by Timothy W. Burnett
Peter explained that what they saw was that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, "'And it shall come to pass in the last days,' said 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 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.'" (Acts 2:17-18).
The event that occurred on that day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:4 launched the start of the "last days." Before that time, it was never available for anybody to be filled with the spirit of God because Jesus Christ had not yet ascended to his Father. On the day of Pentecost, the spirit of God was poured out into the world. Verse 2 says, "there came a sound as of a rushing mighty wind."this must have been the exact moment the holy spirit was poured out. The ability to prophecy is directly tied to being filled with the spirit of God.
Continuing with Peter's explanation, "'And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the eath 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 2:19-20). The last days must end when "that great and notable day of the Lord comes." This period of time is also known as an administration. Some areas address the events of the actual day, and others use the phrase for the whole period of time leading to that day.
Throughout the administration known as "the Lord's Day" it will be available for people to be filled with the spirit of God. The record in Revelation refers to many saints who will suffer greatly and even die during the seven years of great tribulation. The meaning of the word "saint" is no different from the references to saints in the Epistles. Even as I write this column, it is still available for people to become saints.
Acts 2:21, "And it shall come to pass, that who ever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." To be saved meant to be delivered or rescued from something. To understand what they would be saved from, we need only look at the previous verses 19-20. It can only refer to being rescued from the great and notable day of the Lord.
1Thessalonians 5:1-11 shines more light on this matter, "but of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night...But you brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief." The events of Acts 2:1-4 also launched the beginning of the administration of the grace of God, during which time it is available for God's saints to obtain salvation from facing the day of the Lord. Ephesians 3:2 refers to the administration of the grace of God. This period of time will end when Christ Jesus returns to draw the born-again brethren up to him in the clouds as recorded in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18.
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