Joel's Prophecies and the Day of the LORD

[not an echo]

Hello again all,

It has come on my heart to give one of my perspectives on things---a perspective based on what is revealed in Scripture of course.  This could be expanded or condensed and it could be said lots of different ways, but the following is the way I would like to put it forth for this thread.  Numbers 17, 18, 19, 25, 28, and 29 (note the asterisks *) connect hard with Joel's prophecies.  I pray this is found to be helpful.

A PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS

1.    In the beginning, God created this world and the father and mother of all mankind---Adam and Eve---to have dominion over it.

2.   God created Adam and Eve in His "likeness" and "image" and instilled in them the remarkable attribute of free will in regards to Him and His will---the desire and foundation of which connected with the possibility of reciprocal love.

3.   Integral with the attribute of free will in regard to God's will is an alternative to God's will, which possibility and alternative lies in the realm of evil, the antithesis of good---concepts bound up by God in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

4.   Enter Lucifer, "the anointed cherub" (Ezek. 28:14), created and set so by God, but not created in God's likeness and image.  God did, however, create in Lucifer the capacity for ambition, and Lucifer's chief ambition became this:  "I will be like the Most High" (Isa. 14:13-14).

5.   In consequence of Lucifer's desire, he became Satan and entirely unlike God, whereupon God cast him out of His Heaven.  Satan has since been the god of the aforementioned realm of evil, even referred to in the Bible as "the god of this world" (II Cor. 4:4).

6.   With the wherewithal to freely act in obedience or disobedience to God, Adam was commanded by God, under the penalty of death, to not partake of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 2:16-17).

7.   Eve, realizing God's command, but deceived and beguiled by Satan, exercised her free will in disobedience to God.  Adam then did likewise, and the first man and woman fell, becoming corrupted fallen creatures with the consequent knowledge of good and evil.  Adam and Eve's immediate spiritual death, their efforts to cover their nakedness, their hiding from God, their presuming to justify their actions, and their ultimate physical death bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition to which they fell.

8.   After Adam and Eve's fall, God declared His judgments and that the "seed" of the woman (Gen. 3:15) would bruise Satan's head.  God then shed the blood of the first innocents---animals---to "clothe" Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21).  That there was the need for innocent animals to be sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve's condition before God further bespeaks their corrupted fallen condition.

9.   Whereas Adam and Eve were created in the likeness and image of God, it was a corrupted form of this likeness and image that was passed on to their descendants, or all mankind---even to us (Gen. 5:3ff).  The effects and ugliness of their offspring's corruption was manifested when their firstborn son Cain killed his brother Abel.  This first murder bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition that was passed on to all mankind.

10.  In time, the state of mankind degenerated into such sinfulness that "every imagination" of mankind's thinking and heart "was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5).  This utter sinful degradation further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

11.   Because of the wickedness of mankind, God determined to destroy the earth by the flood.  But through Noah, who "found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Gen. 6:8), God preserved a remnant by which the earth could be repopulated.  That God determined to destroy the world as He did further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

12.  In time, mankind, acting independent of God's will and presuming to make for themselves "a name" set forth to build "a city and a tower" whose top would "reach unto heaven" (Gen. 11:4).  For this, God determined to confuse their language and "scattered them abroad" (Gen. 11:8).  Mankind's ambition, independent of seeking God, further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

13.  In the generations following, mankind fell into idolatry.  Biblical evidence supports that just before man fell hopelessly into this, God determined to make a covenant with another like Noah---Abram (whose name was changed to Abraham)---through whose seed He would bless the world (Gen. 12:1-3).  The fall of the world into idolatry further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

14.  Through Abraham's son Isaac, Isaac's son Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel), and Jacob's 12 sons, Abraham's descendants began to multiply.  In Egypt they multiplied exceedingly, until God, by Moses', brought them forth out of Egypt to become the Israelite nation.  On many occasions, the faith of even the Israelite people is seen to falter and fail.  This oft faltering and failing of the Israelites' faith further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

15.  Under the leadership of Moses' successor Joshua and various judges and kings (including David and Solomon), God continued to honor His covenant with Abraham, establishing the Israelites as His covenant nation and giving to them the land He had shown to Abraham.  Notwithstanding God's continued blessings upon the Israelites, they ever committed acts of disobedience toward Him.  That God's covenant people were so often disobedient to Him further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

16.  Even as a stand out nation and in Solomon's day, the greatest of the nations, Solomon's own fall into idolatry resulted in the nation being divided, with the northern kingdom (referred to as Israel) plunging wholly into idolatry.  This fall of the northern kingdom into such an extent of idolatry further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

*17.  Through various prophets God raised up (including Joel), He warned the Israelites repeatedly concerning the judgment(s) that He would bring upon them if they did not repent and turn to Him---which they did not.  This refusal to obey God in the face of repeated warnings further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

*18.  After much patience, God determined to judge the unrepentant northern kingdom and its capital Samaria by His chastening rod, the Assyrians.  The prophets referred to this judgment as a "Day of the LORD" judgment.  That God had to take such a drastic measure to get His people's attention further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

*19.  The southern kingdom (referred to as Judah), should have heeded what happened to the northern kingdom, but it did not.  In time, God also judged it, by the Babylonians.  The prophets referred to this judgment as a "Day of the Lord" judgment as well.  Judah, its capital Jerusalem, and its temple were destroyed, with only a remnant left in the land.  Again, that God had to take such a drastic measure to get His people's attention further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

20.  While the prophet Daniel was in captivity in Babylon and pouring out his heart in repentance to God for his and his people's sin, God informed him that "seventy weeks" were determined upon his people and the holy city TO BRING ABOUT ULTIMATE CLOSURE RELATED TO MANKIND'S CORRUPTED FALLEN CONDITION AND GOD'S REDEMPTIVE PLAN (Dan. 9:24).

