'He shewed Himself Alive after His passion, by many infallible proofs,

being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to

the kingdom of God' (Acts 1:3).

The apostles were told that they should be witnesses unto Him, and in

harmony with the fact that they ministered to Israel, and should Israel

repent, twelve thrones would be occupied by these apostles, it became

necessary that the gap left by the defection of Judas be filled.  The one to

fill that gap was not to be chosen for his piety, his erudition or his

knowledge of the Scriptures; he was chosen as a witness, so the choice was

limited to two, who fulfilled this condition:

'Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was

taken up from us, Must one be ordained to be a witness With us of His

resurrection' (Acts 1:22).

The Acts, therefore, is pledged to the resurrection of Christ.  Without

it there could have been no Pentecost, and without it the question of whether

Acts 28 is or could be a dispensational frontier would have neither point nor

meaning.  Coming next to Pentecost itself, we shall see that this is based

squarely on the fact of resurrection.  Here it will be necessary to quote a

passage from Acts 2 in full, in order that its weight and bearing may be

'Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of

God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom

God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was

not possible that He should be holden of it.  For David speaketh

concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on

my right hand, that I should not be moved: therefore did my heart

rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in

hope: because Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou

suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.  Thou hast made known to Me

the ways of life; Thou shalt make Me full of joy with Thy countenance.

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,

that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this

day.  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an

oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he

would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake

of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell,

neither His flesh did see corruption.  This Jesus hath God raised up,

whereof we all are witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God

exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy

Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear' (Acts 2:23-

'Therefore ... He hath shed forth This' links insolubly the

resurrection of the Lord with Pentecost.  In chapter 3 we read of the healing

of the lame man, and when Peter saw the wonder of the people, he took the

opportunity of stressing the fact of the resurrection:

'The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our

fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus ... ye ... killed the Prince of

life, Whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses'

(Acts 3:13-15).

Still the resurrection is to the fore: