JOEL CHAPTER TWO

OBSERVATION STAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and logic which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Joel. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

****** EXCERPT FROM JOEL CHAPTER ONE ******

Or skip to the beginning of chapter 2:

(Joel 1:13-15) JOEL'S ACCOUNT OF THE LORD'S DEVASTATING, UNSURPASSED LOCUST PLAGUE UPON JUDAH; FOLLOWED BY HIS EXHORTATIONS TO THE PRIESTS AND TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH TO GIRD THEMSELVES WITH MOURNING SACKCLOTH, CONSECRATE A FAST, CALL A SACRED ASSEMBLY AND CRY OUT TO THE LORD, IS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY HIS EMPHATIC DECLARATION, "ALAS FOR THE DAY! FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND; IT SHALL COME AS DESTRUCTION FROM THE ALMIGHTY!!" THIS IMPLIES THE NEED FOR ALL OF ISRAEL TO TRUST IN THE LORD'S TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL SALVATION TO BE PROTECTED FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ALMIGHTY AND RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE IN THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD. JOEL'S DECLARATION, "THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND," REFERS TO A UNIQUE - ONE OF A KIND - AND IMMINENT WORLDWIDE CALAMITY FOLLOWED BY THE COMING OF THE LORD TO ESTABLISH HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM ON THE EARTH - TO BE ELABORATED UPON IN SUCCEEDING CHAPTERS

NOTE THAT THE ARRIVAL OF THE DAY OF THE LORD IN THE TIME OF JOEL WOULD IN NO WAY CHANGE ANY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE SON OF GOD ATONING FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. FOR THERE WOULD BE NO HINDRANCE TO THEIR PERFECT FULFILLMENT BY THE ARRIVAL OF THE DAY OF THE LORD AT ANY TIME IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL AS GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD WOULD THEN HAVE ARRIVED BEFORE THE OCCURANCE OF THE TIMES AND EVENTS - NOT THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES - PORTRAYED IN THE "NEW TESTAMENT" BOOKS - A HISTORY THAT WOULD THEN NOT HAVE OCCURRED AS STIPULATED

(Joel 1:16-20) BEFORE PROCEEDING IN CHAPTER TWO TO THE DETAILS OF THE DAY OF THE LORD, THE PROPHET JOEL PROVIDED FURTHER DETAILS OF THE DEVASTATION OF THE COUNTRYSIDE OF JUDAH TO EXHORT THE PEOPLE TO RETURN TO GOD IN NATIONAL REPENTANCE. THIS WAS A PREREQUISITE TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF DAY OF THE LORD. SINCE THE AFTERMATH OF THE LOCUST PLAGUE HAD CAUSED FURTHER DEVASTATION, (DROUGHT, FIRE, DEAD SEEDS, ETC), SUCH THAT MASSIVE CALAMITY WAS IMMINENT, JOEL HIMSELF CRIED OUT TO THE LORD FOR MERCY ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE. NOTE THAT THE LOCUST PLAGUE IN JUDAH WAS NOT THE DAY OF THE LORD, AS SOME CONTEND. FOR IT WAS NOT A WORLDWIDE JUDGMENT OF THE LORD AS PORTRAYED IN JOEL CHAPTERS TWO AND THREE. IT WAS ONE OF THE MANY JUDGMENTS AT VARIOUS TIMES THAT THE LORD PUT UPON HIS PEOPLE - EACH ONE OF WHICH WAS TO BE PRE-IMMINENT TO THE DAY OF THE LORD HAD ALL ISRAEL REPENTED AT ANY OF THESE TIMES. LATER ON IN HIS WRITING - IN CHAPTERS TWO AND THREE - JOEL WOULD REITERATE THAT THE COMING OF THE DAY OF THE LORD WAS PREDICATED UPON ALL ISRAEL'S REPENTANCE - THAT IF ALL ISRAEL WOULD RETURN IN FAITH TO THE LORD AND ACCEPT THE COMING OF HER MESSIAH / SAVIOR TO PROVIDE SALVATION FROM HARM AND UNTO ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, THEN THE DAY OF THE LORD WOULD COMMENCE

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM JOEL CHAPTER ONE ******

I) [Joel 2:1-32]:

A) (2:1-11) IN VIEW OF THEIR RECENT AND DEVASTATING LOCUST PLAGUE, JOEL'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE IMMINENT ARRIVAL OF THE DAY OF THE LORD AND HIS COMMAND FOR ALL ISRAEL TO REPENT UNTO FAITH IN THE LORD'S TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL SALVATION; JOEL ONCE AGAIN WARNED ALL ISRAEL THAT THE COMING OF THE DAY OF THE LORD WAS IMMINENT. THE PEOPLE WERE TO TREMBLE, FOR IT WOULD BE A TIME OF OMINENT DARKNESS. THE LORD WILL COMMAND THE GREATEST EVER HUMAN ARMY TO COME UP OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO DESTROY THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. FIRE WILL DEVOUR EVERYTHING BEFORE IT, THE LAND WILL BE TURNED INTO A DESOLATE WILDERNESS, NOTHING WILL ESCAPE THEM. THERE WILL BE CALVARY, AND THE DIN OF INNUMERABLE ROARING CHARIOTS. THE PEOPLE, THEIR FACES TURNED PALE WITH FEAR, WILL WRITHE IN PAIN. THE ARMY'S ATTACK WILL BE DISCIPLINED AND UNRELENTING - DODGING ARROWS, SWARMING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, CLIMBING WALLS INTO THE HOUSES, EVEN THROUGH THE WINDOWS. THE EARTH WILL QUAKE BEFORE IT. THE HEAVENS WILL TREMBLE. THE SUN AND MOON, AND THE STARS WILL GROW DARK AND DIMINISH RESPECTIVELY. THE LORD IS SO STRONG AND HIS ARMY SO GREAT THAT NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE THIS GREAT AND VERY TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD!!

