Study of Joel
The best strong hold against anti-Semitism is the study of the book of
Joel.
If more of us would study the book of Joel, we would see more clearly that
Israel is very much a part of the heart of God both in the past and in the
future. There would be no anti-Semitism in the church if we would receive the
proper understanding of God's dealings with Israel and His eternal purpose for
Israel. The church never replaces Israel and never did they become spiritual
Israel. The true believers in Jesus Christ become part of Israel adopted into
the vine of Israel by faith in Jesus but we never replace or supplant Israel.
Those that rejected the gospel were removed from the vine temporarily but they
will be grafted in again as soon as they begin to repent of sin and recognize
the Messiah that their ancestors rejected. Actually not all Jews rejected Jesus.
On the day of Pentecost thousands received the Holy Spirit, not just the
apostles.
The book of Joel needs to be studied along with the book of Acts because the
book of Acts records the partial fulfillment of Joel. The latter rain or the
latter part of the fulfillment of Joel takes place just before the Second coming
of Jesus Christ. The beginning of this came to the Gentile believers just before
the twentieth century and continues this present day but that is only a trickle
compared to the latter day outpouring that will come upon Israel when they turn
to Jesus Christ. Thousands of Jews are already coming to Christ and receiving
the Holy Ghost. This started in the latter part of the twentieth century and
continues now in the twenty first century. I rejoice in this. All true believers
in Jesus will rejoice in the salvation of Israel. True believers will never
reject Israel or join in armies surrounding Israel for their destruction.
Joe 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
Joe 1:2 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?
Joe 1:3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children,
and their children another generation.
God commanded Israel to always teach His word to their children and in turn the
children were to pass it down from one generation to another. They didn't do
this so as a result, many departed from God and started to mimic the nations
around them and serve the gods of those nations. As a result they became slaves
to other nations to whom they desired to copy.
We today will become slaves or in bondage to whatever we desire over and above
our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we reject Christ and prefer to remain in sin, that sin will consume us.
Joe 1:4 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 caterpillar eaten.
By departing from God, they did not have his protection and as a result the
elements were against them. They were plagued with famine and loss of material
blessings.
Joe 1:5 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.
Joe 1:6 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.
Without God's protection, other wicked nations will be able to come up against a
weak nation and overtake them. Only by God's power can the weak be stronger than
the enemy whether the enemy is a real army or the enemy of our souls which is
Satan.
Joe 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it
clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
Joe 1:8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
At one time a virgin without any hope for a husband would be considered without
hope or in despair. This is also symbolic of a young bride without her
bridegroom. Israel without God or without the Messiah is like a virgin
with no bridegroom.
Joe 1:9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of
the LORD; the priests, the LORD's ministers, mourn.
Joe 1:10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new
wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
Joe 1:11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat
and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
Joe 1:12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate
tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field,
are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
They lost all joy, comfort, substance and hope because God allowed their
destruction for a season.
The remedy is the same then as it is now.
Repentance and turning back to God.
Joe 1:13 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 withheld from the house of your God.
Joe 1:14 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,
Assembling together and calling upon God is necessary for things to turn around.
A word of caution here is that we truly repent and seek the spiritual things of
God and not just seek God for material restoration. If we just seek physical
healing, jobs, food, shelter and clothing and neglect the restoration
spiritually back to God, we will end up in the same shape and condition we were
before we sought God. Some today come to God for physical help and material
blessings and do not repent of sin or receive God's spirit into their lives.
They go so far to get relief but they do not go on to turning their lives
completely over to God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. By repenting of
sin and receiving Jesus Christ which is our salvation, God in turn gives the
Holy Spirit to abide with us continually. Without the gift of the Holy Spirit we
cannot live for God in love and peace.
Joe 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a
destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
This may be a double prophecy here of judgment and captivity of that day by
Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greeks and Romans and also of latter day
troubles we call the tribulation when the armies of the world gather together
against Israel.
Joe 1:16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from
the house of our God?
