Book 17

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 1 * PART 2 * BOOK 17

ACTS CHAPTER 1: 6-11

Now in our last lesson we studied about the Kingdom that was referred to in Acts 1:6. We will spend some more time on this very important subject and how it relates to the disciples before they began their ministry in the Book of Acts.

Acts 1:6

“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, `Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?'” This was a valid question as the resurrected Lord had been talking to them about this future Kingdom for the past forty days.

Acts 1:3

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs (of His Resurrection), being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

Many times I’ve said that the Kingdom is the Kingdom is the Kingdom. It’s one and the same. So these eleven men are hung up on the Kingdom and there is a good reason. Go back to Matthew Chapter 19, and I trust you will be able to see as I did many years ago that this is something that cannot take place in Heaven. It is something that has never taken place before, so it’s still future. But Jesus speaks of it in His earthly ministry.

Matthew 19:27

“Then answered Peter and said unto him, `Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?'”

Now Peter wasn’t talking about his salvation, he knew he already had that. But rather what are we going to get as a reward? And that was a valid question. Paul deals with rewards in I Corinthians Chapter 3. Jesus was straight forward with His answer:

Matthew 19:28

“And Jesus said unto them, `Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me (His twelve disciples, excluding Judas), in the regeneration (when things are put back like they were originally) when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory (He has set up His Kingdom), ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging (ruling) the twelve tribes of Israel.'”

Isn’t that plain language? Now when I look at something like this, I have to remind myself that these twelve men were just as human as you and I. And when He told them that this was in their future, they didn’t just let it go in one ear and out the other. It stuck! And they haven’t forgotten it. What do you suppose is on their mind over here on the Mount of Olive in Acts. That very same thing. So they want to know if He is ready to put them in their respective places of authority over the twelve tribes. Are we ready to take up our thrones? I can see that so vividly. And in verse 7 does He say, “Look fellows, whoever gave you the idea of an earthly Kingdom? Is that what Jesus said? No. He doesn’t refute their idea of a coming Kingdom. The only thing He said was:

Acts 1:7

“And he said unto them, `It is not for you know the times or the season, which the Father hath put in his own power.'”

The fact that it’s coming. Yes. But when? It’s not for you to know. You remember they asked him during His earthly ministry and He told them only the Father knows the time, not even the angels know. God the Son didn’t know. But only the Father. I have an explanation for that, but I won’t explain it now. But there was a reason Jesus could say that without lying. But nevertheless, God knows the exact hour, day, and year that these prophetic things are going to happen. And, yes, The King is coming one day. He’s going to set up that Kingdom in Jerusalem, and God knows the hour. But He tells the eleven that it’s not for them to know. Why? Let’s go back in Scripture and see the reason that Jesus could, in fairness, even though I’m sure He knew from His God-side, tell the disciples it’s not for them to know. Turn to Genesis Chapter 21. God is still dealing with Abraham in this passage. Come down to verse 33:

Genesis 21:33

“And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.”

The Hebrew is “El Olam.” This is another one of the names of Deity. And “Olam” in regular usage could either mean from “everlasting to everlasting” or `hide’ or `hideth.’ And we have looked at some of these before. For example in Psalms, “Why hideth thou thyself from us.” So what does the name really imply? God is eternal, He’s timeless, but He is also the God of time. And since He is the God of time He can hide in time things He wants to keep hidden and reveal them when He gets ready to reveal them. That’s why I maintain the only way you can understand Scripture is to get a concept of the progressive revelation. He doesn’t tells us everything here in the Book of Genesis, but reveals things as we come up through time. Turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 29. I think Moses, the writer here, puts it so clearly by inspiration. And there are several more verses in Scripture telling us the same thing. When you get to Paul’s letters, the word he uses to tell us it had been kept secret is `mystery,’ which comes from the Greek word `musterion.’

Deuteronomy 29:29

“The secret things (God’s secret things) belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed (no longer a secret, but must be believed) belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

As you come through Scripture you find that, even as the prophets wrote, they had no way of understanding what they wrote, because God hadn’t revealed it in such a way that they could. Now to Psalms Chapter 2 since we are talking about things that God kept secret. We’ll review this chapter again, where the question’s asked:

Psalms 2:1,2

Why do the heathen (or non-Jew) rage and the people (Israel) imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth (the Gentile) set themselves, and the rulers (Israel) take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,”

That’s exactly what happened at His Crucifixion. The Jewish leaders demanded it but they didn’t want to carry it out, so they went and had Rome do the dirty work. Well, it had to be that way. We know Israel stoned their own people for religious infractions. They could have stoned Jesus. But that wasn’t the death He had to die. I teach that when Jesus came in His earthly ministry He made Israel a valid offer to be their King and to set up the Kingdom.

And the question always comes up, “What if Israel would have embraced Him as their King and He would have set up the Kingdom before He was crucified?” Well, I don’t have any trouble answering that at all, because the Scripture tells me, “With God all things are possible.” So had Israel accepted The King and Kingdom, God would have brought about the Crucifixion one way or another because it had to happen. He had to die that sacrificial death. There was no escaping that. But of course He knew when He made that valid offer that Israel wouldn’t accept it, but you see Israel didn’t know that. Israel still acted on their own free will. And that’s the way mankind does today, and like nations do today. Israel responded to the offer by rejecting it, and by rejecting it brought about that which had to happen for our Salvation, and that was the Crucifixion. Here we have it so plainly that Jew and Gentile together had to be part and parcel together of His Crucifixion. Now let’s move on to verse 3:

Psalms 2:3,4

“Let us break their (The Godhead) bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh (at man’s foolishness); the LORD shall have them in derision.”

Now in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus uses the word `perplexity,’ and that’s the same meaning as derision. In other words, there’s such confusion over their political, social and economy problems that they don’t know which way to turn. Now that is why, between the Crucifixion and Peter’s offer of the Kingdom in the Book of Acts, there was again that time period in-between when that derision could have taken place. And the nations of the then-known world could have come to the same perplexity where we are today, and the end-thing could have been brought about. Since Israel was rejecting their Messiah, everything was pushed out into the future including the derision. We are seeing this today in our own time. I don’t think that there is a person living that watches the news that has any intelligence (even though they know nothing of the Scriptures), that hasn’t come to the conclusion that the world is in a horrible dilemma.

We have missionary friends who have been working in Rwanda and all of that is beyond our comprehension. Pray for them because they are believers in the midst of that. They told us of one congregation that had been massacred. So we know the world is in derision. Now verse 5. And here comes the order in outline form, if you please, of the Old Testament prophetic program. Here it is:

Psalms 2:5-7

” Then shall he (God) speak unto them (the nations of the world) in his (not love, mercy and grace, but rather in) wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.” God is going to pour out all of the wrath and vexation that He can possibly place during what we know is the Tribulation. And that is described graphically in the Book of Revelation. Then immediately following the Tribulation in verse 5, what is the next event?

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” And then look at what The King will accomplish.

“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, thou art my Son (this is God the Father speaking to God the Son), this day have I begotten thee.” And remember the begotten is the Resurrection. Now verses 8-12:

Psalms 2:8-12

“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Now that’s speaking of His reign and rule here on the earth. And now verse 9 backs up a little bit to the Tribulation.

“Thou shalt break them (the nations of the world) with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” This will culminate at Armageddon.

“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

“Kiss the Son (some people will say that the Son isn’t mentioned in the Old Testament. But you can see He is) lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled by a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

I would like to refer to the timeline again, all the way from Adam at 4004 B.C. Then about 2500 B.C. we had Noah’s flood. And then at about 2000 B.C. we have the call of Abraham. So that means the first 2000 years of human history take place in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. And from Abraham all the way to the Cross is another 2000 years. And in those 2000 years God was only dealing with the Nation of Israel (Jew only with few exceptions). There were the exceptions of Nineveh, Rahab, Ruth, the Syrian General Naaman, the Canaanite women and the Roman centurion; and that was about all the Gentiles He dealt with in that 2000 year period of time.

