Pentecost: Peter's Sermon (Part 1) Series

[The quotation from Joel is an example of the Law of Double Reference, by which a Bible prophecy has a partial fulfillment at one time and a complete fulfillment at a later time. The Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost but not literally on all flesh.] (Source: MacDonald, William. Believer's Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson.)

This “law of double reference” also applies of Christ’s Kingdom. The Kingdom is both a future and a present reality. We who are saved are part of Christ’s invisible Kingdom, and one day He will return and establish His literal Kingdom. Immediately following the Tribulation and prior to the return of Christ there will be “wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath”.

The Bible has much to say about the great and powerful Day of the Lord. We could spend much time considering all that is described in the scriptures concerning that day. For the sake of time I will simply remind you what Jesus taught His Disciples about the end of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. He said in Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

After these things Jesus will return to earth, judge His enemies and establish His Kingdom. It is at this time that “the Spirit of God will be poured out on all flesh”. God said through Joel that these things would occur during the “last days”. Peter referenced this in:

v17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. v18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. v19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.

There are several opinions as to when the “last days” began; some believe that the last days began when Christ was born in Bethlehem; others believe that they began when He ascended, and some believe that Pentecost marked the beginning of the “last days”. Regardless of the starting point, it is apparent that we are living in the last days. Furthermore, this period of time will continue until the glorious return of Jesus Christ. We can be sure that we are indeed living in the last days because the promised Messiah has come into the world. Jesus (the Messiah) lived a sinless life went to the Cross and paid the price for our sins, three days later He victoriously rose from the grave and ascended to Heaven. Before He departed He promised that one day He would return to earth; when He does He will establish His Kingdom.