Part 4
At this point in our study we are now ready to demonstrate that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on “the House of Israel and the House of Judah” on the day of Pentecost, was the definitive post-resurrection sign to Israel that her Messianic restoration was being fulfilled in the first century through the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. As we shall see, the events of Pentecost completely negate the millennial doctrine of a postponed “earthly kingdom”, and establish the fact that the kingdom of Israel was always intended to be restored and received spiritually in the Body of Christ, the Church.
Let’s dig in…
Isaiah 32:13-18
For the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up; yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant city. Because the palace has been abandoned, the populated city forsaken. Hill and watch-tower have become caves forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks; until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is considered as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness will abide in the fertile field. And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.
Isaiah 32 clearly teaches that the restoration of Israel was connected thematically to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Notice, the city-palace would be abandoned and forsaken until the “Spirit was poured out upon Israel from on high”. At that time, the wilderness would become a fertile field, where justice and righteousness would abide. According to Doctor Luke, Isaiah 32 would find it’s fulfilment on the day of Pentecost, let’s take a look.
Luke 24:48-49
“You are witnesses of these things. “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
To my knowledge, it is universally admitted that the above text in Luke 24 refers to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and is parallel to Jesus’ words in Acts 1:4-8, just prior to his ascension. Luke quotes almost verbatim the prophecy of Isaiah, notice the precise parallel.
“… until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high…” (Isaiah 32:15)
“…until you are clothed with power from on high…” (Luke 24:29)
Luke leaves no room for “private interpretation” as he clearly interprets Israel’s baptism of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost to be the fulfilment of Isaiah 32:15 – the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon Israel from on high. But, since Pentecost was the fulfilment of Isaiah 32, that means that Pentecost was part of the Messianic restoration of Israel.
Here is the argument is syllogistic form:
Israel’s restoration would take place when Israel received the Holy Spirit from on high (Isaiah 32:15).
But, the day of Pentecost was when Israel received the Holy Spirit from on high (Luke 24:49).
Therefore, the restoration of Israel was taking place on the day of Pentecost when Israel (Jews from every nation under heaven) received the Holy Spirit from on high (Acts 2).
The words of Jesus as recorded by Luke in chapter 24 of his gospel are definitive and irrefutable proof that the Messianic restoration of Israel was still taking place after the cross in the first century, and that Israel’s restoration was in fact spiritual rather than “natural”. Israel was not being gathered back to the geographical land of Israel, or gaining “kingdom-ascendancy” over the Romans. Israel was being spiritually gathered back to Yahweh through her Messiah, and was inheriting a spiritual kingdom through a spiritual New Covenant.
Before we move onto the next text, I think it’s worthwhile that we mention a powerful connection concerning the word “wilderness” from Isaiah 32. In Mathew 23:38, after Jesus has pronounced judgment upon national Israel for shedding innocent blood, he says these amazing words….
“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate”
The significance is that the Greek word translated “desolate” is “eremos”, which means “a wilderness”. The house which Jesus said was being left a wilderness was the temple itself, which had been forsaken and abandoned by the presence of God. For Jesus, the Old Covenant temple had become a barren wilderness.
But according to Isaiah 32 when the Spirit was poured out upon Israel, the wilderness (the temple) would become the habitation of justice and righteousness, a place of “undisturbed rest”.
The implication is awesome!
When the Spirit from on high was poured out upon Israel (the day of Pentecost), the temple-house of God would be transformed from a barren wilderness void of the presence of Christ, into a place of righteousness and peace, a “secure dwelling” for the people. In other words, Pentecost began the transformation of the Old Covenant house (a stone temple) into the New Covenant House (a living temple), to be a “habitation” of God by the Spirit. Israel was being restored in the Spirit.
Continued on part 5….
Dan Dery
Titus 1:9