And Psalms 2 says that after they have rejected Him, Jew and Gentile in consort, they put Him to death. And then Psalms 110 tells us, “THE LORD said unto my Lord, `Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'” And this is His ascension. But so far as Psalms 2 is concerned, immediately after the Crucifixion and rejection there would come that undetermined period of time where there would be a derision of the nation, and then would come the 7 years of Tribulation which is in the Book of Daniel. And then The King would return and set up His Kingdom. Now that is Psalms 2 in outline. And that is all the Old Testament knows. Now, what’s missing? The Age of Grace – the Church. It isn’t in here. Why? Because it’s a secret, held in the mind of God, and it will be a secret until God reveals it to the Apostle Paul. And that is why I’m constantly telling people don’t look for the Rapture or the Church in the Four Gospels, or the Old Testament. Remember He’s only dealing here with the Nation of Israel. As Christ ascended, Israel kept on rejecting the offer of The King and the Kingdom that Peter presents to them. So God moved all this out into the future. And He put in an undetermined period of time that no one know when it’s going to end. And then the seven years will come in, Christ will return, and then The King will set up His Kingdom and all of these promises will be fulfilled. I can’t put it any simpler than that.

Understand, as we go through the early part of Acts, Peter and the other eleven are going to operate only on what God has revealed. And that is the Old Testament program. Peter doesn’t know anything about the Gospel of Grace that Christ is going to reveal to Paul at a later date. Peter has no concept of God turning to the Gentiles for the next 1900 + years. None of them do. And it wasn’t their fault. God didn’t expect them to, because He’s been holding it a secret, and is giving Israel every opportunity to yet repent of what they had done to their Messiah. As we move on through the early chapters of Acts, you will see it if you look at it with open eyes.

Peter was only talking to the Jew, not the Gentiles as so many believe. In fact, I’ll be showing you that 7 or 8 years after the Cross when Peter goes up to the house of Cornelius and he takes six Jews with him and they see the evidence of Gentiles being saved in Acts Chapter 10 verse 45, the Scripture says they were `astonished.‘ Why? Because this had never happened before. And people can’t get that through their head, they think that somehow Gentiles have been saved if not at the time of John the Baptist, at least from Pentecost. But they weren’t, it’s all Jewish. And for a Gentile to be saved, it was an astonishment. Let me show you one more passage. In Chapter 10 Peter goes to the house of Cornelius, but in Chapter 11 verse 2 look what happens. We will be coming to this and study it in more detail in the weeks ahead. Now get the setting. Peter and these six Jews had come back to Jerusalem from Cornelius’ house.

Acts 11:2,3

“And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision (Jewish believers) contended with him (they put him on the spot). Saying, `Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.'” Would they have said that if Gentiles had been saved all along? Why of course not.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 1 * PART 1 * BOOK 17

ACTS CHAPTER 1: 6-11

Turn to Acts Chapter 1 and we will start where we left off last lesson. It always thrills us when folks write or call and tell us they are learning. They never try to make me more than I am. I have never had any formal Bible training at a Seminary or Bible School. I’m not a theologian or anything like that. I suppose I’m more like the average Sunday School teacher. We don’t have any deep theological background but I do feel The Lord has given me the gift of teaching the Word in a way that common folks can understand it, and that’s what makes the whole thing work. As I teach I just trust The Lord to lead me to the correct passages so the Word is open to people. We have been doing this about twenty-four years now and it just thrills my heart to see people studying the Word of God. We left off on the last lesson on the baptisms and I trust I showed it so plainly, that from the baptism that Jesus instituted when He said He would baptize with the Holy Spirit, He was referring to the Nation of Israel, and looking forward to the day of Pentecost. This would be the day they would be inundated by the Holy Spirit. Because when someone is baptized (in the Greek) they are engulfed. I Corinthians Chapter 10 says about the children of Israel.

