Chapter 5
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST
Before we begin our study let us pray for God's blessing upon this time.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father we ask that You would please grant us spiritual wisdom so we can better understand Your Word and come to a better knowledge of You and Your ways. Father please help us to understand and cherish a little bit more Your mercy, grace and wisdom.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
The Feast or Day of Pentecost, which in the Old Testament was identified as the Feast of Weeks, was established by God with a twofold purpose. The first purpose was for the people of Israel to present to Him the first two loaves of bread made from the wheat harvest. The second purpose, which is the focus of this study, was that the Feast of Weeks was to serve as a foreshadowing to point to the time after Jesus Christ's resurrection and ascension into Heaven when God would fulfill His promise to restore us to Himself and send the Holy Spirit upon mankind. To see this foreshadowing we will,
BACKGROUND
The word Pentecost is a Greek word used to designate the 50th day after the sheaf of first fruits was presented to God during the Feast of First Fruits. This places it on the sixth day in the month of Sivan, which corresponds to today's May/June timeframe. In addition, according to the "Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament by John H. Walton
1, this was also the time when the wheat harvest during the Old Testament period would be completed.In establishing this feast God originally named it, "The Feast of Weeks." To see this let us read from:
Deuteronomy 16:9-10
"[9] Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. [10] Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you."
Thus, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast or Day of Pentecost are both phrases that refer to the same event or celebration.
With this background let us now read the instruction God gave for,
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEAST OF WEEKS
The instructions that God gave to Moses for the establishment and conduct of the Feast of Weeks, that is Pentecost, is recorded for us in,
Leviticus 23:15-21
""'[15] From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. [16] Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. [17] From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. [18] Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings--an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. [19] Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. [20] The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. [21] On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live."
Let us notice the following verses,
15-16 … As we read earlier, the Feast of Weeks was to be observed fifty days from the day that the sheaf of first fruits was waved before God during the Feast of First Fruits.
17(i) … Two loaves of bread were to be presented. In other words, for the Feast of Weeks, the offering was not the raw grain from the harvest but instead the goal or objective of the harvest, that is bread, was to be offered.
17(ii) … The bread was to be baked with leaven, that is with yeast.
17(iii) … The two loaves of bread were to be the first fruits or products of the harvest.
18-19 … Embedded within the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Pentecost were three offerings. The first was the whole burnt offering, which was symbolic for total dedication to the Lord (see Chapter 9 -The Burnt Offering), the second was the sin offering for the forgiveness of sins (see Chapter 12 - The Sin Offering) and lastly there was the Fellowship or Peace offering to symbolize the peaceful relationship the people were to have with God (see Chapter 11 - The Peace Offering).
21 … The Feast of Weeks was to be observed throughout the generations of Israel.
It is also noted that the Feast of Weeks was one of the three times in the Jewish year that all the men of Israel were to appear before the Lord. To see this let us read from:
Exodus 34:22-23
""[22] Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. [23] Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel."
It is noted that in order for the men to present themselves before the Lord they had to go to the Temple which was in the city of Jerusalem.
In reflecting upon the above instructions for the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, we find three great foreshadowings. These foreshadowings point to and teach us about the time when the Holy Spirit would descend upon Jesus Christ's disciples on the day of Pentecost that followed His resurrection and ascension into Heaven. These foreshadowings are:
Let us now begin our study by first exploring in a bit more depth,
THE FORESHADOWING OF THE FIFTY DAYS
To gain some insight into what the fifty day requirement was to teach us about our Lord Jesus Christ and the work He did for us, we will review:
The Year Of Jubilee
Every fifty years, the nation of Israel was to celebrate what was called the Year of Jubilee. During this year every Israelite who, because of poverty, sold themselves into servitude were to be given their freedom and returned to their family. In addition, any property that was sold was to be returned to the original owner. In other words this was the year of restoration. To see this let us read the following excerpts from the command that God gave to Moses concerning the Year of Jubilee.
Leviticus 25:8-10
""'[8] Count off seven sabbaths of years--seven times seven years--so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. [9] Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. [10] Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan."
Let us notice the following verses,
8 … Notice the similarity between the Year of Jubilee and the Feast of Weeks. For the Feast of Weeks seven weeks were to be counted. In other words the people were to count fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, that is the seventh week. For the Year of Jubilee, instead of Sabbaths of weeks, seven Sabbaths of years were to be counted. Then, the fiftieth year was be the Year of Jubilee. In other words, for both events the number of fifty Sabbaths was used to determine the time it was to be celebrated. For the Year of Jubilee it was the fiftieth year whereas for the Feast of Weeks or the Day of Pentecost it was the fiftieth day.
