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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain Joel 2:28:

Joel 2:28-32
Excerpted from: 'I Will Pour Out My Spirit!'

The initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church on the Day of Pentecost foreshadows a greater global outpouring yet to come. Actual evidence of God's Spirit is seen in a life of repentance, humility, and Christ-like service. And when the Holy Spirit did come and Peter stood up to preach his first great sermon, he began with the most critical text about the coming of the Holy Spirit in all the Old Testament. Peter quoted from Joel 2:28-32 about God's Spirit being poured out on all flesh, which is the central prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit. Peter's sermon on Pentecost in Acts 2 connected this prophecy to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon a people that God calls and who answer that call.

At this turn in the prophecy, as Joel begins to speak comforting words, the verses that became Peter's first sermon on Pentecost occurred. Peter referred to this text first because it was the most straightforward and obvious Old Testament prophecy of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Then with clarity and urgency, Peter linked it to what everyone in Jerusalem noted, namely the clear, powerful proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone in their own language, and Peter contended, "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel."

Peter did not say that Pentecost fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 because the signs and wonders predicted had not occurred. So when you read Joel's prophecy in context, you see that it deals with the nation of Israel in the end times in connection with the Day of the Lord. However, Peter was led by the Spirit to see an application to the church in the prophecy, and he said, this is that same Holy Spirit that Joel wrote about. It is here. Such an announcement would seem incredible to the Jews because they thought God's Spirit was given only to a select group of people, such as the patriarchs. So Peter's audience enjoyed the blessing of the same Holy Spirit that had empowered Moses, David, and the prophets. It was truly the dawning of a new age—the church age in which God would intensify His plan of salvation for humanity.

Although the heavens are mentioned first, the following order is one of ascending emphasis, beginning with events on earth, blood, fire, and smoke, and moving to signs in the sky, the sun and moon. So God will perform mighty transformations in the heaven and on earth, and it will be the great and fearful Day of the Lord. Nevertheless, the outpouring of the Spirit will result in salvation for those who call on God. And there will be those who call upon the Lord for physical deliverance and whom God will call to spiritual salvation.

So Joel emphasizes the universal nature of this gift because he shows that it is for all people as opposed to being for some only, as it had been previously. Therefore, to avoid missing this, the point is explicitly stated. It will be for the young, that is, your sons and daughters, and the old, your old men, and the strength of the nation, your young menservants, even on My servants, both men and women.

Now this is a clear and distinguishing mark of a person filled with the Holy Spirit, and it is the sense in which the words in Joel must be taken. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, or will preach or will teach. There may be prophecy in the sense of foretelling things to come. Peter, John, and Paul and some others did that. But in the sense that all will prophesy, what is involved is a proclamation of God's truth concerning Jesus as Savior. And how can a person proclaim such a thing if he or she is not living the way Jesus Christ lived, and lives?

Joel 2:28-29
Excerpted from: 'I Will Pour Out My Spirit!'

The Bible itself sometimes takes the prophecies in more than one way. And they can be applied to a then-current event in Israel, but they can also refer to a future Day of the Lord. While recognizing this, we know that many Old Testament prophecies are interpreted to us by the New Testament. So Joel 2:28-29 is a passage interpreted by the apostle Peter as applying to the events at Pentecost 31 AD as a type of what was to continue in the church down through to the end times. And then following the Day of the Lord, and when Jesus Christ sets up God's government on earth, the Holy Spirit will be poured out on many people. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit will continue through the Millennium.

Now note the time indicated in verse 28. The events set forth here are designated as "afterward." What does that mean? Does afterward mean after the crucifixion or after Christ's return? There seems to be an application to both. We find the word afterward used in Hosea 3, and there it is coupled with "in the latter days."

So it will be universal in character and scope. But does this "all flesh" mean for all believers, Israel, or mankind generally? We know that all true believers receive God's Holy Spirit. It distinguishes us from the world. From the context and the prophetic teaching of other portions of the Old Testament, we know that all Israel eventually receives God's Spirit in the Millennium, and the Gentile world will have access to it as well. So age differences shown as young and old, sex shown as sons and daughters, or position shown as menservants and maidservants will not constitute barriers or hindrances to this gift of the Spirit.

The dreams, visions, and prophecy spoken of in Joel 2:28 are the three modes previously mentioned in Numbers 12, verse 6.

So Joel 2:29 reiterates the same truth in verse 28, "I will pour out My Spirit."

Articles

As In the Days of Lot  
Lying to the Holy Spirit  
Peter's Trumpets Message—on Pentecost  
Peter's Trumpets Message—on Pentecost  
The Second Exodus (Part Three)  
Where Is the Promise of His Coming?  

Bible Studies

The Holy Spirit  

Essays

Seeds and Seasons (Part Two)  
What Is the Prophesied 'Pure Language'? (Part One)  

Sermons

The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades  
Peter's Pentecost Sermon  
Why the Last Great Day?  
Preparing While Waiting For God  
Preparing While Waiting For God  
Shrugging Off Scoffers (Part One)  
Shrugging Off Scoffers (Part One)  
The Appointed Time for Israel  
The Book of Joel (Part Two)  
The Book of Joel (Part Two)  
Lest We Forget  

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