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The Book of Joel
Chapter 2
Lesson # 5 - Joel 2:1-2:9
Plague of Locusts - Rend Your Hearts
The theme of chapter 2 . . . Looking to
the Day of the Lord; God’s plea; Promise of deliverance;
Promise of the Holy Spirit. This chapter continues the prelude
which began in 1:15, and continues the theme.
Joel 2:1 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 the Lord cometh,
for it is nigh at hand; (KJV) Sound the alarm on my holy
mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the
Lord is upon us.
To blow the trumpet means to sound an alarm
to the people (Num.10:1-10; Hosea 5:8; Amos 3:6). Joel was still
describing the consuming effects of the locust plague. But, Joel
told them that the locust plague was only the forerunner of an
even greater crisis if the people didn’t turn from their
sins. My holy mountain is Jerusalem.
Joel 2:2 A day of
darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness,
as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a
strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any
more after it, even to the years of many generations. (KJV)
It is a day of darkness and gloom, thick clouds and deep blackness.
Then like dawn approaching upon the mountains, a mighty army appears!
So great and powerful they are! The likes of them have not been
seen before and never will be seen again.
In this second chapter, Joel blends the
plague of locusts with the threat of the Assyrian army; then looks
down through time into the future and the Day of the Lord.
Liberals will argue that this refers simply to the locust plague
and the local situation. They would really like to dismiss and
forget much from the Word of God. Another extreme view is to say
this refers only to the Great Tribulation Period.We need to see, and realize that Joel
blends things together marvelously. He moves out of the locust
plague to the Day of the Lord that is way out in the
future. Several prophets spoke of a local situation and then move
out into the future Day of the Lord, (the Tribulation
Period and the Millennium).Joel,
the first of the writing prophets, looks down through the centuries
and SEES the Day of the Lord. It begins with dreadful darkness
(judgment), followed by Christ coming to the Earth to establish
His Kingdom. Malachi speaks of Him as the Sun of
righteousness [who will] arise with healing in his wings
…” (Mal. 4:2). . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_what_h_s.htm . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_why_h_s.htm . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_1000_years.htm
Joel 2:3 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 nothing shall escape them. (KJV)
With the locust plague, it is as though a fire burns in front
of them. Ahead of them the land lies as lush as the Garden of
Eden in all its beauty. Behind them is nothing but desolation;
not one thing escapes their attack.
The Garden of Eden was Adam and Eve’s
first home (Gen.2:8). Known for its beauty and serenity, here
it is used to describe the beauty of the land just before the
devastation created by the locusts. Before the plague of locusts
came, the Earth looked like the Garden of Eden. Everything was
green with rich, luxurious foliage. The land was beautiful. After
the locusts left, no green was to be seen anywhere. It looked
as if a fire had consumed the land. The Day of the Lord will be the same because it will be a time of devastating destruction.
When the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rev.6) ride through this world, there will be war and famine and
death. In one swoop, one fourth of the entire world’s population
will be wiped out, and another time, one third of the population
will be destroyed.
Joel 2:4-5 The appearance
of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall
they run. [5] Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains
shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth
the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. (KJV)
The locusts look like tiny horses, and they run as fast. They
leap along the mountaintops! The noise they make sounds like the
rumbling of chariots, like the roar of a fire sweeping across
a field, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
The head of the locust resembles a horse’s
head, and the Italian word for locust means “little horse”;
the German word means “hay horse.” As the horse eats
hay, the locusts would eat up everything green. Joel is describing
the locust plague and is beginning to make application of it to the Day of the Lord. The locusts look like little horses,
and run fast. They leap along the mountaintops and sound like
rumbling chariots; like the roar of a fire sweeping across a field,
or like a mighty army moving into battle.
Joel 2:6 Before their
face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. (KJV) Fear grips all the people; their faces grow black with fright.
Because of the locusts, fear takes hold
of the people; their faces grow black with dread and panic. There
is nothing they can do to stop them. They have no power to change
their course.
