Shalom, everyone. Can we please turn together to Acts, the book that we are studying for a while. Today, we are reading from Acts chapter 5, from verse 17 to 42. Verse 17. Then the high priests rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught.

"But the high priests came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying, "The prison truly found we shut with all safety." "And the keepers standing without before the doors, but when we had opened, we found no man within." "Now when the high priest, and the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow." "Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people." "Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence.

For they feared the people, as they should have been stoned." "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked them, saying, "Did not we straightly commend you that you should not teach in this name?" "Behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We are to obey God rather than men.' "The God of our fathers raised up Yeshua, whom ye slew and hang on a tree." "Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." "And we are his witnesses of these things.

And so is also the Holy Spirit whom God has given to them that obey him." "When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and to counsel to slay them." "Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put apostles forth a little space." "And said unto them, 'Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves, what ye intend to do as touching these men.' "For before these days rose up Thaddeus, boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves, who was slain.

"And all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered and brought to naught." "After this man rose up Judah of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him, he also perished, and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed." "And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught. "But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest happily ye be found even to fight against God." "And to him they agreed. And when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go.

"And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. "Daley in the temple, and in every house, they cease not to teach and preach Yeshua the Messiah." What a wonderful passage in Acts chapter 5. And really this passage that we just read now, really deals with the second persecution of the assembly in the city of Yerushalayim. They have experienced already the first persecution earlier in chapter 4. And now we have the second persecution of the believers in Yeshua the Messiah in the city of Jerusalem. Now you can see that things began to develop. The believers now starting really to feel the pressure from their brethren, the pressure from the leaders of Israel.

And only because they believed that Yeshua was the promised Messiah of Israel. In our last session together, dealing with the book of Acts in chapter 5, we saw in verses 12 to 16 that by the hands of the apostles there were many signs and wonders had been made. People have been coming to know the Messiah through the preaching of the apostles. In fact, what we find out, that they were continuing in Solomon's porch in the temple. And that many were added unto the Lord. You remember that? Verse 14. Believers were added unto the Lord. Multitude, both men and women. In as much, brothers and sisters listen, in verses 15 and 16, that people brought the sick into the streets.

Made them on beds and couches. That at the least, even the shadow of Peter passing by might ever overshadow some of them. Now they thought there was something even unique with Peter as if he is like a miracle worker. And we have said that it is not Peter the one that is really being the miracle worker. It is God who using the apostles, using the disciples in the presentation of the message of the gospel, but accompanying the message were healing and blessing to the people around. In fact, the last verse we have talked about in verse 16 of Acts 5. Multitude came out of the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them which were vaxxed with unclean spirits, and every one of them was healed.

You see, Jerusalem was the center, Jerusalem. The cities from without heard about these apostles, and they brought all the sick, and they brought all the people that had, as it says here, unclean spirits, and they brought them to the apostles. And the apostles, the sign and the wonders that God had given to them to accompany the preaching of the message of the Messiah, the apostles were used by God to even heal many who came physically, but the important thing that we want to see here, that it is the spiritual healing that these people have received when they have trusted Yeshua the Messiah. And so here we are now in our passage today, and in this passage in Acts chapter 5, now from verse 17, the beginning of the second persecution.

Last night in our Bible study, in John chapter 18, we were talking about persecution. We were talking about the fact that when Yeshua was captured in the garden of Gatshmanim, Gatshemeni, and he was taken by the leaders and then brought to the home of Caiaphas, and how Peter at that time denied the Lord three times. I do not know him. They asked him, you are one of his disciples. He says, I am not. Three times, because of fear, Peter denied the Messiahship of Yeshua, denied that he knew Yeshua the Messiah. But now, beloved brothers and sisters, in the power of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit of God, we can see the power that he had given to them to enable them to stand firm and to testify to their own nation, Israel, that Yeshua is the Messiah.

And so, look at this. Now, in verses 17 here, as we have read, to verse 28, we see the apostles are being arrested, and then the involvement of God in assisting them through an angel. Now, the apostles, I want you to understand that this time, when they were arresting the apostles, they didn't only arrest Peter and John. Earlier, in chapter 4, they took Peter and John, but this time, they have taken all the apostles. Look, it says here in verse 17, And when the high priest, this is Annas, rose up, and all they that were with him, which is of the sect of the Sadducees, they were filled with indignation, and they laid their hands on the apostles.

