‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.'"
(Acts 2:14, 16-18)
Now here, Peter was quoting from Joel’s prophecy regarding the advent of the Holy Spirit following the ascension of the Messiah back to the Godhead just fifty days before; having fulfilled David’s, Isaiah’s, Daniel’s, and Zechariah’s prophecies and many others regarding His historic coming. The prophet Joel prophesies the advent of the Holy Spirit in which G-d describes aspects of it that were markedly different than any other before it. But this is how Joe’s prophecy reads:
“It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
“Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
(Joel 2:28-29)
Peter, who was speaking with the authority and in the power and style of an Old Testament prophet of Israel, boldly with the other eleven Apostles, made the following declaration, adding to Joel's prophecy the following line, "'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' GOD SAYS..."
In speaking declaratively in this manner, Peter and the others (who I believe were simultaneously translating Peter's Hebrew/Aramaic into the languages spoken by the foreign Jewish pilgrims gathered and listening) that God was speaking to them through Peter and the others as they translated, and adding to this specific prophecy as only God can to His own Word, "AND IT SHALL BE” - NOT “IT IS, or “WAS” - BUT “‘IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' GOD SAYS."
That they would see these things come to pass. What things? What Joel prophesied, and that it would occur "IN THE LAST DAYS," which began with the coming of the Holy Spirit on Shavuot, because He came on that day, and Peter and the others here speaking in the name of God, or rather God speaking through them; made it clear that Joel's prophecy was just beginning to come to pass that day right before their eyes, indicating more would be upcoming “IN THE LAST DAYS.” Those words do not appear in Joel’s prophecy, but God speaking through Peter, added them when he spoke to this crowd.
The other part of Joel’s prophecy which Peter quotes, deals with the planetary supernatural manifestations that occurred the day the Messiah died, and the evidence that it did not just occur there in Jerusalem, but throughout the whole earth, and was seen far across the continent and beyond across the world, is part of recorded history (see Thallus [circa 52 A.D.] and Julius Africanus’ debate that it was more than an eclipse), but here is alluded to by the fact that Peter uses Joel’s prophecy as well to remind his audience, many of whom were either there in Jerusalem or were travelling to the holy city for the festivities, had witnessed these when they occurred fifty days before.
Commenting on this prophecy of Joel’s which Peter here quotes in his Jewish New Testament Commentary, Dr. David H. Stern writes of this prophecy:
“17-21 In the Last Days, in Messianic times, Kefa explains that the Last Days have already begun (see MJ 1:2, 1C 10:11, 1 Ke 1:20). They are continuing now (1Yn 2:18, Yd 18); and they will culminate in a Last Day (Yn 6:39ff.. 12:48), here called the great and fearful Day of Adonai (compare Rv 1:10&N).
The sun will become dark. This one of Joel’s portents occurred: the sun became dark when Yeshua was hanging on the execution-stake (Mt. 26:45). But the others, spoken at length in the book of Revelation, are meant for the future.
Whoever calls upon the name of the Adonai will be saved (cited also at Ro. 10:13). This is the key sentence of Joel’s prophecy. The rest of Kefa’s speech shows that one can call on Adonai for salvation only by acknowledging Yeshua as the Messiah.”
(David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, page 223, Jewish New Testament Publications, Copyright 1992, Clarksville, Maryland)
As Dr. Stern observes above, Peter made it quite clear that calling on the name of God can only now be done by acknowledging God through Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah. This is why Peter later declares, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Joel’s prophecy makes it clear that anyone – Jew or Gentile – who would call upon the name of the Lord, would be saved and would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and be imparted by the Holy Spirit, as the Apostle Paul writes in the Holy Spirit:
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of the Messiah.
(1Corinthians 2:6-16)
This is why Paul exhorts us to put on the mind of the Messiah, to literally consciously and deliberately put Him on daily as one puts on their clothes, where he writes in the Holy Spirit, But put on the Lord Jesus the Messiah, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. (Romans 13:14) Because if and when we do, there is no room or desire to do anything else but serve God and worship Him with every fiber of our being, and doing so fulfill the commandment. (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12) I quote:
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
(Romans 13:8-10)
In the passage above, Paul has under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit already given instructions on how believers ought to conduct themselves with the governing authorities, and towards one another, affirming what the Lord Jesus the Messiah teaches (John 15:12-17) and those who keep these commandments of His, abide in His love and bear much fruit (John 15:1-11), that the aim of all of God’s commandments is accomplished in one act: to love a neighbor – not even a brother, but a neighbor – as one self, which is the more excellent way Paul describes in his First Letter to the Corinthians. (2Corinthians 12:31b, 13:1-8, 13) It is this most excellent way that the Lord says distinguishes His true followers from everyone else. In His own words, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) It is in this love that we are to serve God by serving one another. God has given us His Holy Spirit to anoint and enable us for this service. God imparts His Holy Spirit with a specific gift for a specific service to God, just as we read:
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Messiah, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
(Romans 12:4-8)
And each person is given a specific gift from God through the Holy Spirit, and not two are the same, but every servant his or her responsibility within the body of believers, as Paul makes clear again here. Note, he does not say that any of these gifts had ended or were seen less in his day. That contention is nothing but a Cessationist invention, and does not appear in Scripture. I quote:
Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.