Joel 2:7-9 They shall
run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war;
and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not
break their ranks: [8] Neither shall one thrust another; they
shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the
sword, they shall not be wounded. [9] They shall run to and fro
in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up
upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. (KJV) The locusts march like soldiers as they climb city
walls. Forward they march, never breaking rank. They never jostle
each other; each one moves in exactly the right place. They lunge
through the gaps, no weapon can stop them. They swarm the city
and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like
thieves through the windows.
The locust attackers march like warriors,
climbing city walls like trained soldiers. Straight forward they
march, never breaking rank. They never crowd each other; each
locust moves in exactly the right place. No weapon can stop them.
They swarm through the city and run along its walls. They enter
the houses, climbing through the windows like thieves. Pro.
30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth
all of them by bands; (KJV) They don’t need a king
or a leader, for each one knows his place. They come in bands.
When Joel describes four different stages of locusts, it’s
as though he is describing a great army . . . an army of locusts.
In the last days, there will come against that land another enemy,
just like a locust plague. This is a preparation for the Book of Revelation in which the apostle John writes of an unusual
locust plague that will take place on the Earth during the first
woe which follows the blowing of the fifth trumpet (Rev.9), a plague that
will attack “only those men which have not the seal
of God in their foreheads.”
The Great Tribulation will be so terrifying that people will seek
death and will not be able to find it; meaning they will not be
able to commit suicide. That horrifying plague to come shall be
absolute agony. Rev. 9:5-6 And to them it
was given that they should not kill them, but that they should
be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment
of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. [6] And in those days shall
men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die,
and death shall flee from them. (KJV) I believe Joel
saw all this. . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_what_h_s.htm . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_why_h_s.htm . . .
Plague of Locusts - The Lord’s Answer Joel 2:10-2:17
Joel 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble:
the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw
their shining: (KJV) The Earth shall shake as the locusts
advance. The heavens seem to tremble. The sun and moon become
dark, and the stars quit shining.
The inhabitants of the Earth quake with
fear of them. The powers of Heaven (Mat.24:29); its illumining
powers are disturbed by the locusts which intercept the sunlight
with their dense flying swarms. These, however, are but the forms
of revolutions of states caused by such foes as were to invade
Judea. Joel, way back all those years ago, prepares the ground
for the apostle John who is to come later and give the detailed
description of the locusts as they will appear in the Day
of the Lord. This little Book, Joel, which has been by and
large ignored by most, sheds so much light on the last days which
Joel calls the Day of the Lord. Obviously what Joel writes
is more than a local locust plague, but also
a plague of the future, for the prophets spoke God’s Word
as He gave it to them. John gives us a similar picture in the Book of Revelation.
Joel 2:11 And the
Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very
great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of
the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (KJV) The Lord shall shout before His undefeatable army! His mighty
army follow His precise orders. The day of the Lord is an awesome,
terrible thing. Who can endure it?
The Lord's Voice (His command) to the locusts, and to the human foes of Judea,
is to His army. Strong is He that carries out His Word (Rev. 18:8).
Consider Creation (Gen.1) . . . God spoke . . . and it came into
being! Mighty strong is our God! This is the third time Joel mentions
the Day of the Lord (1:15; 2:1). Joel SEES this
day, and asks the people: “Who can abide it?”
It is the Day of the Lord, which starts out in dreadful
darkness, the night of the Great Tribulation. Jesus said, “Except
those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved”
(Mat. 24:22). WHO can abide it? John answers in Revelation 7. John says that God will shut down the forces of nature,
withholding the winds from blowing (judgments of God on the Earth)
until the two great companies of the redeemed are sealed and made
secure. If God’s people have any hope of making it through
the terrible time of tribulation, they must be sealed.
Joel 2:12 Therefore
also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: (KJV)
The Lord warns: "Turn to me now with all your heart, while
there is still time! Be very serious about this with fasting,
weeping, and mourning. "
What can sinners do in a period like this?
Joel gives the answer in this verse. Turn; means “repent.”
