Who among us has not been told there were 120 people in an upper room on the day of Pentecost? Do you realize it does not say there were 120 people in an upper room anywhere in Acts Chapter two?
This passage is a completely different thought and a completely different day than the previous chapter.
The disciples numbered were about 120 to elect Matthias as the replacement disciple for Judas. (Acts 1:15-26) The number required to assemble a Jewish council is 120. This may explain the count of men.
Where were they on the day of Pentecost? Acts chapter two starts a completely new thought and a completely different day than chapter one! It says, “When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one accord in one place”. It does not say there were 120 in an upper room.
Why would Jews who traveled to Jerusalem from great distances (many with different languages) be gathered in an “upper room” on the special day of Pentecost? Wouldn’t they be in the Jewish Temple?
Then a rushing mighty wind filled the whole house. The same Greek word “oikos” translated “house” in (Acts 2:2), was actually translated “Temple” in (Luke 11:51).
Did the 3,000 people baptized that day also fit into the upper room? But wait, there were more than 3,000 people because some did not receive the Word that day. (Acts 2:41)
A place large enough to hold the 3,000 or more people present that day was the Jewish Temple. Beside the huge hall, there were side rooms that could hold thousands of people. There were ceremonial washing pools that could be used for baptisms as well.
This day of Pentecost story in Acts Chapter two ends by talking about how this group met at the Temple day by day. (Acts 2:46) Then, Acts Chapter three begins with them in the Temple again. Being in the Jewish Temple for the special Jewish day of Pentecost is quite probable for Jewish disciples!
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