Chap 3_Acts

Chap3_ Acts

OOOOOOOOOOOOO Acts 3:1–10 (LEB) A Lame Beggar Healed at the Temple 3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour [3 p.m.]. 2 And a certain man was being carried who was lame ⌊from birth⌋. ⌊He⌋ was placed every day at the gate of the temple called “Beautiful,” so that he could ask for charitable gifts from those who were going into the temple courts.* 3 When he* saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts,* he began asking to receive alms. 4 And Peter looked intently at him, together with John, and* said, “Look at us!” 5 So he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “Silver and gold ⌊I do not possess⌋, but what I have, this I give to you—in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” 7 And taking hold of him by the right hand, he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began walking around* and entered into the temple courts* with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 And they recognized him, that this one was the one who used to sit asking for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

The situation. It’s in the late afternoon around 3 p.m. Two of the more famous apostles Peter and John are going towards the temple. They paused at the gate called Beautiful. according to the New Testament, the Beautiful Gate was one of the gates belonging to the Temple in Jerusalem prior to its destruction by the Romans in AD 70. It is assumed that there was another name for this gate was Nicanor.

Gates were seats of authority (Ruth 4:11 ). At the gates wisdom was uttered(Proverbs 1:21 ). Judges and officers served at the gates administering justice (Deuteronomy 16:18) and the councils of state were held at the gates (2 Chronicles 18:9).

Gates had a history for instance where the Dung Gate is mentioned as one of the city's gates during the times of the Return to Zion (538 BCE). ... The dung gate got it name - During that time the residents would remove the ashes and the dung from the Holy Temple via this gate, to dispose it in the Kidron Valley. This was mentioned about rebuilding the walls and gates in Nehemiah 2:13(ESV)13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.

The Golden Gate, also facing east, it is called in Hebrew and Arabic the "Gate of Mercy." According to Jewish tradition, this is the gate through which the Messiah will enter Jerusalem. To prevent the Messiah's entry, the Arabs sealed the gate several centuries ago.

The Zion Gate, or David's Gate, stands on Mount Zion. Today many of these gates are sealed. The Zion Gate leads directly into the Jewish and Armenian Quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem. ... Additionally, bullet holes and pockmarks from the 1948 battles are still visible in the stones, testifying to the role that the Zion Gate played during the War of Independence.

The Jaffa Gate [ONE FOR ISRAEL -MAY 21, 2017 ]Jerusalem, December 1917.

Now move up in time to WWI [July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918]

The Turkish Ottomans conquered and ruled over Jerusalem and what was then Palestine for 400 years. The building of churches and synagogues was outlawed, church bells were forbidden, non-Muslims (dhimmis) did not have equal rights for the vast majority of that time and had to pay the additional ‘jizya’ tax.

The Turks were allies with the Germans WWI. But most catastrophically of all, in 1915 the call had gone out to get rid of every Christian in the Empire. The Armenian Genocide included not only Armenians but also Catholics and Greek Orthodox Christians. One and a half million were murdered, and many more suffered horrifically before making their escape. Most of the Western world has condemned Turkey’s actions as genocide, except for U.S since Turkey was an important military ally. Pres Biden issued 6 weeks ago on Sep 29, 2021] officially recognized that the Armenian slaughter was “genocide’

Let’s return to WWI.-

General Allenby [a devout Christian] was charged with liberating Jerusalem and had expressed concern to his superiors about the magnitude and sensitivity of the task before him. This was not just any city. Do want this historic location, sacred to Jews, Christians, and Moslems to be turned into rubble. The Turks are hard fighters- this would not be an easy victory.

He had been ordered to take the city without firing on the people or the city [1]. How on earth was it to be done? “Pray”, the answer came from above, which perhaps did not seem to be very helpful at the time. But Allenby did pray.

