When the crowd grew too large for the apostles to address in small groups, Peter stood and likely guided them to a nearby plaza outside the southern entrance of the temple. Here he would declare for the first time to the nation of Israel the New Covenant.

After dispelling the notion that he and his fellow apostles were drunk and having the crowd on, he began to explain that they were witnessing the fulfillment of prophecy. He first quotes Joel to explain the immediate circumstances – God has “poured out [his] Spirit on [his] people”. Due to the arrival of God’s Spirit people will once more prophesy, see visions, and dream revelations. At that day, on this day, all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved!

One can imagine both the excitement and the skepticism of the crowd. Could this be the great and terrible Day of the Lord? Since it was the beginning of the new covenant and not the Day of Judgment, Peter explains further about the Messiah. He expounds that Jesus was empowered of God to perform miracles and was arrested and executed – but not by the hands of men, rather by the preordained will and foreknowledge of God! For this reason God raised him from the dead so that he will not be found in the grave or in the place of the dead but rather at the right hand of God. Peter proclaimed from Psalm 18 that King David wrote about the Messiah, and the Messiah David wrote about was crucified both for them and by them.

After the crowd heard the message the Holy Spirit did what he so often does and caused these men to be convicted in their hearts. The Greek reads that they were “pierced to the heart”, which is an idiom meaning “acutely distressed.” To put it another way, they were feeling guilty and stressed out over this news. A good therapist would have had a field day and perhaps that is why the Spirit, the Counselor, had such a pronounced effect on the crowd, for 3,000 put their trust in Jesus then and there.

Peter’s speech leads up to the first Progress Report in the Book of Acts, verse 41. If you recall back on April 23rd the Introduction to Acts shows that the book is divided by these periodic progress reports. They are important textual indicators of the beginning and ending of movements within the book. All that came before wraps up the Old Covenant Era and what we see following is the first years of the current Church Age. This age ends at the second coming of the Messiah, an event that many believe is rapidly approaching.

One of the reasons some believe the return of Jesus is near is based upon the passage Peter quotes, Joel 2.28-.32a. In verse 31 Joel states that among the signs to watch for is a blood moon. If you haven’t heard the murmurings among the church, there is not one but four blood moons occurring from spring 2014 through the fall of 2015. A blood moon, which is an eclipse of sorts that causes the moon to appear red instead of its usual white sheen, is nothing special on its own. Many occur through the historic record. Having 4 of them in such a short time is unusual but not unheard of. What makes these four so unique is that they all fall on Feasts the Lord instituted. The one earlier this year fell on Passover, the next one falls on the Feast of Trumpets this September 25-26. The two next year fall on the same festival days, Passover and Trumpets.

Since the events of Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit fell precisely on the four Spring feasts it is likely that the events surround the second coming will occur on the three fall feasts. The first of the Fall feasts is the Feast of Trumpets, also called Rosh Hashanah, depicts the rapture of the church. Because the blood moon is a sign mentioned by Joel, and it is occurring several time in the span of several months, twice on Rosh Hashanah, many believe the return of Jesus will be this year or next.

Think-Biblically.com does not take a definitive stance on this evidence alone, but admits the events are intriguing and meaningful. Regardless of when our Lord returns Christ-followers are to be ready. Keep your lamps lit, gentle readers!