This is not only Peter and John this time. And they put them in common prison. Now, let's just again emphasize here in this passage, that you will notice again the name of the Sadducees rising up to the forefront. You see, the high priest, Annas, he says all those that were with him, which is of the sect of the Tzedukim in Hebrew. We call it tzeddikim, tzeddukim. The Sadducees, they were called tzeddukim because of the word righteous ones. They were righteous ones. In fact, in their own sight, of course, they were righteous. But nevertheless, they sought to live a righteous life. And that's why they were called tzeddukim, the righteous one.

In the same word that we have in Genesis concerning Noah, he was a just man. Now, he was not just a perfect man, but nevertheless, he sought to live a life for God. But the Sadducees had a problem that they did not believe in the resurrection, as we have already mentioned before. They did not believe in angels. They did not believe in the spirit realm. And when the apostles were preaching the message concerning the resurrection of the Messiah, it troubled them. It undermined their doctrine, their teaching. And so because they did not believe in the resurrection, and because they didn't believe in the spirit realm and in angels, they were threatened.

And therefore, they were the ones that instigated again and again the persecution of the Hebrew believers because they themselves were troubled because the Messiah followers were preaching about the resurrection. And then in Acts chapter 23, we read, it says in verse 6 about Paul when he perceived that one part was of the Sadducees and the other part was of the Pharisees, he cried out in the council and he says, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, and for the hope of the resurrection of the dead, I am called here into question." And then in verse 7 and 8 we read, "And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and a multitude was divided." "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and there is no angel, and there is no spirit.

But the Pharisees confessed both." So you see, the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection. They didn't believe in angels. They didn't believe in a spirit realm. And when the apostles were preaching in the land of Israel concerning the resurrection of the Messiah, that undermined the teaching of the Sadducees. And so here we see them, Annas and all they that were with him, which were of the secular Sadducees, they were filled with indignation. They were angry. They were upset. And so they laid their hands on the apostles, verse 18, and they put them in common prison. They simply took them and put them in common prison, in jail.

Now, again, those apostles didn't do anything except speak for the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. They just preached the message of Yeshua the Messiah. And so now in verses 19 on to verse 21, we see the involvement of God in the affairs of the believers in the city of Jerusalem. You know, amazing. God is always in control. When we suffer, or when we have peace, when we have easy time, or whether we have a hard time, God is always involved in the life of his people here in this world. We might not see it. We might not even understand it. But God is always involved. That's why it's important for us that even when things are good, we're never to neglect God.

We are to always acknowledge him in every area. And what happens when we acknowledge him, we bring him to be part of our life. Then there's blessings because he would love to participate in our life. And here we see they locked him in jail for the reason that they were preaching that Yeshua is the Messiah, and he rose from the dead. But they didn't realize that God is going to do something here on behalf of his people. In verse 19, 20, and 21, the first part of Acts chapter 5, we find out the involvement of God through his angel. First of all, you notice that the angel can open prison doors.

Look, it says in verse 19, and an angel, this is not the angel, because in the scripture, specifically in the Old Testament, in the Tanakh, when the word the angel of the Lord mentioned, it has a reference to the pre-incarnate Mashiach, the Messiah. Before his incarnation, before he became a man, oftentimes this expression, the angel of the Lord spoke unto him. That expression has to do with the pre-incarnate Messiah. But here it is simply an angel. An angel of the Lord by night, opened the prison doors, and brought them forth outside. Now this is amazing. Can you imagine you sit in jail, and you are there locked, and you're wondering, what am I doing here?

What have I done? Why they put me here in jail? And the angel of the Lord opening the doors, bring you out, locking back the door, and talk to you, and tell you something to do. Now, again, I would like to say that in first century, in the early days of the church age, of the assembly's age, there were miracles that have occurred that were unusual. We don't want to limit God. God can use his angel at any time, but specifically in those days, there were an additional, or supernatural involvement in the affairs of the assembly, that have occurred in the early part of the church age.

Very similar to supernatural activity of God, in the early beginning part of the nation of Israel, our own nation, there was more involvement, or evident involvement. If you read in the book of Acts, there are many times that the angels have been involved in the affairs of the assembly. You remember when Philip, in Acts chapter 8, it was an angel who told him to go up to Gaza, and there was a man in Gaza that he wanted him to speak to, and to share with him the gospel. Acts chapter 12, you find out again an angel of the Lord opened the prison door to Peter, and Peter came outside, and he brought him out to go and to share with his brethren what had happened.

