#1136 Joel 2 Part 3 Pouring Out To Harvest

 

 “And it shall come to pass afterward,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

29 Even on the male and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. Joel 2: 28-32

Joel 2: 28-32 Pouring Out of God's Spirit

…27A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” 29But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”… Numbers 11: 27-29

…16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17‘ In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.… Acts 2: 16-18

And it shall come to pass afterward - So what have we dealt with so far? This is after a locust plague discussed in chapter 1, after discussion of the Day of the Lord, an army that devastates, there is a call to repentance, the pity of God upon a broken people, those mournful over their sin. When Peter quotes this in Acts 2: 17, he says, "in the last days," instead of afterward. What is the Day of the Lord? The day of Christ return to judge and rule.

1This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.… Isaiah 2: 1-3

The Jewish last days began 2,000 years ago. Did you know that? That’s right. The Jewish last days began 2,000 years ago with the arrival of Messiah. They will be completed when the setting of the kingdom takes place. It just so happens that the last days has stretched at least into 2,000 years. You say, “Why so?” Because God graciously is calling people from the gentiles and secondly because God in chastisement is punishing Israel for unbelief. And when God gets through calling together the fullness of the gentiles and gets through gathering and regathering Israel to the land, then the last days will be consummated.

Now, Paul writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Timothy 3:1, talks about the last days there but he’s talking about the last days of the church. The interval of 2,000 years that we’ve been living in, I believe we’re living in the last days of that. Do you believe that? Do you believe Jesus is coming soon? Do you believe the rapture is soon? Then we’re not only in the last days of Israel and have been for 2,000 years, but we’re in the last days of the church.

But you see this is a Jewish context, and so he says it shall come to pass in the last days. And the last days were Messianic times and the Messiah had come so it was the last days. The last days began with the arrival of Jesus. Let me prove that to you by showing you several verses. First Peter 1:20 says this, it’s talking about Christ, the Lamb without blemish and without spot, and verse 20 days, “Who verily truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” Jesus was, wasn’t He?

Then he says this, “But was manifest in these last times for you.” Do you know that the last times began when Jesus was manifest? Hebrews 1:2, 1:1, “God at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers hath in these” - what? - “last days spoken unto us” - what? - “by His Son.” Jesus came in the last days. Listen to this, 1 John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time.” You see, that’s an eschatological term for Messianic time. And you have the same thing clearly indicated in Hebrews 9:26. And that statement shows that they really believed that the last time began with Messiah. The writer of Hebrews says this, “But now once in the end of the ages hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” When they saw Messiah come and die, they said, “Gang, it’s the end of the ages.” - J Mac

Comment: Note that the first phrase "‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS" is not from the book of Joel. This exact Greek phrase is found in the Septuagint version of Isaiah 2:2-commentary which is also a prophecy that deals with the "last days." It is interesting that Isaiah's passage is describing the beginning of the Messiah's earthly kingdom. Below are the actual Greek text from the Septuagint and from the New Testament to show that they are exactly the same words:

ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις (Isaiah 2:2 Septuagint)

ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, (Act 2:17 New Testament) - Precept Austin

I will pour out My spirit on all flesh - Peter refers back to this in Acts 2 during the feast of Pentecost, when Jews and Jewish proselytes from all over the Roman empire were assembled at Jerusalem for the harvest feast, Pentecost is 50 days after the feast of first fruits. When we look at this from the perspective of the Apostles, they had been in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, where Jesus became the Passover lamb, as was always God's intention. 

…4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.… Hebrews 10: 4-6

Jesus rose again on the third day, which makes Him the firstborn of all that believe and are saved through Him. We celebrate this as Easter Sunday, and instead of meeting on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, Saturday, it became a custom of the early church to meet on Sunday, the day which Christ rose from the dead. 

…22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 1 Corinthians 15: 22-23

Jesus had been telling His disciples that He was going to return to the Father, but that this was not a bad thing because where He was going they would one day be also. He also promised to send them a comforter, which was the Holy Spirit, and Peter relates back to this section of Joel when the comforter comes at the day of Pentecost described in Acts 2. This was the birth of the early church, a glimpse of what it will be like when Christ returns to set up His Millennial kingdom.

