JOEL 

By Keith Roland

 Joel 1:1-4The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, you elders,And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!Has anything like this happened in your days,Or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children about it,Let your children tell their children,And their children another generation. 4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten;What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten;And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.  JOEL [JOE uhl] (Jehovah is God) - the name of 14 men in the Old Testament:1. The oldest son of Samuel the prophet (1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chron 6:28; Vashni, KJV) and the father of Heman the singer (1 Chron 6:33).2. A leader of the tribe of Simeon (1 Chron 4:35).3. The father of Shemaiah, of the tribe of Reuben (1 Chron 5:4).4. A man of the tribe of Gad and a chief in the land of Bashan (1 Chron 5:12).5. A Levite ancestor of Samuel the prophet (1 Chron 6:36).6. A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chron 7:3).7. One of David's mighty men (1 Chron 11:38).8. A Levite who helped bring the ark of the covenant from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem (1 Chron 15:7).9. A keeper of the Temple treasuries in David's time (1 Chron 26:22).10. A son of Pedaiah who lived during the time of David (1 Chron 27:20).11. A Levite who helped cleanse the Temple during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Chron 29:12).12. A son of Nebo who divorced his pagan wife after the Captivity (Ezra 10:43).13. Overseer of the Benjamites in Jerusalem in Nehemiah's government (Neh 11:9).14. An Old Testament prophet and author of the Book of Joel. A citizen of Jerusalem, he spoke often of the priests and their duties (Joel 1:9,13-14,16). For

this reason, many scholars believe he may have been a Temple prophet. He also had an ear for nature (Joel 1:4-7), and included imagery from agriculture and the natural world in his messages. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) Vs 3 “tell your children” was something they failed to do. Deut 6:6-9

6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 Ps 78:5-75 For He established a testimony in Jacob,And appointed a law in Israel,

Which He commanded our fathers,That they should make them known to their children; 6 That the generation to come might know them,The children who would be born,That they may arise and declare them to their children, 7 That they may set their hope in God,And not forget the works of God,But keep His commandments;

 Vs 4 the four locusts may well represent the four kingdoms of Daniel- Babylonians, Medes-Persians, Greece, and Rome. Joel 1:5-75 Awake, you drunkards, and weep;And wail, all you drinkers of wine,Because of the new wine,For it has been cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation has come up against My land,Strong, and without number;His teeth are the teeth of a lion,And he has the fangs of a fierce lion.

7 He has laid waste My vine,And ruined My fig tree;He has stripped it bare and thrown it away;Its branches are made white.  Vs 6 “thrown it away” is similar to Paul speaking of them being broken off. Rom 11:19-27

19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:  "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them,When I take away their sins."

 Joel 1:8-128 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth For the husband of her youth. 9 The grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the LORD;The priests mourn, who minister to the LORD. 10 The field is wasted,The land mourns;For the grain is ruined,The new wine is dried up,The oil fails. 11 Be ashamed, you farmers,Wail, you vinedressers,For the wheat and the barley;

Because the harvest of the field has perished. 12 The vine has dried up,And the fig tree has withered;The pomegranate tree,The palm tree also,And the apple tree --All the trees of the field are withered;Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.  Vs 9 the sacrifices of the law are done away. Dan 8:8-12

8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

 Dan 8:17-25

"Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end." 18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns -- they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power. 23 "And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. 24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. 25 "Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his

heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity.  He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.

 Joel 1:13-14Gird yourselves and lament, you priests;Wail, you who minister before the altar;Come, lie all night in sackcloth,You who minister to my God;For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God. 14 Consecrate a fast,Call a sacred assembly;Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God,And cry out to the LORD.  Vs 14 “a fast: was often a sign of mourning and of repentance. 2 Chron 20:1-4

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

 Ezra 8:21-23

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.

 Joel 1:15-20

15 Alas for the day!For the day of the LORD is at hand;It shall come as destruction from the Almighty. 16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes,Joy and gladness from the house of our God? 17 The seed shrivels under the clods,Storehouses are in shambles;Barns are broken down,For the grain has withered. 18 How the animals groan!The herds of cattle are restless,Because they have no pasture;Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment. 19 O LORD, to You I cry out;For fire has devoured the open pastures,And a flame has burned all the trees of the field. 20 The beasts of the field also cry out to You,For the water brooks are dried up,And fire has devoured the open pastures.  Vs 15 “the day of the Lord” always refers to judgment by God. It is uses 23 times in OT and 4 times in NT. In Revelation it is called “the Lord’s Day” Isa 2:12

12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,Upon everything lifted up --And it shall be brought low --

 Judgment on Judah by Babylon 586 BC. Amos 5:20

20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light?Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?