An angel was involved again and again in a ministry of the people of God in the early part of the church age. Acts chapter 8, Acts chapter 10, Acts chapter 12, Acts chapter 27, And so first of all, he opened the door of the prison. And so first of all, he opened the door of the prison. Secondly, he's then sending them to preach the message. Look at this. First, when he's saying to them, go and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. He's telling them now to the apostles, you now go to the temple and preach there. Teach the people. Share with them the words of this life.

What does that mean, this life? This expression is really a Hebrew type of an expression that means to speak the words of this resurrection life. The life, the new life that one can have when they become a believer in Yeshua, the Messiah. This is what he really means. The Lord said that earlier, the Messiah himself said it in Matthew chapter 7, when he was speaking about the two ways and the two roads. You remember that? In chapter 7, verse 7, the Lord himself said in verse 13 and 14 of Matthew, Enter ye at a straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.

And many are there that go thereby, because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. And a few there be that find it. He was speaking about the life, the ways of life. You preach to these people at the temple, the words of this life. That's the beautiful thing that they needed to hear about life, the hope of life, the hope of resurrection, the hope of eternal life. You remember what Yeshua said in John 10? You remember he said, My sheep hear my voice and I know them. And I will give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. That's the words that people need to hear today.

The words of life. When we hear the news, we watch the television, look in the internet, everything we see, everything seems to be going down and down, no hope in this world. But here, the apostles were to preach and to teach in the temple that words of this life. And that's what we are called also to do. And here, he is giving them this instruction to do so. And you notice in verse 21, when they have heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. Brothers and sisters, I want to emphasize that word taught and teach. One of the important things that we need to realize is that we have the responsibility to teach others.

To teach. The object is not merely the physical things, the external experiences, but to be taught from the scripture the things concerning the promises of God. And they were teaching them. Remember? They didn't have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They didn't have Acts, Roman, 1st, 2nd Corinthians. They didn't have any New Testament scripture. What did they have? They had the Tanakh. They had the Old Testament scripture, the Hebrew scriptures. So they were standing in the temple teaching the Israelis, who were coming to the temple the words of life that God had promised in the scriptures. And then, of course, leading to Yeshua, the Messiah, the one who had given the eternal life to those who would believe in him.

So we see verse 19 and 20. In the first part of verse 21, we see the involvement of God through the angel in helping those apostles to come out of prison. And so, beautiful to see here. And now in the second half of verse 21, to verse 28, we see the gathering of the council of the Sanhedrin and the doing of the apostles. We read here that the high priest, here he is again. The high priest, it's Annas. He's very upset. He's not happy that those believers were speaking. But he was assuming that now they are in jail. So they gathered all the Sanhedrin. They brought them, it says here, the high priest came, and they that were with him, and they called the council together, and all the Senat, this is the Sanhedrin, of the children of Israel.

And they sent to the prison to have them brought back. Now, can you imagine? Here they are all gathering together now, the religious leaders of Israel, and they're sending some individuals to bring the apostles from prison because they are going out to judge them, or to condemn them for what they have done. Well, they had a surprise. They have sent to the prison, the officers came back, and they went to there and they said they found them not in the prison. And they returned and they told and they said, the prison truly we found shut. And all is safe outside. He says, the keepers are without, before the door, he says, but when we open it, we found no man within.

See, they come, they unlock the doors, while the keepers, the jailers are outside, they're opening the door, they want to bring these apostles out, so they can bring them before the council. Well, what did they find? They are not there. The people who were protecting them were outside, safe and sound. The doors were locked, but the apostles were not in jail. Well, you see, that must have been shocking to them. And we read here in these verses that when they have heard that, look, verse 24, when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priest heard these things, they doubted of them, and they said, where unto this would grow.

They were so worried. So what's going on here? And they look back and they remember when Yeshua, when the Lord Jesus, the Messiah was still alive before his crucifixion. He was the one that they ultimately have rejected, sent him to Pilate, Pilate and the Romans have crucified him. They remember these things. And now his followers are preaching that message. What's going to happen? How far will it go? They were concerned. They were worried. And that's why they asked this question in verse 24. It says, where unto this would grow. How can this happening? We told them not to preach. They went to preach again. We told them not to mention the name of Yeshua.

They mentioned it again. We locked them in jail. Now we try to find them, to put them into court and to condemn them. And we cannot even find them. How did they come out? And so they were really, really worried in these verses. We can see clearly that the concern of the leaders of Israel, of the leaders of Israel at that time. And so look what happened. It says here in the next verse, then another person came. One of them, he told them, he says, look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. You make a note in your scripture, how many times the word teaching is mentioned, or doctrine is mentioned here.

