Joel: A Bible Commentary: Chapter 3

Joel: A Bible Commentary

By Charles R. Sabo

Chapter 3

                                               Introduction

Joel chapter three continues from what was said within Joel 2:28-32. The ending to chapter two entailed the duration and ending of the two-thousand year church age. The two-thousand year church age began at Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus the Messiah had ascended to heaven, leaving His disciples behind to endure and continue what He had started in preparing God’s people for spreading the good news of the work Jesus had completed on the cross at Calvary. Unknown to His immediate disciples, the generations of disciples would have to endure two-thousand years, while waiting for the return of their Lord to the planet. Joel 2:30-31 provides signs in the heavens and on the Earth that will usher in the last of the days, before the catching up (rapture) of the church; this would be the end of a two thousand year growth of God’s church, followed by the beginning of His outpouring of judgments against the non-believers of that time on Earth.

Because Joel 3:1 begins with a conjunction linking it to Joel 2:31, we must continue the timeline provided from those verses that preceded this chapter. Joel 3 begins with the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, which will be the fourth scattering of the people of Israel, which fulfills what the prophet Zechariah had said concerning the four horns and four carpenters in Zechariah 1:18-21. We must understand that this is not an event at the beginning of the seven year, Seventieth Week of Daniel, but at the midpoint after the Abominations of Desolation, when Antichrist will declare all Jews as his enemy.

Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, Joel chapter three begins with the conjunction “for” at the beginning of verse one, which links it to the previous sentences or verses. The word “for,” in this sentence, is interchangeable with the word “because.” The end of the church age was indicated by the last days signs of the heavens and the Earth within Joel 2:30-31, while verse 32 provides what the Lord will accomplish through His church during the church age.

Joel exclaims: “Because, look, in those days and in that time;” God initiates an urgency and understanding of what He will do in those last days of the Earth. He will bring “again” the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. The southern kingdom of Judah went into captivity to Babylon between 605-586 B.C.; yet another captivity took place in A.D. 70, with the Roman invasion and destruction of Jerusalem and the second temple. Israel became a nation once again on May 14, 1948 and has been occupying Jerusalem until the current day. Because the first captivity of Jerusalem was between 605-586 B.C., we can know that this does not point to that captivity because Joel had stated “again.” Because it has been nearly two thousand years since Rome had scattered/captivated Jerusalem, we can conclude that the Joel 3:1 captivity is set for the seven year, Seventieth Week of Daniel. This can be safely concluded, because Joel indicates in Joel 3:2, that God will bring “all” nations down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; this has yet to happen.

Joel 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. This is the very first prophecy given of the Battle of Armageddon in the Bible. During the time of the Seventieth Week of Daniel, God indicates that He will bring “all” nations. “All” means “all.” Every nation, every person, will be brought down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat. It is not through global unity, that the end of days prophecy can only be fulfilled. The Scriptures support the fact that God supernaturally brings every single living soul down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Kidron Valley).

The warnings of Mark 13:15-20 are formatted in the same order as Matthew 24:17-21, which both Gospels follow with the same warnings of false Christs and false prophets. Mark 13:24-25 reveals after the tribulation of those days, signs in the heavens will occur, just as Matthew 24:29 had. Verse 26 reveals the coming of the Son of man, just as Matthew 24:30 had. Verse 27 repeats what Matthew 24:31 had, but Mark left out the angels sounding the great trumpet; the angels will be gathering the “elect” from the utter most parts of Earth and heaven. With this difference from Matthew 24:31, one needs to contemplate who the elect are from the uttermost parts of the Earth. With the rapture of the church having already happened, before the seven years had begun (2 Thess. 2:7-8), the “elect” being gathered on Earth would be all Messianic Jews and Gentiles who had come to faith during the seven years; all of the elect will be there with Jesus to celebrate His triumph.[1] 

34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. (Luke 17:34-37)

In three verses, Jesus provides three examples of the same event. There is one type of person being removed from their day to day lives. Verse 37 is the answer to what happens to the people being taken. The disciples asked Jesus, “Where Lord?” They wanted to know where these people were suddenly taken. Jesus answered them, “Wheresoever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” The word “eagles” is translated from the Greek word aetos, which is actually defined as “eagles.”[2] Eagles do not normally go after carrion, but “the body” is taken where eagles are gathering for carrion. Since, it is determined that this is the event of the return of the Son of man (2nd Coming of Christ), one can turn to another passage with a clue to what may be happening within this verse.