God’s answer to sin is “Repent.” Repent means
to change your mind, and turn away from your beloved sin. Make
a 180 degree turn and go the other way. When God says, “Turn
ye even to me with all your heart,” He means to repent,
and means fasting, weeping, and mourning (Mat.5:4).
Joel 2:13 And rend
your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your
God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. (KJV) Don't tear
your clothing, instead, tear your hearts in sincere repentance."
Return to the Lord God, for He is gracious and merciful and willing
to forgive. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness
and love.
God clearly
states repentance must be sincere, must be from your heart. A
person can take a long, hot shower, put on fresh, clean clothes;
but, IF your heart stays evil, it does you no good in God’s
eyes! God says to rend (tear, rip) your heart, not your clothes.
WHY turn to the Lord?? “For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the
evil.” You can always depend upon God. He never
changes (immutable); but when a sinner repents and turns
to Him, God in effect says, “You were under My judgment,
and I was going to judge you, but now that you have turned to
Me, I will not judge you.” God is ALWAYS gracious and ready
to forgive.
Joel 2:14 Who knoweth
if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him;
even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? (KJV)
Who knows, maybe He will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing
instead of this terrible curse. Maybe He will give you much so
you will be able to make your offerings to the Lord your God as
you did before!
Joel is saying: “The Lord will bless
you again in the field and in the vineyard, and you will have
a drink offering and you’ll have a meat offering to bring
to Him.” The drink offering is mentioned here; yet there
is no instruction in Leviticus for a drink offering. The drink
offering was poured on the other offerings and became a part of
them. When it was poured on the sacrifice, it went up in steam
on the hot coals. Paul said that he wanted his life to be like
that, a drink offering on the Sacrifice of Christ (Eph.5:2).
Joel 2:15 Blow the
trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: (KJV)
Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Call for a time of fasting; call
all the people together for a solemn meeting.
Here again Joel says for the people to
call a solemn assembly, as he did in 1:14.
In verse 1, it was to sound an alarm. Now
here it is to call an assembly. The people were to be brought
together to hear God’s message so that they might have the
opportunity to turn away from their sin and TO God. He is gracious
and good, and He is willing to accept them.
In the Mosaic system God gave His people
only feast days. They were to come before Him with rejoicing.
But now that they are deep in sin and rebellion against Him and
have turned from Him, they are to fast and come before Him in
a solemn assembly. The only way we can come to Him is to come
as sinners desperately desiring to turn from our sins. If you
have been turning from God and now want to turn to God, all you
have to do is call upon Him and He will save you. “…
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved …”
(Acts 16:31). You simply turn as a sinner to Christ for His mercy.
You will NOT be denied!
Joel 2:16 Gather the
people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather
the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom
go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. (KJV) Joel was to bring all the people . . . the elders, the children,
and even the babies. He was to call the bridegroom and the bride;
everyone!
Everyone, the elders, the children, the
babies, the bridegroom was to come to the assembly. No one was
to be exempt from this meeting.
Joel 2:17 Let the
priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and
the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give
not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over
them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their
God? (KJV) The priests, who minister in the Lord's Presence,
will stand weeping between the people and the altar. They were
to pray: "Spare Your people, Lord! They belong to you, don't
let them become a mockery. Don't let the unbelievers say, 'Where
is the God of Israel? He must be helpless!' "
The priests are to pray for the people. Israel has been scattered throughout
the world to this day. Israel has a nation, a government and a
flag, but they are still pretty well subject to the nations of
the world, and it will continue to be so because of sin until the Day of the Lord. The God of Israel is very much alive! . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_israel.htm . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_israel_god%27s_chosen_people.htm
Day of the Lord Foretold,
Promise of Deliverance Joel 2:18-27
Joel 2:18 Then will
the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. (KJV)
Then the Lord will pity his people and be righteously angered
for the honor of His land!
Where is their God? verse 17 asks. Do you
think Moses made a mistake when he followed the orders of God?
Of course not! God makes NO mistakes. Israel’s enemies asked
in Joel’s time “Where is their God?”,
and people are asking the same question today. If Israel is God's chosen people, why doesn’t He intervene for them today?
