Disciples Digital Library

When the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost, all 120 disciples present in the “ upper room ” were “ filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance .” Additionally, what appeared to be “ tongues of fire ” came to rest on each disciple. And so, two supernatural manifestations accompanied the arrival of the Spirit, one visual and the other audible.

The death of Jesus inaugurated the messianic age with consequent changes in the status of the Law and God’s people .  In  Galatians , Paul declares that his apostleship originates from the same God who raised Jesus from the dead, the Messiah who gave his life to “ deliver us from this evil age .” His declaration anticipates his proposition that the arrival of Jesus changed the status of the Law for the covenant community.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul states that he was commissioned as an apostle to the Gentiles by the same God that raised Jesus from the dead and “ delivered us FROM THIS EVIL AGE .” This statement anticipates his response to certain Jewish believers who were operating in Galatia as if the old era was still in effect.

"In the last days, mockers will come with mockery, saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?’.” Over the last year, we have witnessed significant failures by the “leaders” of the “Prophetic Movement,” and the last failure was so spectacular that many “prophets and apostles” found it necessary to issue public “apologies.” Unfortunately, this has not stopped them from repackaging themselves as they continue to “prophesy” in the name of the Lord.

Why are so many church leaders seeking to divine God’s will and the future by using astrology and calendrical calculations?  Where in the New Testament do I find Jesus or Paul teaching us how to divine “spiritual” insights or even the future from Hebrew year numbers or month names? And increasingly, Christians are seeking omens in perfectly natural events, including lunar and solar eclipses, the appearance of a comet, and even unusual cloud formations.

In several ways, Paul coordinates the commencement of the “last days” with the Death and Resurrection of Jesus .  The Apostle links the start of the “ last days ” with the death and resurrection of the Son of God. The time of fulfillment has arrived, and all God’s promises now find their “ yea and amen ” in him. “ In these last days ,” God has “ spoken ” His definitive “ word ” in His Son .

The prophecy in the book of Joel sets the tone for Acts, including the signs and wonders that accompany the gospel  – Acts 2:17-21.  Jesus told the disciples to “ tarry in Jerusalem ”  UNTIL  they receive the Spirit, then to proclaim the “ kingdom of God ” in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and the “ uttermost parts of the earth .” The book of  Acts  records how the early church carried out this mission under the power of the Spirit.

On Pentecost, the Spirit of God descended on the disciples accompanied by audible and visual manifestations. As they were “ filled with the Spirit ,” they all began “ speaking in other tongues .” This caused confusion and questions among the Jewish pilgrims who witnessed the epochal event.

In the book of Acts , the application of Joel’s prophecy to the Day of Pentecost links the outpouring of the Spirit to the commencement of the “ last days .” In this book, the activity of the Spirit beginning on that day is essential for understanding the rapid spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, and from Pentecost until the arrival of Jesus in glory.

The church is the battlefield where the final war is being waged between the Lamb and the Ancient Serpent, Satan .  The book of  Revelation  is addressed to seven first-century churches in Asia, and it deals with their real-life situation and trials. In the process, it presents messages relevant to all churches throughout the present age. Their daily struggles are a microcosm of the cosmic battle between Jesus and the “ Dragon .”

SYNOPSIS: The Prophecy Industry has been telling us for generations that we are the “last generation” that will live to see the return of Jesus.  The End-Time Prophecy Industry has been telling us for generations that we are “the last generation” to exist before the return of Jesus and the many prophetic events expected to precede his arrival.

In Revelation, the period known as the last days began following the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth .  The last book of the New Testament is called   the “ revelation of Jesus Christ ,” and it is a message for his “ servants ,” namely, the “ seven churches of Asia .” It concerns “ what things must come to pass soon ,” information that is vital since the “ SEASON IS AT HAND .”

The application of Joel’s prophecy by Peter on the Day of Pentecost links the gift of the Spirit to the onset of the messianic age following Christ’s ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the latter signals the arrival of the “last days” and the inevitability if not imminence of the “Day of the Lord.”

SYNOPSIS - Prophecies of impending doom should neither be rejected nor taken at face value. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”  The year 2019 produced economic and political turmoil around the world -  Just as previous years have done  - And 2020 is proving to be even more tumultuous. Current armed conflicts are too numerous to count, “world peace” remains a pipe dream, the global economy is close to collapse, and a new epidemic is working its way rather rapidly through the population.