Joel's Prophecies and the Day of the LORD

not an echo · February 7, 2022

17 hours ago, Rob Teaches Evangelism said:

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. ....

Hello Rob,

Thanks for sharing some of your testimony with me! It is a blessing to hear when God has worked in someone else's life in ways similar to how He has worked in my own life. Oops! I guess I should first welcome you to the Worthy Forum Family! With the forum and anything else you involve yourself in, I would encourage you (and everyone) with my life Scripture, from Proverbs 3...

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Also, never, never, ever forget this, from Colossians 2...

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:

7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Since what I shared of my testimony near the first of this thread resonated with you, I thought I would share with you the link to my testimony in the "Testimonies" section of the forum (https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/252050-my-testimony-and-more/). If you ever share your testimony there, let me know. The testimonies of others who I have interacted with on the forum have always interested me. It's a way to get to know each other a little better before we get to glory!

17 hours ago, Rob Teaches Evangelism said:

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'm inclined the same way Rob. The first thread that I ever started on this forum connects with this in what I still believe to be a very interesting way. Here is a link to that thread, which I entitled The First Four Trumpets (https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/249206-the-first-four-trumpets/).

not an echo · February 7, 2022

14 hours ago, Diaste said:

On 2/2/2022 at 8:10 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.

Hello Diaste,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. The wife has since thought she may have smelled something, but very faint. She has even wondered if it was the memory of a smell. :unsure:

For now, I'm just thankful to know what it feels like to feel good again. Though there were a couple of days that I felt better, up until yesterday, I haven't really felt good for about two weeks now. The week before last, I felt worse than I've ever felt in my life. My heart goes out to those (and their loved ones) who have ended up in the hospital or on a ventilator or worse...

14 hours ago, Diaste said:

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.

As I have said a few times now, I feel that in the course of this thread (and elsewhere) I have answered your concerns with solid Scripture and reasoning. I thought about making the effort once again with your above post, but I don't believe you will ever really be able to see what I have tried to show you until you realize that what happened with the Israelites (and the surrounding nations) in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C. were truly "Day of the LORD" judgments. I still haven't seen any indication that you realize this.

For now, I'm inclined to continue further down the path of external evidences that I have been showing, in hopes that maybe you will begin to see something that you have not yet been able to accept. I know it can be difficult. Sometimes we have to be able to unsee some things before we can see other things. I fear that in your dismissing of what I have tried to show you from God's Word, you've ended up dismissing some of His Word, without even really realizing it. The important thing is that we truly see what God has revealed to us, and it has long been my goal to both do this and show this. Of course, I know that that would be your goal as well. Just saying. :th_handshake:

Again my friend, the most important thing is that we are ready, come what may. I know that we agree on that. And, one fine day, the good Lord will grant our present fallible minds perfect understanding in those things that we continue to endeavor to now see more clearly. Till then, I believe the evidence bears out that to the both of us, it is all very, very interesting.

not an echo · February 7, 2022

7 hours ago, Keras said:

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.

Hello Keras,

I just want to clarify that I certainly believe that there is a future, last day's "Day of the LORD" judgment! To say it another way, there IS a "Day of the LORD" judgment coming that is well beyond what happened in "past history"!! Moreover, I believe it is looming!!! However, according to Scripture, there were "Day of the LORD" judgments that took place upon Israel and the surrounding nations in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C. I submit that it is necessary to come to this realization in order to rightly divide "the Word of Truth" (II Tim. 2:15). For me, all of this has been the ultimate goal of this thread. As I interpret Scripture, to believe otherwise is to believe in conflict with Scripture.

Rob Teaches Evangelism · February 7, 2022

Thanks @not an echo for the welcome and the comments. Also, I should add, and you can comment that just after I said the words ...

"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"

I heard in my mind a voice reply to me clearly, "Seek yee first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness."

My first response was interesting as I had never been, met, known, or heard about any experience like mine. I had not met or heard of a charismatic or Pentacostal believer. Even when I relate my testimony to the leaders in those movements, they say it is so rare to know anyone having such an experience without someone praying over them or laying hands on them etc.

So, on the Joel passage the and the Acts passage with Peter my humble result was similar. I was baptized, then within the next year I shared the gospel to over 1,000 people even crowds of people young and old and a majority percentage would pray along with me to accept Jesus... Among those I reached that year many went into ministry as Kingdom builders and are going strong to this day.

