It may be helpful to review some comments we made in the introduction to this study on “Christ, Our New Covenant Prophet, Priest and King.” The Old Testament Scriptures set forth Moses, Aaron (and Melchizedek) and David as types of Christ in his work as Prophet, Priest and King. In each case, the New Testament Scriptures demonstrate exactly how Christ fulfills all three of these offices. 

One, Christ is “that Prophet” who fulfills the promise God made to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.”

Two, Christ is the “Priest after the order of Melchizedek” as promised in Psalm 110:4. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” Christ is also the high priest who replaces Aaron and the Levitical priesthood. 

Three, Christ is David’s greater Son who established the everlasting kingdom promised to David and now sits on the throne in fulfillment of the Davidic covenant made in 2 Samuel 7:12, 13. “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

The Holy Spirit, in the New Testament Scriptures, used powerful object lessons to show, in each case, how Christ is the fulfillment of all three of these types.

1) The Mount of Transfiguration (Matt.17:1-6) is the object lesson that shows the new Prophet has replaced Moses as Prophet and Lawgiver. The new Prophet also replaced all of the old covenant prophets as God’s spokesmen. The message from heaven saying, “Listen to my Son” is the Father showing the change from the old authority to the new and final authority. This is the same message proclaimed in the Book of Hebrews (1:1-3). Christ is the last and final prophet. He has given us the full and final message of God. God has said all he has to say in his Son.

2) The rending of the veil of the Temple from top to bottom at the moment of Christ’s death (Matt. 27:50-51) is the object lesson showing that the new Priest has replaced Aaron and fulfilled the Melchizedek prophecy. Again, this message is explicit in Hebrews (9:1-10; 10:19-22). The message of, “… have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,”(Heb. 10:19, 20) could never have been preached as long as the Levitical priesthood was in effect and the veil in the temple was hanging in place.

3) The gift of tongues on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1- 36) is the object lesson showing that the resurrection and ascension of Christ to sit on the throne of David has established the kingdom promised to David and prophesied in both Joel 2 and 2 Samuel 7. The message is bow in repentance, faith and assurance before the newly crowned King (cf. Philip. 2:5-8), or as the Psalmist said, “Kiss the Son” (Psalm 2:12). 

It is easy to see in Matthew 17:1-6, the Mount of Transfiguration, the object lesson showing Christ being established as our New Covenant Prophet. It is also easy to see in Matthew 27:50-51, the rending of the veil, Christ’s work as our New Covenant High Priest. However, seeing the events recorded on the Day of Pentecost as an object lesson showing the coronation of Christ as our New Covenant King is not quite as obvious. How does speaking in tongues demonstrate the kingship of Christ? The primary problem is a failure to understand the theological significance of what really happened on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, bewildered people asked this question: “What does this mean? What is going on?” They were surely asking the right question. The short answer is, the gift of tongues was the evidence that the Holy Spirit had come in fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel concerning the promise of the kingdom and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and that in turn proved that Christ had ascended to heaven and was seated on David’s promised throne as King as promised to David in 2 Samuel 7. Christ alone could send the Spirit. He earned that right in his redemptive work.

There are three passages of Scripture that teach us how we are to understand the significance of speaking in tongues. The first is Genesis 11; the second is Acts 2; and the third is 1 Corinthians 14. Genesis 11 records the beginning of tongues and the purpose for which they were given. Acts 2 records the second giving of tongues on the Day of Pentecost. 1 Corinthians 14 gives the new covenant meaning and the purpose of tongues. If we don’t understand the message that God was teaching on the day of Pentecost, we will never understand the meaning and significance of speaking in tongues. 

If a person understood the biblical meaning of speaking in tongues, I doubt he would be very inclined to seek that experience. I have often said that, (1) “If Scripture commands me to seek the gift of speaking in tongues, I have no choice but to start seeking that gift. So far I have not seen such a commandment in Scripture. (2) If speaking in tongues would help me in my Christian life or help me in my ministry as a pastor, again, I would be biblically obligated to start seeking. Again, I find no such idea in Scripture. Let’s digress for a moment and make sure we understand the meaning of speaking in tongues.

