Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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THEBOOKOFJOEL
Lesson3,Chapters1and2
WhilebiblicalpropheciessuchasJoel’salwaysaddressafewdifferenttopics,in
JoeltheonethatseemstobefrontandcenterrevolvesaroundTheDayof
Yehoveh(ortheDayoftheLordasitistypicallymisrepresentedinBibles,for
reasonsthatarehardtofathom).
ProphetssuchasJoelattemptedinvainoverthecenturiestowarneitherJudah
orEphraim/Israelastwoseparatekingdoms,orbothtogetheras“allIsrael”that
aDayofYehovehwascomingandthatitwasadayofpunishmentagainst
them…adayofGod’swrathandanger…fortheirunfaithfulnesstoHimasHis
covenantpeople.So,theyneededtorepentandchangetheirbehaviorsifthey
hopedtoavoidit.WhileI’vesaiditbefore,itbearsrepeating:onwhatbasis
wouldYehovehdecidewhetherHischosenpeoplemeritedsuchpunishmentor
mercy?SinceMt.Sinai,thatdecisionhasbeenbasedontheircompliancetothe
LawofMoses.Thus,theprecisecurseslaidoutintheTorahforeachofIsrael’s
specificviolationsoftheCovenanttermsiswhatGodismetingoutuponJudah
andIsrael.Thisneverchangesandneverwill,andasweentertheEndTimesthis
willbecomemoreandmoreapparenttothevariousJudeo-Christianadherents
thathaveignoredthisrealitysincethecreationoftheConstantinianChurchin
the4
th
century.
Now;thislocustinvasionuponIsraelwasnotTHEDayofYehovehperse.Or,
perhaps,itmightbebetterthoughtofasbutthebeginningofaDayofYehoveh.
Isay“a”daybecausetherehavebeenafewinthepast,andtherewillbemore
inthefuture.ThepurposeofthelocustinvasionwastodemonstratetoIsraeljust
howseriouslyGodtakestheirrebellionandthatanothercomingDayofYehoveh
willharmthemevenmore,andwhytheyneedtocrytoGodformercy,andto
preparespirituallyandpractically.And,Iusetheverbtense“was”because
whatJoeldescribestoopenhisbookhasalreadyhappened.Infact,itcouldbe
thatJoelwaswritingduringthetimethattheaftereffectsofitwerestill
happening.
ItisimportantthatwelookatJoel’swritingsthroughhiseyesandtheeyesofthe
citizensofJudahtowhomthisprophecywasprimarilyaddressed.Forthe

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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KingdomofJudah,thebiggestmoststartlingrevelationthatJoelisattemptingto
communicateisthatwhereastheyalwaysthoughtthatanyandeveryDayof
YehovehwasGod’swrathagainstagentilenation,theyarelearningthehard
waythatitisalso…infactnearlyalways…meantforthem.I’llsaythatagain:
mosttimesitwasaimedsquarelyatJudah,orEphriam/Israel,orallofIsrael.So,
aswe’lldiscussasourstudyprogresses,wemustalsobecautiousastoexactly
whomisbeingincluded(inmoderntimes)inthisprophecyofwarning.
InsomanywaystheDayofYehovehislikethecomingoftheKingdomofGod.
Thatis,eachofthesecanbeconsideredmoreasaseriesofconnectedevents
leadingtoanend,ratherthanasafewdisconnectedones.Or,fromaHebrew
verbtenseperspective,eachisanongoingpartofastorythatisinprogress…it
isnotyetcompleted.Eacheventuallydevelopstoaclimacticfinaleatsometime
inthefuture.ItisoftensaidthattheKingdomofGodis“becoming”….thatis,it
isherenow,butlikeanew-borninfantthatishere,now,itisfarfromcomplete.
Itisdevelopingovertime,stepbystep,toblossomintoitsfullestpurposeasa
completeadult.SoitiswiththeDayofYehovehthatdevelopsprogressivelywith
events…sortofaseriesofmilemarkersthatwereadaboutintheBiblethat
advancesitsprogress…thatwillultimatelyculminatewithitsclimacticfinalethat
wecalltheApocalypseandtheentryintotheeraofthefullyformedKingdomof
God.ThisseriesofDaysofYehoveh,anditsApocalypticfinale,thenareforthe
PURPOSEofestablishingtheKingdomofGod,onearth,toitsfullestwithMessiah
Yeshuaasitsking.
