Joel's Prophecies and the Day of the LORD

[truth7t7]

3 hours ago, Keras said:

'coming', does not mean Return, in those prophesies. 

Proved by how the Lord is not seen on His Day if fiery wrath, Psalms 11:4-6, Psalms 18:11, Habakkuk 3:4,   He sends this fire; Amos 1 & 2:15

"Coming" doesn't mean "Return"?

Real Big Smiles!  

Edited January 31, 2022 by truth7t7

[not an echo]

On 1/29/2022 at 6:44 AM, Diaste said:

On 1/27/2022 at 9:14 PM, not an echo said:

Hello Diaste,

Well, I had thought I would be back before now, but my son and I have been sick for the last three days, me, as sick as I ever remember being.  Everyone was sold out of Covid tests, but we believe we both had it, as his girlfriend just tested positive and it is flourishing around here.  We determined to treat it as such and take it hour by hour.  I never developed a problem breathing, but the body aches were severe, and I've never experienced such chills, etc..  Hoping now that the wife doesn't come down with it.  I'm feeling about 75% now and really thankful I didn't end up in the hospital.

Sorry to hear that. We have had it going around here too. At least one person was quarantined two week ago for 5 days. A few others have been in and out.

Hello Diaste,

I ended up with a backset it seems.  As the day wore on Monday, I felt worse and worse.  Found some tests and they showed we were both positive, but by this time, the tests only confirmed what we already knew.  A development is that my wife has zero sense of smell or taste.  We have been hearing talk that this can last months.  She is understandably stressed!

Hadn't felt like doing much all week and only a bit now.  My head feels like it is in a drum.  I have reviewed the several replies of late (kinda hard to keep a real good focus) and have come away feeling that our discussions will probably be unfruitful until there is a realization that what happened with the Israelites (and the surrounding nations) in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C. was in fact "Day of the LORD" judgments upon them.  I'm going to try to go on and start down that path that I have spoke of.  At least, that will accomplish my original purpose for this thread and help to get it back on track.

Hope you (and all) will continue to look at this.  For me, it is a very solid Scriptural truth...

[not an echo]

Hello all,

Concerning the discussions that turned in the direction of Christ's Millennial Reign of late, this is a topic that deserves a thread all its own.  However, I would just like to point out a couple of things to be mindful of, and then I will not discuss it further here.  First of all, the following Scripture is very clear, and whatever is being believed about it, any belief that is in contradiction to it needs to be seriously re-thought.  There is a way to understand all Scripture which will align perfectly with all Scripture.  That is the understanding which must be sought.

From Revelation 20, it reads...

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Finally, be reminded that as The Revelation is brought to a close, we find these words in chapter 22...

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

[not an echo]

Hello all,

For a little background on what I would like to do now, I spoke the following to Marilyn C back on page 10 of this thread...

"On to our discussion concerning the specific phrase, "the day of the LORD" (e.g., Joel 1:15;  Ezek. 30:3;  Oba. 15;  Zeph. 1:7), I have a long scenic path that I want to go down concerning this subject, but it will be simple (and I believe very interesting) all along the way.  The reason it will be long is because of the thorough and systematic approach that I will be taking.  I would like for you to join me all along the way, to point out what you would like to point out.

I think that where the water really meets the wheel for us concerns whether that Joel's five uses of the phrase the Day of the LORD only speaks to a future, last day's Day of the LORD judgment, or, if it also speaks of Day of the LORD judgments that happened in the 8th-6th centuries B.C.  I'm going to take it that you affirm the former and deny the latter.  Of course, it is quite evident that I believe the latter, that it speaks of both.  More specifically, I believe that Joel 1:1-2:11 speaks to the Day of the LORD judgment that has been fulfilled because the Israelites did not "Turn" (2:12-17) and did not meet the "Then" condition (2:18-27), which, if they had, would have been a game changer.  Moreover, beginning with 2:28, I believe that Joel's prophecy turns indeed to the future, last day's Day of the LORD judgment, which I believe is looming even now, in our day.  I believe we both agree on this Marilyn.  However, I'm taking it that you believe the whole of Joel's prophecy concerns only a future, last day's Day of the LORD.  I hope I'm not misrepresenting anything about your position.

