Luke the physician wrote after the Holy Spirit came upon the people in the upper room, a crowd gathered who wondered if they were drunken. Jesus' disciple “Peter” stood up and said, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy”, and in chapter two and verse nineteen of the book of Acts Luke shared how Peter referred to the words of God through the prophet Joel which declared, “I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath” where we read:
And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath;
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
The verse begins, “And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath;” Luke began with the words, “and I will show wonders in heaven above” which means “and I, God, will grant, bestow, furnish and supply miracles the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it which is upwards and on high”, “and signs in the earth beneath” or “and marks, tokens, portent and prodigy portending remarkable events soon to happen upon the arable land, country, inhabited world and land below the sky”. Luke shared how God promised through the prophet “Joel” to bestow “miracles” and “tokens” within the “sky above” and upon the “earth below”.
The verse goes on to say, “blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:” Luke continued with the word, “blood” or “bloodshed”, “and fire” which means “and fiery fire, burning or lightning”, “and vapor of smoke” or “and a mist of smoke”. Luke shared how God said through the prophet “Joel” there would be “wonders and signs” in the sky and on the earth that included, “bloodshed, fire and a mist of smoke”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Peter” referred to the manifestations of God as prophesied by the prophet “Joel” which would occur when He “pours out His Spirit upon all flesh”. When God “pours out His Spirit upon all flesh”, there are to be “wonders and signs” in the sky and upon the “earth”. “Bloodshed, fire and a misty smoke” will appear, and regardless of the means of these appearances, God will employ them to demonstrate His power and desire to “save” all mankind from the penalty of sin. God wants people to yield to Him through His Son Jesus, and when they submit their lives to Him as their “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive their sins and grant them everlasting life. Each of the “wonders and signs” are to encourage people to yield themselves to the Only One who is able to redeem them for all eternity.
Next time Luke shares how Peter continues, “the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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