BecausetheDayofYehovehissoimportanttothecontent,context,and
understandingoftheBookofJoel,andforweBelievers(whoIfeelconfidentare
beginningtoexperiencetheinitialdaysoftheEndTimes)thenIthinkitgoodto
hearwhattheProphetIsaiahhastosayaboutit.
CJB
Isaiah2:12-22
12
Yes,ADONAI-Tzva'othasadayinstoreforallwhoare
proudandlofty,forallwhoareliftedhightobehumiliated;
13
forallcedarsofthe
L'vanonthatarehighandliftedup,foralltheoaksoftheBashan;
14
forallthe
highmountains,forallthehillsthatareliftedup;
15
foreveryhightower,for
everyfortifiedwall;
16
forevery"Tarshish"ship,foreveryluxuriousvessel.
17
The
prideofmanwillbeboweddown,thearroganceofmenwillbehumiliated,and
whenthatdaycomes,ADONAIalonewillbeexalted.
18
Theidolswillbe

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completelyabolished.
19
Peoplewillentercracksintherocksandholesinthe
groundtoescapetheterrorofADONAIandhisgloriousmajesty,whenhesets
outtoconvulsetheearth.
20
Onthatdayamanwilltakeholdofhisidolsofsilver
andidolsofgold,whichtheymadeforthemselvestoworship,andflingthem
awaytothemolesandbats!
21
Thentheywillenterthecracksintherocksand
thecrevicesinthecliffstoescapetheterrorofADONAIandhisgloriousmajesty,
whenhesetsouttoconvulsetheearth.
22
Stoprelyingonman,inwhosenostrils
isamerebreath-afterall,hedoesn'tcountformuch,doeshe?
Let’snotfocusonlyonIsaiah’svividdescriptionforwhattheDayofYehovehwill
belike,butalsolet’shone-inonwhathesaysoughttobeourresponseofthis
foreknowledgeofitinthatfinalverse.HesaystoGodworshippers:STOPrelying
onman!“Relyingonman”hasatalltimesinthepastandrightuptoourday,
meanttorelyonkings,government,andmilitary.Inmoderntimeswecanview
itintermsofourelectedleaders,government,military,andouradored
intellectualelite.Butnow,especiallyinthe21
st
century,sciencehasbecome
whatwetrulyrelyonthemost,becausewe’retoldthatanyintelligentperson
should.Anewmantrahasarisenthatis“trustscience”andasthepoliticalbattle
concerningCovid,andnowgenderidentityhasheatedup,thismantraiseven
foundinovertTVadvertisements.Thisisabsolutelymeantinthissense:“Do
NOTputyourtrustinsomemythicalGod,butrathertrustscienceandour
intellectuals”asourdeliverancefromourproblemsandafflictions.Thisreliance
onmanthatiscommontothemindsetofallhumanityisagreatvulnerability.It
isn’tthatweshouldnothavegovernment,militaries,orleadersofallkinds.Nor
shouldadvancesinscienceandtechnologynecessarilybeshunnedorseenas
somethinginherentlyevil.Rather,fromabiblicalperspective,itisaboutwhat
roleandinfluenceweassigntothesethingsinourlives.Whatprioritydothey
have?Whatareasofourlivesshouldtheydominate?Somanyofthesescientific
advancesareneededandwelcomeforeverydaylife;butnoneofthesewillsave
usfromtheDayofYehoveh,norwilltheypreventorslowdowntheadvancement
oftheDayofYehovehortheKingdomofGod.Infact,whenthattimearrivesand
welookbackinretrospect,Iimaginewe’llseethatsomeofthoseadvancements
providedthemeansforsomeelementsoftheprophesiedeventstohappen.Yet,
aswereadintheProphetsofold,includingthenewestprophecythatistheBook
ofRevelation,humanswillincreaseourshunningofGodinproportionwith
relyingmoreandmoreonourhumanselves,tothepointwhentheclimactic

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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eventsoftheEndTimeshappenpeoplewilllookmorethanevertoourleaders,
militaries,andscienceforanswerstostoptheGod-directeddevastation,with
somefinallyacknowledgingtheexistenceandpresenceofGod,buthatingHim
forwhatHeisdoing.Letthosewithears,hear.
Let’sre-readaportionofJoel.
