Joel 2:28, commentary and pictures

Afterward means in the last days, which embrace the whole Christian age to its final day and are not exhausted by Pentecost, and upon all flesh means upon people of every age, station and nation, including sons and daughters, old and young, and servants and handmaids. The promise is that sons and daughters shall prophesy, young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams, with servants and handmaids also receiving the Spirit and prophesying. It received a partial early fulfillment at Pentecost as the former rain, which Peter identified as heaven's sign that Christ's work was complete and the gospel would go forth, yet that event does not exhaust it. It will reach its full accomplishment in a greater latter-rain outpouring attending the closing work of the gospel, when after long darkness God rescues many, lightens the earth with His glory, revives primitive godliness with miracles and conviction, and seals His people before the end. The spirit of prophecy with its visions and dreams is therefore among the noted signs of the last days, to be welcomed and not despised yet tested by the Word and held only as comfort and correction under the Bible, and the outpouring is to be sought, prayed for and received in unity, confession and obedience.

Wording and Setting

Afterward means in the last days, for where Joel says afterward Peter in quoting says in the last days. The last days embrace the entire Christian age through its final day and very last day, and are not exhausted by Pentecost, with the outpouring and its manifestations reaching to the end as signs connected with the approaching day of the Lord. Pentecost, when the Spirit came and believers spoke in tongues, was an early fulfillment helping the promise begin, but the fuller events with the latter rain belong near the close of the age. On one understanding only the pouring out of the Holy Ghost was fulfilled then, while sons and daughters prophesying, old men dreaming dreams, and young men seeing visions was not fulfilled on that day but is to be fulfilled in the last days, continuing until Christ appears in the clouds.

Upon all flesh means upon all kinds of people, men and women of every age, station and nation. Sons and daughters will prophesy, young men will see visions and old men will dream dreams, and servants and handmaidens, male and female servants, will also receive the Spirit in those days and prophesy. At Pentecost this came upon men and women, young and old, including God's servants and handmaids, who prophesied, saw visions, and dreamed dreams, as heaven's sign that Christ's inauguration was complete. Spiritual gifts and manifestations of the Spirit will thus be present among God's people in this age.

The outpouring follows the Lord's restoration of His people with the former and latter rain and precedes wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath. Those wonders are blood and fire and pillars or vapor of smoke, with the sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible or notable day of the Lord comes. Deliverance is promised in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, including the remnant whom the Lord shall call, directing the message of mercy to all nations and to those who have not heard it. The spirit of prophecy revived in the last days is therefore among the especial, most noted signs of the approaching end, placed together with the most prominent signs in sun and moon and stars and with wonders above and beneath.

The last days extend through those heavenly and earthly signs and the day of the Lord to the deliverance of God's called remnant, so the prophecy was not all fulfilled at the beginning of the gospel era. Its outpouring section extends from Pentecost through the coming of the great day of the Lord, and the dreams, visions, and signs of the wider prophecy did not all occur at Pentecost. The darkening of the sun and reddening of the moon before the day of the Lord is in appearance only, not the sun literally becoming dark and the moon literally becoming blood.

Fulfillment at Pentecost

The promise received a partial, early fulfillment when the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, but that event does not exhaust it. That outpouring was the former rain that helped the gospel take root, while a latter-rain outpouring near the close of the age will ripen the harvest and bring its fuller events and full accomplishment. The last days embrace the entire Christian age through its final day, and the outpouring with prophecy, dreams and visions is a sign connected with the approaching great day of the Lord and belongs especially to the closing scenes.

Peter identified what happened at Pentecost as the fulfillment of the prophecy, where Joel says afterward and Peter says in the last days. That Pentecostal outpouring was heaven's sign that Christ's inauguration was complete and that the gospel would be preached by His followers. It announced that God would pour out the Holy Spirit in connection with that preaching upon all kinds of people, with sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams, and male and female servants receiving the Spirit, joined to wonders and signs before the day of the Lord and salvation for everyone who calls on the Lord.

