Joel 2
2
The Day of Yahweh Is Coming
1 # 2:1 Chapter 2 was written as an ambiguously poetical description of a coming army. Is it meant to be taken literally as locusts or figuratively with application to believers today? Possibly both, for all the prophets of the Old Testament have mysteries and depths to their prophecies that take us beyond the literal meaning. The traditional understanding of this chapter is that it discusses a literal advancing army of locusts, perhaps as a metaphor to describe an army coming to invade the land. However, this army is coming from the north (see v. 20), while the locusts swarmed over the land coming from the south, so this may hint that the subject is not a literal army of locusts. There were enemies to Israel’s north that could be part of the meaning of this chapter. Either way, it appears that an allegory is embedded within this chapter that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to us. Joel’s army is the army of Yahweh (see v. 11), coming in the last days as holy awakeners. They will be those who bring the dawn of a new day. Both literal and allegorical interpretive models should be recognized as valid when considering this chapter. Blow the shofar in Zion, # 2:1 Although Zion has become synonymous with Israel, Zion is more than a location; it is a realm where God is enthroned (see Pss. 2:4–6; 87:5). Zion is a synonym for the people of God, the dwelling place of his Spirit (see Pss. 9:11; 74:2; 76:2; Heb. 12:22–24). The perfection of beauty is in Mount Zion, where the light of God shines (see Ps. 50:2). Perfected praise rises to the Lord in this place of perfect rest (see Ps. 65:1–2). The Mountain of Zion is where the Lord is known in his greatness (see Ps. 99:2; Isa. 12:4–6). It is the hope of all the afflicted (see Ps. 102:16–22; Isa. 14:32; 51:11). Although the precise etymology of the Hebrew word Zion is uncertain, it may be related to a verb meaning “to surround” or “to protect.” In its noun form, Zion would mean “a refuge,” a fitting description for the place where God dwells. The New Testament concept is that Zion is a designation of the church of Jesus Christ that is seated in the heavenly realm (see Eph. 2:6) and is “a city that stands on a hilltop” (Matt. 5:14).
sound the alarm on my mountain of holiness!
Shake the people awake,
for the day of Yahweh is coming.
Yes, it is almost here.
2It will be a day of darkness and gloom,
a black and cloudy day. # 2:2 God comes down from heaven with thick clouds of darkness, which brings dread to the hearts of people. See Ex. 19:16–20; Ps. 18:9–10; Isa. 60:1–2.
As the dawning light spreads across the mountains, # 2:2 The simplest and most literal meaning is that an army is destroying whatever is in its path and leaving a wake of devastation behind. Yet Joel said that the day of Yahweh will be both a day of blackness and a day of dawning light. Joel compared a coming army to the dawn. How is their coming like the dawn? The dawn comes slowly. First the purple hues are seen in the eastern sky. Then purple gives way to red, to orange, then the full light of day breaks forth. And so it will be in the last days as God’s awakeners walk in his paths. They will emerge in a time of darkness shining like the dawn (see Prov. 4:18; Song. 6:10). The dawning light hits the top of the mountains first; then it spreads down the slope, bringing the light of a new day. So are the people of God shining in the high places and spreading out to touch the world in its darkness. The Hebrew word for “dawn” has a homonym that means “blackness.” The blackness of night is broken by the dawning of a people who arise and shine (see Isa. 60:1–3). Dawnmakers are coming. They will not wait for a new day; they will bring it (see Isa. 58:8).
so will a great # 2:2 Or “abundant.” and powerful people advance, # 2:2 Note that this coming army is made up of a great number of mighty people, not locusts.
an army such as has never been seen before
and such as will never be seen again,
not even in all the ages to come. # 2:2 Or literally “until the years of generation and generation.” The coming “army” of awakeners will be unlike anything seen in history.
3Fire blazes before them,
and behind them the flame consumes. # 2:3 The fire of God surrounds these holy awakeners. They have come out of the fire and go into the fire. Our God is the God who answers the cries for awakening with his holy fire (see 1 Kings 18:24).
Before their eyes, the earth is like the garden of Eden, # 2:3 Or “The garden of Eden, the land before their face.” Compared to the devastation the army is leaving behind them, the unspoiled land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, a virtual paradise. But viewed allegorically, there is a people with paradise before their face. They view a restoration of all things (see Acts 3:21) ahead of them—the garden of Bliss (Eden means “bliss,” “pleasure,” “delight”). They live for the pleasure of God and have a vision of bringing heaven on earth.
and behind them they leave a devastated # 2:3 Or “astonished.” wilderness. # 2:3 The soldiers leave devastation behind them in their wake. Like Jeremiah, they will be called to “to uproot and demolish, to destroy and dismantle” (Jer. 1:10).
Nothing escapes them unscathed.
4Their appearance is like horses prepared for battle;
like war horses, they charge ahead. # 2:4 They are not horses nor people on horses; rather, these warriors are like horses in some way. A horse can be a metaphor or picture of the overcomer, the victorious believer who has been “harnessed” by the Lord. The faithful lover of God (Shulamite) was likewise compared to a horse (see Song. 1:9). Jesus will return with an army of his saints riding on horses (see Rev. 19:14). See Job 39:19–25; Rev. 9:7.