There is no question that tongues were given by God to be a sign. Paul explicitly says, “Tongues, then, are a sign,” (1 Cor. 14:22). With such a clear statement, everyone must agree that tongues were given by God to be a sign; however, there is not much agreement as to what the tongues signify. The problem is not a lack of clarity in the Scripture. The place to start a study of tongues is the first time tongues are mentioned in Scripture, namely, in Genesis 11. I do not know why this is so rarely done. We have a lot of unanswered questions in this passage, but several things are clear. First, the desire of the people to build a city “with a tower that reaches to the heavens” was born out of rebellion to God (cf. Gen. 11:4-6). Second, prior to Genesis 11 everyone spoke the same language. When they set out to build a tower to reach to heaven, God deliberately confused their language, so they could not understand each other. Third, it is clear in this passage, and just as it is clear in 1 Corinthians 14 and Acts 2, that speaking in tongues is an evidence of the judgment of God. The existence of tongues is the evidence of disobedience to God being punished. That is clear from Genesis 11 as well as the specific statement in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 quoting Isaiah 28:11-12. 

Here is the first mention of tongues in Scripture.

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth (Gen. 11:1-9).

These verses describe both the origin of tongues and God’s purpose in creating the multiplicity of tongues. One thing is clear. Speaking in different tongues was an evidence of God’s judgment. We will first look at Acts 2 and then look at Paul’s interpretation of the meaning of the amazing events that took place on the day of Pentecost and its relationship to Passover and the Day of Atonement.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).

Exactly when did the Holy Spirit come and empower the speaking in tongues? When did the day of Pentecost come? Did the Holy Spirit come before or after the speaking in tongues recorded in Acts 2? These are both simple and vital questions, but they are usually ignored. Acts 2:1 is quite clear. The events recorded in Acts 2 took place after the Day of Pentecost had already come! Scripture says, “When the day of Pentecost came,” or, as the KJV translates it, “When the day of Pentecost was fully come.” Listen very carefully. The day the Holy Spirit came and the miracle of tongues took place is not called the “day of Pentecost” because the Holy Spirit came on that day. The Holy Spirit came on that day because it was already the day of Pentecost. It was the only day the Spirit could have come! The speaking in tongues was the proof that the day of Pentecost had come. It was not the day of Pentecost because the Holy Spirit came that day. The Holy Spirit had to come fifty days after the Feast of Passover. Look carefully at verse 1. “When the day of Pentecost came.” The things recorded in Acts 2:2-4 took place after the day of Pentecost had come. It was already the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. The tongues were the sign or proof that Christ had ascended to heaven, been seated on his throne at the Father’s hand, and had sent the Holy Spirit to be his vicar on earth. 

The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost because he was scheduled to come on that day. Leviticus 23 records the various Jewish feast days. The seventh day Sabbath heads the list of feast days (Lev. 23:3). Next on the list is the feast of Passover. In Leviticus 23:5 Passover is explained. Our Lord died on Passover day. He was the true Passover lamb. In Leviticus 23:15-16, the Feast of First Fruits is explained. This feast is to be observed fifty days after Passover. It was also called the Feast of Pentecost since the word pente means fifty. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Passover, for the same reason that Christ died on Passover day. Both Passover and Pentecost were prophesied in Leviticus 23, and Pentecost was clearly scheduled to occur fifty days after the feast of Passover. Pentecost was the only day that Holy Spirit could have come just as Passover was the only day upon which Christ could die on the cross. None of the events that happened on any feast day had anything to do with either naming or performing the event. Each feast day defined the events and the time they were to be observed. It was all clearly prophesied and fulfilled down to the slightest detail. 

The idea that the early church ‘prayed down the Holy Spirit’ and we can pray down another Pentecost today is nonsense. The Holy Spirit came right on schedule just as Christ died right on schedule. There can never be another day of Pentecost without there also being another Passover lamb offered as our sin bearer. There can be no more days of Pentecost unless there is another Day of Atonement. There cannot be another day of Pentecost unless it is preceded by Christ dying on the cross fifty days earlier. 

Acts 2:4 says they spoke in tongues “as the Spirit enabled them.” This may mean that all those gathered did not speak in tongues. Verses 12 and 13 are clear that all who were present did not hear the Gospel message being preached. Some heard only incoherent babbling. Part of the miracle may have been on the ear of the listener as well as the tongue of the speaker.

Verses 5-8 state that they were “utterly amazed” because they heard in their own languages (16 different Gentile Languages). This proves that the tongues spoken on the day of Pentecost were known languages. As we shall see, this is also one of the key facts in understanding the meaning of tongues. 

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? (Acts 2:5-8).

