happened then God’s purposes in sending His Son would not be met or accomplished.
Hang with me – this is big – and because of what happens here in chapter two we KNOW – we know – that God has a purpose in cleansing us of sin by and through the shed blood of His Son.
Let me approach this another way for reiteration.
Jesus came and made the ground of our hearts and hands pure. By and through Him and His shed blood each of us have been forgiven of all sin – past, present, and future.
If God ONLY wanted His children to be cleansed of sin – and nothing more – then what we are reading about here would have never happened. Because Jesus authored and finished the work – and when He ascended, it was done.
But God wanted and wants, more. First, like He desired in the Garden of Eden, God wants us – by a free-will offering – to choose a relationship with Him. To choose to love Him.
When He placed Adam and Eve in the garden He did not force them to love Him nor did He force them to have a relationship with Him – He gave them the liberty to freely choose – that’s why He placed a tree in the garden of knowledge of Good and Evil – to let them choose.
So if the wiping away of sin was all God wanted Jesus could have done that and God could have redeemed the world to Himself as SONS and DAUGHTERS – because we were all cleansed by Him.
But God wanted more – He wants our love – freely. He wants our desires, He wants our hearts. He wants relationship where we say, “it is primary in my life.”
So cleansed of sin, our hearts are like soils that have been completely weeded and prepared by the blood of Jesus through faith. Prepared for what?
For the Holy Spirit to move in. But we have to freely allow it – just as Adam and Eve freely refused it – and chose against it by choosing their own way.
All the sins of the world have been paid for by Christ Jesus. That work is finished. On the forehead of every human being who has received this Good News of Christ hangs a VACANY sign which reads – impeccable rooms, cleaned by the blood of Christ Jesus – and seeing these signs it moves in to our hearts.
Why?
For yet another purpose of God.
Remember, IF God Just wanted cleaned hearts wrought by faith Jesus could have given Him this. But God wanted more.
He wants us to bear fruits of love exactly like His Son bore when He was on earth.
And so what we have here in Acts chapter 2 (which is the first day of Christianity) is 120 people who have believed. And hanging on their heads hang is that sign for the Holy Spirit to see:
“Vacancy – clean, sterile rooms available in the heart of this person thanks to the blood of Jesus.”
So there they were – gathered on this very significant day. Where? On earth, the place Jesus came, real terra firma, in Jerusalem. Flesh and blood gathered and waiting. Again, verse 1
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
The King James says, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,” but all the Greek means is when that day had arrived.
I think the King James says fully come as to distinguish between the fact that all the people had to be there rather than it was during the point that they were gathering in Jerusalem for weeks prior FOR the celebration.
It is believed that the promised influences of the Holy Spirit were withheld until the greatest possible numbers of Jews should be present at Jerusalem at the same time.
God tends to do things like this throughout scripture.
And Luke adds:
“And they were all with one accord in one place.”
Again, probably the 120 mentioned in Acts 1:15 and probably the same as mentioned in verse 14 who were together with one accord, but when it says:
“In one place” . . . we have to wonder what place this was. Some believe it was in the upper room mentioned in chapter 1 verse 13, others think it was a room in the temple, others in a room in a synagogue and others in a large assembly room in or near the temple itself.
Additionally, we don’t know the day this happened – not that it matters – but there are issues with exact calculations. Quite frankly, some of it relates to the day Jesus was actually crucified upon and with that being the case I would say that it is impossible to determine the truth of the matter. Neither is it of much importance.
So that’s the earth. (verse 2)
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
I’m going to read a few other versions to assist in our understanding of this verse. Listen for the key phrases and terms which collectively help paint the proper picture of what they experienced.
The Modern KJ
Acts 2:2 (MKJV) And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
THE NEW KJ
Acts 2:2 (NKJV) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
The Revised
Acts 2:2 (RSV) And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
The Weymouth Literal
Acts 2:2 (WNT) when suddenly there came from the sky a sound as of a strong rushing blast of wind. This filled the whole house where they were sitting;
The TCNT
Acts 2:2 (TCNT) When suddenly there came from the heavens a noise like that of a strong wind rushing by; it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.
The Web
Acts 2:2 (WEB) Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Young’s Literal
Acts 2:2 (YLT) and there came suddenly out of the heaven a sound as of a bearing violent breath, and it filled all the house where they were sitting,
Basic Bible
Acts 2:2 (BBE) And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a violent wind, and all the house where they were was full of it.
The Darby
Acts 2:2 (DBY) And there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were sitting.
And the Montgomery
Acts 2:2 (MNT) there came suddenly from the sky a sound like the onrush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
The first thing we should note is that suddenly is included in the twelve translations considered.
The Greek word translated suddenly is “afno” and it means unexpectedly – without warning.
Does this happen today – especially to groups. I don’t know. I’ve never experienced it.
