Today's Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti. 12/26/2021
Listen to our Bible Study Discussion at: New Wine Podcast
The first glimpse of
“new wine” theology, in the NT, is at the wedding, at Cana of Galilee, told in
Jn. 2:1-11. How appropriate! Though the term “new wine” is not used, it doesn’t
get newer than just created.
In the OT, “new wine” is
typically mentioned as an offering, in combination with, “your grain”, and
“your oil”.
In Hag. 1:9-11 however,
the Lord withheld the “new wine” and brought “drought”, “Because of My house
that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. (This is
postexilic)
What is new wine?
New wine is simply grape juice straight from the cluster. Non-fermented, and therefor non-alcoholic
juice from the grape is called new
wine in the Bible. New wine is not intoxicating.
Rabbit trail: It remains controversial whether believers
should drink fermented beverage. In Biblical times fermentation had a practical
aspect of preserving a beverage. In the modern Jewish Seder wine is used. Why
is wine permitted since it is fermented with yeast? The complicated answer is;
of the hundreds of species of yeast, the Passover prohibition only applies to
yeast which is a product of one of the following five grains: wheat, barley,
oat, spelt, or rye. Yeast which is the product of grapes, or its sugars, is not
considered chametz (leavened food). Sounds like the Pharisees to me.
Did Jesus drink wine? On
one hand, Jesus says, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say,
‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Look,
a glutton and a winebibber... “ (Matt. 11:18,19) On the other hand, Matt. 2:23
says, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Do your own math!
Back to the wedding.
In vrs. 9&10, the “master of the feast” proclaims,
“Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have
well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!
Sounds like the “latter rain”
to me.
Hag. 2:9 says, ‘“The
glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former’ says the LORD of
hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace.’ says the LORD of hosts”’
It was obvious to the
Jews returning from Babylonian captivity that the new temple that they had
constructed was in no way more glorious than Solomon’s temple.
So this is a forward
prophecy. But is it also a principle???
Joel 2:23&24 link
these types of the “latter rain” and “new wine”.
This thought also leads
to vr. 28 which brings us crashing into Pentecost of Acts 2:17-21
Is Acts the full
expression of Joel 2:28. Well, obviously not since we have yet to see, “The sun
shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood.” Peter is casting this
prophecy forward also.
The term “latter rain” was first used early in
the history of Pentecostalism, when David Wesley Myland wrote a book called
Latter Rain Songs in 1907. The Latter Rain Movement, which emerged in the
1940’s contained obvious heresies, and was denounced by the Assemblies of God
in April of 1949. But does that make is correct to throw out all its
theological precepts.
Certainly not.
Latter rain doctrine
includes much of what we embrace as Pentecostals today; Spiritual gifts,
deliverances, offices of prophets and apostles, healings, presence in worship.
Without making any
predictions, only observation, God may withhold “new wine” today because of
sin, disobedience, and heresy. But the Bible and church history teach us that
is for a season. When we move closer to the End Times, and darkness rages, He
will “pour out My Spirit on all flesh” again, because it is a principle and not
a one time event.
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