What Happened at Pentecost?
by Pastor J. C. O'Hair
Pentecost
was one of Jehovah’s feasts for Israel. Pentecost was fifty days after
the firstfruits; fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and Pentecost He shewed Himself
alive by many infallible proofs . . . “speaking of the things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3. Immediately before the
ascension of Jesus Christ, the apostles, to whom He had been explaining
the Kingdom of God, asked Him: “Wilt Thou at this time restore again the
Kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6. Some months before His crucifixion Jesus
had spoken a parable against Israel, in which He put these words in the
mouth of that Nation “We will not have this man to reign over us.” Luke
19:14. Then to Israel Jesus said: “Therefore I say unto you, The Kingdom
of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof.” Matthew 21:43. We have no detailed record of the
things pertaining to the Kingdom of God which Jesus taught His apostles
after His resurrection, but we may be positive that He told them nothing
concerning the Church, which is His Body, as this was not revealed to
the twelve apostles until it was made known to the Apostle Paul some
years after Pentecost. And so their question: “wilt Thou at this time
restore again the Kingdom of Israel?”
When
Jesus began His public ministry He said: “The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand.” Mark 1:15. More than ten years after
this announcement Peter, in speaking to Cornelius, declared that the
word concerning the Kingdom was sent unto the children of Israel. Acts
10:36. In sending forth His twelve apostles to announce “the Kingdom at
hand,” Jesus instructed them to go only to Israel. Matthew 10:5 to 7.
When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus the Kingdom of God was at hand for
Israel, as never before. Israel’s King was at hand, and with the King,
the Kingdom announced. Simeon was waiting for the “consolation of
Israel.” Luke 2:25. Joseph, in the city of the Jews, waited for “the
Kingdom of God.” Luke 23:51. They were waiting for one and the same
thing; namely, for the coming of the King of Israel to be that Nation’s
Divine Deliverer.
Israel’s
expectation was expressed by the Holy Spirit in the words of the father
of John the Baptist. Zacharias: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for
He bath visited and redeemed His people . . . That He would grant unto
us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve
Him without fear.” Luke 1:67 to 77. This was not a dream or an
imagination of Zacharias; it was God’s truth spoken by the infallible
Holy Spirit, to confirm that which that same infallible Holy Spirit had
spoken concerning Israel’s Kingdom by the mouth of all of the Lord’s
holy prophets since the world began. Luke 1:70. Neither was Peter
speaking in the flesh when the infallible Holy Spirit spoke to Israel by
his mouth some months after Jesus Christ had gone back to heaven,
offering to that Nation the very same Kingdom of God on the condition of
repentance. “Repent ye therefore and be converted . . . . And He shall
send Jesus Christ, Which before was preached unto you; Whom the heaven
must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world
began.” Acts 3:19 to 21.
Let
us carefully note the same language in Luke 1:70 and Acts 3:21, both
messages by the pen of the same human author: “By the mouth of all His
holy prophets since the world began.” Most assuredly Peter and the
eleven, in the third chapter of Acts, were offering to the Nation
Israel, the very same Kingdom of God that was at hand with the Holy
Spirit baptism of Jesus Christ and that was described by the Holy Spirit
by the mouth of Zacharias.
Between
His resurrection and Pentecost Jesus said to His apostles: “Thus it is
written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day” Luke 24:46. And now that we know that Christ
appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself and unto them
that look for Him shall He appear the second time; now that we know that
He was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
we wonder and question, asking why did Gabriel announce that the Lord
God would give unto Jesus the throne of David, to reign over the House
of Jacob forever, and how could Jesus have offered to Israel, in good
faith and sincerity, a Kingdom, when He was to be delivered according to
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God? In the shadow of the
cross did He not say, “for this cause came I unto this hour?” John
12:27. There is not the slightest suggestion that Jesus was born to be
the Head of the Church, which is His Body. He was born King of the Jews,
and properly saluted by Nathaniel, “Thou art the Son of God; Thou art
the King of Israel.” John 1:49. But if Jesus had to fulfill all that was
written of Him and be nailed to a tree, how could He have given the
Kingdom of God to Israel, had they voted unanimously to crown Him King?