(1Corinthians 7:7)
Further on in his description of these gifts which the Holy Spirit imparts individually to each member of the body for service, Paul explains that no two gifts are the same, and that because one person has one or more specific gift does not mean that another person is to receive the same gift or gifts. But that there are variety of gifts and variety of ministries, and variety of effects, but that one and the same Spirit works all these things, imparting them as God wills for His service. Take note, not one gift is said to be contemporaneous to that era, otherwise Paul would have made that clear. The gifts imparted by the same Holy Spirit when the Last Days began after Messiah’s ascension and the advent of the Holy Spirit, and are to continue to His return. This is why when Paul wrote his letter describing these gifts, he used this language. I quote:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
(1Corinthians 12:4-11)
Next, Paul describes the hierarchy of the members of a congregation in the order of importance and authority, followed by the various gifts put to service within the body to meet the needs of its membership. And note, he asks rhetorically whether everyone is an apostle, or a prophet, or a teacher, or works miracles, or effect miraculous healings, or speak in other languages (be they angelic or foreign), or whether they are all imparted with interpreting these other languages and tongues. But rather than proscribe them, he encourages his readers to desire the greater gifts. And rather than describe the hierarchal offices as synonymous with the gifts which follow, as Cessationists interpret; Paul intentionally divides one from the other, so that such an erroneous interpretation could not be made by anyone.
The Holy Spirit correctly foresaw the day when misguided and disbelieving brethren would interpret it that way, but in order to do that, they would have to attach each office with the gifts which follow, and that is not the structure of how Paul wrote this passage, though Cessationists interpret it that way.
Now you are Messiah’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
(1Corinthians 12:27-31)
Each spiritual gift is to meet a need within the body. As Paul writes, and I quote:
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Messiah’s gift.
(Ephesians 4:7)
In two specific letters Paul strongly admonishes Timothy not to neglect the spiritual gift the Holy Spirit had imparted to him, but to rekindle it and put it to good use in his service:
Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.
(1Timothy 4:14)
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
(2Timothy 1:6)
And Peter is very bold in stating that each person within the body of Messiah make good use of what God’s grace has imparted to them in their service, and goes on to describe it this way, even admonishing that those who speak to do so as one who is speaking the very utterances of God – which is not a breach of Sola Scriptura – since Peter is not describing the cannon of Scripture here, but the affirmation of God’s Word spoken through mouth of those who preach it – the verbal quoting of Scripture and what it teaches. Also in this context for those who serve, to do so strengthened by the indwelling power of God’s Holy Spirit as He supplies in the name of the Lord Jesus to meet the need; so that in all of these things, the Father may be glorified through His Messiah, the Lord Jesus, to whom belongs glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. I quote:
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus the Messiah, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
(1Peter 4:10-11).
Now Peter’s addition of the phrase “IN THE LAST DAYS,” presaged by his use of, “GOD SAYS,” which is to say in the manner of an Old Testament prophet with the full weight and authority of it as being a direct word from God, “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” indicates that this addition or alteration to Joel’s prophecy by him was directly from God. Apart from the Book of Revelations, I don’t remember seeing anyone use the phrase, “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” or “GOD SAYS,” and then go to speak as God speaks through them in the New Testament apart from Agabus’ prophecy, except when someone like Paul or James, or Peter or Jude and the writer to the Letter to the Hebrews quote prophecy. Even Paul’s mention of prophecies concerning Timothy, make no mention of this phrase as having been used. (1Timothy 1:18) I don't see any other instance of the use of this phrase apart from Acts 2:17, "THUS SAITH THE LORD," or "GOD SAYS," thus and thus, except right here as Peter speaks in the power of the Holy Spirit in the style and authority of an Old Testament prophet of God. Amazing!
I have read this so many times before, but I have never quite seen it this way. This destroys any claims Cessationists try to apply to God's Word and the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit by connecting the closing of the cannon with a supposed cessation of the Holy Spirit’s continued work right down to the return of the Messiah, and of course; so do stories of Christians who've experienced them have had in total refutation of the claims of Cessationists. Isn't the Lord marvelous!!!???? Praise His name!
And His Holy Spirit just shared something that I had not seen before in thirty-seven years of reading this same passage. Praise God. Peter speaking in the authority and style of an Old Testament prophet, adding this pivotal phrase - "'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' GOD SAYS..." thus, as only God can do through a true prophet, just as cannon of Scripture was beginning to be written, that “IN THE LAST DAYS” these things would come to pass. What things? “‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.'" (Acts 2:17-18)
So that even the Cessationist argument that with the closing of the cannon of Scripture the sign gifts would end; does not hold, because the cannon had not even begun to be written when Peter made this declarative and authoritative statement regarding the sign gifts, and in the process GOD HIMSELF SPEAKING THROUGH HIM, ADDED TO HIS OWN PROPHECY THESE WORDS – “AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ GOD SAYS’” – IN ORDER TO BRING HOME THE REALITY THAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT DAY RIGHT BEFORE THEIR EYES WOULD CONTINUE TO OCCUR RIGHT DOWN TO THE RETURN/COMING OF ISRAEL'S MESSIAH, AND WOULD NOT END A MOMENT BEFORE IT!!! Praise be to God!!!
