Essay

Prophecy and Pentecost

“For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21).

“Now these (bereans) were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures (Hebrew Scriptures) daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

“Prophecy” is the foundation of all biblical truth, and out of it all other scriptures are validated (Acts 17:11). Prophecy is the prophetic Word of God as revealed through the prophets as described in (2 Peter 1:19-21).  It is said of the prophet Jeremiah: “...who spoke from the mouth of the Lord” (Chronicles 3612b, NJKV).

It is my purpose to share from the scriptures some foundational truths about the make-up of the Bible, using “prophesy, and Pentecost” as the focus for such a study. The writer of the Book of Hebrews says, “God. who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” [The New Testament is the unfolding of all prophetic truth] (Hebrews 1:1,2, KJV).   

John in the “Revelation” writes, “…For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit [essence] of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10b) [See: Luke 24:25-27] In other words, there is nothing in the prophesies of the Old Testament that doesn’t have as its focus and foundation in the person of Jesus Christ. He is “King of KING, and LORD of LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

Jesus said, “…I came not to abolish the Law or the prophets [already proclaimed in the Hebrew Scriptures], but to fulfill” (Luke 21:22).

The New Testament was written out of the Pentecostal experience for which the apostles were commanded to wait (Acts 1:4). Jesus said, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria , and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Therefore, as they traveled from city to city, they gave witness to the risen Lord in obedience to His command, and thus the gospel spread (Mathew 19:28; Acts 17:6).

This was the time when the Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled in and through the lives of these Spirit-filled men following Pentecost. In other words, this is that which the prophets had longed to see (1 Peter 1:10).

The Bible, which we now hold in our hands, existed only in the heart of God who, in time, gave to Adam a promise, renewed that promise with Abraham and fulfilled it in Jesus Christ through whom all who are of faith are said to be “the children of Abraham.” (Genesis 3:15; 12:3, Galatians 3:29).

We marvel at God’s creation, the flood, Israel ’s bondage in Egypt , the promise land, and the messianic hope fulfillment in Jesus Christ, etc., but that’s not the focus of this article. The focus here is to view some interesting insights using prophecy, and the Pentecost event, as the center-peace for, as Paul Harvey would say: “The rest of the story.”

 Part I: Prophecy, (Hebrew Scriptures) the Building Blocks for all New Testament Truth:

“For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, this is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation (Understanding), for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will (intellect), but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:17-21).

This passage, referenced by the apostle Peter, is the foundation of all biblical truth, and out of this truth all the scriptures are justified (Acts 17:11). Or, as the Apostle Paul has affirmed, “and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.” (1 Corinthians 14:32).

John, in the “Revelation” says, “for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit [essence] of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10b). [See Luke 24:25-27] In other words, everything that is written about Jesus, and all he did, has its foundation in the prophetic scriptures; therefore, there is nothing in the scriptures that does not have as its ultimate purpose the redemption that is found in the person of Jesus Christ, who is “KING OF KING and LORD Of ALL” (Revelation 19:16). Jesus said, “…I came not to abolish the Law or the prophets [already proclaimed in the Hebrew Scriptures], but to fulfill” (Luke 21:22).

Remember, it was just before Jesus left his disciples to return to his Father that he himself prophesied to them about Pentecost, saying, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

It was on the day of Pentecost, that the apostles, being filled with the Holy Spirit, began to understand the things that Jesus had taught them concerning the church and the great commission enterprise that awaited them (Acts 2:14-36). Subsequently, the conversion of the man called “Saul” who, on the road to Damascus , became “Paul an Apostle to the Gentiles” (Acts 9:15).  It was then that prophecy began to be “fleshed-out” in the many journeys of this (and other) “Spirit filled” man, “a minister to the Gentiles,” as Peter was said to be “a minister to the circumcised” (Acts chapters 9 and 15).

In studying the Scriptures, we would all do well to do what the Berean Christians Did: “for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures (Hebrew Prophetic Scriptures) daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts: 17:11).

These new Christians at Berea were doubtless fascinated by the fact that the apostle Paul was sharing with them the many Old Testament prophetic promises that were now being fulfilled in their time. It was for this reason that the apostle commended them for their zeal. It should be observed, however, that the only scriptures that were available to them at that time were the “Hebrew Scriptures,” in which they put their trust.

