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Joel 2
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Joel promised an outpouring of the Spirit in the last days...Are we not in the last days?

Shouldn't we look to the prophecies and promises concerning this subject instead of our opinion or traditions?

Prophets and apostles for saw an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, uncluding "all flesh" (all nations) along with "sons and ...daughters..servants and ...handmaids"

Hundreds of years after Joel, when the HS filled believers on Pentecost, Peter stood before the multitude and quoted Joel's prophecy as a fulfullment of the pouring out of the Spirit.
But he changed the wording from "afterward" to "last days"

 

So there is no significance to the word changing? What was prophesied in Joel before the word "afterward"?

 

I was talking about Joel 2. What is the prophecy that came before the afterward?

 

Joel said that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit would be afterwards, referring to what he prophesied in the previous verses.

Joel promise in Joel 2 was repeated in Acts 2 with the exception of one word that can change the timing of the ourpouring based upon the verses before and afer, or the context of each prophecy.

I see a difference when compariing the timing and context of both passages.

What did Peter refer to as the "last days"?
What did Joel refer to as "afterwards", after what?

I am trying to reconcile these two and keep them in context of the passage. I am searching and sharing what I have come across, hoping someone can shed some insight into my search.

 

I guess you are now going to limit how God speaks to us through His Son!

 

If we are in the age of grace since Jesus returned to heaven..why do you want to split it up and say it is two differente ages? Apostles age and church age! It is all the same time!

 

That helped...thanks!

 

In context of Joel's prophecy when he wrote,"It shall come to pass afterward," it looks like Joel can be divided up into three chapters...
Chapter 1 is Israel's ruin.
Chapter 2 is Israel's restoration.
Chapter 3 is Irael's revival.

In Joel 2:28-29 it was predicted of the outpouring of the Spirit, Just three verses prior is the announcement of a future restoration (Joel 23-25).

When Joel said the Holy Spirit would be poured out "afterward," he was referring to after Israel experiences her greatest last days of restoration. Israel was brought back from Babylonian captivity, but there is no biblical or historical record of any from of Holy Spirit outpouring after the Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, even up to the writings of Malachi.

Just the rebuilding physically occurred (Ezra and Nehemiah.) It seems that the Joel prophecy was set for the time when Israel is a nation and the Jews return to their land, which in this setting was initiated in 1948. The Jews were scattered over the Gentile nations for 1,878 years. Israel was a nation on May 14, 1948, and restoration of the people and agricultural blessing began from this point forward. What else occured during history at this time that would show the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

 

Since most of the poster here are into history to prove their Bible doctrine...lets take a look back at 1948...

America entered a most amazing spiritual awakening, stirring all major full gospel denomination from coast to coast. Most people call this the healing revival and it continued for 7 years. Beginning the year of Israel's national restoration in 1948 and continuing until about 1955.

Nineteen years later, in 1967, that the Six-Day war started with Israel and her neighbors. Israel seized East Jerusalem from the nation of Jordan on the third day of the Six-Day War.

Does anyone know what else happened in 1967? The charismatic renewal and it was not just Petecostal or full gospel movement..it was in Catholic and nominal denomination groups.

Joel's predictions revealthat after Israel's restoration God would pour out His Spirit. Is it just a coincidence that the same year Israel was restored as a nation, a great coast-to coast revival of healing was manifested to believers and the charismatic renewal was released by the Holy Spirit?

Peter's statement on the Day of Pentecost was not the final and total fulfillment of Joel's prediction. You would have to ignore significance between the "last days" and "afterward." To relegate the Holy Spirit's outpouring to a one time initial event in Acts chapter 2 misses another important portion of Joel's prophecy, where Joel speaks of the "former rain, and the latter rain" Joel 2:23.

James 5:7 also brings this up..