…22“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge? 23If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you. 24Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,… Proverbs 1: 22-24

…14For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever—the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks— 15until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.… Isaiah 32: 14-16

…2This is the word of the LORD, your Maker, who formed you from the womb and who will help you: “Do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring. 4They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams.… Isaiah 44: 2-4

…38Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ” 39 He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. 40On hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.”… John 7: 38-40

John Calvin - There is no doubt that the prophet promises something greater here than the fathers had experienced under the law. We know that the grace of the Holy Spirit flourished even among the ancient people; but the prophet promises here not what the faithful had formerly experienced, but something greater. And this may be gathered from the verb 'to pour' which he employs. For ‏שׁפךְ‎ does not mean merely to give in drops, but to pour out in great abundance. But God did not pour out the Holy Spirit so abundantly or copiously under the law, as He has since the manifestation of Christ." (Ed: And will do so in the greatest abundance in the New Age to come, the Messiah's Kingdom on earth!) - Precept Austin

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy - This has been bent and twisted in all sorts of ways, and I have heard people take this verse from it's context, without understanding of prophesy or prophesying, and insist that it validates their present claims of being a prophet or knowing someone else who is. I think the safest understanding of this is within the framework of the time to which the major and minor prophets are pointing, the last days, which as discussed above, started with Christ first advent. When the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost this marked the birth of the new church, and many Jews from all over, who spoke different languages, all heard the gospel in their own language. One who prophesies says what God said, preaching is a form of prophesying, reading the word of God, correctly applied, as Paul instructed Timothy, to rightly divide the word of truth. Today, there is a sect of "Christianity" that holds up as prophets those who act more like fortune tellers, and not even good ones by Biblical standards. Pentecost and the Apostolic era were foundational to the building of the church, the Apostles were the pillars of the church, Christ the foundation, so do not be fooled by those today who call themselves Apostles, nor those who offer up another Christ. As those who were to spread the gospel, write it down, tell of the things to come at the end of the age, and record the doctrine to which the body of Christ shall adhere, the Apostles and many of the early church were accompanied by great signs and wonders, all of which supported their claims to speak on behalf of God to the church, to be the writers and sealers of canonical scripture. Pentecost was a precursor to the end of the age, empowering the disciples to preach, which Peter did preach that first sermon, drawing upon the old testament, presenting Jesus Christ as the fulfillment, and some 3,000 heard and believed that day. 

Discussion on False Prophets

More discussion on False Prophets

And I will show wonders in the heavens and on earth...before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes - The Day of the Lord is at the end of the age, marked by the time of the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's Trouble, the opening of the seals and the pouring out of God's wrath. Some say this prophecy of Joel's was completely fulfilled at Pentecost, yet we did not see the heavenly signs associated with Joel's prophecy. 

For example, I read about blood in chapter 6, verse 7, Revelation. Verse - we’re skipping 7, says in verse 8, “Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, with the beasts of the earth.” There’s going to be blood unbelievably streaming about the earth in that great terrible fourth seal, which is death. And then in moving through Revelation chapter 8, we find it again in 7, 8:7, “The first angel sounded, there followed hail and fire mixed with blood.” Verse 8, “Fire was cast into the sea and a third part of the sea became blood.” And on and on it goes. In chapter 9:15, it says, “And the four angels were loosed who were prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year to slay the third part of men.” Bloodshed as one-third of the population of the world dies.

And then further on in chapter 14, that most remarkable verse 20, “And the wine press was trodden outside the city and blood came out of the wine press even to the horses’ bridles by the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs.” Blood five feet deep covering 200 miles, and on and on it goes. Chapter 16, verse 3, there it is again, blood like the dead man, the sea turns to blood. And then we find in the book of Revelation also fire indicated at the time when Jesus comes back. Chapter 8, verse 5, talks about the censer filled with fire and cast to the earth. Verse 7 of the same chapter talks about fire again. Verse 8 talks about fire again, cast into the sea.

