INTRODUCTION
The study of the book of Joel is very rewarding. The fulfillment
of a prophecy of Joel took place on the day of Pentecost. The book
flows smoothly. Joel is called a minor prophet by the size of his book
not the content. In every sense Joel is a major prophet in
serving God, and giving us vital information that is fulfilled in the Christian
age.
Rom. 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written
for our learning,
that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have
hope.
THE AUTHOR AND BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK
Very little is revealed about the writer of this book. In some ways the author and the book is a mystery. Though much is unknown about the author and the exact time of the writing of the book, we know it had a divine origin.
We know that this book like all the other books of the Bible was inspired of God.
II Tim. 3:16-17 Every scripture inspired of God is also
profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the
man of God
may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
Joel was moved by the Spirit of God to write this book. The book was of God not of man.
II Peter. 1:20-21 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture
is of private interpretation.
For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God,
being moved by the Holy Spirit.
All that we know of Joel is found in the first verse of the book.
Joel 1:1 The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
The prophet Joel was the son of Pethuel and likely prophesied in Judah. The prophesies and references of the city of Jerusalem and Zion seems to bear this out.
Joel 1:9 The meal-offering and the drink-offering are cut off
from the house of Jehovah;
the priests, Jehovah's ministers, mourn.
Joel 1:13-14 Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests;
wail, ye ministers of the altar;
come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering
and the
drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify
a fast, call a solemn
assembly, gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the
house of Jehovah
your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
Joel 2:15-17 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast,
call a solemn assembly; gather the people,
sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those
that suck
the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride
out of her
closet. Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the
porch and the altar,
and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage
to reproach, that
the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the
peoples, Where
is their God?
Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice
in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you
the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the
rain, the former
rain and the latter rain, in the first month.
Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time,
when I shall bring back the captivity of
Judah and Jerusalem,
Joel 3:5-6 Forasmuch as ye have taken my silver and
my gold, and have carried into your temples
my goodly precious things, and have sold the children of Judah and
the children of Jerusalem
unto the sons of the Grecians, that ye may remove them far from their border;
Joel 3:20-21 But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem
from generation to generation. And
I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Jehovah dwelleth
in Zion.
Joel does not give the date of his ministry by the name of a ruling monarch or king as do many of the other prophets.
There is also no specific allusion to any historic event that helps in the dating of this book.
Though the date is uncertain we believe the work of Joel was during the time of Joash and Amaziah about 800 B.C.
Joash ruled as a minor with Jehoiada the high priest in 835 B.C.
Other prophets omitted references to the reigning King.
Obadiah, Nahum, Jonah and Habakkuk.
The nations Joel mentioned were not Babylon, Assyria. It is quite likely that these two empires had not ascended to their power and prestige at this time.
The nations that concerned the work of Joel were Egypt, Phoenicia, Philistia, Egypt and Edom which were more prominent in the ninth century.
This would make Joel one of the earliest of the prophets that rose up in the divided kingdom time period.
A comparison to the material of Amos and Joel shows the two fit together very well.
Amos 1:2 The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa,
which he saw
concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days
of
Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Joel 3:16 And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice
from Jerusalem; and the heavens
and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people,
and a stronghold
to the children of Israel.
Amos 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that the plowman
shall overtake the reaper,
and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall
drop sweet
wine, and all the hills shall melt.
Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains
shall drop down sweet
wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall
flow with
waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and
shall water
the valley of Shittim.
The references to the temple, elders and priest have caused some to think Joel was a priest.
Joel does not mention idolatry which was snuffed out after the purge of Baal worship in the early reign of Joash and Jehoiada the high priest.
As one of the early prophets Joel would be contemporary with Elisha in Israel.
Joel 1:13-14 Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests;
wail, ye ministers of the altar;
come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering
and the
drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify
a fast, call a solemn
assembly, gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the
house of Jehovah
your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
Joel 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep
between the porch and the altar, and let them
say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach,
that the nations should
rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their
God?
The book is filled with burdens of calamities, plagues of insects and a great unprecedented drought that would overcome the land.
Joel states that the sins of the people caused their misfortunes and calamities.
