Peter Preaching to the Crowd at PentecostBible World
2:20Acts 2:20
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
The sun turned to darkness and the moon turned to blood stand among the signs that come before the great and notable day of the Lord, as part of Joel's prophecy about the last days cited by Peter. The moon becoming blood was not a literal change in the moon itself, but its blood-red appearance seen through the darkness that followed the dark day of May 19, 1780. At Pentecost only the part about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled, while the sun and moon signs were not fulfilled then but belong to the prophecy's later fulfillment near the close of the Christian age with the latter rain and the great day of the Lord. Peter cited the prophecy to prove that the disciples speaking with other tongues was not drunkenness but the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon all flesh, with sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams, and servants and handmaidens prophesying, joined to the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The prophecy was partly fulfilled in the apostles' time and is to be more plainly and fully manifested in divine grace accompanying the closing work of the gospel, with the revival of the spirit of prophecy standing alongside the heavenly signs as marks of the approaching end that God's people must recognize and seek now.
Signs Before the Day
The sun turned to darkness and the moon turned to blood stand among the signs that come before the great and notable day of the Lord, as part of Joel's prophecy about the last days cited by Peter. That prophecy was connected with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days and with the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. At Pentecost only the promised outpouring was fulfilled, while the sun and moon signs were not seen then but belong to the prophecy's fulfillment in the last days and its end-time period near the approaching end. The prophecy was partly fulfilled in the apostles' time and is to be more plainly manifested among God's people, having special bearing on them in connection with their experience at that time. The signs have since been and are still being fulfilled, marking the time when dreams and visions may be expected and when the outpouring of the Spirit and prophetic gifts extend to the end.
The moon becoming blood was not a literal transformation, but its blood-red appearance seen through the darkness that followed the dark day of May 19, 1780. The prophecy also foretells wonders in the heavens above and signs in the earth beneath, including blood and fire and vapor of smoke and cosmic disturbances. The revival of the spirit of prophecy stands as another prominent sign of the approaching end, classed alongside these heavenly changes and the wonders in heaven and on earth.
The darkness foretold is linked to the blackness over Calvary at the crucifixion of Jesus. The people who witnessed that blackness were convicted that they had done wrong and that the accusations against Jesus were false. Many of them were thereby prepared to become converts later when Peter preached at Pentecost and explained the meaning of the cross and the Messiah.
Pentecost and Final Fulfillment
At Pentecost only the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled, while the darkening of the sun and the turning of the moon to blood were not seen then. Those heavenly signs belong to the later fulfillment of Joel's prophecy in the last days, preceding the great and notable day of the Lord. The outpouring at Pentecost was the early rain, whereas the sun and moon signs belong near the close of the Christian age with the latter rain and the great day of the Lord.
What was begun in the apostles' time was only a partial fulfillment, to be more plainly and fully manifested in divine grace accompanying the closing work of the gospel. The promised manifestation of the Spirit thus connects Pentecost with the great day of God, partly fulfilled then and to be fully fulfilled at the last. The phrase last days can denote the whole Christian age, yet that span must include its final day.
The sun and moon signs have since been and are still being fulfilled, marking the time when dreams and visions may be expected. They mark a prophesied period that God's people must recognize and, understanding they have reached it, must remain watchful. Heavenly revelations help them to recognize it, including warnings and reproofs and explanations of Scripture. This prophecy has special bearing on God's people in connection with the outpouring of the Spirit and with the church's closing experience before Christ appears, when the church will have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy.
Spirit, Salvation and Mission
Peter brought forward Joel's prophecy to answer the charge of drunkenness, showing that the disciples speaking with other tongues was the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon all flesh. In that outpouring sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions, old men would dream dreams, and servants and handmaidens would prophesy. That same outpouring was heaven's communication that Christ had been received in the heavenly courts and that His inauguration and coronation service, joined by angels and heavenly intelligences, was complete.
The promised outpouring and prophetic gifts were not confined to Pentecost but extend to the end, with dreams and visions expected in the time marked by the heavenly signs. The revival of the spirit of prophecy stands alongside the darkened sun, the blood-like moon, and the wonders in heaven and on earth as a prominent sign of the approaching end. That gift, which is the testimony of Jesus, belongs to the church's closing experience before Christ appears. The prophecy joins this outpouring to the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, with salvation offered to everyone who calls upon Him.
The verse belongs to Peter's witness on the day of Pentecost after the descent of the Spirit, when he declared the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ. There he called hearers to repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and about three thousand souls were added. Those converts continued steadfastly in doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers, continuing daily with one accord in gladness and praise. They went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour with one desire for the salvation of souls, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, and revealing Christ's love in word and deed.
That same Spirit and converting work that sent believers out to preach everywhere with thousands converted in a day is to be sought now, bringing blessing through conversion. Believers are to take up Christ's self-denying life, carry the Bible from house to house to make people hungry to hear the Word, and wake from stupor and indifference to do their part in converting sinners. They are to give the message to the world without sleeping in this judgment hour, sustained by the light given then and needed now. The first and second chapters of Acts, including this verse, are therefore to be studied because they give light for laborers. That light of heaven is to be appreciated and cherished and carried forward in a higher and broader way than ever before by men and women with a living connection with God who feel sacred responsibility to proclaim the message of present truth that prepares a people for the coming of the Lord.
