30/10/2025
đ đ§đđ đ¨đĄđŁđĽđđđđđđĄđ§đđ đđŁđŁđđđĽđđĄđ đ˘đ đđđĽđđŚđ§: đ
đŞđľđŽđ đŁđ˛đđ˛đż đąđśđą đťđźđ đ¸đťđźđ đŽđ đŁđ˛đťđđ˛đ°đźđđ
đ°đđđđ.
When most people think of Christâs âappearing,â they picture his second coming â the day when He returns in power and great glory to judge the nations and restore Israelâs kingdom.
But few realize that Scripture reveals another appearing â one that no prophet ever foresaw.
An appearing not in wrath but in grace.
An appearing that changed the entire course of Godâs dealings with man.
That appearing was Christâs encounter with Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
đŁđ˛đđ˛đżâđ đ đ˛đđđŽđ´đ˛ đŽđ đŁđ˛đťđđ˛đ°đźđđ
In Acts 2, Peter stood before Israel and preached the risen Christ according to prophecy.
He quoted Joel and David â showing that what had just happened was in line with Israelâs prophetic program.
> âđ§đľđśđ đśđ đđľđŽđ đđľđśđ°đľ đđŽđ đđ˝đźđ¸đ˛đť đŻđ đđľđ˛ đ˝đżđźđ˝đľđ˛đ đđźđ˛đšâŚâ (đđ°đđ đŽ:đđ˛)
âđ§đľđ˛ đđ˘đĽđ đđŽđśđą đđťđđź đşđ đđźđżđą, đŚđśđ đđľđźđ đźđť đşđ đżđśđ´đľđ đľđŽđťđą, đđťđđśđš đ đşđŽđ¸đ˛ đđľđ đłđźđ˛đ đđľđ đłđźđźđđđđźđźđš.â (đđ°đđ đŽ:đŻđ°âđŻđą)
Peterâs conclusion was simple:
Israel had crucified her Messiah, but God had raised Him up â and the next event on Godâs prophetic timeline was the return of Christ to bring the promised Kingdom.
> âđĽđ˛đ˝đ˛đťđ đđ˛ đđľđ˛đżđ˛đłđźđżđ˛, đŽđťđą đŻđ˛ đ°đźđťđđ˛đżđđ˛đą, đđľđŽđ đđźđđż đđśđťđ đşđŽđ đŻđ˛ đŻđšđźđđđ˛đą đźđđ,
đđľđ˛đť đđľđ˛ đđśđşđ˛đ đźđł đżđ˛đłđżđ˛đđľđśđťđ´ đđľđŽđšđš đ°đźđşđ˛ đłđżđźđş đđľđ˛ đ˝đżđ˛đđ˛đťđ°đ˛ đźđł đđľđ˛ đđźđżđą;
đŽđťđą đđ˛ đđľđŽđšđš đđ˛đťđą đđ˛đđđ đđľđżđśđđâŚâ (đđ°đđ đŻ:đđľâđŽđŹ)
Notice, Peter didnât preach anything about a heavenly Body of Christ or a dispensation of grace.
To him, Christâs return was imminent â not to start something new, but to fulfill what the prophets spoke since the world began.
> âŚđđľđśđ°đľ đđźđą đľđŽđđľ đđ˝đźđ¸đ˛đť đŻđ đđľđ˛ đşđźđđđľ đźđł đŽđšđš đđśđ đľđźđšđ đ˝đżđźđ˝đľđ˛đđ đđśđťđ°đ˛ đđľđ˛ đđźđżđšđą đŻđ˛đ´đŽđť.â (đđ°đđ đŻ:đŽđ)
đ§đľđ˛ đđťđ´đ˛đšđśđ° đ°đźđťđłđśđżđşđŽđđśđźđť
Angels confirmed the same prophetic expectation of the disciples:
> âđ§đľđśđ đđŽđşđ˛ đđ˛đđđ, đđľđśđ°đľ đśđ đđŽđ¸đ˛đť đđ˝ đłđżđźđş đđźđ đśđťđđź đľđ˛đŽđđ˛đť,
đđľđŽđšđš đđź đ°đźđşđ˛ đśđť đšđśđ¸đ˛ đşđŽđťđťđ˛đż đŽđ đđ˛ đľđŽđđ˛ đđ˛đ˛đť đđśđş đ´đź đśđťđđź đľđ˛đŽđđ˛đť.â (đđ°đđ đ:đđ).