Acts 13:29. Hebrews 2:9. Hebrews 9:26. Acts 2:22 and 23. Acts 4:27 and
28. And yet Jesus Christ did most assuredly proclaim to Israel the
Kingdom of God with Himself as King. The Kingdom of God was at hand,
because the time was fulfilled, and the King had been born. But Israel
would not have the King to reign over them, and to that Nation the King
said, “The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof.” Matthew 21:43. Most assuredly Jesus
was not saying to individual Israelites, “the Kingdom of God shall be
taken from within you.” And most certainly Jesus was not saying to
individual Israelites, “you will be given no further opportunity to
enter the Kingdom of God.” During the past nineteen centuries the door
of salvation has been wide open for individual Israelites and Gentiles.
Then what did Jesus mean?
I
find less difficulty in understanding how the risen Christ could have
fulfilled God’s promises to Israel by coming back from heaven, according
to Peter’s proclamation in Acts 3:19 to 21, and giving the Kingdom of
God to Israel after His death and resurrection, than in understanding
how He could have fulfilled Isaiah 9:6 and 7, by taking the throne of
David, before He fulfilled the Scriptures concerning His suffering and
resurrection Of course in making this statement, I am not unmindful of
the fact that God purposed something altogether different, in Christ
Jesus, before the world began, concerning Gentiles in the Body of
Christ. 2 Timothy 1:9 and 10. Ephesians 1:3 and 4. But this had nothing
to do with the fulfillment of the promises made to Israel, concerning
their Kingdom and the restitution of all things, spoken by the mouth of
all their prophets since the world began. The Body of Christ was not the
subject of prophecy. It was a hidden mystery, hid in God, unknown to
Israel’s prophets. Ephesians 3:1 to 9. Colossians 1:24 to 27. But the
question is, “what began on the day of Pentecost?” Did the Lord, by the
mouth of Peter and the eleven, offer again the Kingdom of God to Israel?
Our
Premillennial brethren, who claim to be Dispensationalists, teach that
while Jesus was on earth He actually offered to Israel a literal,
physical, earthly Kingdom, with Himself as King ready and willing to
occupy David’s throne in Jerusalem. And furthermore they teach that it
was that Kingdom of God that Jesus said would be taken from Israel. And
furthermore they teach, that when Jesus, the Son of man, shall come back
to earth He will give to Israel the Kingdom of God which he offered to
that Nation, and which that Nation refused to accept, when He was here
in the midst of Israel. And why should not any student of the Word of
God agree with these brethren? Surely the Bible teaches that Jesus was
born to take David’s throne and establish the Kingdom of God on earth,
with Israel restored. Luke 1:29 to 33. Mark 1:14 and 15. And if the
words of Jesus have any meaning, when Israel “shall see the Son of man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory,” “know ye that the Kingdom
of God is nigh at hand.” Luke 21:27 and 31. The Son of man is coming
again to redeem Israel. That Nation is going to be saved. That Nation is
going to possess all the land of Canaan; and they shall no more be
pulled up out of their land. Genesis 17:6 to 9. Amos 9:11 to 15. But now
the question, can we agree with the Premillennial Dispensationalists
who teach that, beginning with the day of Pentecost, the devout Jews
from every nation under heaven, “ye men of Israel,” were offered a place
in an entirely different Kingdom of God? These brethren teach that
before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of man, the
Nation Israel was offered a literal, earthly Kingdom of God; but that
thereafter they were offered membership in the Body of Christ, a hope
laid up in heaven; that is, entrance, by repentance and baptism, into
the heavenly Kingdom of God, something entirely different from the
Kingdom which is yet to be restored to Israel. Your attention has been
called to the similarity of language in Luke 1:70 and Acts 3:21, “spoken
by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Whatever
we may interpret the offer of the Lord, by the mouth of Peter, to
Israel, in Acts 3:19 to 21, we must believe that it is the very same
Kingdom of God described in Luke 1:67 to 77, the Lord’s visitation to
His People, Israel, for national deliverance. Was not Jesus born to
occupy David’s throne, according to Luke 1:30 to 32? Was not Jesus
raised from the dead to occupy that very same throne, according to Acts
2:25 to 30?
