Acts 2:14-21. Speaking to the crowd, some of whom think the apostles are drunk, Peter assures them that they are not, and that what is happening is what was prophesied by the prophet Joel. He then goes on to quote Joel who said that in the last days God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh and everyday people, both young and old, will prophesy, see visions, and have dreams.. And God will show wonders in the heavens and signs on the earth. Before the last day comes, there will be blood and fire and smoke on earth, the sun will go dark, and the moon will turn to blood, and whoever calls upon the Lord's name will be saved.

Peter is absolutely right, of course, Joel's words are applicable to what is happening to the apostles. The Spirit has been poured out upon them and they are prophesying in ways that they can't even really understand. This the beginning of the Church - and it starts with a bang! But Joel also was prophesying about the last days, and Peter, and the others, can be forgiven for thinking that what is happening to them means that they are very close to the end. Joel's prophecy talks about what will happen before the last day, and Peter and the other apostles are experiencing the front end of that. So of course they thought the last days would be soon, Joel's prophecy somewhat lumps them together. And Jesus Himself said that He would be coming back soon.

But 2,000 years later, we know that God's time is not our time. We know that Joel's prophecy is accurate and correct, but we also know that what was happening to the apostles was in fact the beginning of the Church, and that the last days of earth are not as close to that in time as Joel's words might make them sound.

We still don't know when the last day will come, but we are told to observe the signs of the time, and we can definitely see that, once again, something big is happening. Everyday people are having visions and dreams, and many are prophesying. See, for example, Mark Mallet, Glenn Beck, and a myriad of others. I myself have been having dreams and visions and have been getting what I call "messages." I had to discern, at first, from where these are coming, and get good guidance. But I am certain of them now, I know them by their fruit.

So once again, God is pouring His Spirit down on all flesh. This can only mean that something big is happening, much like it did at Pentecost. I cannot wait to see what it is!

(First published 12/18/2022)