10 … Liberty was to be proclaimed throughout the land. In addition, each person shall return to their land or possession, that is to the inheritance they received from God when God first brought them to the land of Canaan.
To gain a better insight into the significance of what this means, let us first read about the law with respect to the return of the land to its original occupant. We find it in,
Leviticus 25:23-28
""'[23] The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. [24] Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. [25] "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. [26] If, however, a man has no one to redeem it for him but he himself prospers and acquires sufficient means to redeem it, [27] he is to determine the value for the years since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own property. [28] But if he does not acquire the means to repay him, what he sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and he can then go back to his property."
Let us notice the following verses,
23 … The land is the Lord's. We are only tenants, that is occupants of the land.
28 … If after an Israelite sold his inheritance to support himself and/or his family the person who bought it must provide the opportunity for that person to redeem, that is buy back, his property. However, if he does not have the means to redeem it, then at the Year of Jubilee the land was to be returned to the original owner or occupant.
Let us now read about the law concerning the Israelite who, out of poverty, sold themselves into slavery. This is provided for us in,
Leviticus 25:39-42
""'[39] If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. [40] He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. [41] Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers. [42] Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves."
So we see that every fifty years each and every Israelite was to be restored to the freedom and inheritance that God gave them.
Can you just imagine how those who either sold their land or themselves must have longed for the Year of Jubilee? Can you just imagine the joy and gratefulness that was expressed to God when the Year of Jubilee arrived?
I believe that the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Pentecost, which was fifty days after the sheaf of first fruits was presented to God was also to serve as a reminder that the time of restoration, that is the Year of Jubilee was coming.
However, the Year of Jubilee and the Feast of Weeks was only a physical reminder of a more significant restoration that God had planned for the people of Israel and for all those who are His. To see this, let us now read about,
God's Promise of a Spiritual Restoration
For us to have a better appreciation for God's tremendous promise to provide us with a spiritual restoration it is important for us to remember that after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they and all their off spring, including you and I, were and are born spiritually dead. To see this we must first remember that Adam and Eve's son, Seth, was born in the image and likeness of Adam. This is revealed to us in,
Genesis 5:1-3
"[1] This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. [2] He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man." [3] When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Adam was created in the likeness of God.
3 … However, Adam's son, Seth, was born in the likeness of Adam. Since we all come from the lineage of Adam we too are born in his likeness.
The significance of this is that through Adam sin came into the world and through sin came death. This sin and death was also passed on to you and I. To see this let us read what the Holy Spirit wrote through the Apostle Paul in,
Romans 5:12
"[12] Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--"
It is noted that the meaning of death in the above passage is twofold. The first and obvious meaning refers to our physical death. However, the second meaning refers to our spiritual death. To see the spiritual application let us read what the Holy Spirit said concerning our state of being prior to the born again believer's new birth. It is recorded for us in,
Ephesians 2:1
"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,"
In other words from the time of Adam all who are born of a woman are spiritually dead in their sins. Furthermore, the Bible teaches us that we have been sold into the bondage of sin. To see this, let us consider how the Apostle Paul describes himself before he was born again of the Holy Spirit in,
Romans 7:14
"[14] We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin."
The result of all this is that because of Adam and Eve's sin they and their offspring (you and I) have been cast out of the Garden of Eden. In other words, because of the sin of Adam and Eve we lost our original citizenship or inheritance to Paradise. We find this in,
Genesis 3:23-24
"[23] So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. [24] After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."
As bleak as all this is, throughout the Old Testament we find that God, through His prophets, promise that there will come a time when He will grant us our freedom and restore us to our spiritual heritage. To see this let us read two of the many Old Testament prophecies that foretell of a time when God promised to restore us to Him.
The Prophecy From Ezekiel
For our first example, let us read what God said through His prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel relative to the destruction of Jerusalem and their captivity to the Babylonians. It is recorded for us in,
Ezekiel 39:21-29
""[21] I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them. [22] From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. [23] And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. [24] I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. [25] "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. [26] They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. [27] When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. [28] Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. [29] I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.""
Let us notice the following verses,
21-24 … It was because of their unfaithfulness to God and their transgressions, that is sins, that God dispersed the people of Israel from their own country to the land, rule and authority of the Babylonians.
25 … However, God promised to deliver the Israelites from their Babylonian captors and return them to their own inheritance in the land of Israel. Seventy years after their captivity in approximately 538 BC
2 God fulfilled His promise.27-28 … God did all this so He could reveal to the people of Israel that He is Lord and all that happened to them was ordained by Him.