I Corinthians 10:2

“And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

They weren’t baptized in water – they came across on dry land. So what kind of a baptism was it? They were engulfed, and inundated in the leadership of Moses and in the power and protection of that cloud. So baptism in Scripture doesn’t always refer to water baptism. Then we pointed out in the last lesson there was a change of operations when you get to Paul and the Age of Grace. Now in the Age of Grace, it’s not Jesus who does the baptizing but the Holy Spirit Who is the One doing the baptizing. And He baptizes believers into Christ. It’s just a complete reversal to what had been taking place. Remember back in the Four Gospels and Acts it was Jesus that baptized the Jews into the Holy Spirit. Now verse 6, and remember we are on the Mount of Olives, with just Jesus and the eleven. They haven’t chosen a replacement for Judas as of yet.

Acts 1:6

“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, `Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?'”

I emphasize good reading. I guess I learned to read well from a junior high reading teacher, and a good high school english teacher, and now I’m glad I did. We run into so much confusion in the Scriptures because people don’t read. They just will not see what the Scriptures say. We gloss over it, and interpret it by what we may have heard over the years, but we really don’t take time to read what it says. And here is a good example. There are two words in here that make all the difference in the world in this one verse. It’s the two words“restore again.” Now what does that tell you? We are talking about something that has been in the past aren’t we? So when the disciples asked Jesus, “Are you now going to restore, bring back on the scene again for the second time the Kingdom to Israel?” Now when did Israel have a Kingdom that they were proud of and they gloried in? King David’s and Solomon’s. The Queen of Sheba came and saw the glories of Solomon’s Kingdom and what did she say? As much as she had heard wasn’t the half of what she had now seen. So it was this glorious Kingdom that Israel was remembering. I can’t help but think of a verse that Jesus spoke in the Book of Luke 11:31 “…for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” And He was speaking of Himself.

Many people just can’t accept this Kingdom aspect, and ridicule it through ignorance. They won’t accept this idea of an earthly Kingdom, yet The Book is full of this terminology. It’s the very fact of Scripture that this Kingdom concept, that had its beginning with the Nation of Israel under the Abrahamic Covenant with David and Solomon, reached its pinnacle of glory such as the world had never seen up to that time, then faded off the scene. Now the disciples use those two words so appropriately, “Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom.” Was the Kingdom of David and Solomon an ethereal spiritualized Kingdom or was it real? It was a real, political Kingdom. It was Kingdom here on earth under the authority of a King. And they are still talking about the same kind of set up, only this time they know that Christ will be The King. They knew they were going to have it, but they didn’t know when.

Let’s recall this whole idea of a coming Kingdom, as it is just part and parcel of the Old Testament. And as you read your Old Testament, I’m sure you will see this constantly coming to the top. I’ll hit the most evident and most descriptive of this Kingdom concept that God is constantly holding before the Nation of Israel. So let’s turn to II Samuel Chapter 7. God is dealing here with David. This goes further back to the Abrahamic Covenant, when God had promised that out of him would come a nation of people, and one day He would put them in the geographical area of Palestine or the Land of Israel. And then at the appropriate time He would bring forth the Ruler or government to be over this Kingdom. In this passage God is speaking to David through the prophet Nathan.

II Samuel 7:13-16

“He (Solomon) shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. “ It was just going to be 40 years as was normal, but this Kingdom was going to be forever. This is going to be a perpetual Kingdom.

“I will be his father, and he shall be my son (here God isn’t just talking about Solomon but also the Nation of Israel). If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men (I’ll use other nations), and with the stripes of the children of men:” And that is what God has done through history.

“But (in spite of all that) my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.” Verse 16, and this is looking down through the corridors of time:

“And thine house (the house of David) and thy kingdom (the Kingdom that began with David) shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”

We know David and Solomon didn’t live forever. But the forever end of it refers to when The Messiah, The eternal Son of God would come and be The King over this Kingdom. Look at the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah speaks so much of the coming glory of Israel. Yes he has to scold them. He preaches at them for their iniquities, but he always comes back with the prospect of their glorious future.

Isaiah 2:1,2a

“THE word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days,…”

Always remember that the last days for Israel are not the last days for the Church. The last days for Israel is when The King comes and sets up the Kingdom. They will have finally come to the fulfillment of all these previous times. The last days for the Church is that Age of Grace from the time of Christ’s death, burial, and Resurrection until the Church is caught up to meet The Lord in the air as we see in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. They are not even close to being identical. So the last days here refers to Israel’s Kingdom.