Verse 10, burning fire cast into the area of the rivers and the fountains of waters. And then as we read chapter 9, we read about the smoke as the demons ascend out of the pit. All of these things are pictures of the coming judgment of Christ when He returns. Then in verse 20, it tells us something more. It says the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood. And before that great notable day of the Lord come.

Now isn’t it amazing that although they hadn’t seen all of these things, they had in fact seen wonders in heaven, hadn’t they? They heard the sound. And they had not only seen that, but they had seen wonders in the earth. The miracles of the languages. Not only that, what happened all over the place at the death of Jesus Christ? Darkness covered the earth. Verse 20, “The sun shall be turned to darkness.” So you see, in that same kind of preliminary way, they had begun to experience what the fullness of the great and terrible day of the Lord was going to be like.

Sun shall be turned to darkness, the moon to blood. We read in Matthew chapter 24 an indication of that in the direct words of Jesus in talking about the time of His coming to set up His kingdom. Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be dark and the moon shall not give its light. The stars shall fall from heaven, the powers of the heaven shall be shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” You see there, Jesus’ coming is again tied with the wonders in heaven. As we saw in Revelation, the wonders in earth as well. And so before that great and terrible day of the Lord, these wonders shall occur.  - J Mac

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved - We live in the mystery age of the church, something that the OT prophets and even the disciples did not understand. They thought more in the lines of a chronology that had Messiah coming and going directly into His reign. They found it difficult to accept His teachings of the cross, even in light of Isaiah's clear teaching that Messiah must suffer. Every sacrifice foreshadowed His ultimate sacrifice. Many were saved at Pentecost, many have come to Christ during the church age, but the ultimate pouring out of His spirit, the greatest revival/reformation of all time will be at the end of the age. 

…26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. 28Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.… Ezekiel 36: 26-28

10Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.… Zechariah 12: 10-11

…2“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it, the LORD is His name: 3Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33: 2-3

…14Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High. 15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” 16To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?… Psalm 50: 14-16

25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”… Romans 11: 25-27

Among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls - This is the remnant, for not all who are of the outer circumcision are Israel, but those who are circumcised of heart. No one comes to Christ unless the Father calls them.

…43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied. 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—… John 6: 43-45

…29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. 31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?… Romans 8: 29-31

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#1135 Joel 2 Part 2 Repentance To Restoration

 

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster.

14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain offering and a drink offering

for the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;

consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

16 gather the people.

Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the elders;

gather the children,

even nursing infants.

Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land

and had pity on his people.

19 The Lord answered and said to his people,

“Behold, I am sending to you

grain, wine, and oil,

and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.

20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,

and drive him into a parched and desolate land,

his vanguard into the eastern sea,

and his rear guard into the western sea;

the stench and foul smell of him will rise,

for he has done great things.

21 “Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice,

for the Lord has done great things!

22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,

for the pastures of the wilderness are green;

the tree bears its fruit;

the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,

and rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given the early rain for your vindication;

he has poured down for you abundant rain,

the early and the latter rain, as before.

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;

the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will restore to you the years

that the swarming locust has eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,

my great army, which I sent among you.

26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,

and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.

And my people shall never again be put to shame. Joel 2: 12-27

Joel 2: 12-27 Call to Repentance

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2: 1-5

12-17 Yet even now - The call was out there even as the enemy approached, remember how slowly the glory of God was in departing from the temple, how long He held out His hand to a rebellious people? They did not want God, and they had defiled His holy place, so He left, but what fills the void of such a vacuum is heinous, yet here is another call from another prophet, repent and be saved, turn from your wicked ways.

