Part 32 of 35 Good news on the road
Fifty days after Easter, at the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on Jesus's followers with "a sound like a mighty rushing wind" and what looked like flames of fire resting on each of them (Acts 2:2–3). Peter told the crowds about Jesus: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38). About three thousand people believed that day.
Soon the good news spread beyond Jerusalem. An angel sent Philip, one of Jesus's followers, to a desert road. There an official of the queen of the Ethiopians was riding home in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth" (Acts 8:32).
The official asked who the prophet was talking about. "Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus" (Acts 8:35). When they came to some water, the official was baptized, and he "went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39).
Bible Chariots of fire
Long before, the prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven when "a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared… and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind" (2 Kings 2:11).
Imagined The chariot
No one in this city is ever in a hurry, so the golden chariot is for slow, happy rides, with room for a friend to sit beside you and talk.
Real world The kingdom of Kush
The "Ethiopians" of the Bible came from the kingdom of Kush, along the Nile south of Egypt, in what is now Sudan. Kush was often ruled by powerful queens with the title kandake, or Candace. Its city of Meroë is famous for about 200 small, steep pyramids.
Real world Real chariots
Light chariots with spoked wheels were first made about 4,000 years ago and spread across Asia, Egypt and Europe. You can find out how Egyptians and Romans used them in the Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome worlds of this atlas.
Art In this artwork
The illustration shows a small golden chariot with blue seats, pulled by a white horse.
Look closer
- Find the white horse.
- Where could a friend sit beside the driver?
Think about it
- What was the official reading when Philip met him?
- Why do you think he wanted to be baptized right away?
- Who could you tell some good news to?
Key words
- Pentecost
- A feast fifty days after Passover, when the Holy Spirit came on Jesus's followers.
- Official
- A person with an important job in a government.
- Chariot
- A light two-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses.
Sources
Bible quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible, which is in the public domain. The other facts on this page come from these sources:
- The Bible, Acts of the Apostles
- The Bible, 2 Kings
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Kush"
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Chariot"