They went and taught. They were told by the angel in verse 21. And they have gone and they have taught. It says here in the temple. And now again, they found him and they said that they're in the temple teaching the people. And teaching. And by the way, that's why we are doing teaching here. Because teaching is what we need. To learn from the scripture. And by the help of God, to appropriate to our life, what we have learned. And so they were teaching the people. And so what did the captain did? What did they do? They sent officers and they brought them without violence. You see, there was still no violence up to this point.

And the reason is because that they were concerned. It says they feared the people lest they should have been stoned. The people of Israel at that time were attracted to the name of Yeshua. They were attracted to those who believe in Yeshua the Messiah. There was a work that was going on. You remember in our study up to this point, we see that there were 3,000 plus 5,000 plus more multitude plus more that have been added to the Lord and so on. There were many that now became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. And so the leaders were concerned. And so they did not want to cause problems.

So they took them from the temple gently and they brought them to the Sanhedrin to the council without to cause a problem because they were concerned that they themselves may be stoned by their own people. And so they brought them in. And now, brothers and sisters, in the next verses 27 and 28, look at these verses. Very interesting. They brought them. They set them before the council and the high priest asking them. And I want you to notice that the high priest does not even want to mention the name Yeshua. He doesn't want to mention the name Yeshua at all. He's saying in verse 28, he says, "Did not we straightly commend you that you should not teach in this name?" Notice, he doesn't say, "Didn't we commend you not to teach in Jesus' name or in Yeshua's name?" But he doesn't even mention the name Yeshua.

And by the way, I can tell you that even today, our own people do not like to mention the name Yeshua. In fact, the religious leaders of Israel throughout the history of our people do not even give the full name of Yeshua because the meaning of Yeshua means salvation. Yeshua, salvation. And so they call him, even today, they call him Yeshua. Since I was a little boy, whenever I've heard about Jesus in Hebrew, I always heard the word Yeshua. I never heard the name Yeshua fully because Yeshua is a shortcut of the name Yeshua and also abbreviation, which means may his name and may his memory be erased.

And so the name Yeshua is not mentioned. And here you can see, because they did not understand, because of the hardness of the heart, they don't mention the name Yeshua. Yeshua means salvation. The salvation that God had promised to the nation of Israel and to the nations of the world. But they don't mention it because of the hardness of the heart, because of the blindness of their eyes, and because of rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua, they don't even mention his name. He says, listen, we told you that you should not teach in this name, meaning Yeshua, without to mention his name. And that is the name that today is being hated and rejected by the whole world, the unbelieving world, and a rejection of the name of Yeshua.

You experience this in your life when you mention Jesus or Yeshua at your workplace, at your school, or wherever we are going, you find other people don't want to hear about Yeshua, about Jesus. Every other name is okay to mention, but the name of Yeshua is not like to be mentioned. And yet the Bible say, as we have read in chapter 4, "There is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved." Salvation is only through the name of Yeshua, the Messiah, who came from heaven to pay the price for our sin and our sins. And he died for us on a tree. And so they don't mention his name.

They don't like them again. The word "to teach" is mentioned in his name. In his name. And they said, "Behold," in verse 28, the second part, he says, "You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine. And do you intend to bring this man's blood upon us?" Again, the word "teaching," "doctrine." "You have filled the city of Jerusalem with your teaching." What do you think they were teaching? They were teaching the resurrection through the name of Yeshua, the Messiah. They were teaching that the Messiah has come and he had given to everyone that believed in him, given life. These are the words of life that they were preaching in the city of Jerusalem.

So the Sadducees, the one who didn't believe in angel, and God used an angel to take Peter and the apostles out. They didn't believe in the spirit realm and God is showing to them that there is a spiritual life that one can have if he or she believe in Yeshua, the Messiah. They don't believe in a resurrection. And yet God had raised his son, the Messiah, from among the dead. And so we read that they have been concerned in these verses. Verse 28 specifically, "You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and do you intend to bring this man's blood upon us?" You remember when we look back in the Gospels and when the leader says, "His blood shall be upon us and upon our children." And now again you can see, "Do you intend to bring this man's blood upon us?" And you see what happened?

They were really concerned. And so in the next verses in verse 29 to verse 30, here is the apostles who are answering to the leaders of the nation of Israel. I think it is very beautiful to see. And it is really amazing. Where do they have the boldness to do what they are doing? How could they do that? Just a little while earlier when the Messiah was crucified, we read, "Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered." They were scattered abroad. They were scared because of the fact that the crucifixion had come. Even before that, Peter denied the law three times when Yeshua was taken from the garden of Gethsemane and brought to the house of the high priest.

