Joel 2:25-32

Joel 2:25

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

God promises to completely reverse the destruction that the locusts had brought upon the land.  The cankerworm is called “the licking locust” which probably is a locust at a certain stage of growth not yet to full maturity but nevertheless a destructive insect. The caterpillar may be the mole cricket which is very destructive to corn and other vegetables by feeding on their roots. The palmerworm is a type of locust which has very sharp teeth which has the ability to gnaw off grass, corn, leaves of trees and even their bark.  These four insects were the ones God promise do send upon the land in the opening verses of Joel but here he promises to recall them and prohibit them from any more destructive behavior.  They would be destroyed instead of the land being destroyed.

Joel 2:26

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.

God continues his promise of blessing for Israel if they return from their idolatrous ways.  No longer would there be any hunger among them.  This would also include spiritual hunger because their relationship to God will have been repaired.  There would also be praise of God for the abundance of blessings that he would bring on them which they would deem as being incredible or amazing.  Never again would the people of Israel feel ashamed for what they did because God would forgive and pardon their sins and no longer would they have to hang their head low in shame but now would be able to be strong in their testimony for the LORD.

Joel 2:27

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.

With all the blessings that God will bring, along with all the divine protections then Israel will once again know that God is in their midst because if they got back into fellowship with him, they would also be sacrificing the proper sacrifices and holding the biblical feasts once again.  God repeats his promise that the people of Israel will never be ashamed for their past actions but will be considered strong among the surrounding nations.

Joel 2:28

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 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:  (Acts 2:17)  Then Joel propels us into the future with a prophesy like Isaiah does in Isaiah 53.  Here we are given the events which will take place on Pentecost that will be the beginning of the evangelization of the world.  Pentecost was not the beginning of the church as many believe because people were saved before the cross.  Christ was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  (Revelation 13:8)  This way all those who were to be saved in the Old Testament would become saved by grace because no one could be saved by the law.  In the Old Testament you had believers such as Abraham, Job, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, David, Solomon, Ruth, Joshua, etc.  Abraham, Job, Jacob and Isaac lived before the law was given at Sinai so they could not have been saved by the law or by works.  It was by grace since Christ was slain in principle before the foundation of the world. 

There was one change from the time of Joel. Joel had used the word “afterward” in Joel 2:28. In Acts 2:17 Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is now stating that the last days had begun. The prophesying does not necessarily mean the foretelling of future things but means that all true believers will now declare the Word of God. No longer would it be only one set of people such as those leaders in the temple but all Christians worldwide will declare the Word of God. Before the Bible was completed in 95 A.D. with the book of Revelation, God used many different ways in communicating His word to His people. He had utilized dreams and visions. The Apostle John saw the book of Revelation in a vision. God came to Joseph in a dream concerning taking Jesus and Mary to Egypt. (Matthew 2:13) Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10)  It must also be noted that the “all flesh” in view here is the Elect of God and not every human being in the world, only those who were and are predestined to be saved.  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  (Romans 8:9)  Romans 8:9 teaches us that there will be those who have the Spirit of God and those who do not.  Those who do are the “all flesh” of Joel and Acts.

Joel 2:29

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:  (Acts 2:18)  As stated in the last verse there will be no limitations on who the Spirit of God will indwell.  Those saved do not have to belong to some spiritually elite class but even those who are the poor of the poor will have the same Holy Spirit dwelling in them as one who is in a high social class.  The Elect of God are found in both the rich and the poor and they all will have the ability to bring forth the word of God to the world.

Joel 2:30

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:  (Acts 2:19)  Joel now goes beyond the day of Pentecost and Acts also goes beyond Pentecost because with Pentecost the last days were ushered in and we now look at what will happen right before the Lord returns to earth which will preceded by some type of signs and wonders in the heavens.  Since we are not at that point yet in time it would be foolish to speculate exactly what they are but when we arrive at that time we will know that things are beginning to happen which will usher in the return of the Lord.  Then on the earth there will also be signs as we get toward the last day.  There have always been wars or events which have caused deaths throughout the New Testament period but as we get toward the end we will see an increase in these things.  There will be much bloodletting as we see vividly in our day as Christians are being put to death by the thousands around the world.  There will also be much fire and those fires can be caused by bombs in war time which leaves places in flames and towns, cities, and countries in destruction.  One cannot discount forest fires which has increased all around the world and have destroyed millions of acres of land.  The pillars of smoke will rise from devastated areas which have been decimated by fire.  These things also are ways of saying that the Christians will face much opposition during the entire new Testament period.

Joel 2:31

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:  (Acts 2:20)  This event has also been given in Matthew 24:29 which directly precedes the return of Christ.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  (Matthew 24:29)  The tribulation is not a 7 year period but is another synonym for the entire New Testament period.  The Book of Revelation is all about the troubles and persecutions the church will face from the first coming of Christ to his return.  Just as the sun was darkened at Calvary, the sun will be darkened which means the return of the Lord will be imminent.

Then we see the direct signs in the heavens signaling the soon return of Jesus. First the sun will be darkened just as it was when the Lord was being crucified. Then because the sun will be darkened, the moon will not be able to reflect any light because there won’t be any. The third major sign is that the stars will fall from Heaven. Many of them will be meteorites and isn’t it interesting that we see an increase in meteorites falling and asteroids coming close to earth. Then the powers of Heaven will be shaken. Not only will the physical universe be collapsing but also the kingdom of Satan will be collapsing too. He right now is in the heavens and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will spell the end of his kingdom and he will be shaken as he is sent to eternal damnation.  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. (Hebrews 12:26) The word “heavens” is plural meaning that all the heavens as we know of shall be shaken. The first which surrounds earth, the second which is the universe, and the third which is the abode of God because the judgment against sin will be that mighty.

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Luke 21:25)  Then Luke gives us a little more insight into those days. Not only will the universe be shaken but the nations will be in perplexity, that means they see no way out of their dilemma and the sea and the waves roaring. Interesting that “sea” is mentioned as singular because it is not speaking of a singular sea but is speaking about the people of the world. Every person except the believer will be wondering what is happening.  Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! {13} The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. (Isa 17:12-13)

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)  When you see these things begin then look up for it is close.

Joel 2:32

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.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Acts 2:21)  This is also quoted in Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10:13)  Since the Bible teaches plainly that no one seeks after God, those who call upon the Lord will have already been regenerated.  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  (Romans 3:11)  The only way that a person truly calls upon the name of the LORD is if they are already saved.  Notice the similarity between Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21,Romans 10:13 in that they all use the word “shall” which means salvation has already taken place.  There are people all over the world who call on the name of the Lord but never become saved.  An example of that is “fox hole religion.” So by using the word “shall” it speaks of a definite salvation which is given by God through election and not through some sinners prayer or other words.  Salvation is never of man but only of God.  {12} But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ( John 1:12-13)