A WAKE UP CALL FOR ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH

A WAKE UP CALL FOR ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH: Understanding the Book of Joel
— Part Two ‎11 ‎June, ‎2011 by Joel C. Rosenberg

 Record breaking natural disasters keep happening around the world. The global economy remains in serious trouble. Millions are sinking into poverty. Islam is spreading around the world. Rumors of new wars in the Middle East are mounting. New threats to Israel are metastasizing. Yet as the world is being shaken and serious new threats and challenges are rising, so much of the world seems to be asleep. Alarm bells are going off, yet so much of the Church seems to be asleep as well, intoxicated by the pleasures of the world and unable or unwilling to respond to the call of God to pray, fast, and repent despite the fact that, as the Hebrew Prophet Joel wrote in the Bible, ”the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near.”

As we read in Joel 1:14-15,“Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near.”

Joel Chapter One: “A Wake Up Call”

• The first 13 verses of chapter one reference an actual, historic disaster, a literal plague of locusts that has just so devastated the “inhabitants of the land” of Israel that it will be remembered for generations to come. ( Joel 1:2)
• The Hebrew Prophet Joel does not begin by describing a prophetic or metaphoric event. He is referring to an actual historic event. The Lord is saying to all the current inhabitants of the land of Israel, “Has anything (else) like this happened in your days or in your fathers’ days?” ( Joel 1:2)
• The Lord is saying through Joel that the devastation that has been wrought foreshadows a future apocalyptic disaster coming to Israel in the End Times.
• Locust plagues are classic forms of God’s judgment in Scripture, both in times past and in End Times prophecies yet to be fulfilled.
• The Lord used Moses and Aaron to bring a plague of locusts as the 8^th plague against the Pharoah and the Egyptian people during the events of the Exodus (Exodus 10:1-20)
• The Lord used Moses to warn the children of Israel to obey Him fully when they enter the Promised Land or one of the judgments they will suffer will be plagues of locusts who will consume their fields (Deuteronomy 28:15,25,38)
• King Solomon prayed to the Lord, asking if a plague of locusts ever came upon the children of Israel as a judgment and they should repent and pray and come back to the house of the Lord – the Temple that they were dedicating that day — that the Lord would hear from heaven and forgive them and heal their land (1 Kings 8:37-40)
• The Lord responded to Solomon’s prayer and said that if there were a plague of locusts due to judgment and the children of Israel repented of their sins and turned back to the Lord and truly prayed and sought His face that He would hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
• The Lord used the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation to warn Israel and the world that during the terrible events of the “Great Tribulation” when the 5^th of 7 trumpets of judgment sounds, He will unleash a plague of demonic locusts and bring about a terrible devastation. (Revelation 9:1-12)
• In the Book of Joel, chapter one, the Lord speaks through the prophet to various groups of people in Israel who have been devastated by the actual, historic locust plagues: “Elders,” who are supposed to hear God’s Word ( Joel 1:2); ”All inhabitants” of Israel, who are supposed to listen to God’s Word (1:2); ”Drunkards,” who are supposed to wake up ( Joel 1:5); ”Wine drinkers,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:5); ”Virgins,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:8); ”Bridegrooms,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:8); ”Priests,” who are supposed to mourn/wail/lament ( Joel 1:9, 13); ”Ministers of the Lord,” who are supposed to mourn/wail ( Joel 1:9, 13); ”Farmers,” who are supposed to “be ashamed” ( Joel 1:11); and “Vinedressers,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:11)
• Interesting are some of those not mentioned: No mention of a king (the words king/kings/kingdom/etc are used 2,597 times in the New American Standard Bible, but not here); No mention of government leaders of any kind; No mention of prophets (the word prophet is used 461 times in the NASB, but not here)
• Perhaps the most important verse of  Joel 1:5 is “Awake!”
• This chapter is a wake up call for Israel, who should know better than to live in such sin because they have been given the Holy Scriptures and the prophets….and for the Church — people who say they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – who should know better than to live in such sin because they have the Holy Scriptures to teach and guide them
• The question is: Will we wake up?
• Do we see how far we are from the God who made us and loves us and is jealous for our love and affection?
• Do we realize how drunk we are — with alcohol, with illegal drugs, with legal drugs, with entertainment, with the “things of this world”?
• Do we realize how blind, deaf and dumb we are to what the Lord is trying to say to us through His Word?
• Do we realize that if we don’t turn around quickly, the Lord is going to come and rock our world, shake our world, devastate our world, until we choose to curse Him, or until we choose to fall at His feet and give Him the worship He so richly deserves?
• The good news is that the Lord tells the people through the Hebrew prophet what to do:
• First, we must wake up from our drunken, intoxicated stupor ( Joel 1:5)
• Second, we are to consecrate a fast ( Joel 1:14)
• Third, we are to proclaim a solemn assembly ( Joel 1:14)
• Fourth, we are to gather the elders ( Joel 1:14)
• Fifth, we are to gather all the inhabitants of the land ( Joel 1:14)
• Sixth, we are to cry out to the Lord ( Joel 1:14)
• What should we say when we cry out to the Lord? The rest of the Bible teaches us to cry out in repentance and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us, to help us, to heal us, to save us, to cleanse us, to adopt us into His family, to fill us with His Holy Spirit, and to teach us to walk in His ways. In John 1:12, we read, “But as many as received Him [Jesus, the Messiah], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” In John 3:16, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
• The Hebrew Prophet describes the urgency of getting right with the Lord — because the “Day of the Lord” is coming ( Joel 1:15)
• It is near and will come as destruction from the Almighty
• There will be a horrific famine ( Joel 1:17)
• There will be a horrific fire ( Joel 1:19-20)
• Animals will suffer ( Joel 1:18)
• People will suffer ( Joel 1:19)
• Therefore, we should turn to the Lord now, before all these End Times judgments are unleashed

