The Prophet Joel

The book of Joel has a message like that in the book of Revelation. It is one of the strongest messages in the minor prophets.

The commentaries are hopelessly confused about this book. Here is a quote from the Soncino Bible commentary: “One must admit that the language employed to describe the advent of the locusts seems to favor an actual enemy of armed hosts. … Some commentators see in [the northern one] a reference to the wars of Gog and Magog which will usher in the Messianic era, parallels being found in the descriptions of Ezekiel.

“Others, on the other hand, favor a literal interpretation [of the locust] and are able to explain away the difficulties in the line of their argument. Even those who cling to the figurative interpretation are at variance whether the prophet describes a past occurrence or predicts a future event.”

Check other commentaries and you will see that they have serious disagreements. These scholars are in the dark about the true meaning of this book. Yet we live in the end time, when this book must be revealed.

God has finally revealed the full meaning of the book of Joel! But not to the Bible scholars of this world. God was not going to reveal the full meaning of Joel until the Laodicean era of His Church appeared on the scene (see Revelation 3:14-22; for more information on the Laodicean era, request our free book Malachi’s Message). That is because the strongest warning in this heavy prophecy is directed to God’s own lukewarm Church.

This is what none of the commentaries see! The number one tragedy in this book of tragedies is the trouble in God’s own Church. Many members are in danger of going into the Tribulation. Many others are in danger of losing their eternal lives.

Joel depicts the greatest wrath God has ever inflicted against mankind! Satan’s strongest wrath is vented in the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:12). But that is only the introduction to the Day of the Lord and God’s wrath! If ever there was a time for all of us to deeply examine ourselves, it is now. By so doing, we can avoid the wrath of both Satan and God. What a marvelous blessing God offers His very elect.

Satan’s wrath is motivated by hate. God’s wrath is motivated by love. God wants people to repent of their sins. He hopes they repent when the warning goes out—before the disasters! Then He can bless them marvelously.

The Day of the Lord is imminent—it is at hand. But as fearsome as it is, even this day of thick darkness is still a wonderful sign that Christ is coming very soon.

God’s Bride

There are only two details about Joel in this book. His name means “the Eternal is God.” He represented and prophesied about the true God. His father’s name, Pethuel, means “persuaded by God.” Pethuel was persuaded by God and in turn apparently persuaded his son, whom God used as a prophet.

That is all the information there is about Joel. And for good reason. God wants us to focus on His message—not Joel or any man!

“The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel” (Joel 1:1). God’s word came to Joel. This is the voice of God—not man. It is Joel’s pen, but God’s word.

The word of God did not come to a committee! It did not come to a group of scholars. It came to a man—as it always does! So if God reveals more truth about Joel in this end time, it would be revealed to one man. That man, of himself, is not important. But God’s word is. Our responsibility is to find God’s message—and the right man.

The source of the message is always the key ingredient. When that word comes to a man, it revolutionizes his life. He has taken on the weightiest responsibility ever.

“Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?” (verse 2). This is a message to all of the inhabitants of the Earth! The whole world should heed. Every person on Earth is going to be affected by this prophecy. Nothing is more important for the world to hear!

Joel’s prophecy asks the old men today if they have ever experienced anything like this—or even heard of anything like it. They obviously have not. This is the worst time of suffering ever on this Earth, prophesied several other places in the Bible (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21-22). Joel saw the intense urgency of God’s message. He received it and immediately began to proclaim, “Hear this!”

This is an end-time message. So God will obviously reveal the full meaning of this book today. Then a man—a messenger—will proclaim the message with extreme urgency. Other scriptures will make this even more obvious as we continue.

Joel records virtually nothing about himself. God wants us to focus on His message, not a man. But God still sends a man to do the job! That man must trumpet this message—this terrifyingly urgent message to the whole world!

Those people who get behind and support God’s message are His very elect. One man cannot do God’s Work. It takes a team. And what a mind-dazzling reward God has for those who support and do His Work.