The prophet wrote of the great day of the Lord which occurred 800 years later as proclaimed by Peter.
Acts 2:16 but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:
Many think of Joel as being a prophet of doom but he was a prophet of hope.
The Hebrew word Joel, Yo'el" simply means Jehovah (Yahweh) is God.
This book will empahis the work of the sovereign God in the history of man.
There are several men named Joel in the Bible, but none seem to be the prophet that wrote this book.
The name of the father of Joel was Pethuel, which in Hebrew means, Persuaded of God.
Joel was uncompromising and preached a clear message of repentance to
the people.
JOEL 1: PLAGUES AND PESTILENCE
Joel spoke the word of Jehovah and not some message within himself. The prophesy was not of the wisdom of man but from the power of God.
Joel 1:1 The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
After the author reveals himself as Joel the son of Pethuel, he tells the elders of the people of God to listen to him.
The people of God had been greatly blessed and had turned from God. The great Jehovah was going to get their undivided attention by his hand of punishment.
God developed the nation of Israel as a vehicle for the coming Messiah.
Even as far back as the promise to Abraham, God intended that both Israel and the nations were to receive a blessing because of the promise God gave Abraham.
God had a covenant relationship between the nation and himself.
With this covenant and promise came the opportunity
for the people to receive a blessing if they were faithful.
In the law, God promised again to bless his people only if they remained faithful to him.
Lev. 26:3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them
The history and warning of judgment was with this promise.
Lev. 26:14-16 But if ye will not hearken unto me,
and will not do all these commandments;
and if ye shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhor mine ordinances,
so that
ye will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant;
I also will do this
unto you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that
shall
consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away; and ye shall sow your
seed in
vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
Moses again warned of blessing and cursing regarding the faithfulness of Israel.
Deut. 28:58-63 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words
of this law that are written
in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name,
JEHOVAH THY GOD; then Jehovah will make thy plagues wonderful,
and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance,
and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. And he will bring upon
thee
gain all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall
cleave
unto thee. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is
not written in the book
of this law, them will Jehovah bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
And ye shall
be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude;
because
thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God.
As a result of the sin of the nation, many terrible judgments came against the people of Israel.
The three following judgments were the most severe.
1. The destruction of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC..
2. The destruction of the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C.
3. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Joel then begins to speak of the plagues to come in the beginning of the book..
Joel 1:2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants
of the land. Hath this been in
your days, or in the days of your fathers?
The plague of locusts is given in a graphic description. These insects called locust would devour all the vegetation.
Joel 1:1-12 The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of
Pethuel. Hear this, ye old men, and
give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your
days, or in the days of your
fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell
their children, and their children
another generation. That which the palmer-worm hath left hath
the locust eaten; and that which
the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm
hath left hath
the caterpillar eaten. and that which the locust hath left hath
the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the
caterpillar
eaten. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of wine,
because of
the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is
come up upon my land,
strong, and Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of
wine, because
of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation
is come up upon my land,
strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath
the jaw-teeth of a
lioness. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig-tree: he hath made
it clean bare, and
cast it away; the branches thereof are made white without number; his teeth
are the teeth of a
lion, and he hath the jaw-teeth of a lioness. He hath laid my vine
waste, and barked my fig-tree:
he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are
made white
Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
The meal-offering
and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests,
Jehovah's ministers,
mourn. The field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the grain
is destroyed, the new wine is
dried up, the oil languisheth. Be confounded, O ye husbandmen, wail,
O ye vinedressers, for
the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field is perished.
The vine is withered, and
the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and
the apple-tree, even all
the trees of the field are withered: for joy is withered away from the
sons of men.
Joel describes the terrible conditions that would face the land and the people.
Joel 1:2-4 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye
inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in
your days, or in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it,
and let your
children tell their children, and their children another generation.
That which the
palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten;
The people seemed to be in a spiritual sleep or drunken. Joel
warns them about the complete and total devastation that the
locusts would bring upon the land. Perhaps the people were
so affluent that drunkenness and partying were the course of the day.
The characteristics of the locus seem to be in the developmental process.
