Joe 3:12-13 | KingComments | STEP | Considering the contents of the previous verses, we would expect that now the battle starts. But that’s not the case. Suddenly the image goes back to that of a legal process, as announced in . There the LORD is more the Prosecutor, while here, amidst all the agitation of the nations, the image looms up of the majestic rest of the judgment seat on which the LORD sits. In their march, the gathered pagan peoples walk the Judge in His arms. His verdict is what we read in .

‏ Joel 3:12-13

The Lord as Judge

Considering the contents of the previous verses, we would expect that now the battle starts. But that’s not the case. Suddenly the image goes back to that of a legal process, as announced in Joel 3:2. There the LORD is more the Prosecutor, while here, amidst all the agitation of the nations, the image looms up of the majestic rest of the judgment seat on which the LORD sits. In their march, the gathered pagan peoples walk the Judge in His arms. His verdict is what we read in Joel 3:13.

The Wine Harvest

No matter how great the arrogance of the people who think they are strong, in the end there is the judgment of God. The sickle of God will mow the earth. The picture we see here is reminiscent of the wheat harvest and the wine harvest we read about in Revelation 14 (Rev 14:14-20). There is, also spiritually, a distinction between the two. The wheat harvest means above all judgment that separates the good from the evil. The wine harvest is the exercise of vengeance. The second, the wine harvest, is what we are dealing with here.

The description “and the wine press was trodden outside the city” (Rev 14:20) corresponds to what Joel says. “The city” is the city of Jerusalem. Angels are involved in the harvest (Mt 13:41). Just as the ripe corn is cut off by the scythe of the mowers and the grapes are trampled on by the feet in the wine press, so the nations will be exterminated by the mighty men of God.