Isaiah 2:2

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain (or Kingdom) of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains (remember the term mountain or mountains when used symbolically refers to a Kingdom. And this will be the top Kingdom of all kingdoms), and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”

Isaiah 2:3,4

“And many people (from around the planet) shall go and say, `Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain (Kingdom) of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (notice it doesn’t say heaven). And he shall judge (rule)among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'”

During this Kingdom Age there won’t be war anymore. We are trying to show Old Testament prophecies are looking forward to this coming Kingdom, so the disciples are asking Jesus on the Mount of Olives, “Are you now ready to restore the Kingdom; will we see again the glory we had under King Solomon?” Isaiah Chapter 9:

Isaiah 9:6,7

“For unto us (Israel) a child is born (Christ), unto us a son is given: and the (what?) government shall be upon his shoulder (during this earthly Kingdom. He will have a righteous and benevolent rule. Today they are trying to shove world government down our throats, and it’s coming whether we want it or not. But if it’s any comfort, the world must have that before we can have this glorious Kingdom): and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Those are all titles of Christ, The Messiah.

“Of the increase of his government (rule) and peace there shall be no end (and where is He going to rule from?), upon the throne of David (and where is David’s throne? In Jerusalem, upon the earth), and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment (rule) and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

This Kingdom in the Old Testament is forever and ever, but when we get to the Book of Revelation it’s restricted to a thousand years. Why the difference? Well, when this Kingdom is set up after the Tribulation the first thousand years will be a time of testing for the off-spring of the believing survivors of the Tribulation. Satan will have been locked up for this thousand years but he is released for a little season to test this new population. They have not had to make a choice like you and I had to make, because Christ will be The King, and everything has been wonderful. Just like it was in the Garden of Eden. So Satan goes forth and deceives this new generation, and Satan and the ones that follow him are judged by Christ. This first thousand years will only be an introduction to eternity. Let’s move to Ezekiel 37. This is about the “dry bones.” And it’s about the Nation of Israel who has been out in dispersion among the Gentile nations, with no hope. They can only dream of some day going back to Jerusalem and one day having their homeland. Ezekiel prophesies that one day these dry bones will be brought back to life as we have seen in our own time. So let’s look verse 15:

Ezekiel 37:15,16

“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, `Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:'” He is referring to the Nation of Israel when it was divided. The Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. Verse 19. When they say, “What does all this mean?”

Ezekiel 37:19

“Say unto them, thus saith The Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.'” They will no longer be a divided Kingdom. Verse 21:

Ezekiel 37:21,22

“And say unto them, `Thus saith The Lord GOD; `Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen (Gentiles), whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and (how many?) one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:'” Now verse 24:

Ezekiel 37:24

“And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd:”

Ezekiel 37:26

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.” What do these verses point toward? The King and the Kingdom.

Look at Daniel for a moment. In Chapter 2 King Nebuchadnezzar has the dream that Daniel interprets for him (about four great Gentile empires that were going to rule the earth). Then Daniel tells us in verse 35 about Christ Who will come and destroy these empires, and His Kingdom will fill the whole earth. Verse 44:

Daniel 2:44,45

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone (Christ in His Second Coming) was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass.” Now to Hosea, where Christ is speaking through the prophet:

Hosea 5:15

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence (having crucified Him), and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.” The nation is beginning to long for their Messiah even as we speak. They don’t realize He’s been here and has left. Chapter 6 shows that’s what has happened.

Hosea 6:1,2

“COME, and let us return unto the LORD (This is Israel speaking): for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten (He has been punishing them), and he will bind us up.”

“After two days (two thousand years, as in Scripture a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day) will he revive us (it’s been two thousand years and that’s just what He’s doing): in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”

We’re getting so close for all this to come to pass. We’ve seen Israel being revived for about 50 years now and it won’t be long before she will be raised up. Go to Zechariah Chapter 14. At the beginning of the chapter we have the description of the Tribulation.

Zechariah 14:9

“And the LORD shall be king over all the (what?) earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” And a King can’t be a King unless He has a Kingdom.