RE-READJOELCHAPTER1:15–end
Thefinalwordsofverse15continuetoemphasizesomethingJudahsimplydoes
notwanttobelieve:thatitisYehoveh,Himself,thatiscommandingthis
destructionandcatastrophetofalluponJudah.
Asproofofthedevastationthathashappened…andisalsocoming…isthe
destructionofJudah’sfoodsupply.Theyknowitistruebecauseithappened
beforetheirveryeyes.Therefore,whenthislocustinvasioncameuponthemit
musthavehappenedtothelivinggenerationthatJoelistalkingto.Theywere
eyewitnessestoit;itaffectedthempersonally.Withthelossoffood,alljoyis
takenawayfromtheTempleworshipbecausethereisnothingtofeedthePriests
nortosacrificeonthealtar.ThisissomethingthatIwanttomakeashort
commenton.ChristianityhaswronglyslanderedtheLawofMosesandthe
Templeritualasaheavy,unwelcomeandflawedburdenonIsrael,whichthey
werefinallyandhappilyabletounloadwiththecomingofJesus.Infact,all
throughouttheBible,suchritualsandsacrificeswerenotseenasaburdenbut
ratherasjoyfulandwelcome.Theyrepresentdeliveranceandcommunionwith
TheFather.Beingabletoofferthefinestfirstfruitsoftheircropsmeanttheyhad
plentyoffoodtoeat,andthereforetheywerereceivingGod’sblessing.Being
abletosacrificeanimalsmeanttheflocksandherdswerethriving,butalsothey
couldhavetheirsinsforgivenandatonedfor,andtherewouldoccasionallybe
meattoeat….so,itwassignthattheywerereceivingGod’sblessing.Itoughtto
beinstructionaltoallGodworshippersthatinthelastfewchaptersoftheBook
ofEzekiel,wereadofthejoyofre-establishingTempleritualandsacrificeinthe
MillennialKingdom,aftertheApocalypse,withYeshuaasKingandHighPriest.
HereJoelisremindingfolksofjusthowmiserableitwaswhentheycouldn’tdo
thesethings,andthatitisgoingtohappenagainandperhapsitwillbeeven
worse.

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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Thephenomenathathappenedisspokenaboutinverses17and18.Theseed
thatwasplantedinthefieldshasshriveledunderthedrysoil.Thematerials
thatthestorehousesandbarnsweremadeofdeterioratedforlackofuse.There
isnoharvestatalltobringin.Thisisclearlyduetodrought,probably
exacerbatedbythelong-termeffectofthegrasshoppers.Asaresult,thecattle
sufferbecausetheyhavenothingtograzeuponinthefields.Theoxenwhooften
werekeptinprotectedfencedareasandfedhay(duetotheirgreatworthand
thelongtrainingperiodthattheyhadreceivedtobeuseful)wereconfusedand
restlessbecauseofhunger.Evensheepwhowillnotjusteatthetopsofplants,
butalsouprootthegrassesandeattheirroots,can’tfindfood.Soevendumb
animalswhohavenocontrolovertheirexistence,andsobearnoguiltorblame,
arecollateraldamagetothesufferingsoftheguiltypeoplewhoarebeingrightly
punishedfortheirwickedness.So,theProphetpraysforhelpfromtheLordfor
theanimalsaswellinverses19and20,undertheknowledgethattheearlier
prophetshaddonesoconcerningGod’srelationshipandcareforallofHis
creatures,andnotjustforhumans.
CJB
Psalm36:7YourrighteousnessislikethemountainsofGod,yourjudgments
arelikethegreatdeep.Yousavemanandbeast,ADONAI.
Scorchingheatanddroughtaffectthewildanimalsaswell,foreventhebrooks
theydependonforwaterhavedriedup,andduetothesuper-dryconditionsfires
eruptanddestroyfieldsandmeadows.Thetrees,ofcourse,areafflictedaswell.
