We were considering the ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ position about,
"Something that has been spoken since the world began -- and --
something that has been kept secret since the world began ....
cannot be the same .... and therefore, are 2 different things," based largely on 2 verses (Acts 3:21 and Rom 16:25).
We looked at the context of Acts 3:21, to see ‘what things’ were spoken by all the prophets since the beginning of the world and we saw that PAUL spoke and prophesied MANY of the very SAME things that PETER (as well as other prophets) spoke. Today, we will read more of what was spoken:
Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
When John the Baptist’s father’s tongue was loosed at the birth of his son (Luke 1:20), he spake and praised God (Luke 1:64):
Luke 1:67-75 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, (also see Psa 111:9. Gal 3:13, 1 Pet 1:18-19, Rev 5:9-10)
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; (also see Rom 1:1-4, 2 Tim 2:8)
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies (Psa 18:3),
and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, (also see Gal 3:8-9)
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child (John the Baptist), shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, (also see Mark 1:4; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38, 10:43; Rom 3:25; 2 Cor 4:6)
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, (also see 2 Pet 1:19)
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace. (also see Rom 3:17 and Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;)
After PETER testified how God chose him to take salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 15:7-11) ....
and after BARNABAS and PAUL declared what miracles and wonders God worked among the Gentiles by them (Acts 15:12) ....
James recalled Simeon’s prophecy which was spoken:
Acts 15:14-18 Simeon hath declared
how God at the first did visit the Gentiles,
to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets;
as it is written,
16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Simeon’s prophecy was recorded by Luke:
Luke 2:27-34 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; (PAUL wrote of Israel’s fall and rise in Rom 11:11-27.)
and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (also see Acts 13:45, 28:22)
Simeon prophesied much like Isaiah:
Isa 42:5-7 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles; (also see Isa 49:6, 60:3; Rom 15:8-12)
7 To open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
These things were fulfilled when Jesus came:
Luke 4:14-21 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place (Isa 61:1-3) where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty (the same Greek word [aphesis] is translated ‘remission’ 9 times .... ‘forgiveness’ 6 times .... ‘deliverance’ 1time .... and ‘liberty’ 1 time - here .... meaning ‘release from bondage or imprisonment, pardon of sins, letting them go as if they had never been committed, relief of the penalty’) them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
God commissioned Paul and Barnabas to be a light to the Gentiles (also see Acts 26:16-18):
Acts 13:46-48 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,
I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles,
that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
After they had been eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ’s majesty, Peter wrote:
2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (Then Peter testified about how the prophets of old were carried along by God’s Spirit as they wrote HIS words):
21 For the prophecy came not in old time (like, in time past) by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved (like, being prompted inwardly to bring forth) by the Holy Ghost.
Though Peter wrote his 2nd letter to bring to mind the prophetic writings, as well as the commands of the apostles .... of which, by the way, PAUL was not excluded:
2 Peter 3:1-7 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,
and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: (Paul introduces himself in 9 of his 13 epistles as an apostle of Jesus Christ.)
What was spoken by the prophets and apostles of the Lord? Things that will come in ‘the last days’ .... regarding the coming of the Lord to judge and establish His kingdom:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Paul, also an apostle of the Lord and Saviour, also prophesied of these same events:
• the last days ....
• the coming/appearing of the Lord ....
• the day of judgment ....
• the kingdom of God:
2 Tim 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Paul plainly expressed the message he preached ....
it was nothing different than what the prophets and Moses wrote:
Acts 26:22-23 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer,
and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead,
and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Paul was in complete agreement with what has been spoken since the world began.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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