Ezekiel 10

12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.… Hebrews 3: 12-14

S Lewis Johnson applies the sense of urgency in the phrase "yet now" - Incidentally, my good Christian friend, the time for repentance is always now. It should never be put off. The more we put off repentance for sin that we have committed the less likely we are to repent. For the more we put off repentance the harder becomes our heart. And so repentance is something that is always to be carried out now. Dr. Chafer at the seminary use to tell us in the theological classroom that, “Men, it is necessary to keep short accounts with God.” You don’t get in the habit of sinning half a dozen times and then when the number gets to six repenting or waiting till the end of the day in order to confess failure before God. Repentance is always an immediate duty as soon as the knowledge of sin comes, and short accounts are to be kept. (Judah's Repentance and God's Repentance) - Precept Austin

And rend your hearts and not your garments - No outward show will suffice for God, for men are known to be actors for the sake of other men. Throw out your rituals, put aside your masks, beg that God grant you such repentance as befits the presence of the Almighty. Men had torn their clothes as a sign of anguish and mourning in the past, men whose hearts were equally ripped apart, yet others, seeing that God heard them, would settle for the outer appearance and make theatre, as if God could not tell the difference. 

…12Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.” 13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men. 14Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”… Isaiah 29: 12-14

…26But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for the words that you heard, 27because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ declares the LORD. 28‘Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’ ” So they brought her answer back to the king.… 2 Chronicles 34: 26-28

…28A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God. Romans 2: 28-29

Who knows whether He will not turn and relent - The wrath of God is coming on all wickedness, for He must forever banish sin, yet the mercy of God is great, so repent while it is still today, repent even if there is no tomorrow, for there is eternity. Turning to God with nothing but our sin is everyone's reality, turning to Him not as a last hope, but your only hope is reality again. No one is justified by works of the law, no one is justified by deeds of the flesh, but it is the broken and contrite that He does not turn away.

…21“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.” 22David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ 23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”… 2 Samuel 12: 21-23

Let the bridegroom leave his room - Priest were not holy because of their title, infants or the mother's nursing them were not exempt from this, there was no business that excluded a man from coming.

Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber - Under normal circumstances a bridegroom was exempt from the assemblies, but this was not a normal circumstance! Moses describes the exemptions...

Deuteronomy 20:7; ‘And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.’

Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep - These should be the greatest intercessors, and the time of desiring such a position for it's social or other benefits, will leave many an empty chair in the times of God's judgment. What minister are you that does not confront sin? What sort of shepherd leaves the wolves alone that they may address the sheep? 

…47So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people. 48He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted. 49But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah.… Numbers 16: 47-49

18-27 I will no more make you a reproach among the nations - Like Hosea buying back Gomer, so the Lord is merciful to us. They are called His people, yet they are an embarrassment as such, for they do all the things He hates. Why does He make them a reproach? God is just and His hatred of sin is not based, as those who are respecters of persons, like those who love titles or think much of their heritage, "we are Abraham's children", no, He chastens even those He loves. He will punish sin, and He will preserve sinners only in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

…19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ 20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’… Luke 15: 19-21

I will remove the northerner far from you - It does not give the name of which northerner, but we know this to be the direction from which they (armies like Assyria and Babylon) come attacking Jerusalem. Given the nature of the language before, in no longer being a reproach, it probably seeks a much later interpretation. Nonetheless, we see a foreshadowing in the Old Testament in the attack of Assyria against Jerusalem. Sennacherib and his army talked a lot of smack, even ignorantly accusing Israel of angering their God by taking down the high places, which they should have done long before, but so it goes with the pagan mind trying to assess the only true God. Men are always trying to compare God with things they make with their own hands, or ascribing to Him the attributes they imagine for Him in their minds, but when they came for Jerusalem, one angel killed 185,000 Assyrians. Sennacherib went away. In the end times there will come armies against Israel, but they will only achieve unto their appointed place, and Christ return will be their appointed end.

…3Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.… Zechariah 14: 3-5

I will restore to you the years - It is the end of the time of the gentiles, the restoration of the people who have been so long trodden down.