 On Israel by Assyria in 722 BC.Obad 8

8 "Will I not in that day," says the LORD,"Even destroy the wise men from Edom,And understanding from the mountains of Esau?

 Obad 15

15 "For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near;As you have done, it shall be done to you;Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.

 On Edom by Babylon 586 BC. Zech 14:1-2

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;The city shall be taken,The houses rifled,And the women ravished.Half of the city shall go into captivity,But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 On Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD. 1 Cor 5:3-5

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 2 Cor 1:13-14

13 For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end 14(as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 1 Thess 5:2-3

2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 3:10-13But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons

ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

 Rev 1:10

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

 Back to Joel 1:15- “at hand” refers to the judgment on Judah coming by Babylon. However in chapter 2 Peter quotes from it an says the time was in the first century. That is it had 2 fulfillments. Vs 16 contrast this with Deut. Deut 12:7

7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

 Joel 1:19-20

19 O LORD, to You I cry out;For fire has devoured the open pastures,And a flame has burned all the trees of the field. 20 The beasts of the field also cry out to You,For the water brooks are dried up,And fire has devoured the open pastures.

 Jer 14:4-6

4 Because the ground is parched,For there was no rain in the land,The plowmen were ashamed;They covered their heads. 5 Yes, the deer also gave birth in the field,But left because there was no grass. 6 And the wild donkeys stood in the desolate heights;They sniffed at the wind like jackals;Their eyes failed because there was no grass."

 

Joel 2:1-2Blow the trumpet in Zion,And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;For the day of the LORD is coming,For it is at hand: 2 A day of darkness and gloominess,A day of clouds and thick darkness,Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.A people come, great and strong,The like of whom has never been;Nor will there ever be any such after them,Even for many successive generations.

 Vs 1 “at hand” has to refer to judgment of God by the Babylonians, but since Peter quotes from Joel 2 and says “these days” it also has to refer to judgment by Rome in AD 70. OT:7138qarowb (kaw-robe'); or qarob (kaw-robe'); from OT:7126; near (in place, kindred or time): Vs 2 “clouds” refers to the presence of God and usually judgment of God. Num 10:34

34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 

Num 12:1-10

1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto

the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Deut 4:1111 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

 1 Kings 8:10-11

10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

 Ps 97:1-3

7:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

 Jer 4:13

13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a

whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

 The context is set in vs. 6. Jer 4:6

6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

 Ezek 30:3-4

3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. 4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.

 Ezek 34:12

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

 Context is from vs. 2. Ezek 34:2

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

 Ezek 38:16

16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

 Zeph 1:14-15

14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

 Ps 18:6-14

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. 8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.  9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. 10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew ;He flew upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.

 Look at all the judgment language used when God delivered David from the hand of Saul! Ps 68:4

4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH,And rejoice before Him.

 Jer 4:13

13 "Behold, he shall come up like clouds,And his chariots like a whirlwind.His horses are swifter than eagles.Woe to us, for we are plundered!"

 Ezek 30:3-4

3 For the day is near,Even the day of the LORD is near;It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. 4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,When the slain fall in Egypt,And they take away her wealth,And her foundations are broken down.

 

We understand that all these references to clouds were symbolic of God’s judgment brought on by the armies of men and we can look at history and know when it happened. But in the new testament when the Holy Spirit uses the same language, many claim that Jesus is literally and physically in the clouds . It is exactly the same as in the old testament! Matt 24:30-35

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

 Jesus places the fulfillment in that generation! Matt 26:62-66

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him," I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

 Caiphas, the high priest, understood exactly what Jesus was saying that only God comes in the clouds and thus he accuses him of blasphemy. Look at the time statement-Caiphas would be alive to see the judgment of Jesus upon Jerusalem.1 Thess 4:17-18

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

 

Let’s first look at “air” 

NT:109aer (ah-ayr'); from aemi (to breathe unconsciously, i.e. respire; by analogy, to blow); "air" (as naturally circumambient):

 It is not the same word as sky or heaven! 

