Part One….
Joel 2:28
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions."
Pour – Original Transliterated Hebrew word is "Shaphak" which means to pour, pour out, spill...to pour, pour out; to shed (blood); to pour out (anger or heart),to pour out oneself.
Dreams-Original Transliterated Hebrew word is "Chalam" which means to to dream… to dream (in an ordinary, prophetic manner)….to be healthy, be strong…. to restore to health
Visions – Original Hebrew Word is "Chizzayown" vision (in the ecstatic state) ….valley of vision (perhaps fig. of
God said that in the last days that He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. This prophecy is most recognized in Joel 2:28 (above).
Highlighted in red are certain words that really bring out the true meaning of the verse(s) given. The first word highlighted below is "pour" which (according to the transliterated Hebrew) means "to pour out", "to spill out", and most notably to "shed (blood)."
God will literally pour His Spirit out on all mankind. Just as Jesus poured out and shed His Blood, so will God pour out His Spirit in the last days on all flesh. My personal take on this prophecy is that it will be God's "last attempt" to reach mankind; this will be the "last chance" that mankind has to accept God's invitation for a covenanted relationship with Him.
Other signs that will clearly define this time in history is that our sons and daughters will prophesy, the old men of our day will see dreams, and the young men will see visions.
Looking at the original translated Hebrew definitions for "will dream dreams" yield an interesting truth. The Hebrew definition of "dream" means to dream a prophetic dream (or an ordinary dream) but most interestingly to restore health. My personal observation on this definition and how it ties back into the Bible verse is that when God pours out His Spirit on all mankind, those who give their hearts to Him will have a 'restored health' of spirit. Through dreams and through visions, they will see God. They will come to know Him on a personal level; God will restore health to their hearts.
The visions that they will see (transliterated Hebrew definition can be seen below) will be not only restore health to their hearts but also give them the "Joy of the Lord" which is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Their hearts will be restored to health and will be strong because the Joy of the Lord will be their eternal life source.
ACTS 2:14,16-21
But Peter, standing up with the eleven…..[said] 16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And 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:
18and on my servants and on my handmaidens
I will pour out in those days of my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy:
19and I will show wonders in heaven above,
and signs in the earth beneath;
blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20the sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood,
before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Prophesy – Original Transliterated Greek Word, " Propheteuo" to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict,to prophesy with the idea of foretelling future events pertaining esp. to the kingdom of God….to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation…to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels
Darkness – Original Transliterated Greek- "Skotos" means the darkness of night…darkness of darkened eyesight or blindness (metaphor)..of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell …
In Acts, Peter repeats the prophecy found in Joel on the day of Pentecost. He speaks of the "last days" in which God will pour out His Spirit and many will dream dreams, have visions, and prophesy. The word "prophesy" is highlighted in red in the verse written above (Acts 2: 14,16-21).
According to the transliterated Greek word, "Propheteuo" those who prophesy will be given their revelations by "divine inspiration" and will tell "future events pertaining [especially] to the
God will provide many signs and wonders so that mankind may believe that He is the One True God and that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. The same type of miracles that Jesus performed in His day will be the same type of miracles that He will perform in our present day. God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh and provide many signs and wonders so that all mankind may know that Jesus is Who He says He is.
The miracles and wonders that Jesus performed in His day proved that He was, "a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him.." (Acts 2:22). Just as Jesus performed miracles to be "approved" by God in His day; so will He also do in the last days. He will show us many signs and wonders to that we may know that He is still a "man approved of God among [us]".
What exactly is the original definition of the word "Approved" that was understood in Jesus' day? According to the original Greek transliteration, the word "approve" is synonymous with the word "attest". The Greek definition of "attest" (approve) is "to point away from one's self, to point out, show forth, to expose to view, exhibit….to declare, to show, to prove what kind of person anyone is." God will use the miracles and wonders to "attest, declare, and [clearly] point out" that He is the Only God and that He loved humanity so much that He gave His only Son who poured out His Blood for our sins…just as God will pour out His Spirit in the last days.
Another sign of the "last days" is that there will be a great revival of mankind who are willing to receive God with all their heart, there will also be a "great falling away" (II Thessalonians 2:3). What is meant by a "great falling away"? I personally believe that this refers to those who will *not* accept Jesus….in spite of the signs and wonders. Even though this is the "last chance" for humanity to accept the Truth of God through many Divine and Miraculous Testaments….a huge number of mankind will blatantly refuse to believe.
Paul describes this "falling away" best at the end of Romans chapter 1; these verses are included below…
Romans 1:16-31
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
These men who will "fall away" will be given over to a reprobate mind. These men did not acknowledge God as the One and Only God. They rejected God at each and every turn and blasphemed His Name by their words, deeds, and actions. The types of behaviors that these above verses described in the Bible as so "vile" that "it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them. (Ephesians 5:12)." The passage from Romans 1 clearly explains what type of behaviors that are being referred to here.
In Acts 2:20, the verse begins with the phrase, "the sun shall be turned into darkness." The transliterated Greek word for darkness is "Skotos" which means "the darkness of night…darkness of darkened eyesight or blindness (metaphor)..of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell."
0 comments:
Post a Comment