B) (2:12-17) AFTER JOEL WROTE OF THE LORD'S CALL FOR A TRUMPET AND AN ALARM IN THE TEMPLE TO BE SOUNDED IN ORDER TO WARN ALL ISRAEL THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD WAS AT HAND, HE DETAILED THE CREATIONWIDE / WORLDWIDE EFFECT / DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST PART OF THE DAY OF THE LORD, WHICH HE DECLARED WAS INESCAPABLE FOR ISRAEL WITHOUT HER NATIONAL REPENTANCE. ONCE MORE JOEL WROTE OF THE LORD'S APPEAL TO ALL OF HIS PEOPLE FOR ALL OF THEM TO TRUST IN THE LORD ALONE FOR TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL DELIVERANCE / SALVATION. JOEL EMPHASIZED THE GRACE AND MERCY OF THE LORD - THAT HE WAS SLOW TO ANGER, OF GREAT KINDNESS, WHO RELENTS FROM DOING HARM, AND WHO LOOKS TO BLESS WITH PROSPERITY. A TRUMPET WARNING WAS TO BE BLOWN TO GET ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD TO ASSEMBLE IN THE TEMPLE. THE PRIESTS WERE TO LEAD ALL ISRAEL IN MOURNING. THEY WERE TO WEEP BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE ALTER OF THE TEMPLE IN PRAYER TO THE LORD FOR ISRAEL'S TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL DELIVERANCE / SALVATION. TO BE INVOKED IN ISRAEL'S NATIONAL PRAYER WAS THE UPHOLDING OF THE LORD'S REPUTATION OF HIS SOVEREIGNTY AND FAITHFULNESS TO PROTECT HIS PEOPLE; FOR GODLESS GENTILES, SHOULD THEY CONQUER AND RULE OVER HIS PEOPLE, WOULD MOCK THEM AND THEIR GOD.

C) (2:18-27) IF ALL ISRAEL REPENTED UNTO FAITH IN THE LORD FOR TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL DELIVERANCE / SALVATION, THEN THE LORD WOULD BE ZEALOUS FOR HIS LAND - AND DO MARVELOUS THINGS FOR IT. HE WOULD PITY HIS PEOPLE AND PROSPER THEM. NO LONGER WOULD THEY BE CONSIDERED A DISGRACE AMONG THE GENTILES. HE WOULD DESTROY THE INVADING HUMAN ARMY WHICH CAME FROM THE LAND TO THE NORTH. PASTURES OF THE WILDERNESS WOULD TURN GREEN, TREES BEAR FRUIT, FIG TREES AND VINEYARDS FLOURISH. THE CHILDREN OF THE LORD WOULD BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN THE LORD. FOR HE WOULD GIVE THEM THE SPRING AND AUTUMN RAINS. CROPS OF WHEAT, NEW WINE AND OLIVE OIL WOULD BE PLENTIFUL. THE LORD DECLARED THAT HE WOULD REPAY HIS PEOPLE FOR THE YEARS IN THE PAST THAT HIS "GREAT ARMY" OF LOCUSTS DESTROYED THE VEGETATION

1) [Compare Joel 1:2-4 NKJV]:

2) [Compare Joel 2:26-32]:

D) (2:28-32) IN THE DAY OF THE LORD, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY AND FOREVER, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BE POURED OUT UPON ALL MANKIND RIGHT AFTER THE LORD'S TEMPORAL JUDGMENT UPON THE EARTH. THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD WILL RECEIVE REVELATION FROM GOD - THEY WILL PROPHESY, DREAM DREAMS, SEE VISIONS - SERVING AS ORACLES OF GOD AS THEY RULE OVER THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH. AND BEFORE THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD, THERE WILL BE WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. BLOOD AND FIRE, COLUMNS OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, THE MOON TO BLOOD RED RED. AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOEVER CALLS UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD, I.E., REPENT UNTO FAITH ALONE IN THE LORD ALONE TO DELIVER ONE UNTO TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL SALVATION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL BE SAVED. BUT ONLY THE REMNANT CHOSEN BY THE LORD WILL CHOOSE TO BELIEVE AND BE SAVED - THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD BEING PRIMARILY IN VIEW THROUGHOUT THIS PASSAGE

1) [Compare Joel 2:10-11]:

Joel chapter 3