Now you can see the boldness. And brothers and sisters, boldness, as I mentioned before, do not come by nature here. It is the work of the Holy Spirit of God who enabled them to speak the way they are speaking. And so in those verses, you notice the witnessing now. In verse 29 and on, we find the apostle and specifically Peter, but the other apostles are mentioned. It says here in verse 29, we ought to obey God rather than men. What a statement. We ought to obey God rather than men. You have told us not to preach in the name of Yeshua. God told us to preach in the name of Yeshua.

Who should we listen to? If you remember earlier in our chapter, there was the same thought that they had to say to them in chapter 4. They also spoke with them when they told them not to preach. If you remember, they said in verse 19, you tell us what is right in the sight of God. To hearken unto you or to hearken unto God. You be the judge. And here they tell them, we are to obey God rather than men. And we are going to preach in the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Just to pause here for a moment, we have to say that many times we don't speak in the name of Yeshua the Messiah because of the fear of consequences.

Who likes to be rejected? Who likes to be persecuted? Who likes to be captured and put in jail? Nobody likes that. But the truth of the matter is that if the Lord gives us the boldness, he will enable us to speak in the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Otherwise, we are not willing to do so because of the consequences that comes along with the preaching the name of Yeshua the Messiah. And so they said this to them, we are to obey God rather than men. And then look at what Peter is saying now. The God of our fathers. And I love that so much because Peter never distinguished himself as not being a Jew, as not being part of the family of the nation of Israel.

He says the God of our fathers. Who is the God of our fathers? This is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is the God of those Pharisees and the Sadducees. And he is the God of the fathers of those apostles as well. They were all from the same nation. He says listen, the God of our fathers raised up Yeshua, whom you have slew and hung on a tree. Because now instead of him being accused, he turned this around and he is accusing the leaders. And he is saying to them, listen, you and I, we have a God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

He is the God of our fathers. He is the one that, according to the promises of the Hebrew scripture, he raised up Yeshua, the Messiah. But you know what he is saying to them? You are guilty in slaying him and hanging him on a tree. Again, they did not hang him on a tree, but they rejected him. They gave him to Pilate. But they had the responsibility as the leaders of the nation to lead the nation to believe in a true and living God, in a Messiah. But instead, they have rejected Yeshua, the Messiah. And by rejecting him, they, in a sense, had the responsibility.

And so, we know that Yeshua, the Messiah died on a tree because of all of our sins. We all are guilty in the death of the Messiah. He came to take away the sin of this world. He came to die as a lamb to the slaughter. He was taken in order to redeem people for himself. But there was the responsibility of the leaders of Israel at that time. And that's why he's saying to them, you have slain and hang on a tree. And I want you to also notice the word tree here. It's the Greek word xylon, x-y-l-o-n, which simply means wood. There is another word that the Apostle Paul used often, the word for cross.

It's a different Greek word. But nevertheless, it simply means a tree. Peter used this in other passages. 1 Peter 2:24, he used again the word tree. That the Lord Jesus was hung on a tree. And that thought, you know, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on a tree. 1 Peter 2:24. And Paul oftentimes used the word cross. And I know that there is various views about this. Some believe that it was a piece of wood up and down and a cross to cross it. And his hands were stretched sideways. I believe his hands were stretched upwards. Whichever word, the issue is not how his hands were stretched.

The issue is that he was hung. He died on a tree there. He was punished on our behalf. That's the issue. And I'm just saying that the Greek word here, and the Hebrew word is etz, simply means tree. He was hung on a tree. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 21, the Bible says, Cursed is the man who hung on a tree. And they hung him on a tree. He became accursed for us. He was judged on our behalf. He was the just one. And we are the unjust. He was judged that we will never need to be judged. See, Peter is now telling them, Listen, God raised him.

But you rejected him. And you have slain him and hung him on a tree. And he says in verse 31, Him, God have exalted to his right hand, to be a prince and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. You see, Peter is preaching the gospel. That's what he's doing here. Preaching the death of the Messiah. He's preaching the burial and the resurrection of the Messiah. That's the gospel. He is preaching to his own brethren, the Jewish people, in this case, specifically to the religious leaders, the council. He's preaching to them the message of the gospel. And he says, Him, Yeshua, God have exalted with his right hand, to make him a prince.

