HAS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE LOST SOME OF ITS GLORY SINCE FIRST DELIVERED?
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. And all was very good" [Gen 1:1, 27 and 31]. ("And won't He give the Spirit to them that ask Him?" Luke 11:13) ...God's rescue from the outcome of "missing the mark" sin "was finished from the foundation/creation of the world" [Heb 4:3]. "My word that goes out from my mouth will accomplish all I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" [Is 55:11]. Perfect, makes no mistakes. Can lose nothing. Ultimately all will repent.. there may even "be weeping and gnashing of teeth" in "outer darkness" but - "In Christ all will be made alive! Each in his own order - those who are Christ’s at His coming, then the end when Christ hands the kingdom over to God the Father.. that He may be all in all" [1 Cor 15:22-28].
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Pentecost
So everyone was surprised, and some even said “these men have been drinking!” So Peter addressed the crowd. And what He said in these verses is the description of a whole time. An entire thing is described,’ from the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, to the end of the age at the Lord’s return. Which is the beginning of “the thousand years” and the Lord’s long second advent.
And then at the very end, we are given a glimpse into that advent(?!)
Peter saying that day, quoting Old Testament prophet, Joel,
“It shall come to pass in the last days, says God - I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your 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 vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before - the coming of the great and awesome day (age) of the LORD. And, it shall come to pass, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. (Acts 2:17-21)
The great “day of the LORD” extends from the fiery judgment/results at the time of the Lord’s return - through “the thousand years” and “the judgment” - to when “the Son hands all things subdued - the kingdom - over to the Father”. (Who IS a consuming/purifying fire). — 1Cor.15:22-28; Rev.21:1-5; and 2Pet.3:13 (10-13 being another such projection, encompassing the whole of the Lord’s second advent, two fiery “events” acting as bookends of that advent. Events - Jude 7!)
“And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the Lord shall be saved.” And all will call. For the Lord DID say He will “draw ALL to Himself”. (Jn.12:32)
And consider this! When? Did the Lord say the tares will be gathered to be burned? (Mt.13:36-43; 24:29-31; 2Thess.1:7-8)
And why? Does the moon turn red? (Rev.6:12; Note: the Seals are described in the same way, describing their full range, and full effects, from their first, to very last at maturity. Described in this way, at the beginning of the revelation vision, serves to cloak the vision.)
In conclusion, Peter’s quoting Joel describes the whole time, from that Pentecost and the gifting of the Holy Spirit to believers (the wheat) - to the Lord’s return, and beyond.
....“And it shall come to pass, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” from that Pentecost to the ultimate Tabernacles, when “all ..is made new”.