In Acts 2:5, we read “…there were dwelling at Jerusalem JEWS, devout men, out of EVERY NATION under heaven” (Acts 2:25).

These Jews, who were scattered among other nations, had gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Pentecost. In verses 6-11, we read of the nations from which these Jews were residents.

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them SPEAK IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man IN OUR OWN TONGUE, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak IN OUR TONGUES the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:6-11).

The 120 disciples who were filled with the Holy Ghost were speaking of the wonderful works of God, and they were doing so in the languages of the nations wherein their fellow Jews were residents.

With this in mind, consider Isaiah 11:10 -11, “…in that day there shall be A ROOT OF JESSE, which shall stand for AN ENSIGN (signal, or banner) OF THE PEOPLE; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass IN THAT DAY, that THE LORD SHALL SET HIS HAND AGAIN THE SECOND TIME TO RECOVER THE REMNANT OF HIS PEOPLE, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Careful study reveals that the locations mentioned in Isaiah 11 and the locations in Acts 2 coincide with one another.

Acts 2 was the beginning of the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:10-12 as God began gathering His people, the remnant of Israel, together under one banner, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Acts 2:22, the apostle Peter addressed these thousands of Jews as, “YE MEN OF ISRAEL.”

Ye MEN OF ISRAEL, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know…(Acts 2:22).

Peter goes on to lay the culpability for the death of Jesus to the charge of the house of Israel.

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, YE HAVE TAKEN, AND BY WICKED HANDS have crucified and slain…(v.23).

Peter then tells his Jewish audience, “God hath raised Jesus up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be held by it ” (v.24).

Though they were responsible for the death of the Messiah, God had raised Him up, and in His mercy, God was gathering the remnant of those who would repent and trust in Jesus.

Peter goes on to declare how that through the resurrection of Jesus, God exalted and enthroned Jesus as the King of Israel at the right hand of God.

Therefore let all THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, BOTH LORD AND CHRIST (Acts 2:36).

The message of the resurrection of Jesus was for ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. Jesus is the Banner which the Lord God of Israel had raised up to gather the remnant of His people to Himself.

In response to Peter’s bold proclamation about Jesus, three thousand souls were added as followers of Jesus.

In Acts 2:47, these Jews who believed in Jesus were called “the church.”  They were the beginning of the New Covenant Israel, gathered together as one people in the Messiah. However, those Jews who chose to reject Jesus were, consequently, cut off from the people of God as Moses had said they would be (Acts 3:22-23).

Later, Gentiles would begin to be grafted into the covenant with the remnant of the believing Jews, but first the Gospel would continue to spread to the whole house of Israel (Acts 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 5:30-32; 8:4; 13:16-46).

Through the gospel sent to the Jew first, God raised a banner and began gathering the remnant of His people just as He had said He would.