4: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (not by themselves), and began to speak with other tongues (IT DOES NOT SAY UNKNOWN), even as the Spirit was giving them utterance (= to utter or speak forth).
5: And there were dwelling (not sojourners for the Feast, but Jews of the Dispersion who had taken up abode at Jerusalem, perhaps because of the expectation of the Messiah. Cp. Luke 2:25,38) in Jerusalem Jews (This word can have 2 meanings. #1 of the blood line of Judah; #2 a resident of Judea not of the blood line of Judah, this second one includes Kenites [= sons of Cain] which claim to be of our brother Judah. The context of Subject must be used to determine which value to use), devout (= pious) men, out of every nation of those under heaven (Gr. ethnos. In Acts translated 12 times "nation"; 30 times, "Gentiles"; once, "people"; and once, "heathen". Every language of the world present).
6: Now when this was noised abroad (Lit. this voice having come), the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own dialect (= they heard them speaking, each one. NOT UNKNOWN. No need for an interpreter. This is the evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit. This is how you can tell the True from a person imitating it! All the languages of the world coming out of one mouth WITHOUT an interpreter. Man can't fake that! ).
7: And they were all dumbfounded and marveled (cp. Mark 3:21), saying to one another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?
8: And how hear we every man in our own tongue (= dialect as in v.6), in which we were born?
9: Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea (These were Jews of the Dispersion. The first 4 were within the limits of the Persian Empire. Elam is mentioned in Gen.14:1. Jer.49:34. Dan.8:2, &c. Mesopotamia is the same as Padam-Aram [Gen.24:10; 28:2] ), and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia (Providences of Asia Minor. Asia hear means the district comprising of Mysia, Lydia, &c., on the Western coast, governed by a Roman pro-consul. Cp. Rev.1:4),
10: Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene (These were from Africa), and sojourners from Rome, Jews and proselytes (see Matt.23:15),
11: Cretes (= Cretans. See 1 Tim.1:12) and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our dialect the wonderful works of the Lord (= great things).
12: And they were all dumbfounded, and were in doubt (= were perplexed), saying one to another, "What means this?" (= What does this imply?)
13: Others mocking said, "They have been filled of new wine." (They are like this generation that we live in, they pass off anything they don't understand)
D C¹ 2:14-47. Among the brethren. D¹ 3:1–4:22. Among the people. C² 4:23–5:11. Among the brethren. D² 5:12-42. Among the people. C³ 6:1-7. Among the brethren. D³ 6:7–8:1-. Among the people
C¹ E¹ 14-36. Peter's address. E² 37-47. Results. 2:14-47. Among the Brethren.
.
E¹ F¹ 14,15. Appeal. Men of Judea. G¹ 16-21. Reference to Joel. F² 22-24. Appeal. Men of Israel. G² 25-28. Reference to Ps.16. F³ 29-33. Appeal. Men and Brethren. G³ 34-36. Reference to Ps.110. 2:14-36. Peters Address.
.
14: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said to them (= spoke out, as in v.4. This was an utterance in the power of the Holy Spirit), "All you men of Judaea, and all you all that dwell at Jerusalem (see note on 1:11. The ministry of Peter was to the Circumcision. Cp. Matt.15:24), be this known to you (see note on 1:19), and hearken to my sayings (= attend closely. Gr. enôtizomai. Lit. take into ears):
15: For these are not drunken, as you all suppose (see note in 1:9 "received"), for it is but the third hour of the day (i.e. 9 am. Cp. 1 Thes.5:7).
16: But this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel;
1. "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel". There is nothing in the words to tell us what is "this" and what is "that". The word "this" is Emphatic and the word "But", with which Peter's argument begins, sets what follows in contrast. This shows that the quotation was used to rebut the charge of drunkenness-v.13.
Is it about the Christian Dispensation? or,
The dispensation of Judgment which is to follow it? or,
2. The Structure gives the scope of Joel as a whole, and a detail of B in which occurs the "signs" to which Peter points in connection with "this is that". From this it will be seen that the prophecy of Joel links up with the last clause of the "Song of Moses" in Deut.32:43 (see Rev.15:3), which ends:-
"And He will be merciful to His Land and to His People."
So Joel 2:18 begins:-
"Then will Yahaveh be jealous for His Land, and pity His People"
So far from these signs and wonders being a proof that "these men" were drunken, "this", said the apostle, is "that" [same kind of thing] which Joel prophesied would take place "In the last days". Peter does not say these were the last days, but this [that follows] is what Joel says of those days. He doesn't say "then was fulfilled", nor "as it is written", but merely calls attention to what the prophet said of similar scenes yet future.
Therefore to understand what Peter really meant by "this is that", we must turn to the prophecy of Joel. And in order to understand that prophecy, we must see exactly what it is about.
Is it about the Jew and the Gentile? or,
Is it about the Church of God?