The above portion of the prophecy pertains to the physical restoration of the people of Israel to their inheritance or lands in their home land of Israel. However, God did not stop there for He also promised them a spiritual restoration. This is recorded in the next verse.
29 … God promised there will come a time when He will pour out His Holy Spirit on the house of Israel.
Let us now move on to,
The Prophecy From Joel
For our second and last example let us read what God said through the prophet Joel. This too was a prophecy given before the Babylonian invasion of Israel. However, in this prophecy God focuses about the time after the people would be physically restored to their own land. As we read this promise let us note that this time God did not limit His blessing or spiritual restoration to the house of Israel. Instead, this time God reveals to us that the spiritual restoration He will bring about would be available to all mankind.
With this background, let us now read what God said through His prophet Joel as recorded in,
Joel 2:28-32(a)
"'[28] And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. [29] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. [30] I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [31] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. [32] And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; ..."
With all this Old Testament background about the fiftieth Year of Jubilee and God's promise to pour His Holy Spirit on mankind, the question to be asked is: "What is the point? How does all this relate to the Feast of Weeks, that is the Day of Pentecost, and it's foreshadowing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?" The answer to these questions unfold as we explore the foreshadowing or significance of the,
THREE REQUIRED OFFERINGS FOR THE FEAST OF WEEKS
In Leviticus 23:18-19 we read that God told Moses that part of the observance for the Feast of Weeks three offerings were to be made: (1) the whole burnt offering - which was symbolic for total dedication to God, (2) the sin offering - which was symbolic for the forgiveness of sins and (3) the peace or fellowship offering - which was to symbolize the peaceful relationship the people were to have with God.
These three offerings are also foreshadowings to teach us about and point us to our Lord Jesus Christ and the glorious work of salvation He accomplished on our behalf (see Chapters 9, 11 and 12).
To see how the three offerings, the Year of Jubilee and God's promise to send the Holy Spirit upon mankind point to and foretell of the day of Pentecost following Jesus Christ's resurrection and ascension into Heaven, we need only to prayerfully summarize what we have learned thus far with respect to the feasts of the Old Testament.
Summary of the Feasts
This now brings us to the Feast of Weeks, that is the Day of Pentecost. It has been fifty days from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He, our Lord and Savior, has made all the required offerings for us. What is left to be done? All that we have seen from our study taught us that this was the day that spiritual restoration would come to mankind. This is the day when God foretold He would fulfill His promise to send the Holy Spirit on mankind. Have we interpreted the foreshadowings of the Feast of Weeks correctly?
To find out let begin by reading
what Jesus said to His disciples to prepare them for what was going to happen.Jesus first tells them that it is to their and our advantage that He returns to the Father.
John 16:7-15
"[7] But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; [10] in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; [11] and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. [12] "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you."
Jesus also told His disciples that He was going to send the Promise of God the Father. Consequently, they were to stay in the city of Jerusalem until the promise was fulfilled.
Luke 24:49
"[49] I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.""
With Jesus' words in mind let us now read what happened to the disciples while they waited for God's promise on,
THE DAY OF PENTECOST FOLLOWING JESUS' RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN
This event is recorded for us in,
Acts 2:1-4
"[1] When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. [2] Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. [4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
Before we continue with our reading, let us recall that the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost was one of the three times of the religious year that the men of Israel, from wherever they lived, were to come to Jerusalem and present themselves to God. With this in mind let us now read what happened when the disciples began to speak in tongues.
Acts 2:5-11
"[5] Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. [6] When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. [7] Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? [8] Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? [9] Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome [11] (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!""
In response to these questions, the Apostle Peter stood up and gave the following reply.
Acts 2:14-21
"[14] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. [15] These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! [16] No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: [17] "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. [18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. [19] I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [20] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. [21] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
Thus, we find that day of Pentecost following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ from the dead was set aside by God the Father for the day when He would fulfill His promise to restore us to our spiritual heritage and send upon mankind His Holy Spirit.
Some of the Blessings from Pentecost
As one would expect this restoration from God brings with it many spiritual blessings to those who are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us recall that during the Year of Jubilee two significant restorations were to occur.
The first restoration that was to happen was for those who lost possession of their land. In the Year of Jubilee these Israelites were to return and regain the possession of their inheritance (Leviticus 25:23-28).
This foretold or pointed to the time, which is also today, when those who are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit would be granted citizenship in Heaven. In other words, they would regain their citizenship to Paradise that was lost through the sin of Adam. To see this let us read from,
Philippians 3:20
"[20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,"
The second restoration that was to happen during the Year of Jubilee was that those who were sold into servitude were set free to rejoin their families (Leviticus 25:34-42).