The locusts were cutting, swarming, hopping, insects.
Sometimes in plenty we forget God. Poverty can be a powerful teacher of man being dependent upon God.
Joel 1:5-7 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers
of wine, because of the sweet
wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up
upon my land, strong, and
without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw-teeth
of a lioness.
He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig-tree: he hath made it clean
bare, and cast it
away; the branches thereof are made white
The people had a rude awakening ahead. Many that were drunkards would arouse from this condition in desolation.
.
They were instructed to cry and lament over their fields, lands, food
and drink.
The conditions were going to be frightful and harsh.
Joel 1:8-12 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the
husband of her youth. The meal-offering
and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests,
Jehovah's ministers,
mourn. The field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the grain
is destroyed, the new wine is
dried up, the oil languisheth. Be confounded, O ye husbandmen, wail,
O ye vinedressers, for
the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field is perished.
The vine is withered, and
the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and
the apple-tree, even all
the trees of the field are withered: for joy is withered away from the
sons of men.
Sometimes the only way for a man to see God is flat on his back. Jehovah was going to smite the land with the plague of hungry locusts that would devour the land and crops of the people.
Joel makes his message a call for repentance and a national assembly.
Joel 1:13-14 Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests;
wail, ye ministers of the altar; come,
lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering
and the drink-offering
are withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify a fast, call
a solemn assembly, gather
the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of Jehovah
your God, and cry
unto Jehovah.
A call was sounded for the people to to to God in their repentance.
The judgment of God would come upon the people.
Joel 1:15-20 Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is
at hand, and as destruction from the
Almighty shall it come. Is not the food cut off before our eyes,
yea, joy and gladness
from the house of our God? The seeds rot under their clods;
the garners are laid desolate,
the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered. How do the
beasts groan! the herds
of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks
of sheep are made
desolate. O Jehovah, to thee do I cry; for the fire hath devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,
and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. Yea, the beasts
of the field pant unto thee;
for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures
of the wilderness.
The destruction of the drought followed the attack by the locust. One plague would be devastating yet two plagues would be catastrophic.
The conditions that were foretold by Joel would be critical and appear
hopeless.
Joel tells the people about the upcoming disasters ahead in the hope
that they would repent and return to the way of Jehovah.
No thread runs more clearly in the Bible than that of the relationship of repentance to forgiveness.
The prophet Jonah is a classic example of this theme of preaching God's message to man
Suffering can bring the fruits of righteousness.
Great times of calamities in a nation call for national prayer and commitment to be restored among all the people. The bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma to a times of war call for national unity.
The people of Israel need to repent and turn to Jehovah as one people.
CHAPTER 2: JUDGMENT AND HOPE IS OFFERED
The message of judgment and hope is clearly proclaimed by Joel.
The coming day of the Lord should cause the people to return to God.
Joeel 2:1-17 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an
alarm in my holy mountain;
let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh,
for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds
and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people
and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more
after
them,even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them;
and
behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them,
and
behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them. The
appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so
do they
run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap,
like the noise
of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in
battle array. At
their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.
They run like mighty
men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his
ways, and
they break not their ranks. Neither doth one thrust another; they
march every one in his
path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course.
They leap upon
the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter
in at the windows
like a thief. The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble;
the sun and the moon are
darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. And Jehovah uttereth
his voice before his
army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word;
for the day of
Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Yet even
now, saith Jehovah,
turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping,
and with mourning:
and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your
God; for he is
gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and
repenteth him of
the evil. Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify
the assembly, assemble the
old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let
the bridegroom go forth from
his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the
ministers of Jehovah, weep
between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O
Jehovah, and give
not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore
should they say
among the peoples, Where is their God?
A promised blessing is offered for the nation.
Joel 2:18-27 Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and
had pity on his people. And
Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain,
and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will
no
more make you a reproach among the nations; but I will remove far
off from
you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate,
its forepart
into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its
stench shall come up,
and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.