The answer is easy. Because they are not with God, because they
repent not. Until Israel comes back
in repentance to God, He will not deal with them as His chosen
people. Today God is calling out people to the
church (Luke 21:24; Rom.11:25). As I see it, when the ‘quota’
is filled, then God will again deal with Israel (His people).
Then the Lord will pity His people and be angry for the honor
of His land! . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_israel_god%27s_chosen_people.htm
Joel 2:19 Yea, the
Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send
you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith:
and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: (KJV) God will reply, "I am sending you grain and wine and
olive oil, plenty to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be
mocked among the surrounding nations.
God shall one day send them grain, wine
and olive oil, enough to abundantly satisfy their needs. Israel
shall no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding
nations. Not all Jews are back in their land yet. Joel still looks
forward to the future when one day they shall be. It is definitely
the period known as the Day of the Lord, which begins
with darkness and moves on into the dawn of the Millennium,
past all of man’s rebellion and on to the beginning of the
eternal Kingdom. Is this today? NO. This is not being
fulfilled today. . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_1000_years.htm
Joel 2:20 But I will
remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him
into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east
sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink
shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath
done great things. (KJV) God will remove the armies from
the north. He will drive them back into the parched wastelands,
where they will die. Those in the rear will go into the Dead Sea;
those at the front will go into the Mediterranean. The smell of
their rotting bodies will rise over the land. The Lord can do
great things!
Joel is NOT speaking about locusts here,
but of an army coming down from the north. This was partially
fulfilled when Assyria came down and took the northern kingdom,
but God miraculously delivered the southern kingdom from them.
It was another hundred years before the southern kingdom went
into captivity, and then it was to the Babylonians, not the Assyrians.
There is still a future fulfillment of the removal of this northern
army. See Ezekiel 38–39. In the Great Tribulation Period Russia will come down from the north, but
God shall deliver Israel. Joel seems to be describing the Battle
of Armageddon in this verse. God shall intervene! He shall
destroy this enemy from the north. He does it to glorify His Name. God is glorified when He judges sin just as He is when
He saves a sinner. God is holy and righteous. He shall judge. Every one of the
prophets states this! The Bible tells much about God’s judgment. God does not like to judge, nor does He want to
judge. But, when people refuse to turn to Him, and keep on in
their sin, He MUST judge because He is righteous, holy and not
a liar. This is true even for the beloved children of God. When
we do wrong, IF we do not judge ourselves (1 Cor.11:31), God must
judge us because He clearly tells us that He will. But, He always
warns us ahead, so that we may get right with Him, the same as
He warned people in the Old Testament. He chastens us to bring
us back to Himself. . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_what_h_s.htm . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_why_h_s.htm . . . http://www.judgmentcoming.org/j_c_judgment_coming.htm
Joel 2:21 Fear not,
O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. (KJV) Don't be afraid, my people! Be glad and rejoice because
the Lord is capable of doing great things.
The Tribulation Period will lead to the
coming of Christ to Earth to establish His Kingdom. Today that
land is still under a curse (Gen.3:17). They need water. The land
is far from being a Garden of Eden. The church is not in this
picture, nor is it the Olivet Discourse, nor in the Book of Revelation after chapter 4. All TRUE believers have been
raptured (1 Thes.4:13-18), and there is no longer a church on
Earth. When the church gets to Heaven, it will no longer be called
the church, but will be called the bride of Christ. A man a bride? you ask. Yes, a bride! And I am NOT talking about these immoral homosexual "brides". (Gal.3:26-29).
Joel 2:22 Be not afraid,
ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do
spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine
do yield their strength. (KJV) Have no fear, you animals
of the field! The pastures will once again be green. The trees
will again bear fruit; fig trees and grapevines will flourish
once more.
Before (1:18, 20) Joel shows the beasts
as groaning and crying for lack of food in their pastures. Here
he reassures them the pastures will one day be green again. And
he says the trees will again bear fruit; fig trees and grapevines
will flourish. Great Promises, given to him form God.
