Commentaries:
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Acts 2:14-21
It is interesting that Peter does not say that this was the fulfillment of what Joel prophesied. This is because much of Joel's prophecy was not yet fulfilled. It is easily seen that Peter understood this. He knew that it was only the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy because God's Spirit was not being poured out on all flesh. The sun and moon had not changed their appearance, and not everybody that "called on the name of the Lord" was being saved. This is something similar to what happened when Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 in Luke 4, as He began His ministry in Nazareth. He left out parts of the prophecy. Likewise, Peter recognized that the events of Acts 2 only began to fulfill Joel's prophecy.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Pentecost and the Holy SpiritRelated Topics: Holy Spirit | Holy Spirit as Gift | Holy Spirit as Power | Holy Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh | Joel's Prophecies | PentecostOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Acts 2:17:
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What Does Acts 2:17 Mean?
The pouring out of God's Spirit is universal in character and scope. The phrase "all flesh" reaches beyond a single group: all true believers receive God's Holy Spirit, which distinguishes them from the world. From the context and prophetic teaching elsewhere in the Old Testament, all Israel eventually receives God's Spirit in the Millennium, and the Gentile world will have access to it as well. Distinctions of age, shown as young and old, of sex, shown as sons and daughters, and of position, shown as menservants and maidservants, will not constitute barriers or hindrances to this gift of the Spirit.