He came across the work of Bible scholar, Dr H. Aldersmith, who had been studying the prophecies regarding Israel. Aldersmith explained in his book from 1898, The Fullness of the Nations, that he believed Jerusalem would be delivered by Great Britain in 1917 [2]. He had become convinced from Isaiah 31:4-5 Isaiah 31:4–5 (ESV)4 For thus the Lord said to me,

“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

5 Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.” the Lion as a symbol of British "pride" and might was forever identified with Eleanor's irascible, irresponsible but fearless son, Richard I the Lionheart. that The book written 17 years prior said that the UK would have a part to play in the restoration of Jerusalem, and that it would be accomplished by some kind of flying machine . Aldersmith wrote the book five years before the Wright Brothers made their first flight. Almost 20 years later the biplanes and triplanes were at war over Europe, but hadn’t been seen in the middle east.

There was an Arab saying that, “The Turks will not leave Jerusalem until the river Nile flows in Palestine and the prophet expels them from the city”.

British troops were stationed in Egypt in the years leading up to these events, and Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Murray gained authorization to build a pipeline to pump fresh Nile water and a railway to supply their troops. By 1917, the water had arrived, along with the troops, in Palestine. The River Nile was, bizarrely, flowing in Palestine.

Secondly Allenby’s airdropped note when written in Arabic looks like: “Surrender the city! Al Nabi”, which means “The Prophet”[4]. Many of the Turks left at that time, after the mysterious flying objects sent messages from “Al Nabi”. Rather remarkably, the motto on the airplanes used in Allenby’s operation to deliver Jerusalem was a quote from the Quran which said, “I spread my wings and keep my promise”[5]. Also Allenby’s name was sometimes misunderstood as to say “ Allah, bin “ which means son of Allah. Many of the Turks left at that time, after the mysterious flying objects sent messages from “Al Nabi”. From the evening of December 8, 1917 and all through the night, Turkish troops were leaving Jerusalem. By early the following morning all had gone, Jerusalem was delivered and not a shot was fired.

Another interesting prophecy which Aldersmith was already aware.= So the evening of December 8th through to the day of December 9th was a critical and historical time. In the Jewish calendar, from sunset December 8th through to sunset December 9th that year fell on the 24th of the Jewish month of Kislev. . In the Jewish calendar, from sunset December 8th through to sunset December 9th that year fell on the 24th of the Jewish month of Kislev. What is so special about the 24th Kislev? It is the 24th day of the 9th monthaccording to the Jewish Calendar, and that would be December 7th, 2015, which also happens to be the first day when the foundations of the new temple were laid What is so special about the 24th Kislev? What is the prophesy? Haggai 2:10–12 (ESV)Blessings for a Defiled People 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.”...

Haggai 2:13–15 (ESV) 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, The Lord goes on with examples of how sacrifices were shorted- God being cheated.........

Haggai 2:17–22

(ESV)

Haggai 2:17–22

(NIV84) 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

“ ‘From this day on I will bless you.’ ”

20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother…..... On that day”—this is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts—“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant”—this is the LORD’s declaration—“and make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you

The point The surrender by the mayor of Jerusalem to a 1. British cook[Private Murch] was on 8 Dec 2017. [the Jewish calendar was saying Dec 7 2015]informed his commander the colonel informed. Jerusalem has fallen. That surrender was officially scrubbed and made after the cook told his commander Nonetheless, Murch reported the development to his superiors, and 2. Brig.-Gen C.F. Watson hurried off in the direction of town to accept its surrender from its mayor, Hussein Salim al-Husseini. However, when the divisional commander, 3. Maj.-Gen John Shea, learned of this development, he got on the field phone and order that Watson be stopped: “I will myself take the surrender of Jerusalem!”

So he did, after Watson had ridden back to town to return the keys to Husseini. Then when Shea wired General Allenby the good news, the latter wrote back

Then the commander in chief himself, Edmund Allenby, ordered the keys to be returned to the mayor yet again, for him to receive formally on Dec. 11. The point of this is the surrender occurred on our calendar Dec 8 1917 or Dec 2015 per the Jewish Haggai prophecy

Another surprising coincidence

Daniel 12:10–13

(NIV84)10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. 13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

As one of the British officers was amazed to realize, the Islamic year in 1917 was 1335, since the Muslim calendar started in 622 [see note 2]. Keen observers of prophecy such as Dr H. Aldersmith had already put the pieces together, and were expecting redemption and blessing for Jerusalem in 1917. By December 8th the Islamic year had just changed to 1336. The 1335 years were up. “Blessed is he”, writes Daniel, “who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days”. “Day =yom [Hebrew] this can mean daylight contrasted to night time, an age or day of days, a year, a 24 hour period, or a major occurrence, e.g., Day of the Lord.