The Hebrew word for prince is Sar. That's why he's called Sar El, the prince of God. Yisrael, Sar. And a savior, Moshiach. Moshiach. To give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. He gave them an opportunity, brothers and sisters, to say right there and then, God of Israel, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we acknowledge the Messiahship of Yeshua, that he died for us. And we repent. And we confess that he is the Moshiach. And we acknowledge him. And we can now can have assurance of forgiveness of sins. What an opportunity they have had. I'm sure the Spirit of God was moving there to seek to convict them to recognize the Messiahship of Yeshua.

You know, it is rather sad that we see here, what's happening here in the next verses. Peter says in verse 32, We are his witnesses of these things. And so is also the Holy Spirit whom God has given to them that obey him. See, Peter is saying to them, Look, we are witnessing to you. We know what he said. We have been with him. If you remember in Acts chapter one and verse eight, Yeshua said to them, Ye shall be my witnesses beginning in the city of Yerushalayim. And then Samaria, Judea, Samaria, and then to the uttermost part of the earth. Everything began in the city of Yerushalayim with their own brethren.

There could not be any more central place that they could have gone. Right there in the midst of the leaders of the nation of Israel. And so we are his witnesses. You notice here again and again, it's always him. God raised Jesus, Yeshua. And then him, he exalted. He made him a prince. He made him a savior. And then he said, and we are his witnesses of these things. And also the Holy Spirit of God, which has been given to those that obey him. By the way, when Yeshua, before he died, if you remember in John chapter 14, 15 and 16 in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem, Yeshua said that the Holy Spirit will come and the Holy Spirit will reside in you.

And he will teach you those things. And he will be using you, the Spirit of God, to preach the message concerning me. The Spirit will not speak of himself. He will take a mind and he will show it unto you. We have it in the Gospel of John in chapter 14, 15 and 16. John 14, 16 and 17. John 15, 26 and 27. And John 16, 7 and 8. Those are the verses that Yeshua promised the coming of the Spirit of God. And surely he came, Acts 2, formed the body of Messiah, indwelled in every believer, and used them in the preaching of the message of the Gospel. Now you will think, beloved brothers and sisters, that here is an opportunity for the leaders of Israel to turn their hearts to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Yeshua the Messiah.

What an opportunity! There will be a day, and we long for that, when the nation of Israel will come to terms with the person of Yeshua. And there is coming a day when Israel will finally recognize the struggle that has been going between the nation and the Messiah for 2,000 years already, up to now, will have to come to an end. Because there will be a day coming when Israel will fall before the Messiah. They will look upon Him whom they have pierced, and they will mourn. They will repent. They will confess as a nation, collectively and individually. The prophet Zechariah is speaking about that, chapter 12 and verse 10, speaking about the days that are coming ahead for the nation of Israel.

But here, how said? It says in verse 33, look at this, look at the response of the leaders of Israel to the message that Peter and the apostles shared with them. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart. And look at this. What did they do now? They took counsel how to slay the apostles. And look at this. You see, what happened, I want to say that, that the same sun that melted the wax is the same sun that hardened the clay. The same message of the Messiahship of Yeshua and the love of God that softened the hearts of some individuals. It's the same message that hardened the hearts of others.

Here we see the other side of the coin. If you remember, if you turn with me just for a moment back to chapter 2, Acts chapter 2. The same statement is mentioned earlier when Peter was speaking in chapter 2 and verse 36 and 37 to the nation. And he was speaking about Yeshua the Messiah. And he said in verse 36, Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Yeshua whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. Look what the people did in verse 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in the heart. Same thing. Like cut in their heart. And what did they do?

Look, and they said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? How can we deal with this situation? And Peter told them, repent! Be baptized in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins. But here, beloved brothers and sisters, with the leaders, the council, the Sanhedrin, the opposite have happened. Instead of repenting, instead of asking, what shall we do? What are they doing here? What are they doing here? They took counsel how they are going to slay them. They were more upset with them. Because right now, instead of the apostles being on trial, they were on trial.

Instead of the apostles being accused, they were accused. Because they have rejected Yeshua the Messiah. And so, their heart were pricked. But their heart, instead of being melted and broken before God with repentance and confession, instead, they took counsel how to slay them. So, here, beloved brothers and sisters, the next verses is a wise man by the name of Gamliel is coming here into the picture. It says here in verse 34 to verse 39, we see a warning that was given to the Sanhedrin by a man by the name of Gamliel. Notice that, verse 34, and then stood up one of the council, a Pharisee, by the name of Gamliel.