The result of Peter’s speech of this prophecy and the Messiah’s Good News tells us that:
Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
(Acts 2:37-39)
When asked by the crowds what they had to do next, Peter tells the crowds gathered and listening that day that they had to repent and immerse themselves in water presumably in the mikveh baths adjacent to the entrance to the temple, just below its steps in the name of Jesus for their forgiveness of their sins, and they would receive this gift of the Holy Spirit, the manifestations of which they had just witnessed that day. And it is also how Peter ends his exposition of this prophecy and its fulfillment by telling the crowds that the promise of the redemption and the Holy Spirit is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:39)
And we read of examples of this in the stories which follow (Acts 2:43, 3:1-10, 5:1-16), even of others who were not apostles, but were deacons and evangelists – the original table bearers (Acts 6:5) – men like Philip and Stephen (and the others), who were brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. (Acts 6:6) Men who were filled with the Holy Spirit and did wonders in the Lord. Of Stephen, the biblical record tells that:
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
(Acts 6:8)
Also of Philip, we read:
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Messiah to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.
(Acts 8:4-8)
Samaria was the first place beyond Jerusalem where Samaritans – who were half-Jews – began to receive the Holy Spirit. We read:
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 8:14-17)
We read later on that an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.
“In humiliation His judgment was taken away;
Who will relate His generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.”
The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus the Messiah is the Son of God.” And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
(Acts 8:26-40)
We next read that Saul-Paulus of Tarsus, a Pharisee commissioned by the High Priest to arrest Jesus’ followers wherever he would find them, meets the risen Messiah on his way to Damascus, and later while there awaiting what God would do with him next, Jesus appears to a disciple named Ananias with specific instructions to meet with Saul-Paulus, whom he reluctantly meets and heals miraculously of his blindness caused by his encounter with the Messiah. Saul-Paulus later takes food, and is strengthened, for he had not eaten or drank water for days after his experience. (Acts 9:1-19) Immediately afterwards, people were beginning to hear Saul-Paulus boldly proclaim Jesus as Messiah in the synagogues, and the biblical record says that Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Messiah. (Acts 9:19-22)
And there is much more. We read that while Saul-Paulus, now calling himself Paul, was traveling on his way to Jerusalem with the collections he and his group from offerings they gathered on their journey as they went from congregation to congregation; they visited and stayed with Philip, whom we last left at Caesarea, by now married and with four daughters who were prophetesses. (Acts 21:8-9) It was here where next we see also Agabus the prophet, who warns Paul that his visit to Jerusalem would end with his arrest, but Paul would not be dissuaded; he had set his face to go to Jerusalem and was ready to die there if necessary. (Acts 21:10-14) Already when Paul’s ship laid anchor at Tyre, the disciples there whom he visited, kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. (Acts 21:4) These are specific examples of prophetic warnings given to someone about a particular situation that has yet not transpired, which later came to pass. (Acts 21:27-40) These prophetic utterances do not violate the concept of Sola Scriptura, because they are not an addition to the cannon of the Bible, nor do they carry the authority of prophecy, but are meant to address something between God and each individual with whom He is communicating regarding a specific need or situation.
If God had ever changed any aspect or work of the Holy Spirit since the end of what they call the Apostolic Age, He would have made it clear in His Word, and it would have made it evident by ceasing His redemptive plan for mankind. We would not be born again, and the Holy Spirit would not indwell any believer today, the Gospel would not be preached or taught because the One Sole Agent of its promulgation – the Blessed Spirit of Truth, given by the Father through Jesus the Messiah the Son – would have ceased long ago from being imparted; if indeed God has ceased from any aspect of His redemptive work, as some would have us believe. But as His Word clearly teaches, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable, (Romans 11:29) and Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Praise be to God!!!
THE PEPSTER
As a man thinks within himself, so he is.
Proverbs 23:7a
The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:33
"Do not petition G-d to go where you are going; rather find where G-d is going and travel with Him."-- Unknown Jewish Wise Man
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer not neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.".--- Author Unknown
"It’s not failure, but the fear of failure that stops most people.”-- Philip Anschutz
"THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRIGHTENING THAN ACTIVE IGNORANCE." -- Goethe
"To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Unknown Author
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life, as by the obstacles that he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker Taliaferro Washington, 1856 – 1915
“ A chief event of life is the day in which we have encountered a mind that startled us. ”— Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Truth is in history, but history is not the truth." - Nicolás Gómez Dávila
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