   17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. (Rev. 19:17-19)

The passage in Revelation 19:17-18 is positioned in chapter 19 right after verses 11-16, which reveals the Lord Jesus Christ descending from heaven with His army. He makes His way to Armageddon within the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 12), where “the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven” are waiting for their feast. One can conclude that since the event mentioned in Luke 17:34-37 is to happen at the same time (2nd Coming of Christ) as the event in Revelation 19:17-19, that the unrighteous (all men, both free and bond, both small and great) are taken up simultaneously and brought to Armageddon as part of “the supper of the great God.” With every righteous person alive gathered and brought to be with Jesus at His Second Coming, while the unrighteous are brought simultaneously to the place where Jesus is waiting for them (Valley of Jehoshaphat), we must conclude that this is “all nations,” as Joel 3:2 had implied. 

This is Armageddon as indicated in Revelation 16:16. Though the word “Armageddon” is translated from the Hebrew tongue, the word only shows up once in the entire Bible, which is translated from the Greek word Ἁρμαγεδών or Harmagedōn in the Hebrew. Because the translators have associated this word with the hill or city of Megiddo, many scholars and pastors have associated the place of Armageddon to be in Megiddo, which is located northwest of Jerusalem. This assumption is derived by a misinterpretation of Zechariah 12:11, which is the verse following an event that happens at the Second Coming of Christ, when He pours out his Holy Spirit upon the remnant of Israel waiting for Him (Zech. 12:10). So many want to interpret the mourning, felt by the remnant, with the mourning described in Zechariah 12:11. When the remnant sees that their long awaited Messiah is actually Jesus, who their ancestors tortured and murdered at Calvary two thousand years earlier, a great mourning will be felt; they will feel such a great mourning, that Zechariah compares the mourning to what His people had felt from the death of King Josiah at Megiddo.

Though translators, theologians, pastors, and scholars wrongfully misinterpret the Scriptures, Joel has it correct. God will gather all nations for the Battle of Armageddon at the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 

Joel has implied that God will “plead” with the nations concerning Israel. Joel uses the Hebrew word shaphat, which the translators have inserted the word “plead.” The Hebrew word shaphat is best defined as “judge, vindicate, punish.” God (Jesus) has implied that He will gather all the heathen to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Kidron Valley) to judge them for His people and His heritage, Israel. Jesus the Messiah is the One who can rightfully call Israel as His heritage, since He was born of the Tribe of Judah. He has accused all nations of scattering His people, Israel; He states that they have “scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” The scattering of God’s people, Israel, will have happened four times to that point, along with the parting or dividing of their land; because of this, He will place judgment against all nations on that day (Armageddon).

Joel 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. This verse transitions to a previous time period that had happened to Israel during one of the other scatterings. Though during the fourth scattering (after the Abomination of Desolation) may have the people under Antichrist casting lots for the enslavement of the Jews, the Lord transitions this passage to a previous scattering of Israel. The evil never changes; evil still sells a boy as a sex slave and sells a girl for wine/drugs to numb their reality. “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Eccl. 1:9)

The Lord takes us back to a previous time; this still falls into being a prophecy of the future from the time of Joel’s writing. He reveals a prophecy of the near future, to enlighten His people that the latter prophecy will be sure to come, just as the former had. When the Jews experience the former enslavement, they will realize that the latter prophecy will be sure to come as well. “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” (Joel 1:3) As Isaiah had written in Isaiah 30:21-29, he wrote of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ; then in verses 30-31, he spoke briefly of the destruction of the Assyrian and his army, which happened in the mountains of Jerusalem; the destruction of the Assyrians happened in their very near future (Is. 36-37); that fulfillment assured Israel that the promises of the Millennial Kingdom were for sure as well. This same type of prophecy is being accomplished here by the prophet Joel; just as sure as this prophecy of Joel 3:3-8 was to come to pass in their very near future, so will the Battle of Armageddon in the Valley of Jehoshaphat come to pass in their latter future.

Joel 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; This is yet a prophecy from Joel of a time during the Babylonian captivity of Israel. God asked the Tyrians, the Zidonese (Sidonese), and Philistines, “and what have ye to do with me?” He asked with sarcasm, since they actually were nothing to Him but idolaters. God also asked them if they will offer Him a recompence (deserving treatment) for what they have done unto His people. He asked sarcastically to them: if you recompense (deserving treatment) Him concerning His people Israel speedily, will He not recompense (deserving treatment) back unto them?