So,tosumupwhatwehavelearnedfromchapter1:anextraordinarycalamity
hascomeuponJudahintheformofauniquelydestructivelocustplague.Events
suchasthishaveatendencytocausepermanentsocietalchanges…forthebetter
orworse…asallofusonplanetearthhavelearnedfromtheCovidpandemicof
the2020’s.Thelocustplaguewasespeciallydevastatingbecauseitwas
essentiallyaseriesof4plagues,onerightaftertheother,leavingabsolutely
nothinginthewayofhealthyplantlifebehindforfood.WhatJudahprobably
recognized…andweoughttoaswell…isthatessentiallyitisthesameplagues
thatGodusedtofreeIsraelfromEgyptthatarenowbeingvisitedonGod’s
chosen.Thisinvasionismeantnotsomuchasastand-aloneeventthatisthe
extentofthepunishmentonJudah,butratheritisasaharbingerofwhatisto

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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comeasaDayofYehovehuponJudah.SomeBiblescholarsseethisasa
predictionoftheAssyrianinvasionandexile;butIamtroubledwiththat
conclusionbecausethiswarningbeinggiveninJoelisbeingsenttothepeopleof
theKingdomofJudah,andnottothepeopleoftheKingdomofEphraim/Israel
(asitwaswithHoseaandAmos).
AlongwiththisrevelationthatisGodwhocausedthelocustplagueisthecallto
lament;forJudahtoexpressextremesorrowandgrief.Theentirenation,from
theirking,tothepriests,tothelowliestcommoners,weretojointogetherto
lamentandaskGodforHishelp.Let’smoveontochapter2.
READCHAPTER2all
Anotherwarningcrybeginsthischapter.Wearemeanttonoticethesimilarities
withchapter1,buthere’swherethereisaserioussplitamongBiblescholarsas
towhatishappening.Somesaythattheattackbeingdepictedtobeginchapter
2isbutare-tellingofchapter1,butthistimeitisinitsactualformasaninvasion
ofconquestfromhumanenemyforces.Thatis,chapter1andthelocustswere
butametaphorforwhatishappeninginchapter2.Icannotseeitthatwayfor
reasonsI’vealreadystatedearlier.
Rather,chapter2speaksofaseparatecatastropheuponJudahthathappens
later(latermeaningsometimeafterthewritingofJoel’sprophecy).Whereasa
locustinvasionassevereandunprecedentedastheonedepictedinchapter1
bearsacertainlikenesstotheinvasionofanenemyarmy,theyarebynomeans
thesame.ThelocustinvasionwasNOTsomuchaDayofYehovehasbuta
harbingerofwhatiscoming;butthiscomingattackbyaforeignmilitaryisthat
Day.
ThiscalltoalarmtakesplaceinJerusalem,thecapitalcityofJudah.Zionisa
mostlyparalleltermforJerusalem,andthisisverifiedbylaterwordsoftheverse
“sounduponMyholymountain”.Zioniscalledtheholymountaininafewplaces
intheScriptures,suchasinPsalm2,sothereisnodoubtthatJerusalemisthe
place.
CJB
Psalm2:6"ImyselfhaveinstalledmykingonTziyon,myholymountain."

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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Theverbtensesaresuchthatthisenemyattackissoontobegin;theirarmyison
thewayandhasbeenspotted,soattackiscertainandimminent.But,doesthis
meanitisimminenttoJoel’stime?ManyChristianBiblescholarsbelievethat
chapter2istalkingabouttheEndTimesbattle;thelastandfinalbattlethat
ushersintheKingdomofGodinitsfulness.Idisagree.Ican’tbesurewhich
enemyinvasionthismightbepredicting,butthemostlikelyhastobethatof
Babylon,becausethatwasanattackonJudahthatchangeditforever.The10
tribesoftheNorthernKingdomofEphraim/Israelwerealreadyacenturybefore
BabylonsentintoexilefromtheirlandbytheAssyrians,sotherewasnolonger
inexistenceaNorthernKingdomofIsraelatthetimeoftheBabylonianconquest
ofJudah,whichoccurredattheturnofthe7
th
tothe6
th
centuryB.C.Aswe’llsee
asweworkourwaythroughthischapter,thiswasnolocustinvasioninchapter
2,anymorethanchapter1wastheinvasionofanenemynation.
ThehornthatwasblownaswarningwasaRam’shorn…ashofar.ThiswasNOT
atrumpet,whichinthaterawaslong,madeofmetal,andalmostexclusively
usedbytheLevitesattheTempletosummonsacongregationtoworshiporto
announcethebeginningofaritualeventorobservance.Ashofaristhedevice
usedtosoundalarms,andtogivesignalsduringbattletothesoldiers,theway
abuglewouldbeusedlaterbyWesternarmies.
Thegloomydarknessspokenofinverse2ismeanttowarnofcoming
destructionduetoGod’sjudgment.Although,thesamecanalsoannouncethe
awesomepresenceofGodasatMt.Sinaiwherewealsoreadaboutthesoundof
agreathorn,theappearanceofdarkclouds,andthepeopleledbyMoses
tremblingwithfear.
