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by Elder Aurelius Raines It is not known for sure when the prophecy of Joel was written. Amos 1:2 and Amos 9:13 contain statements or ideas that are found in the book of Joel. For this reason some think that Joel was written before the books of Hosea and Amos. Joel lived in a time when people were falling from the true worship of God. The message of Joel is simple. The natural disasters that came against Judah were the result of the wrath of God. Joel encouraged the people to repent so God would be moved to remove the plagues that afflicted the land. Let us consider the word of God. Verse one The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. This verse gives us the name of the author of the book. The introduction doesn't tell us much about the prophet. We know that he was the son of Pethuel. We don't know anything about his scholarship or his spiritual training. However, we do know that the word he delivered came from the Lord. Joel proves that a man can receive the word of God without spending many years in a school of theology. It is to the meek and the humble that God gives the revelation of his Word. Joel's prophecy is the word of the LORD. For this reason we must give Joel's message the most earnest heed. Verse two
This verse reveals to us to whom the message is addressed. Joel's message is to the House of Judah. His appeal is first to the old men. The old men had been around long enough to verify the events of recent history. The younger people would not have the point of reference that the older people would have. Yet in their young lives they should know that current events are out of the ordinary. The message is important enough for all the inhabitants of the land to know. The events, which are introduced in the following verses, are so unusual that neither the old men nor their fathers had experienced them. Joel brings out these facts to cause the people to consider his message because of the strangeness of the events coming against the people of Judah. The people had not associated recent disasters with the wrath of God. The peculiarity of these natural disasters is offered as proof that God is behind the events that are described in the following verses. It also shows how God had his full of the sins of the people and was now moving in a strong way to revenge the iniquity of the land. Verses three and four
The unusual events of recent times are now told. The prophet admonishes his audience to tell the recent events to the children. The children in turn are to tell their children that all generations may know the wrath of God and his righteous judgment against sin. The children must understand that departure from God's holy ways will provoke his wrath. What happened in recent times that the house of Judah needed to consider? Total destruction of the land by an army of palmerworms, locusts, cankerworms and caterpillars. There has never been destruction brought on the land on the scale that these insects brought. The insects that are described here are probably the different stages of the locust. Verse five
This verse reveals the extent of the damage caused by the locust. Drunkards drink themselves drunk so that they can forget the problems that they face. The locust had destroyed the grapevines. Without new grapes to make new wine the drunkards couldn't find escape for their problems. Without the new wine the drunkards must face and suffer the wrath of God like everyone else. Verses six to thirteen
A picture is painted in these verses in which the locust reminds one of a huge army. This army is without number. It is described as having teeth of a lion. This description reveals the strength of the locust army. This army of locust had destroyed the fields that the people were depending on for their food and well being. This provoked a call for mourning. The extent of the destruction even affected the ability of the priest to perform the requirements of the Law of Moses. The people in the time of well being forsook the true worship of God. Now in the midst of this plague of locust the people couldn’t worship God if they wanted. God has a way of showing mankind their inability to prosper without him. It may be true that man with his knowledge can perform many things on his own. However, God can undo all the efforts of man as he sees fit. If man won't seek God during a time of prosperity, God has a way of making man seek Him during a time of judgment. Verses fourteen to twenty
Joel gives a solution to appease the wrath of God. He prescribes that a fast be called. The people are encouraged to gather in a solemn assembly. This judgment of the locust is nothing more than a preview to the day of the LORD. It is a day in which God will reward the fruits of unrighteousness. It is best for man to move towards God with a heart full of repentance to put off or cancel the day of the LORD. For the day of the LORD, when he rains down judgment against sin, is not a day for one to hope. The destruction of the locust is liken unto a fire. It is a destruction that extends itself into every form of life. For this cause the pious must lift their voice and cry unto the LORD for mercy.
