Joe 3 | MHM | STEP | Threatenings against Israel's Enemies This section describes a special time called the year of the redeemed and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion . It is about how God will act for his people, bringing them back from captivity and judging their enemies. These events may happen more than once in history, but there will be a final fulfillment at the end of time. v. 1 : God promises to bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem . This means that even if God's people suffer for a long time, their suffering will not last forever. Just like God freed the Israelites from Egypt and Babylon, he will also deliver everyone who is under the power of sin and Satan. Jesus will proclaim an acceptable year —a time like the year of jubilee—when debts are forgiven and prisoners are set free (Isaiah 61:1-2 ). There is a set time when God will save his people completely, even from death, which will happen at the end of all things.

‏ Joel 3

Threatenings against Israel's Enemies

This section describes a special time called the year of the redeemed and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. It is about how God will act for his people, bringing them back from captivity and judging their enemies. These events may happen more than once in history, but there will be a final fulfillment at the end of time.

v. 1: God promises to bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem . This means that even if God's people suffer for a long time, their suffering will not last forever. Just like God freed the Israelites from Egypt and Babylon, he will also deliver everyone who is under the power of sin and Satan. Jesus will proclaim an acceptable year—a time like the year of jubilee—when debts are forgiven and prisoners are set free (Isaiah 61:1-2 ^a). There is a set time when God will save his people completely, even from death, which will happen at the end of all things.

v. 2: This will also be the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. God will judge the nations that harmed his people. He will lead those who led his people captive into captivity themselves (Psalm 68:18; Revelation 13:10 ^b). God will gather all nations in judgment because all nations are guilty of hurting God's people. Persecution is a common evil in the world. Whoever harms God’s people will not escape punishment. Even small enemies like Tyre, Sidon, and the Philistines will be judged for their actions (Joel 3:4; Zechariah 1:15 ^c). God sees all evil, whether it is done by powerful or weak people. He will judge everyone according to what they have done.

God will gather the nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat, near Jerusalem, and judge them there. This is fitting, because the crimes happened in that land. It will also comfort God’s people to see God defend them. This is like when God gave King Jehoshaphat victory over his enemies in the valley of Berachah (2 Chronicles 20:26 ^d). Sometimes, those who come together to destroy God’s people end up being destroyed themselves, like sheaves into the floor (Micah 4:12 ^e).

God will act for the sake of my people, and for my heritage Israel. His people are precious to him, like a special treasure (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 32:9 ^f). Those who hurt God’s people are attacking God’s own possession, and God will defend his property.

v. 3: God accuses the nations of being cruel to Israel. They scattered them among the nations and divided up their land. They treated the Israelites as worthless, even casting lots for the people and selling them cheaply. This disrespectful treatment included selling boys for prostitutes and girls for wine. The enemies wasted what they gained from these evil actions on sinful pleasures like drinking and immorality. Tyre and the Philistines sold Israelites to the Greeks to take them far from their home (Ezekiel 27:13; Joel 3:6 ^g). It was a deep shame for God’s people to be treated like this.

v. 4: God warns that if the nations try to pay him back with evil, he will quickly return it on their own heads. No one can win against God. He will act swiftly to punish those who hurt his people.

v. 5: The enemies also stole God’s silver and gold . This could mean the wealth of Israel or the treasures of the temple, which belonged to God. Taking what is dedicated to God is a serious crime. The enemies proudly placed these treasures in their own temples, as if their gods had defeated the Lord. God asks why they did this, since his people had not wronged them. Sometimes, those who do no harm still suffer many wrongs from others.

v. 6: God says the nations will not succeed in removing his people forever. He will bring his people back from wherever they were sold. Even if people try to take God’s people away, God still claims them as his own.

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v. 8: God promises to give the enemies a taste of their own medicine. He will let the children of Judah sell the sons and daughters of their enemies, just as they once did to Israel (Isaiah 60:14; Esther 9:1 ^h). Some believe this was fulfilled when the Jews defeated their enemies in the time of the Maccabees; others think it points to the future, when the saints shall judge the world (Psalm 49:14 ⁱ). In the end, God’s justice will be complete. Vengeance is his and he will repay (Romans 12:19 ^j).

