John Calvin Commentary Acts 2:19

"And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:" — Acts 2:19 (ASV)

And I will show wonders. We must first see what is meant by this great day of the Lord. Some interpret it as referring to the former coming of Christ in the flesh, and others refer it to the last day of the resurrection. I accept neither opinion. For, in my judgment, the prophet encompasses the whole kingdom of Christ.

And so he calls it the great day, after the Son of God began to be revealed in the flesh, so that he may lead us into the fulfilling of his kingdom. Therefore, he appoints no certain day, but he begins this day at the first preaching of the gospel, and he extends it to the last resurrection.

Those who restrict it to the time of the apostles are motivated by this reason: because the prophet joins this part with the one immediately preceding it. But there is no absurdity in that at all, because the prophet assigns the time when these things began to happen, even though they have a continual progression even to the end of the world.

Furthermore, when he says that the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, these are figurative expressions, by which he gives us to understand this: that the Lord will show signs of his wrath throughout the entire structure of the world, which shall drive men to their wit’s end, as if some horrible and fearful change in nature were to be brought about.

For as the sun and moon are to us witnesses of God’s fatherly favor towards us, while in their course they give light to the earth, so, on the other hand, the prophet says that they shall be messengers to foretell God’s wrath and displeasure. And this is the second part of the prophecy.

For after he had spoken of the spiritual grace which would be abundantly poured out upon all flesh, lest anyone should imagine that all things would be quiet and prosperous at the same time, he also adds that the state of the world shall be troublesome and full of great fear under Christ, as Christ himself more fully declares (Matthew 24 and Luke 21).

But this greatly serves to highlight grace: that while all things threaten destruction, yet whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord is sure to be saved. By the darkness of the sun, by the bloody streaming of the moon, by the black vapor of smoke, the prophet intended to declare that wherever men turn their eyes, many things shall appear, both upward and downward, which may amaze and frighten them, as he has already said.

Therefore, this is as much as to say that the world was never in a more miserable condition, that there were never so many and such cruel signs of God’s wrath. From this we may gather how inestimable the goodness of God is, who offers a present remedy for such great evils; and again, how unthankful they are towards God, and how perverse, who do not flee to the sanctuary of salvation, which is near to them and meets them.

Again, it is beyond all doubt that God means by this sorrowful description to stir up all godly people, so that they may seek salvation with a more fervent desire. And Peter cites it to the same end, so that the Jews may know that they shall be more miserable unless they receive that grace of the Spirit which is offered to them.

Yet here a question may be asked: how can it be consistent that when Christ is revealed, such a sea of miseries should overflow and break out at the same time? For it may seem very unfitting that he should be the only pledge of God’s love toward mankind, in whom the heavenly Father lays open all the treasure of his goodness—indeed, he pours out his tenderest mercy upon us—and yet, by the coming of this same Son, his wrath should be hotter than it used to be, so that it would, as it were, completely consume both heaven and earth at once.

1. We must first note that because men are too slow to receive Christ, they must be constrained by various afflictions, as if with whips.

2. Because Christ calls to himself all those who are heavy laden and laboring (Matthew 11:28), we must first be tamed by many miseries, so that we may learn humility. For through great prosperity, men become arrogantly proud. And anyone who considers himself happy cannot help but fiercely despise Christ.

3. Because we are, more than we ought, focused on seeking the peace of the flesh, by which it happens that many tie the grace of Christ to the present life, it is necessary for us to be accustomed to think differently, so that we may know that the kingdom of Christ is spiritual.

Therefore, so that God may teach us that the good things of Christ are heavenly, he disciplines us, according to the flesh, with many miseries, by which it happens that we seek our happiness outside the world. Moreover, men bring miseries upon themselves through their unthankfulness; for the servant who knows his master’s will, and does not obey, is worthy of greater and more stripes (Luke 12:47). The more intimately God communicates with us in Christ, the more our ungodliness grows and breaks out into open rebellion, so that it is no wonder if, when Christ is revealed, many signs of God’s vengeance also appear, because men by this more grievously provoke God against themselves and kindle his wrath through wicked contempt.

Surely, that the day of Christ is fearful is an incidental matter, whether God intends to correct our laziness, to subdue us who are not yet receptive to teaching, or whether he intends to punish our unthankfulness. For of itself it brings nothing but what is pleasant; but contempt for God’s grace provokes him to horrible anger, and not without cause.