“For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion” (Joel 1:6). A nation has come upon “my land,” God’s chosen land of Israel—mainly America and Britain today.

The nation of Germany, spoken of in many prophecies, is going to conquer Israel and usher in the Great Tribulation. This nation has the teeth of a lion—even the strong jaw-teeth of a ferocious lion. Germany is going to rip and tear Israel like a lion attacking a lamb. There will only be “two legs, or a piece of an ear” left! (Amos 3:12). Joel 1:7 also shows how complete that destruction is going to be. Surely Germany’s history illustrates the point very well. (For more information, request our booklet Germany and the Holy Roman Empire; all of our literature is free.)

Joel then goes on to explain that a vast army is going to inflict the same kind of horror on Germany—just before Christ returns to rule (as our booklet Nahum—An End-Time Prophecy for Germany explains). But God is concerned about something more important than all of these nations.

“Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth” (verse 8). The word virgin should read bride. This could not refer to the nations of Israel today. God divorced Israel anciently. God is addressing His Church spiritually. His wife is now getting ready for her marriage to Christ (Revelation 19:7).

There is a serious problem with God’s Bride mentioned in the book of Joel. God tells her to lament in sackcloth—a symbol of repentance. She is lamenting over the Husband of her youth. The Bride has turned away from the Husband of her youth.

This is the same Laodicean problem discussed in Malachi 2:14: “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” The Laodiceans have dealt treacherously with the wife of their youth in this end time.

These people have changed major doctrines in the Church that was led by Herbert W. Armstrong—the Church of their youth! But Joel tells us clearly what their major problem is. He exhorts this people to lament “for the husband of her youth.” That means Jesus Christ does not rule them as He did when Mr. Armstrong led the Church! They have been treacherous to Christ and His Church.

Jesus Christ is no longer their Head. They have rejected Christ’s government. Christ doesn’t rule His end-time Church now as He did in “her youth.” He is on the outside knocking on the Laodicean door (Revelation 3:14-20). This was all prophesied to happen, as we prove in Malachi’s Message.

This is the greatest possible crisis and sin in God’s Church! That is why God condemns His Bride first in the book of Joel. This is a book full of tragedies, but the greatest tragedy has struck God’s own people!

It is so bad that God has to cut them off: “The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord’s ministers, mourn” (Joel 1:9). Their government problem has caused them to be “cut off” from God’s house, or Church. Remember, God talks to His Church spiritually. They are cut off from their Husband. Christ has stopped doing His Work through them—a colossal disaster!

So there was a time when they were led by Christ and did His Work. They once had God’s government but they rejected it. Then they were cut off from their Husband and stopped doing His Work. All of this happened in this end time. God is spelling it out in detail so nobody has an excuse.

God’s people ought to remember that this is all in the context of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord! God depicts suffering to come upon everybody (verses 10-12). Times are coming quickly that will paralyze us with fear. Only deep, deep repentance can save us from a physical and spiritual calamity! God condemns the ministers, or priests, most of all. They are commanded to mourn and repent. The ministers are the main cause of this spiritual disaster! This is the only way all of God’s people can get together! The rebellious ministers and people must put on their repentance sackcloth.

There is a remnant that is not cut off. They are proclaiming the message of Joel and other prophecies. Only a small group—a few thousand people out of 7 billion—are delivering the most important message on this Earth—by far! This message is revealed to a man and empowered by Jesus Christ!

This little group is unique. Only they have God’s revealed secret and deliver it to the Laodiceans and the world. Only they—of all God’s people—are not cut off. This very elect Church has received new revelation from all of the former, major and minor prophets, as well as many New Testament books. What a blessing to have God’s revelation flowing into our Church. How blessed we are not to be cut off from God’s secret.

Only the firstfruits have Christ as a Husband through all eternity. That is why God requires so much of His Church. What an opportunity the firstfruits have!