At Pentecost the Spirit empowered the disciples for a special work, coming upon men and women, young and old, including servants and handmaids who prophesied, saw visions and dreamed dreams, with power from on high, sound of wind and tongues of fire. More than one hundred unlearned Galileans spoke accurately in every language then present at Jerusalem. They were fitted to trace fulfilled prophecy, to teach the doctrine of Jesus, to speak of the wonderful works of the Saviour, and to unfold salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God, convicting and converting thousands as witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth.

The charge that they were drunk on new wine is false and unreasonable. It was only the third hour of the day on a solemn religious festival, before the customary meal when wine was taken, making it unreasonable that more than one hundred persons would be intoxicated at that hour. This proof convinced many who had ridiculed the religion of Jesus of its truth. The outpouring brought amazement and questioning, was defended against the charge of drunkenness, and stands joined to wonders in heaven above and signs beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke, the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and notable day of the Lord comes, when whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

On one understanding, only the part about pouring out the Holy Ghost was fulfilled at Pentecost, while sons and daughters prophesying, old men dreaming dreams, and young men seeing visions was not fulfilled on that day but is to be fulfilled in the last days. Dreams and visions are among the signs that precede the great and notable day of the Lord, and since those signs have been and still are fulfilling, the time has fully come to expect dreams and visions from the Lord, continuing until Christ appears in the clouds. God works in His own way to manifest the Spirit, and as at Pentecost those who do not come under its influence fail to recognize it and mock it as drunkenness. The same outpouring belongs to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, and it will likewise be mocked by those who do not know the Spirit's working.

Full Accomplishment at Close

The promise looks to a special outpouring of the Spirit in immediate connection with the scenes of the great day of God, partly fulfilled at Pentecost but reaching its full accomplishment in divine grace and power attending the closing work of the gospel. Pentecost was the former rain that helped the gospel take root, while the latter rain still to come ripens the harvest, and unbelief can shut persons out of this blessing meant for believers. That closing endowment is as needful then as in apostolic days, to be fulfilled even more clearly now in empowering God's people as a light amid moral darkness with great light spreading worldwide through increased faith as a thorough living experience. The great work of the gospel will not close with less manifestation of divine power than marked its opening.

Just before the second coming, after centuries of apostasy and darkness of error and superstition, God will pour out His Spirit, many will be rescued, the earth will be lightened by His glory, and the pure truths of the Bible will shine forth. In that time of heavenly illumination marking the approaching end, the gifts of the Spirit will again be manifest in the true church, with sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, and old men dreaming dreams. The latter rain will develop those gifts again as God's people return to primitive faith and practice in preparation for Christ's second advent.

The outpouring takes place in the closing work of the third angel's message when it goes forth with a loud voice and the whole earth is lightened with His glory. The revenue of glory has been accumulating for that closing work, and not one prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit has been lost but each has been kept and accumulating until it overflows as a healing flood of heavenly influence and accumulated light over the world. When the Spirit is manifestly moving upon hearts the true fruit is new developments in the work and a burning missionary spirit in all who receive it.

Before God's final judgments on the earth the promise will be fulfilled in a revival of primitive godliness such as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. Servants of God with faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven, the warning will be given by thousands of voices all over the earth, miracles will be wrought, the sick healed, and signs and wonders will follow believers. The message will be carried not so much by argument as by deep conviction of the Spirit, bringing inhabitants of the earth to take their stand, while many separate from churches where love of the world has supplanted love for God and His Word to accept the great truths proclaimed to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. To hinder the work Satan will bring a counterfeit under churches he can bring under his deceptive power, making it appear God's special blessing is poured out with great religious interest and lying wonders, when multitudes exulting that God is working marvelously are under the work of another spirit seeking under religious guise to extend influence over the Christian world.

Those living just before Christ's second appearing may expect a large measure of the Holy Spirit before the work is closed up and God's people are sealed. That special outpouring for the last days provides divine guidance, encouragement, comfort and protection amid grave dangers and powerful deception. The outpouring upon all flesh includes the gift of prophecy, without which a movement lacks one test of being the last-day work, belonging with the final message from its commencement and inseparable from it, coming through diversities of operations of the Holy Spirit as a living voice to counsel, admonish, instruct and guide. It comes while Satan works with increasing power because he knows his time is short, calling for standing on the Lord's side as loyal subjects, growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord with angels in the midst in the present fitting-up time for heaven in full obedience to all God's commandments.

