PENTECOST HOLY SPIRIT CAME FROM HEAVEN Acts 2

More precise even than the Swiss railways , God always runs on time. The Scriptures record that ‘when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all of one accord ( total harmony ) in one place.’ The sufferings of their beloved Lord and His glorious rising from the dead had united their hearts . They were ready for all the Father planned, infinitely greater than they imagined.

All heaven broke loose. ‘Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.’ (v2) While a highly-esteemed Aboriginal pastor preached in the Solomon Islands, all heard a ‘hurricane wind ‘. God marvellously moved, as many wept and were restored to a pure walk with the living Lord. A revival swept the people. Hours passed. As the service concluded, outside all was calm and placid. Pentecost over again. The Old Testament word ‘spirit’ is ruach or ‘wind.’ God is unchanged.

Next came the appearance of ‘forked or divided tongues as of fire , which sat on each of them’ ( v3) This was supernatural, preparing them for the evangelistic event which would allow the tongues of fire to express the truth of the Saviour.

Oh, that we would speak with tongues or language, ablaze with the pure gospel.

Another wonder followed, ‘for they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues ( known languages ), as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ ( v4 ) Consider how marvellous that the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, should descend from Heaven and fill ( as perfume fills an entire house, and water floods a river ) each of the 120 who had prayed for ten days after His Ascent to glory. The mystery and awe of His infilling and abiding!

They were dumb-founded as they spoke with foreign sounds, which they had neither heard nor made, In the 14 ethnic groups listed in this passage, they used guttural and glottal sounds which may be learned only by arduous practice and perseverance. Yet these flowed effortlessly from their lips. God had gripped them. He wanted the nations to know of His Son. ‘The Spirit gave them utterance, ’ for they were under His complete control.

Crowds had gathered at Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost, an Old Testament festival. Indeed, ‘There were Jews dwelling in Jerusalem , devout men from every nation under heaven.’ Notice our Lord’s precise timing, so that the blessed news must travel to the ends of the earth. (v4)

In Babel, God severely judged the nations with numerous, diverse, complex languages, scattering them across the face of the earth. ( Genesis 7: ) At Pentecost, The Lord reversed Babel, ‘and when the sound ( that is, their mother tongue preaching ) occurred, the people came together, and were confused, because every one heard then speak in his own language.’ What mixed emotions when the Jewish Hebrew was laid aside and ‘inferior’ languages ( as they thought ), told the news of a Saviour. In their own home tongue! Little wonder that they rushed expectantly from every corner of the Holy city.

They could not conceal their amazement as they marvelled, saying to one

another, ‘ Are not all these who speak Galileans ‘? They knew the rough fisherman’s brogue of Galilee , remembering Peter’s bluff rejection at the trial of the Lord some weeks earlier ). This coarse speech had been refined with the gift and use of their mother tongue. ( v7)

Norman Grubb succeeded C.T.Studd as the director of WEC International . He told how he had heard mighty ministry in one of Congo’s languages ( now Zaire ). God’s Spirit moved powerfully over the entire, mixed gathering, so that all present heard the preaching only in their own mother language. This inexplicable happening amazed them. Many found salvation and revival.

The writer lists the places and languages of the visitors to Jerusalem, where some of the sounds would be unknown to the speakers and beyond their natural capability. Guttural and glottal sounds were common to Bible linguists but were difficult to the amateur. I attended the summer Institute of Linguistics from Wycliffe Bible Translators, discovering how inept I was with such sounds.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit revealed that He came to make Christ known.

The sixteen language groups summarised the event ‘ We hear them speaking in their own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ ( v11) True recognition!

‘They were all amazed ( that is, out of their minds, or insane ) and perplexed

( non-plussed ), saying to one another’ whatever could this mean?’ (v12) Such normal eyewitness response confirms us as we read the Scriptures. The sceptics and humanists mocked ,’ They are full of new wine.’ ( v13) Some falsely claimed it was physiological rather than spiritual, to which Paul warned, ‘Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Ephesians 5:18)

Man tried to rationalise God’s marvellous work as the Spirit came. While

alcohol stimulates the brain, the Holy Spirit activates the whole person.

Twelve men stood boldly together as Peter raised his voice, saying, ‘Men of Judea and all that dwell in Jerusalem, let it be known to you and heed my words.’ ( v14) Peter no longer denied, blasphemed, nor wept,, but vigourously refuted their claim, ‘For these are not drunk,(under the influence of a substance) since it is only the third hour of the day. They were totally under God’s direction. ‘But this was spoken by the prophet Joel’ 700 years earlier.

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God that I shall pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your young men shall see visions; your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath. Blood and fire and vapour of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and notable day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. ( Joel 2:28 )

This simple prescription of salvation came out of Pentecost.

Call on His name.

16-20 Prophecy of Joel. 2:28

21 Invitation general

22-24 +++ !!! *** Our Lord Jesus.

25-31 Prophecy of King David.

31-35 Resurrection of Lord ***

36 Lord ( Kurios ) Christ Messiah Anointed One. P.P.K. same Jesus

37 pricked in heart agitated

38 Repent be baptized Name of Jesus Christ.

1 remission of sin 2 Gift of Holy Spirit

39 Promise to you – and your children.

40 Save yourself ‘untoward ‘ ( SCOLIOSIS ) generation. Crooked spine.

41 Baptized, who gladly received the Word. +++ !!! ***

3,000 added church 12 disciples 120 upper room 3000 God’s multiplication

42 Continued steadfastly 1 Doctrine apostles 2 fellowship 3 bread broken

4 prayers.