Acts (Part 9) – Acts 2:14-17

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Acts (Part 9) – Acts 2:14-17

Acts 2:14 – But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

1. After the Holy Ghost filled the church, Peter stood up and began to preach the gospel.
   1. This is in sharp contrast to when the glory of the LORD filled the temple at its dedication.
   2. At that time there were 120 priests present to worship the LORD (2Ch 5:12), just as there were 120 NT priests present in the church on the day of Pentecost (Act 1:15 c/w 1Pe 2:5, 9).
   3. At that time, the priests could not stand (2Ch 5:14).
   4. After Jesus had purified His people by dying for them on the cross (Tit 2:14), they were able to stand in His holy place (Psa 24:3-4; Psa 130:3-4).
2. Peter went from cowering in fear when being identified as one of Jesus’ disciples (Mat 26:69-75) to boldly taking the lead and preaching to the mockers.
3. A practical lesson can be gleaned from Peter’s example. When you need to address a crowd:
   1. Stand up.
   2. Raise your voice so that people can hear you (and use a microphone if it’s available).
   3. Address the crowd.
   4. Ask them to direct their attention to you and listen to what you have to say.

Acts 2:15 – For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

1. Some of the mockers who heard the apostles and other church members speaking in tongues tried to deny the miracle that they saw by claiming the men were drunk and speaking foolishness (Act 2:13).
2. Peter countered their statement by pointing out that it was but the third hour of the day.
3. The Jews counted time from sunrise, so the third hour would be approximately 9:00am.
4. Peter’s argument was essentially: “what kind of people would be drunk at 9:00am?”

Acts 2:16 – But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

1. What happened on the day of Pentecost was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel given hundreds of years (between 400-800) earlier.
2. Peter goes on to quote Joel 2:28-32 in the following verses (Act 2:17-21).
3. Peter said that “this is that,” not “this is part of that,” which Joel prophesied of.
4. The prophecy of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the church and its attendant prophecy, visions, tongues, signs, wonders, and miracles was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
   1. A 40-year period of signs and wonders commenced when Jesus Christ began doing miracles at the beginning of His earthly ministry (Mic 7:15 c/w Act 7:36 c/w Joh 2:11).
   2. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the church, which empowered them to speak with tongues, prophesy, etc., was part of the 40-year prophesied period of signs and wonders.
   3. The Holy Spirit was also poured out on Gentile believers at a later time, which was likewise a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Act 10:44-46; Act 11:15-17).
   4. None of Joel’s prophecy has yet to be fulfilled, nor was its fulfillment postponed for hundreds of years after the day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:17 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

1. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
   1. Joel wrote, “And it shall come to pass afterward…” (Joe 2:28), and Peter quoted him as saying “And it shall come to pass in the last days.”
   2. By stating that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled at that time (Act 2:16), Peter was stating that it was “the last days” at the time he was speaking.
   3. The “last days” began when Jesus Christ the Son of God was born into this world (Heb 1:2).
   4. It has been the “last time(s)” since the 1^st century (1Pe 1:20; 1Jo 2:18).
   5. Earth history is divided into three time periods.
      1. 1^st time period: Creation until the law of Moses (Rom 5:14)
      2. 2^nd time period: the law of Moses until John the Baptist who announced the arrival of the Messiah (Luk 16:16)
      3. 3^rd and final time period: the arrival of the Messiah until the end of this world (Heb 1:2; Mat 28:19-20)
2. I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
   1. This was the giving of the Holy Spirit, who is likened unto water, to the church (Joh 7:37-39).
   2. The “all flesh” refers to all of God’s believing elect, both Jew and Gentile (Act 2:1-5; Act 11:15-17).
   3. The “all flesh” is not all mankind, but God’s servants (Act 2:18).
3. and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
   1. The result of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the church was the gift of prophecy, visions, and revelation.
   2. This was one of the gifts of the Spirit that was given to the early church in the first century (1Co 12:7-10, 28).