A 1:2,3. Call to hear. B 1:4-13. Judgments. Inflicted. A 1:14-2:17. Call to Repent. B 2:18-3:21. Judgments. Removed.Detail of B above:
B a¹ 2:18,19. Good bestowed. Land and People. b¹ 2:20. Evil removed. Enemy cut off. a² 2:21-32. Good bestowed. Land and People. b² 3:1-16-. Evil removed. Enemy cut off. a³ 3:-16-18. Good bestowed. Land and People. b³ 3:19. Evil Removed. Enemies cut off. a4 3:20,21. Good bestowed. Land and People.
"THIS" therefore, is "THAT". It is the subject matter and remote context of Acts 2:16. It concerns Yehovah's Land and Yahaveh's People, and has consequently nothing to do with the church of this Dispensation (see note on Acts 2:47). Peter calls "the house of Israel"-v.36-to the very repentance spoken of in the call to repentance of Joel-1:14-2:17; see A in Structure.
3. But the key to the correct understanding of Peter's quotation lies in the word "afterward" of Joel 2:28. The question is, after what? This we can learn only from Joel himself. Peter does not explain it, nor can we understand it from Peter's words alone.
The Structure shows us that the whole subject of 2:18-3:21 is-evil removed from the Land and the People, and blessings bestowed on both; and these are set forth alternately. In 2:28,29 we have spiritual blessings connected with the temporal of the previous verses, introduced thus:
"And it shall come to pass AFTERWARD,
that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh,"&c.
After what? The answer is AFTER the temporal blessings of vv.23-27. It is important to note that the temporal precede the spiritual blessings. The Holy Spirit was NOT poured out on all flesh at Pentecost: only on some of those present. None of the great signs in heavens and on earth had been shown. No deliverance took place in Jerusalem: both Land and People were still under the Roman yoke.
4. Thus, from a careful study of the two passages, it will be seen that there is a wide divergence between the statements of apostle and prophet on the one hand, and the general belief of Christendom, which the majority hold so tenaciously, not to say acrimoniously, that "the church" was formed at Pentecost, on the other (see note on Act 2:47).
(a) There can be no mistake about the meaning of Joel's word "afterward". It is not the simple Heb. word 'ahar = after [Gen.5:4], but the compound 'aharey-ken = after that [as in Gen.6:4].
(b) It is therefore certain that the word "this" in Acts 2:16 refers to what follows, and not to what precedes; to the future events predicted by Joel, and not to those then taking place in Jerusalem.
(c) As Joel speaks of no gift of tongues, "this" cannot refer to these Pentecost tongues, the outstanding cause of all the wonder and excitement.
(d) None of the things detailed in vv.17,19 came to pass. "This" therefore could not be the fulfillment of Joel's prediction, as the "pouring out" was only on the apostles and those associated with them.
5. To sum up: As we have seen, there is in Acts 2:16 no fulfillment of Joel's prophecy either expressed or implied, and Peter's argument narrows down to this, namely that a charge of drunkenness can no more be sustained against "these" than it can be against those in the yet future scenes spoken of by Joel, when the wondrous spiritual blessing will be poured out on ALL flesh AFTER THAT, that is after all the temporal blessings spoken of have been bestowed upon Israel' Land and Israel's People. IT HASN"T HAPPENED YET FOLKS. NOBODY has spoken the Pentecost tongue since the apostles spoke it. Do not be deceived. The evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit, so you can tell the True from a person imitating it is, ALL the languages of the world coming out of ONE mouth WITHOUT an interpreter. Anything else is a fake and is evil.
17: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days' (Started in 1948 A.D. The parable of the fig tree. Cp. Mark 13. See Gen.49:1), says the Lord, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh (A Hebraism. Cp. Isa.40:5 66:24. Luke 3:6. John 17:2.): and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18: And on My servants and on My handmaidens (= bondmaids) I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke (Cp. Mt. St. Helen's which occurred on Pentecost day in 1980 A.D. Cp. the 12 times the word "smoke" appears in Rev.):
20: The sun shall be turned into darkness (= changed. Cp. the eclipses of the moon in 1997-98. 4 eclipses with a 6 month period in between = 6,6,6 = 18 = bondage), and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come (Gr. epiphanês. The verb epiphainô = to shine, show light upon. In Joel, the word is "terrible". The kindred noun epiphaneia, is used of the Lord's coming. 2 Thess.2:8. 1 Tim.6:14, &c.):
21: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever (see Eph.1:4) shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Cp. 7:59; 9:14; 22:16. Rom.10:12-14. 1 Cor.1:2.)
22: All you men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus the Nazarene, a Man (Gr. anêr = an adult male person. Lat. vir, an honorable title as distinct from a mere "man"; hence used of a husband) approved (= set forth, or commended) of Yahaveh to you by miracles (= powers) and wonders and signs, which the Lord did through Him in the midst of you, as you all yourselves know:
23: Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of the Lord (see Ps. 22), you all have taken, and (text omits.) by wicked hands have crucified and slew (= nailed up to the cross. Slew = Gr. anaireô, take off, or away):
24: Whom the Lord has raised up (means to make to stand up, i.e. to raise up, or to rise up, arise, rise again. Refers to the Resurrection. Cp. 13:32,33), having loosed the pains of death (= birth-pangs): because it was not possible that He should be holden by it (It was not possible that death could hold Christ because He was the Victor of death. That was His purpose).