Something
must have happened which caused the Lord to change His mind about
immediately taking the Kingdom of God away from Israel, as Jesus, in
Matthew 21:43, said would be done. Was it not because when the Son of
man was sinned against, and was giving Himself a ransom for many, He
cried, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?” Luke
23:34. Surely the Father heard that prayer, for in the offer of the
Kingdom of God to Israel anew, Peter declared, “I wot that through
ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” Acts 3:17. Remember,
these words were addressed to “ye men of Israel.” Acts 3:12. Then the
offer, “repent . . . and He shall send Jesus Christ.’ Acts 3:19 and 20.
What prophets did Peter and the eleven quote to Israel on the day of
Pentecost? Joel and David. What was the very heart of Joel’s Prophecy?
“Then will the Lord be jealous for His land, and pity His people.” Joel
2:18. Not one word did Joel or David have to say concerning the Jews and
Gentiles, made one in the New Man, seated in the upper-heavenlies in
Christ. Ephesians 2:7 to 18. Joel and David prophesied concerning Israel
in their own land under their King.
Yes,
Israel sinned against the Son of man; and it was forgiven them. Matthew
12:32. God exalted that Son of man with His right hand to be a Prince
and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of
sins; yea, their greatest of all sins, “killed the Prince of life.” Acts
5:30 and 31. Acts 3:15. This meant more than salvation for the
individual Israelite. Three thousand of them were added on the day of
Pentecost. Acts 2:41. Then the number increased; “the number of the men
was about five thousands." Acts 4:4. All of these were Israelites. Then
the Kingdom of God was not taken away from Israel. Some months later
Stephen, addressing his message to that Nation, said, “Behold, I see the
heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
Acts 7:56. There Israel was resisting the Holy Spirit. Acts 7:51. That
sin was not to be forgiven them. But Stephen once more prayed for their
forgiveness. Acts 7:60. God continued His mercy toward His Nation;
permitted their Temple to stand; and continued through Saul (Paul) to
offer to Israel the Kingdom spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets
since the world began.
It
is true that the saved Israelites, whom Saul had been persecuting, were
called “the Ekklesia of God,” that is, “the Called-out of God,” “the
Church of God,” or “the Assembly of God.” Galatians 1:13. I Corinthians
15:9. They were called “the Church which was at Jerusalem,” Acts 8:1;
“the Churches of Judaea.” Galatians 1:22. But the fact that individual
Israelites were being added to “the Ekklesia of God” did not mean that
the Nation was not being offered the Kingdom, by the return of the Son
of man. Neither did it mean that individual believers were being raised
up and made to sit in the upper-heavenlies in Christ, as members of the
Church, which is His Body, according to Ephesians 1:22 and 2:5 to 7. How
could members of Christ’s Body have been sitting with their Head in the
upperheavenlies, when He was standing, as the Son of man?
Even
when Cornelius, and His house, were added, their salvation was in
fulfillment of Amos 9:12. “Simeon hath declared how God did at first
visit the Gentiles.” Acts 15:13. “To this agree the words of the
prophets (Amos and others); as it is written.” Acts 15:14. How different
is the language of Paul, “Which in other ages was not made known unto
the sons of men . . . That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs of the
same Body.” Ephesians 3:5 and 6. We cannot read the Body into Acts 15:13
and 14 without having a contradiction between Peter and Paul.
Therefore,
we have no Scriptural proof that the Body of Christ began on the day of
Pentecost. It is one thing to say, “I think it did”; but it is quite a
different thing to Scripturally prove it; which seems rather a difficult
task.
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Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
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