So, my first life verse is Matt 6:33 and I took it to mean this that when I said apparently myself, "I WISH I COULD HELP GOD GET SOMTHING HE WANTS." The Holy Spirit seemed to be waiting for me to ask this and responded to me with a scripture Matt 6:33 that I had learned when I was 10 years old.

Further, I took it to mean that He was saying 1) Yes there is some kind way to help God get something He wants done. 2) He wants you to help share that He is King, and He has a Kingdom that He has a first priority for it to be understood by everyone everywhere. 3) He wants everyone who joins the project to know that it is RIGHT meaning a truth that matters and it is spread best through sinners made right by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 4) Confirmation was granted that as I went on to obey these words and the laws of the King as set forth in the Word. The confirmation was that as I went forward, He has "added unto" me all that I need to walk that path.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Rob Teaches Evangelism
typos

Rob Teaches Evangelism · February 7, 2022

So as my comments are meant to go with "The DAY of The Lord" discussion. (*Some glitch seems to make me type in red font if you are seeing what I see and wondering.)

The Day of The Lord is massive in scope and relates to the idea of the King who went on a journey, and He is coming back into His world and by nature cleaning house. The Cain type (anti-Christ, everything goes but Christ type people) who will hold up any number of sins as if God will celebrate their choices have bad news on this day. God will load them in a sling and cast them like a stone so far away they will never be seen again. This is along the lines of what Abigal says to David about her Cain, her husband named? is it Nabal? (This thought I learned from reading one of John Bunyun's works... The title is cool something like "The Amazing Spirit God Gave Man and the Tragedy That Any of Them Should Ever Be Lost." Total paraphrase of the Title that I can't remember, but I loved reading it. Bunyun, likewise seems to be living in an age like today. An age when England was censoring preachers and putting them in Jail for Preaching the Bible.

That Cain type of human was in abundance when the flood hit the world and Noah who preached salvation was lifted above the waters. The Cain type (anti-Christ) spirit is ripe now and increasing and they will be cast out of this world when the King comes in.

So, the Joel / Acts / Abel affected churchmen of today should be saying to the Cain types. 'We know what it's like to be you, BUT you are loved.' "You are NOT going to hell without me trying my hardest to see you repent and receive Jesus." We should be barricading the gates of hell in our Joel and Malachi anointings and pleading with the Cain's while they still have a slight chance of repenting." THIS in the light of our present world is what is so urgent about The Day of The Lord. It is a great day for the lost, because if we are still talking about it this way, as it has been in the past, THEN there is still more time for the lost to repent and be saved. Once it hits its fullness it's already too late for them. We can tell them it is bad, but they won't listen. We can tell them about Jesus, and they might.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Rob Teaches Evangelism

Keras · February 7, 2022

15 hours ago, not an echo said:

Hello Keras,

I just want to clarify that I certainly believe that there is a future, last day's "Day of the LORD" judgment! To say it another way, there IS a "Day of the LORD" judgment coming that is well beyond what happened in "past history"!! Moreover, I believe it is looming!!! However, according to Scripture, there were "Day of the LORD" judgments that took place upon Israel and the surrounding nations in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C. I submit that it is necessary to come to this realization in order to rightly divide "the Word of Truth" (II Tim. 2:15). For me, all of this has been the ultimate goal of this thread. As I interpret Scripture, to believe otherwise is to believe in conflict with Scripture.

Well we seem to be on the same path. But what happened to ancient Israel really has no bearing the what is prophesied to happen in our near future and the sad thing is; so many Christians are careless and ignorant about what God has planned for our future.

not an echo · February 8, 2022

Hello all,

I'm thinking that it will be good for us to go on and continue a little further down our path. Our next stop is...

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT E---Our evidence for this exhibit comes from the prophecy of Zephaniah. For me, when I think of the book of Zephaniah, the book of Joel also comes quickly into mind, as they both open with prophecies concerning the Day of the LORD judgment(s) that came in the days of the Old Testament prophets, and they both end with prophecies concerning Christ's Millennial Reign. So, whereas both open with words of severe warning and judgment upon the Israelite nation in the days of old, both also end with words of great hope for it as well---in the time of the last days.

Looking now to how the prophecy of Zephaniah opens, consider from chapter one...