Now, why do I believe as I do?  I believe as I do because of what I am seeing both internally (within the book of Joel itself, understood according to Scriptural CONCEPTS) and externally (in other places of Scripture, understood according to CONTEXT).  I want to point out what I see INTERNAL to Joel first, then later, what I see EXTERNAL to Joel.  I also want to humbly acknowledge that I may be wrong, or mistaken in my ultimate conclusions.  You (and all) will get to be your on judge on that.  Whatever the case, I hope it will be seen that another look is at least in order and that we all come to a better understanding of the truth."

With this, I began by going down a path of showing INTERNAL EVIDENCES "within the book of Joel itself, understood according to Scriptural CONCEPTS."  These I numbered 1-30 and I have the uninterrupted list of these shown on page 26 of this thread.

What I would like to do now is start down a path showing EXTERNAL EVIDENCES "in other places of Scripture, understood according to CONTEXT."

On our first path, I indicated the different evidences as NUMBER 1, NUMBER 2, and so forth through NUMBER 30.  I also gave all the evidences in blocks of three.  On this path, I will indicate the different evidences as EXHIBIT A, EXHIBIT B, and so forth.  But, as I am kinda anxious to do some other thread work, I will only be giving one exhibit at a time.  As before, I will be stopping all along the way (at checkpoints, if you will) to discuss whatever someone may want to discuss in regards to that point on the path.  Not forgetting what we have seen on our path of INTERNAL EVIDENCE, consider now some... 

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT A---As we enter this path, I can think of no more an appropriate stop than at the book that immediately follows Joel, that is the book of Amos.  As will be characteristic of the other evidences we come to on this path, it will be of the utmost importance to consider context.  With Amos, I would seriously recommend for the reader to begin in verse one and continue without interruption through to the end of the prophecy.  I believe doing this will make our path a lot less time consuming.  There are several things of note that can be pointed out, but I would like to draw attention to what is written in chapter five, AS EVERYTHING AMOS PROPHESIES UP TO THIS POINT POINTS TO THIS POINT---LIKE A CRESCENDO:

16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.

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.

19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

20 Shall not

THE DAY OF THE LORD

be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

Interesting to me are these words that are spoken prior to the crescendo, first in chapter 2:

16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked IN THAT DAY, saith the LORD.

Then in chapter 3:

13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,

14 That in the day THAT I SHALL VISIT THE TRANSGRESSIONS OF ISRAEL upon him I WILL ALSO VISIT THE ALTARS OF BETHEL: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

This was not going to be the kind of visit that they wanted!  Note now from chapter 4:

9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the LORD.

10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the LORD.

11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the LORD.

12 THEREFORE thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD, O ISRAEL.

It shouldn't be surprising that the priest wasn't too much for hearing all of this from someone like Amos.  But, Amos had a word for him too.  Consider from chapter 7 (NOTE:  So much is here worth emphasizing, but I will only here emphasize Amos' name for reference and clarity):

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.

12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.

14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:

15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.

17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

Hopefully this will suffice for a worthy first exhibit.  Again, a key here will be reading the whole of the prophecy for oneself.

Edited February 12, 2022 by not an echo

[not an echo]

If everyone is ready, maybe we can make up for some lost time and continue on a little further down our path.  I hope EXHIBIT A was helpful in showing by Scripture that there were indeed Day of the LORD judgments that God brought upon the Israelites back in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C.  Not forgetting all the other evidences of this that we have considered prior to now, lets move on to...

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT B---I would here like for us to consider what we find in the opening chapters of the book of Ezekiel.  As with the book of Amos, to understand the context of what we will be looking at, it will be important to do some reading, and I would recommend again beginning with the first verse.  What I would like to point out concerning this exhibit is found primarily in chapter 13.  But, before we get there, realize that Ezekiel was in the number of those who were first carried away captive to Babylon.  And, though there had been much destruction in his land, there was going to be more, and God called him to warn his fellow Israelites about it.  In chapter 2, God instructs Ezekiel thus...

3 And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day.

4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

In chapter 3, God even goes as far as to tell Ezekiel this...

7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken UNTO ME: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

God directs Ezekiel to illustrate concerning His continued judgment upon them in various and unique ways, speaking also of His "fury" (5:13, 6:12) and "anger" (5:15, 7:3) and "wrath" (7:12, 14) towards them.  Note in chapter 7 the nature of the warnings and closeness of God's continued judgment upon them...

3 NOW is the end come upon thee, and I will send Mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.

8 NOW will I SHORTLY pour out My fury upon thee, and accomplish Mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.

10 Behold THE DAY, behold, IT IS COME: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.

12 The time IS COME, THE DAY DRAWETH NEAR: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

And then, a few verses further, we see God's continued judgment upon them described thus...

