Spiritual Gifts

PROPHECY OF JOEL

This promise which the Father had made, and to which our Saviour here refers, must be the promise recorded in the book of Joel, for when, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out, Peter recognized it as the beginning of what was predicted by Joel. We read: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4. SGL 11.1

The mocking ones among the multitude who came together on seeing and hearing of this wonderful manifestation, said: “These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words; for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 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; and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy; and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” Acts 2:13-20; Joel 2:28-32. SGL 11.2

It is not recorded that a single thing enumerated by Joel, to be produced by the Spirit, took place on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit was, however, poured out on that day, and there was a wonderful manifestation of the gift of tongues. In Joel’s prediction of what should result from the outpouring of the Spirit, nothing was said about tongues. Tongues is, nevertheless, one of the operations of the Spirit of God, as well as those directly specified in Joel’s prophecy, and all were to be seen in the work of the Spirit. The time covered by this prophecy of Joel reaches down to the close of probationary time-even to the “great and terrible day of the Lord.” SGL 12.1

The “last days” must include the very last day of the last days, which would take in the last day of probationary time. Hence this prediction of Joel relates to the work of the Spirit of God-the Comforter-as it should please the Lord, “forever,” even through the entire Gospel dispensation. SGL 13.1

That this outpouring mentioned by Joel, is the “promise of the Father” to which Christ referred, is evident from Peter’s discourse. He says: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Acts 2:32-33. SGL 13.2