Red Moon and Falling Stars Over a Ruined Cityby KandD
2:30Joel 2:30
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
It foretells startling displays in sky and on land involving bloodshed and fire and columns of smoke, set as forerunners of the great and dreaded day of the Lord when its coming is near and Christ is soon to appear. At Pentecost only the outpouring of the Spirit took place, with none of those wonders then seen, so the prediction was not used up at the opening of the gospel era. It spans the Christian age from the apostles' time to the final day, partly fulfilled then and more fully coming to light afterward, and it stands with the darkening of the sun and the reddening of the moon and signs among the stars witnessed in events like the dark day of May 19, 1780. Those wonders come in connection with God pouring out His Spirit on all people, so that sons and daughters and old and young and servants prophesy and see visions and dream dreams, and the return of that prophetic gift marks the last days as one of the clearest tokens of the approaching end. Before that day stands the assurance that all who call on the name of the Lord will be rescued, with safety in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and among the remnant He calls, even to those far off.
Wonders Before the Day
The verse foretells wonders in the heavens and on the earth — blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke — set as signs and precursors placed before the great and terrible and notable day of the Lord. These wonders belong with the near approach of that day and are to be witnessed shortly before Christ comes, standing alongside the outpouring of the Spirit and the promise of deliverance to those who call on the Lord. They were announced in connection with the preaching of the gospel and with prophetic visions, and they point toward the close of the present age.
Those wonders of blood, fire, and smoke were not recorded or seen at Pentecost, where only the pouring out of the Spirit was fulfilled. The prophecy was therefore not all fulfilled or exhausted at the beginning of the gospel age, and its great events and its day remain future. The day of the Lord itself did not come then, but reaches forward to the deliverance of God's remnant.
The prophecy applies to the Christian age and extends from the outpouring of the Spirit to the coming of the final day. It was partly fulfilled in the apostles' days and is to be more fully evident in a later time, when God pours out His Spirit and His people shine as a light amid moral darkness. It has been and still is fulfilling, with its great events pointing also to the close of the age.
The wonders stand together with the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood and signs in the stars. They are identified with eighteenth-century events and especially the dark day of May 19, 1780. The moon's blood-red appearance was not a literal change into blood, just as the sun was not literally turned to darkness. The whole prophecy belongs to the last days as special signs of the last days, reaching forward to the future day of the Lord and the deliverance of God's remnant.
Spirit, Deliverance, and Application
The wonders of blood and fire and pillars of smoke come afterward and in connection with God pouring out His Spirit on all people and with the preaching of the gospel, standing among the signs that accompany the manifestations of the Holy Spirit toward the close of the present age. Peter connected this prophecy with the outpouring at Pentecost and applied it to the events surrounding Pentecost, placing the wonders and signs in heaven and on earth before the great day of the Lord. That Pentecost outpouring came with a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filling the house, with cloven tongues like fire sitting upon each disciple, and with speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. Peter's declaration that this was that spoken by Joel identifies that event as the prophecy's fulfillment, and the Lord works in His own way in that fulfillment.
That outpouring means sons and daughters prophesy, old men dream dreams, young men see visions, and servants and handmaids receive the Spirit and prophesy, seeing visions and dreaming dreams. The wonders stand grouped together with this prophesying and with the pouring of the Spirit on all flesh, upon sons and daughters, young men, old men, servants and handmaidens. This grouping proves that the return of the gift of prophecy in the last days is one of the most noted signs of the approaching end. Its appearing shows the time has fully come for God's children to expect dreams and visions from the Lord, and they have been and still are fulfilling. The closing work must fulfill this prophecy before its close, with the manifestation of the gift of prophecy interwoven with the message from its commencement, without which the work would lack one of the tests of being the work of the last generation, and the message and this gift of the Spirit cannot be separated.
Standing before that day is the promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered, with salvation to whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord. That deliverance is in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and among the remnant whom the Lord calls, appearing alongside the outpouring of the Spirit and prophetic visions. This promise extends to all that are afar off. The verse is a promise for those who love God to keep in mind, calling them to trust God and not lean on human strength. It commands teaching all nations rather than only enlarging one's own church. The outpouring of the Spirit is special help for the church in the last days, partly fulfilled in the apostles' days and to be more fully evident later when God pours out His Spirit on His people and they shine as a light amid moral darkness. Those who do not come under the influence of the Holy Spirit do not recognize His working and mistake it for drunkenness, saying these men are full of new wine, and the same manifestation among those upon whom the ends of the world are come would meet the same mocking.
