Israel’s Pentecost

We may think that hope for the Gentiles would have come by Pentecost – But it was not to be. Read here what Peter said on the day of Pentecost – note who he was addressing. It was Israel.

Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

 Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Then, in Acts 6, we see Israel’s religious law-keepers stoning of Stephen to death. Stephen was one of the “little flock (Luke 12:32),” the Messianic believers in Jesus.

Acts 6:12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him (Stephen), and caught him, and brought him to the council,

Acts 7:51 Ye (Jews) stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Acts 7:54-59 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. ⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, ⁵⁸And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Stephen saw Jesus standing (not sitting) as though He was ready to return and bring the kingdom if the Nation would repent and receive Him. Yet, they rejected Jesus again.

This account is Israel’s 3^rd rejection of the Triune God, now by rejecting the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the triune Godhead.

Well then, so far, we still have “no hope” for the Gentiles – they remain set aside, having no relationship with God.