Joel 3:5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: The Tyrians, the Zidonese (the most powerful city-state of ancient Phoenicia), and Philistines had taken for granted their growth in their riches (silver and gold); they made their idols of God’s silver and gold and attributed their good fortunes to those false gods. The Lord has declared that the silver and gold is His. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Hag. 2:8) Though the second clause may be of the first, when they have carried God’s silver and gold into their temples; it may even be that God’s goodly pleasant things, from His temple, may have been bought and used in the pagan temples of the Tyrians, the Zidonese (Sidonese), and Philistines. The payment for the sale of the children of Israel could have been the goodly pleasant things from God’s temple.

Joel 3:6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. This verse should be linked to the previous verse, as the transaction was completed. The goodly pleasant things of God’s temple could have been the method of payment, which the Grecians made for the enslavement of Israel. God acknowledges here that the reason that the Tyrians, the Zidonese (Sidonese), and Philistines sold them to the Grecians was to move them far away from their border. Israel had been their enemies through the last seven or eight centuries, and the Tyrians, the Zidonese (Sidonese), and Philistines thought it to their benefit to move them as far away as they could send them.

Joel 3:7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head: God proclaims “behold” (look). He draws attention to the fact that He will raise them up out of Greece and will return the recompence (deserving treatment) upon their own heads (The Tyrians, the Zidonese (Sidonese), and Philistines). God raised His people out of that region, when Alexander the Great found favor upon the Jews. The favor of the Jews could be as a result of the respect that the Jewish Priests and scribes gave to Alexander, when He passed through their land. They showed him his place in the prophecies of Daniel (Dan. 2, 7, 8,) and flattered him with his own ego.

God’s recompence (deserving treatment) is foretold here and continued into the next verse (and will return your recompence upon your own head).

Joel 3:8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it. Alexander the Great of Greece sold the Tyrians as slaves after the capture of Tyre and Zidon, then also the multitudes of Philistines, from the taking of Gaza about 332 B.C.; they were sold as slaves to the Jews (Judah), who had been set free by Persia and favored by Alexander. The Jews, in turn, sold these slaves to the Sabeans; these Sabeans were Arabians, which were in the biblical land of Sheba (a people far off). This fulfilled the given prophecy by Joel nearly five centuries before it had happened. This fulfilment was proof that the Lord meant what He had said concerning Joel 2:28-3:2 and what He will foretell in the following verses (for the Lord hath spoken it).

Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: This verse was not totally understood by the scribes who had determined the chapters and verses of the Old Testament. The first sentence of this verse should have been either an additional sentence of verse eight, divided by a semi-colon, or an independent verse by itself. This first sentence co-insides with verse 1:3; “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles.” This sentence should end with a period, because it has nothing to do with the following sentence (Hebrew language has no punctuation). While it was commanded that Israel first tell their children and children’s children of the prophecies of Joel, they are now commanded to also tell the Gentiles of what has been foretold within chapter three, which should have begun at Joel 2:28. The Gentiles are to be included in this prophecy, within the church of God (Joel 2:28-32), as well as the heathen who will be gathered to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Kidron Valley) (Joel 3:1-2). God’s church consists of both Jews and Gentiles, therefore, Israel has been commanded that the Gentiles hear of this prophecy.

“Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up;” The second sentence of verse nine should be divided from verse 10 with a semi-colon, because the two sentences are directly related to one another. Because this sentence only addresses the heathen (vv. 3:11), it is separate from the previous sentence. This sentence is directly connected to the following two verses. Verses 3:9b-11 are to be read as a set, since they directly address the heathen only. The heathen are to: 1) prepare for war, 2) wake up the mighty men, and 3) let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.

Interestingly, these mighty men spoken of sound to be asleep, before they can be woke up and then gathered. Many have various ideas of who these mighty men will be, but few look to what the word of God has implied. It could be that all of the mighty men of valour are all sleeping at the same time, but that is not likely. They all should be awake already for the battle, along with the rest, who are not mighty men. These mighty men are considered separate from all men of war of the same verse. The men of war are men of the military, who will come to fight the battle for the Antichrist.  

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Gen. 6:4)

The thought that these mighty men are sleeping, could reference the times of the end, when the genetic assembly of mighty men could come into fruition. The genetic manipulation of the DNA structures of animals, as well as humankind, can be studied throughout the internet. When Satan motivated the fallen angels to breed with the daughters of men, he brought hybrid giants to the Earth. Satan is still at work in the modern world, working on His mighty men once again, through the genetic manipulation of humankind. These mighty men of Joel 3:9b may not be giants, but genetic hybrids with special power. “And whereas thou saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” (Dan. 2:43) Daniel 2:43 implies that something other than humankind will mingle themselves with the seed (DNA) of men (humankind). The mighty men of Joel 3:9b should be looked upon as a hybrid of humankind, who the satanic realm are keeping asleep, until the day they need them. 