Threatenings against Israel's Enemies

This section describes how God will judge the enemies of his people. The prophet Joel calls all nations to prepare for a final battle, using strong images of war and harvest. These verses point to both past judgments and the final day of judgment, when God will decide the fate of everyone. The language is powerful and shows that God is in control, no matter how strong his enemies seem.

v. 9: God tells the prophet to announce to the nations: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near . This is like a challenge to all who oppose God. They are told to get ready for battle, even turning their farming tools into weapons. Even the weak should say, I am strong. But this is spoken with irony, because no one can really stand against God. It is like when God says, Associate yourselves, O you people! ... but you shall be broken to pieces (Isaiah 8:9 ^k). God is showing that all the power of the nations is nothing compared to him.

v. 10: The nations are told, Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears . This means they should use everything they have for war. Even those who are not soldiers should get ready to fight. But this is not because they will win, but because God is gathering them for judgment.

v. 11: God calls all the nations to gather together: Assemble yourselves, and come, all you heathen, and gather yourselves together round about . At the same time, God calls his own mighty ones—his angels—to come down and fight for him. This is like when Jesus comes with his mighty angels at the end of the world (2 Thessalonians 1:7 ^l). God’s army is ready to act when he commands.

v. 12: God says, Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about . The valley of Jehoshaphat means “the judgment of the Lord.” All nations must come to God’s court, where he will judge everyone. This is like the final judgment, when all people will stand before God (Matthew 25:32 ^m).

v. 13: God commands his angels, Put you in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe . This means the time for judgment has come, because the wickedness of the nations is full. Jesus explained, The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels (Matthew 13:39 ⁿ). The wicked will be gathered and punished, just like ripe crops are cut down at harvest.

v. 14: There will be multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision . This is the same as the valley of Jehoshaphat. It is called the valley of decision because God will decide everyone’s fate there. The day of the Lord is near. Many people will be gathered for judgment, both the living and the dead. This will be a huge and serious event, where God’s justice is shown to all.

v. 15: On that day, The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining . This shows that the natural world will be shaken. The glory of the Judge will be so great that even the sun and moon will seem dark. For those who are judged, there will be no comfort or light, only darkness (Isaiah 60:19 ^o).

v. 16: The Lord will roar from Zion and Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake . For the wicked, this will be terrifying, like the roar of a lion. God’s voice will shake everything, and no one can hide from his judgment (Psalm 50:3 ^p). But for God’s people, the Lord will be their hope and strength. Even when everything else is shaken, God’s people will be safe with him.

v. 17: Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her anymore . God’s people will be perfectly holy, and nothing evil will enter their city. God will be known as the Lord who lives among his people. The church will be pure and full of God’s glory. Everyone who belongs to God will know him personally and experience his goodness forever.

Judgments and Mercies; Promises to the Church

This final section of Joel's prophecy ends with great promises for God's people. Some of these blessings have begun in the kingdom of grace, where believers today enjoy spiritual comfort and help. But these promises will be fully completed in the kingdom of glory, when God’s people are made perfect. The blessings to Israel in the past were pictures of even greater things God has planned for all his people.

v. 18: God promises a time of abundance and blessing: The mountains shall drop new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters . This shows a land full of life, fruit, and plenty. Spiritually, it points to the blessings believers have in Christ. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are like wine and milk (Isaiah 55:1 ^q), and God's grace is like rivers of living water (John 7:38 ^r). From God's house, a fountain will flow, watering even the valley of Shittim, a dry and far place. This means God’s grace will reach everywhere, bringing life and blessing even to distant and barren places.

v. 19: The enemies of God’s people will be destroyed. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness . These nations are examples of those who have always hated Israel. God will judge them because they have been violent and have killed innocent people. God sees every drop of his people’s blood, and he will make sure justice is done. In the end, all those who hurt God’s people will be brought down and punished (Isaiah 34:5 ^s).

v. 20: God promises that his people will last forever. Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation . This means the church will never disappear, even when enemies are destroyed. God’s people will be secure and happy forever, both now and in eternity. The church will continue from one generation to the next, and will be firm and everlasting (Matthew 16:18 ^t).

v. 21: God will make his people pure. I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwells in Zion (Joel 3:21 ^u). This means God will forgive all their sins, even those not fully cleansed in this life. In heaven, God’s people will be perfectly holy, with no sin left in them (Zechariah 13:1 ^v). This is possible because God lives with his people, and where God is, there must be perfect holiness. One day, the church will be completely clean, with no stain or imperfection left.