Joel 2:23 Be glad
then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for
he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause
to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter
rain in the first month. (KJV) Rejoice, people of Jerusalem!
Rejoice in the Lord your God! The God sends is His way of expressing
His grace. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the
rains of spring.
Who are the “children of Zion”?
It is the people of the southern kingdom, where Zion is located.
When he speaks of the rain, he is talking about literal rain.
In verse 28 Joel will be speaking of the Holy Spirit, but here
it is referring to literal rain. The former rain came in October,
and the latter rain came in April (Lev. 26:3–4; Deut. 11:14–17;
1 Kings 8:35–36; Jer. 3:3; Hos. 6:3).
Joel 2:24-25 And the
floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with
wine and oil. [25]And I will restore to you the years that the
locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the
palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (KJV) Joel
tells the people that the threshing floors will again be piled
high with grain, and the presses will overflow with wine and olive
oil. He tells them that the Lord will give them back what they
lost to the devasting locusts. Joel tells them that it was God
who sent the great destroying army against them.
God will restore everything that has been
lost by the consuming locusts.
Joel 2:26-27 And ye
shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of
the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my
people shall never be ashamed. [27] And ye shall know that I am
in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none
else: and my people shall never be ashamed. (KJV) Once again
you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord
your God, for you know it is He who does these miracles. Never
again will my people be shamed like this. Then you will know that
I am here in Israel and that I alone am the Lord your God. My
people will never again be shamed like this.
This will take place when He is “in
the midst of Israel”; meaning when Christ has come
to the Earth and has established His Kingdom. At that time there
will be a fulfillment of all the physical blessings which God
has promised to the nation Israel. The blessings in the Old Testament
were largely physical blessings. God promised to bless the land
so that they would have bumper crops and their cattle would thrive
and multiply. Actually the spiritual blessings seemed almost secondary.
In contrast to Israel, the blessings that God has promised to
the church are spiritual blessings only. We have all spiritual
blessings in Christ Jesus. Thank
You, Jesus!
Day of the Lord Foretold,
Promise of the Holy Spirit Joel 2:28-32
Most of the main blessings to Israel were
physical, but below is a Passage that speaks of spiritual blessing
to Israel. This is a very controversial Passage of Scripture.
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:
[29] And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those
days will I pour out my spirit. [30] And I will shew wonders in
the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of
smoke. [31] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord
come. [32] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion
and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said,
and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (KJV) God tells
Joel that He shall pour out His Spirit upon all people. Their
sons and daughters will prophesy, old men will dream dreams, and
young men will have visions. In those days, God shall pour out
His Spirit on His servants, men and women. He shall cause wonders
in the heavens and on the Earth . . . blood and fire and pillars
of smoke. The sun will be darkened, and the moon will turn the
color of blood before that great and terrible day of the Lord
arrives. And anyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be
saved. There will be people on Mount Zion in Jerusalem who escape,
just as the Lord has promised. These will be among the survivors
whom the Lord has called.
As we come to this section, let’s
remember that we are in the prophecy of Joel, which began with
a horrifying locust plague which he compared to a future event
which he calls the Day of the Lord, which shall begin
with the Great Tribulation, after which Christ shall come and establish His Kingdom
on the Earth. Verse 27 says the Lord will be in the midst of them
(Israel). Don’t ever doubt that God Loves Israel!. . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_what_h_s.htm . . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_why_h_s.htm . . . http://www.hisservants.org/israel_h_s.htm . . . http://www.hisservants.org/israel_god_faithful_to_h_s.htm
The five verses above are extremely important,
so much so that they could be a separate chapter. Some say that
chapter 3 is the above verses in the original, and chapter 4 is
what we know as chapter 3. To understand this awesome and unique
prophecy, it is very important to consider the time of fulfillment
implied in this passage: “And it shall come to pass
afterward.” Joel has been telling us about the future Day of the Lord. He pointed out that it will begin with
the darkness of the Great Tribulation Period. Joel now speaks
of a very specific time period, and that this prophecy is to be
fulfilled during the Day of the Lord, after the dark
night of the Great Tribulation Period. Then God
will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, meaning Israel,
for the pouring out of His Spirit came to the church (Jews and
Gentiles) at Pentecost (Acts 2).
