Around about the time of the great famine in Israel (the famine prophesied by Agabus), Herod the king decided to oppress and maltreat (vex) certain believers in the Church. 

Peter’s vision... was God signifying, that salvation is not only for the Jews but the Gentiles as well.

Peter, learns through a very strange vision from God, that salvation is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

How the Lord orchestrates this is quite amazing. 

we see the miraculous conversion of Saul.

Interestingly the name "Saul" means 'desired.'

At this point in time... what Saul was doing to the believers... he was anything but desired.

Stephen a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost has just been stoned to death by the Jewish Council. Stephen had been accused of blasphemy by accusers who were bribed and set up to say those things against him.

Acts chapter 7 is what I would call a narrative... it's in "story" form. 

Stephen preaches his defence message to the Council, who have put him on trial for blasphemy.

He goes as far back as the patriarch Abraham.

From verse 11 we have Stephen being singled out for intense persecution... resulting in his martyrdom. 

The Holy Spirit reveals and cleanses.

In the beginning of this chapter take special note of the Holy Spirit doing just this.

He reveals the sin and... He deals with the sin.

The Holy Spirit reveals and cleanses.

In the beginning of this chapter take special note of the Holy Spirit doing just this.

He reveals the sin and... He deals with the sin.

From chapter 4 onwards, we see the start of persecution of the believers in the early Church, and would you believe it, mostly from the Jewish religious leaders...

☆ Acts 4:1...

"And as they spoke unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them..."

As Peter, John continued to preach and teach the people about Jesus and the healing of the lame man, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them... came against them... opposed them.

"Money we don't have, but what we do have we give to you... In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth... rise up and walk!"

Peter tells the lame man that he has something better than silver or gold.

Money would only be a temporary fix.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come..."

God's timing is impeccable. 

There is nothing hit and miss about Him.

But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Jesus is now talking nitty gritty...He tells His disciples that they will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon them... that is, power from this Baptism with the Holy Spirit. 

The book of Acts is basically a historical account of the birth of the Church and the history of the early Church in action in the community. Acts is like a journal covering 30 years of Church history.

The Apostle John continues to describe what he sees and hears in Heaven. 

What a privilege for John to be given this task. The fact that He was in the Spirit (on the Lord's Day)... it is the Holy Spirit that gives him the edge in how to describe everything he saw and heard.

At this point in time (chapter 21 and 22)... all evil, wickedness and corruption have been done away with... Satan, the Antichrist and the false Prophet are banished forever to the lake of fire... never ever to cause problems again.

Chapters 21 and 22 are about the End of the Old Age and the Beginning of the New.

The old is done away with... the brand new is ushered in.

Some interesting points to consider regarding the Millennium...

 1 □ Firstly... There can be no Millennium until Satan is removed from the earth.

There can be no ideal state on earth while Satan is running around doing his sordid thing.

 2 □ Secondly... The curse of sin must be removed from this physical earth before the Millennium can be established. 

3 □ Thirdly... The resurrection of the Old Testament saints must take place at the beginning of the thousand years. 

In chapter 19 we turn the page to that which marks a drastic change in tone of the book of Revelation. 

The destruction of Babylon, the capital of the Beast's kingdom marked the end of the Great Tribulation. 

The sombre gives way to glorious song. 

The transfer is from darkness to light, from dreary days of judgement to bright days of blessing. 

we have commercial Babylon... which is both political and economic.

The religious Babylon is hated by kings... and is destroyed by them.

The commercial Babylon is loved by the kings of earth.

Mystery Babylon, the apostate church is destroyed first during the Great Tribulation.

When Christ returns, political Babylon will be destroyed by the judgement of God.

The two Babylons are not the one and same city.

In the next two chapters we see the judgement of two Babylons.

In chapter 17, we have the religious Babylon of the Great Tribulation.

In chapter 18 we see the commercial Babylon.

Many issues are brought to crisis point in the Great Tribulation that are difficult to keep them separated.

Many fine Bible expositors disagree on the details.

Many of these details will not be made clear until the world actually enters the Great Tribulation Period.

Questions to consider about the two Babylons:

• Are there two Babylons, and are they in two different geographical locations?

• Are they representative of two systems?

• Are they two literal cities, or are they the same?

It appears at the present time, that two distinct cities are in view.