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (Rev. 16:12-16)

Revelation 16:12-16 provides some details of what will be at work, when these heathen fulfil Joel 3:9b-16. The sixth vial judgment is poured out upon the Euphrates River and dries it up (Rev. 16:12). Both literally and spiritually is this to happen. It has been understood that evil was born out of the Euphrates River; the civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia were positioned upon the Euphrates River and were the influence of the entire planet’s idolatry. The belief in idolatry will be no longer realized after these events are to come. The physical location of the river separates the east from the west, because the river disconnects them from easy access to one another. The sixth angel will pour out his vial upon the Euphrates River and it will dry up, thus the eastern armies will be able to march right into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared).

Revelation 16:13-14 indicates that the evil influences of Satan (dragon), the Antichrist (beast), and the false prophet (2nd beast), will be what draws or motivates the armies of the Earth to march towards the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

Revelation 16:15-16 are to be read together as a set. The Lord speaks and declares that He will come as a thief (unexpected). He provides a promise to the people of the Earth to watch (not fight) and keep their garments and not be caught naked with their lewdness and whoredoms of idolatry (Ez. 23:29). This is in spiritual context to idolatry making one naked of their clean white garments of purity unto the Lord. Verse 16 refers to “He” who will gather them to the place in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. The pronoun “He” refers to the Lord within verse 15. The Sovereign Lord draws them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for Armageddon (let them come up).

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. This verse is connected to the same heathen of verse 9b. They are commanded to do opposite of what Isaiah 2:4 had implied would happen after this battle was finished. The Lord uses imagery of men taking all of their hard metals that they have and beating them down into weapons of war; He also uses the opposite effect in Isaiah 2:4, as men find they no longer need weapons of war, when the Lord will be sitting on His throne in Jerusalem.

 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Is. 2:4)

The Lord will bring the heathen of the Earth to make weapons of war out of any hard metals that they can find. Basically, the verse is imagery of men only having one thing on their minds, and that is war (Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears). All the heathen will be of the same mindset; they will all believe that they are strong enough to win the battle that they will fight (let the weak say, I am strong).

Joel 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: there cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Of the three verse set (3:9b-11), this verse provides the spiritual status of the men coming to war. They are all of the heathen of the Earth. They are gathering together to one place, which is the Kidron Valley, east of Jerusalem (Valley of Jehoshaphat). The expression “round about” describes them to be gathered in their entirety, surrounding and included in the entire Kidron Valley.

 “there cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.” Many want to associate the mighty ones of this sentence to be the army of the two hundred million that will be loosed, which are bound in the great river Euphrates in Revelation 9:14-16. This cannot be the case, because they are to kill one third of the people of the Earth (Rev. 9:18), while others still will not repent (Rev. 9:20). The Lord’s mighty ones are His angels, who will be coming to the Earth at the Second Coming of Christ. “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, who excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” (Ps. 103:20) The Lord will cause His mighty angels to come down with Him to the Kidron Valley, while they gather His elect from the four winds of heaven and the four corners of the Earth. “And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” (Mark 13:27) 

Joel 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. The Lord specifies for the heathen to be awakened; this is not like what He had implied in verse 3:9b, when He wanted to wake up the mighty men. There are heathen all over the Earth. Some will be sleeping and need to be awakened, in order for them to come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; verse 3:9b was specific to the mighty men, as if they all were sleeping. 

“for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.” All the heathen will be judged in the Valley of Jehoshaphat by the Lord. This is not Eternal Judgment, as in the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. The word “judge” here is a declaration of judgment placed upon the heathen. Looking to Revelation 19:21, “And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” This is the judgment of the heathen, when they will die their physical death; this is not their spiritual death, which will happen at the White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. Just as all of the heathen throughout history, these heathen will die their physical death, while their souls and spirits will remain in hell (bottomless pit) until the White Throne Judgment. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” (Rev. 20:13)

The Lord will speak words unto the entire army and they will fall dead and the fowls of the Earth will consume their dead carcasses (Rev. 19:21).