1 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, IN THE DAYS OF JOSIAH the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.

3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

4 I will also stretch out Mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims (idolatrous priests) with the priests;

5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham (god of the Ammonites) ;

6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for Him.

7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for

THE DAY OF THE LORD

is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid His guests.

Whew! With what had already come to pass in the northern kingdom (Israel/Samaria), the southern kingdom (Judah/Jerusalem) should have took heed, but they did not. Well, their king at that time, Josiah, did. However, it had gotten to the place that it would take more than their king having a repentant heart for God to spare the nation. For those less familiar with the time and context of Zephaniah's prophecy, I would encourage the reading of the latter chapters of II Kings, especially chapters 22-23. Let me point out some very relevant verses from there.

In chapter 22, we read...

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

This was in the days of King Josiah (22:1). Picking up in verse 10, note...

10 And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, THAT HE RENT HIS CLOTHES.

12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,

13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: FOR GREAT IS THE WRATH OF THE LORD THAT IS KINDLED AGAINST US, BECAUSE OUR FATHERS HAVE NOT HEARKENED UNTO THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

When inquiry was made, "Huldah the prophetess" (vs. 14) had this word from God sent to Josiah...

16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

17 Because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; THEREFORE MY WRATH SHALL BE KINDLED AGAINST THIS PLACE, AND SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED.

18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; AND THINE EYES SHALL NOT SEE ALL THE EVIL WHICH I WILL BRING UPON THIS PLACE. And they brought the king word again.

After this, Josiah did his best to bring everyone and everything in his country back into the will of God. But, picking back up in chapter 23, verse 26, we read...

26 NOTWITHSTANDING the LORD turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, wherewith His anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked Him withal.

27 And the LORD said, I will remove JUDAH also out of My sight,

AS I HAVE REMOVED ISRAEL,

and will cast off this city JERUSALEM which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there (the temple).

Interestingly, in the very next chapter, we see "King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon" (II Kg. 24:1) make the scene.

Whereas this is admittedly a lengthy exhibit, it is made up mostly of what is revealed to us in God's Word---with a minimal of my comments. Further study reveals that Josiah's father (Amon) and grandfather (Manassaeh) were both evil kings, as were his children after him---not to mention the Israelite people as a whole.

Picking back up where we left off in Zephaniah's prophecy (1:8), I think there is no need for me to comment. But do note what I have emphasized...

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil.

13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

14 THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD

is near, IT IS NEAR, AND HASTETH GREATLY, even the voice of

THE DAY OF THE LORD:

the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 THAT DAY is A DAY of wrath, A DAY of trouble and distress, A DAY of wasteness and desolation, A DAY of darkness and gloominess, A DAY of clouds and thick darkness,

16 A DAY of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

not an echo · February 9, 2022

Continuing further down our path, our next stop is...

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT F---Like our previous exhibit, this could easily be another lengthy one, but I'll try to keep it somewhat on the concise side. With our previous exhibit revolving around Zephaniah's prophecy, I believe it would be a good help to here get the perspective of his contemporaries, and he had no greater contemporary than the prophet Jeremiah. Both he and Jeremiah's time of prophesying overlapped during the time of King Josiah (Zeph. 1:1 and Jer. 1:1-2). Josiah died of battle wounds in Jeremiah's day and in II Chronicles 35 we find a little about how he felt about this righteous king...

25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

Because Jeremiah prophesied during the same time as Zephaniah and beyond, it should not surprise us that their perspective was much the same concerning what was coming down. In Zephaniah chapter one, we see this that Zephaniah foresaw concerning the extent of God's judgment...

2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.

3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

In the following chapters of Jeremiah, we see that he prophesied and recorded similarly. In chapter 8:

13 I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

In chapter 12...

4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

In chapter 14...

11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.

12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

In chapter 16...

1 The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,

2 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

3 For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;

4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

It is also evident that both Zephaniah and Jeremiah understood that what was happening was the result of the "fierce anger" of the LORD. Zephaniah warned of this in chapter 2:

1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.

Now note what Jeremiah records, from chapter 25...

37 And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

Then note what he records in Lamentations, from chapter 2...

3 He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel: He hath drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.

And from chapter 4...