Verses 11–13 again say that they were all “amazed,” but this second amazement was because of what they heard. It was not merely hearing in their own language, but it was the content of the message that they heard that amazed them. Verse 11 says they heard the “wonders of God in [their] own tongues!” They heard the Gospel. However, they were amazed because they were hearing the “wonders of God” not in the sacred Hebrew language but in Gentiles’ languages. This is the heart of the message of the miraculous sign of tongues. As we shall see, God speaking the gospel in Gentile languages instead of the sacred Hebrew language was a deliberate rebuke by God and signaled that God was turning from the Jews to the Gentiles. The Jews heard the gospel in Gentile languages. They were not drunk, but they were confused. They were witnessing the unthinkable. God was showing grace to the Gentiles and was giving the Gentiles the same privileges as the Jews.

… we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine” (Acts 2:11-13).

In Verses 14-16 Peter insists that the apostles were not drunk. He first declares that the things taking place were the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Book of Joel. The promised kingdom in Joel had come, and the events of Pentecost were a clear proof that Christ had been exalted to the Father’s right hand. Our Lord is the promised greater son of David being declared King. The promise in Joel concerned a universal gospel not just a Jewish gospel. The kingdom promised in Joel was for “all nations” not just the nation of Israel.

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:” (Acts 2:14-16).

Verse 16 is a key passage. It shows us how the New Testament writers interpret kingdom prophecy. When Peter says “this is what was spoken” he is clearly spiritualizing Joel’s prophecy. Dispensationalism must insist this is only a type, a preview or foreshadowing of Joel’s prophecy. They insist, “The Holy Spirit has not yet been “poured out on all flesh” as promised in Joel. The prophecy in Joel has not yet been fulfilled. It will not be literally fulfilled until the earthly millennium has been established. John MacArthur gives the dispensational view in his study Bible. 

Joel’s prophecy will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial kingdom and the final judgment. But Peter, by using it shows that Pentecost was a pre-fulfillment, a taste of what will happen in the millennial kingdom when the Spirit is poured out on all flesh (cf. 10:45).^[1]

Regardless of your prophetic view, the essence of Joel’s prophecy and Peter’s sermon is verse 21. The Gospel is now to be preached to the whole world and not just to Jews. It is no longer to the Jew first and also to the Gentile but it is whosoever. That was what Joel prophesied, and that is what Peter preached as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. Look up the exact prophecy in Joel that Peter is quoting as being fulfilled at Pentecost.

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:28-32).

Verse 28 emphasizes that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit will be “on all people,” Jews and Gentiles alike, and not just the Jews. Verses 28 and 29 speak of all ages, young and old, and without respect of gender. Normally old men quit dreaming, and young men have no vision of tomorrow and think only of today. When the Holy Spirit moves in a congregation, the old men get out of their rocking chairs and say, “Let’s go.” They begin to act like their great grandpa Caleb. The young men begin to see eternity and start to prioritize their life accordingly. This double phenomenon is a mark of the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in a congregation. 

Verses 30 and 31 are spiritualized by Peter in Acts 2:19-20. Those who demand a “literal” interpretation of kingdom prophecy insist that the Joel prophecy has not yet been literally fulfilled. Do they believe the moon must be literally turned into a giant blob of blood before this prophecy is fulfilled? The question is not must we spiritualize the Joel passage but how much of it we must spiritualize. Even more importantly we must ask, “How does Peter understand the prophecy of Joel?” Does “this is what was spoken” really mean what it says? Dare we literalize what Peter explicitly spiritualizes? Regardless of your view of prophecy, Peter distinctly says, “… this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:” It sounds to me like Peter is definitely saying Joel’s prophecy is being fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. 

The application of the whole prophecy and its importance for us today is verse 32.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:32).

The day of Pentecost established the fact that the Gospel was now a ‘whosoever Gospel for the whole world’ and not just for the Jews. Peter shows that Joel was talking about salvation in the Gospel age not a future earthly millennia age. Joel is in effect saying, “A deliverer [Christ the Messiah] is coming who will bring full deliverance [salvation] to the elect of God from every tongue and nation.” Peter is saying, “That deliverer has come and fulfilled this promise.” David’s son has established the kingdom and sits on the heavenly throne as king. The phrase “among the survivors whom the Lord calls” is shown in Acts 2:39 to mean the elect from all nations. Notice how Peter understood the words of Joel’s prophecy.

First, Acts 2:14-21 is the apostolic interpretation of Joel’s prophecy concerning the promised kingdom.

