Matthew Poole and continuators on Joel 2:28

28 and it shall come to pass afterward , that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh , and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie , your old men shall dream dreams , your young men shall see visions .

Most certainly this shall be done,

on the latter dayes, after the return out of Babylonish Captivity, after the various troubles and salvations by which they may know that I am the Lord, their God in the midst of them, when those wondrous works shall be seconded by the most wonderful of all, the sending the Messiah in his day, and under his Kingdom.

In large abundant measures will I give my Holy Spirit, which the Messiah exalted shall send, Ioh. 16.7. in extraordinary power and gifts in the Apostles and first Preachers of the Gospel, and in ordinary measure and Graces to all Believers, Eph. 4.8, 9, 10, 11.

Before these gifts were confin'd to a few people, to one particular Nation, to a very small people, but now they shall be enlarged to all Nations, Acts 2.33. and 10.45. to all that believe, all that are regenerate.

This was in part fulfil'd according to the Letter in the first dayes of the Gospel; but this promise is rather of a comparative meaning, thus by pouring out of the Holy Spirit on your Sons and your Daughters they shall have as clear and full knowledge of the deep Mysteries of God's Law, as Prophets before time had. The Law and Prophets were till Iohn, and during this time the gifts of the Spirit were given in lesser measures, and of all Men the prophets had greatest measures of the Spirit, but in these dayes, the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than Iohn.

No difference of Age to old men who had been long blind in the things of God, the Mysteries of Grace shall be revealed, and these shall know as certainly and clearly as if God had extraordinarily revealed himself to them by dreams sent of God upon them.

Many young men shall be as eminent in knowledge, as if the things known were communicated by vision. In a word, all knowledge of God and his Will shall abound among all Ranks, Sexes and Ages in the Messiah's dayes, and not only equal, but surpass all that formerly was by Prophesie, Dreams, or Visions.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 44.3.; [illegible: 1 word] 39.29. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 letter]2.17. [illegible: 1 word]. 12.10.