This foretold or pointed to the time, which is also now, when those who were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit would be set free from their servitude to sin. As a result, they would then be restored to the family of God. To see this let us read from,
Ephesians 2:19
"[19] Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,"
As we reflect upon the above two blessings resulting from the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ we come to realize that those who are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit are no longer spiritually dead. They are now alive with Jesus Christ in the Heavenly realms. To see this let us consider the following excerpt from the letter to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 2:1-10
"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. [4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
AMEN!
This now brings us to the third foreshadowing or teaching from the Feast of Weeks,
THE TWO LOAVES OF BREAD
The Feasts of Weeks as was the Feast of First Fruits was established so that the first fruits of the harvest would be presented to God the Father. Let us recall from Chapter 4 that during the Feast of First Fruits it was the first sheaf of raw grain from the barley harvest that was presented (Leviticus 23:10-11). For the Feast of Weeks, it is not the grain but the first bread made from the wheat that was to be presented to God. In addition, in contrast to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the bread used during the Feast of Weeks was to be leavened, that is made with yeast. To see this, let us read from,
Leviticus 23:17
"[17] From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD."
It is noted that the two loaves of bread along with the lambs, which were part of the Peace or Fellowship offering, were a sacred offering to the Lord and His priest. In other words, this portion of the Peace offering was to be set apart for God and His priest.
Leviticus 23:20
"[20] The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest."
Since it is the two loaves of leavened bread that were the special or unique requirement for the Feast of Weeks, it is these items that we will focus on.
For the foreshadowing and teaching of the wave offering of the two loaves of bread to unfold we must bring to mind the following three points:
The Foreshadowing
After Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again and ascended into Heaven, His work of salvation was completed. When the day of Pentecost came it was time for the presentation of the first fruits of the harvest. These first fruits was His disciples. When the Holy Spirit fell upon His disciples they were not only endowed with spiritual power but were also sanctified, that is set apart, by the Holy Spirit for their and our High Priest, Jesus Christ.
To see this, let us read how the Apostle Peter addressed his first letter to all those who are born again believers in Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:1-2
"[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, [2] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, ..."
In other words, those who are born again of the Holy Spirit, that is the true disciples of Jesus Christ, have been sanctified or set aside for God. Put another way, they are His property. This is clearly taught to us by reading following excerpt from Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
"[21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
Let us notice the following verses,
21 … It is God who makes us stand firm in Jesus Christ, Who is our High Priest (Hebrews7:11-8:2).
22 … The born again believer now has God's seal of ownership on them. In other words they have been set apart or sanctified by God!
CLOSING
Now some might say this is all fine and good for the Apostles and the people that are born again Christians. But, what about me?
To address this question, let us return to the book of Acts and read what the people said to the Apostle Peter after he explained to them about the death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven of Jesus Christ for their sins and God's promise of the Holy Spirit. It is recorded for us in,
Acts 2:37
"[37] When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?""
In other words, after being convicted of the fact that they were sinners and realizing that the Holy Spirit had not come upon them, the people asked Peter, "What shall we do?" Peter's response is provided to us in,
Acts 2:38-39
"[38] Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.""
Let us notice the following verses,
38a … We must repent and confess our sins to Jesus Christ, Who died in our place so that we can be forgiven.
38b … We are to be baptized, that is we must acknowledge and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Baptism is an outward expression of this action and belief (see Chapter 11 of Volume I - Water Baptism). Those who do this, with all their heart, will be born again, that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
39a … The promise of the Holy Spirit is to you, that is the people that the Apostle Peter was speaking to.
39b … The promise is to your children, that is the children and descendants of the people that the Apostle Peter was talking to.
39c … The promise is to ALL who are afar, as many as our Lord will call, that is to all those who were not there at the time the Apostle Peter gave this message. This also means that the promise of the Holy Spirit is also for you and me!
Thus, for those who have yet to experience these blessings I strongly urge you to prayerfully bow down to our Lord Jesus Christ and with all your heart: (1) confess to Him that you are a sinner and ask for His forgiveness and (2) accept or receive Him as the absolute Lord over your life. If you have sincerely done this with all your heart you will be born again (see chapter 9 of volume I). In addition, you should now be water baptized (see chapter 10 of volume I).
Now for those who are born again of the Holy Spirit, let us prayerfully receive the blessing given to us in Apostle Paul's second letter to the church in Thessalonica,
2 Thessalonians 3:16
"[16] Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."
AMEN and AMEN