Second, Acts 2:22-36 is the apostolic interpretation of (1) God’s promise to David to raise up one of his sons to sit on his throne and establish his kingdom (cf. 2 Sam. 7), and also (2) Joel’s prophecy that Jesus was the Messiah who would establish the kingdom promised to Abraham and his spiritual descendants. The message by Peter is clear. Both the promise that Messiah would, (1) sit on David’s throne as king, and (2), the kingdom promise of a universal Gospel of “whosoever,” not just the Jews, has fully come. The day of Pentecost declaring the Gospel to all nations was proof that David’s throne and kingdom are established and his Son is seated on that throne as King of King and Lord of Lords with all power and authority. The sending of the Holy Spirit by the enthroned Lord is the proof that the prophecies to both Joel and to David have been fulfilled.

Acts 2:38-40 are the conclusion of Peter’s explanation of Pentecost. 

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

Verse 38 declares that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the great Gospel blessing. The gift of the Holy Spirit was the great promise in the Old Testament Scriptures, and the actual receiving the indwelling Spirit as the Spirit of Adoption is the great experience of the new covenant. The point of Peter’s sermon is that this prophecy in Joel concerning the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled, and the events of Pentecost are the proof.

We must remember that the Jews hated the message that “there is no longer any difference” between Jews and Gentiles. There was a great difference between Israel and the Gentiles under the old covenant. It was God Himself who made that difference; however, under the Gospel age, as promised in Joel, there is no longer Jew nor Greek, bond or free, etc., see Galatians 3:26-29. 

It is even more important to remember that the great difference between Israelites and Gentiles was not that an Israelite was in a separate “spiritual” category. The Jewish child, like a child born into a Christian home, had great privileges (Rom. 3:1-3) but was not in a separate spiritual category. An unsaved Jew was just as lost as a Gentile and got converted the same way, namely, by believing the Gospel promise. The same is true today. A child born in a Christian home is just as lost, until they repent and believe the gospel, as a child of pagan parents. 

Two things happened to the Jew/Gentile situation on the day of Pentecost when the Body of Christ, the new man of Ephesians and the new creation of 2 Corinthians 5:17, came into being through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. First, believing Gentiles were made equal with believing Jews. This is the “mystery” Paul spoke of in chapter 3 of Ephesians. The Old Testament Scriptures clearly saw Gentiles being saved but nowhere was a total equality of Jew and Gentile in the Body of Christ foretold. All of that changed on the day of Pentecost. Second, unbelieving Jews were made equal to the Gentile dogs. This is laid out in Ephesians 2. Since the Cross and Pentecost “there is no difference.”

We need to say a word about Romans 9:1-8. This section deals with Israel’s special covenantal relationship with God. Paul’s whole argument hinges on one point. The Jews had many and great privileges, but they were never in a saving covenantal relationship with God. They had privileges that the Gentiles did not have, but they were not in a special spiritual category. (See also Romans 3:1-2).

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. 

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring (Rom. 9:1-8).

First of all, the context is important. Romans chapter 8 is the great chapter on assurance and hope. Paul goes from one level of assurance to another level like a great piece of music. He closes with that powerful statement that absolutely nothing can separate any person, who is in a saving covenant relationship with God, from God’s love and acceptance.

Second, the obvious question is, “Paul, what about Israel? Were they not God’s covenant people and were not some of them cast off?” It is true that some of Israel was cast off but that in no way proves God went back on his covenant promise. The short answer to this question is that “not all Israel is Israel.” Israel was never in a saving covenant relationship with God whereby they were promised salvation because of either their birth or their circumcision. Romans 9:1-8 shows that Israel was never in a saving covenant relationship with God. They had many privileges but never took advantage of them. Hebrews 3 and 4 makes that very clear. Israel had the promise of the Gospel preached to them but did not believe that promise.

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith (Heb. 4:1-2).

God has never promised anyone, either a Jew or anyone else, any spiritual blessing just because of either his or her birth or circumcision and irrespective of faith. God sovereignly gives some people far more privileges than others, but none of those privileges guarantee salvation.

Third, the comparison between “children of the flesh” and the “children of the promise” in Romans 9:8 is not a comparison between covenant and non-covenant children. The comparison is between covenant circumcised Israelites who are part of the elect and those covenant circumcised Israelites who were not elect. There were Jacobs and Esaus among the covenant people of Israel just as there are Jacobs and Esaus among the children of Christian parents. God’s promise is with those who believe and has nothing to do with birth or baptism.

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