Joe 1:17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate,
the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
Outward lack of food and substance is similar to what happens to a soul who
neglects the spiritual things that come from God. Our soul can become lean and
hungry just like our body can. This reminds me of a person who is
completely concerned only with this life. He seeks a good education, a
high paying job, a nice home, car, clothes and furniture but takes no thought to
his eternal soul. What profit is it when we gain the whole world and lose our
souls.
Joe 1:18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because
they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
Our disobedience can affect innocent animals.
Joe 1:19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures
of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
Joe 1:20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters
are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Chapter 2
Joe 2:1 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;
Joe 2:2 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.
Joe 2:3 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.
Joe 2:4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen,
so shall they run.
Joe 2:5 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.
Joe 2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall
gather blackness.
Joe 2:7 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:
Joe 2:8 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.
Joe 2:9 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.
Joe 2:10 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:
Joe 2:11 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?
This is the judgment by the Lord upon all those that persecute His believers
and come against Israel in the latter days.
Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your
heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Yet any who call upon the Lord and turn to Him can be saved from His judgment.
Jesus made the way of salvation so simple that in desperation, one can call upon
the Lord and be saved.
Joe 2:13 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.
After Jesus came to save us from sin, outward religious rituals are not
necessary. We don't have to outwardly show repentance by rending our garments or
doing things to appear religious. God wants us to rend our hearts. This means
that we repent and turn back to Him believing His word and accepting His
salvation. When we do this God will pour out His spirit upon those who genuinely
repent and seek Him. God longs for us to repent and believe in His way He
provided for us to be saved. He does not want anyone, Jew or Gentile to be lost
and burn in hell. He sent Jesus for the purpose of saving us from sin and giving
us the Holy Ghost. He wants us to have eternal life. It is not the will of God
that any perish. It is our choice. We are not predestined to burn in hell.
Through Christ we are predestined to obtain salvation. This of course is only
given to those who believe this and come to Christ by faith. We recognize that
we can't save ourselves just by being a good person. We must accept the fact
that we are sinners in need of a savior from sin. Sin will keep us out of heaven
and send us to a burning hell. Sin separates us from God. We can't get rid of
sin by ourselves. That is why Jesus came to die for our sins. His death will
count for all who believe this. Without Him there is no salvation for either the
Jew or the Gentile.
Even before Jesus came into the flesh, those who believed in the promise of God
to send a Messiah rested in that hope and were saved by faith, now we look back
to the time Jesus died and rose again, and we are saved by faith by looking back
and believing in the one God sent, even Jesus Christ.
Joe 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing
behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Joe 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders,
gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go
forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joe 2:17 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?
God pleads with Israel here to mourn, weep and call a solemn assembly of people
to return to God and be delivered from the heathen who persecute them and desire
to devour their heritage.
Joe 2:18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Joe 2:19 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:
Joe 2:20 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
savor shall come up, because he hath done great things.
This is a warning to all nations that gather together against Israel literally.
God will one day fight for Israel. I don't know if they have to repent and
believe in Christ first or how exactly this will come about but my warning is
for those who will come against Israel in the form of an army. That army will be
destroyed eventually. Nations were allowed at one time to defeat Israel and
scatter them into other nations but the time will come when this will cease and
no power on earth will be able to defeat Israel and all who attempt to do so
will be destroyed.
I am not defending everything Israel does. That is not my calling. I leave their
judgment to God. We as a people and especially we who call ourselves the church
should never lift up a hand or a voice against Israel and try to claim to take
their place in the heart of God. We are not Israel, Israel is Israel. We will be
partakers of the promises to Israel by our faith in Jesus Christ but we are not
Israel and do not take their place. We are to pray for Israel and pray for them
to recognize the true Messiah, Jesus who already came the first time but we are
not to rise up against them if they reject our message. Jesus said to love our
enemies not persecute them.
A good sign that we are walking in truth is first that we love one another and
then that we love Israel and love our enemies. This isn't possible except by the
spirit of God which is given to those that obey Him. The Holy Spirit dwelling
within us can give us that power to love but it is impossible without the Holy
Spirit.
Joe 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great
things.
Joe 2:22 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.
Joe 2:23 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.
Joe 2:24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with
wine and oil.
Joe 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the
cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent
among you.
Joe 2:26 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.