Even though Joel is the first of the writing
prophets, he is not the only one to mention the pouring out of
the Spirit. Isaiah 32:15 Until the spirit
be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful
field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. (KJV)
Isaiah speaks of the Kingdom which shall come to the Earth, and
the pouring out of the Spirit is referring to the Millennium. Because none of the prophets spoke of the church age; all of them
are speaking about Israel. . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_1000_years.htm
Eze. 36:27-28 And
I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes,
and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. [28] And ye shall
dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be
my people, and I will be your God. (KJV) Ezekiel
is speaking to a specific people and a specific land . . . Israel. He also speaks about a specific time period when
God will pour out His Spirit upon Israel.
Eze.37:14 And shall
put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you
in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken
it, and performed it, saith the Lord. (KJV)
Eze. 39:29 Neither
will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out
my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God. (KJV)
Zech. 12:10 And I
will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn
for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
(KJV) Again, the prophet Zechariah speaks here only about
Israel!
Joel also makes it very clear in the Passage
that we are discussing Israel, in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered. Joel refers to a certain place on the map, the land of
Israel! . . . . . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_israel_promised_land.htm
So, what did Peter mean when he referred
to this Passage on the Day of Pentecost? Did he mean that the
prophecy of Joel was fulfilled? No, he didn’t say that,
he never claimed that Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled. On
the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples
they began to speak to Jews who had come to Jerusalem from all
over the Roman Empire. Every man heard the message in his own
tongue (language). Yes, the disciples were speaking to Jews, but this outpouring of the Spirit was upon the church, NOT
the nation Israel. The disciples were not speaking in unknown tongues. Each tongue was the native tongue
of one or more of the men who were gathered there from all over
the Roman Empire and even beyond the empire. Read Acts 2 carefully
and you will see.
Many people believed, but others began
to mock and say that the disciples were drunk . . . filled with
new wine. Simon Peter answers them. He acted as the spokesman
for the group: “… Ye men of Judaea, and all ye
that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to
my words: For these (the disciples) are not drunken,
as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day”
(Acts 2:14–15). Peter says you wouldn’t find people
drunk at 9:00 AM in the morning. Peter continues, “But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel”
(Acts 2:16). Please note that Peter does not say that this is
in fulfillment of what the prophet Joel said. All the Gospel writers
and the apostle Paul are very clear when they say that something
is the fulfillment of prophecy. For instance, see Mat.2:17–18,23;
Acts 13:32–33. The Bible is
very definite about fulfillment of a prophecy.
What does Peter say in Acts 2:16? "… this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel."
He does not say it was a fulfillment of what Joel had predicted.
He said, “This is that” . . . this is like
that or similar to that. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter was speaking
to Jews who knew the Old Testament. Pentecost was also called
the Feast of Weeks and was held 50 days after Passover. It was
one of three major annual feasts that all adult Jewish males were
required to attend (Deut. 16:16). Peter says to them in effect,
“Don’t mock or ridicule this thing which you see happening.
This is like that which is going to take place in the Day of the
Lord as it is told to us by the prophet Joel.” Joel’s
prophecy shall occur in the last days. The Spirit of
God was poured out at Pentecost on the church, but NOT
upon all flesh. Joel’s prophecy was NOT fulfilled
on the Day of Pentecost! 3000 were saved, but even if it had been
300,000, it still would not have been fulfillment of Joel’s
prophecy. This prophecy is yet to happen!
Because of the importance of Joel 2:28-32, I would like to add a few comments.
Peter went on to quote the rest of Joel’s
prophecy regarding that which would take place: “I will
shew 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 the
Lord come” (vv. 30–31). Was that fulfilled
on the Day of Pentecost? No! Of course not. There were
no earthquakes, no changes in the sun and moon. These will occur
on “that great and notable day of the Lord.”
