Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest
Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest
DOUBLE MIRACLE. 5-9. On this occasion an unprecedented double miracle was wrought by the Holy Ghost on not only the speakers but all the hearers. This double miracle moved like a span of cyclones through the multitude, bringing the gospel with lightning velocity and unerring intelligibility to all. On the speakers was miraculously conferred the power to speak in all of the languages represented in that vast cosmopolitan assembly. Those “ignorant and unlearned” men and women preached fluently in languages which they knew not. Of course they knew substantially and experimentally what they were preaching, but they did not know the words and sentences they spoke. In their dispersions the hundred and twenty men and women, all preaching with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, spoke in the language of the people with whom they were providentially associated. An illiterate disciple happens to encounter a multitude of people speaking the Coptic language, as they were citizens of Egypt. She preaches fluently in Coptic, though she knows not a word of it. Bartholomew happens to encounter a multitude from Rome speaking the Latin language, of which he knows not a word, yet he preaches fluently in Latin. Thus there is a thorough accommodation to all the dialect vicissitudes of that cosmopolitan audience. As Peter was the leading speaker and the Greek not only the vernacular of the apostles, but the great learned language of the world, of course he delivered that memorable introductory sermon in that language. Then the hundred and twenty, dispersing in all directions, preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven in the language of the people they providentially met. But there is another hemisphere of this wonderful double miracle wrought by the Holy Ghost in unutterable mercy to expedite the inauguration of the gospel dispensation and give it a supernatural impetus at the beginning, a glorious earnest of the coming millennium, as the filling of the heart with the Holy Ghost is really the millennial reign in the soul. Now the second hemisphere of this glorious miracle was wrought on that vast multitude “from every nation under heaven.” The supernatural power of the Holy Ghost wrought with the multitude a qualification in each human spirit, quickening the intellect and enabling every person to hear in his own native language. 8. E.g., while Peter was preaching in Greek the Parthian heard him in his native Chaldaic tongue, the Median, the Elamite and the Mesopotamian each heard in his own native dialect. And regardless of the language spoken by any one, every auditor heard in his own language. To human apprehension this was miraculous superfluity, as either of these miracles covered all the ground, and to our diagnosis precluded the necessity of the other. But in this double miracle we have a wonderful manifestation of the divine beneficence and the superabundance of redeeming grace (Romans 5:20). This double miracle largely accounts for the paradoxical efficiency of the gospel on that wonderful occasion when the world saw a brilliant prelude, adumbrating the ineffable glories of the coming kingdom. THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL NOT LOST. 9-12. Volumes have been written, and weary eyes amid nocturnal lucubrations have toiled through the intervening ages hunting the lost tribes of Israel. It is rather a joke on the hypercriticism characteristic of modern times. The Bible is the book of all books. When John Wesley got sanctified he says he became “Homo unius libri,” — a man of one book. All other books must bend to the Bible, and they are only valuable as they corroborate and elucidate the Word of God. You have
nothing to do but look at these verses and examine your dictionary, and you will find the so-called lost tribes all gloriously represented in this great national camp-meeting, i.e., the Pentecostal festival commemorative of the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. The Jews had three great national camp meetings at Jerusalem every year, i.e., Passover in April, commemorative of the emancipation out of Egyptian bondage, Pentecost in June, celebrious of the wonderful birth of the Mosaic dispensation, and the Feast of Tabernacles in September, reminiscent of their gratitude to God for His abundant harvests. The Jews are the people of God’s providence; and consequently always have been and always will be the most enterprising people in the world. This day, though long driven from their own country, vagabonds among all nations, persecuted, scathed and pealed, they stand at the front of the world’s finances and rule the great kings of the earth, and through them the nations buy their money power. Only fifty thousand returned out of Babylonian captivity, responsive to the proclamation of Cyrus, under the leadership of Nehemiah. When I was in Palestine three years ago there were a hundred and twenty thousand there, in contrast with only ten thousand ten years previously. Thus we see how rapidly, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the latter days, they are gathering home. You have but to look at this Scripture and you will see that the Jews from every land of their captivity are here represented. In the old dispensation, as well as in modern times, the Jews migrated into all countries, and settled among all nations, pursuant to their industrial enterprises. Bear in mind once for all that this is a Jewish meeting in the metropolis of the Jewish world, and Gentiles have nothing to do with it. In reading your Bible you inadvertently leap to the conclusion that these different nations here mentioned are Gentiles, which is not true; they are “Jews and proselytes” (ver. 10). There is no mention of a Gentile in this vast assembly. The apostles and disciples are all Jews, the natives are all Jews, as are the visitors, as none but Jews came to the great national and ecclesiastical assemblies. Of course, there might have been a few Roman Gentiles incidentally there, but there is no mention of them. Who are the Parthians? They are Jewish delegates, bona fide members of the Mosaic church all the way from far-off Parthia, tenaciously adhering to the covenant of Abraham. Where is Parthia? It is a country in Persia, into which the Jews were carried in the Babylonian captivity. As only a small remnant returned under Nehemiah, the balance being settled and engaged in business so they did not see proper to leave, it does not follow that they repudiated the religion of their fathers; but on the contrary they stuck to it through all these intervening centuries, and now we find their delegates sent by their synagogues in the far-off land of their captivity and their adopted country. 