A Wake Up Call for Israel and the Church

Understanding the Book of Joel
‎7 ‎June, ‎2011, ‏‎10:39:26 PM | by Joel C. Rosenberg

 

I believe God wants all of Israel and all of the Church to turn our attention to the Book of Joel in the weeks and months ahead. There is a critically important message there that is on the Lord’s heart and it is deeply relevant for our time. Over the next few days, I’m going to share with you my own personal study and message notes from the Book of Joel. I hope you will find them helpful as you study the writings of this important minor prophet and teach them to others.
Let’s begin today with an overview. What follows are the notes I used to deliver the first message of the 2011 Epicenter Conference.

THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING: An overview of the Book of Joel

1. The focus of this year’s Epicenter Conference is the Book of Joel. Today, we will go through the Book of Joel verse by verse, chapter by chapter. We’ll observe, interpret and begin to apply. What does this fascinating ancient text say? What does it mean? And what does it mean to you and I today whether we live in Israel or anywhere else around the world?
2. Tomorrow, we will take the next step. We’ll explore a range of threats facing Israel and her neighbors and consider these threats – and how to respond to them – in light of what we learn from the Book of Joel and the rest of the Holy Scriptures.
3. The question that might reasonably be asked is, “Why?” Joel is not a particularly popular book of the Bible. Some pastors refer to it. Some teach through it. But most don’t. Why, then, should we? It’s a good question and one I’d like to address before we dive in with our blessed line up of internationally renowned Bible teachers.
4. Let me start by saying it’s not because it’s my favorite book of the book, though it is and it has been since I was in high school — and yet I have never taught the Book of Joel before today or ever attended a church or conference where I heard it taught cover to cover.
5. And it’s not because my life verse comes from the Book of Joel, though it does, again since high school – Joel 2:11….“The Lord thunders at the head of His army; unlimited are His forces, and mighty are those who obey His command. The Day of the Lord is great and dreadful. Who can endure it?”
6. And it’s not because my friend, Pastor Ray Bentley, called me one day a few years ago and said we really need to have an Epicenter Conference that teaches through the Book of Joel, though he did, and I thought He was right, and have been praying about it ever since.
7. All these are contributing factors. But the reason is more simple and far more profound: the Lord told us to proclaim in 2011 in the message He proclaimed through the Prophet Joel thousands of years ago, and we are being obedient to that heavenly command. There is a message here that is relevant for our time. There are warnings here that we dare not ignore. There is a sense of urgency in the heavenlies we need to share. This is a book that is near and dear to the heart of the Father…there is a fallen world that is not listening…and a Church that by and large is not proclaiming. May we purpose in our hearts today to change course while we still can.