To the disciples, this was clear confirmation that Jesus would return visibly and bodily to the Mount of Olives,
just as Zechariah 14:4 foretold.
Their focus was on the restoration of Israelâs Kingdom (Acts 1:6).
They knew nothing about a secret appearing from heaven to save a persecutor and form a new Body of believers.
According to prophecy, after Israelâs rejection, wrath should have followed â
> âđ§đľđ˛ đđđť đđľđŽđšđš đŻđ˛ đđđżđťđ˛đą đśđťđđź đąđŽđżđ¸đťđ˛đđ, đŽđťđą đđľđ˛ đşđźđźđť đśđťđđź đŻđšđźđźđą, đŻđ˛đłđźđżđ˛ đđľđ˛ đ´đżđ˛đŽđ đŽđťđą đťđźđđŽđŻđšđ˛ đąđŽđ đźđł đđľđ˛ đđźđżđą đ°đźđşđ˛.â (đđ°đđ đŽ:đŽđŹ).
But something happened that prophecy never predicted.
đđľđżđśđđ đđ˝đ˝đ˛đŽđżđ đłđżđźđş đđ˛đŽđđ˛đť đśđť đđżđŽđ°đ˛.
On the road to Damascus, the glorified Christ appeared â not to reign, but to save.
Instead of sending Christ back in judgment,
God did something completely new,
He revealed His Son again,
not to Israel, but to Saul of Tarsus, the chief of sinners.
> âSuddenly there shined round about him a light from heavenâŚ
And he heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?â (Acts 9:3â4)
That was the unprecedented appearing â a heavenly revelation of Christ in grace,
apart from Israel, apart from prophecy, apart from the law.
Through that appearing, God began a new dispensation â
> âđđźđż đđľđśđ đ°đŽđđđ˛ đ đźđŻđđŽđśđťđ˛đą đşđ˛đżđ°đ, đđľđŽđ đśđť đşđ˛ đłđśđżđđ đđ˛đđđ đđľđżđśđđ đşđśđ´đľđ đđľđźđ đłđźđżđđľ đŽđšđš đšđźđťđ´đđđłđłđ˛đżđśđťđ´, đłđźđż đŽ đ˝đŽđđđ˛đżđťâŚâ (đ đ§đśđş. đ:đđ˛).
đđ˝đľđ˛đđśđŽđťđ đŻ:đŽ đđł đđ˛ đľđŽđđ˛ đľđ˛đŽđżđą đźđł đđľđ˛ đąđśđđ˝đ˛đťđđŽđđśđźđť đźđł đđľđ˛ đ´đżđŽđ°đ˛ đźđł đđźđą đđľđśđ°đľ đśđ đ´đśđđ˛đť đşđ˛ đđź đđźđđđŽđżđą:
Paul calls this new message âthe revelation of the mysteryâ â
Information âkept secret since the world began.â (Rom. 16:25)
đđźđťđ°đšđđđśđźđť
What Peter didnât know at Pentecost, Paul later revealed;
That Christ would appear once more before His second coming,
not to bring wrath, but to unveil grace.
Before Christ returns to reign over Israel,
He first appeared to Paul to form a new, heavenly Body â the Church, the Body of Christ.
Thatâs why Paul could say:
> âđ§đľđ˛ đ´đżđŽđ°đ˛ đźđł đđźđą đđľđŽđ đŻđżđśđťđ´đ˛đđľ đđŽđšđđŽđđśđźđť đľđŽđđľ đŽđ˝đ˝đ˛đŽđżđ˛đą đđź đŽđšđš đşđ˛đť.â (đ§đśđđđ đŽ:đđ).
And thatâs why his message is called
> âđđľđ˛ đđźđđ˝đ˛đš đźđł đđľđ˛ đ´đżđŽđ°đ˛ đźđł đđźđą.â (đđ°đđ đŽđŹ:đŽđ°).
