Prophetic ministry will involve more than inspirational prophecies. There will Wonders and signs: be angelic visitations, visions, signs and wonders in the sky, and more. The Spirit will be poured out in power as foretold in Joel 2 and cited in Peter’s first sermon on the Day of Pentecost. To understand God’s end-time promises in the Scripture it is important to differentiate Last days: between the terms and The began on the day of Pentecost and the last days the end times. last days will continue until Jesus returns. I use the phrase to refer to the final decades of the end times the and synonymously with last days the generation in which Jesus returns. Many Old Testament prophecies about God’s kingdom are fulfilled in at least two ways and two time frames. First, a partial, local fulfillment like that which occurred in Acts 2. Second, a total, global fulfillment of all that was promised in the generation in which Jesus returns. Peter quoted the prophecy and saying, “this is what was spoken by the This is what was spoken: prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). Yes, the outpouring at Pentecost was “that which was spoken by Joel,” “that but it was not all of which was spoken by Joel.” The Spirit fell on 120 people in only Jerusalem and touched 3,000 more (Acts 2), while Joel spoke of the Spirit being poured out on all that would be seen in both the earth and the sky (Joel 2:28-31). flesh with great signs and wonders Jesus spoke of the kingdom not only as if the kingdom had fully come but also as if it was still yet to come. As George E. Ladd puts it, the kingdom of God is both “already” but “not yet”—it is already here but not yet fully here. The Bible teaches that the kingdom came to earth with in part the first coming of Christ but that the complete manifestation of biblical prophecies concerning the kingdom of God will occur at the end of this age when Jesus Christ returns again.
Wonders and signs: Prophetic ministry will involve more than inspirational prophecies. There will be angelic visitations, visions, signs and wonders in the sky, and more. The Spirit will be poured out in power as foretold in Joel 2 and cited in Peter’s first sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Last days: To understand God’s end-time promises in the Scripture it is important to differentiate between the terms the last days and the end times. The last days began on the day of Pentecost and will continue until Jesus returns. I use the phrase the end times to refer to the final decades of the last days and synonymously with the generation in which Jesus returns. Many Old Testament prophecies about God’s kingdom are fulfilled in at least two ways and two time frames. First, a partial, local fulfillment like that which occurred in Acts 2. Second, a total, global fulfillment of all that was promised in the generation in which Jesus returns. This is what was spoken: Peter quoted the prophecy and saying, “this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). Yes, the outpouring at Pentecost was “that which was spoken by Joel,” but it was not all of “that which was spoken by Joel.” The Spirit fell on only 120 people in Jerusalem and touched 3,000 more (Acts 2), while Joel spoke of the Spirit being poured out on all flesh with great signs and wonders that would be seen in both the earth and the sky (Joel 2:28-31). Jesus spoke of the kingdom not only as if the kingdom had fully come but also as if it was still yet to come. As George E. Ladd puts it, the kingdom of God is both “already” but “not yet”—it is already here but not yet fully here. The Bible teaches that the kingdom came to earth in part with the first coming of Christ but that the complete manifestation of biblical prophecies concerning the kingdom of God will occur at the end of this age when Jesus Christ returns again.
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