Several passages in the Old Testament look forward to and describe the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two. To make it easy to remember, just think of the great "two" chapters of the Old Testament.
The Lord's house is referring to the church (1 Timothy 3:15). The top of the mountains is talking about Jerusalem because of its great elevation (over 2500 ft. above sea level).
Verse three tells how the word of the Lord would go forth from Jerusalem. We see this carried out throughout the book of Acts starting in chapter 8.
In this chapter, Daniel interprets a dream for the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had seen an image with an head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay (Daniel 2:32-33). He also saw a stone cut without hands which smote the image upon the feet and destroyed it. Yet the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:34-35).
Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he was the head of gold (Daniel 2:38). The breast and arms of silver was another kingdom which would come after his (Daniel 2:39). This would be the Medo-Persian Empire. Another kingdom after that would be the belly and thighs of brass. This was to be the Grecian Empire. The last kingdom, represented by the iron, was to be the Roman Empire. The feet of iron and clay show that that empire was divided and had internal problems.
Daniel 2:44 is the key verse; "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed..." The kings being talked about are the kings of Rome. Therefore, the kingdom would come during the Roman Empire.
Next week we will look at Joel 2 and also some New Testament passages which point to Pentecost as the start of the Kingdom.
Joel 2:28-32 is a prophecy about the coming of the church. It tells us that God would pour of His Spirit on the people and that they would prophesy, and dream dreams, and have visions. Also, the place of the establishment is given: Jerusalem.
Now going to the New Testament we can see some predictions which Jesus made that also pointed to Pentecost. In Mark 9:1, we learn two very important things. First, that the kingdom of God was going to be established during the lifetime of those present when the statement was made. Second, that the kingdom would come with power.
Luke 24:49 tells us where that power was going to be given to the Apostles; in Jerusalem. Acts 1:8 tells us that the power would come when the Spirit was come upon the Apostles.
This is when the church was established. From this point on in the Bible, the kingdom of God is talked about as already being in existence (Col 1:13; Rev 1:9).
From the list of Scriptures given above we can prove decisively to anyone with an honest heart when the kingdom was established.
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-- Ralph Price --
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