The apostle Peter gives us further instruction about this glorious truth when he wrote, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these (Hebrew Scriptures) He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them (the promises) you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” [That is, the old Adam nature] (2 Peter 1:3,4). These promises are now fulfilled in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the subsequent event called, “Pentecost.”

The Pentecostal difference is simply this: Before Pentecost, they had the Hebrew Scriptures, and in them is the record of the prophets, prophesying, as the Holy Spirit moved upon them (from time to time); whereas, after Pentecost, the Apostles, “filled” with the Holy Spirit, lived out experientially, in truth and practice the prophecies as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.

For example: On the day of Pentecost it is said, “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them (saying): “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem , let this be known to you and give heed to my words. “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this that,(KJV) is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind, And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams… And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:14-21). This truth had never before been known, much less understood in the lives of God’s People Israel, never!

It was then that Peter interpreted the Old Testament prophesy concerning the Kingdom of David that was fulfilled at the resurrection of Jesus, saying, “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ…” (Acts 2:29-31).

The apostle Paul, from his experience on the Damascus Road , began his ministry.  That journey carried him to distance places. One of which was a city called, Philippi . Here is quoted a part of a letter, (Selected at random in my daily studies) of his concern for the people there. “But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father; Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly” (Philippians 2:19,22-24).

When I think of the apostle Paul speaking of his concern for all the churches, saying,  “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28, KJV), I marvel as the Holy Spirit works in his life is such a tender way: For example, he shares his personal concerns, and his personal desires in expressing those concerns to the people at Philippi.  It is easy to see that Paul was not prophesying, etc., but filled by the Holy Spirit, he shared his burden for the people there. In a measure it was their story; nevertheless, the message within the story was God’s message, the “exact truth,” [as Luke would say], being lived out through the life of this Apostle and Timothy with the churches of their day.

Truly, the apostles were all “Spirit-filled” men; men, who, out of their own personal life situations and experiences, wrote in fulfillment of the prophetic truths of God; nevertheless, in their writings we are always consciences of their humanity. (This is not so in the Prophetic portions of the Scriptures where man’s humanity [intellect, etc.] is not made known. On the other hand, the apostle Paul would sometimes say, “If the Lord wills,” or “I hope,”or, “ as soon as I see how things go with me,” etc. as he went from place to place (Colossians 4:10; 1 Corinthians 16:7; Romans 15:24,28).

But what about the gospels; how were they recorded? [This is one of the most blessed truths to be found in the work of the Holy Spirit in giving to us these treasures].  Notice carefully the words from the gospel according to Luke: As a background, Luke recalls the words of Jesus when speaking to His disciples (as they were then called), saying, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you (the apostles) all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26).  Dr. Luke, an historian, referring to the words of Jesus spoken to his disciples, (Acts 1:1), writes, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses (Mathew and John) and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught”(Luke 1:1-4).

Unlike in prophecy wherein the Holy Spirit gave to the prophets the message about the future of which they had no prior knowledge, in the gospels, the Holy Spirit bring to memory the words and happenings that they had witnessed while Jesus was yet with them on this earth. (John 14:26)

Part II: The “Hebrew” Scriptures, And the “Pentecostal” Difference

In part two of this essay, I will be emphasizing in more detail this fact: The New Testament was written out of the Pentecostal experience for which the apostles were commanded to wait (Acts 1:4). This is what Jesus prophesied, “but you will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

[Remember the apostle had said this of the Bereans, that they were“…examining the Scriptures (Hebrew) daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11b, KJV).

This was to them a great and awesome time in their history, a time of great transition. These promises, promised by the Hebrew Prophets, were no doubt, for the most part, forgotten by many of the people by this time. Then there appeared on the scene a man called “Paul” (and his companions), teaching them that these promises, for which they had long awaited, were now being fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah (Hebrews 8:7-13).

Remember when the prophets prophesied, they prophesied about things of which they had no previous knowledge. It was the “Prophetic Word” from God; things about which God only had the answers (2 Peter 1:21). Therefore, the prophets when prophesying, served only as scribes, unveiling truth yet unknown; whereas in the Epistles, etc., the Apostles were often telling their story as they journeyed and spread the gospel message to the end of the known world.

