prophecy has at times seemed almost to disappear, as the spirituality
of the people waned, it has nevertheless marked all the great crises
in the experience of the church, and the epochs which witnessed the
change from one dispensation to another. When the era marked by the
incarnation of Christ was reached, the father of John the Baptist was
filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied.
Luke 1:67
. To Simeon it
was revealed that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord; and
when the parents of Jesus brought Him into the temple that He might
be dedicated, Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple, took Him
into his arms, and blessed Him while he prophesied concerning Him.
And Anna, a prophetess, coming in the same instant, spake of Him to
all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Luke 2:26, 36
.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit which was to attend the preach-
ing of the gospel by the followers of Christ was announced by the
prophet in these words: “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, and 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 show wonders in
the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The
sun shall be turned
[22]
into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the
terrible day of the Lord come.”
Joel 2:28-31
.
Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, quoted this prophecy in explanation
of the wonderful scene which then occurred. Cloven tongues like as
of fire sat upon each of the disciples; they were filled with the holy
spirit, and spake with other tongues. And when the mockers charged
that they were filled with new wine, Peter answered, “These are not
drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” Then he quotes the
prophecy substantially as found in Joel (quoted above), only he puts
the words “in the last days,” in the place of “Afterward,” making it
read, “and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour
out of My Spirit,” etc
.
It is evident that it was that part of the prophecy only which relates
to the outpouring of the Spirit, that began to be fulfilled on that day;
for there were no old men there dreaming dreams, nor young men and
maidens seeing visions and prophesying; and no wonders of blood and