Acts
Bible Study
Lesson 12
Acts 5:11—16
The Results after the deaths
of Ananias and Saphira
¥ There was great fear among those in the church.
- This was probably more of a reverent fear than a frightened type of fear.
- They saw the seriousness of committing themselves to the things of the coming Kingdom.
¥ Those on the outside were afraid of associating with the believers.
- They feared but they also greatly respected the group.
¥ Miracles increased in number and intensity.
- There were many miracles, sign and wonders performed by the Apostles.
- There were many healings done to the point that people were bringing the sick from all around the area.
- The power of God was evident. Even the shadow of Peter (seemingly) could heal someone.
¥ Many came to be believers, including many High Priests.
¥ Interestingly, even though many groups claim God is working miracles today, they are not able to do what was being done in early Acts.
- Today, faith healers talk of the miracle of healing of being a process that can take many months to accomplish. People that are not healed are accused of not having enough faith that they can be healed.
- Every healing in the Gospels and early Acts was instantaneous and did not require the person healed to have a certain amount of faith that they could be healed. The only faith they needed was in Jesus as Messiah.
- I believe healings
were being done as a preparatory step for the setting up of the Kingdom. Israel
would be made whole spiritually and physically. Isaiah
30:26
Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was
crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for
our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Hosea 6:1 "Come, let us
return to the LORD For
He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
Isaiah 35:4—6 4Say to those with
anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not Behold, your God will come with
vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you." 5Then
the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be
unstopped. 6Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of
the mute will shout for joy For waters will break forth in the wilderness And
streams in the Arabah.
Ezekiel 36:33'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the
cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.
- Those healed would not later become sick and die but would be brought into the Kingdom where sickness and death would be abated.
- In the
eternal state, after the 1000 year Kingdom, there will no longer be any
sickness and death.
Revelation
21:1—4 4and
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any
death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first
things have passed away."
Solomon's Portico (John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12)
¥ Solomon's portico was a covered area to the east at the entrance to HerodÕs Temple. It was accessible to Jews and Gentiles and women.
- When Jesus was 12 He confounded the Temple teachers at the Royal Porch on the south side.
¥ The first Temple was built by Solomon and destroyed in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians. The second Temple was completed in 516 B.C. and built under Zerubbable, Haggai and Zechariah. Herod renovated the second Temple by tearing the old one down and building a new one, starting around 20 B.C. and completing it in 65 A.D.
-
Prophesy concerning the destruction of the second Temple and the building of a
third.
Hosea 3:4—5 4For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without
king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or
household idols. 5Afterward the sons of
Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they
will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
¥ The third
Temple will be built. It could happen any time in the first part of the
Tribulation. IÕm guessing it will not be built until the peace treaty is signed
with Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation. We know Temple three will be
built because of prophetic passages. It will probably be destroyed in the last
half of the Tribulation.
Revelation
11:1—3 1Then there was
given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and
measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2"Leave
out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has
been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for
forty-two months. 3"And I will grant authority to my two
witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in
sackcloth."
Daniel
9:27
"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the
middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering;É
Matthew 24:15—16 15"Therefore when you
see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy placeÉ
2 Thessalonians
2:1—4 Éfor it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the
man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4who opposes
and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he
takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
¥ A fourth Temple is also prophesized, one that is not built
with human hands.
Zechariah
6:12—13 12"Then say to
him, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch,
for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the
LORD.13"Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD,
and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne Thus, He will be
a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two
offices."'
- It seems that this Temple is described in detail in Ezekiel 40—44
- I believe this relates to John 14:2 because ÒFatherÕs houseÓ seems to be clearly referencing the place of worship (See John 2:16).
Acts 5:17—32
¥ It was only
2—3 months before that Israel demanded that Jesus die and now the leaders
are denying that they put Him to death.
Matthew 7:20, 25 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 25And all the people
said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"
¥ The only reason the Temple authorities were trying to stop Peter and John was because of jealousy.
- They wanted to be in power of the people. They were the authorities.
¥ Peter and John were imprisoned by the Temple authorities but freed by an angel of the Lord with the instructions to speak the whole message of this life in the Temple.
¥ Without realizing they had escaped, the temple authorities convened to try Peter and John.
¥ When they found out they were preaching in the Temple again, they carefully brought them back to the council, avoiding violence from the people.
- This is the second time God allowed them to testify in front of IsraelÕs leadership. God is giving them yet another chance to repent and turn to Jesus as their Messiah.
¥ They were reminded that they were told not to teach any more about Jesus. This was the only thing they could convict them of since everything else they taught was correct, true and accurate.
- Everyone in Jerusalem either saw the events happen or knew someone that could verify the events happened the way the Apostles said it did. There could be no argument against the truth of the Apostles teachings.
¥ Peter and John again testify as to the Deity of Jesus teaching He is IsraelÕs Savior.
For previous notes and additional mid-Acts materials please visit http://www.MidActsTruths.com