Continuing to look at some questions that have arisen as I study Acts 2. The second question I raised was:

Why do we view verses 17-18 as ongoing while viewing verses 19-20 as one-time events? Or do you interpret verses 19-20 in a way that they could be seen as ongoing?

This is a big one for me. I have not read any serious studies that consider that the dark sun and bloody moon were ongoing, whether the interpreters see these as mere symbols or as literal events. But many have sustained that verses 17 and 18 support women “prophesying” in church. (I put that in quotes because of differing views of how to define prophesy)

I don’t see how we can sustain both positions. The signs accompanying the outpouring of the Spirit and preceding the day of the Lord are ongoing or are tied chronologically to those events; we can’t have it both ways.

I’m a member of the churches of Christ. We don’t expect our young men to have visions, nor our old men to have dreams of significance. But if a woman wants to preach, she’s seen as fulfilling the promises of Acts 2. Consistency has never been our strong point.

The prophecy from Joel, it’s use in Acts 2… these sure seem like signs that accompanied specific events, showing the outpouring of the Spirit and preparing God’s people for the coming day of the Lord.