The Spirit coming to all people goes back further than Joel. Theres little to excite the imagination, to carve a stone of hope out of a mountain of despair. They are from many lands (2:7-11). This is not a redistribution of wealth, though it may be that. 8 In Joel, as elsewhere in Scripture, the day of the Lord is always represented as near. If one were to gauge the nearness of Gods coming wrath in terms of the magnitude of our sin (rather than in terms of time), I suspect that we could always say that the day of His wrath is near. Third, we learn that "all flesh" does not mean every human without exception. The people listening are amazed and perplexed and ask in Acts 2:12, "What does this mean?" It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. Instead, he quoted from the minor prophet Joel. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, The special revelation brought to the early church by the Holy Spirit through tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, etc . Already Joel said, "Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2:32). 32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. 1 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. When Peter tried to explain the strange happenings of Pentecost a wind filling the upper room, tongues as of fire on the men and women there, the inexplicable ability of people from far-flung corners of the Roman Empire to understand the words of Galilean farmers and fishers he had any number of Old Testament prophecies to appeal to. Joels description of some of the phenomena of the day of the Lord also sounds strikingly similar to some of the supernatural events at the time of our Lords death at Calvary (see Matthew 27:50-54; Luke 23:44-48). God declares, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy!". Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost Acts 2:14-15 " 14 But Peter, standing among the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them, 'Men of Judea, and all you who dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and heed my words. Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! In the same way, Jonah partially fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant by bringing a blessing to the Gentiles in Nineveh. Isaiah also uses "in that/this day" to means the last days in 7:21, 23; 10:20, 27; 11:10, 11; 26:1, 27:1, 2; and many other times. Here, we will look at the specific predictions that the prophet Joel made about the "last days." . 2:2, Rabbi David Kimchi wrote. Its hard to be dignified stuck up, arrogant, superior when youre soaking wet, caught in a downpour. 32 It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. After all, it is only nine o'clock in the morning. Peter's Trumpets Messageon Pentecost - Church of the Great God Face it. wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and (Isaiah 3:7). 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth (Acts 1:4-8). 2) What is the fuller significance of this event now, as we view it from the standpoint of New Testament revelation? CLAIM: While Joel 2:28-32 does predict the pouring out of Gods Spirit (v.17), it also predicts, And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people. These things were prophesied in the Old Testament. What will the impact of the Spirit be? "JOEL'S PROPHECY AND PETER'S CITING OF IT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST (PART 1) This is the first of two posts. It does not really seem to matter a great deal as the date of the locust plague is not indicated, nor does it have a great bearing on the interpretation and application of the message of Joel. 27 You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel. The locusts are God's army: "The Lord utters his voice before his army, and his host is exceedingly great; he that executes his word is powerful. Joel writes in the midst of crisis. As Joel indicates (Joel 2:2), this plague will be accompanied by cosmic events that are associated with the day of the Lord: The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. But for Joel the tragedy is felt most keenly because "the cereal offering and drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. Jole himself uses the phrases interchangeably. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 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. In Isaiah 1:24, it is established that this "afterward" is part of the day of God's vengeance, that is the last days or eschaton. On the other hand, in Joel 2:28 (3:1 Masoretic), it is written, , The Hebrew phrase translates as "afterwards." The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff. He might have seen Pentecost as the fulfilment of Isaiah 32:15, when a Spirit would be the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. 26 You will have plenty to eat, and your hunger will be fully satisfied; you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has acted wondrously in your behalf. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:11-13, emphasis mine). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. It's only the third hour of the day." (Acts 2:14-15). 70 0 obj And in verse 33, Peter is emphatic that the One who has poured out the Spirit is Jesus. The accompanying sound from heaven attracted a large crowd, many of whom were devoutly religious. endobj Jesus was the first-born from the dead, the first fruits, if you would, of the resurrection. While the apostles were accused of being full of sweet wine (Acts 2:13, Greek text), Joel speaks of the absence of wine, so much so that normal sacrifices were impossible: 5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep! Therefore when Joel says that God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh, he means that God will draw near to men and women and make himself known and felt in a powerful way. Indeed, Romans 1:18-32 (note the present tense in verse 18) would seem to say that Gods wrath is presently being revealed as He gives men over to a depraved mind and to a depraved lifestyle. Theres no unforgettable marriage to a prostitute, as in the book of Hosea. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Stack Exchange network consists of 182 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Those who stood before Peter witnessed some of these attesting signs: Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know (Acts 2:22). 