I know groups have claimed it to occur – but when investigated they often fail to meet up with scrutiny (or the consumption of alcohol was in abundance to enhance the reports).
I think that because this was so out of the ordinary for the people and time (relative to what they were used to in the Nation of Israel) and because this was a very important event in the annuls of Christianity it was splendiferous (like that word?)
Suddenly “there came a sound.”
The Greek word is used to report any noise . . .”from heaven.”
So there was
An unexpected sound
That came from heaven.
Now, typically speaking winds and storms blow in from one direction or another but Luke seems to be describing something that came down directly upon them.
The fact that it came from heaven is highly representative and Luke writes:
“As of a rushing mighty wind.”
In all the versions consulted the sound came upon them “as a” or “like a” or
“in the semblance of a”
Rushing mighty wind.
Luke gets us into trouble with his appeal to simile. In his gospel he said Jesus “sweat was as it were great drops of blood.”
This simile has led some to say that Jesus atonement was IN the Garden of Gethsemane instead of on the cross.
Here again, in Acts chapter 2 we are met with this again in the line, “as of a rushing wind.”
First of all it was more than an unexpected wind – from the Greek it was “a violent gale,” or a “a sweeping tempest.”
And with a blast of something like a wind often comes sound – even without objects involved like trees or water moving air, in and of itself, can produce a flapping or cracking, buffeting type sound.
All this being said, we have to admit that in the context of scripture that actual wind is often put as an emblem of a Divine influence – especially life giving influence.
The language here in Acts 2 reads like a description of something unknown – certainly something invisible – which wind often is.
Interestingly enough (whether in Hebrew or in Greek) the word that is used for wind is the same word that is used for breath.
Unless we are in cold we cannot see our breath, but we know it helps keep these earthen vessels alive, right?
So taking all of this together we can begin to formulate some interesting parallels presented in other parts of scripture.
What we are obviously reading about the God sending His spirit to now fill or live in the hearts of human beings whose hearts have been purified by the blood of Christ.
Scripture refers to this Spirit as the Holy Spirit but also the Spirit of Christ. We also know that Paul writes about Christ living in us.
This is all made possible by this holy spirit, this holy wind, this breath of God.
Going all the way back to the first chapters of Genesis we read:
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (EARTH), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (WIND breath of God); and man became a living soul. (FIRE that lights the mind, the eyes, living and alive and burning with life).
All caused and created when God breathed His breath, His pneuma, the wind.
In 1st Kings 19:9 we read about Elijah and God:
“And he (Elijah) came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, “What doest thou here, Elijah?”
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11 And he said, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.” And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
Did you catch the earth, wind and fire?
That God was NOT in ANY of THEM but that He was in the voice? The Word?
In other words when we read of God breathing or winds blowing or any of these pictures God is NOT those things – He and His power is representative by them by He is the voice, the Word behind them.
In Psalm 29:1-11 (A Psalm of David) we are given more examples of the Word of God and it power in and through things like fire and wind and water where it says:
1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10 The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
Poetically the Psalmist writes in 104:3:
“Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind.”
I mention all of this because the wind nor the fire nor the clay nor the waters are God. He appeals to us through them.
I do not believe that God put an anthropormorphic mouth on Adam and blew into His lungs literal air or wind but that God’s breath is simple the life God gives.
We remember from our study in John that Jesus (in John 20:22) blew on the eleven and said, Receive the Holy Spirit.
We could be literalists and believe that in His exhaled breath from his lungs the Holy Spirit lived or that all that was happening was Jesus was showing that He could give new life to whomever He chooses.
I say this because in our day and age we are regenerated and we receive the Holy Spirit in the way I’ve just described – silently – without wind and blowing or breathing – and if it is this way for us then we must conclude that it was the same way with those in the New and Old Testaments and that what we are reading here is symbolic – even if it did happen the way it is described.
Of course you remember our covering what happened in the Valley of Bones when God breathed on the bones and His Spirit blew like wind and gave those bones life.
All the same imagery.
Deflated lungs need to be inflated for a person to have breath and to live.
Expired people (people dead in sin) need to be INSPIRED (by the Holy Spirit) in order to exist spiritually.
In other words, we have all been born of the flesh but we need to be born-again.
When Jesus explained this to Nicodemus, who came to Him by night, we read in John 3:
3 Jesus said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
I want to wrap today up with something I will not make a habit of – but I want to invite all of you in the room to be born from above – from the spirit.
We notice that the holy spirit came down from heaven upon those who were disciples of Jesus.
They believed on Him. Their hearts were cleansed by His blood. The vacancy sign hung on their forehead.
And here the Holy Spirit fell.
To all of you who have believed on Jesus – who trust that He was born into the World having come from God, lived a perfect life, died a perfect death and was raised on the third day, I will now pray.
Please, if you would stand.
