Often times Joel 2:28 is cited along with Acts 2:17. The problem is these scriptures aren't addressing a specific point in time of the end days. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is something that started on the day of Pentecost and continues. Up until Christ came the Holy Spirit never indwelt anyone as He does now. We also have to remember that "last days" refers to the time of the Messiah and continues until His return.
The Bible never predicted a great revival in the last days. In fact, it says there would be the exact opposite...a great apostasy/ falling away/rebellion right before the Anti-Christ is revealed.
"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction," 2 Thessalonians 2:3
The Bible actually predicts a pretty treacherous and dark time before Christ's return that would come to a head during Great Tribulation. Setting the stage for world wide deception doesn't happen over night. Satan's been working at this a long time especially among the religious.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
So many insist on following lies in their wickedness because they love their sin so much, therefore, God fully hands them over to a depraved mind and sends them a powerful delusion so they're trapped. This doesn't mean God lies to them for God can't lie. It simply means "you want it, you got it!" They can't even comprehend anymore the right way from the wrong. This is not talking about the world that has continued in a fallen, treacherous state since the fall and progressively grows worse. This is addressing the conditions inside the church. We can even look to the first 4 chapters of revelation to get an idea of what's happening in the churches in the last days.
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 timothy 4:3-4
People can't put up with sound biblical teaching anymore. They simply can't handle it and hate those who preach it, stand up for it, teach it and rebuke with it. The people are not victims. They've gathered all these fake teachers themselves.They've actively sought them out. They themselves have turned away from the truth to follow lies and myths that suit their own desires...that tell them exactly what they want to hear. This is rampant now. It's extremely difficult to find a church or preacher that is teaching sound Biblical doctrine and you'll notice when you find them they oversee very small flocks. Most don't want to hear the truth anymore.
These professing "Christians" love unrighteousness so much, they love the world so much that they twist Scripture, change it or completely throw it out to suit their unrighteousness. They claim the Bible must be relevant for our times. They claim what God clearly called sin and abominations before are no longer relevant to us. They want us to believe Jesus just goes with the flow. Christendom is now in a state of apostasy which will not be undone. It's in accordance with how Satan works. Satan has been setting this up and we're seeing it in almost a full blown manifestation now and will be complete when Anti-Christ steps onto the stage.
Historically going back to Christ's own teachings and spread through the early church, it has been taught clearly that the final days of Christendom would be a time of apostasy not revival. The Church would decline until there were very few real believers left and those true believers would be surrounded and outnumbered by a vast number of professing apostate Christians.
Jesus Himself warned that the last days would be a time of great deceit and false prophets. (Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 24:24).
Paul even warned that once he was gone savage wolves would enter and not spare the flock (Acts 20:29).
Peter also gave a warning ( 2 Peter 2:1) As did Jude (Jude 1:4) and Paul (Galatians 2:4, 2 Corinthians 11:13, 1 Timothy 4:1 to name a few). We can even go back to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 6:13, 8:10, 22:17) Isaiah (Isaiah 56:11)
"However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
If there was going to be a great revival why would Christ ask this? That when He returns will He even find faith? Will there be anyone that's a real believer? That's not to say there won't be, but He is expressing real believers will be far and few between. In fact Paul...when speaking of the end times never mentions any revival. He warned for 3 years things would go from bad to worse...
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Does the world in general have a form of godliness? Absolutely not. In fact it wants nothing to do with godliness. Paul is warning about Christendom in the end times. Professing Christians will appear to have godly lives, they will fake it, they will act religious, but it's only outward. He even goes on to explain...
"They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone." 2 Timothy 3:6-9
We also have to remember that God has never had a large remnant of people. In every instance His remnants have always been small. Many are called, but few are chosen - Matthew 22:14. Should we be looking for a revival? No. That doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to pray for others. God is still working in many parts of the world, but in the meantime we're in the time of apostasy. If you have found yourself among professing Christians who follow the deceit of their own hearts and don't follow Scripture then the command is to come out form among them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17)
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
If we know we are in those times what should we be doing? Don't just believe what someone says simply because they profess to be Christian or because they have a large following. If they have a large following that's a red flag that sound Biblical doctrine is not being taught. Instead...
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
How do we test them? Know the Bible, study it, meditate on it. Compare what you're being told and taught to Scripture. The Bible is the final authority and the Bible is the standard we are to live by and obey. How then ought we to live? Holy. Be holy....
To read about similar subjects... I Never Knew You and Ask For The Ancient Paths
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