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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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THE
PROMINENCE AND PURPOSE OF PROPHECY Acts 3:19-26
(8/4/13) Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. THE SOURCE OF THE MIRACLE WAS ON THE
BASIS OF FAITH IN JESUS (12-16) II. TWO PURPOSES WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED WHEN
ISRAEL RECEIVES THE MESSIAH (Ac 3:17-20) A. Israel Acted in Spiritual Ignorance of
Prophecy (Ac 3:17-18) B. Israel Was to Repent and Inaugurate the
Millennial Kingdom (Ac 3:19-20) 1. [19] The second purpose of Israel’s faith
in Christ would inaugurate the “times of refreshing.” This phrase referred to
the return of Christ and the Millennial Kingdom. If Israel would have
received Christ, would Christ have returned ushering in the Millennial
Kingdom? Yes, but with qualification. A better way of looking at it would be
to say, when Israel repents and receives Christ as Messiah, Christ
will return and usher in the Millennial Kingdom. 2. Israel had been promised a “new covenant”
(Je 31:31) in a new “time of refreshing” (Je 31:23-25). Both of these refer
to the Millennial Kingdom when Israel’s Messiah/King will sit on the throne
(Je 33:15-17). The kingdom will be characterized by a time of refreshing: 1)
“showers of blessing” - Eze 34:26; 2) “water on a thirsty land” - Is 44:3; 3)
“time of satisfaction” - Jl 2:26; and 4) “glorious resting place” - Is
11:6-10. This time of refreshing will be prefaced by Israel’s faith and
reception of the Messiah. 3. Even though Peter did not know the “times
or epochs (of the Kingdom) which the Father has fixed” (Ac 1:6-7), he did
know about the Kingdom and its prerequisite. Peter knew that when
Israel received Christ, the “times of refreshing” would come, and they
will come from the “presence” (prosōpon - lit. face, i.e. presence)
or advent of Christ (Je 31:34; Re 7:4; 14:1-5; cf. Ac 3:20). However, he was
not aware that Israel would experience a “partial hardening” (Ro 11:25)
before its restoration (Ro 11:26-29). Therefore, Peter was theologically
correct is his statement. It is also worth noting that Peter uses the
preposition (eis) for a near purpose (forgiveness of sins) and (hopos)
for a more remote and distant purpose (times of refreshing). What we learn
from Paul was that the Church was not mentioned in the interval but was a
“mystery” later to be revealed (Ep 3:3-6). 4. [20] In addition to and included in the
“times of refreshing” is the second sending of the Messiah. This not only
spoke of the Second Coming of Christ but also His first coming in that the
word “appoint” (proseirizomai) is in the perfect tense. The idea can
be that He had been appointed (First Coming) and continues to be appointed
(Second Coming). The whole concept of the Messiah was that He was appointed
to save Israel from their sins (First coming) and reign as king over Israel
(Second Coming). Hence, Israel had been anticipating the coming of the
Messiah (Christ) and Peter identifies the “Messiah appointed for you” (ton
prokecheirsmenon humin christon) as “Jesus” (Iēsoun, i.e. the
Nazarene, Ac 2:22). III. THERE WAS A NECESSARY INTERVAL BETWEEN
MESSIAH’S ADVENTS (Ac 3:21a) A. [21a] Again, though Peter did not know the
“times or epochs (of the Kingdom) which the Father has fixed,” he did know
there was to be an interval between Messiah’s Advents. B. He understood that “it was necessary” (dei
- compulsion or necessity) that Christ had to be received by heaven in
the interval. This was the Ascension of Christ which Peter witnessed (Ac
1:9). Peter also knew that Christ was to be exalted at the right hand of God
(Ac 2:33) until His enemies were made a footstool (Ac 2:34-35). C. This period of subduing Christ’s enemies
was the interval “until” (achris) the “period of restoration of all
things.” The “period of restoration,” which comes after the subduing Christ’s
enemies, is synonymous with the “times of refreshing,” i.e. the Millennial
