miracles from God ceased at the end of the Acts period and will not return until after the

return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those which do appear at the close of this dispensation

and in those years just prior to His Second Coming will be replicas of God's miracles but

the power behind them is Satan's.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Drawing all the ends together we can make the following deductions:

(1) Joel 2: 28-32 is not a "two-half" prophecy. Verses 28 and 29 were not totally

and completely fulfilled in the Acts period.

During that time the Spirit was not poured out upon all Israel but only upon some.

Also the context of the whole of Joel 2: 21-29 is after the northerner had been

destroyed (verse 20) which takes place at the return of Christ. Thus total fulfillment

could not have taken place in the Acts period. However if the people of Israel had

repented, then the Lord would have returned (Acts 3: 19-21) the kingdom would have

been set up and the outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh would have taken place.

Pentecost could be described as a bud which could have blossomed into a full bloom--

but sadly it didn't.

(2) To say whether or not Joel 2: 28, 29 is a prophecy that is subject to a "double"

fulfillment may involve one in the splitting of hairs.

Nowhere does Peter claim the Acts period or the day of Pentecost to be such.

Nowhere is it said "then it was fulfilled . . . . ." or "as it is written . . . . .". Instead Peter

says "this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel". However Heb. 6: 5 indicates

that the Jews of the Acts period were given a foretaste of the Millennial miracles spoken

of by Joel, and the gift of tongues, not mentioned by Joel, was added for good measure.

Thus Pentecost and the Acts period is complicated but we would say that a foretaste,

however small, is a partial fulfillment and that  Joel 2: 28, 29  waits for its total

fulfillment not in the days in which we live but in the days following the return of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

We could say much more but conclude by reproducing Appendix 183 of The

Companion Bible.

1. "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel." There is nothing in the words

to tell us what is "this" and what is "that". The word "this" is emphatic and the word

"But", with which Peter's argument begins, sets what follows in contrast. This shows that

the quotation was used to rebut the charge of drunkenness (verse 13).

So far from these signs and wonders being a proof that "these men" were drunken,

"this", said the apostle is "that" (same kind of thing) which Joel prophesied would take

place "in the last days". Peter does not say these were the last days, but this (that follows)