The sun turned to darkness and the moon turned to blood stand among the signs that come before the great and notable day of the Lord, as part of Joel's prophecy about the last days cited by Peter. The moon becoming blood was not a literal change in the moon itself, but its blood-red appearance seen through the darkness that followed the dark day of May 19, 1780. At Pentecost only the part about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled, while the sun and moon signs were not fulfilled then but belong to the prophecy's later fulfillment near the close of the Christian age with the latter rain and the great day of the Lord. Peter cited the prophecy to prove that the disciples speaking with other tongues was not drunkenness but the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon all flesh, with sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams, and servants and handmaidens prophesying, joined to the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The prophecy was partly fulfilled in the apostles' time and is to be more plainly and fully manifested in divine grace accompanying the closing work of the gospel, with the revival of the spirit of prophecy standing alongside the heavenly signs as marks of the approaching end that God's people must recognize and seek now.
Signs Before the Day
The sun turned to darkness and the moon turned to blood stand among the signs that come before the great and notable day of the Lord, as part of Joel's prophecy about the last days cited by Peter. That prophecy was connected with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days and with the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. At Pentecost only the promised outpouring was fulfilled, while the sun and moon signs were not seen then but belong to the prophecy's fulfillment in the last days and its end-time period near the approaching end. The prophecy was partly fulfilled in the apostles' time and is to be more plainly manifested among God's people, having special bearing on them in connection with their experience at that time. The signs have since been and are still being fulfilled, marking the time when dreams and visions may be expected and when the outpouring of the Spirit and prophetic gifts extend to the end.
The moon becoming blood was not a literal transformation, but its blood-red appearance seen through the darkness that followed the dark day of May 19, 1780. The prophecy also foretells wonders in the heavens above and signs in the earth beneath, including blood and fire and vapor of smoke and cosmic disturbances. The revival of the spirit of prophecy stands as another prominent sign of the approaching end, classed alongside these heavenly changes and the wonders in heaven and on earth.
The darkness foretold is linked to the blackness over Calvary at the crucifixion of Jesus. The people who witnessed that blackness were convicted that they had done wrong and that the accusations against Jesus were false. Many of them were thereby prepared to become converts later when Peter preached at Pentecost and explained the meaning of the cross and the Messiah.
Pentecost and Final Fulfillment
At Pentecost only the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled, while the darkening of the sun and the turning of the moon to blood were not seen then. Those heavenly signs belong to the later fulfillment of Joel's prophecy in the last days, preceding the great and notable day of the Lord. The outpouring at Pentecost was the early rain, whereas the sun and moon signs belong near the close of the Christian age with the latter rain and the great day of the Lord.
What was begun in the apostles' time was only a partial fulfillment, to be more plainly and fully manifested in divine grace accompanying the closing work of the gospel. The promised manifestation of the Spirit thus connects Pentecost with the great day of God, partly fulfilled then and to be fully fulfilled at the last. The phrase last days can denote the whole Christian age, yet that span must include its final day.
The sun and moon signs have since been and are still being fulfilled, marking the time when dreams and visions may be expected. They mark a prophesied period that God's people must recognize and, understanding they have reached it, must remain watchful. Heavenly revelations help them to recognize it, including warnings and reproofs and explanations of Scripture. This prophecy has special bearing on God's people in connection with the outpouring of the Spirit and with the church's closing experience before Christ appears, when the church will have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy.
Spirit, Salvation and Mission
Peter brought forward Joel's prophecy to answer the charge of drunkenness, showing that the disciples speaking with other tongues was the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon all flesh. In that outpouring sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions, old men would dream dreams, and servants and handmaidens would prophesy. That same outpouring was heaven's communication that Christ had been received in the heavenly courts and that His inauguration and coronation service, joined by angels and heavenly intelligences, was complete.
The promised outpouring and prophetic gifts were not confined to Pentecost but extend to the end, with dreams and visions expected in the time marked by the heavenly signs. The revival of the spirit of prophecy stands alongside the darkened sun, the blood-like moon, and the wonders in heaven and on earth as a prominent sign of the approaching end. That gift, which is the testimony of Jesus, belongs to the church's closing experience before Christ appears. The prophecy joins this outpouring to the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, with salvation offered to everyone who calls upon Him.
The verse belongs to Peter's witness on the day of Pentecost after the descent of the Spirit, when he declared the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ. There he called hearers to repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and about three thousand souls were added. Those converts continued steadfastly in doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers, continuing daily with one accord in gladness and praise. They went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour with one desire for the salvation of souls, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, and revealing Christ's love in word and deed.
That same Spirit and converting work that sent believers out to preach everywhere with thousands converted in a day is to be sought now, bringing blessing through conversion. Believers are to take up Christ's self-denying life, carry the Bible from house to house to make people hungry to hear the Word, and wake from stupor and indifference to do their part in converting sinners. They are to give the message to the world without sleeping in this judgment hour, sustained by the light given then and needed now. The first and second chapters of Acts, including this verse, are therefore to be studied because they give light for laborers. That light of heaven is to be appreciated and cherished and carried forward in a higher and broader way than ever before by men and women with a living connection with God who feel sacred responsibility to proclaim the message of present truth that prepares a people for the coming of the Lord.