NT:3772ouranos (oo-ran-os'); perhaps from the same as NT:3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specifically, the Gospel (Christianity): KJV - air, heaven ([-ly]), sky.

 The concept of meeting Jesus in the air was from the custom of people in the city going out to meet the incoming king and to return to the city. Look at the reception Jesus had when he came to Jerusalem. Matt 21:4-11

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"  6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" 11 So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

 Remember Jesus was the last old testament prophet. As many things in the old testament were physical “types” to new testament spiritual “antitypes”, so is Jesus’ physical entrance to physical Jerusalem a shadow of his spiritual entrance to the new spiritual Jerusalem . Also look at the wedding Matt 25:1-10

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

 Now look at the wedding feast, the bride is coming down out of heaven, not going up! Rev 21:1-4

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

 Now let us return to “clouds” and the last reference in the bible  Rev 1:7

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 This is fulfillment of prophecy by Zechariah.Zech 12:10-12

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a

great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

 Remember Jesus said in Luke 21 that all things written would be fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 21:20-23

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

 Luke 21:32-33

32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.

 Joel 2:22 A day of darkness and gloominess,A day of clouds and thick darkness,Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.A people come, great and strong,The like of whom has never been;Nor will there ever be any such after them,Even for many successive generations.  Vs 2 “a people…the like of whom has never been”. Because of the time frame set in vs. 1 has to refer to the Babylonians, but the severity also refers to the Romans which had been foretold by Moses Deut 28:47-51

47 "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you

are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you.

 The eagle was the standard that the Roman troops carried.Rev 4:7

7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

 Matt 24:27-28

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

 Joel 2:3-53 A fire devours before them,And behind them a flame burns;The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,And behind them a desolate wilderness;Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap,Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,Like a strong people set in battle array.  Vs 4 they look like horses and sound like chariots may just refer to them being on horses and chariots. Joel 2:6-96 Before them the people writhe in pain;All faces are drained of color. 7 They run like mighty men,They climb the wall like men of war;Every one marches in formation,And they do not break ranks. 8 They do not push one another;Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons,

They are not cut down. 9 They run to and fro in the city,They run on the wall;They climb into the houses,They enter at the windows like a thief.  Vs 7 refers to the Roman custom of locking shields together and pushing their way through enemy ranks. Joel 2:10-1110 The earth quakes before them,The heavens tremble;The sun and moon grow dark,And the stars diminish their brightness. 11 The LORD gives voice before His army,For His camp is very great;For strong is the One who executes His word.For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;Who can endure it?  Judgment language applied to the Babylonian and Roman conquests. Matt 24:29-35

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

 Joel 2:12-14"Now, therefore," says the LORD,"Turn to Me with all your heart,

With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;Return to the LORD your God,For He is gracious and merciful,Slow to anger, and of great kindness;And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent,And leave a blessing behind Him --A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?  Vs 13 “rend” garments was a sign of mourning not necessarily a sign of repentance, but in Josiah’s case it was. 2 Chron 34:23-28

23 Then she answered them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24 "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah, 25 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.'"' 26 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard -- 27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD. 28 "Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants."'" S

 Joel 2:15-1715 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast,Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people,Sanctify the congregation,Assemble the elders,Gather the children and nursing babes;

Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,Weep between the porch and the altar;Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD,And do not give Your heritage to reproach,That the nations should rule over them.Why should they say among the peoples,'Where is their God?'"  This is very similar to Daniel’s prayer. Dan 9:3-7

3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day -- to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

  Joel 2:18-20Then the LORD will be zealous for His land,And pity His people. 19 The LORD will answer and say to His people,"Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil,And you will be satisfied by them;I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. 20 "But I will remove far from you the northern army,And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea;His stench will come up,

And his foul odor will rise,Because he has done monstrous things."  The conquering armies of Babylon and Rome would come from the north, but here it has to refer to Babylon because there is no prophecy regarding destruction of Rome. Jer 4:6

6 Set up the standard toward Zion.Take refuge! Do not delay!For I will bring disaster from the north,And great destruction."