Fear not, O land, be glad
and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things. Be not afraid, ye
beasts of the field; for the
pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the
fig-tree and the vine do
yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice
in Jehovah your God; for
he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down
for you the rain,
the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month. And the
floors shall be full of wheat, and
the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. And I will restore
to you the years that the locust
hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm,
my great army
which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and shall praise the name
of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people
shall never be put
to shame. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and
that I am Jehovah your God,
and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame.
The tone changes in Joel 2:18. God assures great blessings
to his people. The blessings can be described in two ways.
The first blessing would be a physical blessing. The conquered
Jews will be restored to their homeland after the captivity of the Babylonians.
The second blessing is to be spiritual. The blessing of Messiah and his kingdom which is the church would be seen in Jerusalem. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred as Joel prophesied.
Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants
and upon
the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And
I will show wonders
in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall
be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and
terrible day
of Jehovah cometh. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
call on the name
of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there
shall be those
that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah
doth call.
The outpouring of the Spirit will occur after the nation of Israel has been blessed. This was fulfilled at Pentecost.
Perhaps the most recognized passage of Joel is these verses quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost.
When the Spirit comes, God will had a world view in developing his plan of salvation.
The beginning of this promise was fulfilled on Pentecost.
Acts 2:16 but this is that which hath been spoken through
the prophet Joel:
The Spirit came upon the 12 apostles on the day of Pentecost, 50 days
after the resurrection.
The Spirit was later given when the Spirit was imparted through the laying on of the apostles hands.
Acts 8:17-18 Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Spirit. Now
when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy
Spirit
was given, he offered them money,
Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Spirit came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied.
The Spirit was also given from God to the house of Cornelius. Acts 10
The Holy Spirit was given for the confirmation and revelation of the New Covenant or Testament of Christ.
The miraculous gifts of the apostles and those that they imparted the gift to was to establish the church and give the truth to man.
The New Testament is complete and when the last apostle, or one that had received the Spirit by the hands of the apostles died then the Spirit was not in a miraculous fashion anymore.
The inspired apostle is preaching repentance and remission of sins in
the name of Christ to all nations beginning at Jerusalem
this could not occur until Joel 2:28-32 was fulfilled.
They the 11 could not be his witnesses until clothed with power from on high .
Luke 24:49 And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father
upon you: but tarry ye in the city,
until ye be clothed with power from on high.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit
is come upon you: and ye shall
be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto
the
uttermost part of the earth.
This day of Pentecost the 50th day was a holiday the Jews gathered on the first day of the week.
Lev. 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from
the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye
brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
50th day from the high sabbath of the Passover 7 sabbaths equaled 49 days the next day was the 50th and it was a first day of the week.. That is the background of Acts 2:16-47.
Now Joel's message is fulfilled , all the families of the earth could be blessed.
Joel describes the spiritual blessings of the church centuries before the church was established.
Joel 2:28-29 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants
and upon
the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit
Joel introduces the establishment of the kingdom of God which is the church in this prophecy.
The last days is a close of the religious period of the Jews. A new era or Christian age would be ushered in.
The coming of Christianity was seen in the prophecy of Joel very clearly.
Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the
earth: blood, and fire, and pillars
of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before
the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh
The signs of judgment are depicted in graphic detail.
The interpretation of Joel's prophecy is that the blood is bloodshed results from war.
The fire Joel describes represents the burning of cities during war.
The heavenly bodies refer to the upheaval of earthly rulers.
Peter quoted Joel's figure of judgment and applied it the Jews as a coming judgment upon them.
The rejection of the truth of the Spirit by the Jews, and their persecutions of Christians, became the forerunner of God's great judgment upon Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of Jehovah shall be
delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that
escape, as Jehovah
hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.
The Scripture in quoted by both Peter and Paul and is applied to Jews and Gentiles.
Acts 2:21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:12-13 For there is no distinction between
Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord
of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: 10:13for, Whosoever shall
call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The condition for salvation is based upon obedience and repentance.
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized,
and wash away thy sins,
calling on his name.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Acts 2:38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and
be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive
the gift
of the Holy Spirit.
Calling on the name is up to every accountable person to reject or accept by faith and obedience.
Joel told us that God provided a way of escape for all.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
call on the name of Jehovah shall be
delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that
escape, as Jehovah
hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.