Basic Background

1. WHO: The author is the Hebrew Prophet Joel (Joel 1:1)
• “Joel” means “Jehovah is God” or the “Lord is God”
• Joel was the “son of Pethuel” (1:1), which means: “vision of God”
• We don’t learn much about the life and ministry of the Prophet Joel in this book or anywhere else in the Bible. Why? Because the Book of Joel isn’t about Joel – it’s about the coming of the Day of the Lord and God’s call on Israel and all men and women everywhere to repent, turn away from their sins, and get ready to meet the Lord face to face, before it is too late.
2. WHAT: This small book of the Bible (three chapters in English; four chapters in Hebrew) is a book of End Times prophecy.
• The Lord speaks to Israel, to the Church, and to all the nations through the Hebrew Prophet Joel, telling us details about the future and sharing His heart that all men and women everywhere would choose to turn to the Lord and let Him change and restore our lives.
• The Book of Joel is referred or alluded to numerous times in the New Testament. A few notable examples:
• The Apostle Peter quotes “the prophet Joel” directly in Acts 2:16-21
• The Lord Jesus refers to Joel 2:10, “the sun and the moon [will] grow dark and the starts lose their brightness” before the Day of the Lord, when He describes the signs of the last days in Matthew 24:29
• The Apostle Paul cites Joel 2:32, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved,” in Romans 10:13
• The Apostle John alludes to Joel 2:10 when he describes events of the Tribulation in Revelation 8:12
• The Apostle John alludes to the Book of Joel and language of the locust invasion in Revelation chapter 9
3. WHEN: Unlike many other books in the Bible, the Book of Joel provides us with no clear, definitive time references regarding when it was written.
• Some scholars say around in the 9^th century B.C.
• Some say 6^th or 7^th century B.C.
• Some say in the 5^th century, B.C.
• The fact is, we simply don’t know for certain
• Why doesn’t the Lord want us to know precisely when the book was written? Because the Book of Joel wasn’t written to get us focused on the past. It was written to get us focused on the future and the coming of the “Day of the Lord” and to get our hearts ready for that Day
4. WHERE: The events described in these prophecies take place in Israel, Jerusalem, Judah and Zion
• Israel is mentioned 3 times in the book
• Joel 2:27
• Joel 3:2
• Joel 3:16
• Jerusalem is mentioned 4 times in the book
• Joel 3:1
• Joel 3:6
• Joel 3:17
• Joel 3:20
• Judah is mentioned 6 times in the book
• Joel 3:1
• Joel 3:6
• Joel 3:8
• Joel 3:18
• Joel 3:19
• Joel 3:20
• Zion is mentioned 7 times in the book
• Joel 2:1
• Joel 2:15
• Joel 2:23
• Joel 2:32
• Joel 3:16
• Joel 3:17
• Joel 3:21
• The “fig trees” of Israel are referred to 3 times in the book. [NOTE: Figs and fig trees are often used throughout the Bible as symbols of the nation or state of Israel. In Matthew 24:32-33, the Lord Jesus referred to the “parable of the fig tree” to tell us that the State of Israel would be prophetically reborn in the last days and that in the last days the Jewish people would prophetically return to the Holy Land after centuries of exile. Other examples of Israel connected to fig trees can be found in Jeremiah 24....1 Kings 4:21-26 (“So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon”)....and in Habakkuk 3:16-17, to name a few.]
• Joel 1:7
• Joel 1:12
• Joel 2:22
5. WHY: The Book of Joel was written for several reasons. Among them:
1. To serve as a “wake up call” to the people of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem to prepare for and repent ahead of the coming “Day of the Lord,” judgments that would be similar to but far worse than the devastating plague of locusts Israel once experienced.
2. To serve as a “trumpet call” to all those who love the Lord and His Word and profess to be the Lord’s followers to prepare for and repent ahead of the coming “Day of the Lord.”
3. To serve as a warning to the nations that in the Day of the Lord they will face judgment for sins they have committed against Israel and the Jewish people.
4. To highlight the importance of the “Day of the Lord.” Joel mentions the “Day of the Lord” in each chapter and five times in total (Joel 1:15, 2:1, 2:11, 2:30, 3:14). The “Day of the Lord” – and similar/related Biblical references such as “the day” and “that day” and others – are mentioned more than 70 times in the New American Standard translation of the Bible

• What is the “Day of the Lord” and is it different from the “last days”?
• The “last days” is the Biblical term describing the period of time filled with prophetic events of signs and wonders that lead up to the Rapture of the Church, the period between the Rapture and the Tribulation, and the Tribulation itself, all of which build towards the Second Coming. The last days – characterized by wars, rumors of wars, revolutions, natural disasters, the rise of false messiahs/prophets/teachers, apostasy, lawlessness, persecution of the believers, the spread of the gospel to all nations, the rebirth of Israel, and similar signs described in the Bible – are a time of great trauma for the world as well as God’s mercy, for the Bible indicates that many will come to faith in Jesus Christ during the last days.
• The “Day of the Lord” is the Biblical term describing the culmination of the last days of world history as we have known it — specifically, it refers to the actual, physical, literal Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the time when Jesus Christ wins the Battle of Armageddon and the Battle of Jerusalem and then His feet literally touch down on the Mount of Olives, splitting the mountain into two, as foretold by the Prophet Zechariah. The Day of the Lord is described throughout the Scriptures as a day of darkness, gloom, distress and judgment for the nations. The Day of the Lord sets into motion the setting up of the MillennialKingdomin which Jesus Christ will reign from a new Temple in Jerusalemfor a literal 1,000 year period, as described in the Book of Revelation.