…5They will be like mighty men in battle, trampling the enemy in the mire of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the horsemen to shame. 6I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them, and they will be as though I had not rejected them. For I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them. 7Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.… Zechariah 10: 5-7

Gilliland - These glowing promises are His word and cannot fail. Here He undertakes to give full compensation for the losses recently incurred. The same God who commissioned the locusts to come, now that His people have repented, will reimburse, with a full payment, all the costs involved. It is reminiscent of the book of Job where, after his heart-rending losses, his fortunes are doubled as the story ends. In speaking of the "years" consumed by the locusts the Lord refers to the harvests which the insects devoured, and the reference to "years" shows that the locust invasions covered more than one season. The horror of this devastation is recalled by the mention, from Joel 1:4, of the four different nouns for the locusts (in a different order). The invaders are further identified as Jehovah's great army, sent by Him on a mission. That mission has been accomplished and now the same Lord will further advance His purpose for His people. - Precept Austin

And my people shall never again be put to shame - This has a Millennial bend, for we know this time to be the time of the gentiles from the captivity even till now, yet this looks forward to a final resting in the kingship of Messiah. Israel today is still not at rest, far from the looks of "never again", and they still bare the shame of sin, both that of individuals and as a people. They have yet to look on Him Whom they pierced and mourn for Him as for an only Son.

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#1134 Joel 2 Part 1 Charred

Blow a trumpet in Zion;

sound an alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

2 a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains

a great and powerful people;

their like has never been before,

nor will be again after them

through the years of all generations.

3 Fire devours before them,

and behind them a flame burns.

The land is like the garden of Eden before them,

but behind them a desolate wilderness,

and nothing escapes them.

4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,

and like war horses they run.

5 As with the rumbling of chariots,

they leap on the tops of the mountains,

like the crackling of a flame of fire

devouring the stubble,

like a powerful army

drawn up for battle.

6 Before them peoples are in anguish;

all faces grow pale.

7 Like warriors they charge;

like soldiers they scale the wall.

They march each on his way;

they do not swerve from their paths.

8 They do not jostle one another;

each marches in his path;

they burst through the weapons

and are not halted.

9 They leap upon the city,

they run upon the walls,

they climb up into the houses,

they enter through the windows like a thief.

10 The earth quakes before them;

the heavens tremble.

The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

11 The Lord utters his voice

before his army,

for his camp is exceedingly great;

he who executes his word is powerful.

For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;

who can endure it?

Return to the Lord

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster.

14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain offering and a drink offering

for the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;

consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

16 gather the people.

Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the elders;

gather the children,

even nursing infants.

Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land

and had pity on his people.

19 The Lord answered and said to his people,

“Behold, I am sending to you

grain, wine, and oil,

and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.

20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,

and drive him into a parched and desolate land,

his vanguard into the eastern sea,

and his rear guard into the western sea;

the stench and foul smell of him will rise,

for he has done great things.

21 “Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice,

for the Lord has done great things!

22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,

for the pastures of the wilderness are green;

the tree bears its fruit;

the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,

and rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given the early rain for your vindication;

he has poured down for you abundant rain,

the early and the latter rain, as before.

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;

the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will restore to you the years

that the swarming locust has eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,

my great army, which I sent among you.

26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,

and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

28  “And it shall come to pass afterward,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

29 Even on the male and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. Joel 2 ESV

Joel 2: 1-11 Attention

Just as the prophet Joel in the first chapter of the prophecy turned the minds of his contemporaries, who were filled with the sense of calamity because of the ruin wrought by the locust plague, from the visitation of the moment to a far worse judgment from the Lord, so he does throughout the second chapter of the book. There are men who have taken the position that the chapter deals solely with the locust plague; others maintain just as firmly that the passage is entirely future. Both views are extreme. As a matter of fact, Joel starts with the situation then existing in the land after the havoc of the locust plague and then goes on to picture the dreadful Day of Jehovah yet future, but imminent. (The Minor Prophets) - Feinberg quoted in Precept Austin

Blow a trumpet in Zion - Sound the alarm, this is like a modern day air raid siren, take shelter, run, close the gates. It was a way to get people's attention, warn of an approaching army, or as Moses' time a way to assemble the people to move. 

