"Those Silly Apostles" Part 2
This is part 2. Please be sure to read part 1 here.
Before we begin the development of the 3 points, let me briefly clarify one point of which I do not have space to expand upon. The Restoration of Israel has nothing to do with some physical kingdom over there in war-torn Palestine, but of the gathering of the faithful remnant into the Kingdom of God by the work of the Spirit through the spread of the gospel. Now, let’s begin.
1. Jesus opened their mind concerning the scriptures.
Remember that Acts is just a continuation of Luke. They are both written by the same author to the same audience. Therefore, we should be responsible Bible students and lean on Luke 24 in order to properly understand Acts 1. One cannot understand Exodus without reading Genesis, and one cannot understand Acts without reading Luke.
In Luke 24:44-45 the Bible says, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (45) Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.”
Notice when the opening of their minds took place – before He told them of the promise of the Father: the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:46). This leads the author to believe, if Luke truly did give the orderly account [1], that the opening of the disciple’s minds took place before their comment about the Restoration of Israel in Acts 1:6 (see Acts 1:4-8).
Therefore, if Jesus Christ Himself opens up someone’s mind concerning the scriptures, you better believe that they are going to understand the scriptures!
2. He taught them from the law, prophets, and psalms concerning the kingdom.
Using the same procedure we just introduced, let’s notice what else Jesus did for the disciples.
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44, see Luke 24:13-27, esp. Luke 24: 21-27).
“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
Jesus, for 40 days, taught His disciples about the kingdom, and He taught them from the law and the prophets. Let’s observe some of the prophecies about the kingdom and see if it hints at the “restoration of Israel.” [2]
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [3] : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (10) And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (11) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (12) And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:9-12).
“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: (22) And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and 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: (23) Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. (24) And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. (25) And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. (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. (27) My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (28) And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezekiel 37:21-28).
When was “the holy mountain” established, and when would “David” be set up as king? In the last days (Isaiah 2:1-4; Acts 2:16-17; Acts 2:32-36; see also Luke 11:20). So, by that logic, when would the lost sheep of the house of Israel be gathered? When Mount Zion would be established – which, by the way, Paul said the church had arrived at in their exodus out of Egypt (Hebrews 12:18-29; Galatians 4:22-31).
If God holds a 40 day long Bible study with you, do you think that you would have a little bit better understanding than most people? I would think so.
3. He didn’t correct the statement that a lot of scholars say they were confused about.
Let it first of all be known that I have the greatest respect for the great scholars of the church, but regardless of how great they may be, I reserve the right to respectfully disagree. [4]
Whenever the disciples would say something that was incorrect, Jesus would correct their thinking, but in Acts 1, He did know such thing. In fact, all He did was tell them to not worry about the times or the seasons.
“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).
He didn’t correct them! Why? Because they were right! Why then should we feel compelled to correct the “misunderstanding” of the apostles at every turn and say from our pulpits and in our class workbooks, “Those silly apostles!”?
Footnotes
[1] Luke 1:3
[2] Isaiah 62:1-12 ; Isaiah 40:9-11 ; etc.
[3] Isaiah 2:1-4 ; Daniel 2:35 ; One would do well to do a word study on the word mountain.
[4] John 6:68