Peter quoted Joel at Pentecost to explain that the strange events the crowd had just witnessed were the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise to pour out his Spirit on all his people. In Acts 2:14-21, Peter tells the crowd the believers aren’t drunk. Instead, the last days have arrived. In the Old Testament, the Spirit came on select individuals for special tasks. Now he was being poured out on men and women, young and old, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Setting the Scene in Acts 2:14-21
In the previous lesson, the Holy Spirit came on the believers with the sound of wind and tongues of fire, and pilgrims from many nations heard them declaring God’s wonders in their own languages (Acts 2:1-13). The crowd was left asking, “What does this mean?” Some had an easy answer: these people were drunk.
Peter’s response is the first sermon of the church age. We’ll look at it in two parts. This first part focuses on the Holy Spirit. The second part focuses on Jesus (Acts 2:22-36). Watch how much Peter has changed. Weeks earlier, he denied knowing Jesus to a servant girl. Now he stands before thousands and explains Scripture with confidence. That’s the Spirit’s power at work.
Not Drunk at Nine in the Morning
Peter began by answering the critics.
Acts 2:14-16 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…”
Notice that Peter stood up “with the Eleven.” The Twelve had just been restored with the choice of Matthias (Acts 1:12-26), and now they stood together as witnesses to Israel. Peter addressed the crowd as fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem.
His first point was almost humorous. It was only nine in the morning, the third hour of the day by Jewish reckoning. That was the time of morning prayer at the temple, and it was far too early for a crowd of people to be drunk. Then Peter got to the real explanation: this was what the prophet Joel had predicted.
Moses’ Wish
To see why Joel’s promise was such a big deal, it helps to go back to a story from the time of Moses. In the wilderness, Moses was overwhelmed by the burden of leading a complaining people. So God took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on seventy elders to help him carry the load (Numbers 11:16-17, 25). When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied.
Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, had stayed back in the camp, but the Spirit came on them too, and they began prophesying there. Joshua, Moses’ young assistant, was alarmed and urged Moses to stop them. Moses’ reply was remarkable.
Numbers 11:29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
In Moses’ day, the Spirit came on select people for specific tasks: leaders like Moses, judges like Gideon, kings like David, and the prophets. Most Israelites related to God through those leaders and through priests and sacrifices. Moses longed for a day when every one of God’s people would have the Spirit. For centuries, it remained only a wish.
Joel’s Promise Fulfilled
Then the prophet Joel promised that Moses’ wish would come true. Peter quoted him directly.
Acts 2:17-18 ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
Joel’s prophecy begins with the word “afterward” (Joel 2:28). Peter, guided by the Spirit, interpreted it as “in the last days.” That’s an important clue. According to the New Testament, the last days didn’t begin recently, and they aren’t only in the future. They began with the coming of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit (Hebrews 1:1-2). We’ve been living in the last days for two thousand years.
Look at the words “all people.” Joel listed sons and daughters, young men and old men, and even servants, men and women alike. In the ancient world, God’s Spirit poured out on women, young people, and slaves would have been shocking. The Spirit would no longer be reserved for a spiritual elite. Every believer, regardless of gender, age, or social status, would receive him. At Pentecost, the tongues of fire resting on each person showed it visibly. Before long, it would become clear that “all people” included Gentiles too (Acts 10:44-45).
What about prophecy, dreams, and visions? In Acts, God sometimes does speak through dreams and visions, as he did with Peter and Paul (Acts 10:9-16; 16:9). Christians today hold different views about how these gifts work now. Some expect them regularly, while others believe Scripture is God’s complete word to us and that these experiences are rare. But the heart of prophecy in the Bible is speaking God’s truth to people, and every Spirit-filled believer can do that by sharing the message of Jesus.
Wonders and the Day of the Lord
Peter kept quoting Joel.
Acts 2:19-21 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Blood, fire, smoke, a darkened sun, and a blood-red moon are classic Old Testament images for the “day of the Lord,” when God steps into history to judge and save. Interpreters understand these signs in different ways. Some connect them partly to the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, when darkness covered the land for three hours (Luke 23:44-45). Others see them as signs still to come before Jesus returns. Many see both: the last days have begun, and they’re moving toward a final day of the Lord.
Either way, Peter’s quote ends with the most important line: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In Joel, “Lord” translates God’s personal name, Yahweh. By the end of his sermon, Peter will make it clear that this Lord is Jesus (Acts 2:36). Paul quoted the same verse to show that salvation is available to Jews and Gentiles alike (Romans 10:12-13). The Spirit’s arrival meant the doors of God’s kingdom were open to everyone.
The Spirit’s Role Today
Pentecost marked a permanent change in the way God relates to his people. In the old era, God’s presence was mediated through leaders, priests, and the temple. Now the Spirit lives in every believer. Ezekiel described what that would mean.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Moses carried the burden of a people with stubborn hearts. The Spirit’s work is to change those hearts from the inside. Jesus described the Spirit’s ministry in three ways: he convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8); he guides believers into all truth (John 16:13); and he glorifies Jesus (John 16:14). For a simple introduction to how the Spirit works in a believer’s life, see The Holy Spirit’s Work.
What This Means for Us
If you follow Jesus, you have what Moses could only wish for. You don’t need a priest, a prophet, or a special leader to connect you with God. His Spirit lives in you. He is softening your heart, guiding you into truth, and helping you see Jesus more clearly. That’s true whether you’re young or old, male or female, a seasoned believer or brand-new to faith.
And Joel’s promise is still open: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. If you’ve never done that, today is a good day to start. How can I become a Christian?
The Takeaway
Why did Peter quote Joel at Pentecost? Because the Spirit’s arrival fulfilled God’s ancient promise. Moses wished all God’s people had the Spirit, and Joel predicted it would happen. At Pentecost, the last days began, and the Spirit was poured out on every believer: young and old, men and women. Now everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will be saved.
