Yes, Peter's quotation of Joel at Pentecost signifies the beginning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a key prophetic event directed primarily to Israel.
At Pentecost, Peter declared that the phenomenon of speaking in tongues was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy about the Spirit being poured out on all flesh. Les Feldick emphasizes that this event was part of the prophetic program for Israel, which was on track until Israel rejected the Messiah, leading to the postponement of the Kingdom and the introduction of the Church Age.
Joel 2:28-32 — This is the exact prophecy Peter quotes in Acts 2, providing the foundational text for the outpouring of the Spirit.
In Joel 2:28-32, the prophet writes, "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: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."
Les Feldick teaches that Peter's quotation of Joel at Pentecost was a direct fulfillment of prophecy, specifically the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He stresses that all prophecy, including Joel's, is directed primarily to the nation of Israel, and that Peter, lacking Jesus's foreknowledge, quoted the passage continuously, not realizing that the full prophetic timeline would be interrupted. Les points out that while part of Joel's prophecy (verses 28-29) was fulfilled at Pentecost, the later verses about wonders and the tribulation (verses 30-31) remain unfulfilled. Therefore, the prophetic program was on track until Israel's rejection, which led to the insertion of the Church Age.
At Pentecost, the disciples were speaking in tongues, and onlookers accused them of being drunk. Peter refuted this, saying it was only nine in the morning, and then declared that what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. Les Feldick highlights that Peter pointed directly back to Joel's words as the explanation for the miraculous event.
Les Feldick explains that the Old Testament prophetic program, which includes Joel's prophecy, was centered solely on Israel and the coming Kingdom. It did not include the Church Age, which was a mystery hidden in the Old Testament. The prophetic timeline was: Christ's first coming, then the tribulation, then the Kingdom. The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was the next step in this program, but Israel's rejection caused a break, postponing the fulfillment of the remaining parts of Joel's prophecy.
Les Feldick contrasts Peter's quotation with Jesus's reading in the synagogue. Jesus stopped in the middle of Isaiah's prophecy, but Peter quoted Joel continuously, not realizing that the tribulation and Kingdom were not immediately next. Peter lacked the divine insight to know that God would interrupt the prophetic program with the Church Age.
Why the Old Testament Never Predicted the Church Age
of Zion. Now what's that? That's the Kingdom. So now if I can get back to my top line, I hope I can make sense out of this. Abraham in 2000, for all those years up to his first advent, it was primarily, not exclusively of course, but primarily God dealing only with the nation of Israel.
Peter's Quote of Joel
Les explains that Peter's quotation of Joel at Pentecost was a direct fulfillment of prophecy, emphasizing that the events were exactly what Joel had predicted.
Prophecy Directed to Israel
Les stresses that all prophecy, including Joel's, is directed primarily to Israel, and that the Spirit's empowering role was a new development.
Peter's Understanding
Les shows that Peter believed the events of Pentecost were the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy and that Israel was still on track for the tribulation and Kingdom.
Peter's Lack of Foreknowledge
Les contrasts Jesus' stopping in the middle of Isaiah with Peter's continuous quotation, highlighting that Peter did not know the prophetic program would be interrupted by the Church Age.
Partial Fulfillment
Les notes that while verses 28-29 of Joel were fulfilled at Pentecost, verses about wonders and tribulation remain unfulfilled, showing a break in the prophetic timeline.
Why Did Jesus Never Heal the Lame Man at the Temple?
Israel going off the scene, the Gentiles coming in to God's favor, under the whole system of grace. And once you see that, oh the book of Acts is so exciting to study, because it's just so obvious of what's happening. All right, let's move on just a little further, verse 22. For Moses, see Peter is still sticking to the Old Testament prophets, the Old Covenant program. He says, "...
What Shall We Do? Acts 2 & God's Foreknowledge Explained
It's right here in print, Acts 3, verse 24, and again Peter is preaching to a Jewish crowd, and he says, "...Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." What days? Everything that has just taken place.
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:
This is the core of Joel's prophecy about the Spirit's outpouring, which Peter quotes at Pentecost.
Joel 2:29: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
This extends the promise of the Spirit to all classes, fulfilling the 'all flesh' aspect.
Joel 2:30: And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
This verse describes tribulation events that Les says have not yet occurred, showing the prophetic timeline is interrupted.
Joel 2:31: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
This continues the tribulation warnings, unfulfilled as of Pentecost.
Joel 2:32: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This promises deliverance for those who call on the Lord, a theme Peter also echoes in Acts 2:21.
Partially. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the prophesying, visions, and dreams were fulfilled at Pentecost as Peter declared. However, the wonders in the heavens and earth described in Joel 2:30-31 have not yet occurred. Les Feldick explains that the prophetic program was interrupted by Israel's rejection, postponing the tribulation events.
Peter quoted Joel to explain the phenomenon of speaking in tongues at Pentecost. He affirmed that this event was the predicted outpouring of the Spirit, validating that what the disciples experienced was from God, not drunkenness.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament, including Joel, never predicted the Church Age. The prophetic program was for Israel, and the Church was a mystery not revealed until Paul.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Old Testament Never Predicted the Church Age