‘Cut Off Before Our Eyes’

“Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God” (Joel 1:13). God quickly gets back to addressing His Church. This is God’s message to His own Laodicean ministers. He tells them to howl like a dog. This illustrates that God is calling for extreme repentance! Why is God so strong? Because Joel says they are “ministers of my God.” They have the same God Joel had—the true God. This is the supreme connection between the Laodiceans and the Philadelphians. But the Laodiceans have rejected His rule and must repent bitterly. This is no time for vain sacrifices or a vain work. This is the omnipotent, all-powerful God speaking. And He says these ministers should howl and lie in sackcloth all night, which means they should profoundly repent. Their rebellion is gigantic—so bad that they should forget sleep and concentrate solely on repentance! If not, they will be plunged into the Great Tribulation, where half of them will die forever. This is our urgent message to God’s blind Laodiceans!

God’s spiritual blessings are “withholden from the house of your God.” They once received God’s spiritual revelation, and then it stopped! Now God tells them to gird themselves in clothing of repentance and lament their treachery.

This alarming message comes from a man today, just as it did anciently!

“Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord” (verse 14). The ministers are commanded to lead all of God’s people in fasting and to call a solemn assembly—an urgent meeting about repentance. All of God’s people are to come to where Christ and His revelation are. They must heed God’s revelation given in the book of Joel—either now or in the Tribulation. Everybody should stop their work now and come to God’s Work. God prophesied that He would make the Laodiceans come back to the Philadelphian message (Revelation 3:9). It’s only a matter of when.

In the book of Zephaniah, God pleads with them to repent now, before the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. In Zephaniah 2:2, the word before is used four times.

“Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come” (Joel 1:15). The word Almighty is seldom used in the Bible. It is not a mere name. It refers to God’s towering might, as in the book of Job. When the word Almighty is used in the New Testament, it is used almost exclusively in the book of Revelation. The book of Joel reveals God’s might as only a few books in the Bible do!

The Tribulation is Satan’s wrath (Revelation 12:12). But the Day of the Lord eclipses that wrath many times over. People are going to be petrified when they experience God’s most violent wrath. This is “destruction from the Almighty.” It is no ordinary calamity!

When God gives us the full revelation from Joel, it is near “at hand.” We are being plunged into the preliminaries of the book of Joel now! We are in the gun lap today. World conditions are going to get vastly worse—quickly!

The peaceful, abundant times are almost over for Israel. Satan is inflicting his worst wrath.

That is why this urgent message must go to all of the Laodiceans and the world. These events are ready to explode on the world scene. So says this prophecy of Joel.

“Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?” (Joel 1:16). Is not spiritual meat cut off before our eyes? This is the most shocking event to occur in God’s Church today. It has all happened before our eyes! Only the blind Laodiceans and the world fail to see. God’s very elect have seen His revelation flow into His Church and then stop. And it has all happened in this end time before our stunned eyes!

We have seen the Laodiceans lose their “joy and gladness.” God’s Holy Spirit of happiness is not flowing into their lives as it once did. A great catastrophe!

God would never have cut them off had they not rejected His government! Every Laodicean group in existence has rejected the government God taught through Mr. Armstrong.

Growing in Intensity

“The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate” (Joel 1:17-18). This applies mostly to physical destruction. The beasts are groaning, crying in terror because of a total crop failure.

“O Lord, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness” (verses 19-20). The “pastures of the wilderness” should read “common land,” or regular pastures for the livestock. The calamity is so mountainous that only God can solve it!

This is why our message is so urgent today. Soon, only those people God protects will escape these towering catastrophes! Both of these verses discuss a devouring fire. Not a scorching fire, but a devouring nuclear fire that destroys all of the green vegetation. It seems that even the animals sense there is a God and cry out to Him for help.

It is time that this world awakens to this soon-coming catastrophe.

God’s Army

The book of Joel is full of tragedy. The tragedy that most concerns our Husband, Jesus Christ, is the trouble with His Bride. She was very close to Christ, but then she turned away just before the Day of the Lord. This is the time when she needs her Husband’s protection most of all. It is no ordinary catastrophe. It is probably the greatest calamity to ever strike God’s Church.

