On Pentecost, Peter quoted Joel (Acts 2:17-21).
Joel
2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all
flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants
in those days I
will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be
turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of
the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on
the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there
shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall
be those whom the Lord calls.
One aspect of the
Holy Spirit outpouring on all flesh is that the listeners’ (believers) sons and
daughters would prophesy, dream, and have visions. But what about unbelievers?
If the Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh,
then the coming of the Holy Spirit on the world would result in the things
described by Jesus at the last supper.
John 16:8 And
He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and
judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and
regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are
going to see Me; 11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this
world has been judged.
The impact of this
conviction has been seen in the world since that first day of Pentecost, but is
the current rage manifested in mass shooting and senseless wars, on the
highways, and on the political scene just a result of conviction? While the events
described in Joel 2:30-31 seem apocalyptic in the sense that such events are
also described in Revelation, we have had blood moons, solar eclipses, and wars
from time to time, throughout history. Perhaps blood on earth refers to the
epidemic of mass shootings and insane wars caused by boundless rage. Does this
go beyond Jesus’ words recorded in John 16, to perhaps evidence of Revelation 12:12 being fulfilled?
For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
What is to be the
believer’s response to this bizarre behavior? Joel 2:28 seems to describe what
God intends - manifestations of the Holy Spirit. John 15:26-27 & 16:13-15
record Jesus’ words.
John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send
to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the
Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you are testifying as well, because
you have been with Me from the beginning.
John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all
the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will
speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it
to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said
that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.
The Holy Spirit
will reveal Jesus’ truth to the believer, who will in turn testify. How the
world that is under conviction responds to Truth is up to them. But it sets the
stage for the statements recorded in Revelation 6:15-17.
15 Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they *said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Jesus initiated the day-age of grace. The kingdom of God is at hand, available to anyone who will receive Him. But just as ancient Israel tested God’s patience until the deportation, modern man will ultimately reach a day of justice. Under grace, we do not necessarily reap what we sow, because a merciful God uses circumstances to warn us, to form us into His likeness, to refine us. We are chastised but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you.
Nebuchadnezzar (a pagan king!) was brought to his knees by God’s grace (Daniel 4:34-37), but Belshazzar was judged. (Daniel 5:26-30) The unveiling recorded by John seems to be simply the record seen from afar of modern rebellion against God and rejection of His grace (Revelation 6:15-17), and the reaping of the sown seed. (Revelation14:14-16)
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