2 Copyright 2005 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081. 67 19 new testament - In Acts 2:17 Peter says 'in the last days' but Joel To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine (Joel 2:10). The Book of Joel is a Jewish prophetic text containing a series of "divine announcements". The remainder of this section is a description of Gods wrath that is poured out in the day of the Lord upon those who have mistreated the Jews (Joel 3:1-17), as well as a depiction of the outpouring of divine blessings on Judah and Jerusalem (Joel 3:18-21). Elsewhere see Isaiah 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5; 30:3; Amos 5:18, 20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7, 14; Malachi 4:5; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10. They had the Word of God. It was a time of joy as farmers reaped the produce of their hard work. Therefore, the plague of locusts was an indication of great sin on the part of Israel, and thus also of divine indignation on the part of God. He was in no way implying that the Day of the Lord had come or was even near. (2:11). If he did not promptly get to the Scripture text, I would start reading the Scriptures for myself. has been altered to . The Discourse and Text-Critical Implications of Variation from the LXX' the number and nature of the departures from the LXX reading have led many to conclude that more is going on here than simple quotation. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Another beautiful promise of the Spirit outpoured a perfect backdrop for Pentecost. How often our knowledge of Gods Word is only partial. During his lifetime, Pettersson did not receive much appreciation for his works. Interestingly, Peter did not say that the events on Pentecost fulfilled Joel's prophecy. (Acts 2:17) points to the last act of history and claims that they are part of Gods final act of redemption. upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your The day of judgment for all the nations is surely coming (Acts 10:42; 17:31), but until then we live in what might be called a Pentecostal eraan age in which the exalted Christ is pouring his Spirit onto all flesh. 0000001709 00000 n
As I understand verse 4, it was actually a sequence of locust attacks, the end result of which was that Israel was left a barren wasteland, that was finally consumed with fire (Joel 1:19-20). 75 0 obj Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and I Will Pour Out My Spirit | Desiring God The promise of the Father was received by Jesus, and then poured out by Him. For he has given to you the early rains as vindication. I don't get it. This devastation was greater than any Israel had experienced up to this point in time: 2 Listen to this, you elders, and pay attention, all inhabitants of the land. In self defense, I established my five minute rule once he began to preach, I gave the preacher five minutes to get to his text. Why did Peter quote from the book of Joel on the day of Pentecost? Today we move forward about a week to Pentecost. It is worth noting that the three sections I have suggested follow the chapter divisions of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament the version of the Old Testament frequently cited by the New Testament writers).5. 10 To be fair, I must also point out that John 14:26 says that the Father will send the Spirit. We must not think of prophecy mainly as prediction, though it is true that those who are closest to God will know best what he is likely to do next. Why did Peter quote - Terry Parks: Pastor, Mentor, Leader | Facebook <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> 14 Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Even your post demonstrates that. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It should be noted that scholars differ greatly about when this book was written. But Peter didnt quote from Isaiah 44:3-4. He says that that (Joel 2:28) simply looks forward and declares that the events in question will happen at some time in the future. Nor will the fire fall as Joel suggests, all being merely symbols. Call upon Him who is both Lord and Christ; call upon Him who died in your place and who was raised from the dead for salvation. This is not a simple reordering of society, though it is that. It was then that the Holy Spirit came upon them in a powerful and dramatic way. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I defiled you and banished you from the mountain of God, the guardian cherub expelled you from the midst of the stones of fire. events of Joel 2, to an eschatological time, one which Peter is announcing the arrival of in Acts chapter 2. 5 In other words, Joel 3:1 in the Septuagint is actually Joel 2:28 in our English Bibles. 0000014618 00000 n
Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord (Joel 1:13-14). Tear your hearts, not just your garments! 13 Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love often relenting from calamitous punishment (Joel 2:12-13). There are Jews and converts/proselytes (2:11). Joels promise was exactly what Pentecost was all about: the shattering of every artificial boundary, every self-imposed human border, every pretense to privilege. Horizontally, the outpouring of the Spirit extends to all fleshnot just a single people group or state or nation or continent, as in the story of the elders. Ex-psychics warn parents about 'dangerous' starseeds occult belief. He might have quoted Isaiah 44:3-4, in which God promised, "or I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. (Hosea 3:4,5) For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. 78 0 obj Jesus replied, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Option 1: The Prophecy Was Not Fulfilled at All Some feel that the prophecy of Joel was not fulfilled at all on the Day of Pentecost. Upon whom do we call? 11 Be distressed, farmers; wail, wine dressers, over the wheat and the barley. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s). my spirit. The phrase from Joel appears other times in the Hebrew Bible (especially the word "afterwards") serving to show that the following prophecy would apply to the last days. We ought to give ourselves to the reading of God's word, as the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and encouraged him to do. We must respond to such salvation as Paul did in Romans 11: 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, You offspring of vipers! Nothing green remained on the trees or on anything that grew in the fields throughout all the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15). It should be noted especially that Isaiah 11:10 and 11 are a prophecy of the Messiah and the people returning. Beyond the first phrase, Peter switches the place of young and old men in the second half. When the Father puts all of the enemies of Christ under His feet, He will be honored as the One with all authority and power. Amillennial interpreters argue that Peter is spiritualizing this OT passage. What is the best way to loan money to a family member until CD matures? Clearly, Joel himself sees his phrase from 2:28, "afterwards," to be synonymous with "that day" and "coming to pass.". This Is What Was Spoken by the Prophet Joel | Desiring God 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you perverted your wisdom on account of your splendor. Joel 2:28 (LXX): 6 I would understand this to mean that Egypt never saw the likes of such devastation again. His sermon is all about this text, as I hope to show in this message. In Acts 2:17 Peter quotes Joel 2:28. When God draws near to a person by his Spirit, he does so to reveal himself. Joel sees it as a judgment from God on the people who had left the Lord. And I will shew wonders in heaven, and upon the earth, 79 0 obj This lament is for the king of Tyre (verse 12), but some of the descriptions cannot be of an earthly king. The "latter prophets" are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve so-called "minor prophets," Hosea through Malachi. Third, I have to smile as I read Acts 2 and Peters sermon because I dont believe that Peter saw the full implications of this text in Joel. God does not show partiality. They, along with the Gentiles who participated in the execution of Jesus, were responsible for His death. 15 You were blameless in your behavior from the day you were created, until sin was discovered in you. Then after he has spelled out the richness of their restoration, Joel lifts his eyes by divine inspiration to the more distant future in 2:28 and delivers God's word again: Joel had called the judgment of God in the locust plague "the day of the Lord" (2:11). The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). God the Father said to Him, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet (Acts 2:34b-35). The Discourse and Text-Critical Implications of Variation from the LXX', Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood, Statement from SO: June 5, 2023 Moderator Action. After this, Jesus was taken up into heaven, and the disciples returned to Jerusalem where they spent much time together in prayer, waiting for the promised Spirit. The fresh wine has dried up; the olive oil languishes. Instead, Satan is described. When Joel records the promise, he uses the phrase "and afterward" in verse 28 to indicate that the blessing of God's Spirit comes after God's judgment on the unbelieving people of Judah. in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew I found that some preachers had a dominant theme to which they retreated every Sunday. Peter presents evidence that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Now consider how all this explains Pentecost. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents(Pre-Trib Research Center)/Rect[418.6885 612.5547 540.0 625.4453]/StructParent 5/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> Pentecost was the Jewish celebration of the feast of weeks (Exodus 34:12; Numbers 28:26) when the first fruits of the grain harvest were dedicated to the Lord. 0000001513 00000 n
13 Get dressed and lament, you priests! Second, we learn that the great and terrible "day of the Lord," with its cosmic portents described in Joel 2, is separated in time from the preceding outpouring of God's Spirit. The outpouring of the Spirit is also cataclysmic, part and parcel of portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke, when the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. This outpouring, though more dramatic and ominous, shares with Isaiahs vision of the inspired ruler, on whom the Spirit rests, the expectation of an era when the world will shift for human beings to a world of utter justice and for the rest of creation to a world as yet unknown and unknowable, when lion will lie down with lamb (Isaiah 11:1-9). They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.". %%EOF What I often experienced was that the Scripture text was read and then never mentioned again. It was very severe; there had been no locusts like them before, nor will there be such ever again.6 15 They covered the surface of all the ground, so that the ground became dark, and they ate all the vegetation of the ground and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. It is a three-part promise. 10 The crops of the fields have been destroyed. 8 Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds, 9 for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans (Isaiah 55:8-9). By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. day of the LORD come. The book of the prophet Joel comes second in the group of minor prophets, but unlike Hosea and Amos and others, it does not tell us when it was written or when the events recorded in it happened. But this I know: it is not the Spirit; it is not the Spirit of God that seals your lips and makes you think that praise and exhortation is a private affair. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. "Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying; test everything, hold to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:1921). 8 Therefore it says, When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men. 9 Now what is the meaning of he ascended, except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? 67 0 obj (11:29). First, it is a promise that God will send His Spirit upon His people as the time of Israels restoration and blessing draws near (Joel 2:28-29). endobj Jesus instructed His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until after they had been endued with power by the Holy Spirit, according to what John the Baptist had indicated in his preaching (Acts 1:4-5). Or, to put it differently, Satan is behind many of the evils that take place at the hands of heathen kings. The text in Acts 2:17 is a quotation of the Septuagint version of Joel 2:28. Acts 1 began with the report that Jesus not only rose from the dead, but that He appeared to His disciples and others for a period of forty days, during which He taught them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-3). Is there an extra virgin olive brand produced in Spain, called "Clorlina"? It is Peters aim in our text to emphasize the work of the Son in sending the Spirit, for it is He whom they have rejected and crucified. