Joel and the Coming Storm

[Guest shiloh357]

I think we are living in an unprecedented time and it is my opinion that we turned a corner in 2012.   I remember when no on thought our country would survive the Clinton years.  The Clinton years are nothing compared to what we have now.   During the Clinton years, you could just shake your head a the liberals and turn off the TV and head on over to the local high school football game. 

 

It is totally different ball of wax, now.  Liberals are 100 times more dangerous than they ever were before.  The Democratic party is not like it was 20 years ago.  20 years ago, abortion was the big liberal social issue.   Now we have gotten to the place where everything is offensive and everyone is afraid to say anything for fear of offending people.   Even Jerry Seinfeld who is no conservative has bemoaned how thin-skinned we have become.

 

The reason that the Ben Ghazi scandal, the NSA Scandal, the IRS scandal and the Fast and Furious Scandals have not landed anyone in jail is because no one is paying attention.  Social media has us distracted.   We are too busy with our selfie sticks and play Candy Crush, and Cookie Jam to notice that our country is sliding off into the abyss.  We have become a juvenile country.   It's not that social media is bad, but instead of being a tool, it has caused us to become a nation of tools.   

[Littlelambseativy]

Welcome back Matthitjah.. At least I have not seen you for a while, you have been missed....All the prophets spoke of signs they saw happening to Israel at THEIR time but the same message also looks FORWARD to a future event. God always gave the prophets a dual vision. I do agree that there is a dis..ease amongst people today. We are discomforted by what we see happening in our leadership, our society, our families, and our churches. The people are confused, and uncertain why. Too many times the phrase ' devoid of reason' comes to mind. It IS as though we are waiting for the other shoe to fall but are uncertain what that shoe is or how loud the nerve wracking sound may be. Joel saw it for Israel of his time but most certainly it applies to us. We are living in times of uncertainty and yet we know what the future holds for us. We look forward to that special one time event that is meant for us..a goose bumpy event that we can hardly wait for, yet those who mock us and refuse to follow our Lord and His way dwell not knowing His comforting words and the words of His prophets...they are to be pittied. Yes, Joel and all the prophets spoke for their time and for ours if only they would be heard. Just so do most of the prophets...we just need to see their words as for Their day and ours.

[angels4u]

Grace to you,

 

Hi Beloved, the recent "Thunderbolt" (Barack Obama termed it such not me) ruling by the Supreme Court on Homosexual Marriage made me think of the Prophet Joel and the Plague of Locusts.

 

Some believe that the Locusts described is the Army of the Lord and in some sense the future Church and truly they were the Army of the Lord because He Created them and it's pretty apparent that He sent them. I believe that they were literally an Army of Insects that laid Israel bare due to Judgment being sent for their egregious sins.

 

Regardless, Joel starts this way;

 

Joel 1:1 The Word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel.

 

Joel 1:2 Hear this, you aged men, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land. Has this happened in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

 

Joel is somebody! He is the son of Pethuel. He has a lineage and this is important.

 

Joel is sounding an alarm because he's seen something. Perhaps he had a vision? I'm not sure and the scripture isn't clear but what he has begun to say is of deep import.

 

He starts with the most experienced of the society. He shout's out, "Hear this you aged men!" Then he moves on to everyone else

 

He's asking the aged most experienced men if they've ever seen any thing like what is about to come. He asks them to reach back into their lineage and see if they can find a mention of something similar. It seems that this Judgment will be so harsh that they won't be able to find an example like it in their memory or the memory of their aged fathers when they had reached the ripe old age that the current crop of elders had attained.

 

This is a Prophetic warning of impending Judgment.

 

I'm wondering, in light of this "Thunderbolt" decision by the Supreme Court if we can look back and see if anything like this has ever happened in our fathers times or even our fathers, fathers times.

 

Can you envision the Swarm of Locust that is about to descend? What do you liken it to? Should we be concerned?

 

I wanted to start right here with the first two verses because it sets the tone of the whole book. There is much to be gleaned from it, but the bad news is out and like an Army of Swarming Insects a plague, like a Thunderbolt, has descended upon the Land. The times and the seasons are changing and with a rapidity unlike any of our lineage has ever seen.

 

Please share your thoughts.

 

Thanks,

Dave

 

Hi Dave,so nice to see you back in Worthy

 

I believe Joel had a vision !

 

Thank you for putting this to our attention,the purpose this was written is that Israel would turn back to God and it is a warning that disaster is coming ...it is talking about 4 differents locusts:swarmer,lapper and the  devourer which will be natural disasters,hurricanes,earthquakes,all kind of diseases. Locust swarms are commonly numbered in the millions and billions ...is this where you want to start?

[Matthitjah]

Interesting simplejeff!
 
You appear to be headed in the right direction.
 
You'd think that God is a blood thirsty goon looking to send millions to hell if you listened to certain people, especially Christians.
 
Let's be certain of something;

Am 5:14
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken.

Am 5:15
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

Am 5:16
¶ Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, says thus: Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the farmer to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing.

Am 5:17
And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through you, says the LORD.

Am 5:18
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

 

Amos a confederate Prophet of Joel has a warning for us. The Prophet operated in the role of a warning which is what Joel was laying down, but the prophet also saw in that the disaster that was coming and he knew that there was no delight in it.

 

The warning was always the same according to Jeremiah 25:4-7

 

God sent Judgment.

 

The only reason why was to turn their hearts back to Himself so that they would not perish.

 

It's interesting that on this thread "The Day of the Lord" has been mentioned and repeatedly. Do we long for it?

 

I certainly don't and especially in regards to America. Not for anyone really because the ramifications aren't even good for us according to Amos if our hearts aren't right.

 

Joel saw something alarming and he started with the eldest and most experienced amongst the people to jar them awake. He asked them to begin to seriously dwell on what was happening.

 

There is a proper response to the "Thunderbolt Ruling" here in America and "The Army of Locusts" in Joel's day.

 

We will all suffer under the Judgment. The land was laid bare and the animals even suffered in Joel's day.

 

After all, Daniel was led out with the captives of Judah too.

 

Be blessed beloved,

Dave

[George]

Nice to you around Dave!     I bet it's nicer to be a poster than it is to be a moderator!  LOL! 

 

Good word by the way! 

[Matthitjah]

Thanks George!

[Ezra]

Can you envision the Swarm of Locust that is about to descend? What do you liken it to? Should we be concerned?

 

Since Joel is pointing to the Day of the Lord, and a major portion of Revelation shows the judgments included in the Day of the Lord, one needs to connect Rev 9:1-12 to Joel's prophecy, since John already envisioned the swarm of locusts:

¹ And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

² And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

³ And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

⁴ And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

⁵ And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

⁶ And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

⁷ And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

⁸ And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

⁹ And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

¹⁰ And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

¹¹ And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

¹² One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

 

As to "should we be concerned", all Christians should be concerned that there are billions without Christ at this point.  That should be the focus of our concern, since if those people remain lost, they will be subject to the Day of the Lord.