21.  In accord with Daniel's "seventy weeks" prophecy, God later allows the Israelites to return to their homeland and to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.  Whereas they never fell into idolatry again, they did fall into other sins of ungodliness, even that of pride and self-righteousness in connection with their keeping of the law---stumbling concerning their need for faith and God's grace (Rom. 9:31-33).  The Israelites' ungodliness, pride of self-righteousness, and failure to look to God in faith for His grace further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

22.  At a time when both the world and God's covenant people were again at a sinful low, God sent Jesus Christ---the Promised Seed and God "manifest in the flesh" (I Tim. 3:16)---into this world for mankind's salvation.  Ultimately, mankind rejected Him, spit in His face, and crucified Him.  This cutting off of the "Messiah the Prince" (Dan. 9:25-26) fulfilled Daniel's "seventy weeks" prophecy through the 69th week (Dan. 9:25-26).  Mankind's rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ---the Promised Seed and God robed in human flesh---further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

23.  Prior to the time of Jesus Christ's being crucified, He spoke to His disciples about an institution He was going to build---the Church---and said of it that the "gates of hell" would not "prevail against it" (Matt. 16:13-18).  Later, He would give to the Church, through the pillars of His Church (the Apostles), what is commonly referred to as the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).

24.  The week Jesus was crucified, He spoke to His disciples about what would be coming to pass in the world and also of the prophecy of Daniel's 70th week (Matt. 24:15-25), which would come to pass at some unrevealed time later in the last days---just before His Second Coming (Matt. 24:26-28).

*25.  After Jesus' ascension, the Day of Pentecost came, at which time Jesus' disciples were empowered by His Holy Spirit as He promised (Acts 1:1-5).  This event marked the beginning of the fulfillment of a prophecy of Joel's (Acts 2:16-21) and commenced the era of Christianity and the New Testament Church.  Though Christ is ever building His Church, and we who make it up have been made new inwardly, much is involved in bringing what we presently remain outwardly into the fullness of what we will be ultimately.  The extent of the difference in what we now are and what we will be further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition from which we have been, are being, and will be saved.

26.  In the days of the apostles and the early days of the Church, there was much hostility by those steeped in Judaism and the Old Covenant against those who were embracing Christianity and the New Covenant---even efforts to destroy the Church.  This hostility towards Christians, the Church, and what God did for the world through Jesus Christ, further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

27.  In 70 A.D., both Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed by the Romans, in partial fulfillment of things Jesus had spoken.  In consideration of the conflict between Judaism and Christianity, it is not hard to see why God allowed this to take place, and as a result, Christianity and the New Covenant was better able to supercede Judaism and the Old Covenant.  That it took this measure for Christianity to not be so impeded by God's covenant nation further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

*28.  Before the death of the Apostle John (the last of the 12 apostles), God gave to him The Revelation.  The Revelation was a revealing of what would take place from that time until the time of closure for this world and of what eternity holds, especially for those who accept God's love and offer of salvation.  At the time of God's determination to begin bringing everything about this present world to a close, the Church will be gathered and the ultimate "Day of the LORD" judgment will commence---in fulfillment of the rest of Joel's prophecy quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost.  That this world will again get to the place that God must bring upon it another---the ultimate---Day of the LORD judgment further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

*29.  When the last days' Day of the LORD judgment begins, this world's stage will quickly be reset for the fulfilling of the last, or 70th week of Daniel's "seventy weeks" prophecy.  Christ's Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon will mark the last day of this seven year period.  Before this world is destroyed, Satan will be bound and Christ will rule and reign upon it for a 1000 years, to bring to fulfillment the closing elements that the "seventy weeks" is prophesied to give way to (Dan. 9:24)  Interestingly, after Christ's Reign, Satan will be loosed "for a little season" to again deceive, and there will be a revolt by multitudes (Rev. 20:7-9).  This revolt of the multitudes after the time of Christ's Reign further bespeaks the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

30.  When this present world is destroyed (Rev. 20:11), the Last Judgment will take place (Rev. 20:12-15).  At this time, all the unsaved will be cast into the "Lake of Fire" for eternity.  This event will mark the final event of the ultimate Day of the LORD judgment---and closure for this world---after which will come that "Happily Ever After" part for God and all of His saved in Heaven (Rev. 21-22).  That those who are cast into the Lake of Fire could have easily been saved, but determined to reject God's Love, His Christ, and His offer of salvation further bespeaks---once again---the corrupted fallen condition of mankind.

A final word concerning the above.  Rather than to respond to posts that may be in disagreement about something I have here stated---which could easily result in the derailment of this thread---I would much rather start another thread relating to the above alone.  I believe it would make for an interesting thread.  We'll see, but for now, I really have some other things that I would like to do first.

[not an echo]

Here is one of my charts, showing a high bird's-eye view of my understanding of what the last days' Day of the LORD judgment includes.