CHAPTER TWO Verse One
The Bible uses the blowing of the trumpet as a figure of declaring the Word of God. In this case the trumpets are used to call the people for an assembly. The trumpet is also blown to sound a warning. The declaring of the Word of God and the sounding of the trumpet perform the same function. Both are used to give people direction. In this verse the trumpet is used to arouse the people to prepare for the Day of Judgment. The day of the LORD is a Day of Judgment. The people's unrepented sin has brought the Day of Judgment to a near reality. The whole nation must repent in an attempt to appease the wrath of God. It is day in which all rejoicing is to be put aside. It is a day when all wrongs will be made right in the sight of God. Joel in his message is seeking to get people in a state of mind to turn from their wrong and to seek the LORD. He wants the people to have a serious state of mind mixed with a spirit of humility as they approached the Holy God. Verse two
The day of the LORD is fashioned as a day in which the sun will not shine. It is a day in which the spirits of men will drop. It is a day in which the confusion and fear of darkness will prevail. In this day the locust army will spread itself upon the land as morning spreads itself across mountains. Joel likens this army of locust to humans. Though they are small, they are strong. This army is unique. There is nothing in the past to which this army has comparison. It will be many years into the future before there will be anything comparable to the locust army. Verses three to eleven
These verses give a description of the locust army. Their destruction is as the destruction of a fire. They are able to take the best paradise of man and turn it into his worst nightmare. Their destruction is complete in the sense that nothing escapes the effects of their destruction. The locusts are not a quiet bunch. They have the appearances of horses and horsemen pulling chariots. This shows their fearful appearance. Everywhere they go they cause grief and pain. Their progress is orderly like a trained army. They do not harm one another. Their wrath is saved for the destruction of the people of God. If one was to close the door to keep the locust out of their homes, they will only come through the window. Nothing can stop them and nothing causes them fear. There are so many of the locust that they are able to block out sunlight putting the people in darkness. They are an army that works around the clock. Their numbers even prevent starlight from reaching the earth. Nothing can control this army but the LORD. In his inability to control the locust, man sees the might of God Almighty. Without God, man is helpless to stop the march of the locust. This helplessness is what drives home to the reader the terror of the "day of the LORD." If God does not bring the locust army to a halt, who will survive its onslaught? This army of locust is only an example of the wrath of God. Joel uses the destruction of the locust to convince the people that they need to repent before God becomes angry past appeasement. Verses twelve to seventeen
Joel offers his solution to appease the wrath of God. He admonishes the people to turn to the Lord. True repentance will require that the people turn from the things that took them away from God. They are to turn themselves to God with all their hearts. The people are to turn to the LORD not out of fear or hypocrisy. Joel wants the people to turn to the LORD with a heart that desires nothing put the favor of God. Instead of seeking pleasure, Joel wants the people to seek fasting, weeping, and mourning. At first the people sought to please themselves. Now they are taught to deny themselves. Joel wants the people to stop making an outward show of humility. He wants the humility to come from the inside with sincerity. They are admonished to rend their hearts and not their clothes. Joel tells the people that if they truly humble themselves and turn to the LORD, he would have mercy and extend kindness to them. The people are admonished to throw themselves on the mercies of God. If the people truly repent, who knows what kind of favor God will extend to them. Once again we see the people admonished to gather in a solemn assembly. Let it be a fast of all the people. In this fast let the people sanctify themselves from everything that is unclean. Joel wants the young as well as the old to participate. Joel instructs newly weds to forget their nuptials and seek the LORD. The priest are admonished to go before God and intercede on the behalf of the people that God may remember his great name and show mercy. Verses eighteen to twenty-seven
In these verses we see God's willingness to correct the judgment that he poured on the people for their sins. When people repent of their sins, God is willing to forgive. After God forgives, he reverses all the damage of the locust or whatever it is he uses to execute judgment. Spiritual renewal has a direct impact on material prosperity. God will allow the land to be fruitful and meet the natural needs of the people. The corn, wine, and oil which have an use for natural renewal also has a use in the true worship of God. We learn in these verses of another threat to the peace and security of the Jews. This new threat comes in the form of a human army to the North of Israel. The northern army would be removed from them. In fact God would destroy those that seek to destroy his people. What the people once lacked, God would make it plentiful. All God requires is true repentance. True repentance by the people would move God to restore all that was lost during the plagues of the caterpillar, the palmerworm, the cankerworm, and the locust in ways that no one could imagine. God's restoration of the land would be further proof of God’s mercy and that God is God to his people Israel. Verses twenty-eight to thirty-two
