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great signs in the heavens and on the earth had been shown. No deliverance took place in
Jerusalem: both Land and People were still under the Roman yoke.
4. Thus, from a careful study of the two passages, it will be seen that there is a wide
divergence between the statements of apostle and prophet on the one hand, and the
general belief of Christendom, which the majority hold so tenaciously, not to say
acrimoniously, that "the church" was formed at Pentecost (see Appendix 181 and
Appendix 186), on the other.
(a)
There can be no mistake about the meaning of Joel's word "afterward". It is not
the simple Hebrew word 'ahar = after (compare Gen, 5: 4, etc.), but the
compound 'aharey-ken = after that (as Gen. 6: 4, etc.).
(b)
It is therefore certain that the word "this" in Acts 2: 16 refers to what follows,
and not to what precedes; to the future events predicted by Joel, and not to
those then taking place in Jerusalem.
(c)
As Joel speaks of no gift of tongues, "this" cannot refer to these Pentecostal
tongues, the outstanding cause of all the wonder and excitement.
(d)
None of the things detailed in verses 17, 19 came to pass. "This" therefore
could not be the fulfillment of Joel's prediction, as the "pouring out" was
only on the apostles and those associated with them.
5. To sum up: As we have seen, there is in Acts 2: 16 no fulfillment of Joel's
prophecy either expressed or implied, and Peter's argument narrows down to this,
videlicet (viz.), that a charge of drunkenness can no more be sustained against "these"
than it can be against those in the yet future scenes spoken of by Joel, when the wondrous
spiritual blessings will be poured out on all flesh AFTER THAT, that is to say, after all
the temporal blessings spoken of have been bestowed upon Israel's Land and Israel's
People.
No.8.
The Day of the Lord is at hand.
pp. 126 - 131
One of the most difficult problems in Joel's prophecy is found in chapter 1: 15:
"Alas for the day! for the Day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the
Almighty shall it come."
Well over 2,000 years have passed and the Day of the Lord still has not come! This
nearness is again mentioned in Joel 2: 1:
"for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand."
This problem will not go away. Joel 3: 14:
"for the Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."