The filling with the Holy Ghost at the commencement of the time of trouble enables going forth to proclaim the Sabbath more fully to God's children who do not yet see and keep it but have not rejected light upon it, so that they see clearly, come out and endure persecution with Sabbathkeepers. Then the churches and nominal Adventists are enraged because they cannot refute Sabbath truth, while sword, famine, pestilence and great confusion fill the land. The Holy Ghost is poured upon the 144,000 living saints when God speaks with a voice like many waters to give the day and hour of Jesus' coming, which the living saints know and understand while the wicked hear only as thunder and earthquake. When the time is spoken their faces begin to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses' face shone when he came down from Mount Sinai.

The early rain and latter rain are stages of this outpouring, and those who did not receive and value the early rain will fail to recognize or understand the value of the latter rain. The promise of the Comforter fulfilled at Pentecost means that after the night of weeping over Christ's death joy comes in the morning, the souls of believers thrill with the conscious presence of their ascended Lord, and with fellowship of His sufferings they share communion of His joy in bringing many sons to glory so they shall never be ashamed.

Gift of Prophecy

The outpouring places the spirit of prophecy with prophecy, visions and dreams among the especial, most noted signs of the last days and approaching end, classed together with the most prominent signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and with wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke, the sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and notable or terrible day of the Lord comes. The last days embrace the very last day, so its manifestations reach to the end and were not all exhausted at the beginning of the gospel era on the day of Pentecost. The darkening of the sun and reddening of the moon before that day is in appearance only, not the sun literally becoming dark and the moon literally becoming blood.

Prophecy is a legitimate fruit of the Spirit, for when God pours out His Spirit people prophesy, so prophesyings should not be despised but must be tested by the standards God has given in His word, holding fast what is good. Dreams from the Lord stand alongside visions as fruits of the spirit of prophecy, distinct from ordinary dreams arising from daily life and from false dreams or visions inspired by Satan, with genuineness shown by the people who receive them and the circumstances in which they are given. Visions in the last days are not a new rule of faith but are given to comfort God's people and correct those who depart or stray from Bible truth.

In the last days the Spirit manifests prophetic gifts to give the church warnings, reproofs, encouragement and knowledge of God's will of divine not merely human origin, which can convict and convert otherwise unreached people and give encouragement and strength for God's work. The remnant of the last generation will have the testimony of Jesus identified with the spirit of prophecy with all the gifts of the one Spirit, lacking no gift while waiting for Christ when fully confirmed in that testimony. The promised outpouring upon all flesh including the gift of prophecy must be fulfilled before the close of God's last-day work, and without this gift a movement lacks one of the tests of being the work of the last generation, for the gift belongs with the final message from its commencement and cannot be separated from it.

The verse does not mean that all in right relation to God will have the gift of prophecy to the same extent as those given visions, or that God will speak to each only for his own benefit, or that no one will hold a leading prophetic position while many prophesy unpublished as in Moses' time, or that all believers will have visions or prophetic experiences like a leading prophet. Stretching its claims beyond what it says prepares the way for spurious exercises, leading unbalanced minds into fanaticism and giving designing persons opportunity to further selfish purposes under religious excitement. Instruction received in vision by the help of the Spirit is to be faithfully written out as time and strength allow with only correction of grammatical errors and elimination of needless repetition, then carefully copied for the persons addressed or for the printer. Helpers may assist in copying and preparing matter for publication but are never permitted to add matter or change the meaning of the messages written out, and the many books so written bear a living witness to the divine origin of the work.

The Spirit poured out operates through a person to prophesy, directing to search the Word, to be earnest, to be careful about diet, and leading into kindness and purity of life as the result of receiving God's blessing. The appearance of counterfeit spiritual manifestations is evidence the true gifts are also at work and God is about to fulfill the promise gloriously, while unbelief quenches the Spirit and can keep people from sharing the promised blessing meant for believers. At one meeting the pouring out of the Lord's Spirit brought a vision that exposed the wrongful use of dreams and impressions to disfellowship church members.