Joel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Many theologians will confuse this harvest of the winepress with the one within Isaiah 34:2-10 or Revelation 14:14-20. Isaiah 34:2-10 and Revelation 14:14-20 are one and the same slaughter. The difference can be found in Isaiah 34:3, which states that the mountains will be melted with their blood, which implies the heathen will be located at first in the mountains of Bozrah (Is. 34:6); the Battle of Armageddon will be in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Kidron Valley), which excludes it from beginning in the mountains. Isaiah 34:2-10 declares that the blood will melt the mountains and then the blood will flow down into streams, which cause a valley or lake full of blood, just as Revelation 14:20 states. Armageddon will begin in a valley and will not melt mountains with the blood of the heathen.

The Lord used imagery within Joel 3:13, just as He had in Revelation 14:14-20, but the Revelation 14 slaughter is to be earlier in the timeline of events, as Isaiah 34:1-10 will be. The sickle is the imagery of harvesting of the righteous. The first sentence in this verse is the Lord harvesting between the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31-46); the harvest is only pertaining to the wicked in the Scriptures as tares, but are cast into the fire after the harvest is complete. “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Mark 13:30)

The command (from the Father) is for the Lord (the Son) to put in His sickle for the harvest is ripe (get you down). The Earth is ready to separate the wicked from the just. The wicked will be gathered to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Luke 17:34-37), while the righteous will be rounded up by the angels (Mark 13:27) to accompany the Lord at His coming.

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:49-50)

Joel indicates that the winepress is full and over flows, because (for) their wickedness is great. The Lord does not literally cause the Kidron Valley to be full of blood. The wicked will literally fall dead by the words of the Lord, while the fowls feast upon them afterward (Rev. 19:21). To best make sense of the second sentence of verse 13, the entire population of heathen will be gathered to the Valley Of Jehoshaphat (Kidron Valley) (the press is full); the wicked of the Earth are literally squeezed into this valley (the fats overflow). There are so many of them squeezed into this valley, their wickedness overflows exceedingly; these heathen are as wicked as wicked can be, as their wickedness is great (for their wickedness is great).

 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. (Luke 17:34-37)

In three verses of Luke 17:34-36, Jesus provided three examples of the same event. The thrust of the passage is the suddenness of the event happening. There is one type of person being removed from their day to day lives. Verse 37 is the answer to what happens to the people being taken. The disciples asked Jesus, “Where Lord?” They wanted to know where these people were suddenly taken. Jesus answered them, “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” These are the same fowls that will be flying over the Valley of Jehoshaphat at Armageddon. The entire population of the Earth’s heathen will all be brought to the valley.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. As I stated concerning the previous verse, the entire planet will be standing in this valley, where the Lord will be making a decision towards judgment against them. Joel indicates that there will be multitudes, multitudes; when the Hebrew language repeats a word, it usually indicates a magnified weight concerning the word; the mass of the word multitudes, being given magnified weight, can only be imagined to be as many as a billion wicked people squeezed into the valley of the Lord’s decision (Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision). “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zech. 12:9)

The second sentence in this verse steps back to before the event even occurs (for the day of the Lord is near). The climax of the event will be when the Lord arrives to the event, which in this case, will be the day of the Lord’s vengeance. The day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which the Lord is calling His valley of decision. The time, when the multitudes and multitudes of wicked heathen are all simultaneously brought to this valley, will be the day of the Lord’s vengeance. The whole purpose of this prophecy is for non-believers to repent, before the day arrives. The valley of decision is for them to decide, whether they will be there or not; but in all, the Lord is the one who decides who receives His vengeance and who does not.

Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. Within this prophecy, the day of the Lord is still in the future, therefore we are told of what to look for; there will be no visual sign of the sun, moon, and stars, because of the darkness. “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.” (Is. 34:4) If all of the stars have already fallen, as Isaiah has prophesied to happen during this time, then that would explain why there would be no stars shining. In Revelation 9:2, we are told “the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” Also in Revelation 16:10, “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.”

The Earth will be a dark and smoky place with pain and suffering for all those who will have denied Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Joel 3:16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. With the conditions described in the previous verse, Joel declares that at that time, the Lord “also” shall roar out of His Zion. He shall roar like the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and utter His voice from Jerusalem. It is exciting to imagine a visual of the scene from Zechariah 14:4, while the Lord lands on Mt Olives in Jerusalem; He will roar like a Lion, while Mt. Olives will split down the middle and a great earthquake will shake the entire planet (and the heavens and the earth shall shake). 

