Acts 2 17.

[Sammy-San]

Does that verse refer to Tribulation, now, and what is the exact meaning. I read According to the Apostles, the last days began in their times.
A Biblical Examination of Prophecy

The Last Days and the Holy Spirit

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith 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." -Acts 2:17

Quick note: "Prophecy," spelled with a "c" in the Bible, refers to predictions about the future; BUT, "prophesy" spelled with an "s" simply means preaching. Hence, we prophesy today; but, NO one prophecies anymore. This is an important fact to understand when studying God's Word. The Bible is a complete Book--God's Final Authority to mankind!

Acts 2:17 (quoted from Joel 2:28,29) is often misinterpreted. We clearly read in Hebrews 1:1-2, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..." God does not speak to us today through dreams and visions as He did to some people in the Old Testament. God's Holy Spirit speaks to us today through the Word of God, the Written Word.

 

[RC1970]

Does that verse refer to Tribulation, now, and what is the exact meaning. I read According to the Apostles, the last days began in their times.
A Biblical Examination of Prophecy

Those were the last days (of the Jewish age) and the verse is referring to Pentecost.

 

[Sammy-San]

Those were the last days (of the Jewish age) and the verse is referring to Pentecost.

So the verse only referred to that narrow scope?

 

[RC1970]

So the verse only referred to that narrow scope?

That period of the first century. Great power was bestowed on the nascent Christian Church. God still pours His Spirit on people today but not with the same affect.

 

[inquiring mind]

Some scholars think that the same words in Joel 2:28-32 are predicting end of time events, “to be brought about by the Holy Spirit,” whereas in Acts 2:17 the reference to Joel’s passage is in regard “to the work of the Holy Spirit,” and the apostles speaking in tongues, at the Pentecost.

 

[Sammy-San]

That period of the first century. Great power was bestowed on the nascent Christian Church. God still pours His Spirit on people today but not with the same affect.

What about this statement?

According to the Apostles, the last days began in their times. So we live in the last days, when tribulation begins it will be the end of days, people will be going through the worst times in history, worst slaughter in history.

 

[Sammy-San]

Some scholars think that the same words in Joel 2:28-32 are predicting end of time events, “to be brought about by the Holy Spirit,” whereas in Acts 2:17 the reference to Joel’s passage is in regard “to the work of the Holy Spirit,” and the apostles speaking in tongues, at the Pentecost.

Would you agree we have to be very careful of visions? Here's a youtube quote I found on the topic

Kat Kerr said about Houston entering into Heaven because of her beautiful voice, Kerr's literate words were "Houston sang herself into Heaven".
Now is this right? Houston receiving the talant from God, she uses it to sing wordly songs, and live a super fancy worldy life, yet when she died, she sang herself from Hell into Heaven?
Or is this what Kerr desired to see and fell into a satanic deception to believe this to be truth?

 

[inquiring mind]

Would you agree we have to be very careful of visions? Here's a youtube quote I found on the topic

I would agree that we have to be very careful of our speculations. There is so much we don’t understand, and never will. Romans 11:33 is one of my favorite verses, especially if I start speculating too much.

 

[Sammy-San]

I would agree that we have to be very careful of our speculations. There is so much we don’t understand, and never will. Romans 11:33 is one of my favorite verses, especially if I start speculating too much.

Do you think certain Bible verses are meant to be mysterious, or that is blasphemy?

 

[inquiring mind]

Do you think certain Bible verses are meant to be mysterious, or that is blasphemy?

Bible verses are meant for us, wouldn’t you think; it’s our understanding that limits us. It’s “His” judgments and ways that are past finding out.

 

[RC1970]

What about this statement?

If we are in the "last days" today, I personally do not believe that it is the same "last days" that the Apostles went through. The Apostolic age ended with the Jewish age in (or around) the year 70 A.D. This is when the great tribulation occurred.

If we are in the "last days" today, it would be the end of human history as it relates to the Fall of mankind. We would be somewhere around Revelation 20:7-10 and I believe this language to be symbolic for some great event that builds up, but is never really allowed to happen.

When the Bible uses the language "the last days" it is referring to the end of an age. When one age ends, a new one begins. The ages can have a bit of an overlap. The Jewish age ended around 70 A.D. and the Christian age (church age) began under the reign of Christ Jesus when He ascended to the right hand of the Father. We have been under that age now for 2000 years.