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Acts 2:14–21
“These people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel” (vv. 15–16).
Upon hearing Jews from Galilee speak languages that they should not have known, some of the Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost accused the Galileans of being drunk. They were wrong, of course, since the gift of tongues on display that day was evidence of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church (Acts 2:1–13). Lest the pilgrims persist in their error, the Apostle Peter began to proclaim the truth of what was happening. The record of his Pentecost sermon begins in today’s passage.
Peter makes plain that those speaking in tongues were not under the influence of alcohol; rather, what was occurring was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel 2:28–32. Joel foresaw a day when the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh, Jew and gentile alike, so that all the people in the covenant community could have power for ministry. The hope for the full gifting of the Holy Spirit on all the church was first expressed by Moses in his desire for the Lord to put His Spirit on all the Israelites (Num. 11:26–29), but Joel’s prophecy extends this hope to all flesh, indicating that the true church of God is made up of both Jews and gentiles who trust in Jesus.
Notably, Peter says that the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy occurs in the “last days” and takes place “before the day of the Lord comes” (Acts 2:17, 20). To understand this, we must consider the Old Testament background regarding “the day of the Lord.” According to the old covenant prophets, “the day of the Lord” was a day of judgment for the enemies of God and His people and a day of salvation for the covenant community. Sometimes it refers to an instance of judgment that takes place in time, such as the fall of Babylon (see Isa. 13). Other times it describes the final day of judgment (Zech. 14). Either way, the day of the Lord was conceptualized as taking place instantaneously.
With the coming of Jesus, we learn that God has extended the day of the Lord to encompass the entire period between the first coming of Christ and His return. The Lord has lengthened the day so that all those whom He desires to save will find repentance (2 Peter 3:9). In these last days, the salvation of the covenant community takes prominence as the gospel goes forth to the nations. Divine judgment is not entirely absent, however, as we see in the example of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This event foreshadowed the final judgment to come when Jesus returns (Matt. 24–25).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Matthew Henry comments that these days “are called the last days because the [administration] of God’s kingdom among men, which the gospel sets up, is the last [administration] of divine grace, and we are to look for no other than the continuation of this to the end of time.” The era of the new covenant church is the last era in which mankind can find salvation, so we must call people to trust in Jesus and must believe in Him ourselves before it is too late.
For further study
- Jeremiah 46
- Zephaniah 1:14
- 2 Timothy 3:1
- Hebrews 1:1–4
The bible in a year
- Genesis 27–28
- Matthew 10:26–42