Pentecost Foretold
Pentecost will come one day, And My Spirit will pour out On all flesh upon the earth. Languages will come about. Your sons and your daughters, too, Will prophesy decisions, And Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. I will pour out My Spirit On servants, women and men. I will call who I will choose To speak of evil and sin. I will show heaven’s wonders, And in all the earth below Blood, fire, and pillars of smoke Will arise, abound, and flow. The sun will turn to darkness, And the moon will turn to blood Before the coming great day. The day of the Lord will bud. Bud and bloom with salvation For soon it will come to be; Whoever calls on the name Of the Lord God will be free. Saved and delivered from sin. God’s spirit will come to all. Just listen, and you will hear His grace and His mercy call. (Based on Joel 2:28-32)
Who was Joel and what did he write about?
Joel was the son of Pethuel who lived around 835-800 B.C. He prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit upon all people. This prophecy is cited by Peter in Acts 2 and he explains the events of Pentecost. He promises that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Joel tells a powerful story of how sin had led Israel to disaster and judgment and yet, because of God’s mercy, there is always hope. Joel sees an image of the future “Day of the Lord.” This is a future time when God will judge unbelievers and reward the faithful.
This book explores deep and profound truths. Man’s sin and failure has caused our world to follow their own way, but God longs to show mercy to those who will own up and confess their sin. This leads us to that day when God will defeat evil, both in our world and inside ourselves, bringing His healing presence to make all things new. Joel’s message is ultimately one of hope. The hope that only God can give.