Joel calls it “the great and the terrible day of the
Lord.” The Day of Pentecost was a great day, but it
was not a terrible day. It was a wonderful day! If we truly understand
the Book of Joel, we will know that Peter was not saying that
the prophecy of Joel was being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost.
Peter was only using Joel’s prophecy to confront those who
were mocking.
So, what
was the subject of Simon Peter’s message? On the Day of
Pentecost the subject of Peter’s sermon was the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ.When he comes to his
text, he uses Psalm 16:8–10, which prophesied the resurrection
of Christ. Notice how he applies it to Christ: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth
this, which ye now see and hear” (Acts 2:32–33).
The conclusion, both in what Joel wrote, and in Peter’s
address is, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered [Peter says,
Shall be saved].” This is one Passage that makes me
think that the greatest time of salvation is yet in the future.
Will God save more of the human race than will be lost? Spurgeon
said that he believed that God would win more to Himself than
would be lost. When Christ comes to the earth to establish His
Kingdom, there will be the greatest time of individuals turning
to God that the world has ever seen. Also during the Great Tribulation Period here will be a great turning to the Lord,
much greater than there has been during the church age. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ whom God has made both Lord and Christ
is the whole point of Peter’s sermon. Peter does
NOT emphasize the spectacular event they had just witnessed. The
important issue, then and now, is coming to know Jesus Christ.
Don’t ever be so occupied with having an experience that
you miss really knowing Christ. What place does He occupy in your
thinking, in your life? This section of Joel’s prophecy
is all-important, but it is yet to be fulfilled. . . . .. . . http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_what_h_s.htm http://www.hisservants.org/tribulation_why_h_s.htm
In this amazing prophecy of Joel, he speaks
of a very definite period of time. "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." This prophecy
is yet to be fulfilled during the coming of the Day of the
Lord, AFTER the night of the Great Tribulation
Period (the Millennium). It is
then that God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_1000_years.htm
And as I stated before, Joel also
makes it crystal clear in this Passage that we are discussing
the fact that he refers to a certain spot on the map (the nation Israel). And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for
in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance. . . . http://www.lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_israel.htm
The day of the Lord is God’s
appointed time to judge the nations. Joel had said that if the
people repented, the Lord would save them from judgment (Joel
2:12-14). In this day of darkness, judgment and catastrophe, some
will be saved. God’s intention is not to destroy but always
to heal and to save. But, we (all people) must accept
His salvation or we will certainly perish with the unrepentant.
The outpouring
of the Spirit did happen on the day of Pentecost, but only to
those present! When the Holy Spirit was poured out
that day, it was a Promise to the church, being fulfilled spoken
of by our Lord Jesus in John 14:15-20, promising to continue in
the grace, mercy and comfort when He ascended into Heaven, and
would no longer be with them.
The judgments
of God upon a sinful world today, go before the judgment of the
world in the last day. When we call on God, it presumes knowledge
of Him, faith in Him, desire toward Him, complete dependence upon
Him, and as evidence of our sincerity in this, we truly desire
to obey Him. If we are qualified to be God’s children (John
1:12-13), we are justified (Rom.5:1; 8:1) by the precious Blood
of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19). We are called from AWAY from our sin
TO God, AWAY from self TO Christ, AWAY from things below TO things
above. It is the outpouring of God’s Spirit that enables
us to live a godly life. We have NO righteousnesses of
our own in God’s eyes (Isa.64: 6). We are as filthy
rags to the Father without Christ (1 Cor.1:30). That
is why Israel has had so much pain and suffering in the past,
and shall continue to have it until they finally turn to the Messiah
(Christ Jesus). The darkness prophesied by Joel and other prophets
is yet to come. Matthew 24:21 For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (KJV) I cannot even begin to imagine such horrors that lie in
store for Israel, and all others who refuse to
acknowledge Christ as Saviour and Lord. But, the darkness shall
end and then this prophecy of Joel shall then be fulfilled in
the Millennium, when Jesus shall reign in His Kingdom. All
prophecies that have not been fulfilled, shall absolutely be fulfilled
to the letter one day. Count on it.
Book Of Joel
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