God is just. God is merciful.
Chapter three continues with the subjects of judgment and restoration, yet there is a big shift. The locust attack was a judgment of God on the Israelites since they had turned away from Him. In the future, judgment will come upon people against God from all the nations.
Yet for Israel, permanent restoration by God will take place. This “day of the LORD” will be the resolution to the tribulation.
A key phrase to gain the context of this passage: “I will gather all nations…” (Joel 3:2). A confederation of all nations is something which has never happened, to say the least. Since Joel spoke of this extraordinary event here, it is a sensible deduction this is the same “day of the LORD” as is foretold by the prophet Zechariah in chapter 14 of his book. And from Zechariah we can learn what will happen just prior to this judgment and restoration, so we can more fully grasp both.
Zechariah foretold there will be an attack against the Israelites involving warriors from every nation. Such a multi-national army attacking Israel sounds fictional. Yet consider the events which will lead to this “day of the LORD.”
First, all Christians in the world will be ushered away by Jesus. The Second Coming of Christ will take place in stages. The first stage is what is commonly termed “the rapture.” This is the event prophesied by Jesus, (recorded in Matthew 24:29-31), and told of by Paul, (recorded in I Thessalonians 4:16-18). Not a quiet event, thrilled Christians will be brought to heaven in a supernatural way.
Thus, the countless Christians of the world will be gone.
Second, chaos is going to break out. Termed by many Christians as the ‘tribulation,’ circumstances worldwide will quickly become horrible. (A number of people say it will be a seven year period according to an interpretation they make of a passage within the book of Daniel.)
Now there will still be an opportunity for people to turn to the Messiah. I have long recognized this period to be an overtime opportunity for people to be saved.
However, the summary is: It will be a horrible time.
And all it will take is one evil world leader, who will blame Israel for the chaos, to convince many people to attack them.
Third, a multi-national army will attack Jerusalem. Zechariah foretells this with sad details, including the fact that half of the Israelites will be captured and sent into exile.
Fourth, praise be to God, the LORD is going to rescue the nation of Israel in an epic manner! The multi-national army will not overtake the Jewish people. The Jewish people will be rescued by the Messiah, as both Zechariah and Joel prophesied.
Fifth, there is going to be judgment and punishment against the nations. Joel, being the creative writer he was, uses a metaphor of harvesting and preparing grapes to describe the punishment of the guilty.
Note there is a turn of fortune. The book of Joel started off with the Hebrews farmers, the common occupation of people in Judah, being the ones who were at the forefront of the judgment of God.
Yet now, as God sits as judge, Joel’s metaphor has the role of farmers as the individuals who carry out the punishment for God against the wicked warriors who rebelled against Him. Literally, I understand this to be angels of God, the “holy ones” mentioned in Zechariah 12:5.
The punishment of the wicked warriors will be death.
Praise be to God, the story does not end there.
Hunter Irvine
