The Day of the Lord: Realized.

Review

Tonight, Lord willing, will be our last study in the book of Joel together. In recent months, we have been breaking this book down so that we would know how to live and minister as Peru Grace Brethren Church in the age in which we live.

We noticed that this book is hard to place a date on.

All we know about the man who wrote this book is that his father is Pethuel.

All we know about the times in which it was written is that:

There was a locust plague.

There was a famine.

Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia sold some Jewish People into slavery of the Greeks.

Joel 3:6. In the Hebrew, rather than Greeks, it is the ancient name “Javan”.

All through this wonderful prophecy, we’ve seen the Day of the Lord both prefigured and promised.

In chapter 1, we saw that the Day of the Lord was like the Locust Swarm and the subsequent famine.

1:15.

In chapter 2, we saw that the Day of the Lord was like the locust-like Army coming against Jerusalem.

2:11.

In verses 12-17, we saw what God was after (mainly vv. 12, 13). God was not after merely external religious obedience, but inward heart change among the people. True repentance. “Rend your heart and not your garments.”

We saw that as a result of a true national repentance of Israel, there would be both physical salvation (of the land) and spiritual salvation of the people.

A reversal of everything that happened to the land because of the locusts (v. 25).

Moses’s dream of all having the Holy Spirit fulfilled (Numbers 11:29).

Everyone who calls upon the name of Yahweh will be delivered from the great and terrible day of the Lord. (Joel 2:32)

Romans 10:13.

All of this leads us to chapter 3, which unveils for us the majesty and terror of what the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord actually is. All that Israel experienced, every hardship of the Jewish People, whether consequence of the rebellion against Yahweh their God, or simply because the Nations don’t like them, all points to the awesome day that will one day come in the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

Read Joel 3.

The Promise of Yahweh. (vv. 1-3)

Yahweh promises to restore the fortunes of Israel.

Jeremiah 16:15.

Yahweh promises to judge the nations.

Zechariah 14:9-15.

Revelation 19.

The Recompense of Yahweh. (vv. 4-8)

Similar language to Joel 2:25.

Here (2:25), God has promised to bring Israel back to the land by His grace and His grace alone.

In verses 4-8, He is paying them back for all that they did to His people.

The Prophetic Message of Yahweh. (vv. 9-17)

God’s people preach the judgment of God.

The Kingdom of Yahweh (vv. 18-21).

In verse 18, we see that the Lord has abated the curse on the ground and now the land is producing in abundance!

These words are familiar about the land:

Exodus 3:8.

Numbers 14:8.

Deuteronomy 31:20.

The Kingdom Age will be an age of plenty.

Isaiah 11:6-9.

Isaiah 65:17-25.

Amos 9:11-15.

The day that Yahweh judges the nations will be the day (v.18a) that His Covenant People Israel’s ancient enemies will be brought to nothing.

Edom:

Isaiah 34:5-17.

Ezekiel 25:12-14; 35:5-7.

Egypt:

Zechariah 14:16-21.

The day that Yahweh judges the nations will be the day that Israel dwells secure (vv. 20-21).

Zechariah 14:9.