 I Sam 13:1-21

The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2 "Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded My sanctified ones ;I have also called My mighty ones for My anger --Those who rejoice in My exaltation." 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle. 5 They come from a far country, From the end of heaven --The LORD and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land.  6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man's heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.  9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.  11 "I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger. 14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

16 Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished.  17 "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there,

 Joel 2:21-2721 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you --The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel :I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.  Spiritually without need. Ps 23:1-3

The LORD is my shepherd;I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

 Vs 25 “my great army” most of God’s judgments upon Israel involved him bringing

an army against them. Vs 27 Several times in the bible does God promise to come and be in their midst. Ezek 37:25-28

26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."'"

 Zech 2:10-11

10 "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD. 11 "Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst.

 Matt 18:20

20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

 Rev 21:3

3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

 Joel 2:28-29"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,Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.  Vs 28 is probably the best known verse in Joel because Peter quotes it in Acts 2. Acts 2:16-21

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,Your young men shall see visions,Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days;And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above

And signs in the earth beneath:Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,And the moon into blood,Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORDShall be saved.'

 Vs 28 “afterward” is actually 2 Hebrew words together. OT:310achar (akh-ar'); from OT:309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):KJV - after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, out (over) live, persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence [-forth], when, with OT:3651ken (kane); from OT:3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles):KJV - after that (this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, [for-] asmuch as yet, be (for which) cause, following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, there (wherefore)-, this, thus, true, well, you. Peter quotes it as “last days” which is not in the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) but which is from Isa 2:2. Isa 2:2-3

2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains,And shall be exalted above the hills;And all nations shall flow to it.

3 Many people shall come and say,"Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,To the house of the God of Jacob;He will teach us His ways,And we shall walk in His paths."

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

 Let’s look at “last days in the old testament. 

OT:319achariyth (akh-ar-eeth'); from OT:310; the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity:KJV - (last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most, length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.

 Deut 32:29

9 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

 Isa 41:22

22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

 Jer 30:2424 The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it. Dan 8:19

19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

 Dan 10:14

14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in

the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. Mic 4:1

:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

 Now let’s look at the new testament. 

NT:2078eschatos (es'-khat-os); a superlative probably from NT:2192 (in the sense of contiguity); farthest, final (of place or time):KJV - ends of, last, latter end, lowest, uttermost.

 John 6:38-40

39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

 John 12:48

48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

 2 Tim 3:1

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come Heb 1:1-2

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,

 1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 1 Peter 1:20-21

20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

 2 Peter 3:2-4

3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

 1 John 2:18

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

 Jude 18

18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

 Back to Joel Joel 2:28-29"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,Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.  “All flesh” is a promise to the Gentiles also. Acts 10:44-46

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

 

Joel 2:30-3230 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:

Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,And the moon into blood,Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORDShall be saved.For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,As the LORD has said,Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

 Even the Pulpit Commentary recognizes that Joel is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Joel 2:31 These miraculous phenomena, if literally employed, may refer to those portentous sights which, as the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus testify, were witnessed, both by besiegers and besieged, during the siege and before the destruction of Jerusalem. But taken symbolically, as is preferable, blood symbolizes bloodshed; fire, the firing of a town in time of war; and pillars of smoke, the clouds of smoke rolling up to heaven from the burning or smouldering ruins of a town or city set on fire by the enemy; while the darkening of the sun and the turning of the moon into a dull blood-red would portend approaching judgment, and a change, political and ecclesiastical, in the existing constitution of things. Here particularly, by reading Joel's prophecy in the light of the New Testament, we shall understand with tolerable clearness the meaning of the symbols of the sun and moon. The symbolic language of Joel's prediction found its fulfilment, at least in part, within less than half a century from the time when Peter spoke. Scarce forty years from that Pentecostal outpouring and the ruling powers, civil and ecclesiastical, of the Jewish nation came to an end. (from The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2001 by Biblesoft) Jesus uses the same language in describing the destruction of Jerusalem. Matt 24:29-31

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the

powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 Joel 3:1-3For behold, in those days and at that time,When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations,And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel,Whom they have scattered among the nations;They have also divided up My land. 3 They have cast lots for My people,Have given a boy as payment for a harlot,And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.  Prophesied long ago Deut 28:47-51

47 "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you.

