JOEL

It is unclear when Joel ministered. It was probably before the captivity in about 800BC. Joel's name means The Lord is God. The land was being devastated by drought and locusts. Joel is quoted by Peter (Acts 2) at his great Pentecost sermon in which thousands of Jews were converted. Joel is a minor prophet with major importance in end time prophecy.

Joel 1:3 Tell ye your children of it, and [let] your children

[tell] their children, and their children another

generation.

MANY TIMES IN THE SCRIPTURES FATHERS ARE COMMANDED TO TELL THEIR CHILDREN ALL OF WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE AND EVERYTHING THE LORD HAS SAID. ACCORDING TO GOD'S COMMANDS WE FATHERS ARE TO TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH TO OUR CHILDREN. THE MANY TEACHERS OF THE END TIMES WILL TICKLE THE EARS OF THEIR CONGREGATIONS WITH ALL GOD'S PROMISES OF BLESSINGS. THERE WILL BE LITTLE OR NO MENTION THAT WITH ALMOST EVERY PROMISE OF BLESSING FROM OBEDIENCE THERE IS A PROMISE OF CURSING FOR SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE. WE NEED TO SEEK AND SHARE THE WHOLE TRUTH. EMPHASIS MUST BE PLACED ON THAT HARD TRUTH THAT WE ARE UNLIKELY TO HEAR JUST SITTING IN A CONGREGATION. IT IS NOT GIVEN TO DISCOURAGE OR CAUSE FEAR. IT IS GIVEN TO ENCOURAGE US TO RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE AND TO AVOID THE CURSES OF SIN. EVERYONE WHO ONLY KNOWS ABOUT BLESSINGS IS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE CURSES DUE TO IGNORANCE OF THE CURSES.

Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD [is] at hand,

and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

HAS THERE EVER BEEN A GENERATION WHICH HAS MORE REASONS TO EXPECT TO SEE THE DAY OF THE LORD? OBVIOUSLY NO. ACCORDING TO WHAT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 24, LUKE 21, AND MARK 13, THE GENERATION WHICH WOULD SEE ISRAEL ESTABLISHED AND FLOURISHING AS A NATION WOULD BE THE GENERATION THAT WOULD SEE ALL END TIME EVENTS BEING FULFILLED. WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT MUCH OF WHAT JOEL HAS WRITTEN IS FOR OUR GENERATION.

Joel 2:1 Blow ye 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 cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;

THE TRUTH IS THAT IT IS OUR GENERATION WHICH MUST BE TOLD THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR AT HAND. WE MUST BE WARNED TO GET READY FOR THE DAY IS AT HAND.

Joel 2:11-13 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for

his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that

executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and

very terrible; and who can abide it?

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me

with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping,

and with mourning:

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto

the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow

to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the

evil.

WE MUST HEAR JOEL SPEAKING TO US. WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF THE LORD? ONLY THOSE WHOSE HEART IS TOTALLY COMMITTED TO THE LORD. IS JESUS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY? WE MUST TURN TO THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEART. OUTWARD SHOWS WON'T BE WORTH A RIP. WE NEED TO RIP OUR HEARTS IN REPENTANCE. GOD IS GRACIOUS, AND MERCIFUL, AND SLOW TO ANGER, AND GREAT IN KINDNESS, AND DOES NOT WANT ANY TO PERISH. BUT WE MUST HEAR JOEL TELLING US THAT GOD WILL FINALLY SAY ENOUGH AND BRING THE EVIL OF THIS WORLD TO AN END IN JUDGMENT. WE MUST BE TOLD THAT THE TIME IS AT HAND. NO ONE SHOULD BE TELLING THE DAY OR THE HOUR. BUT COULD IT BE LESS THAN A YEAR? COULD THE GREAT TRIBULATION ALREADY HAVE BEGUN? THE GREAT TRIBULATION WILL BE USHERED IN WITH SUCH SUBTLE GRADUAL CHANGES THAT VERY FEW WILL KNOW THE DAY OR THE HOUR IN WHICH THE 42L MONTHS OF GREAT TRIBULATION WILL HAVE STARTED. WILL

WE TAKE THE MARK WHICH OUR GOVERNMENT WILL REQUIRE US TO TAKE IN ORDER TO BUY OR SELL? IT IS TIME TO GET SERIOUS.

Joel 2:18-21 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his

people.

Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold,

I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be

satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a

reproach among the heathen:

But I will remove far off from you the northern [army],

and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with

his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward

the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill

savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will

do great things.