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever (Isaiah 32:15-17, NIV). As Luke has already informed us in chapter one, the resurrected Jesus appeared to His followers for forty days, until He was taken up into heaven. Now I believe that the Scriptures are clear on this fact. "The text in Acts 2:17 is a quotation of the Septuagint version of Joel 2:28." <> The first line attributes authorship to "Joel the son of Pethuel". According to the prophet Joel, the outpouring of the Spirit signaled the nearness of the day of the Lord. This was not only a day of restoration for Israel, it was a day of judgment on all those who had mistreated His people. . This Is What Was Spoken by the Prophet Joel, John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Does the center, or the tip, of the OpenStreetMap website teardrop icon, represent the coordinate point? These changes would most likely be purposeful, and, moreover, the first change is entirely appropriate to the delivery. All Israel needed to know that God had made Jesus the Nazarene both Lord and Christ. He is looking to a day when men and women everywhere will be so filled with God that they catch visions of him in the daytime, dream about him at night, and speak of him continually with their mouths. What a magnificent vision of peace and prosperity! Return to homepage. Peter is very clear in what he is saying here in verses 33-36, and the implications are staggering. endobj The ministry of Jesus the Nazarene was attested by God the Father to be of divine origin. And the people respond to Joel's preaching with the result that God's jealousy for his people is stirred up. Why has been translated as repent in Acts 2:38? 0000000985 00000 n
Therefore Peter announces that with the coming of Jesus Christ, "calling upon the name of the Lord" means turning from all other hopes and calling upon Jesus in the act of baptism (cf. 34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, The Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet., 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.. 0000001164 00000 n
If the Palestinian fisherman was actually quoting Joel 2:28, he could be expected to be quoting the Hebrew text, which come down to us (with unknown amendments, if any) in the Masoretic text. He remained an obscure figure during his lifetime; most of his writings were unpublished for decades after his death. Joel promises much more because the scope of the Spirit includes all flesh. So saturated and soaked with God, so filled with God in the inner life that we would constantly speak to each other of the excellencies of our Maker and Redeemer and Friend. Acts 2:15 - Peter Preaches to the Crowd - Bible Hub And with the ability to speak in tongues they were able to take the gospel to the Gentiles. shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount On the one hand, it expresses his hope and assurance of eternal life.9 On the other hand, it goes beyond David, to someone greater than he, namely his Son, the Messiah. The third section begins with the text that Peter cited at the beginning of his sermon at Pentecost. Who knows whether he will not turn and repent and leave a blessing behind him?" In Joels promise of the Spirit outpoured, however, no such limit is apparent, and the unspecified introduction, afterward, suggests that Joel will not be pinned down to a historical fulfillment with specific nations. And elsewhere, regarding the phrase "in the last days" ( ) which occurs in several verses, including Isa. David was foretelling the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joel 2:28-32 (Masoretic): "And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit He quotes an Old Testament passage to explain the experience of tongues on the Day of Pentecost. Who Was Joel the Prophet and What Did He Prophesy? The sun shall be turned into Book of Joel - Wikipedia 13 Granted, a few were proselytes, Gentiles who had converted to Judaism (see Acts 2:11-12). (The Hebrew version of the latter is irrelevant for this question). Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. No echelons. Joel 1 describes a literal locust plague. Joels prophecy might not have come to mind at such a time of celebration. Wail, you who minister at the altar! Free Religious Freedom Updates. But now he sees another "day of the Lord" coming, "great and terrible" (2:31). In the Old Testament the Spirit of God is the presence of God in the world to reveal himself by some action or word. Isaiah's prophecy of the last days coming to pass (2:2) continues into chapter 3. Joel tells the drunkards to weep because all wine is now cut off since the vines are eaten and gone (1:5). 3 Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children the following generation (Joel 1:2-3, emphasis mine). Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. 68 0 obj In Joel 2, Israel is once again called to repentance, with the hope of finding mercy and compassion: 12 Yet even now, the Lord says, return to me with all your heart with fasting, weeping, and mourning. endobj Early binding, mutual recursion, closures. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. He said, "Jonathan Edwards was a thoroughly God-besotted individual." In this respect, Joel has stepped well beyond the boundaries of his traditions. The Pentecost Miracle To understand why Peter connected the events on that Pentecost with Joel's prophecy, we will need to notice two things about the miracle of Pentecost: its nature and its participants. Thus, Peter's pointis that of similarity or analogy between what. We must recognize that he in verse 33 refers to our Lord Jesus. What, then, did it mean for Jesus to be Lord? come: 21 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the He is the father of eight and grandfather of one. The sending of the Spirit could only come after, and as a result of, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. But did they obey it? 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD (Joel 2:28-31 [English]; 3:1-4 [Hebrew]).