Here are a few paragraphs from
Peter’s Quotation of Joel in Acts 2 | Midnight Call Ministries, Dr. Thomas Ice.
Many believe that at least part of Joel 2 was fulfilled in Acts 2 since Peter quoted it. However, a close look at Peter’s reference to Joel is not that of fulfillment (the word “fulfill” is not used in Acts 2), but one of similarity (“this is that,” i.e., like that in Acts 2:16) between the working of God’s Spirit in the future—as noted in Joel—and what the Holy Spirit was doing in starting the Church.
Peter quotes extensively from Joel 2:28-32 in his Pentecost sermon (2:17-21). In Acts 2:17, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter changes the phrase
“after this” in Joel 2:28 to
“in the last days,” underscoring the fact that his citation of the Joel passage was not being fulfilled in his day, but must await the future time of the Tribulation.
“Last Days,” as used by Peter refers to the Tribulation (cf. Deuteronomy 4:30; 31:29; Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 23:20; 30:24; 48:47; Ezekiel 38:16; Daniel 2:28; 10:14; Micah 4:1). After Israel experiences the material blessings described in Joel 2:21-27, they will experience the spiritual blessings noted in 2:28-29.
What does Joel describe in 2:28-32? Joel describes the activity of God’s Spirit at work in events surrounding a yet future Second Coming of Christ. Thus, Peter’s point is that of similarity between what the Holy Spirit will do in the future with the nation of Israel and what He was doing almost 2,000 years ago. The pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh, in the context of the Joel passage, refers to the conversion of Israel during the future Tribulation Period as supported by the subsequent reference to the various echelons of Jewish society,
“and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28). These are categories of individuals who have been excluded in the past as vehicles of God’s prophetic inspiration. But in the future a time will come when the Spirit will impact all aspects of Israel’s society. The context clearly limits the scope to Israel. Such a limitation means the passage is not describing what will happen within the Gentile believing community. As opposed to a mere trickle, at this time in the future, God will pour out His Spirit upon Israel. The exact meaning of the phrase relates to a time when God will provide maximum revelation through all echelons of Israel’s society. Proverbs 1:23 says,
“I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”
(If you want to read the whole article, the conclusion explains this further)
So I would say Peter didn't "just yank" a Scripture out to refer to Pentecost. He used a comparison, under inspiration.
You asked how can I tell God what He can now only do or say. But I have Scriptural support (although not an outright statement) that God's revelation is only contained in the Bible. I am not trying to tell God anything. But I would say it's very dangerous to tell God what He IS doing with your subjective experience. You could so easily misinterpret that experience and completely mess up your life.
In 2 Tim. 3:16, which I already pointed out, God is saying, "Here is my Word. It is sufficient to meet all your needs." and you're saying, "But I want to find your Word through my dreams and visions. They're more exciting."
That's dangerous!
I also wanted to give you a quote by John Wesley. Don't belittle this, he was a great man of God. And actually considered one of the forerunners of Pentecostalism.
"Give no place to a heated imagination. Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions, or revelations to be from God. They may be from him; they may be from nature; they may be from the devil. Therefore 'believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God.' Try all things by the written word, and let all bow down before it. You are in danger of enthusiasm every hour if you depart ever so little from Scripture; yea, or from the plain literal meaning of any text taken in connection with the context. And so you are if you despise or lightly esteem reason, knowledge, or human learning; every one of which is an excellent gift of God, and may serve the noblest purposes."
