Scripture References: Joel 2:17-32
(V17) “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?"
(V17) After the destruction of the locust like army that swarmed the land devouring everything in its path a three fold order came from the Lord: 1) blow the trumpet in Zion, 2) sanctify a feast, 3) call a solemn assembly. All the people are called to the holy gathering to sanctify a fast and in a future day the priests will assemble themselves in a remorseful assembly to earnestly cry out to the Lord.
(V18) “Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people."
(V18) In that day the Lord will be envious of His land and will shower His people with compassion. That is the way that God has always been starting in the garden of Eden even unto this present time.
(V19) “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:”
(V19) Yes, the Lord will always answer His praying people who pray according to His will (2nd John 1: 14,15).
(V20) “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.”
(V20) The Lord now speaks to Judah and tells them that He will destroy the northern army (which is the Assyrian army) from the eastern sea (which is the Dead sea) to the western sea (which is the Mediterranean sea) and all this is in addition to moving their reproach from among the nations.
(V21) “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.”
(V21) Then He tells the people of the land not to be afraid but to be glad and joyful for the Lord will do great things, including restoration of the land, rain in abundance, and cribs overflowing with wheat. To the people He promised that He would restore them and they would never be ashamed again. In addition, the years that were destroyed by the locust invaders would be restored also.
(V22) “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.”
(V22) The Lord now speaks to the bestial division of his creation and tells them not to fear for the wilderness pastures will be a fountainhead. The trees will bear their fruit and the vine will produce with all of its might.
(V23) “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.”
(V23) Now the focal point and the tone of His conversation seems to change when speaking to the children of Zion telling them to cheer up in the Lord their God for He gave them rain in the beginning and with them He will conclude with rain. To break it down to a simpler form “what God has done before He can do it again”.
(V24) “And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.”
(V24) In addition to the former and latter rains the wine vats will be filled to the overflow and the threshing floors crammed with wheat again.
(V25) “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.”
(V25) God’s restoration included restoring the years He sent His destructive army among them. This was an army of swarming hairy caterpillers that appeared in great numbers wandering about and consuming all herbal life.
(V26) “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.”
(V26) In this verse God tells the children of Zion that there would be plenty of food in store for them to eat to their own satisfaction and to praise the name of the Lord their God who had dealt marvelously with them. God reiterates what He had previously told them that they would never be ashamed.
(V27) 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.”
(V27) God now assures Israel that He would always be in their midst, but it is worth noting that the words “I am” reassures them that the great I AM was still in their midst. Jehovah was still declaring what He had told their forefathers when they came out of Egypt, that He would not tolerate any other god before Him. And for the third time He reminds them that they will never again be ashamed.
(V28) “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:”
(V28) The Old Testament promised the great outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost and the New Testament provided the verification of a partial fulfillment of that promise (Acts 2: 14-18).
(V29) “And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days I will pour out my spirit.”
(V29) Contrary to many doctrines and beliefs the Holy Spirit was poured out on servants and women (handmaids) as well as the men. There were 120 people in the upper room including Mary, the mother of our Lord, tarrying with the apostles who had been given a commandment to tarry in Jerusalem until they were filled with Holy Ghost power. Remember the word tells us that all were in one accord and all were baptized in the Holy Ghost. There is another part of this fulfillment yet to come to pass in a latter day.
(V30) “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.”
(V30) In these terrible wondrous days there will be an earthly fireworks display, while in the heavens the moon is turning to blood (some modern writers say that the moon will turn as red as blood), but I try to stick to the scriptures.
(V31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” (V31) This will be the time when the sunlight goes out on planet earth and the moon turns into blood. This all must happen before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
(V32) “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.”
(V32) And it will come to pass in that day that whoever calls on the name of Jesus shall be saved. Deliverance will come to those who remain in mount Zion and in Jerusalem as the Lord hath said.
This is the conclusion of this blog, but before I shut the ole computer down there’s a question that I must ask: DEAR READER, ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY RAPTURE READY??????
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