18 They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, AND HORROR SHALL COVER THEM; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in THE DAY OF THE WRATH OF THE LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

It is hard to imagine how bleak a time it was in the history of the Israelite nation.  Moreover, it is also hard to imagine how ungodly they had become.  In the face of God's continued judgment upon them, consider Ezekiel's reaction and God's reply near the end of chapter 9...

8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt Thou destroy all the residue of Israel in THY POURING OUT OF THY FURY UPON JERUSALEM?

9 Then said He unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is EXCEEDING GREAT, and the land is FULL OF BLOOD, and the city FULL OF PERVERSENESS: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

They also had took up the following proverb, which God was about to cause to cease.  Consider from chapter 12...

21 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

22 Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are AT HAND, AND THE EFFECT OF EVERY VISION.

24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak SHALL COME TO PASS; IT SHALL BE NO MORE PROLONGED: FOR IN YOUR DAYS, O REBELLIOUS HOUSE, WILL I SAY THE WORD, AND WILL PERFORM IT, saith the Lord GOD.

26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying.

27 Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times THAT ARE FAR OFF.

28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of My words be prolonged ANY MORE, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

Now, still related to this, continuing into chapter 13, God says the following...

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in

THE DAY OF THE LORD.

By the evidence of this and that of the preceding exhibit, it should be becoming more apparent that the phrase, "the Day of the LORD" is not only used of God's time of judgment upon this world that will come in the last day's, but also speaks to God's time of judgment upon His people and the surrounding nations back in the days of the OT prophets.

[not an echo]

As we continue further down our path of looking at evidences that there were "Day of the LORD" judgments that God brought upon Israel in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C., it is important to note that He also judged the surrounding nations in that day.  One such nation is the one of our next exhibit focus.  Consider now...

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT C---Since our previous exhibit had us looking in the book of Ezekiel, I want to call our attention there again, this time with a focus upon chapters 29-32.  As before, to understand the context, I would encourage the reading of each of these chapters.  Note especially how that chapter 29 opens, as this sets the focus for what follows...

1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of EGYPT, and prophesy against him, AND AGAINST ALL EGYPT:

3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

We must know that if God would judge His covenant nation for all their ungodliness, He would judge the surrounding heathen nations for all their ungodliness as well---and He did.  Their idolatry preceded that of the Israelites, and for that, God judged them as well.  Note a little further in chapter 29...

8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.

9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD: because he (Pharoah/vs. 3) hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.

Important to note is that God judged them as He did that they might know that He was "THE LORD" (see 29:16, 21;  30:8, 19, 25; and 32:15).

Moreover, with the same instrument God used to judge His people, He judged Egypt.  Interestingly, in chapter 29 we read that He gave Egypt into Nebuchadrezzar's hand as "wages" (vss. 18-19), saying also...

20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, BECAUSE THEY WROUGHT FOR ME, saith the Lord GOD.

Important also to note is that concerning this judgment, God told Ezekiel to prophesy thus, as chapter 30 opens...

2 Son of man, prophesy and say, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; HOWL YE, WOE WORTH THE DAY!

3 For THE DAY is near, even

THE DAY OF THE LORD

is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.

4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.

This is the tenor of everything that is said concerning the judgment of God that was then looming upon Egypt.  Consider just a few verses further...

10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

11 He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.

12 And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I THE LORD HAVE SPOKEN IT.

[not an echo]

Continuing further down our path, next we come to...

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT D---This evidence is provided to us by Obadiah.  The opening verses of his prophecy read as follows...

1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

When I think of Edom and what the prophecy of Obadiah concerns, I can't help but think of a sibling rivalry, because the people of Edom were the descendants of Esau, and it was because they rejoiced over the judgment of God upon their brother Jacob (the Israelites) that they were about to experience the same.  Consider the following verses...

10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, EVEN THOU WAST AS ONE OF THEM.

12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; NEITHER SHOULDEST THOU HAVE REJOICED OVER THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

From Psalm 137, consider very closely these words of the Israelite captives in Babylon, especially verse seven...

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

7 REMEMBER, O LORD, THE CHILDREN OF EDOM in the day of Jerusalem; who said, RASE IT, RASE IT, EVEN TO THE FOUNDATION THEREOF.

The Edomites would have done well to have thought on Solomon's proverb, from Proverbs 24...

17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18 Lest the LORD see it, AND IT DISPLEASE HIM, and He turn away His wrath from him.

