The Prophet Joel Overview: Cataclysmic Judgment Is Coming: The Time To Repent Is Now.
We now turn to the prophet Joel, to look at his book in an overview fashion. Pastor Alvis preached this in Sunday school on June 18, 2023.
My church is Heritage Baptist Church in Smithville, Ohio. Our church YouTube channel is HBC Smithville Oh.
This lesson was livestreamed and will bless those who are able to view it.
Joel wrote his book during a tragic period in Judah’s history. Locusts had attacked the land, leaving destruction in their wake.The book of Joel can be divided into two parts. The first part encompasses chapters 1 and 2a. Using the locust attack as a metaphor, Joel writes of an impending human attack and emphasizes the need for repentance.
The book of Joel explores themes like God’s wrath and judgment—tagged the Day of the Lord—repentance, and restoration.
Joel was a spokesman for Jehovah.
Joel 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
The name "Joel" means Jehovah is God, and this is a fitting name for a prophet preaching a message of final judgment from God.
We do not know much about Joel, except that he was living in Jerusalem.
The major theme of this book is "the day of the LORD" and this phrase is used 18 times in Joel. It refers the specific intervention of God in human history.
Sometimes this phrase is used in connection with God's judgment upon Israel for their transgressions. However, most of the Old Testament references are about final judgment, and the end of the world as we know it.
Teach your children that God judges sin, but will bless obedience.
Joel 1:2-3 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 3) Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
Joel begins speaking for Jehovah with a dramatic announcement stating that a calamity of epic proportion, such as has never before been seen, is coming.
In Joel's day, no old men ever witnessed anything like this judgment. Joel told the people to admonish and instruct their children, about the peril of disobeying God.
Psalm 78:6-8 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7) That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8) And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
When Joel told the parents to admonish their children by telling them about the coming judgment, it was for their benefit. God is pleased and we are blessed when we trust and obey His Word.
Therefore, giving children strict warnings about the certainty of God's judgment is necessary. If they disobey they will suffer the consequences of their sins.
Jehovah wants to help children learn to obey God's commands and be blessed.
Joel's message is remarkably similar to the Psalmist's. Teach the generation to come so that they do not forget the works of God, and that they remember to obey His commandments. Thus, they will put their hope in God.
If children are not taught there things, then they will grow up to be stubborn and rebellious people. Their hearts will not be right with Jehovah.
A horrible plague of locusts that will leave nothing behind.
Joel 1:4-6 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. 5) Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. 6) For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.
The prophet begins to expand on the coming judgment. Joel is referring to the our stages of locusts, rather than four different insects (See Leviticus 11:22).
Literally, a gnawing locust, a swarming locust, a licking locust, and a consuming locust.
Locusts are voracious eaters as they go through the various stages, from emerging from eggs and into adulthood.
The picture painted by Joel is that of utter destruction of crops, plants and trees. The Hebrews favorite drink was wine, and there won't be any harvest of grapes to produce wine.
Joel is prophesying about a real plague of locusts, but this picture is intended to foreshadow nations sent by God as judgment Israel for their sins.
Thus, the prophet describes a very strong nation with a massive army invading Judah. This army has power like a lion to cut down and devour their enemies.
Historically, we know that the Babylonians invaded 4 different times.
The first in the last year of Nabonassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar, which was during the the third year of Jehoiakim.
The second was when Jehoiakim was taken prisoner in the eleventh year of his reign.
The third, in the ninth year of Zedekiah and the fourth, three years later in 586 BC, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.
Joel 1:13-15 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. 14) Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, 15) Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Jehovah tells the priests to repent in sackcloth and to sanctify a time of fasting. They were to set a date for all the leaders and people to come to the temple fasting, and repenting of their sins.
Through His prophet, Jehovah warns of the judgment of God's people. This is followed by the judgment of Gentile nations. Finally there is the hope of the purification and restoration of God's people, through intense suffering.
The future day of the LORD judgment will be final and devastating.
Joe 2:1-11 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; 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. 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. 4) 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. 6) Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7) 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. 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: 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?
What Joel describes here corresponds with the various battles described in Revelation. Those global rebellions reach a climax in Revelation 19-20.
Certainly Joel is describing the horrors of warfare, skies darkened with smoke, fire, pain, suffering, death. He describes earthquakes, the sun going dark, the moon not shining, the stars being extinguished.
He is describing a cataclysmic time of war and Divine judgment that will dramatically impact the world.
Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30) 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. 31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Jesus spoke of the end times in similar language. The sun, moon and stars will not shine, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Jesus Christ will return as King of kings, Lord of lords and Judge. All people will be filled with terror knowing that Jesus will judge them for their sins, and no one can escape His unerring judgment.
Joel 2:12-13 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: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.
We read in the book of Revelation that as the seal, vial and trumpet judgments occur, Jehovah pauses so that people can repent, but they refuse.
Even though judgment is coming, Jehovah still invites His people to repent and return to Him.
Joel 2:18-21 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 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: 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. 21) Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
During the day of the LORD judgment, God will remember His people, and He will rescue and protect them, as He brings final judgment on the nations.
Repentance leads to blessing and Jehovah loves to bless His people.
Joel 2:28-29 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.
Jehovah gave the promise that in those last days of the end times, He will pour out His Spirit upon the Jewish remnant. Peter cited this scripture on the day of Pentecost, and this is a partial fulfillment of what will happen during the end times.
Thoughts to Ponder...
Joel's message can be summarized in this way.
More judgment is on the way.
The time to repent and return to Jehovah is now.
God has provided an escape from this devastating judgment.
All rebels will be judged and all Jehovah's promises shall be fulfilled.
Christians can take away the following truths from the book of Joel.
We must learn to see our sins and failures as God does, so that we readily confess and forsake them with repentance.
We must brace ourselves as we live in the midst of a corrupt, wicked culture. God will judge a nation for its people sins. We must warn others about sin and judgment from God.
God has provided a way of salvation through repentant faith in Jesus Christ.
When we repent of our sins, the Father will cleanse us from all unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus.
Our Father wants to bless us, but He cannot bless us if we are actively sinning or have not confessed our sins to Him.
Praise God for the wonderful lessons we can learn and apply from His prophet Joel.
Bob
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