CJB
Deuteronomy4:10-11
10
...thedayyoustoodbeforeADONAIyourGodat
Horev,whenADONAIsaidtome,'Gatherthepeopletome,andIwillmakethem
hearmyverywords,sothattheywilllearntoholdmeinaweaslongastheylive
onearth,andsothattheywillteachtheirchildren.'
11
Youapproachedandstood
atthefootofthemountain;andthemountainblazedwithfiretotheheartof
heaven,withdarkness,cloudsandthickmist.

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So,forthepeopleofJudahsuchawarningmayhavebeentakenasonlythatGod
wasgoingtomakeacloseencounterwiththem(afriendly,althoughterrifying,
encounter),asopposedtoHimrainingHisangeruponthem.It’sfunnyhow
peoplecanbesocertainoftheirrighteousstandingwithGodthattheylookat
propheticwarningsdifferentlythanwhatisintended.IthinkthepeopleofJudah
aresimilartofartoomanyChristianswhoraisetheirhandsinsongandjubilation
toGodandshout“ComeLord,Come!”…butitisdonesowiththereassuring
assumptionthatwhileotherswillbearHiswrathandjudgment,theywon’t.Or
assumingthatothernationswillsufferhorrendouslywhenglobaljudgment
arrives,buttheirswon’t.JudahhadbeentaughtbytheirleadersthatGodwas
alwaysforthem,hadonlyloveandmercyforthem,andwouldneverharmthem;
Christianshavebelievedthat,too.Judahhadjustexperiencedamost
unwelcomesurpriseandwasinforanotherandworseone,asIthinkthatmany
Christianswillbeshockedandsurprisedaswellwhenthatdayarrives.
Verse2endswithJoelforetellingofagreatdarknessspreadingoverthe
mountains.Ordoesit?Actually,theHebrewwordoftentranslatedtodarkness
here,isshachar,andliterallyitmeansdawnormorningandNOTdarkness.So
whydoweusuallyfindtheEnglishworddarknesshere?Itisbecausemany
translatorsinsistthatthisisstilltalkingaboutthelocustinvasionandthinkthe
pictureisofsuchathickcloudoflocuststhatitislikeahugedarkblobblanketing
themountains.Ican’tgowiththat;thisisspeakingnotaboutlocustsbutrather
abouthowdawnbreakswiththemorninglightquicklyspreading,movingand
unstoppablefrommountainpeaktomountainpeak.Theverseendsbysaying
thatnothinghasbeenseenlikethisinvasion,andnothinglikeitwillbeseen
againeventhroughtheyearsofgenerationaftergeneration.So,isthisan
indicationthatthispassagecanonlybetalkingabouttheEndTimesApocalypse?
Idon’tbelieveso,partlybecauseofhowchapter2endsandchapter3begins
with:
CJB
Joel3:1"Afterthis,IwillpouroutmySpiritonallhumanity.Yoursonsand
daughterswillprophesy,youroldmenwilldreamdreams,youryoungmenwill
seevisions;
“Afterthis”isclearlyreferringtowhathasjustbeendescribedinchapter2,so
chapter2cannotbedepictingtheendorthefinaljudgmentsincethepouringout

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ofGod’sSpiritdidnothappenuntilsoonafterYeshuadied(onPentecost).In
otherwords,chapter2can’tbetalkingaboutTheEnd,ifthereisan“afterthis”
thatinvolvesthecomingoftheHolySpirit.
Inverse3theCovenantcurseoffireisspokenabout.Biblically,firesymbolizes
destructionoritcanbeusedasasymbolofpurification.Here,clearly,thisis
aboutdestruction.Aheadoftheinvadersisalandcharacterizedasbeinglikethe
GardenoftheEden(thisismetaphorforJudah);butastheenemyarrivesand
beginstoattack,allthatisleftbehindthemisatrailofdevastation.Verse4is
anotherwherethemeaninghastobestretchedbeyondreasoninordertosay
thattheseinvadersarelocusts.Itissaidbysomeacademicsthata
grasshopper’sheadlookslikeahorse’shead,andsosomehowthelocustswarms
looklikeswarmsofhorses.Thisdoesn’tworknomatterhowhardwemighttry.
