Acts 2

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

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:

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

What does Acts 2:20 mean?

Explanation

Acts 2:20 captures a part of the Apostle Peter's speech on the day of Pentecost.

This verse is a direct quotation from the Old Testament, specifically the book of Joel (Joel 2:31).

It uses apocalyptic imagery, referring to a cosmic upheaval that will precede the "day of the Lord," a phrase often associated with God's judgment and the consummation of history from a biblical perspective.

The "sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood" uses a poetic and prophetic language to describe extraordinary events in the heavens.

While it might allude to literal astronomical phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses, it more fundamentally suggests a period of great turmoil and dramatic change prior to the final intervention of God in human history.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Acts 2 takes place during the Jewish festival of Pentecost in Jerusalem, not long after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Luke, the author of Acts, records the event where the Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles, empowering them to speak in various languages and effectively start the mission of the early Christian church.

The quotation of Joel 2:31 by Peter indicates that the early Christians saw the events of their time, the ministry of Jesus, his death, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

These events were understood as signalling the beginning of the "last days" foretold by the prophets.

Theological Insights

Opinions vary over the theological significance and interpretation of Acts 2:20:

Preterist theologians argue that the events described were fulfilled in the first century, particularly with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Futurist theologians believe that this prophecy refers to events that will occur at the end of time, immediately before the Second Coming of Christ.
Historicist interpreters may see these events as unfolding over the course of Christian history.
Idealist, or symbolic, interpretations suggest that these images represent the ongoing spiritual battles between good and evil, not to be tied to any single historical event.

Practical Applications

A practical takeaway from Acts 2:20 includes the concept of preparedness and vigilance.

The verse encourages believers to live with an awareness of the transient nature of life and the importance of living in a way that is right and just, reflective of the hope of a future day of redemption and judgment.

Cross-References

Joel 2:31: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come."
Matthew 24:29: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."
Revelation 6:12: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood."

Language Study

The key phrases in Acts 2:20 are "sun turned into darkness" (Greek: ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος) and "moon into blood" (Greek: καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα).

The term "metastrephēsetai" suggests a transformation or turning around, indicating a significant change.

"Skotos," meaning "darkness," is often used symbolically in the Bible to represent despair or ignorance.

The phrase "eis haima" literally means "into blood," which is imagery often associated with judgment or war.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The imagery of celestial bodies being darkened can be found in various ancient cultures as signs of divine displeasure or impending doom.

In the ancient Near East, eclipses and other celestial phenomena were often interpreted as omens.

In the Hebrew Bible, such images are typically related to God's judgment or significant turning points in the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, the darkening of the sun can be associated with a solar eclipse, while a lunar eclipse can cause the moon to appear reddish, commonly referred to as a "blood moon." While these natural phenomena align with the description in Acts 2:20, interpreting them as fulfillments of prophecy depends on one's theological or eschatological outlook.

Commentaries

Commentators offer various interpretations of Acts 2:20:

Classic dispensationalist commentaries often treat this verse as pointing to future, literal, and cataclysmic events preceding Christ's return.
Covenant theologians might argue that it symbolically describes the destruction of the Jewish temple and the old covenant system.
Alternatively, some suggest it speaks to the cosmic disruption caused by the death and resurrection of Christ, as well as the ongoing impact of these events.
Modern commentators often emphasize the missiological (mission-oriented) implications, highlighting the urgency for evangelism and righteous living in anticipation of the day of the Lord.

Acts 2

Acts 2

What does Acts 2:20 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 2:20 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?