Recipients of Promise

The promised pouring upon all flesh embraces children and youth, who will be moved to go forth and proclaim the present truth with simplicity, spirit and power. In the closing scenes of earth's history, when older workers are prevented from presenting it and when men no longer present the truth in simplicity as Jesus did, a fact seen by heavenly intelligences, these children will speak and help give the final warning to a perishing world. They will accomplish a work that older church members cannot readily do, including bearing a message that even their own parents cannot bear. God pours out His Spirit upon young men with irresistible power, sending and authorizing them to preach that the hour of judgment has come. That same promise belongs to learners in Christ's school who pray for the Spirit in order to become ministers of righteousness, and to youthful laborers of contrite heart who seek to serve as able ministers of the gospel, to whom the Spirit is given more and more in answer to prayer.

The Spirit will move people of every station, including children and those with little education, giving them a burning desire to carry truth to those in darkness. Ordinary people will be sent from their usual work to share the final message of mercy, men taken even from common labor like the plough, and all must stand ready to respond to the call to duty whatever sacrifice it requires; such workers are to be prepared and supported. From His inexhaustible store God can endow all who come to Him, so that even in large cities those practicing God-dishonoring sins in lordly houses, and many who never heard the truth or the special truths for the time, shall feel conviction as they listen to the message of startling importance. Under the preaching of the last testing message they will be convicted and converted. Those among all people and the nations who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be numbered among God's Israel and counted among His people, flourishing like grass and willows by streams and declaring allegiance to the Lord and the name of Israel.

The promise strengthens those who answer the call to bring people out of darkness and ignorance, doing a work that brings joy in heaven, and it rests especially upon those who take up their God-given work for the South when churches arouse from past sinful neglect and indifference to bring temporal and spiritual food to a long-neglected people whose hearts have become hard as stone. It is linked to the loud cry and to opportunities for colored believers to testify in large meetings and reach many, so that racial prejudice is overcome as people seek the salvation of others and love as Christ loved. The outpouring will come upon dependent, trained laborers in the short closing time, clothing them with power so the message prospers as never before, enlightens the nations with its glory, and gathers sheaves from them all for the final triumph. That powerful work, begun toward sons and daughters and servants and handmaids, continues in this age to raise humble workers throughout the world and make God's people signs of His influence amid moral darkness, refining and perfecting in character even the weak who trust God, use their abilities, and submit to the Spirit's shaping.

The promise joins the outpouring upon sons and daughters, old men, young men, and servants and handmaids to wonders in heaven and earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke, the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord, with deliverance in Mount Zion and Jerusalem and in the remnant for whosoever calls on the name of the Lord. It therefore directs those worried and troubled because efforts do not constantly enlarge the church of which they are members to teach all nations and give the message of mercy to those who have not heard it, for the Spirit and deliverance are for all whom the Lord shall call. The time of public meetings with their teaching and testimonies has been recognized as a time when God pours out His Spirit on all flesh with sons and daughters prophesying and old and young receiving dreams and visions, when a deeply moved stranger believed the promised outpouring had come and was stirred to join the people and tell his Baptist brethren what he had heard and seen.

Seeking and Living Promise

The gift of the Spirit poured upon all flesh is the great promise for the church in every age, with supplies for all, and it has been and still is the great hope and glory of God's people, especially in times of spiritual declension when ministry must stand in dignity, efficiency and power. The promise to accomplish the work of winning souls is repeated in every soul converted to the truth, so each one newly added to the church is to be educated for the work to be done for the Master. All who profess to be Christians are required to be filled with the Spirit and then to consecrate means and powers to His work, molded and fashioned to cooperate with heavenly intelligences as living, working agencies watching for souls.

