Acts 2:17-18
“‘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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The prophecy isn't just about individuals receiving spiritual gifts, but about a radical shift where God's Spirit would be poured out on all types of people—sons, daughters, young, old—breaking down old barriers and making divine communication accessible to everyone. This wasn't just for a select few prophets anymore; it was a new era where God's voice would be heard in unprecedented ways across the whole spectrum of humanity.
Peter is explaining the miraculous event of speaking in tongues that just occurred, arguing it's not drunkenness but the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He quotes Joel, declaring that in these "last days," God is pouring out His Spirit on everyone, not just a select few, leading to widespread prophetic experiences for men, women, young, and old. This promise is central to understanding why this Pentecostal outpouring is a sign that God's new era has truly begun.
The day of Pentecost felt like a future event, a promised climax. But Peter declares it's already happening. What does this mean for us?
When Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32, he uses the phrase 'in the last days.' In the Old Testament, this phrase often pointed to future Messianic times, a golden age of God's presence and power.
A New Era Dawns
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Acts 2:17-18 is available in the Sola app.
The Old Testament had glimpses of the Spirit's power, but Pentecost was different. What does 'pour out' truly signify?
The prophecy speaks of God pouring out His Spirit. This isn't a meager trickle, but an abundant, overflowing gift.
Abundance for All
This abundance is why the text emphasizes that 'your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,' your 'young men shall see visions,' and your 'old men shall dream dreams.' No one is excluded from experiencing the Spirit's powerful work.
The ways God communicates are diverse – prophecy, visions, dreams. What does this variety tell us about how God speaks today?
The prophecy lists specific ways the Spirit would manifest His presence: prophesying, seeing visions, and dreaming dreams. These were common ways God communicated in Old Testament times.
God's Communication Today
This outpouring means that God's voice is not silenced but is made accessible to all His people, in ways that are clear and transformative.
Understand the original words
eschatais hēmerais · Greek Noun phrase
Refers to the era encompassing the period between Christ's first coming and His second coming, characterized by the fulfillment of messianic prophecies.
pneuma mou · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity, the active agent of God’s power, presence, and transformation in the life of the believer and the church.
prophēteusousin · Greek Verb
To speak under divine inspiration, communicating God's truth to His people, often involving both forth-telling and foretelling.
horaseis · Greek Noun
A supernatural manifestation or divine communication given by God to reveal His will or future events to individuals.
enypniois · Greek Noun
A means by which God communicates revelation, guidance, or warnings to people while they are asleep.
This is the primary Old Testament prophecy that Peter is quoting and applying to the events of Pentecost, showing it's a direct fulfillment.
Isaiah 44:3This passage speaks of God pouring water on the thirsty and streams on the dry ground, paralleling the abundant outpouring of His Spirit described in Acts 2:17.
Jeremiah 31:31-34This prophecy foretells a new covenant where God's law will be written on people's hearts, signifying an internal transformation brought about by the Spirit, which is consistent with the effects of the Spirit's outpouring.
John 14:26Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will teach and bring to remembrance all that He has said, highlighting the Spirit's role in guiding believers into truth, a key aspect of the prophesied outpouring.
Romans 8:9This verse states that if the Spirit of God dwells in believers, they are not in the flesh, emphasizing the Spirit's indwelling presence and transformative power that underpins the prophecy in Acts.
cambridgeActs 2:17: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"
17 . in the last days ] These words are an interpretation of the afterwards of the Hebrew, and after these things of the LXX. The expression “the last days” is used in the Old Testament to signify the coming of the Messiah. (Cp. Isaiah 2:2 ; Micah 4:1 .) The lat…
barnesActs 2:17: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"
It shall come to pass - It shall happen, or shall occur. In the last days - Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, after these things, or afterward. The expression the last days, however, occurs frequently in the Old Testament: Genesis 49:1, Jacob called his sons,…
The prophecy isn't just about individuals receiving spiritual gifts, but about a radical shift where God's Spirit would be poured out on all types of people—sons, daughters, young, old—breaking down old barriers and making divine communication accessible to everyone. This wasn't just for a select few prophets anymore; it was a new era where God's voice would be heard in unprecedented ways across the whole spectrum of humanity.
Peter is explaining the miraculous event of speaking in tongues that just occurred, arguing it's not drunkenness but the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He quotes Joel, declaring that in these "last days," God is pouring out His Spirit on everyone, not just a select few, leading to widespread prophetic experiences for men, women, young, and old. This promise is central to understanding why this Pentecostal outpouring is a sign that God's new era has truly begun.
Peter is explaining the miraculous event of speaking in tongues that just occurred, arguing it's not drunkenness but the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He quotes Joel, declaring that in these "last days," God is pouring out His Spirit on everyone, not just a select few, leading to widespread prophetic experiences for men, women, young, and old. This promise is central to understanding why this Pentecostal outpouring is a sign that God's new era has truly begun.
"“‘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 drea…" — The prophecy isn't just about individuals receiving spiritual gifts, but about a radical shift where God's Spirit would be poured out on all types of people—sons, daughters, young, old—breaking dow…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