WE WILL SEE IT IF WE ARE NOT TAKEN OUT BY A FIRST STRIKE NUCLEAR ATTACK BY RUSSIA. THE WEAKNESS OF RUSSIA IS A MYTH. THEIR STRATEGIC NUCLEAR ARSENAL IS INTACT. PRIOR TO THE LYING "BREAK-UP" OF THE SOVIET UNION THERE WAS ONLY ONE FINGER ON THE BUTTON. NOW - WHO KNOWS? RUSSIA IS VERY PROMINENT IN END TIME PROPHESY. RUSSIA IS JOEL'S NORTHERN ARMY. AS LONG AS WE HAVE A 2ND AMENDMENT RUSSIA KNOWS THAT SHE CAN'T TAKE THE U.S.A.. IF SHE CAN'T TAKE IT SHE WILL LIKELY DESTROY IT. WHOEVER STRIKES FIRST IN STRATEGIC NUCLEAR WAR WINS. RUSSIA GROWS MORE AND MORE DISPARATE EVERY DAY. IS GOD PUTTING THE HOOK IN RUSSIA'S JAW TO PUT HER ON THE MARCH TO WAR? ISRAEL IS RUSSIA'S FINAL TARGET BUT THE U.S.A. IS LIKELY HER FIRST TARGET. ISRAEL HAS NOTHING TO FEAR BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF WILL DESTROY RUSSIA. ISRAEL MAY NOT HAVE TO FIRE A SHOT AND 83% OF ALL RUSSIAN SOLDIERS WILL BE KILLED SO THAT THE WHOLE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THE GOD OF ISRAEL IS THE ONLY TRUE GOD. THE LORD WILL DO GREAT THINGS FOR ISRAEL.

Joel 2:25-27 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath

eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the

palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise

the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously

with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

And ye shall know that I [am] in the midst of Israel, and

[that] I [am] the LORD your God, and none else: and my

people shall never be ashamed.

WHAT A GREAT PROMISE OF GOD - I WILL RESTORE THE YEARS THAT THE LOCUST AND CANKERWORM HAVE EATEN. ISRAEL IS GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE. THE JEWS REJECTION OF MESSIAH JESUS IS THE ONLY REASON THAT WE GENTILES HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD. BUT THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES WILL COME TO AN END. THE ARMY OF ISRAEL IS THE ONLY ARMY IN THE WORLD WHICH CANNOT EVER AGAIN BE DEFEATED. IT TOOK 6 DAYS FOR THE 3 MILLION JEWS TO DEFEAT THE 20 MILLION ARABS IN 1963. THEY WERE EVEN BETTER IN 1967. IN THE BIGGEST AIR BATTLE IN HISTORY, ISRAEL WIPED OUT THE ENTIRE SYRIAN AIR FORCE EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST RUSSIAN MIGS. THE RESULTS OF THE DOG FIGHT WAS 92 TO 0 IN FAVOR OF ISRAEL. SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN OFF 1 LUCKY SHOT FOR SYRIA BUT GOD DID NOT LET IT HAPPEN. ALWAYS BE ON THE SIDE OF ISRAEL. OTHERWISE GOD IS NOT ON YOUR SIDE. GOD WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS ISRAEL AND GOD WILL CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE ISRAEL.

ISRAEL HAS BEEN DESTROYED AND DISPERSED BUT NEVER AGAIN. ANTICHRIST WILL MAKE A PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ANY PEACE TALKS INVOLVING ISRAEL. NEVER BE AGAINST ISRAEL OR YOU WILL BE AGAINST GOD.

Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour

out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your

daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams,

your young men shall see visions:

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those

days will I pour out my spirit.

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth,

blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into

blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD

come.

And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on

the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion

and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath

said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

THERE CANNOT BE ANY DOUBT ABOUT THESE PASSAGES. PETER EXPLAINS THEM FOR US - Acts 2:14-24 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

WAS PETER TELLING THEM WHAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR? NO WAY! HE GAVE THEM THE STRAIGHT HARD TRUTH. IT WAS AT PENTECOST. JESUS HAD SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO INDWELL THOSE WHO WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS HAD TURNED TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. PETER DID NOT HESITATE TO TELL THE TRUTH THAT ONLY THOSE WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HAVE THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT WOULD HAVE ANY HOPE IN THE DAY OF GOD'S JUDGMENT. PETER'S EXPLANATION OF JOEL'S PROPHESY SHOULD MEAN MORE TO US THAN IT DID WHEN HE SPOKE. Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.

Joel 3:12-17 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of

Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen

round about.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get

you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for

their wickedness [is] great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the

day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars

shall withdraw their shining.

The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice

from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake:

but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the

strength of the children of Israel.

So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in

Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and

there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

WE ARE LIKELY TO WITNESS THE GATHERING OF THE ARMIES OF ANTICHRIST TO THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT (ARMAGEDDON). THE LORD SHALL ROAR OUT OF ZION. CHRIST IS COMING BACK. THIS TIME NOT AS THE LAMB OF GOD, BUT AS THE ROARING LION OF JUDAH. THE LORD IS OUR ONLY HOPE AND STRENGTH. WHAT PRIORITY DOES THE LORD NOW HAVE IN OUR LIFE?

AN INTERESTING POINT IS THAT THE PROPHET JOEL WROTE THIS PROPHESY ABOUT 2800 YEARS AGO. IN THE VOCABULARY OF 3000 YEARS AGO HOW WOULD ONE DESCRIBE NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS?

BLOOD AND FIRE AND PILLARS OF SMOKE - FIRE & BILLOWING PILLARS OF SMOKE.