The previous passage of scriptures reveals the promises God would shower on a repentant people. The verses under consideration are a continuation of these promises. We learn from Peter in the book of Acts that this promise is fulfilled in the New Testament. There are several places in the Old Testament where we read of the Holy Spirit coming upon individuals. Joel’s prophesy in new in this respect. The Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. The phrase "all flesh" in this prophecy refers to the fact that the Holy Spirit will be available for all to receive. No distinction will be made between Jew and Gentile, male or female. We know from the scriptures that the Holy Spirit will only come upon the obedient. This prophecy lets us know that the old and the young that surrender their lives to God will be able to receive the Spirit of God. We can also see in this prophecy the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give visions of the things of God. It will cause others to prophesy. The Holy Spirit will use men as well as women to do its work. The visions and the dreams are to guide the people of God in the way in which they should go. The Spirit of God is to be used to the glory of God and the edification of the saints of God. Contrary to much of the teaching today, the Holy Spirit ministry is mainly directed at edification of the body with less emphasis on the individual. It should be noted at this time that when the Holy Spirit comes upon people it would cause some to prophesy. In the book of Acts, this is called speaking in tongues. Let it be noted that speaking in tongues is just spreading the word of God in a language that one was not born with or learned. Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Spirit that made it possible for the Apostles to preach the gospel to every creature. Without the gift of tongues, the command to preach the gospel to every creature would not have been possible. Speaking in tongues and prophesying is used interchangeably in the scriptures. At the time of this outpouring there will be signs given. The signs that Joel mentioned are associated with the judgments of God. The giving of the Holy Spirit is to help people live in such a way that they can please God and be used by him to edify the body. If people will follow the leading of the Spirit of God, they will not fall away from God. The Holy Spirit gives a warning to the people of God before they go astray. The people didn't have the Holy Spirit in Joel's day. Joel’s prophesy shows how God planned to correct the easy falling away of the people of God. Once the Spirit of God is made available to all that have met the condition of repentance, there will no longer be an excuse for unfaithful living. The giving of the Holy Spirit is man's last chance to do right in the sight of God. Those who don't let the Spirit of God have its way in their lives will have to face the terrible day of the LORD. The promise is that all that come to God for deliverance will be accepted. This promised is limited to those who repent before God sincerely from the heart. Those with a clean heart are the remnant that Joel mentions in this prophecy. The deliverance is a deliverance from sin. This deliverance is to be found in mount Zion and Jerusalem. In New Testament times we know that this mount Zion and Jerusalem does not have a geographical location. Mount Zion and Jerusalem are words that describe a spiritual condition that the righteous obtains through Christ Jesus. This truth is found in Hebrews Chapter twelve and verse twenty-two. In this verse Paul testifies that the saints have arrived at Zion. CHAPTER THREE Verse one
This verse continues where the last verse left off. It is a prophecy that still extends to New Testament times. We must understand that God uses the plight of ancient Israel as a lesson for those who would harm the New Testament Church of God. The literal nations mentioned in this passage of scriptures are a figure of spiritual nations. Judah and Jerusalem are a figure of the Church of God. Judah and Jerusalem in this passage of scripture are one and the same. Both represent the true people of God. Many times in the Old Testament, God delivered his people from the captivity of the nations around them. Likewise, in New Testament times God promises to deliver His people from the things that hold them in captivity. Verse two
The valley of Jehoshaphat is used here as a figure of place of judgment. We do not understand this verse to be talking about a judgment in the literal valley of Jehoshaphat. The nations will not be literally gathered in the valley of Jehoshaphat. If we keep in mind that the first two verses of this chapter are a continuation from the closing verses of Chapter two. Joel’s prophecy is reaching down to the New Testament. These prophecies have their proper fulfillment in the spiritual realm. In this case God is using things that are common to the people of Joel's time to point to the future. In a spiritual sense, the people of God before the time of Christ had been scatter. The nations as used here are a type of sin or the things that held God’s people in sin. Just like God brought judgment on these nations, he will bring judgment on the forces that seek to devour the New Testament Church. Verse three
This verse lists the sins of the nations around literal Israel. It shows the hatred that these ungodly nations around Israel held towards the people of God. The Nations that Joel mentions in this passage of scripture put the same value on a boy's life as the price one would pay a prostitute. A girl has no more value than wine. This shows the cheapness of the lives of the people of God to the ungodly. In the New Testament the ungodly had the same use for the righteous. This was evident in the persecutions that were executed against the saints. Verse four to six
Joel speaks for God in this passage of scripture. Here he addresses the coast of Palestine, Tyre and Zidon to think about their actions against the people of God. It is not possible to afflict the people of God without provoking God. Joel lists the offenses committed against Israel that prompted God to question their oppressors. God wants to know if Trye, Zidon and Palestine had a beef with him. He questions if it is their desire to work revenge against him. If this is their purpose, he lets them know that he will be the one working vengeance against Israel’s enemies. Joel’s message should be a source of comfort to the people of God. Though they are being kicked while they are down, God has not forsaken them. Though it appears that their enemies have the upper hand, they learn that God is planning judgment against their enemies. When Israel repents and humbles himself under the mighty hand of God, God’s willingness to restore becomes evident. Verses seven and eight
