When the Holy Spirit is poured out in power at Pentecost, Peter quotes an extraordinary passage from Joel 2 to explain what God is doing and will do.

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.…….And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2: 17,21)

When Joel says that in the last days your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams, what is it that hehas in mind?

So let’s look at some examples in Acts to see.

1.Ananias’ Vision

When Jesus calls Paul on the Damascus Road, he then speaks to Ananias in a vision to visit Paul and to explain his mission:

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16)

So Ananias has a vision to commission Paul for his great missionary work. This vision of Ananias also serves to strengthen Paul to face the difficulties and suffering ahead.

2.Peter’s Vision

This happens at a crucial moment in the history of the Gospel. As yet the Gospel is understood to be for just the Jews. Gentiles are considered outside God’s purposes and “impure”. In the midst of this, Peter receives a vision in which God says:

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.“ (Acts 10:15)

Immediately after this, the servants of a prominent Gentile Cornelius arrive. So Peter understands God is talking about the Gentiles, and doesn’t hesitate to leave with them for the house of Cornelius.

Hence, Peter has a vision encouraging him to carry the gospel and the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house.

3.Paul’s Vision

Paul is travelling and he received a significant vision that changes the course of his journey and that changes the course of Europe:

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

So God directs Paul to reach the whole province of Macedonia with the Gospel.

(See also Acts 18:9 for another vision Paul has to encourage him to keep preaching the Gospel).

CONCLUSION

To conclude, after the Joel 2 quote in Acts 2, all the dreams and visions are given to key people for missionary strategy and missionary motivation.