 Vs 1 the gathering of the remnant we see also in Revelation. Rev 7:1-8

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,

holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

 Joel 3:4-64 "Indeed, what have you to do with Me,O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia?Will you retaliate against Me?But if you retaliate against Me,Swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head; 5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold,And have carried into your temples My prized possessions. 6 Also the people of Judah and the people of JerusalemYou have sold to the Greeks,That you may remove them far from their borders. 7 "Behold, I will raise them Out of the place to which you have sold them,And will return your retaliation upon your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the people of Judah,And they will sell them to the Sabeans,To a people far off;For the LORD has spoken." The Pulpit commentary states this punishment upon Tyre occurred during the Maccabean revolt. the temporary subjection of portions of Palestinian and Phoenician territory to the

Jews in Maccabean times, together with the siege and destruction of their cities, as narrated by the Jewish historian Josephus and in the First Book of Maccabees. We learn also from Diodorus that thirteen thousand captive Tyrians were sold into slavery after the victory of Alexander the Great.(from The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2001 by Biblesoft) Joel 3:9-119 Proclaim this among the nations:"Prepare for war!Wake up the mighty men,Let all the men of war draw near,Let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears;Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" 11 Assemble and come, all you nations,And gather together all around.Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD.  Notice vs. 10 is just the opposite of the spiritual kingdom that is to follow. Isa 2:2-4

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains,And shall be exalted above the hills;And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say,"Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,To the house of the God of Jacob;He will teach us His ways,And we shall walk in His paths."For out of Zion shall go forth the law,And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations,And rebuke many people;

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore.  Joel 3:12-1312 "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.Come, go down;For the winepress is full,The vats overflow --For their wickedness is great."  Notice the fulfillment in Rev. Rev 14:14-20

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

 Josephus in Jewish War 6:8:5 states that the blood was so much that it put out the fires of the houses. Joel 3:14-1714 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will grow dark,And the stars will diminish their brightness. 16 The LORD also will roar from Zion,And utter His voice from Jerusalem;

The heavens and earth will shake;But the LORD will be a shelter for His people,And the strength of the children of Israel. 17 "So you shall know that I am the LORD your God,Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.Then Jerusalem shall be holy,And no aliens shall ever pass through her again."  Similar to  Rev 11:15-19

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:  "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

 Joel 3:17 God promises to dwell with them. Ezek 37:24-28

24 "David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."'"

 

Rev 21:1-4Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

 Vs 17 “ no stranger shall enter “ is similar to Rev Rev 21:27

27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 Joel 3:18-21And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine,The hills shall flow with milk,And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water;A fountain shall flow from the house of the LORDAnd water the Valley of Acacias. 19 "Egypt shall be a desolation,And Edom a desolate wilderness,Because of violence against the people of Judah,For they have shed innocent blood in their land. 20 But Judah shall abide forever,And Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21 For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;For the LORD dwells in Zion." Earlier in the chapter (vs. 14ff) we see the judgment upon Jerusalem and now we see a spiritual restoration of Jerusalem which is the church, the kingdom of God. Egypt and Edom are symbolic of those outside the kingdom of God. This is similar to the prophecy in Zechariah and Revelation. Zech 14:1-9

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces  Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley ,For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.  Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You.  6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD --Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.  8 And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. 9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be --"The LORD is one," And His name one. 10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses.  11 The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

 Rev 21:1-4

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

 Rev 21:10-12

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven

from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

 Rev 21:22-27

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 Now look back to Zechariah 14. Vs 1-2 is obviously talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Vs 5 prophesies the children of God fleeing from the destruction which Jesus also told them to do. Matt 24:15-16

"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

 According to Eusebius of Caesarea it was a refuge for Jerusalem Christians in the 1st century AD who were fleeing the Great Jewish Revolt. (Wikipedia.com) Also in Zech 14:5 it prophesies the coming of the Lord with his saints. 1 Thess 3:11-13

12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

 Jude 14-15

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

 Jesus coming with the saints is parallel to him coming with his reward. Rev 22:12

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

 Matt 16:27-28

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

 In Zech 14:9 the word “earth” is the same word as “land” in vs. 10. The “land of Israel” spiritually is the kingdom of God-the church. 

OT:776erets (eh'-rets); from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):KJV - common, country, earth, field, ground, land, natins, way, wilderness, world.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)