Locust’sheadsdoNOTlookmuchlikehorses’heads,andswarmsoflocustsdon’t
havetheappearanceofvastherdsofhorses.Horses…especiallywhenusedto
pullchariots…werethetanksofancienttimes;andtheusualuseofhorseswas
notforridingforanindividualsoldier(likecavalry),butindeedtheywerefor
pullingchariots.Horsesmovedswiftlyandcouldovertakeandoutrunanyenemy.
Theywerelarge,strong,andtogetherwithchariotswereahugeadvantageto
thenationwhopossessedthemaspartoftheirmilitaryarsenal.So,theinvading
armyisdepictedasanoverwhelmingandsuperiormilitarypowerinthis
horrifyingway(horrifyingtoIsraelwhohadfewhorsesandchariotstocounter
them).Infact,chariotsarementionedinverse5.
Iwanttoremindyouthatthroughoutchapter2,certainwordsandphrasesare
usedtodrawsimilaritiesbetweenthecataclysmiclocustinvasionofthepast,
withtheenemyarmyinvasionoftherelativelynearfuture.Thus,itwouldn’tbe
outofboundsforJoeltocreatementalpicturesofwhatthelocustsdid(asa
reminder)comparedtowhattheenemyarmyisgoingtodo.Infact,thewaythe
first2chaptersarestructuredisintendedforthatcomparisontobedrawnout.
So,Ithinkinverse5theheavyrumblingnoiseofthechariotsisprobablyhere
beingsomewhatlikenedtothenoiseofthebeatingwingsofthemillionsand
millionsoflocusts.Eventhoughthelocustsaremeantasakindofhistorical
backdropofsomethingwellrememberedinrecentIsraelitehistory,Joelis
mostlyconcernedwiththiscominginvadingarmythatwillactuallybethe
fulfillmentofprophecy,suchasthatofJeremiah.

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CJB
Jeremiah6:22-26
22
HereiswhatADONAIsays:"Apeopleiscomingfrom
thelandofthenorth,agreatnationwillbearousedfromtheendsoftheearth.
23
Theywilltakeholdofbowandspear;theyarecruel;theyhavenocompassion:
theirnoiseastheyrideonhorsesisliketheroaringsea;andtheyareequipped
forbattleagainstyou,daughterofTziyon.
24
'Wehaveheardthenews,andour
handsfalllimp;anguishhasseizedus,painlikeamother'sinchildbirth.'"
25
Don'tgointothecountryside,don'twalkoutontheroad;fortheswordofthe
enemyisspreadingterrorineverydirection.
26
Daughterofmypeople,puton
sackcloth,rollinashes,mournasifforanonlyson,wailmostbitterly;for
suddenlythedestroyerwillcomeuponus.
Verse6dragsusfurtherintothehorroroftheattack,whenJudahtremblesand
theirfacesbecomedrainedofcolorwithfear.Thiscannotpossiblybespeakingof
locustsdoingtheattacking.Onlythefearofthearrivalofaconqueringpower
thatkillsinstantlyandmercilesslywithsword,bowandspearwouldcausesuch
areaction.Locustsindeedcauseanacutefoodshortagethatintimewillcause
severehungertohumansandallotherofGod’screatures:buttheydon’tarouse
thesheerterrorasdescribedhere.So,inverse7thiskindoflocustsimileofthe
invadingarmycontinues.Itspeaksofthesoldiersrunninglikeheroes;thatis,
theirwarriorsarebraveandfearlesswhenrunningswiftlyintobattle.Theyclimb
thewall(likelocustscanclimbwalls);thisisspeakingofthetalldefensivewall
aroundJerusalem.Everyoneoftheseformidablesoldiersgoeshiswayand
nothingcausesanyofthemtopauseorchangetheirpath.Theygoforward,
forward,relentlessly;neverpausing,neverturning…likeamurderousavalanche.
Inverse8,againsimilartolocusts,thearmyseemswellcoordinated…almost
instinctiveasfighters.TheycourageouslyfalluponJudah’sdefenders,absorbing
theirweaponsintotheirownbodieswithoutasecondthought.Theydon’tdo
whatalwayshappensinfiercebattles,whichistoaccidentallyinjureone’sfellow
soldierbymistake…whatwecalltoday“friendlyfire”.Verse9explainshowthese
invadersrunaroundtheinsideofthecity,whosewallstheyhavescaledsoeasily.