Just a little sidebar---I know that if my earthly father had seen me laughing over him spanking my sister, he would have wore me out worse!  It has been over 50 years, but it seems like I have a memory of that even happening once, or being warned about it!  The Edomites should have considered themselves when God was judging the Israelites, because God had the judgment of others (including them!)  in mind as well.  Picking back up where we left off in Obadiah earlier, consider further...

13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of My people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;

14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.

15 For

THE DAY OF THE LORD

is near upon all the heathen: AS THOU HAST DONE, IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO THEE:  THY REWARD SHALL RETURN UPON THINE OWN HEAD.

[Rob Teaches Evangelism]

Hi Not an Echo.

I think it is Amazing to me to say to you that the part of your testimony that begins way near the top of this thread. The part that goes "This is how I felt when I was 25.  Though I was saved when I was 10 years old, at 18 I had moved away from home and went down the path of the world." My testimony is pretty identical to that meaning our ages and feelings match. I could say, "This is how I felt when I was 25.  Though I was saved when I was 10 years old, at 18 I (Rob) had moved" off to CSU university "away from home and went" and found myself over the hypocrite fence joining the hidden population of closet Christians walking "down the path of the world." 

So, when I was 25 'Godly sorrow that brings repentance was upon me.' AND the Joel experience kicked in for me. (It is also the Malichai 4 type awakening.) At 25 nothing in the world had meaning, the world was a let down. I was at the point of realizing that nothing in the world I did with my life would or should matter to God. 

When I was 10 I dreamed of being a fun-loving Christian guy at 25 and I was NOT even close though I had the dream job, my own place, rich friends. I was a self-proclaimed party animal and I was unhappy. I there alone in my apartment talking to myself and I apparently said a prayer.

I said, "I WISH I COULD HELP GOD GET SOMTHING HE WANTS" and at that moment the Holy Spirit poured like a waterfall down on me and I was changed... Everything massively changed in life. A whole new journey. I began Reading the Bible; believing every word of it was the same as food for my soul and water to my life. I had fruits of the spirit kick in and found myself turned off to the world. Leaving the world, I was talking about Jesus to everyone. I told my employees, my customers, my party friends. I traveled abroad to share the gospel in Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela and more...

That was 30 years ago, and I am still enjoying life in Christ. ....

ON the rapture I am thinking while it will happen, I think it may happen in such a way to us that the world would hardly know it. I mean imagine if there was a global lockdown and those (who were not removed from this world through the ordinary means) were so few and so canceled by culture that no one would notice if they were raptured. Like a thief in the night, we just vanish. While the unsaved were all looking into their virtual world with their 3d goggles where they are all marrying any beast or alien, we would just vanish and none of them would notice. 

Or even less dramatic- Meanwhile, on all kinds of social media platforms people are giving in marriage and celebrating their remarriage and there re re marriage to a small shrub... I am saying that while some like Enoch would be raptured and who know the rest of Seth's line perhaps if it remained was thin, when the flood hit and lifted Noah and 7 others above the earth....  So, at the rapture, the sudden calamity might have so much attention that it hardly makes the news. Though I believe the fire, earthquake, 'heaven shake' would knock out all simple communication and the remaining anti-christ population much like Cain would say "am I my brother's keeper?" 

Only thing is that God has a new POST new Testament Christian... 144,000 tribulation saint arise from the 12 tribes of Israel... They share the gospel millions of people turn to the Lord. The 7 years are underway...   

[Diaste]

On 2/2/2022 at 7:10 PM, not an echo said:

Hello Diaste,

I ended up with a backset it seems.  As the day wore on Monday, I felt worse and worse.  Found some tests and they showed we were both positive, but by this time, the tests only confirmed what we already knew.  A development is that my wife has zero sense of smell or taste.  We have been hearing talk that this can last months.  She is understandably stressed!

Hadn't felt like doing much all week and only a bit now.  My head feels like it is in a drum.  I have reviewed the several replies of late (kinda hard to keep a real good focus) and have come away feeling that our discussions will probably be unfruitful until there is a realization that what happened with the Israelites (and the surrounding nations) in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C. was in fact "Day of the LORD" judgments upon them.  I'm going to try to go on and start down that path that I have spoke of.  At least, that will accomplish my original purpose for this thread and help to get it back on track.

Hope you (and all) will continue to look at this.  For me, it is a very solid Scriptural truth...

Sorry to hear about this. It's no fun. Take care of yourselves, it will pass. 

