In Acts chapter two, we have an account of the Day of Pentecost and of the Holy Spirit's enabling of the disciples to witness in other languages.  After a curious crowd has gathered to where the disciples are at, Peter stands before them to clarify just what is taking place and appeals to an Old Testament prophecy given some 800 years prior.  Of what is happening, he declares, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (vs. 16).  And what was that?  Following is the first part of that prophecy, which relates to what is then happening:

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 17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh:  and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

 18  And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit;  and they shall prophesy:

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     What happened on the Day of Pentecost marked the beginning of the fulfilling of Joel's prophecy, and this first part pertained to God's pouring out of His Spirit upon the Church.  As I put forth in PROPOSITION F, this event also marked the beginning, or inauguration, of what has come to be called the Church Age.

     For believers, it should not be too surprising that any prophecy be fulfilled.  What is sometimes surprising, however, is to find unanticipated elements in a prophecy.  Just such an element exists here.  Looking back, as it turns out, Joel's prophecy gives defining marks OF THE VERY DAY of the BEGINNING of the Church Age.  But, equally as remarkable as this, it also gives defining marks OF THE VERY DAY of the CLOSING of the Church Age.  This outstanding element of Joel's prophecy can be seen when its relationship to the 6th Seal is understood.  Follow closely.

     That the Church Age began on the Day of Pentecost is readily apparent.  When will it end?  In accord with what we have already considered, the Church Age will end on the day of the rapture, just before the period of the last days' Day of the Lord judgment begins.  With these things in mind, notice the last part of Joel's prophecy and something else that will occur just before the Day of the Lord begins.  Again, from Acts 2:

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 20  The SUN shall be turned into DARKNESS, and the MOON into BLOOD, before that great and notable Day of the Lord come:

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     As we have seen, this exact phenomena concerning the sun and the moon is spoken of in The Revelation.  Before we look afresh at the specific place, imagine that The Revelation is a treasure trove of mysteries (which it is!), each with its own padlock.  If the above words of Joel's prophecy represented notches on a key, the key with these notches would fit the lock of the mystery of---you guessed it---the 6th Seal.  Consider the similarity between the above verse of Joel's prophecy and the opening and closing verses of the account of this seal (Rev. 6:12 and 17):

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VERSE 12

And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake;  and the SUN became BLACK as sackcloth of hair, and the MOON became as BLOOD;

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VERSE 17

For the great day of His wrath is come;  and who shall be able to stand?

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     As can be seen, the first half of Acts 2:20 fits verse 12, and the last half fits verse 17.  This is the only place in The Revelation where this key from Joel's prophecy will fit.  I can almost hear the click!  As we shall see, Scripture consistently supports that the Church Age will close on this day that "the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood."  Of course, since the close of the Church Age is brought about by the rapture, this happens the same day as well.  Moreover, this all takes place just before the time that the last days' Day of the Lord judgment will begin---TO THE VERY DAY.  Summed up, Joel's prophecy marks both the opening and closing days of the Church Age (like bookends), giving us a very important key to unlocking the mystery of the 6th Seal and the timing of the rapture.  All of this reminds me of the way puzzle pieces that are meant to fit together also interlock with other pieces.

     Being mindful still of Joel's prophecy and the 6th Seal, let's continue by looking at something Jesus spoke of in His Olivet Discourse that also interlocks with all of this.

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