4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (Zech. 14:4)

Joel provided the reason the Lord is doing all that He is and will do; He is and will be at that time, “the hope of His people.” His people will consist of those who will become believers during the terrible seven years. He will also be “the strength of the children of Israel.” The remnant will be waiting for His arrival, as they are kept hidden and protected for three and a half years, up to that point of the Lord’s coming. “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” (Rev. 12:6) The remnant of Israel will have fled to the mountains/wilderness, to get away from the persecution inflicted upon them by Antichrist and his wicked kingdom. They will deny him as their god, when he will declare himself to be god at the temple at the midpoint of the seven years (Abomination of Desolation) (Rev. 13:5-8). The Lord will arrive in time and He will rescue them from destruction (Is. 63:1-7).

Joel 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. When Jesus takes over the world and it becomes His kingdom, He will sit on His throne on His Holy Mountain called Zion. He will rule and reign one thousand years. “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.” (Rev. 20:6) Jerusalem will be the capital city of the world; Jesus will be sitting on His throne; only holiness will be seen in Jerusalem; there shall be no more non-believers passing through the city, because Jesus will be there in all of His glory.

 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. (Zech. 14:21)

Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. It is known that more than 80% of the vineyards planted in Israel are located in the Shomron, Samson, and Galilee regions. The Golan Heights region contains some of the highest elevated vineyards in the Israeli-controlled territory, with vineyards planted upwards of 4,000 feet (1,200 meters).

The Lord will drop new wine from the mountains, which is a picture of His many promised blessings, while the scarcity of new wine (grapes) will be a distant memory. Through prosperity, the hills will bring forth abundant herds of milk providing cattle and goats. Once again, the drought of prosperity will be a distant memory to the inhabitants of the land. Notice that the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, which is once again better than the drought stricken land of their past memories.

“and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord;” There is a spiritual context to this phrase within this verse. The water coming from the house of the Lord is a representation of the flowing of the Holy Spirit. “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Rev. 22:1) The Lord has promised that those who believe in Him shall have springs of water flowing from their bellies. John made a point to alert his readers that Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit as that river of living water.

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:37-39)

Israel knew that the Lord was going to bless them someday with open rivers in the high places, pools in the mountains, and springs of water in the dry places. They had no idea that this promise for an abundance of water was the flowing of God’s Holy Spirit. “I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” (Is. 41:18) When God spoke of the poor and needy seeking water to quench their thirst (Is. 41:17), He was referring to a spiritual thirst for Him. 

“and shall water the valley of Shittim;” Shittim, is known to be acacias, also called “Abel-shittim” (Num. 33:49). Acasias is a valley in the land of Moab, where the Israelites encamped during their encounters with Sihon and Og; Joshua had also sent two spies secretly there to view the land of Jericho (Josh. 2:1). The Jordan River divides the land near the valley, which presents a high tension border between Israel and Jordan. The Lord has promised that He will water the land across the Jordan River with His Holy Spirit, when He comes back to the Earth. 

    Joel 3:19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. This prophecy within this verse is to come to pass during the time before the Lord reigns over the Earth. The Lord will have humbled Egypt, and the land of the former Edomites, before and during His Second Coming day of wrath (day of the Lord). Isaiah had implied that during the Millennial Kingdom, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria, which would roll through Jerusalem (Is. 19:23-24). This would imply peace and tranquility in Egypt during the Kingdom. There would be those Egyptians, who will refuse to abide in the Lord’s requirement to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:18); the Lord will nip that problem, as quickly as it would come to pass.

The fulfillment of this verse 19 prophecy will occur through two different events. Isaiah 18 foretells of the time when Egypt (Cush) will be humbled by a terrible event, which will devastate their land, which will cause the few to repent after hearing the gospel of God’s salvation. Isaiah 34 foretells of the event right before the Second Coming of Christ, where the land of Idumeah (Edom) will be devastated into fire burning pitch for eternity.   

The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. (Is. 19:1)

“Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:” (Isaiah 18:1) The Lord says “Woe,” or otherwise “Oh.” First of all, we must not spiritualize this too much, but must look at the literal interpretation first. When fowls fly, they leave a shadow on the ground below them. If there are a great number of big birds of prey (or carrion) flying over land, they will leave a tremendous movement of shadows over that land (land shadowing with wings). Looking on a map, notice rivers of Ethiopia and Sudan (Cush), which have the White and Blue Nile both running north to meet as one Nile River. The Nile River runs north and forms Lake Nubia, because of the Aswan Dam, which is formerly called Syene in ancient Egypt. The photo before the building of the Aswan Dam reveals the Nile River as it was in Ancient Egyptian times, while a current photo reveals Lake Nubia formed by blocking free flow of the Nile River with the Aswan Dam (in ancient Syene). During the time of Isaiah, the southern border of Egypt extended down through what is now Sudan, and bordered on to Ethiopia.                     