God will restore material blessings to Israel but the greatest blessings will be
the spiritual.
Joe 2:27 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.
Joe 2:28 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:
Joe 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I
pour out my spirit.
This former rain of the spirit was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. The first
part of the latter rain is happening now. Notice how for years between the
resurrection of Jesus until just before the turn of the twentieth century, there
was only isolated cases of those receiving the outpouring of the spirit similar
to Pentecost. This seemingly ceased for a time causing many to think the
gifts of the spirit stopped in the days of the apostles. They stopped
because the church had become apostate. They didn't stop. The Holy
Spirit is being poured out now on all who will receive by first repenting of
sins and believing in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Joe 2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and
fire, and pillars of smoke.
Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joe 2:32 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.
Here is the fulfillment in Acts
Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and
said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this
known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Act 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third
hour of the day.
Act 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out
of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days
of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 2:19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth
beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved.
Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the
midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it
was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also
my flesh shall rest in hope:
Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of
joy with thy countenance.
Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath
to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise
up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his
soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye
now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The
Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath
made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said
unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Repentance is necessary and believing in Jesus Christ as the Messiah sent from
God for our salvation. Then we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We can't reject the Holy Ghost and expect to be able to witness, love, and obey
the scriptures. It is impossible to do on our own.
We are what we desire to be. We receive what we want to receive. God does not
force His spirit upon any of us. If we go so far and just accept the Christian
religion then religion is all we will get. It will not save the soul and will
not give us the power to love one another.
We must repent of sin and believe in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. We must
receive all that God wants to give us to equip us for His service. We need to be
baptized in the Holy Ghost. This will come if we truly accept the Lord in full
and hold back nothing. If we come to Christ to escape hell and are not willing
to forsake our old sins, we will not be saved. Forsaking sin and believing in
Jesus as Lord go hand in hand. Jesus came to save us from sin not just forgive
us in our sins. He saves us from the penalty of sin but He also gives us the
power not to return to the sin we were saved from. If we do, we must repent
right away and not continue in sin or else habitual, deliberate returning to sin
will cause us to lose our salvation. The study of the scriptures and not John
Calvin will bear this out.
Getting our minds on the writings of one man instead of the bible, is dangerous.
I don't care how good that one man may seem to be. If we rely too much on them
to interpret the word for us instead of studying the word ourselves, we are
asking to be deceived. I include my own writings here. I would never want anyone
to take my own words over or even equal to the word of God. I could make a
mistake easily but the word of God that was handed down to us, I believe God has
provided us with, and we can trust it to be authentic. God gave us different
writers in the bible but they say the same things if we study them diligently.
Basing a doctrine on one man's experience is also dangerous.
Please do not stray from the word of God. An example of this is Joseph Smith who
started the Mormon church. That church is based not on the word of God but upon
the experiences of Joseph Smith. A true prophet will not be contrary to the
tried and true already written word of God. The word must be rightly divided. We
must be careful not to pick up the religious observances in the Old Testament
that Jesus Christ fulfilled by His death on the cross. We now worship Him in
spirit and in truth and we do not have to depend upon the intercessions of
priests, prophets and ministers to do our praying for us. They are to teach and
preach yes but we are not to rely upon them wholly when we can study on our own.
If they do not encourage private study of the bible, beware because they are not
true ministers of the word of God. If they are afraid of our private study of
the word, they are to be avoided.
A true minister will encourage private study and private seeking of God. They
should not fear anyone seeking God without their assistance.
Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring
again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley
of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage
Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
Take heed nations of the world including the United States, Britain, the United
nations, France, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Africa etc. We have
no right to take away the land of Israel. We had no right to pressure Israel to
send their people out of any land given to them by God recorded in the Old
Testament. I don't care what they have done or how we may think badly of them.
God is their judge and He promised that land to Abraham and we have no right,
Bill Clinton, Presidents Bush, or any future American president to pressure
Israel in any way. God is their judge, not us. Leave them alone. They must be
allowed to make their own decisions on this and let God deal with them His way.
