The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-30
SUNDAY s:sMEDITBTI0N.
A Study of the International Sunday
DisnSiy
School Lesson Appointed for July
10, 1892. 0 4 sa
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10, 1892. o L 90
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Subject: The Descent of the Holy Spirit on
Pentecost Dny.g Acts, 2 Ill.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph ffotii the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above.
INTRODUCTION.
On Ascension Day Christ babe his Disciples
remain at Jerusalem till the descent of the
Holy Spirit. an event to happen mot many
days hence" 1:5.l In the interval it was
decided to elect an Apostle to take the place of
Judas Iscariot, so that the number Of tho Apos
ties would be 12. We have the account in Acts,
!: 1926, and find that Matthias was the name
of the one chosen.
We now consider the fulfllment of Christ's
promise to send the Holy Spirit to the waiting
disciples
/. References.
We often find the Bible its own commenta-
tor We notice references verse by verse.
V. 1. The Day Of Pentecost, Ex., "a: %; Lev,
%: Is; Nu., %: &c; Deu., 16 %; Acts, 90: Is.
All with one accord. Q:14.) In one place.
Q:13)
w. Wind. Compare l XII, 10 II and Acts,
a: 81. Eze., 81: g. 10, ID. St. John, 3: s; 90:
90.
v. 3. Tongues like fire. Gen., Is II; Ex.,
3: %; 10: 1920; XII, 10: IL; 2 Ch., 7: 3D.
VA. Filled with the Holy Ghost. / 8;
as, 81; 6:5; II "a; 1879 st. Luke 1: g. !;
Epb, 5:1S Speak with other tongues. VS..
g. II; 1O:46; 1876; Cor, IL: 10, %, 30;
1871; 14:2
VI. Galieans. LII.
V.9. Pontus, Cappodocia, Asia. 1 Pet, 1: 1.
9. Time.
Christ was cruciied on Friday, March 10, A.
d. 90. Tho word Pentecost is direct from the
Greek, and means 50th. The Pcntcc0st was
all annual Feast kept by the Jews. 1t was in
stituted at Mt. Sinai, seven weeks after the
Israelites left Rameses, striking out for the
Exodus in the wilderness, between Egypt and
Canaan The Passover was instituted when
the Exodus began (B. C. 1491). Fifty days
afterward Moses received the law from God on
Mt Sinai and hence Pentecost has been sup
posed to celebrate the announcement of the
law from Mt Sinai. Pentecost occurred just
seven weeks (49 days. from the second day of
the Passover and hence began on the 50th day
after said Passover. We reason why it is
called the Feast of Weeks (Ex., 81: %; Lew
%: Is, is; NJ, % %; Deu., 16: 10, 1O). Fifty
days from the Passover caused Pentecost to
fall at time corresponding with the harvest
season, and hence Pentecost was also known as
the Feast of the Harvest. lex, A:22 Lev,
%: Is, 16, 90; NJ, %: 49,
As so days from the first Passover the law
was given, so so days after the last Passover the
Gospel was ratified by the outpouring of tho
Holy Spirit.
As at each Pentecost the first fruits of the
harvest were offered to God in sort of thanks
giving religious service, so at the Gospel Pente-
cost Christ received his first offering from the
Evangelc harvest. (V.41.)
We find the wonderful event occurred before
8 o'clock of the morning. ". 15)
The Pentecost Day was 10 days after Assem-
sion Day. We know that Pentecost was so
days after Easter. and the Ascension was 90
days after Easter. Q:3.) Hence Pentecost
was 10 days from the Ascension.
We notice that Christ was crucified on Fri
day and rose from the dead on Sunday, 40 days
after the second day following the crucfxion-
that is to say, after Saturday-brings Pentecost
day on Sunday.
Pentecost Day has been called the birthday
of the Christian Church."
At the time of this Peutecost Tiberius
Cesar was Emperor of the Roman Government
and PLATE was Governor of Judea.
There were several promises on record to the
effect the Holy Spirit should descend after
Chrisbs departure. The most direct promises
were made on the night preceding Christs
crucifxion: hence only little time interviewed
between the promises and their fulillment-
cost-to wit, 50 days.
8. Place
Verse states they were in one place. Two
opinions have been held
a. 1t was room in some private residence.
Very likely it was the upper room referred to
in / -. (St Mark, Ia: IA, Is; st. Luke,
22: 12) That 1t was a room in some private
house is held by Rev. J. K. Kendrick, d. d.;
Rev. d. w. c. Huntington, d. D.; Rev. r. K.
Swope, DR.. Albert Barnes.
1t is thought the upper room referred to in
Acts, / -, was room of house on Mt. Zion
in Jerusalem.
On the brow Of Mt. Zion, not far from the
western walls of the City of Jerusalem, there
is small mosque. 1t is named Neby Dauid,
meaning David's tomb The Christians and
Mohammedans hold in veneration a room or
chamber found in a building adjacent to
David's tomb from the fact they accept the
tradition it is the veritable upper room referred
to in L ID.
House ". q, place ". u, and upper room
Il: 13) probably refer to the same apartment.
Many who hold the room was in private
residence think it was in the house of ST.
John. That Apostle had home in Jerusalem
When Christ was on the cross he consigned his
mother, the Virgin Mary to the care of st.
John, and we are told the Apostle took her at
once to his house. (St. John, 10: 25-27) 1t
would seem he escorted her Immediately to his
home, returning again to the cross
The women were in the company OF the 120.
Il: H. 49, We may infer the place of our
, lesson was st. Johns house, since it would be
vo natural for the women to betake them
selves to the residence at which Christ's
mother was stopping. Then 1t was natural for
the Disciples to go to Mary and tell Of the
events of the Cruciixion. This view sup
poses ST. John at once, on Christ making the
| request, accompanied the Virgin Mary to his
home, and We infer from st. Matt, 81: 80, So,
that Mary did not witness the death of her
Son.
Rev. DR.. Albert Barnes believed the place
WAS the court of some private house and saw no
difficulty in 12O thus assembling.
b. Another view is that the room was in the
Temple. Verse 46 states they were clearly in
the Temple. Compare st. Luke, "a : SO. We
are probably to understand that they went
regularly to the two Temple services at 8 a. m.
and 3 p. m. DIR. Adam Clarke aud Bengel say
the Temple was the place of the outponring of
the Holy Spirit We find in 3: SITS. Peter and
John were at the4Temple. The expressions
assembled together" ~. ~, "come together {"
". 81, and I'm one place" (2:1) imply more
secrecy than would be allowable at the Temple,
and suggest to usssofHe smaller apartment
And when we remember the state of public
feeling toward the 100 rs followers of Jesus we
cannot suppose them tolerated thus freely in
the very Temple. isbaAr
4, Persons
The pronoun "tiieyn w. y covers the same
persons as they, in verse A. and it is sup
posed these were the 100 of l Is. Hence