Acts 1:26 2:1-3

Acts 1:12-26 & Acts 2:1-13

Previously we read that after the ascension of Jesus back to heaven the rest of the apostles, lead by Peter and through much prayer, came to the conclusion that Judas Iscariot was to be replaced as one of the 12 Apostles chosen by Jesus to give the gospel to the Jews. Two men were put forth as having all the requirements, they were to be of those who had been with and followed Jesus from his baptism to his crucifixion and a witness of the risen Lord, the men put forth were Joseph, also was called Barsabbas and Justus, and Matthias.

24-26

Acts 1:24–26 “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

Peter and all the others pray, they acknowledge the omniscience of God and genuinely seek God’s will to be done in this matter. And with that prayer they cast lots, stones that are similar to dice with two sides representing yes and no, to learn the will of God in who would replace Judas.

Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

If the choosing of Matthias as Judas’ replacement was not the will of God, couldn’t God had made this shown? He could have made the stones land on their side and not given a result, He even could have made the stones disappear before they landed on the ground, if this was not the will of God.

This is also the last time in scripture that we see the casting of lots to determine the will of God, in just a few verses, on the day of Pentecost we get the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of the helper, the Holy Spirit descending on all of His people. Now we no longer have the need to cast lots, we have the Holy Spirit, God, in us and guiding us.

2:1-2

Acts 2:1–2 “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”

Pentecost means fiftieth and is the feast of weeks or of harvest for the Jews which is celebrated fifty days after passover. Leviticus 23:16 “You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.” This was one of the three annual feast in which the nation of Israel was commanded to come to the temple in Jerusalem to offer the firstfruits of the harvest and celebrate with a feast. So at this time Jerusalem would have been filled with Jews and proselytes from all over the “world”. This is where we get the 10 days wait from Jesus’ ascension until the coming of the Holy Spirit, passover and Jesus’ crucifixion, he was raised on the day after the Sabbath after passover and was in the world in his resurrected form for 40 days and Pentecost was 50 days after the Sabbath after the Passover so 50 minus 40 is ten days. God ordained and orchestrated two very important events for all Christians on two days where Jerusalem would have been filled with Jews from all over, the Passover and the feast of harvest, one for His crucifixion and resurrection and the other for the gift of the Helper, the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost the 12 apostles and the other followers mentioned earlier numbering about 120 men were gathered together, could have been the same upper room from chapter one and the last supper, but when they were together God sends the Holy Spirit to them and the sound He made was like a rushing wind, not that there was an actual wind current but the sound that a tornado or hurricane would have made came upon them and they were then indwelt with the Holy Spirit, now being temples to God in their flesh. Spiritual and supernatural events and sights would be very hard to describe in human ways, the Spirit is often associated with wind, all scripture is God-breathed 2 Timothy 3:16, the study of the Holy Spirit is pneumatology, pneuma meaning breath, wind, or spirit. This first occurence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is different and separate from the filling of the Holy Spirit mentioned in verse 4 and many other places. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a one time event which is the means of justification, regeneration, and the start of sanctification for God’s chosen and elect saints. As we will discuss in verse 4, the filling with the Holy Spirit is not a one time event and can and does happen multiple times when we are particularly energized with zeal for God, leading to many good works.

3

Acts 2:3 “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.”

God then gives them another sign of the Holy Spirit’s arrival in them by sending what they could only describe as tongues of fire dividing up and resting on each of them. Fire is also a often used image of God’s holiness and purity, Moses and the burning bush or the coal of fire that the angel puts on Isaiah’s lips. God uses an auditory sign in verse 2 and a visual sign right after that as a sovereign audio and visual symbol that the Holy Spirit has come and is now with all of them.

I would like to hear in your words the importance and significance of the event described here in verses 1-3.