Peter means the miracle of Jews from many nations hearing the twelve speak in their own languages was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy about the Spirit being poured out in the last days.
Peter dismissed the drunkenness charge by noting it was only the third hour of the day, then declared, 'this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,' and quoted Joel's words word-for-word. The 'this' is the supernatural speaking in languages taking place at Pentecost, and the 'that' is Joel's prophecy of the Spirit's outpouring. Les Feldick emphasizes that everything Israel had seen—Christ's ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Spirit—was exactly what Joel had prophesied.
Acts 2:16-17 — Peter's direct quotation identifying the Pentecost phenomenon with Joel's prophecy.
Joel 2:28 — The Old Testament promise of the Spirit's outpouring to which Peter points.
In Acts 2, when some in the crowd accused the disciples of being full of new wine, Peter answered that it was only the third hour of the day and then declared, 'But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.' He quoted the prophet: '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.' By this quotation, Scripture itself connects the Pentecost phenomenon to Joel's prophecy. Peter then continued through the rest of the prophecy, including wonders in heaven above, signs in the earth, blood, fire, and vapor of smoke, the sun turned to darkness, and the moon to blood before the great and notable day of the Lord.
Les Feldick explains that when Peter said 'this is that,' he was pointing back to the prophecies of Joel. The event in front of them—the twelve men speaking so that Jews from Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamia, and other nations heard 'the wonderful works of God' in their own languages—was exactly the outpouring of the Spirit Joel had predicted. Les notes that Peter first rejected the drunkenness charge because it was only nine o'clock in the morning, then quoted Joel word-for-word. Everything they had seen in Christ's ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and Pentecost was part of what Joel prophesied. Les also points out that Peter did not have Christ's omniscient insight. He did not know the program would be interrupted and had no idea of a Church Age, so he continued through the whole prophecy, including the cosmic signs that would precede the day of the Lord. Those things, Les asks, have not happened yet; but the pouring out of the Spirit, he says, happened at Pentecost.
The 'this' is the visible miracle taking place before the crowd. Jews from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, and Arabia were hearing the twelve men speak in their own languages about 'the wonderful works of God.' This was the power Jesus had promised would come upon them. Peter made clear it was not new wine—it was only the third hour of the day, about nine o'clock in the morning.
The 'that' is the Old Testament prophecy Peter quoted. Joel wrote that afterward—after the Messiah's coming, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension—God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. Sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions, and old men would dream dreams. Les emphasizes that Peter quoted Joel word-for-word, and that on the Day of Pentecost 'these things have happened.'
Yes—the outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place at Pentecost. But Peter did not stop there. He continued with the rest of Joel's prophecy: wonders in heaven above, signs in the earth beneath, blood, fire, vapor of smoke, the sun turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and notable day of the Lord. Les then asks, 'Did that happen? Has it happened yet?'
Les teaches that Peter did not have the omniscient insight that Christ had. He did not know the program would be interrupted, and he had no idea of a Church Age. So when he quoted Joel, he preached the whole prophecy as if it were all coming, not realizing he should have stopped at the outpouring.
The Miracle at Pentecost
Les describes Jews from many nations hearing the twelve speak their own languages, showing what 'this' points to.
Peter Denies Drunkenness
Les says Peter's 'this is that' points back to Joel's prophecies and that the Pentecost events fulfilled Joel's words.
Everything Is According to Prophecy
Les explains that everything in the last few weeks and three years, including Pentecost, was what Joel prophesied.
Prophecy Fulfilled in Their Lifetime
Les says what Israel experienced in Christ's ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and the Spirit's outpouring was what Joel was talking about.
Peter Continues the Quotation
Les shows Peter continuing through Joel's prophecy to the cosmic signs, then asks whether those things have happened yet.
Why Did the Holy Spirit Fall BEFORE Baptism? Acts 10
Well, if this was a common occurrence, what's there to be surprised about? But this was something that's never happened before. Gentiles? See? Now, I even have my own idea about proselytes, but I'm not going to get into any arguments, so I'm not going to say it. But anyway, these Gentiles were so shocking to these believing Jews that they'd never seen anything like this before.
Peter Did Not Know the Church Age
Les teaches that Peter lacked Christ's insight, did not know the program would be interrupted, and so went on through the whole prophecy.
Joel's Prophecy After the Messiah
Les connects Joel 2:28 to the time after Christ's rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, saying the Spirit's outpouring happened at Pentecost.
Acts 2:15: For these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Peter's rebuttal to the accusation of drunkenness before his quotation of Joel.
Acts 2:16: But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
This is the exact sentence that connects the Pentecost event to Joel's prophecy.
Acts 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:
The beginning of the Joel quotation Peter applies to the phenomenon at Pentecost.
Joel 2:28: And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
The original Old Testament prophecy that Peter quotes in Acts 2.
No. Peter said, 'these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.' Les points out that the event was the miraculous power Jesus had promised, not the result of alcohol.
He meant the visible miracle of the twelve speaking in the native languages of Jews from many nations was exactly what Joel had prophesied. 'This' is the Pentecost phenomenon; 'that' is Joel 2:28.
The pouring out of the Spirit happened at Pentecost. But Les notes that Peter also went on to quote the cosmic signs—blood, fire, vapor of smoke, the darkened sun, and the moon turned to blood—and asks whether those have happened yet.
Watch the Teaching: What Peter Really Said at Pentecost — Acts 2 Explained