Theyclimbintohousesthroughthewindows(windowsbackthenwereusually
justholesinthesidesofbuildings.Climbingthroughawindowisregularly
depictedintheBibleasthemeansathiefgainsentryintosomeone’shome.
Again,theimageofcountlesslocuststhatseemtohaveendlessways…almost

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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magical…tofindtheirwayintoeverycornerofahouseorawalledcitywithout
anymeanstostopthemiswhatisintended.
Howisthisarmyabletodosuchathing?BecauseYehovehistheirleader.Ifitbe
theBabylonians(Ithinkthisthemostlikely),theneventhoughtheywillgive
credittotheirkingfortheirvictory,infactitistheGodofIsraelwhocausesthese
enemyforces…wholeadsthem…toattackIsraelwithoutmercyandwithoutany
seriousopposition.SinceYehovehistheirleader,thenvictoryis100%assured.
OnecanonlyimaginewhatthereadersofJoel’sprophecythoughtasthey
absorbeditswords;historyseemstosaythevastmajoritydidn’tbelieveit.
Verse10oughttofinallyeraseanydoubtsofthosecommentatorswhoinsistthis
isaninvasionoflocusts….butitdoesn’tseemto.Theearthquakes…theheavens
tremble.Iwanttopausetostateherethateitherthisstatementishyperboleat
aremarkablelevel,orthisisliterallyspeakingaboutthecosmosbeingaffected.
Thishasalltheearmarksofatheophany…anappearanceofGod.So,asI’vetried
tosortthisoutformyself,Iwanttoofferasuggestion,butalsotoconfessthat
Ican’tbecertainofit.ThemessageofProphetscanbeutterlyconfounding
sometimes.That’sonereasonintelligent,well-schooledteachersandscholars
canhavesuchdifferentopinionsaboutitsmeaning.Thepeopleofancienttimes
whoheardtheseProphetsspeakGod’soracles,andthosewhocamenottoo
muchlaterwhoreadthoseprophecies,sometimesfoundthemsocrypticthat
theycouldn’talwaysfigureoutwhattheyweresayingordepicting.We,today,
stillmarvelandwonderaboutthemeaningofEzekiel’swheelswithinwheels;of
John’srevelationofthemarkofthebeast;oftheNewJerusalemwithgates
madeofgiantpearlsandstreetspavedwithgold.Iwouldsuggestthatitis
possiblethatbecausepropheticfulfillmentalwayshappens…butthennearly
alwayshappensagainatalatertime(sometimesevenmorethanonce)…that
theProphetisattimesconflatingthefulfillmentofhisownprophecyfromthe
vantagepointof2ormoredifferentoccurrencesofit…andprobablydoesn’t
realizeithimself.Certainly,neitherfromlocustsnorfromBabylonsweeping
overJudahandconqueringthemdidtheearthliterallyquakeandtheheavens
literallyshake,norwerethesunandmoonliterallyaffected.But,intheEnd
TimesApocalypse,thesethingswillhappenliterally….terrifyinglyliterally.

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SincewhatisbeingspokenofinJoel’sprophecyisaDayofYehovehthatispart
ofaseriesofthemrunninguptotheultimateonethatisstillaheadofus…the
finalDayofYehovehwhenGodjudgestheentireworld,andnotjustasingle
nation…thenperhapsthisiswhatJoelisspeakingaboutattimes,andevenhe
mightnothaveknownit.JohntheRevelatorcertainlyhadlittleideawhathis
prophecieswouldeventuallyamountto;hesimplywrotedownwhatGodgave
himtowrite.HowcouldanyoneintheBibleerahaveaninklingofwhattheworld
wouldlook100yearsintotheirfuture,letalone2000yearsormoreintothe
future?Inanycase,Ichoosetothinkthisiswhatishappeningversus
over-the-tophyperboleaboutBabylonattackingJudah.But…whoknows?Only
theFather.
Idon’twanttomoveonjustyet,though,becauseoftheimportanceofwhatJoel
speakstous…eachandeveryoneofusoughttobeinterested…asIbelievewe
haveprobablycrossedoverthethresholdofRedemptionHistoryintotheEnd
Timesandthefulfillment…again..ofsomeofthesepropheciesabouttheDayof
Yehoveh.Someofyouhearingthismaywellbetheonestoexperienceit.