It foretells startling displays in sky and on land involving bloodshed and fire and columns of smoke, set as forerunners of the great and dreaded day of the Lord when its coming is near and Christ is soon to appear. At Pentecost only the outpouring of the Spirit took place, with none of those wonders then seen, so the prediction was not used up at the opening of the gospel era. It spans the Christian age from the apostles' time to the final day, partly fulfilled then and more fully coming to light afterward, and it stands with the darkening of the sun and the reddening of the moon and signs among the stars witnessed in events like the dark day of May 19, 1780. Those wonders come in connection with God pouring out His Spirit on all people, so that sons and daughters and old and young and servants prophesy and see visions and dream dreams, and the return of that prophetic gift marks the last days as one of the clearest tokens of the approaching end. Before that day stands the assurance that all who call on the name of the Lord will be rescued, with safety in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and among the remnant He calls, even to those far off.
Wonders Before the Day
The verse foretells wonders in the heavens and on the earth — blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke — set as signs and precursors placed before the great and terrible and notable day of the Lord. These wonders belong with the near approach of that day and are to be witnessed shortly before Christ comes, standing alongside the outpouring of the Spirit and the promise of deliverance to those who call on the Lord. They were announced in connection with the preaching of the gospel and with prophetic visions, and they point toward the close of the present age.
Those wonders of blood, fire, and smoke were not recorded or seen at Pentecost, where only the pouring out of the Spirit was fulfilled. The prophecy was therefore not all fulfilled or exhausted at the beginning of the gospel age, and its great events and its day remain future. The day of the Lord itself did not come then, but reaches forward to the deliverance of God's remnant.
The prophecy applies to the Christian age and extends from the outpouring of the Spirit to the coming of the final day. It was partly fulfilled in the apostles' days and is to be more fully evident in a later time, when God pours out His Spirit and His people shine as a light amid moral darkness. It has been and still is fulfilling, with its great events pointing also to the close of the age.
The wonders stand together with the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood and signs in the stars. They are identified with eighteenth-century events and especially the dark day of May 19, 1780. The moon's blood-red appearance was not a literal change into blood, just as the sun was not literally turned to darkness. The whole prophecy belongs to the last days as special signs of the last days, reaching forward to the future day of the Lord and the deliverance of God's remnant.
Spirit, Deliverance, and Application
The wonders of blood and fire and pillars of smoke come afterward and in connection with God pouring out His Spirit on all people and with the preaching of the gospel, standing among the signs that accompany the manifestations of the Holy Spirit toward the close of the present age. Peter connected this prophecy with the outpouring at Pentecost and applied it to the events surrounding Pentecost, placing the wonders and signs in heaven and on earth before the great day of the Lord. That Pentecost outpouring came with a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filling the house, with cloven tongues like fire sitting upon each disciple, and with speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. Peter's declaration that this was that spoken by Joel identifies that event as the prophecy's fulfillment, and the Lord works in His own way in that fulfillment.
That outpouring means sons and daughters prophesy, old men dream dreams, young men see visions, and servants and handmaids receive the Spirit and prophesy, seeing visions and dreaming dreams. The wonders stand grouped together with this prophesying and with the pouring of the Spirit on all flesh, upon sons and daughters, young men, old men, servants and handmaidens. This grouping proves that the return of the gift of prophecy in the last days is one of the most noted signs of the approaching end. Its appearing shows the time has fully come for God's children to expect dreams and visions from the Lord, and they have been and still are fulfilling. The closing work must fulfill this prophecy before its close, with the manifestation of the gift of prophecy interwoven with the message from its commencement, without which the work would lack one of the tests of being the work of the last generation, and the message and this gift of the Spirit cannot be separated.
Standing before that day is the promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered, with salvation to whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord. That deliverance is in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and among the remnant whom the Lord calls, appearing alongside the outpouring of the Spirit and prophetic visions. This promise extends to all that are afar off. The verse is a promise for those who love God to keep in mind, calling them to trust God and not lean on human strength. It commands teaching all nations rather than only enlarging one's own church. The outpouring of the Spirit is special help for the church in the last days, partly fulfilled in the apostles' days and to be more fully evident later when God pours out His Spirit on His people and they shine as a light amid moral darkness. Those who do not come under the influence of the Holy Spirit do not recognize His working and mistake it for drunkenness, saying these men are full of new wine, and the same manifestation among those upon whom the ends of the world are come would meet the same mocking.