Introduction

The ‘Gentile’ Pentecost is found in scripture in Acts 10:1 through to Acts 11:18.

Gospel to the Jews Only

Jesus clearly commanded the early disciples (who were all Jewish) to go to the (Gentile) Nations with the Gospel. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus said:

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”,

But this was not what happened. These early Jewish disciples continued to omit the Gentiles from their apostolic mission and as stated in the Book of Acts, the Gospel (at times) was preached to ‘Jews only’:

Acts 11:19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

Because these first Jewish disciples fell short of Jesus’ commission, God would directly intervene in the affairs of His church. After Tabitha was raised from the dead in Joppa (Acts 9:36), which was the seventh individual physical resurrection recorded in the Bible (excluding Jesus), the Gentiles, by divine providence, would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The detail of how this happened is described below and as with all Hebrew scripture, the narrative is highly symbolic and ‘patterned’.

The Roman Centurion (Cornelius) Receives Divine Instruction

Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, a Gentile called Cornelius who was a centurion in the Italian Regiment, and also a devout man. Cornelius feared God as well as all his household. (Acts 10:1,2). 

One day, when praying about the ninth hour, Cornelius had a clear vision of an angel of God who told him to send for the Apostle Peter whom the angel explained was currently lodging in Joppa, by the sea (Acts 10:5-8). Cornelius immediately (Acts 10:33) explained his divine encounter to two of his household and a devout soldier, and obediently sent them on their way to Joppa, to fetch Peter.

Peter Instructed to ‘Eat’ Unclean Animals

The day after this vision of Cornelius, the Apostle Peter also had a divine encounter. Peter had gone up onto the housetop where he was staying, to pray. It was about the sixth hour and he became very hungry and so Peter asked for food. While he was waiting, he fell into a trance and saw heaven open. A collection of common and unclean animals (for Jews) descended before him (Acts 10:10-11) and a voice said to Peter “kill and eat” which Peter refused to do. The voice continued and told him “what God has cleansed” do not call common (or unclean). This descension of common and unclean animals occurred three times (Acts 10:16).

Once this trance had finished and Peter was wondering what it all meant, the three men from Cornelius arrived at the house where Peter was staying. The Holy Spirit said to Peter “do not doubt” and trust these men. And the next day, Peter and six brethren (Acts 11:12) – seven brethren in total – left Joppa together with Cornelius’ men and travelled to the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:23).

Cornelius was waiting and had called together his relatives and close friends. Both men explained to each other their divine encounters of the previous few days and Peter detailed his divine revelation that he should not consider any man ‘unclean’ or ‘common’ (Acts 10:28). Later, Peter would fully understand that the Gospel was not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles (Acts 11:18).

The Event of the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost

During this initial encounter with Cornelius, Peter delivered a succinct explanation of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and as Peter did this, something extraordinary happened…

Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

This was the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost! The Holy Spirit was poured out upon all the Gentiles present in the house of Cornelius, and they spoke in tongues and magnified God (Acts 10:46). 

Peter was astonished and commanded that these Gentiles, who were filled with the Holy Spirt, should also be baptized in water (Acts 10:47-48).

Pentecost Post Resurrection

Just as the Jewish Pentecost occurred shortly after the physical resurrection of Jesus, so too did the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost at the house of Cornelius, occur shortly after a physical resurrection of Tabitha in Acts 9:40.

Jonah and the Apostle Peter

There are highly symbolic parallels between the prophet Jonah of the Old Testament and the Apostle Peter. Both men had direct divine intervention and instruction regarding Gentiles and yet both men were reluctant to obey this divine instruction. 

Jonah, following a divine instruction, disobediently travelled in the opposite direction of the Gentile city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:2), when instructed to preach there.

Peter refused to eat unclean things (Acts 10:14) and this was typical of Jewish non-association with Gentiles at that time.

In the above instances, both men were found at the same geographical location of Joppa (Jonah 1:3 and Acts 10:5).

Despite their actions, both these episodes of Jonah and Peter concluded with a major spiritual blessing for the Gentiles. Nineveh repented after a very short sermon from Jonah (Jonah 3:5) and all those present at the house of Cornelius were filled with the Holy Spirit, during the preaching of Peter, and were baptized in water (Acts 10:44).

How poignant that ‘Jonah’ in Hebrew means ‘dove’ where a ‘dove’ is symbollic of the Holy Spirit, as derived from descension of the Holy Spirit at the water baptism of Jesus:

Mark 1:10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

As will be discussed below, Jesus foresaw Peter’s future reluctance regarding the Gentiles by insightfully appending Peter’s (or Simon’s) names with ‘bar Jonah’. This appending of ‘bar-Jonah’ is seen in Matthew 16:17 at the significant renaming of Peter after his confession of Jesus as the Messiah. This reference to ‘Jonah’ in Peter’s name is then only seen at the beginning and end of John’s Gospel (in John 1:42 and John 21:15-17 respectively). Peter may well have been the physical son of a man named ‘Jonah’, but clearly Jesus intended this underlying (typological) association with the prophet Jonah of the Old Testament for a reason!

