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74 Where in Jerusalem Were the Disciples...

and the New, that the first outpouring of the holy spirit, as a result of prophecies and promises,
should have been in the Temple -- that the beginning of the building of the spiritual House should
have been on the site of the material House. Indeed, the same reasons that required that the preach-
ing of forgiveness in the name of the risen Messiah should begin “at Jerusalem,” Luke 24:47, would
seem to require also that it should begin at the Temple. So let us now ascertain whether the Biblical
record gives any definite indications as to the place where the inspiring events of the first Pentecost
after the Messiah’s death occurred.

“Continually in the Temple”

The first scripture that is relevant to this study is the concluding portion of Luke’s Gospel,
where the Book of Acts is a continuation -- written by the same hand.

Luke here records the Messiah’s commandment to his disciples to stay back in the city of Je-
rusalem until they should be endued with YEHOVAH’s power from on high, Luke 24:49. The brief
record of this verse does not state whether or not Yeshua designated any particular place in Jerusa-
lem where they were to await the promised holy spirit; but the further record given in verses 52 and
53 of what they did in obedience to the Messiah’s commands, supplies us with this information. For
we read that “they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were
CONTINUALLY IN THE TEMPLE praising and blessing [YEHOVAH] God” (Luke 24:52-53).

This passage clearly declares that the Temple was the place where they assembled for the
purpose of waiting upon YEHOVAH God in worship and prayer. And it furthermore declares that
they were there “CONTINUALLY.” Therefore, we need nothing further to tell us just where in Je-
rusalem they were assembled whenever we read of their being gathered “in one place” during that
period. We have the emphasis of the word “continually” -- which leaves no room for the supposi-
tion that they were assembled as a company in any other place than the Temple during the ten days
that followed the Messiah’s ascension to heaven. This passage alone makes it clear that Yeshua had
told them to wait in the Temple for the promised outpouring of the holy spirit.

When we consider the fact (which appears from both the Scriptures and from other contem-
porary records) that the Temple -- with its vast corridors or “porches” -- was the regular gathering
place of all the various parties and sects of the Jews, however antagonistic to each other, it will be
easy to realize that the Temple is just the place -- both because of its hallowed associations, and also
because of its many convenient meeting places -- where the disciples would naturally congregate.
Edersheim states that the vast Temple area was capable of containing a concourse of 210, 000 peo-
ple. He also mentions that the colonnades in Solomon’s Porch formed many gathering places for the
various sects, schools and congregations of the people. In commenting on John 7 Edersheim says
that the gathering places in Solomon’s Porch “had benches in them; and from the liberty of speak-
ing and teaching in Israel, Jesus might here address the people in the very face of His enemies.” It
was, moreover (and this is an important item of evidence), in Solomon’s Porch that the concourse of
Jews gathered which Peter addressed in Acts 3 -- see vers 11. Therefore, there can be little doubt
that one of the assembling places to which Edersheim refers was the “house” where the disciples
were “sitting” when the holy spirit came upon them.

The Berean Voice March-April 2003