Kingdom (cf. Mt 19:28). IV. THE PROPHETS FORETOLD THE COMING OF THE
MESSIAH, JESUS (Ac 3:21b-26) A. God has Revealed His Divine Message
Through the Prophets (Ac 3:21b) 1. [21b] God spoke about all these things
from “ancient times” (aiōn - “aeons ago” cf. Lk 1:70), but He
specifically spoke concerning the Messiah. How? God spoke “by” (dia with genitive - intermediate agency)
His “holy” (hagios - holy or set apart) prophets. 2. Many deny the reality of miracles
(already demonstrated) as well as prophecies. But prophecies are possible if
an omniscient and omnipotent God, who can foreordain and foretell the future,
exists. 3. The program of prophecy works as follows: a) Prophecy is the foretelling of God’s future purposes (Ge 49:1;
Nu 24:14) b) God’s future purposes were foretold to men
(Is 44:7; 45:21; 2Pe 1:21). c) God foretold His future purposes through
His prophets whom He ordained (Amos 2:11; 1Sa 3:20; Je 1:5; 2Ch 36:15; Je
7:25). d) The ordaining of God’s prophets guaranteed
their infallible message (Dt 13:1-3; 18:22). e) The prophet’s infallible message
identified the Messiah and His coming (Ac 3:24). f) The Messiah was identified so that He
might be received (Ac 3:19, 26). g) Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah
through prophecy so that Israel would have reason to receive Him (Ac
3:21-26). B. Moses the Prophet Prophesied about the Ultimate Prophet (Ac
3:22-23) 1. [22] Peter speaks to the Jews with the only authority they
could accept, which was prophecy from Moses, the greatest prophet. He quotes
Dt 18:15, which was widely recognized as a messianic text (Jn 1:21, 25; 6:14;
7:40). 2. By implication, the Messiah was declared
a greater “prophet” but “like” (hōs - comparison) Israel’s
greatest prophet Moses. Moses himself supports the obedience of Israel to the
Prophet. How is Christ a prophet? He is a prophet because He was ordained by
the Lord to speak God’s infallible message. However, in speaking God’s
infallible message, He claimed actually to be the Christ and the Son of God
(Mt 16:16-18). 3. Similar to Moses but greater, Christ also
provided deliverance and freedom for Israel. However, Christ’s deliverance
was from sin and His freedom was for the restoration of the kingdom. 4. [23] Like Moses (Le 23:29), Christ brings
judgment to “every soul who does not “heed” (akouō - hear, listen, or
obey) His voice (Dt 18:16-19). Those who rejected the Lord’s words
through Moses were prevented from entering into the Promised Land and died in
the wilderness (Nu 14:26-35). But those who reject the Ultimate Prophet’s
words will be “cut off” (exolethreuō - completely cut off or utterly
destroy) from the covenant blessings of Israel and salvation. C. All the Prophets Prophesied of Israel’s Messiah (Ac 3:24-26) 1. [24] Peter continued that all the prophets “announced” (kataggellō
- religious announcement, proclaim) these particular days. “These days”
would refer to the coming of the Messiah, especially His death and
resurrection. 2. Jesus as the Ultimate Prophet must be
included in the list of God’s prophets (Mt 23:37; Jn 5:39; Lk 9:22, 44;
18:31-33; 24:25-27). Jesus, the Ultimate Prophet, was the Ultimate Message of
all the prophets (Ps 22:1; 16:10; Is 53:5-6). 3. The list of prophets began with Samuel
who anointed David as the Lord’s appointed king to sit on the throne (1Sa
13:14; 15:28; 28:17). 4. [25] Peter’s Jewish listeners were
identified as “sons of the prophets” who are part of the covenant, which God
made with their father Abraham. Ge 22:18and Ge 26:4 record that the Messiah
would be from Abraham’s “seed” and that all nations would be spiritual
“blessed” through Him. This was another proof for Jesus as Messiah (Mt 1:1;
Lk 1:32; 3:32). 5. [26] It was “first” (prōtos)
for his Jewish listener’s that God raised up His Servant Jesus, and then for
all nations. The Jews were first to be spiritually “blessed” by Christ’s
atonement, turning them to God from the “wicked” (ponēria - evil or
wicked) unbelieving ways. |
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