11 The LORD hath accomplished His fury; He hath poured out His fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

They also both understood that what was happening was because of God's wrath. Zephaniah prophesied this in chapter one...

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Now note what Jeremiah records, from chapter 21:

4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

5 AND I MYSELF will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

Moreover, we know that King Josiah understood similarly (e.g., II Kg. 22:13/II Chr. 34:21).

As we saw in EXHIBIT E, Zephaniah referred to the day that was then "at hand" as "THE DAY OF THE LORD" (e.g., 1:7). And, Jeremiah's understanding was the same, for God instructed him to inform "the Gentiles" (Jer. 46:1) and especially the Egyptians (Jer. 46:2ff) that they were about to be defeated by Nebuchadrezzar's Babylon. Why was Nebuchadrezzar's Babylon going to have such success? As Jeremiah was to inform them (Jer. 46)...

10 For this is

THE DAY OF THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS,

a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Him of His adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Concerning his own people, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" for his tears and heartache over what befell them. Consider his words from the last verses of Lamentations 2...

20 Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom Thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; Thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; Thou hast killed, and not pitied.

22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in

THE DAY OF THE LORD'S ANGER

none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.

Finally, continuing still in Lamentations, consider the poignancy of Jeremiah's words, in the opening verse of chapter three...

1 I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.

not an echo · February 12, 2022

I believe the next stop on our path may be our last one. There is a certain appeal about seven exhibits. Not forgetting everything else we have found in the course of this thread, let's look now at...

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

EXHIBIT G---When we started down our path of looking at external evidences (to the book of Joel) that there were "Day of the LORD" judgments that God brought upon Israel and the surrounding nations in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C., we looked first at the book of Amos. There we found three uses of the phrase "the Day of the LORD" that were in reference to what then happened. But, there are also other terms and phrases used there and elsewhere that speak to the same judgment(s). Some of these are what this exhibit concerns.

For example, in the first two chapters of Amos, we find repetitive words warning of the judgment that was coming against the Israelite's neighbors (1:3-2:3) and then Judah and Israel (2:4-16) as well. Of this time of judgment, the last verse of this two chapter section reads,

16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.

While the phrase "that day" is also used to denote other very important times, it is commonly used of the Day of the LORD judgment that was looming back then. Such is also the case with the word "visit" that we see in the next chapter of Amos. In chapter 3 note...

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.

Looking elsewhere at uses of these terms, in Jeremiah 4 we read...

8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

In Jeremiah 6 it reads...

6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

Let it be realized that the nature of the "visit" being spoken of in that day is not the kind that would be something to be looked forward to! Consider from Jeremiah 8:

12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

But, it was not just upon the Israelites that "that day" would come or the time that a "visit" would be made by God. We find further in Jeremiah that Egypt was warned similarly (46:20-21), as was Moab (48:44), as was Dedan (49:8), and as was Babylon (50:23-30, esp. vss. 27, 30).

In Isaiah 7 we find the repeated use of "that day" relating to God's use of the Assyrians to judge the northern kingdom (vss. 17-23). Interestingly, it says of that time...

20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

While the use of the terms "that day" and "visit" make for an interesting study, there are others that also need to be considered. Chief are such terms as "fury" (Ezek. 6:12; 13:13), "wrath" (Lam. 2:2; Hos. 5:10), "anger" (Jer. 21:5; Lam. 2:1), and "indignation" (Isa. 10:5; Ezek. 22:31), especially when such is coming forth in judgment from Almighty God. And, how much more when such is described as "fierce" anger (Jer. 25:37-38; Lam. 4:11) and "great" wrath (II Kgs. 22:13; Jer. 21:5). It should not be surprising that when a judgment of this nature is to come forth from Almighty God, whether it be against His covenant people, other nations of the then known world, or that that is looming on the world that now is, "THE DAY OF THE LORD" makes for the most fitting name for it. And, as we have seen, the prophets were commonly inspired to use these words to denote these particular times of God's judgment.

not an echo · February 13, 2022

Hello all,

As I did with my 30 internal evidences (see last post of page 26), I felt it would also be of a help to give an uninterrupted list of my external evidences in one post as well. I divided these evidences into what I referred to as exhibits, of which I developed seven. I also decided to use red for each EXHIBIT letter, as this contrast makes the beginning and ending of each exhibit more apparent.

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.

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.

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.

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.