The predictive element of Joel is clearly seen in this text.
JUDGMENT OF NATIONS AND JUDAH RENEWED
Opposition to God will result in final condemnation. God will bring back captives to Jerusalem.
Judgment is given against those nations who oppose and scatter God's people.
Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time,
when I shall bring back the captivity of
Judah and Jerusalem,
The prophet Joel speaks of Jerusalem and Judah by which he means the
covenant people of God.
The captives returned from Babylon and the restored Israel witnessed the birth of Christ in the fourth kingdom which was the Romans.
Through Jesus the Messiah, this Judah, Jerusalem and Israel is the church
he established on the day of Pentecost.
Gal. 6:16 And as many as shall walk by this rule,
peace be upon them, and mercy,
and upon the Israel of God.
James at the conference in Antioch, quotes the prophet Amos, and indicates that the restoration of Jerusalem can be understood in a spiritual sense.
Amos 9:11-12 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle
of David that is fallen, and close
up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build
it as in
the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all
the nations
that are called by my name, saith Jehovah that doeth this.
Acts 15:14-18 Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited
the Gentiles, to take out of them a
people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets;
as it is written,
After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle
of David, which
is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I
will set it up: That the residue
of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my
name is called,
Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.
Isaiah predicts the coming Messiah and the impact this will have on the other nations.
Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock
of Jesse, and a branch out
of his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest
upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.
Isa. 11:9-12 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea. And it
shall come to pass
in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the
peoples, unto him
shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.
And it shall come to pass
in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover
the remnant
of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from
Pathros, and from
Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands
of the sea.
The apostle Paul, tells us these promises were fulfilled in the gospel.
Rom. 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Rom. 15:12 And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be the
root of Jesse, And he that ariseth to rule
over the Gentiles; On him shall the Gentiles hope.
The lord would restore the physical nation and bring in his spiritual nation in Christ. This was accomplished on the day of Pentecost.
Joel 3:2-7 I will gather all nations, and will bring them
down into the valley of Jehoshaphat;
and I will execute judgment upon them there for my people and for my heritage
Israel,
whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land,
and have
cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a
girl for wine, that
they may drink. Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all
the regions of
Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly
and speedily
will I return your recompense upon your own head. Forasmuch as ye
have taken my silver
and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly precious things,
and have sold
the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem unto the sons
of the Grecians, that ye may
remove them far from their border; behold, I will stir them
up out of the place whither ye have
sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head;
The "valley of Jehosaphat" means, "the time of judgment".
The word "Jehosaphat" means, "Jehovah is judge." Joel explains this refers to the ultimate end time. The christian age is the last time and age.
Heb. 1:1-2 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers
in the prophets by divers portions
and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in
his Son, whom
he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds;
The church of christ will be alert, alive and at war with the sin of the world.
Joel 3:9-13 Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare
war; stir up the mighty men; let all
the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords,
and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Haste ye, and
come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither
cause thy
mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah. Let the nations bestir themselves,
and come
up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the
nations round about.
Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the
winepress is full, the
vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
The gospel message will be proclaimed by his spiritual Israel the church.
The militant church goes on no matter who, or what, the foe will be.
The prophet speaks again of terrible destruction by which he contrasts
the people of the world with his spiritual Israel, which is the church.
Joel 3:14-17 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
for the day of Jehovah is near in the
valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars
withdraw their
shining. And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from
Jerusalem; and the
heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his
people, and a
stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am
Jehovah your God, dwelling
in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall
no strangers pass
through her any more.
Indescribable joy and happiness for the people of God will follow
Joel 3:18-21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the
mountains shall drop down sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow
with waters; and
a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water
the valley of Shittim.
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for
the violence done
to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their
land. But Judah shall
abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. And I will
cleanse their blood,
that I have not cleansed: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.
The church will defeat all foes and will not be destroyed.
Matthew 16:18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my
church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it
For the wicked there will always be pain, chaos and guilt.
The forgiveness the church has obtained is the great blessing of God.
CONCLUSION
Believe Jesus to be the son of God, John 8:24
Repent of sins, Luke 13:3-5
Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
Be baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10
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