Study 4 - End-times hope

Read Joel 3

In this chapter, the Lord is speaking throughout. This speech began at 2.19. There are three sections to notice.

Vv1-8 – The Lord declares his reasons for judgment upon his enemies.
Vv9-16 – The fate of the Lord’s enemies.
Vv17-21 – The future of the Lord’s people.

The timing of events was not known to Joel. He saw the current devastation caused by locusts and drought as a wake-up call from the Lord. The coming of the mighty army, similar in their destructive power as a hoard of locusts, was soon coming. So also were the Lord’s final judgment upon his enemies and the resulting eternal blessing upon his people, those whom he had called. These events blend from one into another yet cover a period of time only known to the Lord.

If you like, you can see the book as a hinge with a pin holding the two panels together. The ‘left-hand’ panel is the natural disaster sent by the Lord to prompt his people to turn back to him. The vast majority of the people did not respond and the enemy army comes sweeping in. The ‘right-hand’ panel is the Lord promising blessing to those of his people who heeded the call to return to him with all their heart but also of judgement upon his stubborn enemies. The pin which gives the axis to these ‘panels’ is the Lord’s pity (2.18,19).

Vv1-8   The Lord, of course, has the sovereign right to do according to his will (Dan. 4.35). Yet he will always act with perfect justice. “Far be it from you (Lord) to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18.25). So, in these verses we have the Lord setting out the indictment against the enemies of his people. The Valley of Jehoshaphat (which means the Lord judged) may be a place, identified as the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem – the place where King Jehoshaphat’s enemies were defeated (2 Chron. 20) – and known also as Valley of Blessing (2 Chron. 20.26), and the Valley of Decision (Joel 3.14). But the name may simply be a reference to the fact that the Lord will judge his enemies in a place(s) and at a time(s) of his choosing.

Consider: why are Christians typically reluctant to say that a natural calamity is a judgment of God? Non-Christians are often hasty to shake a fist at God and blame him for the bad things (in their view) that happen (3.4) little realising that their accusing God will rebound against themselves (3.7b). What is your response to “bad things”? Is it to take the attitude of ‘whatever will be, will be’? Or, do you lift up an eyebrow at God (if not a fist) and wonder what on earth he is doing? Or, do you positively acknowledge that he is the omnipotent and omniscient God who knows the beginning from the end.

Vv9-16                  The Bible tells us that there will be a final struggle by God’s enemies (e.g. Rev 16.14-16). We probably cannot understand just how this will be. However, Satan will not cease his warfare until he is finally and eternally cast out by God (Rev. 20.10). All those – from your neighbours, to your community, your country, to nations of the world – who set themselves up against the knowledge of God and his Christ will be judged on that great and terrible day of the Lord (2.11b, 2.31; Joel 3.12,14). God’s judgment will be “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed” (2 Thess. 1.7b-10a).

Vv18-21               These words paint a picture of “Eden restored”: God’s people living in God’s place and under God’s rule. This time, forever. These words are in OT language and must be filtered through the victory won by Jesus Christ on the cross , winning the battle against Satan, and on to the eternal blessings of heaven (Rev. 22.1-5). Christian, that is your future!

Consider: does the promised final judgment of all God’s enemies and your promised future in heaven with the Lord Jesus motivate you to live a joyful and thankful Christian life? See 1Peter 1.3-9.

Did you notice “the day of the Lord” in chapter 3?[1]

Michael S Bostock, June 2020.

[1] 3.14.