The purpose of this information is to reveal an end of times prophecy of judgment, which will fall upon Egypt, which directly affects the rivers of current Sudan and Ethiopia.

9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.

10 Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.

11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. (Ezek. 29:9-11)

Egypt has already experienced the first part of the judgment against them, mentioned in Ezekiel 29:1-8, but verses 9-11 have yet to happen. It gives flavors of a nuclear strike. The desolation is from the Tower of Syene (Aswan Dam), all the way thru Sudan, to the northern border of Ancient Ethiopia. With a nuclear strike on the Aswan Dam, the nuclear fallout would be much worse, considering the nuclear water of the Nile River and Lake Nubia would be cast everywhere, as well as the river would be flowing with radioactivity. This would be enough to prevent any living thing from passing through it for the forty years prophesied by Ezekiel. Because there has not been any event to cause the desolation of Egypt, it is yet in the future, as is this Isaiah 18 prophecy. Ezekiel 30:3 even uses the term “the day of the Lord” when pointing to this destruction. In Isaiah 18, the focus seems to first be on the people beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.

If one looks to the map of Ethiopia, it is full of rivers, and so the land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia is away from the many rivers in Ethiopia; this leaves the coast of the Red Sea or across the Red Sea. I say this, because verse 2 indicates that the messengers will be traveling by sea. One factor that must be taken into account, within Isaiah 18:1, is that the fowls in the air will be in a specific place; this is prophesied by other prophets. Due to the fact that verses 4-6 imply events pertaining to the final judgement on the Earth, we have to look at the fowls being in that place ready for that judgment to come.

 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. (Rev. 19:17-18)

Since “all” of the fowls of heaven will be all gathered to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2) at the Second Coming of Christ for Armageddon, then these shadows of wings are over Armageddon, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Knowing, what the following verses in Isaiah 18:4-6 have to say, provides clues that this prophecy is happening right before the triumphant appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming.

 “For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.” (Isaiah 34:5)  The sword of God is bathed or ravah, which means “to take one's fill.” God’s sword takes His fill in the third heaven, where He dwells. God’s sword will come down upon Idumea, which points to the ancient place of the Edomites. This passage points to the location, rather than the people of ancient Edom. The remaining clause points to the people who the judgment will fall upon (and upon the people of my curse). God’s curse, in this case, is against those who will have chosen to destroy God’s remnant; the remnant will be those whom He will have been protecting for the three and one half years at Petra. The people of God’s curse will be headed to Petra, but God’s wrath will fall upon them in the land of Idumea. God will bring His sword and take His fill (bathed); He will slaughter the people of His curse in the land of Idumea.

“The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.” (Isaiah 34:6) This passage reflects the bloodbath of God’s curse. He will destroy the army of the people of His curse (verse 5). As mentioned concerning verse Isaiah 34:3, the winepress will be full of the fatness of the blood, like a blood sacrifice at God’s altar. The blood of the sacrifice represents life (Gen. 9:4), which God had declared within Leviticus 17:11. Mankind has been breaking God’s Everlasting Covenant, ever since He had declared it upon mankind after the flood (Gen. 9:1-17). The continuous bloodshed of the people, who are made in God’s image, has been an offense to Him. God will bring His final judgment upon all of humanity. The sacrifice in Bozrah represents God’s wrath and sacrifice for mankind’s sin against Him, when they combined to continually break the Everlasting Covenant of Genesis 9. The people of God’s curse will be headed to spill the blood of His remnant of Israel, whom He will have been protecting (for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea).

20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (Rev. 14:20)

The manifestation described within Isaiah 34:4, is directly linked to the sword of God. God’s sword will be His casting to the Earth His stars from heaven. There is imagery that could be interpreted as the destruction by nuclear warheads. As we already know from Isaiah 17, nuclear strikes will be brought to the Earth; the devastation described as stars falling from heaven could be in conjunction with the nuclear exchanges upon the face of the Earth (Zech. 5:4); this will be when God will direct His stars to fall upon Bozrah in the land of Idumea, in order to counter Satan’s (Antichrist) attack against Israel (Rev. 12:17) (for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land).

Joel 3:20 But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. This is God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David. Judah and Jerusalem will exist for eternity. Interestingly, the promise also portrays a promise that from generation to generation will this promise be kept.

