Book of Joel Chapter 2 Vs. 28

 

The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

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: Joel 2:28

to pass afterward... Afterward—after the restoration of Israel, as in Joel 2:18-27.

pour out my... Three great outpourings of the Holy Spirit:

1. On the day of Pentecost and many years following this day (Acts 2:1-28:31)

2. During the future tribulation (Joel 2:28-32; Act. 2:16-21)

3. During the Millennium (Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Eze, 36:26-27; 39:29; Zec. 12:10)

The Spirit was also poured out upon Christ in fullness (Isa. 11:1-2; 42:1; 61:1; Mat. 3:16; 12:18; John 3:34; Act. 10:38). Believers may have the fullness of the Spirit at any time during this present age (Mat. 3:11; Luke 24:29; John 7:37-39; Act. 1:4-8; 2:33, 2:38-39; Gal. 3:13-14; 1Cor. 12:1-31; Eph. 1:17-19; 3:16-21).

daughters shall prophesy... Women are not excluded from spiritual gifts and powers (Act. 2:16-21; 1:14; 2:1-21; 21:9; 2Cor. 11:1-33-14). See Act. 21:9.

The abundance of material blessings would be followed by the outpouring of spiritual blessings. When coupled with the other temporal phrases within the passage (“in those days” (verse 29), and “before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes” (verse 31), the term points to a Second Advent fulfillment time frame.

Since the context is “your sons and daughters,” “all mankind” best refers to the house of Israel only. The nations are the recipients of God’s wrath, not the effusion of His Spirit (3:2, 9).

The following is a confirmation of this very Scripture.

Acts 2:16-17 "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:"

It was very important for this to be in two different Scriptures, because by two a thing is established. The word that prophecy was translated from means to speak by inspiration. This is made available to all flesh, male and female. We can see from this that spiritual dreams and visions, are also from God.

Promises of a Glorious Future

This concluding section of the Book of Joel develops more fully the eschatological element of the Lord’s promise (cf. See Joel 2:19-20; “afterward” in Joel 2:28; “in those days” in Joel 3:1; “in that day” in Joel 3:18). The deliverance experienced by Joel’s generation foreshadowed that of the end times. The day of the Lord, so narrowly averted by Joel’s repentant contemporaries, will come in full force against the enemies of God’s people (perhaps foreshadowed by the northern army of Joel 2:20). The promises of Joel 2:19-27 will find their ultimate and absolute fulfillment as the Lord intervenes on Israel’s behalf (Joel 2:28-32), decisively judges the nation’s enemies (Joel 3:1-16, 3:19), and securely establishes His people in their land (Joel 3:1, 3:16-18, 3:20-21).

Spiritual renewal and deliverance

The Lord announced that His “day” (Joel 2:31) would be accompanied by an outpouring of His Spirit on all people (lit., “all flesh”). The following context indicates that “all people” refers more specifically to all inhabitants of Judah (cf. the threefold use of your in Joel 2:28, as well as the parallel passages in Eze. 39:29; Zec. 12:10). This will be true regardless of age, gender, or social class (Joel 2:29 is better trans. “and even on the male and female servants”; cf. NASB).

At that time recipients of the divine Spirit will exercise prophetic gifts (will prophesy… will dream dreams, and will see visions) which in the past had been limited to a select few (cf. 1Sam. 10:10-11; 19:20-24).