PT-2 "The Explanation" (Acts 2:16-21)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/22/2017 9:30 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-2 “The Explanation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Acts 2:16-21

            Message of the verses:  “16  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17  “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,  that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,  and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  and your young men shall see visions,  and your old men shall dream dreams; 18  even on my male servants and female servants  in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above  and signs on the earth below,  blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20  the sun shall be turned to darkness  and the moon to blood,  before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (ESV).” 

            Now we have gotten to the point in this section talking about the Day of the Lord, and we want to continue looking at that in today’s SD.

            John MacArthur writes:  “In this passage, however, the ultimate day of the Lord associated with the second coming of Christ is a view (cf. 1 Thess. 5:2; Zeph. 1:14-18).  That is clear from the details of Joel’s prophecy.  The signs in the earth and heavens Joel mentions are connected elsewhere in Scripture with the events surrounding Christ’s second coming.  The book of Revelation associates blood with that time:

‘8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth (Rev. 6:8).

‘7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood (Rev. 8:7-8).

‘15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind (Rev. 9:15).

‘20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles (Rev. 14:20).

‘3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died (Rev. 16:3).

‘5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake (Rev. 8:5).

‘7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up (Rev. 8:7).

‘8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood (Rev. 8:8).

‘10  The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters (Rev. 8:10).’

            “Finally, Revelation Mentions smoke at that time:

‘2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.  17 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths (Rev. 9:2-3, 17-18).

‘9 "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning (Rev. 18:9).’

            “In Matthew 24:29-30, the Lord Jesus Christ described the changes in the sun, moon, and stars that would accompany His second coming:

‘29  "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.’”

            After this dramatic beginning of Peter’s sermon he had the crowd in the “palm of his hand” so to speak as they were wondering when these things would take place and what they could do to avoid these things.  People are looking at this very same thing today as many believe we are close to the time when Christ will return for His bride, and the tribulation period will begin.  Verse 21 that comes from Joel’s quote from Peter gave the answer to those who heard it then and gives the answer to those looking for it today, that is salvation “21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful that the Lord used a similar message to cause me to come to know Him as Savior and Lord, and desire to tell others the same.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to get the word out by using my blogs, and praying for all those who look at them.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus Wept” (John 11:35).

Today’s Bible question:  “How did Pharaoh’s servants describe Moses during the plagues?” (Hint, Ex.10:?).

Answer in our next SD.

7/22/2017 10:00 AM