The Number ‘Three’

Consider the number ‘three’ and its curious link with this extraordinary outpouring of blessing upon the Gentiles. 

The Apostle Peter already has form with the number ‘three’ given Peter’s three restorations by Jesus at the ‘breakfast on the shore’ of the eighth sign miracle (in John 21:15), perhaps because of Peter’s previous three denials of Jesus on the night before the cross (Matthew 26:75). But note the appearance of a number of ‘threes’ in this episode of the Gentile Pentecost:

• The three men who arrived at the house where Peter was staying (Acts 11:11).

• The three times of Peter’s vision (Acts 10:16).

• The three hours difference between the trance of Peter at the sixth hour (in Acts 10:9) and the vision of Cornelius at the ninth Hour in Acts 10:3).

Further linked ‘threes’:

• Regarding Jonah’s episode, the three-day journey to cross the large city of Nineveh (Jonah 3:3).

• Also, the three days and three nights when Jonah was in the belly of a great fish (Jonah 1:17) as the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:40).

• Regarding Peter, his three denials of Jesus on the morning of Jesus’ death (Matthew 26:75).

• Also, Jesus calls Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah’ three times at the end of John’s Gospel (John 21:15-17).

• The eighth and last sign miracle in John’s Gospel (which included the three ‘Simon, son of Jonah’s) is explicitly stated as the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples post resurrection (John 21:14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.)

• Regarding resurrection, the three days during which Jesus was in death before resurrection (Matthew 16:21).

• Also, the children of Israel crossing the River Jordan (as a type of the first resurrection) was preceded by three days (Joshua 3:2)

The question is, are these ‘threes’ merely coincidence or has God knitted together certain vital episodes and events with the number ‘three’ for a purpose?

To start with, consider that the biblical meaning of the number ‘three’ is divine relational perfection, based on the Trinity of the God Head. This ‘relational perfection’ will be seen to be the key to understanding God’s wisdom in this matter.

The Deferred Physical Resurrection of Pentecost

A vital prerequisite in fathoming the depths of God’s wisdom in this matter is understanding the typological meaning of Pentecost. The Bible indicates that Pentecost (which means ‘fiftieth’ in Greek) occurred at the conclusion of the Hebrew Feast of Weeks or seven ‘sevens’ (where the Hebrew word for ‘weeks’ means ‘sevens’) beginning the day after Passover. The Feast of Weeks is an agricultural feast which begins with First Fruits (Jesus was the single grain of wheat which fell to the ground and died – John 12:24) and concludes with the harvest (many believers) at Pentecost. What is important is that the Feast of Weeks is about resurrection. The agricultural metaphor of a grain dying to produce much grain is not just speaking about the spiritual miracle of salvation for many believers but the physical miracle of physical resurrection of many believers! Namely, the new body given to every seed detailed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:38. 

The fulfilment (or anti-type) of the conclusion of this Hebrew Feast of Weeks (aligned with the Day of Pentecost) in AD 33 should have been the resurrection of all believers: Jesus had fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits by rising from the dead at the first moment of the Feast of First Fruits. The remainder of all believers should have been physically raised from the dead at the subsequent Pentecost (seven weeks later) – this is what Pentecost is all about – resurrection! 

Of course, this resurrection of all believers did not happen at Pentecost in AD 33 because there were still 2000 bible years of God’s work to run (to complete the 6000 bible years before the seventh ‘day’ Millennial Kingdom). Instead, God gave a ‘down payment’, a deposit or guarantee (Ephesians 1:14) of what was to come. He did this by blessing the 120 disciples (in the house in Jerusalem in AD 33) with the baptism of the Holy Spirit – their number of ‘120’ being the Lord’s ‘mark’ that the first resurrection would later conclude at the 120th Jubilee after 6000 bible years of history. Shortly after, the Gentiles believers too, would receive their ‘Pentecost’ at the house of Cornelius.

The Jewish and Gentile Pentecosts circa AD33, therefore, were primarily about a deferred physical resurrection until the 120th Jubilee at 6000 bible years when the first resurrection would conclude or be made perfect. Importantly, the first resurrection is not only about physical bodies being raised to physical life but about physical bodies being raised ‘perfect’, ‘incorruptible’ and ‘immortal’ (1 Corinthians 15:53). Remember the meaning of the number ‘three’ – namely relational perfection!