The problems on this Earth keep growing. Times are going to get worse. Trials are going to intensify until this world turns to God. It is all a part of God’s master plan.

Great events are unfolding on the world scene, but God still focuses on His Church. “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” (Joel 2:1). God addresses Zion, His Church, and more specifically “my holy mountain,” which literally reads “mountain of my holiness.” That expression never applies to material things. God is addressing His Laodicean Church and His very elect.

The Hebrew word for holy does not mean a moral quality. It always means “separated, or set apart, for God.” God’s “holy mountain” is the loyal Philadelphia remnant, which is doing His Work. This Work consists of, specifically, delivering a terrifying message to God’s own people around the world.

We saw in the first chapter of Joel that Zion turned away from God. But God still has His “holy mountain,” which has been set apart to do His Work.

The Day of the Lord and Christ’s Second Coming are very near. It is a time to tremble. That time is not only coming, it is near! When God fully reveals the message of Joel, it is a time of intense alarm because that terrifying day is so close.

God’s very elect show their alarm and urgency by doing everything they can to deliver Joel’s message. They are emotionally and spiritually involved. God’s emotional urgency lives in His holy mountain! It is a time for acute passions. Time in this age is running out. The trumpet must be blown—the greatest war ever is coming! It is very near! There is no time to lose!

God is warning His own Laodicean and Philadelphian people to heed. Only the Philadelphians respond now (Revelation 3:7-22). You can discern God’s very elect by how they respond to this message!

The specific message here is not that the Day of the Lord is coming, but that it is so very near! This message portends the greatest suffering ever on this Earth, and it is frightfully near. That is why my alarm and your alarm should be more intense than ever before in our lives!

However, this message is not only to God’s people. As the Anchor Bible states, it is for “every inhabitant of the earth”! Every single person on this planet will be affected. Our job is not an easy one. Nor is it a work we can take casually. There is only a tiny span of time to warn this world. We can’t afford to lose one minute. We can literally be used by God to help save people’s physical and spiritual lives today. Not only that, we can condition people’s minds somewhat to help them repent more quickly when the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are actually unfolding.

“A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations” (Joel 2:2). It is a day of darkness. What does it mean when discussing clouds and the morning? This is referring to the gray of the morning when the sun is still below the horizon. You can see the gray morning just before the sun rises. You can watch it.

There is a powerful message here. God says we should be able to see much of this worst-ever world catastrophe building! The signs are all around us—like the gray morning before sunrise. The problems of this world are so mountainous that only God can solve them. This is what God wants us to see, and then, He hopes, we will turn to Him in repentance. And that includes both the secular and religious world. The whole world is deceived.

God is sending “a great people” as His army of destroyers. In 6,000 years of history, there has never been an army of this size and destructive power, and never shall be again!

These are the Asiatic millions from Russia and China, who will be used by God to destroy the “Holy Roman Empire.” Their army will include 200,000,000—that is 200 million—soldiers! (Revelation 9:16). Only the Asian world could assemble such an army.

“A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them” (Joel 2:3). A fire devours before them and a flame behind. An area looks like the Garden of Eden before they arrive. This is a symbol of the greatest beauty. When they leave, it’s a desolate wilderness—the exact opposite of the Garden of Eden!

The words fire and flame are used. That is because this verse is referring to nuclear devastation! “Nothing shall escape them”! Not even a blade of grass survives. Everything green and all life is destroyed. This is nuclear warfare, with all its horrid destructive power.

“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness” (verses 4-6). The beast power will receive the same massive terror and death it inflicted on the nations of Israel. The beast power will be destroyed like fire devours stubble.

This bloodcurdling destruction kills most people, yet leaves a few petrified with fear. Never has this Earth seen so much appalling evil! Every face turns black with agonizing pain!

Why can’t mankind repent now and avoid this day of darkness?

Some commentaries say these armies are locusts. But locusts don’t go into the cities (verses 7-9). Human armies do.

The whole Earth quakes before them. “The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” (verse 10). Nuclear winter has blocked out the shining sun, moon and stars! The heavens are trembling. Why can’t men see where this world is headed?