25: For David speaks with reference to Him (Ps.16:8-11), 'I saw before me the Lord through every event before my face (Lit. in the eyes of me), for He is on my right hand, in order that I should not be moved (= shaken. The enemy is not going to move or shake you):
26: Therefore (= On account of this) did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad (= rejoiced exceedingly. See Matt.5:12. 1 Pet.1:8; 4:13); moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope (Lit. tabernacle. See Matt.13:32. Mark 4:32. Luke 13:19):
27: Because You will not leave (= forsake, abandon) me in hell (Gr. Hadês; used by the Greeks for the unseen world. See Appendix 131 in Companion Bible), neither will You give Your Holy One to see corruption (Mostly as rendered of Heb. ha id = grace or favor. See Deut.33:8. Ps.16:10; 52:9).
28: Thou made known to me the ways of life; You shall make me full of joy with Your countenance.
29: Men and brethren, I may freely (= with frankness) speak to you of the patriarch David (Applies to Abraham and the sons of Jacob, as founders of the nation, and to David, as founder of the monarchy), that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is among us until this day (= tomb, as in Mark 5:5. Cp.7:16. Luke 23:53).
30: Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that the Lord swore by an oath to him (See 2 Sam.7:12), that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit (The text reads "He would set one") on His throne (i.e. Yahaveh's Throne. Cp. 1 Chron.29:23, and see Ps.2:6);
31: He seeing this before (= fore-seeing it) spake of the resurrection of the Christ (This is the Greek translation of the Heb. Messiah. Christos has the same meaning, from chriô, to anoint. Hence the Noun is used of for the Messiah, and in the Gospels should always be translated "Messiah", as well as in Acts, and sometimes i the latter Books of the N.T.), that, He was not left (Gr. kataleipô, but the text reads forsake, as in v.27) in Hades, neither His flesh saw corruption (His flesh did not go through that state of returning to dust as David's did. He was transfigured).
32: This Jesus us God raised up, of which we all (i.e. the 12) are witnesses (see note on 1:8).
33: Therefore being by the right hand of the Lord exalted (see note on John 12:32), and having received from beside the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit (see 1:4), He has shed forth this (same as "pour out" in vv.17,18.), which you all see and hear.
34: For David is not ascended (= went not up. Therefore still sleeping. Cp. 13:36) into the heavens (see Matt.6:9,10): but he says himself, 'Yahaveh said to my Yahashua, Sit You on My right hand,
35: Until I make Your foes Your footstool' (= the footstool of Your feet. See Ps.110:1).
36: Therefore let all the house of Israel (see v.14) know assuredly (see note on "safely", Mark 14:44), that God has made that same Jesus, whom you all crucified, both Lord (as in 1 Cor.8:6) and Christ."
E² H e 37. Conviction. f 38-40. Apostle's Counsel. g 41-. Converts. J h -41. Souls added. i 42. Continuance. H e 43-. Fear. f -43. Apostles' Miracles. g 44,45. Converts. J i 46,47-. Continuance. h -47. Souls added.
37: Now when they heard this, they were pierced through in their heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
38: Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name (For the formula of baptism, see Ap. 185 in the CB. Note the frequent use of "the name" in the Acts. Cp.3:6,16; 4:10,12,17,18,30 &c. See also Gen.12:8. Ex.3:13-15; 23:21) of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you all shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (= free gift, Gr. dôrea. See John 4:10. Always used of Divine gifts. The word dôron is always used of man's gifts, except in Eph.2:8).
39: For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off (Lit. unto far, i.e. the Dispersion of them and the Gentiles. Cp. 22:21. Eph.2:13,17), even as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself" (He calls. You have to answer).
40: And by many other words did he earnestly testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves away from this crooked generation (= the days of vv.17-21).
41: Then they that received fully his word were baptized:
and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Cp. this with v.37. Some people are a little slow).
42: And (take note of the many "ands") they continued steadfastly (see 1:14) in the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, and in breaking of bread (this was the common meal. Cp. vv.44,46 nd Matt.14:19. Isa.58:7), and in the prayers (Cp. 3:1).
43: And fear (= alarm or fright) came to every soul:
and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles (= by the Holy Sprint through the Apostles).
44: And all that believed were together (see v.1), and had all things common;
45: And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men (i.e. to the believers), as any one had need.
46: And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple courts, and breaking bread at home, were partaking of their food (Gr. trophê, nourishment) with gladness and singleness of heart,
47: Praising God (Gr. aineô. Always used of Praising God), and having favor in regard to all the people.
And the Lord added to the church (The text omits) daily such as should be saved (= the saved).