“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” Joel 2:1 NIV
Dear Heavenly Father – You are the One True God. Beside you there is no other. I praise and thank you for all you have done! Please help me as I search myself to see if there is any ways within me to repent of. Please open our eyes and ears and understanding to know what you are saying to us. In the name of Jesus – Amen
This week we are looking at world events and the fact that right now is literally the days between The Feast of Trumpets (the 18th – 20th) and the Day of Atonement (on the 28th) and taking this time frame and events and keeping them in the forefront of our minds as we read through Joel chapter 2. During this chapter Joel calls for a solemn assembly of repentance because of certain events and sins. We are approaching the day of solemn assembly of repentance and the same certain events and sins are causing the day of the Lord to be at hand. The parallel is quite literal between today’s world news and this passage. We should sound an alarm to heed to the warning and instructions of this prophet!!!
Where did we leave off?
“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand –
2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste – nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
7 They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
10 Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.” Joel 2:1-10 NIV
Ah yes – earthquakes. We did cover earthquakes.
So, the heavens tremble – I am a bit of a science nerd and sci-fi fan. I enjoy all things techie and all things outer space, and the interesting activity in our heaven (the sky above the sky that we can see) is amazing. Maybe it is just that we have improved our technology enough that now we can see and understand what is out there. Or maybe as the Bible says, this is actually ‘more’ activity and a sign for us. Many times I find our own knowledge and understanding get in the way of the simplicity and gracefulness of the word of God.
I have a friend who knows a good deal of bible verses, enough to proclaim Jesus is Lord. That knowledge has made him safe and comfortable, believing he has secured his salvation. That knowledge has also stood in the way of him studying the word of God and going deeper – learning he has to be a doer of the word – to do the will of God and repent from sins. Let us use this as a cautionary tale, being warned so that we do not assume our knowledge is greater than the word of God. So if the word of God says the heavens tremble – they tremble. The activity we see is not the usual activity, as we assume – it is new and different and God has helped us create the technology to see it.
Speaking of seeing – today is a sunny day for me. The sun and the moon and the stars are all within my ability to see. Does this mean this passage of Joel is no longer relevant to our day and age? He he he – I am bating you – remember I am a little bit of a science nerd. The air quality index today (in NY) is over >100 US AQI, which means unhealthy for sensitive groups. I look at the forecast for air quality and it is getting worse. Why? Well even though the international wild fires are not close to me in my mind – they are close enough that the smoke is literally polluting the air quality everywhere. Polluting and darkening the sky, sun, moon, and stars. (Usually I research a lot of Bible cross references while studying. Today I am researching air quality in random cities in each of the nations where I know you, my readers, live. And without exception all of us are experiencing a decline in air quality according to the data available to me.) The sky is darkening according to science as well as the bible.
So there we have it – Joel said these things are coming if we do not repent. And we all slumbered. We were complacent. We did not do as Joel told us, that the Lord said, to do in the verses after. Each and every thing he warned us of – has begun and in a literal way, none the less. So literal, we cannot say, well I am going to interpret it differently and therefore miss the sound of the alarm.
Who of you is doubting? You cannot see the parallel? You say, well, it isn’t that bad because my local news isn’t covering the world news and I am convinced that it’s just a small little natural disaster isolated to this one incident. – YOU, who are thinking these parallels are not so, you are a false prophet! You tell your friends and acquaintances you are a Christian yet you live in sin and lies – you are full of opinions which you worship over God. You have mislead people who desperately need a mighty and living God and caused them to believe in your weak hypocritical religion and failed in relationship with the All-Mighty through Christ. Your compromise and failures, if not repented of quickly, shall cost others their lives – and their blood and state of their souls shall be on your hands. God will hold you accountable.
“11 The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” Joel 2:11 NIV
The Mighty God, The One True Living God, The Holy One of Israel – He is still in control. His judgment must come. Repentance brings us under grace and not subject to the wrath. Repentance can turn His wrath away completely. Will enough people repent to defer the pending doom?
Seriously – why are we not standing on the street corner yelling “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” It is time to get right with God. There is no more time to procrastinate.
If you don’t already, and today you would like to have a relationship with a God who can communicate with you and be part of your life (and protect you) – one who is full of mighty power and tender love, then please know that I have put the “A, B, C’s of Salvation” in my introduction. Please click here to follow the link.**
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Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing – grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Joel 2:12-17 NIV
If Not For Grace 