Daily Thoughts from Acts: Recognizing the Day of Yahweh (Acts 2:14-21)

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

“‘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; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  

And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.  

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’  (Acts 2:14-21 ESV)

Peter’s retort to those who mock is that it is too early in the morning for the disciples to be drunk and what is really happening is that Joel’s prophecy is beginning to be fulfilled.  Joel’s prophecy pertains to the “last days” and the Day of Yahweh, the day when Yahweh visits the earth with judgment for the wicked but with blessing for the righteous as He introduces His kingdom to earth.  This theme is visited often in the Old Testament but Joel’s visit is particularly relevant to what Peter saw happening.

For those who believe, who call upon the name of Yahweh and are saved, this Day of Yahweh will be a time of the Spirit’s outpouring, not just on prophets and priests and kings, but even on the common man and woman, young and old, servant and free.  Everyone will become a prophet in that day. 

That day has not occurred yet, but in anticipation of that day He has poured out His Spirit on these Galileans, common people in Israel.  God is depicting on the Day of Pentecost what will happen in the kingdom, in part, at least, giving us a picture of what is to come.  With the redemption accomplished by Jesus the New Covenant is beginning to be implemented and kingdom life is bursting into the current evil age.  The full tide has not arrived but waves are lapping at the shore.

Christians, you and I, are living in that era of God’s work in which He is causing the current age to pass away (Galatians 1:4; 1 John 2:17).  He is giving us a taste of the age to come in the form of conversions, miracles, and personal transformation (Matthew 13:21-33; Hebrews 6:4,5; 1 John 3:2,3).  We are citizens of heaven, which is to say, of the coming kingdom, and we have access to power that the world does not understand.

Peter is offering this kingdom to the Jewish listeners at the festival.  The kingdom is exclusive only in the sense that it is for anyone who calls on the name of Yahweh, because whoever does will be saved.  Failure to do so, however, will result in judgment.

The judgment part of this Day of Yahweh, the wonders in heaven and earth, awaits Jesus’ return.  But the invitation stands until then that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  Until God comes that invitation remains open.  And if you have accepted this invitation you are now one of those who is inviting others.  Right?

“‘Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.”—William Booth (Founder of the Salvation Army)