Dear John,
 
    Here is a little longer Bible study that I think all of the Doves need, especially in view of current events.  Hope it is a blessing to all of your readers.
 
A COMPARISON OF SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE
 
28    "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29    And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those day will I pour out My Spirit.
30    And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31    The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32    And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."
                                        Joel 2:28-32
 
16    "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17    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.
18    And on My servants and on My handmaidens 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.
20    The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.
21    And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 
 
                                             Acts 2:16-21
 
These Two Texts Are Not Speaking Of The Same Period Of Time
 
    As proof of this statement, let us carefully compare the two texts verse by verse and word by word.
 
                                Acts 2:16
 
    In Acts 2:16 Peter, speaking by Divine Inspiration, clearly stated, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel."  Peter did not say that the events occurring were a "fulfillment" of Joel's prophecy.  No where in Acts 2 is such ever stated.  But it easily could have been.  All through the four gospels the words fulfill, fulfilled, and fulfilling are used repeatedly.  If the events that occurred in Acts 2 were the "fulfillment" of Joel's prophecy, then it would have been easy for the Lord to have led Peter to say so.  But He didn't!  Why?  Because the events occurring in Acts 2 were not a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.
    Peter was pointing out in Acts 2 that the events taking place were similar to but not the same as the events prophesied by Joel.  We shall prove this statement as we proceed. 
    Now let's compare.....
 
                         Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17
 
    The time when the two prophecies were to be fulfilled, according to the statements made in the two passages, is not the same period of time.  Joel used the word "afterward" in his prophecy, while Peter in Acts 2 referred to "the last days."
    What does the word "afterward" refer to, as used in Joel 2:28?  If our readers will carefully study the context of this chapter, verse 17 contains a warning about the "heathen" [Gentiles] ruling over the Jewish people.  Then verses 18-27 are what is commonly referred to as "parenthetical."  In other words, verses 18-27 reveal the future blessings that are to come upon the Jews when they finally repent and turn to the Lord.  The verse 28 takes up the line of thought right where verse 17 left off.  In verse 17 the Jews were facing being ruled over by the Gentiles during the time of Jewish Dispersion.  It ought to be obvious to all serious Bible students that at least 2,000 years of time intervene between verses 17 and 28.  This intervening period of time is the Dispensation of Grace.  Verse 28 then says, "And it shall come to pass afterward," that is, after the Dispensation of Grace has ended and the dispersion of the Jews is over.  It is at that time that the events prophesied in Joel 2:28-32 are to be fulfilled.  This means that the events predicted in Joel's prophecy will occur during the coming Tribulation.  Proof of this statement will be repeatedly demonstrated as we continue.
    Now notice Peter's statement in Acts 2:17, "And it shall come to pass in the last days....."  This exact expression occurs only five times in the New Testament, and it always refers to the time period preceding the Tribulation.  See Acts 2:17, 2 Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, James 5:3, and 2 Peter 3:3.  In other words, the expression always refers to "the last days" of the Dispensation of Grace.  Therefore, it is obvious that Joel and Peter were not referring to the same period of time in their respective prophecies.  Peter's prophecy in Acts 2:16-21 has been, and continues to be, fulfilled during this present dispensation, but Joel's prophecy is yet to be fulfilled during the coming Tribulation.
    As further proof of this statement, let's compare.....
 
                 The Pouring Out Of God's Spirit
 
.....as predicted in both pasages.
    In Joel 2:28 it is stated, "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh..."  This clearly indicates a pouring out of God's Spirit upon all humanity during the future Tribulation, obviously for the purpose of convincing [convicting] every person living on the earth that the Lord is exactly who He claims to be in His Word.  See John 16:8-11.
    But in Acts 2:17 Peter's statement was, "I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh..."  The exact wording of this statement [in both the Greek text and the English translation] is important.  It is not, "I will pour out My Spirit."  Rather, it is "I will pour out of My Spirit."  This means that during this present dispensation, the pouring out of God's Spirit is limited.  While God pours "out of" His Spirit upon "all flesh" during this present dispensation, His Spirit is only effective in those who believe God's Word, repent of their sin, and receive God's Son as their Savior.  It is plainly stated in John 14:17 that "the world [unbelievers] cannot receive" Him.  On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was not poured out upon "all flesh."  He was only poured out upon the disciples [believers], enabling them to minister God's Word to the nations.  And so it has been throughout this present dispensation. 
 
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Brother John, 
 
    This is Part I of this study.  I will send more later.  Gotta go for now.  God bless you.
 

                   Pastor F. M. Riley

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Thanks, Pastor Riley.
John