Joel 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwells in Zion. This passage had troubled me at first, because I had already done extensive research on The Resurrection of Life (John 5:29). My concern is that the resurrection of the righteous will bring about a supernatural change in our physical bodies. Corruption will put on non-corruption and mortality will put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53). The resurrected bodies of the saints of Zion will have no blood.

The translators have placed the word “cleanse” for the Hebrew verb naqah, which is defined as “to be cleaned out, emptied, to be purged out.” Throughout the Old Testament, I have found three Hebrew words, which the translators have translated as “cleansed.” There is chata', which is defined as to be purified of sin (Lev. 11:32, 12:7, 14:4…etc.) There is also taher, which is defined as “to clean, purify.” (Josh. 22:17, 2 Chron. 29:18…etc.) While looking further for other times that the Hebrew word naqah was used, I also found it used in Psalm 19:12: “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.” The context of Psalm 19 can directly provide the context of Joel 3:21. The Psalmist asked the Lord to cleanse (purge out or make empty) him from secret faults.

The Lord has stated in Joel 3:21 that He will purge out or empty the people of Judah, and the generations of Jerusalem, of their blood; these would be those who He had not already purged of their blood. If this troubles you, then I will explain what the Lord means by this.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Cor. 15:50)

The differences concerning the type of body resurrected, as spoken earlier, is addressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:36-38. Paul calls them fools for thinking God is limited to the imperfection of the body put into the ground. He reminds them that God will raise up every seed sprouted to a body that He pleases to. He refers to a seed that dies first (verse 36) and then it is raised up of whatever grain that God desires and “to every seed his own body.” The corrupted seed brings forth an uncorrupted body. Verses 42-44 convey that the seed is sown into the ground weak, dishonored, corrupted as a natural body and raised uncorrupted, in glory and power as a spiritual body. From the first Adam came corruption and was earthy (verse 22, 46), so Jesus is the second Adam who brings life through the resurrection, who is the Lord from heaven (verse 22, 47).

 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Cor. 15:48-49)

The key verses above reveal that the resurrected bodies bear the same image or likeness to the heavenly uncorrupted body of Jesus Christ (we shall also bear the image of the heavenly). Readers can know a little about Jesus’ resurrected body; in John 21:19, one can see that He entered the room without needing a door; one can also know that He had flesh that could be seen and touched, while His flesh was not bleeding where His wounds were from His crucifixion (Luke 24:39-40). One also can know that He was hungry and did eat (Luke 24:41-43). Before the fall in the Garden of Eden, one can know that Adam and Eve had bodies without blood. “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…” (Genesis 2:23a). Jesus revealed that He had flesh and bones, but said nothing about blood: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” (Luke 24:39) Blood is the sustainer of life (Gen. 9:4) and thus not needed to sustain those that are immortal. If Adam and Eve had blood before the fall, then death was possible, but death only entered in to the creation after they first sinned; the nonexistence of blood can also be concluded concerning the resurrected body of Jesus, as well as the resurrected bodies of all believers. 

Paul proceeds to explain why this transformation must occur in verse 50. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Cor. 15:50) The corrupted, earthy body (flesh with blood) cannot enter into heaven. Paul then explains the rapture of the church in the following four verses (1 Cor. 15:51-54). This reveals the transformation from a corrupted, mortal, earthy body to a heavenly, uncorrupted, immortal body. 1 Cor. 15:51 reveals that the rapture was a mystery, such as it had not been preached by anyone in the history of humanity. The key expression in verse 51 “but we shall all be changed” is repeated in verse 52. Clearly, there is a physical transformation; at the sound of the “last trump,” all dead in Christ will be raised incorruptible; Paul repeats in verse 53 with “this corruptible must put on incorruption” and then reveals that “this mortal must put on immortality.” The immortality of mankind is brought back to the original condition. Like Christ, men and women in Christ will be flesh and bone, without blood. Death is swallowed up in victory (verse 54), because flesh and bone (without blood) can enter into the Kingdom of God (Luke 24:39). Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 that the victory over death will be the final conclusion, after the Millennial Reign of Christ. “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”(1 Cor. 15:28) The Son will be subject under Him (the Father), then the Father will be all in all joined with His Kingdom. “The throne of God (Father) and of the Lamb (Jesus) shall be in it.” (Rev. 22:3) For I will purge their blood that I have not purged: for the Lord dwells in Zion.

 [1] Rodney L. Cooper, Mark: Holman New Testament Commentary. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 13:27.

 [2] James Strong, New Strongs Exhaustive Concordance (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996), 2.