“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?” (verse 11). Who can stand in such a dreadful day? The answer is, nobody! God says this is His army. After years and years of sending warnings that went largely unheeded, God is speaking the only language this world understands—war! The great God is going to get our attention!

What God Desires

God wants us to turn. “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12). The expression “turn ye” is better translated “turn you back, or return.” Again, God commands His own people to turn back, or return. They were with God and turned away. This expression is meaningless if you never knew God. God always begins at His sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6).

God says the key is to turn to Him with “all your heart”—with fasting, weeping and mourning.

The word mourning literally means beating on the breast, or repenting, like the publican. “God be merciful to me a sinner,” he said, as he beat on his breast (Luke 18:13). We must see our sins and fast, weep and mourn. Such deep emotional and spiritual repentance is so rare on this Earth! Do you see a need to repent this way in your life?

Many people watched Christ’s crucifixion. They smote on their breasts after He was dead, when the sun was darkened and blackness covered the Earth. They finally realized He truly was the Son of God. But in many ways, it was too late.

This is going to be the same problem with many people in the end time. Now is the time to act!

“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” (Joel 2:13). For the Jews, rending their garments was an outward sign of mourning. But God wants more than a show of repentance. He wants us to rend our hearts—not our clothing! A radical change is needed for people to turn, or turn back, to God. “Gracious and merciful” in Hebrew actually means God is “very gracious and very merciful.” God has intense mercy and kindness.

Do we really know how loving and wonderful God is?

There is towering hope in this verse. God may “repenteth … of the evil.” He may change many of our problems immediately. “Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” (verse 14). Who knows, God may remove the big trial you have now. Your whole life could be revolutionized today! God promises forgiveness as well as punishment. And He never lies (Hebrews 6:18).

We have the power to change God’s mind! The longer we wait before repenting, the more severe the punishment.

David continued his sins with Bathsheba for months or maybe even years. The Prophet Nathan told David he was forgiven when he repented. However, the sword would never leave his house. David waited a long time to repent. We must fight this attitude.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly” (Joel 2:15). A trumpet must be blown in Zion. God’s own Laodiceans must be told to sanctify a fast and call a solemn assembly. God’s very elect have a commission to proclaim the message of Joel to His own sinning Church! A dreadful, horrendous calamity is coming very soon! The alarm must be sounded. We must give God’s people a chance to repent.

“Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet” (verse 16). The congregation refers to God’s own people. Even the new bride and groom in God’s Church are not exempt from deep repentance immediately. They must come out of the wedding chamber now and sanctify a fast! That means they must set themselves apart for God, and do it quickly, before the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord strike!

God repeatedly emphasizes the intense urgency of Joel’s message, especially to God’s people. Their eternal lives are at stake! Everybody else focuses only on physical suffering and death.

Where should the repentance begin? “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” (verse 17). God warns His ministers to show His Laodicean people an example of repentance.

First they repent. Then they pray for God’s people, and God hears them. But not until they repent.

Let’s remember that the temple today is God’s Church. The ministers are located “between the porch and the altar.” This is a very significant expression. They are outside the temple near its entrance. That means the ministers are in or near the outer court.

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:1-2). They are in the outer court because they can no longer measure for God. Christ is outside knocking (Revelation 3:20). Christ is not living in them.

If they fail to repent now, they must face the Great Tribulation. “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” (Joel 2:20). God is going to use the Oriental millions to destroy the northern army—the beast power.

God then gets very specific about Joel’s message being delivered.

A Teacher of Righteousness

Probably more has been written about Joel 2:23 than any other verse in the book of Joel. It reads, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” The commentaries are confused about its interpretation. And there is a good reason why. The “former rain,” translated from the Hebrew word moreh, is mentioned twice. That Hebrew expression has two definitions: “the early [or former] rain” and “one teaching.” Moreh “mostly signifies a teacher …” (Barnes’; emphasis mine throughout). The King James reference for the first instance of this phrase reads “a teacher of righteousness.” The word moderately also means “according to righteousness.” If you put both expressions together it means “a teacher of righteousness.” This is “the usual meaning of the two Hebrew words” (Anchor Bible).

