The Spirit Guided Peter Into All Truth
Prior to his arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, Jesus told his disciples…
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16:12-14)
We learn from the words of Jesus to his disciples that:
1. Jesus had more to tell the disciples, but at that time it would be more than they could bear.
2. The Spirit of truth would guide the disciples into all truth and tell them what was to come.
Before the Spirit came, the disciples, according to Jesus, did not have a full understanding of spiritual truth and future events.
However, the Spirit would guide them into all truth and give them revelation of the events to come.
One of the truths the Spirit would guide the disciples to understand was that the kingdom of God would not be a physical kingdom but a spiritual kingdom.
Prior to his ascension, Jesus was asked by his disciples if the kingdom would be restored to Israel at this time (Acts 1:1-6).
In the minds of the disciples, at this time may have referred to Jesus restoring the kingdom to Israel:
- before Jesus’ departure
…or may have referred to Jesus restoring the kingdom to Israel
- when the Spirit descended.
Jesus responded that the times and dates to restore the kingdom to Israel were known only to the Father.
What did the disciples mean by restore the kingdom to Israel?
It is likely they were expecting Jesus to restore the nation of Israel to the greatness it once enjoyed before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.
Following this destruction, the people returned to the land of Israel and rebuilt the temple, city, and wall under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and Ezra.
However, following the rebuilding of the nation, the people and land continued to be ruled by other empires (Medo-Persian, Greece, and Roman Empires -these are the empires of Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 13:2).
The disciples asked Jesus if he, at this time, was going to restore the kingdom to Israel.
The were expecting Jesus to restore Israel to its former prominence as an independent nation and free it from Roman rule.
This takes us back to John 16:12-14 when Jesus told the disciples that he had much to tell them, but it would be too much to bear; however, the Spirit would guide them into all truth and give them revelation of coming events.
The Bible records the Spirit guiding the disciples into all truth and giving them revelation of coming events.
Peter learned from the Spirit that the kingdom would not be a physical kingdom but a spiritual kingdom that had a spiritual nation and a spiritual temple.
The spiritual nation and temple would consist of believers in Jesus.
The Spirit guided Peter to understand this truth.
Peter wrote about this temple and nation in 1 Peter 2:4-10.
Paul also wrote about the temple being a spiritual temple consisting of believers (Ephesians 2:11-22).
The apostles (disciples) of Jesus initially did not understand this truth, but Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:2-6 that the Spirit of God was now (AD 62) making it known to the apostles of Jesus.
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
This revelation of the Spirit to the apostles concerning the temple being a spiritual temple consisting of Jews and Gentiles occurred nearly 30 years after the ascension of Jesus.
It was through this revelation of the Spirit that the apostles began to understand the restoration of Israel’s kingdom would not be physical in nature but spiritual in nature.
- The kingdom would be spiritual.
- The nation would be spiritual.
- The temple would be spiritual.
The kingdom, nation, and temple consisted of people, both Jews or Gentiles, who placed their faith in Jesus.
Guided by the Spirit, Peter wrote about this spiritual kingdom, nation, and temple in 1 Peter 2:4-8 as did Paul in Ephesians 2:11-22).
This revelation of a spiritual kingdom was first revealed to Daniel in Daniel 2 when a stone, Jesus, would crush the kingdom of iron (Roman Empire) mixed with clay (first-century, old-covenant, unbelieving, Christ-rejecting Israel).
This crushing occurred in AD 70 when the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.
The stone, Jesus, would become a mountain (kingdom) that filled the earth.
This kingdom would not be built by human hands, meaning it would be a spiritual kingdom.
This kingdom would never be destroyed.
This kingdom continued filling the earth when old covenant Israel (the clay of the kingdom of iron mixed with clay) was destroyed (Daniel 9 and Daniel 12) in AD 70.
The Spirit gave Peter insight into this kingdom about 30 years after the ascension of Jesus.
The ongoing revelation of truth the Spirit guided Peter into is also seen in Acts 10 when the Spirit guides Peter to understand that the old covenant way of relating to Gentiles under the law was over, and the new covenant way of relating to Gentiles under grace had come.
Like Peter, John also received revelation from the Spirit.
John’s revelation concerned the nearness of events associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.
John wrote about this in Revelation.
If you would like to read more about the revelation John received, as well as the spiritual kingdom of Daniel 2 and the end of old covenant Israel in Daniel 9, check out my books by clicking here.