Now, let me tell you a little bit of Gamliel, because first of all, his name, Gamliel, simply speaking of the fact that his name meaning that my God will recompense me, or my recompense is of God. It's a Hebrew name. El, you know, is God. Ligmol, or the one who will recompense to me. What a beautiful name, Gamliel. A few things about him. First of all, Gamliel, he was a disciple of Rabbi Hillel. In the history of our people, Gamliel was a disciple of Rabbi Hillel. Rabbi Hillel was a recognized rabbi by the nation of Israel, and Gamliel simply was a disciple of Rabbi Hillel.

Secondly, he was the head of the school of Hillel. He was part of this council, but he was also the head of a rabbinical school. This Gamliel here in verse 34. Thirdly, we find out that he was a teacher. Notice that? It says there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee by the name of Gamliel. He was a doctor of the law. Apparently, he was a teacher, and he was the one that his teaching was very important for the nation of Israel. And fourthly, he was called by our people, not only Rabbi, Gamliel, but he was called Rabban, Gamliel. Rabban is a higher word. It is a higher word.

He was the rabbi of the rabbis. That's why he's called Rabban, Gamliel. He was also, by the way, the teacher that the apostle Paul, Shaul, was under him. When Shaul was, as the Pharisee, he was learning from this man by name Rabban, Gamliel. Look at Acts chapter 22 for a moment. And in the first few verses, we find out Paul saying, when he was speaking, he was speaking there concerning the fact that he was under the schooling of Rabban, Gamliel. Acts chapter 22, when Paul was speaking to the multitude, men and brethren, verse 1. And fathers, hear ye my defense, you remember after he was captured, which I make now unto you.

And when they heard him speak in the Hebrew language to them, they kept the most silence. And he said unto them, I am verily a man which am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus, in a city of Cilicia. And yet I was brought up in this city, this is the city of Jerusalem, at the feet of Gamliel. And I was taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers. And I was zealous towards God, as ye all are this day. Paul was brought up here, in the city of Jerusalem, under the feet of Rabban Gamliel. This Rabban Gamliel was a doctor of the law.

He was part of the council. By the way, he was not a sad, you see. He was a Pharisee. He was parush. He was not tzaddik or tzadduk. So, he is the one that right now here, Rabban Gamliel, is now giving, he is speaking to the council. And he is warning them when they are going to do any harm to the apostles. You see, he commended, in verse 34, to put the apostles out for a while, because he wanted to speak to the council. And in verse 35, Gamliel gave advice unto the council to be very careful. He is saying to them, men and brethren, men of Israel, take heed to yourself.

What you intend to do, touching these men. You better be careful what you are going to do to these men. And in the next verses, verses 36 to 38, he gives them two examples of the things that have happened in the past. He is saying to them, remember, before these days, in verse 36, there was a man by the name of Thaddeus. He was boasting himself to be somebody, to whom the number of men, about 400 followed, joined themselves to. But at the end, he was slain. And all those that followed him, they were scattered and brought to nothing. You remember that he was telling them? Then he gives them the second example.

He says, "After that, another man rose by the name of Judah. He was of Galilee. And in his days, there was taxing. And he drew away much people after him. And he also perished. And all, even as many as obeyed him, they were dispersed." What he is telling them, listen, he is showing to them, he says, "You better be careful what you are doing to these men, to these apostles. Because, look what happened before. There were those that elevated themselves, and at the end, they were dispersed. There was Thaddeus, with the 400. And there was Judas, or Judah, with others who followed him. At the end, they were scattered, they were dispersed.

In other words, if it is not of God, it is going to disappear. If it is of God, it is another story. And he gave them this warning. And so, in this next verse, he is saying to them, "I am saying unto you," verse 38, "Refrain from these men, and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught." Just leave them alone. Again and again, you are trying to capture them. You put them in jail. You are putting them before the council again. He says, "You better be careful. If it is for men, it is going to vanish." Rabban Gamliel knew the scriptures.

He says to them, "If it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it. Lest happily ye be found even to fight against God." Do you know, brothers and sisters, that he knew something that even though he was not a believer, we never read of him being a believer. Maybe he was a seeker. Maybe you have heard enough about Yeshua the Messiah from the time that Yeshua was still before his death alive, preaching the message, sharing the purpose of his coming. But we do not know, but maybe he was a seeker, but we don't read of him being a believer in Yeshua the Messiah. But he gave a wise counsel.

If it is of God, it will not cease. If it is of man, it will vanish away. And I think of the thought that he's saying to them, "If you are going to do harm them, you might find yourself fighting against God." And that is exactly what happened over the generations, when people are seeking to destroy the church of the assembly of Yeshua the Messiah, finding themselves at the end working against God. Because God has a purpose in raising up a company of believers in his son, Yeshua the Messiah, whom he is going to eternally bless. This is the counsel, the purposes of God. In Isaiah 46 and verse 9 and 10, God said to our people Israel, he said, "Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none else.