…7To convene the assembly, you are to sound long blasts, not short ones. 8The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This shall be a permanent statute for you and the generations to come. 9When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.… Numbers 10: 7-9

…15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.… 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-17

On My holy mountain - Mt. Moriah, the temple mount, Mt. Zion where the Dome of the Rock now stands. It is one of the most interesting pieces of real-estate in the world. The Jews claim it as the site of the temple of Yahweh, it is considered by Islam to be one of their most holy sites, and it is for all those, who believe in the gospel account of Christ, the place where Jesus atones for the sins of those He came to save. It is here where He came to take my place, the whole of Christ's life looked forward to this time, for He was the Passover Lamb, and this was the place, Mt. Moriah, where Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed. It is dear to many, and many would like to lay claim, yet God precedes all and calls it "My holy mountain". 

1A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture? 2Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance— Mount Zion where You dwell. 3Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.… Psalm 74: 1-3

…23How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.… Luke 21: 23-25

Mt. Moriah

70 Weeks 

The day of the Lord is coming - A day of final judgment, not even the dead will escape this.

Notice that in Joel 2, the two uses of the phrase the Day of the LORD is like a set of "Scriptural bookends" of this first section of the chapter 2 which goes from Joel 2:1 to Joel 2:11. This fact is another reason that Joel 2:1-11 is best interpreted not only as a description of the "day of the locusts" but as an apt illustration of the "Day of the LORD." Joel is reasoning from the lesser past destruction (from the locusts) to the greater future destruction (from the LORD). He is using the horrible things that his readers have seen and/or heard about (the locusts) to warn them of the most horrible event in world history, the destruction and devastation of the Day of the LORD. Joel is doing this not simply for dramatic effect, but for its spiritual impact which hopefully will serve to stimulate the people's hearts to the repentance he describes in the following section beginning in Joel 2:12. - Precept Austin

9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. 10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness… 2 Peter 3: 9-11

A day of darkness and gloom - We can remember one of the plagues put upon Egypt was a deep darkness, a maddening sort that will make men wish for light that will never come, for they rejected the light and were given over to what they loved.

…21They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God. 22Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness. Isaiah 8: 21-22

15Listen and give heed. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. 16Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness. 17But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.… Jeremiah 13:15-17

…12These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones… Jude 1: 12-14

 A great and powerful people - From the famine of the locust now to the gentile hoard, a vast army, one described in the latter days is 200 million strong. 

1Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. 3Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.… Zechariah 14: 1-3

…15So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16And the number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number. 17Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur.… Revelation 9: 15-17

Like the garden of Eden before them - Fire comes out from them and burns behind them, they torch everything, destroying everyone in their path, leaving it a lifeless, smoldering stubble behind them. From a distance the army was big, but it seems to grow because of the burnt desert it leaves behind them, a growing desolation.

Before them peoples are in anguish - Joel doesn't call out a specific army, and I think it on purpose, because this is experienced in famines as the locust of chapter 1, and Israel faces this dread with Assyria, Judah sees Assyria coming for a siege, yet God delivers them until their own time. Judah comes to know this during the sieges of Jerusalem carried out by Babylon. War in many places was not a battle field far away, this comes to their homes, it is much more personal than watching the evening news, they can see the enemy outside the wall, and they feel the hunger of famine inside.

…9“Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” There is no end to the treasure, an abundance of every precious thing. 10She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale! 11Where is the lions’ lair or the feeding ground of the young lions, where the lion and lioness prowled with their cubs, with nothing to frighten them away?… Nahum 2: 9-11

Are not halted - Walls did not stop them, those were scaled, and weapons did not deter them. They are as singularly focused as the locust swarm going to the next patch of green.  

The earth quakes before them - Locust don't cause that, don't have fire before them and leave a smoldering flame behind.

11Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed. 12And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind.… Revelation 6: 11-13

MacArthur - Earthquakes and cosmic disruptions are well attested elsewhere as signs accompanying divine appearances (Jdg 5:4; Ps 18:7; Jer 4:23–26; Na 1:5, 6; Mt 24:7). Joel later refers to these signs (cf. Joel 2:31; 3:15). 

The Lord utters His voice - The Psalmist attributes even that which utilizes the picture of such human weapons as arrows, that victory still belongs to the Lord.

…14The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 15He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. 16The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.… 2 Samuel 22: 14-16

1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. 2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. 3And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.… Malachi 3: 1-3

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