WereadsomethingastoundinginIsaiah13thatsoundssomuchlikewhatJoelis
predicting,and(atleastforme)alsocarrieswithitthisthoughtof2different
occurrencesofthesamepropheticfulfillmenthappening,eventhoughtheyare
manyyearsapart.So,whatwegetinIsaiah(asinJoel)isaconflationofthetwo
(perhapsmore)occurrencesofpropheticfulfillmentthatcontainselementsof
bothandmakesuntanglingitsoverychallenging.
CJB
Isaiah13:1-13ThisisaprophecyaboutBavel,whichYesha'yahuthesonof
Amotzsaw:
2
Hoistabanneronahighmountain,shoutto[theinvaders];beckon
themtoentertheNobles'Gate.
3
"Ihaveorderedmyholyones,summonedmy
heroes,eagerandbold,toexecutemyanger."
4
Listen!Atumultonthe
mountains-itsoundslikeavastmultitude!Listen!Theuproarofthekingdomsof
thenationsgatheringtogether!ADONAI-Tzva'otismusteringanarmyforwar.
5
Theycomefromadistantland,frombeyondthehorizon.It'sADONAI,withthe
weaponsofhisrage,tolaywastetoalltheearth.
6
Howl!fortheDayofADONAI
isathand,destructioncomingfromShaddai.
7
Thisiswhyeveryarmwillhang
limpandeveryone'scouragemeltaway.
8
Theywillbegrippedbypanic,seized
withpainandagony,writhinglikeawomaninlabor,lookingaghastateachother,

Lesson3-JoelChapters1&2
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facesaflame.
9
HerecomestheDayofADONAI,fullofcruelty,rageandhotfury,
todesolatetheearthanddestroythesinnersinit.
10
Forthestars,the
constellationsinthesky,willnolongergivetheirlight;thesunwillbedarkwhen
itrises;andthemoonwillnolongershine.
11
"Iwillpunishtheworldforitsevil
andthewickedfortheiriniquity.Iwillendthearroganceoftheproudand
humbletheinsolenceoftyrants.
12
Iwillmakehumansrarerthangold,scarcer
thanOfir'spuregold.
13
ThisiswhyIwillmaketheheavenstremble,andthe
earthwillbeshakenfromitsplaceatthewrathofADONAI-Tzva'otonthedayof
hisfierceanger.
ThissoundssomuchlikeJoel,doesn’tit?Andyet,hereinIsaiahwhereBabylon
isspecificallymentionedastheenemyforce,eventuallytheprophecystarts
speakingaboutgreateventsinthecosmoshappening.Clearly,whenBabylon
conqueredJerusalemthestarsdidn’tstopshining,nordidthesunstop
producinglight.Isthisjustpoeticlicense?Hyperbole?Ican’tacceptthat.But,
wealsoknowthatbiblicallyspeaking,Babylonismorethanaplaceandanation,
itisalsoasymbolandatype.GodusedthenationofBabylontoinvade,exileand
punishJudah.ButwealsoknowthatlaterGod’sangerissentupontheBabylon
thatwereadofinRevelation.Andyet,clearlyEndTimesBabylonisnotancient
Babylon.So,someofIsaiah’sprophecyinhischapter13seeminglymustbe
talkingaboutthebiblicalancientBabylonandtheirinvasionofJudah,andthenin
anothercoupleofverseshemustbetalkingaboutEndTimesBabylonthatis
symbolicallyrepresentativeoftheworld’ssystemsofwickedness,greed,and
idolatry.IsaiahtheProphetwastoofarremovedfromwheneitherofthese
propheticfulfillmentsaboutBabylonwouldtakeplacetobeabletodiscern
exactlywhatwashappeningandwhen.IfweapproachitthewayIsuggest,
perhapssomeofthemysteryandconfusioncanberemovedandwecansee
theseprophesiedthingsjustabitmoreclearly.
Therefore,Isuspectthatverse11isapplicabletotheinvasionofJudah,aswell
astotheEndTimes,butwithoneextremelyimportantdifference.Tothispoint,
everyDayofYehovehhasbeenGodleadinganattackagainstHisownpeople,
Israel.ButtheEndTimesDayofYehovehturnsthetables.Thelastandthe
ultimateDayofYehovehwillbeGodattackinganddecimatingthenations….the
worldingeneral…withthepurposeofprotectingIsrael.

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We’llstopherefortodayandcontinuewithJoelchapter2nexttime.