In our study of Joel chapter two, we will look at the coming Day of the Lord and its purpose for mankind. In chapter one, we saw the prophet warn the people of a coming local plague of judgment by locusts and call for them to repent and turn back to God. Now, his message speaks of the coming judgment on all the earth.
** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.
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"Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain!"
In Numbers 10, Moses was instructed to make two silver trumpets for signaling God's people. These trumpets were used to call the people to assemble, to tell them to move out, and for the people to be remembered by God in their battles. They were also used in worship as they were blown over the sacrifices. In this case, we see that the trumpet is a call for God's people to listen for there is danger approaching.
Let all living in the land tremble, for the Day of ADONAI is coming! It's upon us! a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick fog; a great and mighty horde is spreading like blackness over the mountains. There has never been anything like it, nor will there ever be again, not even after the years of many generations.
A Jewish day begins at sundown and it is the same here as this day is described by the prophet. The day is described as a day of blackness speaking about the sin and rebellion that is widespread. We see the warning that a massive army is approaching and we can see that this is the army that John saw in Revelation 19 & 20.
Ahead of them a fire devours, behind them a flame consumes; ahead the land is like Gan-'Eden, behind them a desert waste. From them there is no escape. They look like horses, and like cavalry they charge. With a rumble like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like crackling flames devouring stubble, like a mighty horde in battle array.
This passage describes the effects of the plague of locusts during the days of the prophet as well as the coming army of locusts (see Revelation 9). The army of locusts that is to come attacks people and not the crops.
At their presence the peoples writhe in anguish, every face is drained of color. Like warriors they charge, they scale the wall like soldiers. Each one keeps to his own course, without getting in the other's way. They don't jostle each other, but stay on their own paths; they burst through defenses unharmed, without even breaking rank. They rush into the city, they run along the wall, they climb up into the houses, entering like a thief through the windows.
This passage describes an unstoppable wall of locusts that ravaged the land in the prophet's day but is even more terrible in the days that are to come. Like an army of robots, they are not distracted from their mission and they go everywhere to torture the people. They are not stopped by walls or anything else and they do not distinguish between the rich and the poor as all homes are entered.
At their advance the earth quakes, and the sky shakes, the sun and moon turn black, and the stars stop shining.
These same events are described in Revelation 8 as they are unleashed when the fourth trumpet is blown.
ADONAI shouts orders to his forces - his army is immense, mighty, and it does what he says. For great is the Day of ADONAI, fearsome, terrifying! Who can endure it?
This verse describes the same events that John described in Revelation 19. The nations of the earth have gathered for battle in hopes of overtaking the city of Jerusalem but they are opposed by the army of God led by Jesus Christ.
"Yet even now," says ADONAI, "turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and lamenting."
What is the purpose of this judgment and the great tribulation that is to come? We see, here, that the purpose is for Israel to repent and return to the Lord.
Tear your heart, not your garments; and turn to ADONAI your God. For he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace, and willing to change his mind about disaster.
Even during this great time of trouble, God is still offering his mercy and his grace. The call, here, is for a change of heart to replace the religious rituals. That same call goes out even today as many Christians are going through the motions of religious rituals instead of having a turning of the heart to God.
Who knows? He may turn, change his mind and leave a blessing behind him, [enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings to present to ADONAI your God.
This turning of the heart to God will lead to peace with him. There may also be a physical blessing as mentioned here with the crops producing grain and fruit. A key point is that the prophet says that God may "leave behind a blessing". There are those today who have come to faith in a god of their own creation where they can just demand that he give them whatever they want. Our reward of salvation through Jesus Christ should be enough to satisfy us and anything else that the Lord provides is like a bonus while we are here on the earth. As we see, with this example, even the blessing of the grain and the fruit was to be used to worship him. Those that are peddling salvation as a means to present God with a shopping list of things that they want are doing so for their own purposes and not for the glory of God. Those that are peddling the notion of a "seed offering" are, in effect, saying that God can be corrupted by a bribe. In both cases, their hearts have not been changed and one must wonder if they have truly repented of their ways.
"Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly." Gather the people; consecrate the congregation; assemble the leaders; gather the children, even infants sucking at the breast; let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride the bridal chamber.