The loss of taste and smell can be long but it can be short lived as well, a matter of a couple weeks. Be encouraged, the Lord will heal you.

All I'm asking for is something like from Daniel 4. Nebby had a dream, it was interpreted, it was fulfilled, and it was all recorded. Twelve months later it came to pass.

Or like what Jesus said in Luke 4:16-21. A prophecy which didn't come to pass for 700 years.

Or maybe like the prophecy in Gen 3:15; "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." which still has not been fulfilled 6000 years later. One could argue a partial fulfillment here and I would agree.

Point being the prophecies don't have to come to pass at any particular time by human reckoning but only in the purpose of the Father and in His time. 

I would imagine dozens of claims of fulfillment of the Isaiah 61:1-11 prophecy were circulated in the 700 year gap. 

So....

Where is it recorded in either a scriptural source, an extra scriptural source, reliable historian, archeology, or internet sleuth that Joel 1-2:27 came to pass with all the elements as spoken:

• An innumerable destructive army invaded 
• Meat and drink offering cut off from the house of God
• Food grains destroyed
• Pastures destroyed
• Water dried up
• And all when the DOTL is near

And an army that:

• Never was nor ever will be
• Appear as horses
• Sound like chariots
• Where the nations are afraid of this army
• When every person fears this army
• And then a call for repentance
• Then the Lord destroyed this army
• The Lord restored all land
• And never again let His people be ashamed

Joel 2: "Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.

5With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops,"

Rev 9: "And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads, and faces like the faces of men. 8They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions. 9They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle."

Interesting similarity.

 

 

 

 

[Keras]

I totally disagree that the Day of the Lord's vengeance and wrath is past history.  Nothing like what is described in over 100 Bible prophesies, has happened yet.

Prophecy coming true as we watch: 

Events now unfolding in the Middle East are rapidly bringing closer the apocalyptic scenario as predicted in many prophetic scriptures, mainly Psalms 83, Revelation 6:12-17, Joel 2:1-11, Zephaniah 3:8, Zechariah 12:1-10.  As described, the Lord Himself intervenes and destroys a massive attack from an Islamic confederation. The Messiah Jesus reveals Himself personally to the people surviving in Israel. Isaiah 6:13, Isaiah 29:1-4  At this time, those remnant Christian Jews will receive a spirit of compassion and will mourn ‘over Him whom they pierced. Zechariah 12:10-14.

Psalms 83 begins by describing a united conspiracy against Israel. Their aim is total annihilation of the Jewish State of Israel, to occupy all the Land and to wipe out any remembrance of them. Although each of the tribal groups mentioned is a historic enemy of Israel and has fought against them on various occasions, there is no record that they ever joined in such an alliance. All of the modern nations who are descendants of the peoples mentioned in Psalms 83, are currently obsessed with an Islamic inspired determination to completely eliminate the Jewish State of Israel.

 

Psalms 81:13-15 O that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!   I would soon subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord pretend submission to Him, but their fate will endure forever.

Verse 15 tells of a people who hate God when they think in their minds that they submit to Him. The word Islam, means submitters to god: their god, Allah.

So then, when we read in Psalms 83:2 For your enemies raise an uproar, those who hate you hold their heads high, it is saying that the enemies mentioned, are those who believe they submit to God, but in reality are full of religious pride and are in fact haters of the true God.

 

Psalms 83:18 So let it be known that You, whose name is Jesus are alone the Most High over all the earth.

The reason that the Lord will be so powerfully victorious in this coming war, is to witness to all unbelievers, especially the Ishmaelite peoples, who will then recognize the true religion and Islam will be discredited.

 

The writer of Psalms 83, the prophet Asaph, prays that Israel’s current enemies will be just as soundly defeated as were the Midianites, etc, when their armies were scattered and their leaders executed. When this prayer is answered, the holy Land will be a much bigger country, it will include all the area given by God to Abraham. Isaiah 25:13, Micah 7:11

There will be a terrible loss of life, as well as large numbers of refugees, who will flee from all the Mid east countries. But a holy remnant will survive in Jerusalem. After the Land is cleaned and regenerated, then all the true descendants of Jacob and those grafted in, all the Christian Israelites of God,  will be motivated to emigrate to the New Israel. [Beulah; Isaiah 62:1-5]

There, they will be an example to the world of how all should live and 144,000 of them will go out to all peoples and preach the coming Kingdom of Jesus.  Revelation 14:1-7, Isaiah 66:19.                        Ref; logostelos.info