What dreams are we dreaming for the Body of Christ, and what dreams are we dreaming for ourselves in our own roles in helping to build the Body of Christ?
AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says,
'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
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, [Joel 2.28]).
Dr Hal Habecker's Comments:
I find that interesting and fascinating. In general, I think dreaming (thinking of the future) is primarily a younger event – not an older event. Dreaming of the future – school, graduation, college, marriage, career, children, family watching them grow, (that’s Legacy Coalition – watching our grandchildren grow). And then what? Do we keep dreaming or do we stop dreaming? What do we dream for ourselves? For our own growth? For our own development? For our own marriages? For our own churches? For our own futures? Are we setting an example for those following us as to what it means to be an older generation dreaming for the purposes of God being poured out through our lives? I believe that’s the power and purpose of an older generation. It was that day on Pentecost, and I believe it is still God’s plan for us today.
“Elderly may begin to envision greater accomplishments by people of God than anyone had ever dared hope for before.” H. Leo Edleman
This is our mission as older folks – as older people who have walked with God – for decades, who have seen Him work, and who know Him intimately because of their years together – they have listened to and have followed His Spirit, they have absorbed His Word, and they have experienced and understood the strength of church as a multigenerational force. They have been and still are captivated by the life of Jesus alive in them.
Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock calls it “sage work” – the work only “sages” can do – we’re the only ones who have lived that long.
These are the people who ought to be influencing the church – not in place of younger people nor at the expense of younger people – we each have our role.
Commentary (ref www.BibleRef.com)
In the book of Joel, God uses the devastation of a locust swarm as a metaphor for how He will judge Judah if they don't repent. If they do repent, He will pull away His judgment and give them signs that He has done so. A primary sign is that He will "pour out [His] Spirit on all flesh." The very morning described earlier in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit came down to dwell in the Jesus-followers, just as Jesus promised He would (John 14:15–17). For Jesus-followers, the Holy Spirit will reveal to them the truth and the "things that are to come" (John 16:13). To unbelievers, He will "convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8).
This very moment is proof. The Holy Spirit is guiding Peter into the truth of Old Testament prophecy, something the disciples were not very good at during Jesus' ministry. And He is guiding Peter's audience into repentance (Acts 2:37–41).
Throughout the early years of the church, this verse continues to be proven. Philip the evangelist's daughters are prophets (Acts 21:8–9). Paul sees a vision of a man inviting him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9). Agabus prophesies a great famine (Acts 11:28) and Paul's impending arrest (Acts 21:10–11). Cornelius, an unsaved Gentile described as "a devout man who feared God" (Acts 10:2), sees an angel in a vision who tells him to send for Peter; Peter shares the gospel and Cornelius and his family accept Christ and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 10).
The language is poetic, which is typical for a book of prophecy in the Bible. God doesn't mean to say that only sons and daughters will prophesy, or that young men will only receive messages while they're awake and only old men will hear from God when they're sleeping. The verse is in a synthetic parallel format and just means that "people" will receive "messages" from God in various ways.
One of the great questions of the church is, are these visions and prophesies for the early church age, or are they meant to continue through to the end times? It's true that seekers and believers around the world have seen visions that led them closer to Jesus. But the supernatural messages seem to have decreased greatly since the church compiled the canon of the books that belong in the New Testament. Scripture is the primary way that God communicates with the world today.