Now, we see the focus of the Day of the Lord which is on the Jewish people. The trumpet was first used to call the Jews to assemble while they were in the wilderness (see Numbers 10). The holy fast (no eating or drinking) was first given to the Jews for the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 23). The sacred assembly was first given to the Jews as part of the celebration of Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread, see Exodus 12). As we see in this passage, all of the people were required to gather from the smallest child to even the newly married.
Let the cohanim, who serve ADONAI, stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, ADONAI! Don't expose your heritage to mockery, or make them a byward among the Goyim. Why should the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'"
The prophet informs the people that this change of heart must begin with the priests. They must openly repent and cry out to the Lord for forgiveness for themselves as well as the rest of the people.
Then ADONAI will become jealous for his land and have pity on his people.
The land that God gave his people is special to him even though we do not know why he chose that place. He cares for that land as well as for his people and, when they turn to him in repentance, he will hear and act on their behalf. This repentance is the same way that we come to faith in Jesus Christ and become his children.
Here is how ADONAI will answer his people: "I will send you grain, wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you; and no longer will I make you a mockery among the Goyim.
When God's people humble themselves and turn back to him, he will provide for their needs. He will also raise them up to be honored instead of scorned. This verse speaks of the coming millennial reign as we see in Revelation 20.
No, I will take the northerner away, far away from you, and drive him to a land that is waste and barren; with his vanguard toward the eastern sea and his rearguard toward the western sea, his stench and his rottenness will rise, because he has done great things."
These words were partially fulfilled with the Assyrians but its complete fulfillment comes on the Day of the Lord. On that day, God will judge the armies that are led by Russia (the northern army see Ezekiel 38 & Revelation 19).
Don't fear, O soil; be glad! rejoice! for ADONAI has done great things. Don't be afraid, wild animals; for the desert pastures are green, the trees are putting out their fruit, the fig tree and vine are giving full yield.
There has been and will continue to be famines and drought but they are all temporary. When our hearts are changed and turned back to the Lord, he will take care of us both now and forever.
Be glad, people of Tziyon! rejoice in ADONAI your God! For he is giving you the right amount of rain in the fall, he makes the rain come down for you, the fall and spring rains - this is what he does first.
In the land of Israel, the majority of rain falls between October and April. Although the land is very dry today, we see that, during this millennial reign, the rains will be plentiful once again.
Then the floors will be full of grain and the vats overflow with wine and olive oil.
This return of the rains will allow the crops to grow in abundance. We see that they are not merely enough to survive but in fact are overflowing. This is a fulfillment of the promise that was given through the prophet Malachi when God told his people to trust him by bringing in the tithes of the crops (see Malachi 3).
"I will restore to you the years that the locusts ate, the grasshoppers, shearer-worms and cutter-worms, my great army that I sent against you. You will eat until you are satisfied and will praise the name of ADONAI your God, who has done with you such wonders. Then my people will never again be shamed.
This abundance will more than make up for the years that the land suffered desolation. We notice that, once again, this speaks of a time after the tribulation that is to come. This thousand years will be a time of plenty as men praise and worship the Lord again in Jerusalem.
You will know that I am with Isra'el and that I am ADONAI your God, and that there is no other. Then my people will never again be shamed.
The purpose of the plague of locusts during Joel's day was to call God's people to repentance and that is the same purpose for this time of tribulation. There will be an undeniable presence of God in Jerusalem and his people will be lifted up as a shining example for the rest of the world to see. We see that God repeats the fact that his people will no longer be shamed and are reminded that the number two is the number of witness.
"After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions; and also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
So, what will God's people be doing during this period of time? We see the answer here as we are told that they will all be filled with the Spirit which will lead to dreams, visions, and prophesy. There are those who say that this was fulfilled in Acts 2 but it was not as that outpouring of the Spirit was not on " all people".
I will show wonders in the sky and on earth - blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and terrible Day of ADONAI."
The same type of things was revealed to John in Revelation 6. All of these things are signs that point to the return of Jesus and they are displays of God's power and authority. Their purpose is to call people to repent and turn to him before it is too late (the day of the Lord).
At that time, whoever calls on the name of ADONAI will be saved. For in Mount Tziyon and Yerushalayim there will be those who escape, as ADONAI has promised; among the survivors will be those whom ADONAI has called.
Even during this time that is referred to as the Great Tribulation, the invitation to salvation stands. All who call on Jesus during this time will join the rest of the saints.
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