5They rumble like war chariots;
they leap over the mountaintops. # 2:5 These awakeners become like their Lord: they leap over mountaintops (see Song. 2:8). Mountains can symbolize the barriers that separate a believer from intimacy with Christ (e.g., fear, doubt, compromise). They will leap over what many stumble over. The Hebrew word for “leap” is the same word used to describe David’s dancing before the ark (see 1 Chron. 15:29).
They devour the land,
with the sound of a wildfire devouring stubble. # 2:5 The traditions of men and the works of the flesh are like stubble (see 1 Cor. 3:11–15).
They are a mighty people
who are prepared for the battle.
6At the sight of this army, nations panic,
all their faces grow pale. # 2:6 Or “all their faces gather beauty.”
7They press forward like mighty warriors,
and scale walls like elite soldiers, # 2:7 Or “like men of war.” Nothing is insurmountable to them. Man-made walls will not keep them back. See Josh. 6:5; 2 Sam. 22:30; Ezek. 8:7–9; Eph. 2:14.
each marching straight ahead,
not swerving from his path. # 2:7 Or “not abandoning his path.” The picture presented is that of a mighty, cohesive army with each soldier fulfilling his assigned task.
8They never jostle each other, # 2:8 That is, they do not get in each other’s way. They do not compete with others.
for each one stays on his own path.
They storm the city and burst through its defenses. # 2:8 Or literally “They fall upon spears,” which is interpreted as a synecdoche for bursting through the city’s defenses.
Together they are unstoppable. # 2:8 Or “They do not break ranks.”
9They rush against the city
and scale its walls.
They climb up into the houses
and enter through the windows like thieves.
A Vision of the Day of Yahweh
10As that army advances, the earth shakes,
and the heavens tremble. # 2:10 See Hag. 2:6–7; Heb. 12:26–27.
The sun and moon grow dark, # 2:10 See Mic. 3:6.
and the stars no longer shine.
11Yahweh’s voice thunders # 2:11 See Ex. 19:16; Job 37:4–5; Pss. 18:13; 29:3–9; Amos 1:2.
as he leads his valiant troops.
Numberless are the mighty ones
who obey his commands. # 2:11 Or “because the operation of his words is irresistible.”
Yes, the day of Yahweh is great and astonishing! # 2:11 Or “fearful.”
Who can withstand it?
A Call to Repentance
12“But it’s not too late,” declares Yahweh.
“Come back to me now with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning. # 2:12 This section (2:12–17) is the most significant and pivotal portion of Joel’s passionate plea for the people to return to Yahweh. They must (1) know that God will receive and restore them (see v. 13); (2) come back to God’s paths “with all your heart” (v. 12); (3) come with fasting (see v. 12); (4) come with weeping (see v. 12); (5) come with mourning over their sins (see v. 12); (6) tear open their hearts (see v. 13); (7) trust in the goodness, mercy, and forgiveness of Yahweh (see vv. 13–14); and (8) consecrate their hearts afresh to God (see vv. 15–17).
13Tearing your clothes in sorrow is not enough—
tear open your hearts!” # 2:13 Coming to God with a tender, teachable heart is the only way to advance in God’s kingdom. It is not a matter of external duties and works but of turning from sin in the innermost part of a person’s life to embrace the goodness and kindness of God that brings us to repentance. We experience repentance as God’s gracious work of kindness to welcome us back to his heart. Turning to God in repentance is by no means only an Old Testament truth. At least nine times, the New Testament teaches repentance as the way of restoring the heart of a penitent one.
Come back to Yahweh your God,
for he is gracious # 2:13 Or “kindhearted.” to welcome you home
and compassionate # 2:13 Or “full of mercy.” This is the Hebrew word racham, which has a homonym meaning “womb.” God has “womb-love” for us, as though he carries us within his innermost being. to embrace you.
Yahweh is slow to anger
and so rich in extravagant love for you. # 2:13 Or “abounding in loyal love.” The list of divine attributes found in this verse reveals the heart of Yahweh, displaying the God of the Old Testament as the same gracious, loving, merciful God we find in the New Testament revealed by Jesus Christ. See Ex. 34:6; Neh. 9:17; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Jonah 4:2. Both Judaism and Christianity set forth these divine attributes as the ideal pattern for humanity.
He is always ready to forgive and cancel judgment.
14Who knows if he will not turn around and show pity,
leaving behind a blessing. # 2:14 This blessing has many components, but in the context, it is the blessing of abundant harvests.
Then you can bring offerings of grain and wine
to be presented to Yahweh your God.
15Blow the shofar in Zion!
Call for a fast
and proclaim a solemn assembly.
16Gather the people together,
and prepare them for a sacred meeting. # 2:16 Or “sanctify the community.”
From the oldest to the youngest,
assemble the community,
even the nursing infants.
Let the newly wedded bride and bridegroom
come from their chamber.
17With everyone gathered in the courtyard,
the priests, the ministers of Yahweh,
must stand weeping between the portico
and the altar of burnt offering.