I am God and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient time the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." God is going to accomplish what he is intending to accomplish. Nothing will stop the building up of the church of the body of the Messiah. And as we know it very well, 2,000 years later from the time that we are studying, how many times they have already tried to destroy the church of the living God? How many times men try to end up to stop people from believing in Yeshua the Messiah?

Satan attacking the people of God, the world influence, and the flesh and the hatred towards God, the hatred towards the Messiah have never stopped the growth of the body of Messiah. Throughout the world today we have believers who believe in Yeshua the Messiah, and the body of Messiah is growing, even though it is not always functioning right, but the people are getting saved, and God's purposes will surely come to pass. And so he gave them this counsel. He said to them, "Listen, if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it." Who said that? That the seed of the church is the persecution of the believers.

The more they persecute the believers, it's like sowing seed for others to come to faith in Yeshua the Messiah. You can't overthrow it. You can't end the building of the body of Messiah. Yeshua said, "I will build my assembly and the gate of Hades shall not prevail against it." That's what he said. You can see that in spite of persecution, the people, the church, the assembly is growing. And so, finally, quickly, in the last verses here of chapter 5, verses 40 to 42, look at the action of the council and also the action of the apostles. In verse 40, they actually listened to Rabban Gamliel's council. It says in verse 40, "And to him they agreed.

And when they have called the apostles, they beaten them. They commanded them that they should not speak in the name of Yeshua, and they let them go." Notice, by the way, that it is the first time that we read of the physical beating of believers. Here we read the fact that they beat them. They hurt them physically now. It's not only speaking against them, locking them in jail, and so on, telling them not to speak in the name of Yeshua. But here we see the physical thing that had begun. They beat them. According to the law, if you read in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25, they were not allowed to give any more than 40 laps.

They were not allowed to give them any more than that. Let's just turn to Deuteronomy chapter 25 for a moment. I'll just read that. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25, in the first few verses, it says there like this: "If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto the judgment, that the judges may judge them, then they shall testify the righteous and condemn the wicked. And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number, forty stripes. "He may give him, and not to exceed it, lest if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee." In other words, forty stripes and no more.

In fact, among the people of Israel, they used to give one less, forty save one, thirty-nine, lest they exceed the amount of the beatings that they could give to them. The one that was considered evil and wrong. And so here, we see that they have beaten them, and you can see that they have taken this from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25. And after they have beaten them, they have commanded them that they should not speak in the name of Yeshua, and they let him go. Again, brothers and sisters, the issue here is Jesus, is Yeshua. The issue here is always the person of Yeshua and the resurrection.

And so, in the next verses, we see the apostles' reaction. Beautiful! It says in verse 41, "And they departed," this is the apostles, "from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing? To rejoice? You just have been in jail. You just have been captured, standing before the council. They were just beating you. But they just left, rejoicing that they will be worthy to suffer for the name of Yeshua. This amazing spiritual condition these apostles have had. And if you remember, the Lord Jesus said to them already earlier that they will suffer for his name.

He told them that in the book of John, chapter 15, verse 20 and 21, Yeshua said to them, "Remember the word that I said unto you: The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake. Because they know not him that hath sent me." Yeshua already told them that they are going to be persecuted for his name. And now it really came to pass. So, they left, rejoicing. They were happy that they were rejoicing that they could be count worthy to suffer for his name.

And look, you would think that they would go now and they would stop preaching the message. But look, the last verse of chapter 5 says, "And daily in the temple and in every house they cease not to teach and to preach Yeshua the Messiah." Every day. In the homes, in the temple, they did not stop to preach the message concerning Yeshua the Messiah. Every day, brothers and sisters. What an amazing time it must have been. Again, the temple is in Jerusalem. The people who were taught were the people of Israel, Jewish people who come to the temple. From house to house, the believers came with each other.

They met with each other. They were speaking about Yeshua the Messiah. The growing movement. The body of Messiah was growing. Believers were learning more about Yeshua the Messiah and about the truth that is found in him. And the church of Yeshua the Messiah was developing. And you and I today are only a little part of this vast, large body of Messiah where believers are everywhere in this world. And we praise God for what he has done for us. For the name of Yeshua the Messiah. May the Lord encourage us and may the Lord strengthen us and give us some measure of boldness to preach the message of the gospel of Yeshua the Messiah.