9. Who are the Elamites? They are Jews from Elam, a country in Persia. Who are the Medians? They are Jews from Media, a great country bordering on Persia and the Caspian Sea. These are the very countries into which they were carried in their Babylonian captivity. Now you see, instead of being lost, they have perpetuated their fidelity to the religion of their fathers through these seven hundred years since the first Babylonian captivity under Shalmanezer, and here we see their faithful delegates at Jerusalem in their places in the great national camp-meeting away down at the end of the Jewish dispensation. Follow this catalogue of names and you will find, as it says, that the Jews are here from “every nation under heaven” (verse 5). Whereas, the great problem of the lost tribes is poetical rather than real, one thing is true, and that is, that during their captivities they lost their tribehood, so that they did not return in their tribal identities and organizations. Doubtless many of the ten tribes returned with Judah and Benjamin in the exodus of Nehemiah, while countless numbers of Judah and Benjamin remained in the countries of their captivity. You must remember
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- Page 22 and 23: MIRACLES OF THE END. 19, 20. These
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nothing to do but look at these verses and examine your dictionary, and you will find the so-called<br />
lost tribes all gloriously represented in this great national camp-meeting, i.e., the Pentecostal festival<br />
commemorative of the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. The Jews had three great national camp<br />
meetings at Jerusalem every year, i.e., Passover in April, commemorative of the emancipation out<br />
of Egyptian bondage, Pentecost in June, celebrious of the wonderful birth of the Mosaic<br />
dispensation, and the Feast of Tabernacles in September, reminiscent of their gratitude to God for<br />
<strong>His</strong> abundant harvests.<br />
The Jews are the people of God’s providence; and consequently always have been and always will<br />
be the most enterprising people in the world. This day, though long driven from their own country,<br />
vagabonds among all nations, persecuted, scathed and pealed, they stand at the front of the world’s<br />
finances and rule the great kings of the earth, and through them the nations buy their money power.<br />
Only fifty thousand returned out of Babylonian captivity, responsive to the proclamation of Cyrus,<br />
under the leadership of Nehemiah. When I was in Palestine three years ago there were a hundred and<br />
twenty thousand there, in contrast with only ten thousand ten years previously. Thus we see how<br />
rapidly, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the latter days, they are gathering home. You have but to<br />
look at this Scripture and you will see that the Jews from every land of their captivity are here<br />
represented. In the old dispensation, as well as in modern times, the Jews migrated into all countries,<br />
and settled among all nations, pursuant to their industrial enterprises. Bear in mind once for all that<br />
this is a Jewish meeting in the metropolis of the Jewish world, and Gentiles have nothing to do with<br />
it. In reading your Bible you inadvertently leap to the conclusion that these different nations here<br />
mentioned are Gentiles, which is not true; they are “Jews and proselytes” (ver. 10). There is no<br />
mention of a Gentile in this vast assembly. The apostles and disciples are all Jews, the natives are<br />
all Jews, as are the visitors, as none but Jews came to the great national and ecclesiastical assemblies.<br />
Of course, there might have been a few Roman Gentiles incidentally there, but there is no mention<br />
of them. Who are the Parthians? They are Jewish delegates, bona fide members of the Mosaic church<br />
all the way from far-off Parthia, tenaciously adhering to the covenant of Abraham. Where is Parthia?<br />
It is a country in Persia, into which the Jews were carried in the Babylonian captivity. As only a<br />
small remnant returned under Nehemiah, the balance being settled and engaged in business so they<br />
did not see proper to leave, it does not follow that they repudiated the religion of their fathers; but<br />
on the contrary they stuck to it through all these intervening centuries, and now we find their<br />
delegates sent by their synagogues in the far-off land of their captivity and their adopted country.<br />
9. Who are the Elamites? They are Jews from Elam, a country in Persia. Who are the Medians?<br />
They are Jews from Media, a great country bordering on Persia and the Caspian Sea. These are the<br />
very countries into which they were carried in their Babylonian captivity. Now you see, instead of<br />
being lost, they have perpetuated their fidelity to the religion of their fathers through these seven<br />
hundred years since the first Babylonian captivity under Shalmanezer, and here we see their faithful<br />
delegates at Jerusalem in their places in the great national camp-meeting away down at the end of<br />
the Jewish dispensation. Follow this catalogue of names and you will find, as it says, that the Jews<br />
are here from “every nation under heaven” (verse 5). Whereas, the great problem of the lost tribes<br />
is poetical rather than real, one thing is true, and that is, that during their captivities they lost their<br />
tribehood, so that they did not return in their tribal identities and organizations. Doubtless many of<br />
the ten tribes returned with Judah and Benjamin in the exodus of Nehemiah, while countless<br />
numbers of Judah and Benjamin remained in the countries of their captivity. You must remember
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