As an aside, biblically, this moment of ‘perfection’ or the conclusion of the first resurrection, is known to take place in the final moments of the consummation (extra time) of the age. 

During the interim (or ‘paused’ resurrection) period called the church (Christian) age, the Body of Christ would be spiritually blessed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who would facilitate the growth of the Body of Christ; being the Helper and Comforter as the Spirit of Jesus. Once the church age completes, the Holy Spirit, who resides in the heart of believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), would then return to heaven as the Spirit of Jesus, and the Bride of Christ and the Bridegroom would be united.

So, this biblical truth of the ‘deferred resurrection’ is pivotal in understanding the outworking of Pentecost (over 2000 bible years ago). God essentially paused corporate resurrection for a further 2000 bible years to facilitate the formation of the Body of Christ as a bride for Messiah. This was God’s wisdom in light of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah (John 1:11) at the time of Jesus.

Peter ‘Surrounds’ John’s Gospel Concluding With a ‘Three’

Another prerequisite in understanding God’s wisdom in this matter is that Peter (representing the ‘dove’ – Jonah – of the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost) appears to ‘surround’ John’s Gospel and specifically at the end of John’s Gospel, Peter appears linked with the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost.

As already discussed, Jesus (in Matthew’s Gospel) named Peter as ‘Peter Bar-Jonah’ (Matthew 16:17) and this Greek word ‘Bar-Jonah’ (Strong’s number 920) only appears once in the whole Bible. This renaming of Simon to Peter is a momentous occasion following the revelation by the Father in heaven to Peter that Jesus was the Messiah. His renaming to ‘Peter’ (meaning ‘rock’) represented the significance of the confession of “Jesus as the Messiah” to all believers who would follow. Upon this rock (or confession), Jesus said he would build His church (Matthew 16:18).

The only other two places in the Bible where Peter (also called Simon) is associated with Jonah are found ‘surrounding’ John’s Gospel! Peter (also called Simon) is described as the ‘son of Jonah’ at the beginning of John’s Gospel (John 1:42) and then at the end of John’s Gospel (John 21:15-17) where Simon is named ‘son of Jonah’, and this naming by Jesus happens three times! 

As such, Peter (also called Simon) son of Jonah appears to ‘typologically span’ the entirety of John’s Gospel. 

A link of ‘Seven’

Note that the number of Jesus' original disiples present at the end of John’s Gospel and present at the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost, is the same. Seven disciples were present at the eighth sign miracle (John 21:2) and seven disciples were present at the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost (Acts 11:12). This veiled numerical link of seven disciples is curious and draws attention to the end of John’s Gospel (to be shown as a type of the Christian Age) as linked with the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost which followed the seventh individual resurrection in scripture, namely the raising of Tabitha in Acts 9:40.

The Perfection of the Deferred Resurrection

The final prerequisite is about timing. Consider when the ‘deferred resurrection’ is completed. Perhaps a better word to use is ‘perfected’ rather than ‘completed’. Consider when the ‘deferred resurrection’ is perfected. This is because ‘resurrection’ is not just about physical bodies being raised to physical life but about physical bodies being raised ‘perfect’, ‘incorruptible’ and ‘immortal’ (1 Corinthians 15:53) – the conclusion of resurrection is a moment of ‘perfection’ of the physical body.

So, when is the first resurrection perfected? Well, it is staged through the consummation of the age for the church and for Israel. The Rapture is next, followed by the resurrection of the ‘two witnesses’ in the middle of the Tribulation, followed by the resurrection of the Old Testament and Tribulation believers at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

This is where the ‘threes’ come in! As already mentioned, the biblical meaning of ‘three’ is divine relational perfection and the perfection of the first resurrection (as just described) is in the consummation of the age. The ‘threes’ which are embedded in these verses about Peter, Jonah (‘dove’), Pentecost and resurrection therefore infer the timing of this typological link (between the ‘Peter/Jonah’, ‘Gentile’ Pentecost and John’s Gospel) as being the consummation (extra-time) of the age when the ‘deferred resurrection’ will be perfected.

John’s Gospel Typologically Linked to the Consummation of the Age

All the pieces are now metaphorically on the table in order to understand God’s wisdom in this matter.

The resurrection of all believers (typified by the harvest metaphor of Pentecost) was deferred (for believing Jews and Gentiles at their respective Pentecost’s in the years around AD 33) until the perfection (or completion) of the first resurrection in the consummation of the age. 