It should be remembered that there were many designated scribes who recorded the daily happening of the people who were not prophets, per se, in writing the Hebrew Scriptures who, along with the prophets, who also wrote about the many things having to do with their contemporary life situations: “For they looked for a city which had foundation, whose builder and maker is God” (read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews).

Then, in the providence of God’s eternal plan, “The Word became flesh,” and at the close of the earthly ministry of Jesus, He told his disciples to wait for the promise; thus, Pentecost. What a day! All of heaven must have stood in awe and wonder on this “day.” Nothing except the day of creation could equal such a day as this: Our virgin born, crucified, and risen Savior now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercessions for sinners like you and me. Therefore, Jesus, now in heaven with our heavenly Father, has sent fourth the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, for whom he commanded His disciples to wait (John 14:26) and that changed everything. It is now the day of the apostolic church; “the ground and pillow of truths,” (1 Timothy 3:15B) thus, the Pentecostal difference!”

          With this in mind, let us again remember the apostle Paul’s commendation to the church at Berea for their willingness to search the Hebrew scriptures to determine the accuracy of what Paul was now teaching them, and also remember what Jesus had first commanded those weak and dejected disciples’ saying to them: “Wait for the promise!”

          Now we find them, after Pentecost, not only witnessing, but living out in an open forum the many truths concerning that which Jesus had commissioned them, both in truth and in practice.

They were now His “witnesses,” to the world.  For example, we find the apostle Paul, years later saying, “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me” (1 Corinthians 4:16). Again he said, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Philippians 3:17). In the Apostle Paul’s life, he often used contemporary situations to give witness of his faith (Act 24:10-21). This is not to say that the apostle Paul never prophesied. When in the storm called, “Euroclydon,” he said, “There stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I serve, saying: Do not be afraid...” (Acts 27:23). And thus he gave courage to his companions in the darks waters of the Aegean Sea . He Prophesied!

Today we hold in our hands a complete Bible, but historically, this was not so. This “Holy Book” was a work in progress for much of man’s history. Sadly, we take so much for granted as though it just happened in a day, forgetting that it is a book dipped in blood over the long years of time (Revelation 20: 4-6).  Remember,… “ Calvary !”

When Alexander Cruden, in his concordance, references the “Scripture/Scriptures,” saying, “The word (Scripture) as used in the Bible refers almost invariably to the sacred writings, which at the time consisted of the Old Testament only.” Then he lists more that forty references used by the New Testament writers to verify the truths about which they were writing. 

For example, When Paul reassured Timothy of his spiritual heritage, he said, “for I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Timothy 1: 5);  (Timothy), “…continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Then he said to him, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:14-16, KJV).

It should be understood that the only scripture that Timothy’s grandmother and mother had in their possession at the time of the apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy were the Hebrew scriptures, but this was sufficient. The apostle Paul was reminding Timothy of his heritage in the Hebrew scriptures is now fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

It is not surprising that the apostle Paul would take such and interest in Timothy’s upbringing, having himself studied at the feet of the great Old Testament scholar named “Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3), for the Old Testament is the foundation of the New. Although the New Testament was at this time being written – several books not yet recorded, the same Holy Spirit that had inspired the writing of Timothy’s Grandmother’s old Hebrew Bible, was now guiding the writers of the New Testament following Pentecost.

It would be helpful to review the word of Jesus to his disciples when he said,  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you, and you will testify of me,…” (John 14:26; 15:27a, KJV).

And so it was that Paul, sitting in a cold Roman jail, remembering the churches where he had labored, took pen in hand and, led by the Holy Spirit, began to write: “Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…to the church of God…grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Although, Paul was not one of the twelve, he was, nevertheless, called by God as a special apostle to the Gentiles, often remembering every detail about the churches: Sometimes calling each member of a church by their own personal name.

The apostle Peter has this to say about the epistles of Paul, “…even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16, KJV).

 In conclusion, I offer this summary about the pre-Pentecostal scriptures, and the post-Pentecost scriptures: In the pre-Pentecostal scriptures, the prophets prophesied, but only when the Holy Spirit moved upon them, and then only about things of which they had no previous knowledge. In the post- Pentecostal scriptures, the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, unveiled the prophetic promises now fulfilled in Jesus Christ; things which they were daily experiencing were in fulfillment of prophecy, and thus we wait for HIS coming, Amen!