Joel continues to detail how God will avenge the injustices perpetrated against his people. God’s sense of justice condemns Israel’s neighbors by visiting them with the same oppressions that they used against Israel. It is fair play for God to punish under the principle of eye for an eye. Verses nine to twelve
Joel details the call to the day of God’s judgment. The heathen are not any better than the Children of Israel. In the same manner that God punishes his people when they fail to live to his glory, He also executes punishment against the wayward heathen. The call is for the heathen to summon the best and the strongest they have. God is in a state of war against them. The valley of Jehoshaphat probably has reference to what the name implies. It is a place of decision in which Jehovah judges. This is consistent with Joel’s message. God will restore a repentant Israel and reserve judgment on the unrepentant Gentiles in the valley of decision. Verse thirteen and fourteen
Joel describes the nearness of God Day of Judgment in this passage of scripture. This serves as a warning to the gentiles that the time they have to straighten up their evil ways is short. It also lets God’s people know that the days of their oppression is drawing to an end. The huge number of people in the valley of decision does not soften the judgment that God plans to execute. Many times people feel that there is safety in numbers. Here is an example that this is not the case. The sheer number of people in the valley of decision is an indication that God has nearly reached his tolerance level for unrepentant sin. With such a large number of people in rebellion to God, he must act and must act decisively. Verses fifteen and sixteen
The above passage of scripture details the horrors that will be associated with the wrath of God when it is displayed. In symbolic language the Sun, being the greater light, is usually associated with the Son of God, who is the light of the world. The lesser light of the moon, which receives its light from the sun, usually is associated with the light of the old Covenant. The dimmest of the lights are the stars. These lights are usually associated with teachers. However, in Genesis, the stars are also given as signs and a means to determine the seasons. The judgment that will occur in the valley of Decision will be thorough. There will be no light to help guide the victims of this wrath out of harms way. The lack of light shows that this will be a day of wrath and no mercy. Instead of Zion being a place of refuge, God will roar out of it reminding one of a lion. Instead of bring a comfort, this roar will shake the heavens and the earth. Symbolically, the heavens and the earth can represent all classes of society. But Joel lets his readers know that there will be an exception made. What is a source of fear for the unrighteous, becomes a source of comfort for the God fearing. Without the lights in heavens to assure them and a shaking among the people causing discomfort, the righteous will find Jehovah as a source of hope. Verses seventeen and eighteen
The purpose of God’s judgment is to cleanse the wicked from among his people. Those that walk contrary to God are a bad influence and a hindrance to those seeking to please God. With the wicked out of the way, this will leave the righteous to shine. Then the people will recognize God for the holy God he is. Without the unholy dwelling in Zion or the greater city of Jerusalem, the people will know these as holy places housing a holy God. Once purified, God will not let anyone that is out of the way of holiness to pass through his holy city. This prophecy points towards a fulfillment in the spiritual Zion. This is the Zion where the born again lives. Like in the Old Testament, spiritual Zion will still be called the holy mountain. The remainder of this verse deals with the prophetic fulfillment of the restored holy mountain. The new wine, milk, and the waters are symbols of spirit, health, and the Word of God. The wine gives the joy of the Spirit. The milk provides health for the bones. The Word of God quenches the thirst for the things of God. The fountain itself will be located in the house of the Jehovah. This house is the one made without hands. The waters will go through the valley of Shittim, which is a valley known for its dryness. This shows how God will restore the desolated and barren with new life after the proper conditions of repentance are met. Verse nineteen to twenty-one
These verses are a contrast to the previous verses. The people of God who were barren will become well watered. God will make Egypt and Edom a desolate wilderness for the violence and bloodletting they committed against innocent Judah. God will establish the people of Jerusalem and Judah from one generation until the next. God will establish them by cleaning them from their pollution. Joel’s prophesy helps to explain the current events. He lets his audience know that God was not pleased with the children of Israel. Locust had destroyed the crops. Joel lets the people know that this is the result of the hand of God. He admonished the people to humble themselves before God so they can move him to repent of the harm he has devised against them. He assures them that if true repentance is done, God would restore them and all the lost years that were the result of God’s destructive punishment. The prophecy ends by letting the reader know that God will redirect his anger from the Children of Israel to the gentile nations. The principle of God’s need to bring judgment against sinners is evident in Joel’s writing. He will avenge the wrong done against his people by the gentiles because of the haughtiness of their heart. However, if the people will humble themselves under the mighty hand of God and repent, God will bring an end to his judgments and restore the damage that was done.
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