The outpouring is the remedy for sin-sick souls and must be sought, prayed for and claimed, with unlocked hearts pleading to abide, prostrate at the throne of divine grace. It is to be sought in personal prayer and in united special seasons and weeks of prayer, and by those who hunger and thirst for right living, since the gift waits for asking and welcoming and is given in greatest need when God is most willing to bless. Those who seek God wholeheartedly in most earnest, humble prayer are to stand as a people endowed with the Spirit, converted, discerning duty, and leading others from sin to conversion, laying aside contention and reproof over work already done. The promise calls for seeking God's Spirit and converting power, for ministers to lead in seeking it, for certainty that seeking the Lord with all the heart brings finding Him.

Receiving it calls for trusting God and not leaning on the arm of flesh, remembering the promise to pour out the Spirit so that sons and daughters prophesy, old men dream dreams and young men see visions. The King's highway is to be cleared by prayer and confession of sin, for the Lord will surely send His Spirit as Pentecostal energy and all-conquering power to His people as they do so. Preparation is being of one accord in work and gatherings, wrestling with God in prayer, putting away sins by confession and repentance, humbling proud hearts, reclaiming backsliders, and walking in full obedience in the fitting-up time for heaven when angels are in the midst and efforts must not flag. It comes when faith lays hold on the promises with believers with one accord in one place, through increase of faith and by waiting, watching, working and pleading.

Its impartation brings the converting power of grace that softens hard hearts, melts hard loveless hearts into contrition and tenderness, awakens earnest desire for truth uncorrupted by error beyond surface truths, and fills with joy, rejoicing, cheerfulness, heartfelt testimony, singing and prayer in the Spirit. It floods the soul with softening, subduing, controlling power to hear the still small voice, heals infirmities, cures the leprosy of unbelief that makes service weak and inefficient, kindles burning zeal, and makes receivers channels through which light and grace go to the world. Holy influences multiply and combine in perfect unity to raise human efficiency to the highest standard, cleanse away a cold harsh unsympathetic spirit, manifest Christ's presence among believers, and point men to the cross of Calvary where the only-begotten Son suffers the penalty of transgression and dies in the sinner's stead so every sinner who looks may live. Even unbelievers present can see the decided change in atmosphere when the Spirit rests upon the people as latter rain in truth and righteousness with windows of heaven opened like torrential rain, while without this flooding views remain narrow and the work is retarded.

Its true fruit is new developments in the work and a burning missionary spirit in all who receive it, as when manifestly moving upon hearts as on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit works through human agents to convince the world of sin, spread the truth and bring many souls to the Lord, and the church's renewal and fruitful work come through the Spirit poured upon its members in gracious manifestation and divine power with active cooperation with God. Each believer is to look to God for the outpouring and expect it personally, with reliance on Jesus and personal experience of His Spirit rather than dependence on fallible ministers who may err. True laborers teach the leading points of faith, keep distinctly the old landmarks of the way God has led, lead hearers to seek God themselves, and thus a people are prepared to stand in the day of the Lord.

The promised giving means God empowers His people to become a light amid moral darkness, with great light spreading to all parts of the world, partly fulfilled in the apostles and to be fulfilled even more clearly now as a thorough living experience needed by all, by ministers, by medical and educational institutions and by churches. It gives freshness and power to medical missionary workers and gospel ministers bound by indissoluble ties and to churches through reconversion and reconsecration to service. It comes as Pentecostal energy and all-conquering, life-giving, renewing power and floods of spiritual power upon those prepared, ready to work through prepared people so God's glory is revealed and many are saved. It is graciously poured in abundant measure as a rich gift from heaven on those who take up the God-given work entrusted to them, including ministers and their wives.

Repeated blessings of the outpouring upon the church and workers, as upon those at Battle Creek, are meant to be cherished and to lead to spending money as God directs to carry light to wholly unenlightened fields instead of spending means to educate those who already know the truth. Ministers who go out with entrusted gifts to those in darkness gain far more knowledge of God and of Christ than by seeking additional education in schools. The giving of God's Spirit was prayed for over many ages and its fulfillment was not forgotten, for after ascending Christ would give the Spirit to believers as God's gift bringing conversion, enlightenment and sanctification.