However, the second time “former rain” appears in the verse, it is used in connection with the latter rain. God is picturing a spiritual harvest, by likening it to the former and latter rains of the harvests in the land of Israel. The physical is a type of the spiritual. Both rains—in April and October—are required to produce good crops. Both of these rains must be received, or there will be a poor crop or a crop failure.

The King James Version has no reference for this second “former rain.” They know it is correctly translated and that it is used in conjunction with the latter rain. “The former rain” used here is a correct rendering. Only the context can reveal the truth! That means the first “former rain moderately” should be translated “teacher of righteousness.” The context is our only accurate guide.

The “children of Zion” should be translated “sons of Zion” (see the Revised Standard Version and the Companion Bible). This verse is addressed to God’s own Family. Zion is where God dwells, unless His people have turned away. But there is always a remnant that is loyal to God.

The last four words of the verse, “in the first month,” is not a good translation. The Companion Bible and Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon translate it “(as at) the first, or (as) aforetime.” The Anchor Bible reads “as previously.” The Soncino commentary and Lange’s Commentary express it, “at the first.”

Since Joel is an end-time book, it means God’s spiritual harvest was interrupted. God’s Holy Spirit, typed by the former and latter rain, was greatly reduced. The ultimate calamity struck God’s Church!

God promises to “restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (verse 25). God is still addressing His Church and their spiritual growth.

A remnant of God’s people will not be cut off. Some of
them will receive the former and latter rain. They will be fed spiritually as they were in the glorious past—that is, under Herbert W. Armstrong!

This spiritual education would come through “a teacher of righteousness.” God prophesied that a leader would be sent to move His lamp. Not only would he hold fast to what was rejected, but the spiritual rain—revelation from God—would fall abundantly for him and his followers.

God always uses a man to lead His Work. “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Matthew 24:40). The New International Version renders it two men—or two leaders. One is going to be taken, to escape the Great Tribulation; the Laodicean leader will not be taken. Those members who follow the right man will also be taken. “Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (verse 41). The word woman is used in the Bible as a type of a church.

Again, the Hebrew word translated as moderately in Joel 2:23 means “according to righteousness.” It’s not enough to just “grind at the mill”; it must be according to God’s righteousness. We made a covenant with God to do His Work the way He desires and in submission to His government.

The Philadelphia Church of God receives God’s spiritual rain “as previously.” That is why you see so much revealed prophecy in this Church and none in the Laodicean churches! God’s “secret” is not given to them. God reveals His truth only to babes who are childlike and submit to His rule (Matthew 11:25).

Laodiceans in the Tribulation

Now the Laodiceans must face the Tribulation. “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” (Joel 2:28). This all comes to pass afterward. That means after God sent a teacher of righteousness just before the Tribulation (verse 23).

God’s Spirit is poured out on “all” flesh. This refers specifically to repentant Laodiceans, in the Tribulation before the Day of the Lord (verse 31). The context is about Zion—God’s Church.

This prophecy is also quoted in Acts 2:16-17. Here again, it is about God’s people. This time, they are receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit was not with them but in them.

Joel refers to people who are going to prophesy, dream dreams and see visions. Would God use people who don’t have God’s Holy Spirit in them to prophesy? I don’t think so. These Laodiceans had a history with God before they went into the Tribulation. They were plunged into the Tribulation because they rebelled against God. When they repent, God can use them in a special way.

Perhaps, God will also give His Spirit to be with those who repent, but were never baptized. They could have dreams and see visions to give them hope in the worst crisis ever.

Generally, the people of Israel are punished in the Tribulation. So when the Spirit is poured out on “all” flesh, that refers only to those people who repent.

God is to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the repentant Laodiceans. Then young and old people receive revelations from God to encourage them. They are scattered and probably have no real leadership. I don’t see any other practical way for God to encourage them.