The city of Jerusalem was delivered by the British using airplanes that “hovered like birds” on 24th Kislev, 1917. And remarkably, in the standard English Book of Prayer for that day, December 8, the reading just happened to be Isaiah 31

The surrender by the mayor of Jerusalem to a 1. British cook[Private Murch] was on 8 Dec 2017. the colonel informed. That surrender was officially scrubbed and made after the cook told his commander Nonetheless, Murch reported the development to his superiors, and 2. Brig.-Gen C.F. Watson hurried off in the direction of town to accept its surrender from its mayor, Hussein Salim al-Husseini. However, when the divisional commander, 3. Maj.-Gen John Shea, learned of this development, he got on the field phone and order that Watson be stopped: “I will myself take the surrender of Jerusalem!”

So he did, after Watson had ridden back to town to return the keys to Husseini. Then when Shea wired General Allenby the good news, the latter wrote back

Then the commander in chief himself, Edmund Allenby, ordered the keys to be returned to the mayor yet again, for him to receive formally on Dec. 11. The point of this is the surrender occurred on our calendar Dec 8 1917 in Dec 2015 per the Haggai prophecy.

.

The atmosphere was electric as General Allenby dismounted his horse in humility, removed his hat in reverence, and entered the walls of the Old City through the Jaffa Gate, which hadn’t been in use for many years. 973 years of Muslim rule were over. Iconic footage shows Jewish people welcoming him as if he was some kind of messiah, and the Land was never the same again.

The fall of Jerusalem, in 1917, during World War I.A Christian-led army — the British — took charge of the Holy City for the first time since the Crusades. Their defeat of the Ottoman Turks opened up the entire Middle East to be reshaped by the victorious allies, for better or worse. General Allenby the third person that was surrendered to and entered the Jaffa gate.

Description of this gate. This was a popular entryway that went from the he court of the Gentiles Nicanor Gate was located at the eastern entrance of the Forecourt of Women, to the court of the woman east of the temple.

It also had large, bronze covered gates. The other six gates into the temple complex were clad with gold, but this gate was different. But some say that they were retained because the bronze of which they were made had a special golden hue. R. Eliezer b. Jacob said, "It was Corinthian copper which shone like gold" (Yoma 38a). Corinthian gold was the name given to a family of copper alloys with gold and silver which were depletion-gilded to give them a golden or silver luster (see Jacobson). According to the Mishnah, "There were seven gates in the Temple courtyard.… In the east there was the gate of Nicanor, which had two rooms attached, one on its right and one on its left, one the room of Phinehas the dresser and one the room of the griddle cake makers" (Mid. 1:4). This gate was one of the best known of the gifts made to the Temple and "miracles were performed in connection with the gate of Nicanor and his memory was praised" (The Talmud Yoma 3:10).

The gates were undoubtedly made after the time of Herod (the most reasonable date being about the middle of the first century, a generation before the destruction) and were the work of an Alexandrian craftsman. Nicanor is also recorded in a first century a.d. inscription on an ossuary found in October 1902 in a cave on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem ("the Cave of Nicanor"). The ossuary mentioning Nicanor is now in the collections of the British Museum

The miracle included the origin of the gates. Of these miracles the Talmud states: "What miracles were performed by his doors? The Talmud says that miracles occurred when Nicanor went to Alexandria in Egypt to bring them, on his return a huge wave threatened to engulf him. Thereupon they took one of the doors and cast it into the sea but still the sea continued to rage. When they prepared to cast the other one into the sea, Nicanor rose and clung to it, saying 'cast me in with it.'" The sea immediately became calm. He was, however, deeply grieved about the other door. As they reached the harbor of Acre [ about 80 miles north of Jerusalem, - now a popular tourist area] it broke the surface and appeared from under the sides of the boat. Others say a sea monster swallowed it and ejected it out onto dry land. Subsequently all the gates of the Sanctuary were changed for golden ones, but the Nicanor gates, which were said to be of bronze, were left because of the miracles wrought with them.