I know the bible says that nations will come against Israel and this will happen
no matter what I say. I just pray the the United States will not be part of this
because it will be destroyed if it does. Please do not come against Israel or be
high and mighty thinking we have any right to boss Israel around.
When I see our presidents put pressure on Israel, I cringe. Who gave us that
authority to think we are the boss of the world?
Joe 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for a
harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
Joe 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the
coasts of Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me,
swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head;
Joe 3:5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your
temples my goodly pleasant things:
Joe 3:6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold
unto the Greeks, that ye might remove them far from their border.
Joe 3:7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them,
and will return your recompense upon your own head:
Take heed nations of the world. What you do to Israel will return upon your own
heads.
Read history and discover what happens to any nation that has persecuted Israel?
Did Hitler prevail? What happened to Babylon? Anti-Semitism is the downfall of
many. Not because Israel is perfect but because God has a purpose for them,
first to bring through them the Messiah, Jesus the savior. When they temporarily
rejected the Messiah, Jesus was preached to the Gentiles. Through their fall the
gospel was sent to the Gentiles. Let us Gentiles rejoice and not boast because
the gospel is shortly to be given back to the Jews. That has already started.
Many will be destroyed but we must not be part of their destruction. A remnant
will be saved just like a remnant was restored back to that land after the 70
years captivity in Babylon. Be not high-minded against Israel. I don't care if
they are still rejecting the gospel and reject Christians. Who can blame them
for rejecting Christianity? We must pray that although they reject the Christian
religion, they will not reject the Messiah, Jesus Christ. They do not have to
accept Christianity to be saved but they have to accept Jesus as savior just
like we do. The Christian religion will not save anyone. The blood
of Jesus covers our sins when we repent and turn to Jesus for salvation.
Nothing else is holy enough or good enough to save anyone from eternal damnation
in hell. We can build great hospitals, do good deeds, be baptized in every
church available but it will not save us from sin if we have not turned from sin
and turned to Jesus for salvation. We must be "born again" by the spirit
of God. God does that when we come to Jesus and call upon His name.
No earthly person, church or being can do that on our behalf.
Do not boast against Israel
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall
come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as
touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Joe 3:8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the
children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off:
for the LORD hath spoken it.
Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty
men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Joe 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears:
let the weak say, I am strong.
Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves
together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Joe 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat:
for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
Joe 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for
the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the
LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw
their shining.
Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from
Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the
hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
This is prophecy of the end of the tribulation and judgment of God against the
armies that come against Israel. Be not part of this army.
Joe 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my
holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass
through her any more.
Israel means Israel. The church does not replace Israel in the mind of God. The
true believers will be part of the blessings promised to Israel but we are not
replacements. When God says Israel, He means Israel.
Joe 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop
down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah
shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the
LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
Here is the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel. I can only say,
"Blessed be the name of the Lord." We must love the salvation of individuals and
must love the restoration of Israel.
Joe 3:19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate
wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have
shed innocent blood in their land.
This is judgment against those that did not recognize God's love for Israel and
tried to destroy these people who God chose to bring us the Messiah and bring
the gospel to save all who would believe.
Joe 3:20 But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to
generation.
Joe 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD
dwelleth in Zion.
Herein is the sum of the promises of God. They have not all been fulfilled as we
see. As of August 16, 2006 all the book of Joel has not been fulfilled in full.
Part of it has concerning the outpouring of the spirit. It will come to pass
just as He said. Removing this article from the web and silencing the warnings
of those that proclaim the word of God will not stop it from coming to pass.
Nothing will stop God's plan. If anyone tries to remove all Jews, all
Christians, and all who oppose governments and religious systems, they cannot
stop the will of God. Persecution only strengthens the true believers. Stop one
and two rise up in their place. God's word will be fulfilled no matter what the
president does, what laws are passed by Congress, no matter how great the armies
that gather against Jerusalem become, no matter what the most powerful judge
decrees, no matter what false prophets may say, no matter who tries to stop it
whether it be the anti-christ, the pope, any religion. Nothing will stop God's
word from being fulfilled. Atheism, Communism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity etc
and etc cannot stop the will of God from coming to pass. Read the last two
chapters in Revelation. The truth wins in the end.
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