Which Old Testament prophecies connect with the imagery in Acts 2:20? Reading Acts 2:20 in Context Acts 2:20: “The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.” The Holy Spirit, through Peter, uses vivid, end-time imagery. Scripture ties these very pictures back to earlier prophetic voices. Joel – The Direct Quotation • Joel 2:30-31: “I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.” • Joel 3:15-16 echoes it again: “The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion…” Peter is lifting Joel’s exact words, affirming that what Joel foresaw is being inaugurated at Pentecost and will culminate in the Day of the Lord. Other Prophets Who Saw the Same Cosmic Signs Isaiah • Isaiah 13:9-11: “Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming… The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” • Isaiah 34:4: “All the stars of heaven will be dissolved… the sky will roll up like a scroll.” Ezekiel • Ezekiel 32:7-8: “I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.” Amos • Amos 8:9: “In that day… I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” Zephaniah • Zephaniah 1:14-15: “The great Day of the LORD is near… a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.” Zechariah • Zechariah 14:6-7: “On that day there will be no light… It will be a unique day known only to the LORD.” Putting the Pieces Together • Every cited prophecy links unusual celestial phenomena with “the Day of the LORD,” a period of divine intervention in judgment and salvation. • Peter’s quotation of Joel invites us to see Pentecost as the opening act of that prophetic drama, while the full, literal fulfillment of the sun darkening and the moon turning to blood awaits the Lord’s climactic return. • The consistent thread: God uses the heavens as His billboard, signaling both warning and hope. What He promised through Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Zephaniah, and Zechariah He will bring to pass exactly as written. |
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