“And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:29). This is quoted in Acts 2:18 as my servants and my handmaids. These people begin to serve God in the Great Tribulation. They not only repent, they also have a work that serves their Gentile masters.

“And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations” (Ezekiel 6:9). The Laodiceans will then remember God. They’ll remember how they were taught the truth and realize how they then “departed” from God. They will also remember that we warned them of this rebellion.

God says these people “departed from me.” This could only apply to God’s own people. You can’t depart from God if you never knew Him.

“And I will show 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” (Joel 2:30-31). In the context, we see that the terrible Day of the Lord has still not arrived. The time setting is the Tribulation and the heavenly signs. “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” (verse 32). Two groups are delivered just before the Day of the Lord: Zion, which is God’s Laodicean Church, and Jerusalem, a type of the nations of Israel. The heavenly signs, added to the Tribulation, bring spiritual and physical Israel to repentance.

Then God moves on to correct the Gentiles with the Day of the Lord. It all happens “as the Lord hath said”—that is, said through a man. Joel emphasizes that God speaks through a man. And it always, always, always happens just as God says! He never fails to keep one of His words. It all comes to pass specifically as He prophesied.

Proclaim this Message

Again and again we are warned to deliver this message. “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem” (Joel 3:1). The Companion Bible says this of the word for: “Binding this portion to what immediately precedes.”

First it was afterward (Joel 2:28), then before (verse 31) and now, “For, behold.” Here the prophecy is dated. It is a future time, when Judah and Jerusalem (Israel) are in captivity together. They went into captivity separately in ancient history.

“I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Joel 3:2). God pleads for “my people” (the Church) and “my heritage Israel.” The nations of Israel are to be God’s inheritance to lead the world. So here He pleads with the Gentiles in the only way they can understand. Blood is going to be up to the horses’ bridles in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Revelation 14:20). Then they will begin to have the proper awe and respect for God’s power.

It was in the Valley of Jehoshaphat where Asa, Hezekiah and Josiah cast and burned the idols of Israel. It was a common burial place. It still is today. In the future, God is going to continue the tradition. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is going to become a massive grave—the biggest grave ever on Earth!

This example gives us some insight into just how terrible the Day of the Lord will truly be.

Just before that time, the nations of America, Britain and Judah (Israel) are going to be enslaved at the same time (Hosea 5:5). “And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink” (Joel 3:3). A boy slave will be traded for a trip to a prostitute. A girl shall be sold for a bottle of wine. The nations of Israel are going to provide so many slaves that their lives will be almost worthless to their captors.

All of the Israelites are to be removed from their nations (verse 6). Mind-staggering times are coming upon this world very soon. That means God’s very elect have a gigantic responsibility.

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up” (verse 9). God has revealed this message. Our job is to proclaim it! We must proclaim it with great dedication. The worst nuclear nightmare imaginable is almost upon us. God commands us to deliver this message.

People are going to be wading in human blood! (verses 12-13). God likens these future events to the way people have traditionally produced wine by trampling on the grapes. The vat is pictured as being full and overflowing with grape juice. The juice is a type of human blood. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is going to be overflowing with blood. People are going to be wading in blood all over this Earth! They are going to get sick of blood, blood and more blood. Human beings are going to be crushed like grapes by the billions!

“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” (verse 16). God is going to roar out of Zion. Then people will know He is their only hope. They should know it even now.

The book of Joel is filled with terror. But it all ends in a majestic and happy outcome. “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. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim” (verses 17-18).

God is then going to cleanse all of the people’s guilt for spilling Christ’s blood. “But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion” (verses 20-21). God reveals the book of Joel to the Philadelphia Church for one, and only one, reason—because this is where He dwells today! Imagine what revelations the world will receive when Christ is ruling!

The theme of this book is the Day of the Lord, and its strongest warning is to God’s own people. We must blow the trumpet in Zion. Mind-paralyzing times are coming. The people must be warned. But they must also hear the end result of God’s inspiring plan. We need this glorious vision to get us through the difficult times ahead.