The ‘Gentile’ Pentecost of ‘Peter/Jonah’ is typologically linked to John’s Gospel because Peter’s title of ‘son of Jonah’ appears ‘across’ John’s Gospel, at the beginning and at the end, and the ‘threes’ across the narratives (of the ‘Peter/Jonah’, ‘Gentile’ Pentecost and John’s Gospel) speak of the perfection of the deferred first resurrection timed at the end of the age in the consummation (extra time) of the age.

Therefore, John’s Gospel is typologically linked to the consummation (extra-time) of the age!

This association of John’s Gospel with the consummation (extra-time) of the age gives insight into the deeper meaning of each of the eight sign miracles (in John’s Gospel) – ‘eight’ being the biblical number of ‘resurrection’. It is discovered that each sign miracle has a typologically fulfilment in the consummation of the age! 

The book ‘Unlocking the Sign Miracles of John in the Consummation of the Age’ addresses each sign miracle (in John’s Gospel) in turn, and associates it with a major event in the consummation of the age. Three sign miracles target an event for the church, and four sign miracles target an event for Israel and the eighth sign miracle targets both the church and Israel.

Finally, this association of John’s Gospel with the perfection of the first resurrection in the consummation of the age, fits well with John’s Gospel’s distinctive of ‘resurrection’. The narrative of John’s Gospel presents Jesus as already raised (John 1:9-13) with no mention of Jesus’ birth or ascension. This Gospel also contains six miracles which are not found elsewhere in scripture including the ‘Water changed to Wine’ (sign miracle 1), ‘Nobleman’s son revived’ (sign miracle 2), ‘Infirm man raised at Bethesda’ (sign miracle 3), ‘Blind man from birth receives sight’ (sign miracle 6), ‘Lazarus raised from the dead’ (sign miracle 7) and ‘153 fish miraculously caught’ (sign miracle 8), which makes John’s Gospel distinct regarding ‘sign’ miracles and invites the reader to dig deeper.

A ‘Closing’ Blessing at the End of the Age?

The emphasis of ‘threes’ at the end of John’s Gospel (Peter’s three confessions of love to Jesus) as linked with the Gentile Pentecost may indicate the possibility of a closing blessing (‘Pentecost’) to believer’s at the end of the age.

Ephesians 5:26-27 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

The Handkerchief

This concept of ‘perfected resurrection’ and ‘deferred resurrection’ is captured typologically in the folded and unfolded grave cloths (respectively), found in the tomb of Jesus immediately after His resurrection.

John 20:6-7 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

The head piece cloth was folded but the linen cloths for the body were not. This speaks of the perfected resurrection for the Head, but for the Body of Christ (the church), resurrection is yet to be completed or perfected.

Darkness on the Cross Between the Sixth and the Ninth Hour

It cannot go unnoticed that the explicitly recorded ‘sixth’ and ‘ninth’ hour of the divine encounter of both Peter and Cornelius (which preceded the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost) are the same hours during which darkness covered the land when Jesus was on the cross for His final three hours:

Luke 23:44-46 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Acts 10:3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

Acts 10:9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.

The biblical use of these specific hours is more than coincidence. They specifically counterpoint the belief of the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10) with the unbelief and murderous intent of the Jews towards their own Messiah.

How could there be light in Israel, or indeed the world, during the killing of the One with Whom they would have been as a light for the Gentiles (Genesis 12:3)? Messiah came to His own (Israel) but they rejected Him (John 1:11) and at Messiah’s death, Israel received this sign of darkness. Israel’s spiritual light would now fade in favour of Gentiles. The gentile woman at the well (in John 4) was one, who unlike Israel’s leadership, received the ‘light’ and revelation, and it is noteworthy that Messiah’s encounter with this woman also began at the sixth hour (John 4:6).

These final three hours of darkness also relate to the Tribulation – a period of God’s judgement upon Israel (and the world) which will begin when ‘many’ in Israel enter into a covenant with the anti-Christ (Daniel 9:27) in further abject rebellion against God and His Messiah. Once again Israel will reject their Messiah in favour of the world! The numerical typology of the Christian Age and the ‘consummation of the age’ provides the detail. Please see teaching paper 009 - Christianity to the Millennium in Numerical Type.

In summary, these three hours (recorded in the narrative of the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost and mirrored on the cross during the ‘darkness’ hours) expose a counterpoint pattern between the blessing of the ‘Gentile’ Pentecost (in Acts 10, 11) and the rebellion of Israel (both in rejecting Messiah 2000 bible years ago and rejecting Him again in the Tribulation). In anticipation of the upcoming judgement of the Tribulation, Jesus not only warned the infirm man at Bethesda, but He also inferred His warning to modern day Israel. You see, the man at Bethesda was a type of Israel raised in 1948 and the biblical message of Messiah was and is: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14).

Post Script

For further links between John’s Gospel and the consummation of the age, please listen to the following talk: