The Day of the Lord
Pastor Chad A. Miller
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· 10 viewsThis section of Joel is quoted in 3 different places in the New Testament. The Day of the Lord is a immanent reality...and yet, because of Jesus, today is the day of Salvation!
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REFLECTION TEXT: Romans 10:8-13
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
SERMON TEXT: Joel 2:28-3:17
(READING) Joel 2:28-32
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
INTRO
INTRO
Life is like a roller coaster. There are steep climbs, deep drops, sharp turns, slow moments that you wish would hurry up…and fast and furious moments that are like a blur.
Joel has been bit of a roller coaster. Our journey with this minor prophet, though has been timely and not insignificant...
>>TRANSITION
>>TRANSITION
Joel’s prophecy does not contain any direct messianic teaching, but the NT uses it in three ways.
Peter quotes from Joel 2:28–32 in his speech on the day of Pentecost to demonstrate that proclamation of the news of salvation would be the task not of a select few but of many who would receive the Spirit (Acts 2:17–21).
Second, Paul in Romans 10:13 quotes from the same passage to which Peter appealed, focusing especially on the words, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32). He applies the title “Lord” to Jesus, and in the context the “calling” spoken of comes from a genuine conviction that salvation is found in him.
Then, John in the book of Revelation exhibits knowledge of Joel’s prophecy and incorporates ideas from it into his presentation of eschatological events (cf. Rev. 6:17; 9:7; 14:14–16).
We’ve observed 2 “Days of the Lord” already.
Chapter 1 was the immediate day of the Lord for Judah with the locust invasion.
Chapter 2 recorded an immanent DAY OF THE LORD for Israel with a coming invasion.
Today we’ll catch glimpses of the FINAL DAY OF THE LORD.
And while that is the title for this Sermon Study this morning…you could probably better observe the remaining text this way...
The Bible Guide God’s Judgment and Mercy (2:1–32)
The last part of chapter 2 is so important that it forms a separate chapter in the Hebrew Bible.
God’s Commitment to Judah’s Future
A. God Will Pour Out His Spirit (2:28–31)
B. God Will Save All Who Call on Him (2:32)
C. God Will Execute Judgment (3:1–17)
Next Week:
D. Hope For God’s People (3:17–21)
Lawrence O. Richards, The Bible Reader’s Companion, electronic ed. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991), 532.
Let’s take a look at these promises connected to The Day of the Lord
1. God Will Pour Out His Spirit
1. God Will Pour Out His Spirit
(Joel 2:28-31)
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
There are a couple prophetic contexts to view this prophecy through:
The JEWISH context.
The “afterward” in 2:28 refers to the events described in 2:18–27 when the Lord heals the nation after the Assyrian invasion. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean immediately afterward, for many centuries passed before the Spirit was poured out.
When Peter quoted this verse in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit led him to interpret “afterward” to mean “in the last days” (Acts 2:17).
The CHURCH context.
In Acts 2, we see Peter quoting Joel’s prophecy as the Holy Spirit was moving and the fulfillment was beginning. Peter said that the same Holy Spirit Joel wrote about (“this is that”) had now come and was empowering the believers to proclaim the Gospel and praise God in various languages understood by the Jews who were assembled in Jerusalem from many parts of the Roman Empire (Act 2:5–12).
(Let’s take a quick look at the ACTS 2 PASSAGE)
The disciples were all together in one place.
A sound from Heaven comes…fills the room (the sound).
The Spirit fills each of them to proclaim Jesus to all who are within earshot.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Notice the result of this incredible singular moment in history:
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
NOTE: Remember, Joel’s promise here includes, all FLESH, all AGES, and all STATIONS.
Peter’s audience was made up of men (Acts 2:22, 29) who were mostly Jews and some Gentile proselytes to Judaism (v. 11).
The Gentiles didn’t enter into the blessing of the Spirit until Cornelius and his family and friends were converted (Acts 10–11).
The Bible Reader’s Companion Joel 3
It is not unusual for an O.T. prophecy to have partial expression at some point in time prior to the moment of complete fulfillment that is its primary focus (405–408).
What is the purpose here of God’s Spirit? Even as depicted in Joel.
Is it to give dreams, visions, and prophetic utterances…is it about the gifts?
Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit was primarily depicted as an instrument or expression of God’s power that visited only certain people at specific times to accomplish certain divine purposes.
Moses longed for the day when there would be a pervasive presence of this Spirit among all the Lord’s people (Num. 11:29).
29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
Joel speaks here of the day when that longing will be fulfilled as a result of the great work of redemption of the coming Lord.
All the OT prophets looked forward to the day when the Lord would give His people a new heart and mind that would enable them to keep the covenant and his laws (Is 32:15–20; Jr 31:33; Ezk 36:26–30).
We know that the giving of his Spirit would take place at the time of the forgiveness of their sins.
THE BIG PICTURE HERE…is not the gifts…but intimacy and access to God Himself!
ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE COULD HEAR FROM GOD, UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING, AND COMMUNICATE THAT TO OTHERS.
John 16.8-11, 13-14
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
He will convict THE WORLD: all flesh, all ages, all stations!
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
GOD POURS OUT HIS SPIRIT
So that everyone can understand
So that everyone will have the opportunity to communicate
(Before we get to our next “everyone”, let’s glimpse at verses 30-31…they’re spectacular for sure.)
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
The locust plague had foreshadowed a greater disaster that loomed on the horizon. The prophet describes how that day will affect Israel and the nations.
The day of the Lord is marked by the frightening signs and wonders that so often characterize a theophany connected with judgment.
Joel’s poetry and prophecy of the what lay ahead in the future, brings us, today, to the NOW AND THE NOT YET.
One camp believes that all of this passage was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. (Covenant Theologians)
Another camp (Classic Dispensationalists) sees Acts 2 as not fulfilling this since every aspect of the Joel’s prophecy didn’t come to bear there.
I can’t defend either of those extreme positions in light of the text.
We’ve seen part of this prophecy fulfilled on the day of Pentecost with the Jews in Acts 2. Another part with Cornelius and the Gentiles in Acts 10. But we have yet to see all of the cosmic spectacles that will affect the whole earth as described in these apocalyptic glimpses of the prophets of old. The fulfillment clearly began in Acts 2...
The final age, whether you call it a dispensation of the church or the messianic age, is what we’re in now. God’s Spirit has been poured out, God’s judgment on sinners will be poured out soon. Even though we westerners want one or the other - God is perfectly content to let us live in the tension of the now AND the not yet.
We await the culmination of all things.
GOD POURS OUT HIS SPIRIT
So that everyone can understand
So that everyone will have the opportunity to communicate
…now v32: So that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2. God will save all who call upon Him!
2. God will save all who call upon Him!
32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
While there is an immediate context to the Jew, there is broader prophetic implication to this verse.
That dread Day of the LORD will day will be a day of salvation for those who call on the name of the Lord. Notice how the text carefully balances moral responsibility and the free offer of grace (“everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord”) with the electing purpose of God (“those whom the Lord calls”).
To call on the name of Jehovah is
to confess Him, and
to worship Him who has revealed, and is revealing Himself to Israel
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.
The Bible Guide God’s Judgment and Mercy (2:1–32)
This mighty blessing of God’s people will go hand in hand with a tremendous upheaval throughout creation. There will be darkness and fire, blood and smoke. And then the dreadful Day of the Lord will come. At the centre of it all, Jerusalem will be both the focus of judgment and the place of refuge.
Joel here points to the Mt. Zion / Jerusalem as the seat of God’s salvation. And it was…and that holds!
But in the same way, Christ became the seat - the concentrated focus - of God’s salvation.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
SUMMARY:
God will pour out his Spirit.
God will save all who call upon Him.
FINALLY,
God Will Execute Judgment on All Nations
God Will Execute Judgment on All Nations
When it comes to Israel, “the last days” (or “latter times”) will involve both tribulation and exaltation (Isa. 2:1–5; Micah 4:1–5), a time of trouble followed by a time of triumph and glory.
As far as the church is concerned, “the last days” involve “perilous times” of satanic opposition in the world and apostasy in the church (1 Tim. 4:1–5; 2 Tim. 3:1–8; 2 Peter 3:1–9; 1 John 2:18–23; Jude 18–19).
Before speaking of wonders in store for Judah and Jerusalem, Joel describes a future judgment of the nations.
Passage Overview:
(3:1-2) Restoring Israel’s fortune means judgment for these others
This judgment is primarily because of their attitude and actions toward God’s people.
They had scattered his flock and broken up their unity by dispersing them among the nations
(Observation Note: It’s clear that these events had already happened, but there isn’t enough detail to pinpoint any specific identification of them.)
They scattered and caused disunity among God’s people (God still takes that seriously today)
(v3) they treated others with contempt, people were objects for them to exploit
(vv4-5) they stole Israel’s wealth and placed them in their pagan/heathen temples for mockery and idol worship
Here Joel illustrates God’s justice on the Philistines and on Tyre and Sidon. These two cities were independent but at times allied with the Philistines (Jer. 47:4).
(v6) they sold Israel’s people to the Greeks in slavery
(vv 7-8) God will recompense these sins!
Now we escalate to the Nations.
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible B. To the Impending Disaster (2:28–3:21)
Earlier the prophet had summoned Israel to a fast and lament (1:13–14; 2:15–17), but now it is Yahweh who issues a summons. He summons the nations to battle. This summons is not to yet another victory over Israel, but rather to defeat. The images of Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 are reversed: instruments of peace are made into implements of war. The Lord will also summon his warriors for the battle.
(v14) Multitudes…for the Day of the Lord is near...
These multitudes are hordes of people in this valley of judgment.
It’s the verdict that the Lord is pronouncing on an unbelieving world,
It is too late for them because it is judgment day for Israel’s enemies but salvation day for the people of Yahweh—a refuge … a stronghold.
Joel, along with other prophets and the apocalyptic glimpses we have in Revelation - describe a time of revelation to Israel and the nations because the Lord will be known as he is.
Sometime we forget that the goodness of God in His grace includes the defeat and judgment of the spiritual enemies of his people.
These enemies of God thought they could disrupt his plan and to destroy his people, but they are the ones who will be judged.
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
They will reap - from the sovereign ruler of the universe, God’s plans for his people cannot be disrupted!
12 But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
John would catch a glimpse of 3 angels with messages during the final Revelation of Jesus Christ:
English Standard Version Chapter 14
The Messages of the Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
The Day of the Lord is approaching. Christ is returning soon.
When Christ returns in all His glory to rule and reign…when His feet touch down on the Mount of Olives, (Joel 3.17) all will know that He is the Lord God Almighty…that He is holy…that His people are those washed in His blood.
Where will you stand on that fateful day?
Are you a beneficiary of God’s Spirit being poured out?
Have you understood the Word of God as the Holy Spirit illuminated in your mind?
Have you called upon the name of the Lord for your salvation?
OR will you be among those on whom God will execute His judgment?
INVITATION
INVITATION
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
PRAYER —Lewis Bayly (adapted)
PRAYER —Lewis Bayly (adapted)
Give your gospel a free and a joyful passage through the world, for the conversion of those you are calling by your Spirit in grace and mercy. Bless the churches and countries we live in with the peace, justice, and true faith.
Bless our country’s leaders, and increase in them the gifts and spiritual graces which make them fit for those jobs where you have placed them. Direct the leaders of our country, communities, and our churches to lead the people in true faith, justice, obedience, and true peace.
Be merciful to the believers who fear you and call upon your name. And comfort as many among them as are sick and comfortless in body or mind. Especially be favorable to all who suffer any trouble or persecution for the testimony of your truth and your holy gospel. In your grace, deliver them out of all their troubles—however is best in your wisdom, for the glory of your name, for the further expansion of the truth, and for the increase of their own comfort and consolation.
Hasten your coming, blessed Savior, and end these sinful days. Give me grace, that like a wise virgin I may be prepared with oil in my lamp to meet you, the blessed bridegroom, at your coming. Whether it be by my day of death, or at the day of judgment, Lord Jesus, come when you will; come quickly!
These, and all other graces which you know I need, this day and evermore, I humbly beg and crave at your hands, O Father. I give you the glory, amen.
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.