Back to scripture----------------

We saw earlier that they were going to the temple to teach. Like going into the belly of the beast- they were not welcome by the temple leaders, but they went in the courage of the Spirit. But this gate was very popular and so had a lot of human traffic from visitors and locals. The lame man had his spot at those gates and people had been seeing him for years. He was not a stranger that came out of a crowd and was healed, but he was a man of a local family and had been a fixture at this spot for years. He had friends or family that carried him every day [except maybe the Sabbath - begging is work, and carrying him would not be allowed??]

We saw in

Acts 2:43

(ESV)43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. A man lame from birth - his daily work+ beg at the temple gate . So the two apostles, Peter and John, see the man at the gate.... And Peter looked intently at him, together with John, and* said, “Look at us!” The lame man was looking for help for evening meal? but the two focus on him and demand Look at us! Like the stress of attention from “Behold”. They said we don’t have what you are looking for, what you are asking for, BUT what we do have we give. “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene , get up and walk and they grab his right hand and raise him up. Note they grab his right hand; not both hands, nor left hand. The right hand is the symbol for honor for rulership. They grab his right hand in the name of Jesus and yank him up. .

They healed him so that all could see what God is doing and to lend authority and credibility to the message that Peter and John were about to give.

This man was known, he had been observed at home and at the gate and as a child. He was unable to walk from birth, so when he got up an walked and jumped he was a known man, a neighbor, an object of years of pity and possibly scorn because a state such as his must be because of sin or his parent’s sin. Now he is a walking, shouting miracle through the holy temple complex. The crowd, the city, the worshippers were astounded.

Note: The man did not ask to be healed, he didn’t believe that he could be healed as shown by his shock and exuberance when he was healed. This man had no faith about this healing. They didn’t ask him if he had been good, or any qualifications from his life. Peter and John didn’t ask him if he wanted to be healed - they plunged ahead and said what they could give him, grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Acts 3:11–16

(LEB) 11 And while* he was holding fast to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, utterly astonished. 12 And when he* saw it,* Peter replied to the people, “Men and Israelites, why are you astonished at this? Or why are you staring at us, as if by our own power or godliness we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, after he had decided to release him.* 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and demanded that a man—a murderer—be granted to you. 15 And you killed the originator of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses! 16 And on the basis of faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Three major points:

Why are you rushing to praise us as if we did this work V12 as if by our own power or godliness we have made him walk? And the apostles give the answer 16 And on the basis of faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. We have no power. They refute that their goodness or power had anything to do with the healing. It is through Jesus that this was done , in His name [authority, power, purpose]We just trust in Jesus.

Peter and John said that they are the same as those questioning Jews by referencing their spiritual legacy-The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,

They then laid out the details of what was done to Jesus and their complicity in this the greatest crime of all. Even Pilate wanted to release him. But YOU did this. The early church emphasized that the crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest crime ever and his innocence, purpose for all, and [he was who he said He was,] Then HIs resurrection proved that He was righteousness, and the perfect sacrifice.

........the portico called Solomon’s, also called Solomon’s Porch - wide steps led into a covered colonnade [series of columns] that were part of the entry way into the east side of the complex. This would be shaded in the afternoon and conducive for larger groups to meet and discuss

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Acts 3:17–26

(LEB) 17 And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 But the things which God foretold through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he has fulfilled in this way. 19 Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be blotted out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send the Christ appointed for you—Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, about which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You will listen to him in everything that he says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet will be destroyed utterly from the people.’ 24 And indeed, all the prophets from Samuel and all those who followed him* have spoken about and proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’ 26 God, after he* had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each of you back from your wickedness!”

Now he holds out the carrot and says this horrible crime you committed was due to your ignorance. But ignorance of a crime before the law doesn't keep you out of prison. they are told they knew things- the prophets had be sent< even Moses said God will raise up a prophet and he will bring salvation - if you don’t accept his words you will be destroyed. All the string of prophets I’ve sent to talked and forewarned you about this day.

You are the sons of these prophets and you have received the promise to bless all the nations. You were the first chosen and given this great purpose. You can be refreshed in him, be blessed, and all your failures will be erased.

You can’t go back to your failure of ignorance and rejection of him, but you can now live and be saved by changing your mind and your ways.