Let them face the sanctuary and intercede,
saying, “Spare your people! Have pity, Yahweh!
Do not expose your very own people
to the contempt and sarcasm of the nations.
Why give the nations cause to say,
‘Where is their God now?’ ”
Yahweh’s Answer
18Then Yahweh showed his great love for the land
and showered compassion upon his people. # 2:18 God would bring about a complete reversal of the trauma that his people had experienced. What he promised to do for Israel, he will do for you. When you turn to him, he will restore his blessings over your life and shower you with his mercy.
19Yahweh answered their cry and said,
“Behold, now your fast is over.
I am providing you with
plenty of wheat, wine, and olive oil # 2:19 The Qumran manuscript 4QXXIIc inserts here the words “and you will eat.”
until you are satisfied.
Never again will I make you
an object of scorn among the nations.
20I will remove your northern enemy far from you
and drive him into a dry, desolate land,
with his front ranks to the Dead Sea # 2:20 Or “eastern sea.”
and his rear guard to the Mediterranean Sea. # 2:20 Or “western sea.”
I will destroy them for their boastful deeds,
and people will smell the stench of their dead bodies.”
Truly, he has done great things!
Joel’s Vision of Plenty
21My land, do not fear, for your restoration has come!
Be glad and rejoice, you people,
for Yahweh has done marvelous things for you.
22Animals of the field, do not be afraid,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green again,
the trees bear their fruit,
and the vine and fig tree yield their richness. # 2:22 Or “give their strength.”
23Children of Zion, be glad!
Celebrate the mighty acts of Yahweh your God,
for he has given you a teacher of righteousness
whose teaching is like the refreshing spring rains. # 2:23 Or “he has given you the early [spring] rain for your vindication.” Examining the homonyms of the Hebrew words used here is fascinating. The Hebrew word mowreh can be used for “early rain” or for “teacher.” Hebraic thought often refers to teaching using the symbol of rain that falls from heaven and refreshes the heart (see 1 Kings 8:36). Jerome’s Latin Vulgate, which may have incorporated readings from even earlier manuscripts of Joel, reads doctorem iustitiae, “teacher of righteousness.” Qumran manuscripts, the Targumic paraphrase, and the Masoretic Text likewise follow in translating ʾet-hammowreh lisdaqah as “teacher of righteousness,” a Messianic designation. Jewish scholars often note that “a teacher in the end time would come and answer all questions”; this “was a quite familiar conception in Rabbinic Judaism.” See Gert Jeremias, Der Lehrer der Gerechtigkeit, Studien zur Umwelt des Neuen Testaments 2 (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1963), 287.
And he will pour down the rains for you,
the spring and autumn rains # 2:23 Or “early and latter rains.” God promises to teach us righteousness, which was the theme of Paul’s treatise to the Romans. Our teacher of righteousness is Jesus Christ, who transfers his righteousness to those who believe. as before.
Yahweh’s Promise of Blessing
24“The threshing floors will be full of grain,
the pits beside the presses # 2:24 Although most translations use the word vats, these storage units were actually holes or pits dug into rocks with their sides plastered so that wine and olive oil could be collected. These pits were always located near the wine/olive presses.
will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
25I will make up for the years
the swarms of locusts ruined your harvest—
the hopping-locusts, the destroying-locusts,
and the cutting-locusts—
my great army that I sent against you.
26You will eat to your heart’s content # 2:26 Or literally “eating you will eat.” and be satisfied.
You will gloriously praise the name of Yahweh your God,
who has treated you so wonderfully.
And never will my people be despised again.
27Then, Israel, you will know without question
that I am dwelling among you.
I am Yahweh your God, and no one else.
I say again: no more will I surrender my people to shame.”
The Outpouring of God’s Spirit
28 # 2:28 Verses 28–32 comprise Joel ch. 3 in the Hebrew Bible. Virtually every English Bible includes these verses with ch. 2. “Then afterward, I will pour out my Spirit # 2:28 The Hebrew verb for “pour out” implies an abundant pouring, an entire, complete, total pouring out until everyone experiences the Spirit of God. “My Spirit” could also be translated “my breath.” on everyone. # 2:28 Or “all flesh.” Your sons and your daughters will boldly prophesy, your elderly will have supernatural dreams, and your youth will experience ecstatic visions. 29And I will even pour out my Spirit in those days upon every servant, both male and female. # 2:29 See Ezek. 36:26–27; 39:29; Acts 2:16–21. Peter quoted this passage from Joel and applied it to the blessings of God’s Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost. The entirety of Joel’s prophecy remains to be fulfilled, but the Spirit is now being poured out around the world.
30“And I will display amazing wonders # 2:30 Or “signs” or “miracles.” in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31The sun will be darkened, and the moon will appear as red as blood. These events will occur before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes. 32And everyone who sincerely worships Yahweh will be saved. # 2:32 Or “all who call upon the name of Yahweh will be delivered.” To call upon God’s name is an act of prayer and worship. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be a remnant who are spared, as I, Yahweh, have promised. # 2:32 See Isa. 4:2–6; Obad. 17. They will be the chosen survivors whom I, Yahweh, will call.”
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Joel 2: TPT
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