at the restoration the ten tribes and the two tribes (commonly spoken of as

Israel and Judah) would come together again as one before Him.  Ezekiel 37:15

-28 sets this forth under the figure of the two sticks: `I will make them one

nation ... they shall be no more two' (Ezek. 37:22).

The appointment of Matthias to complete the number of the twelve, and

the gathering of Jews from twelve of the nations round about, are therefore

features that are living and harmonious when Pentecost is seen in the light

of God's purpose to gather Israel again and restore the kingdom.  But their

import is lost when Pentecost is misinterpreted as of the inception of the

`Church', and, indeed, those who most strongly advocate the doctrine that the

`Church' began at Pentecost have among them those who do not hesitate to call

the appointment of Matthias an `apostolic mistake!'

What digressions have been necessary before reaching Peter's

explanation of Pentecost! Had every reader as much knowledge of the teaching

of the Old Testament  as Peter and the gathered multitudes, we could have

gone straight on to his inspired explanation, but, as it is, we should not

have appreciated his reference to Joel if we were not in possession of facts

which to that assembled multitude were a matter of everyday knowledge.  These

we have now considered and have therefore done what we could to bring back

the atmosphere of the original Pentecost.  This accomplished we will proceed

in our exposition.

Peter, when he stood up to explain the meaning of Pentecost to the

assembled multitude, lifted up his voice and said:

`Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem' (Acts 2:14).

`Ye men of Israel ... among you ... in the midst of you'  (Acts 2:22).

`Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly' (Acts 2:36).

`The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are

afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call' (Acts 2:39).

`Men of Judaea', `the Jews who dwelt at Jerusalem' (Acts 2:5),

`Israel', and then, together, `the whole house of Israel', are those to whom

Peter addressed his words.  Peter's own recorded act and word given in Acts

10:28, and the attitude of the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea

(Acts 11:18), together with the exclusiveness of Acts 11:19 are sufficient to

prove that the presence of a Gentile at this feast of Israel would have been

intolerable, while the attitude of the Jews as recorded in Acts 21:26 -36

shows what is likely to have happened had Gentiles been present at this feast

of Pentecost.  The nations of the earth shall, one day, go up to Jerusalem to

keep the Feast of Tabernacles as Zechariah 14:16 -19 reveals, but that event

awaits the time when the Lord descends and His feet once more touch the Mount

of Olives.

If, as most will admit, the `Church' cannot be imported into Joel, then

that alone should, if we still hold it, shake our faith in the tradition that

the Church began at Pentecost.  We trust the reader will honour the Holy

Spirit at this point, and, leaving these comments of men, turn to the short

prophecy of Joel and read it through.  Seven minutes is all the time it will

occupy.  Upon reading the book through, two verses stand out, namely Joel 1:4

and 2:25: