Book of Joel Overview & End Times Prophecy

Analysis of the Book of Joel
Joel 1:1–20 chronicles the physical and spiritual desolation that will exist in the land of Israel (1:6, 10) just prior to the day of YHVH, the destruction of the Almighty (1:15). Israel’s pitiable condition is due to external forces (symbolized by worms, caterpillars and the lion, 1:4, 6, 7) coming against Israel laying her land waste. The prophet urges YHVH’s people to humble themselves and to call a sacred assembly fast (a probable prophetic reference to the forty days of repentance (Heb. teshuvah) leading up to the fall appointed time of the Day of Atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur).
Joel 2:1 opens by announcing the blowing of the shofar in Zion, and the sounding of the alarm (ruwa, Strong’s H7321, meaning “to shout, raise a sound, to cry out, give a blast, to shout a war-cry or alarm for battle, to sound a signal for war”) in Jerusalem. This is a clear reference to the fall festival of Yom Teruah, the Day of the Blowing of Shofars, or Day of the Shouting This is announced as a day when YHVH’s people are to tremble and to prepare for the coming of the day of YHVH, which is near.
The prophet next goes on to describe that day of YHVH as one of darkness (or obscurity) and gloominess (calamity or wickedness), heavy or thick dark cloudiness (2:1). On that day, a great army will swarm over the land with a devouring fire going before them while the heavens tremble, the earth quakes and the sun, moon and stars become darkened. (2:1–11). This army is invincible and immortal (2:8) and is described as YHVH’s army, which is very strong and executes his word (2:11). This is the very great and terrible day of YHVH, who can abide, comprehend or endure it? (2:11)
Scripture elsewhere describes only one immortal army that can fit this description in Joel’s prophecy, and that is the army that accompanies Yeshua at his second coming as prophesied in Revelation 19. This is a time when Yeshua will come to judge the earth, including the false religious systems of the world, which has on its hands the blood of YHVH’s saints (Rev 19:2). Yeshua, the Judge, will return riding a white warhorse and he will come to judge and to make war (Rev 19:11). His eyes burn with fiery indignation, he wears many crowns (he is taking to himself, the dominion and authority of all earthly leaders), his robe is dipped in blood and his name is called “The Word of Elohim,” which is a reference to Yeshua, the Living Word of Elohim (John 1:1–14). Accompanying Yeshua will be a heavenly army all clothed in white linen robes of righteousness (Rev 19:13–14). From Yeshua’s mouth proceeds sword (representing his Word) with which he will smite the nations (Rev 19:15, 21). After defeating the earthly wicked, treading them with the fierceness of his wrath (see also Rev 14:14–20), he will rule them with a rod of iron as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:15–16). This event, the day of YHVH’s vengeance or wrath, will culminate in a mighty battle between Yeshua’s spiritual army and the armies of the world including the false prophet and those who worshipped his image. This is the famous climactic battle of Armageddon, which in Revelation 16:16, will occur at the end of the seven bowl judgments of Revelation. Scripture calls the seven bowl judgments, also called the seven last plagues (Rev 15:1), the wrath of Elohim (Rev 14:10,19; 15:1,7; 16:1,19). Elsewhere in the writings of the ancient biblical prophets, this time period is called the day of YHVH’s wrath, or simply, the day of YHVH. As a result of these seven plagues falling upon the earth by the hand of YHVH’s judgment, the religious, economic, and political system of Babylon the Great that rules the earth will fall (Rev 17 and 18).
The heavenly army that accompanies Yeshua at his second coming appear to be those saints who were resurrected at the seventh or last trumpet (1 Cor 15:51–53; Rev 11:14–21). After their resurrection, there is no further mention of them in Revelation. Scripture says that they have been taken to their reward at the sounding of the seventh or last trumpet just before the wrath of Elohim is poured out upon the earth (Rev 11:18 cp 7:14–17), and then this place of reward appears to the temple of Elohim in heaven (Rev 11:19). Revelation 15:2 seems to give a description of these same saints as being on the sea of glass before the throne of YHVH in heaven. The next we hear of these saints is in Revelation 19:1 where is mentioned “much people in heaven” (see also Rev 7:14–17) praising YHVH for his righteous judgments against spiritual whore system that has enslaved the earth and killed many of the saints (Rev 19:1–3). Immediately after this, we see that these saints are preparing for the marriage supper of the Yeshua, Lamb of Elohim by donning white robes of righteousness (Rev 19:7–8). The very next scene in Revelation is that of Yeshua coming to this earth on his white stallion to judge the earth as he is followed by the armies of heaven (Rev 19:14). This brings us full-circle back to the army of immortals Joel describes as YHVH’s army (Joel 2:11).
Continuing with our analysis of Joel, in chapter two verse 12 of that book, the prophet seems to step back from the day of YHVH’s wrath and focus on the time period leading up to this terrible time. He first talks about repenting, mourning and fasting, and he urges YHVH’s people to rend their hearts before YHVH and seek his mercy and grace in hopes they may be spared from the evil that is to come upon the earth (2:12–14). It is understood in Jewish thought that this is a prophetic picture of the time period between YHVH’s fall appointed times of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur, commonly called the “Ten Days of Awe.”
The prophet then speaks of the shofar being sounded in Zion and a fast being called, which is a solemn assembly. This is a reference to the literal prophetic fulfillment of the Day of Atonement when the jubilee trumpet is blown signaling the destruction of Babylon, the setting free of all those this evil world-ruling system has religiously, politically and spiritually enslaved (Rev 18:13). There is no other solemn assembly mentioned in the Torah that fits this description, except Yom Kippur. From this we learn that Yom Kippur is associated with the day of YHVH’s wrath upon the wicked of this world.
Next Joel speaks of YHVH sending corn, wine and oil as a blessing upon his people who are no longer a reproach among the heathen. He speaks of Israel’s enemies being defeated and the land of Israel being blessed abundantly (Joel 2:19–24). The former (fall) and latter (spring) rains will fall upon the land causing it to yield an abundant harvest. This is a reference to the fall festival of Tabernacles or Sukkot, which on the biblical calendar falls five days after Yom Kippur. This week-long celebration is a prophetic picture of Yeshua’s millennial 1000-year rule on this as King of kings and Lord of lords. Traditionally, on the seventh day of the annual Sukkot celebration, the Jews would pray for abundant rain upon the upcoming year’s agricultural crops so that YHVH’s people would flourish in abundance. On this last day of Sukkot, called Hoshana Rabbah, or the Last Great Day (see John 7:37–39), the theme was abundant rain, which the prophets and Yeshua recognized had spiritual and prophetic implications during the Millennium. Rain, in Hebraic thought, is a metaphor for YHVH’s Spirit and his Torah-word, and, indeed, the Millennium will be a time when his Torah will go forth from Jerusalem to the whole world (Mic 4:2; Isa 2:3), and when the glory of YHVH will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). Additionally, Joel shows us that this will be a time of great physical blessing and abundance upon the people of YHVH (Joel 2:23–26), as well as a time of great spiritual out pouring similar to what happened to what happened to YHVH’s people in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts chapter, but this time on a universal scale (2:28).
Joel then once again flashes back to the day of YHVH’s wrath. It seems that Joel keeps inserting these parenthetical references to the day of YHVH’s vengeance upon wickedness in an effort to incite Israel to repentance so as to be spared from this horrendous time period to befall the earth. Again, he writes about wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, fire and pillars of smoke, of the sun being turned to darkness and the moon to obtain a bloody appearance—all just before the “great and terrible day of YHVH” (2:30–31). Thankfully, many will be saved out of the time Yeshua refers to in Matthew 24:20 as the “great tribulation,” which occurs just before the wrath of Elohim is poured out upon this earth (Matt 24:29–31) when the “great trumpet” or the great or final trumpet/shofar of Yom Kippur is sounded, which is called the shofar hagadol.
As just stated, many will be saved out of the great tribulation time, which occurs just before the wrath of YHVH is poured out upon the wicked of this earth. Joel states this 2:32 and John also speaks of a great and innumerable multitude who are given white robes or righteousness, which come out of all nations (Rev 7:8), and which have come out of the great tribulation having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14).
Joel chapter three opens with the time just before the great battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which literally could be a reference to the Valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem, which lies between the Temple Mound and the Mount of Olives (Jewish Encyclopedia, article entitled “Valley of Jehoshaphat” at www.JewishEncyclopedia.com), or may figuratively represent the place where the battle of Armageddon occurs (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 979). This event appears to coincide with the battle of Armageddon spoken of in the Book of Revelation and seems to be the same event Yeshua speaks of in Matthew 25—the judgment between the sheep and goat nations. At this time, the nations of the earth will be judged by how they treated YHVH’s people, the Israelites and the land of Israel (Joel 3:1–2). YHVH will judge the Palestinians, and the inhabitants of Lebanon (3:3) for their mistreatment of Israel. These peoples will become the indentured servants of Israel (3:8) At the same time, YHVH will regather lost and scattered Israel to the land of their inheritance (3:1,7), which in Jewish rabbinic thought is an aspect of what is called “the final redemption.” Joel then makes another reference to the day of the Lord with multitudes in the valley of decision (Joel 3:14). It seems possible that those who have just endured YHVH’s great tribulation and some of his wrath will be given another chance to repent of their rebellion against YHVH and mistreatment of His people. After this, YHVH will let loose with his final fury upon the wicked. Again we are given a picture of a great slaughter of the wicked (cp. Rev. 14:14–20; 19:11–21).
Joel ends his dire prophecy on the greatest positive note possible: the defeat of YHVH’s and Israel’s enemies, and the establishment of YHVH’s throne and dwelling place in Jerusalem (3:16–17) with the Jews dwelling peacefully in their land while their enemies lie vanquished and ruined round about them (3:16–21). This is the beginning of what is referred to as the Millennium, or in Jewish thought, the Messianic Age lasting for one thousand years as described in Revelation 20 and elsewhere in Scripture.

 

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