2.1-2 the trumpet. The sounding of the trumpet was a call to religious gathering. Here the prophet uses the metaphor to signal God is sounding a trumpet. This will be repeated in the New Testament by Paul and John the revelator in the books of 1 Corinthians and Revelation.

2.3-11the day of the Lord. This is a major theme of the Old Testament. Joel is sounding the alarm that the day is approaching rapidly. Joel likens it to a scorched earth scenario. This is common among the peoples of that day. Armies many times used this technique to render an opponent helpless. In the case of God it is a reflection of the completeness of His anger and judgment. The analogy of locusts is to chariots and war horses. The destruction will be complete. The day of the Lord will be terrible and who can abide it?

2.12-17 the appeal to return. It is not too late. God is still reaching for His people. Turn to the Lord with weeping and mourning. God is slow to anger and merciful. Begin with the priests and a call to repentance. This is the second time Joel metaphorically sounds the trumpet.

2.18-27 the beauty of God’s judgment is it did not last forever. It was for a season. The prophet now shifts his eye to the restoration of the people of God. There will be restoration of the very things the locust destroyed. Wheat, corn, wine, oil, and all the beasts of the field will again be plentiful. The fruit trees will again bear in their season. The promise is to restore everything taken away by the locusts. The prophet now moves into the great prophecy of the coming of the Spirit of God fulfilled in Acts chapter 2.

2.28-32 this prophecy is one of the turning points of the Old Testament and points to the great outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2. God reveals His will to indwell every person who will allow Him to live inside them. In the bigger picture of planet earth, the destruction caused by the fall of Adam and Eve will be restored by the spiritual rain that falls in Acts chapter 2. This is the restoration God has provided for all of mankind. Mankind was destroyed by sin in the garden and now God has provided complete restoration through His in dwelling spirit.All things destroyed by the fall are now restored in Jesus Christ. Peter confirms this when he preaches the first message of the New Testament era in Acts 2. Peter quotes this passage as proof of God’s spirit indwelling believers. The moment in Acts 2, when the Holy Ghost falls is the pinnacle of all God’s purpose and promise to humankind. From that moment, the eternal purpose of God is made manifest; God came to earth to save all of mankind.

Chapter 3

3.1-8 The prophet extends the eye of prophecy to all the nations of the world. There will be a gathering of all nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat. This is referring to the great battle of Armageddon in the future. The battle of Armageddon will balance the scales of all the wrongs listed in these verses by the nations that opposed God.

3.9-16 the greatest battle of all history is now spoken of. The gentile nations are awakened. Plowshares are beaten into instruments of war, and pruning hooks into spears. This is the great harvest of the ages in which God will bring mankind to answer for his rebellion. There will be reactions from nature in the sun and the moon. The stars will go black. God will roar out of heaven and proclaim His rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is the ultimate war of good verses evil, and good triumphs forever.

3.17-21 the aftermath of war. God will restore earth and He himself will rule as King. Earth rejoices with plentiful crops and abundance. Jerusalem takes her rightful place as the capitol of the world. In these final sweeping verses, Joel captures the promise of the ages of almighty God to His faithful followers. The devastation at their feet left from the invasion of locusts that represent judgment, will give way to the glorious morning of Christ’s rule on Earth. All things will be restored and God shall fill all in all.

Thanks for reading today…..