Deeper Commentary

Joe 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is near at hand- The trumpet summoned Israel to the day of atonement rituals, which have been alluded to in Joel 1. Yet the trumpet blasts also warned of approaching armies. As the enemy approached, there was to be a desperate keeping of the day of Atonement- whether or not it was the right time of year. Legal rituals became unimportant compared to the pressing need for repentance and forgiveness. The day or feast of Yahweh was to be for repentant Israel the day of Yahweh in the sense of judgment day. The whole ritual of the day of Atonement was an opportunity for Israel to have a preview of judgment day, and to be pronounced acceptable and cleansed, if they truly humbled their souls. This is "the day of Yahweh" here refers to both the feast of the day of atonement, and the judgment day of Yahweh. More literalistic minds could reason from this that the Lord's return may be at the day of atonement, or another feast / day of the Lord. But the essence is that Israel were to repent; the inhabitants of the land were to tremble in repentance, not simply from fear of judgment to come. The verdict could be changed- that was and is the greatest reality in spiritual life.

"The day of Yahweh is near" is the very phrase used about the Babylonian invasion (Ez. 30:3; Zeph. 1:7,14). It is also used in Joel 3:14, where the outcome of that day is the judgment of the nations opposing God's people in a valley, and then the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom in the land of Israel. This didn't happen after Babylon took Jerusalem; so we can conclude that the scenario Joel had in mind for Babylon and Judah didn't work out. But the prophecy will be fulfilled in the last days. This is perhaps why "Babylon" is not named; another nexus of powers will fulfil the terms of the prophecy as a perfect fit, and will come to their end at the valley mentioned in other prophecies, at the return of the Lord Jesus.

Joe 2:2 A day of darkness and gloominess- Literally, the light was being made into darkness. This is a reversal of creation, and speaks of judgment and as it were, de-creation. This verse is a repeat of Am. 5:20 and Zeph. 1:15, where the Babylonian invasion is in view. Am. 5:18,20 comment that this "day of Yahweh" was much sought after by Judah- but it would be a day of darkness and condemnation for them. Apparent enthusiasm for the second coming is not necessarily a sign of spirituality, nor acceptance at that day. Israel looked for light, but were given instead the gross darkness of the Babylonian invasion (Jer. 13:16).

 

A day of clouds and thick darkness, like the dawn spreading on the mountains- The day of clouds and thick darkness speaks clearly of the Babylonian invasion and the beginning of the exile (Ez.  34:12; Zeph. 1:15). But "clouds and thick darkness" is very much the language of Yahweh's coming down in covenant with Israel at Sinai (Ex. 20:21; Dt. 4:11; 5:22). Now that covenant was being abrogated, for Judah had broken it. But in all God's judgments, there is the hope of final restoration. This day of thick darkness, presaging the arrival of a "great and strong" army of desolators, also seemed as the beginning of the dawn- an image used in Mal. 4:2 of the arising of Messiah and the restoration of the Kingdom of God in Israel. God's wrath and judgment is therefore unlike human wrath, where the focus of the moment is solely upon punishment and retribution. God is grace and hope itself, and He is also outside our limits of time. So in wrath He remembers mercy. The Babylonian judgment and exile was intended to result in the restoration and reestablishment of the Kingdom under a Messiah figure. Although even that didn't happen as potentially possible.

 

A great and strong people! There has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations- The Babylonian army were made seemingly invincible by God; and as noted on Joel 1:2, this invasion would never be seen again nor had it been seen before. This is unquestionably language of the very last days before the Lord's return (Dan. 12:1; Mt. 24:21). As noted on Joel 1:1, Joel's prophecy could have potentially come true at various points in history, including his own time, perhaps just prior to the Babylonian invasion of Judah; but Judah did not repent as Joel appealed for, and so the prophecy has its main fulfilment in the last days.

Joe 2:3 A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns- The fire that came before the Babylonians may refer to the wildfires resultant from the extreme drought of previous years; because Judah refused to allow that fire to bring them to repentance, the Babylonian fire came. See on Joel 1:19. So the forest fires were replaced by the fires left burning by the Babylonians.

The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and after them- like a desolate wilderness- I suggested on Gen. 1 that the eretz in view there is the land promised to Abraham, and that the land of Israel was effectively the garden of Eden. As sinful Adam was sent out of the garden to the east, so were God's people. These words of Joel support that approach. Eden was as it were destroyed and turned into a wilderness like the rest of the planet.

 

Yes, and no one has escaped them- The Assyrians and Babylonians boasted of a series of victories against other peoples before they came against Judah. God is saying that he knows this; and their apparent victory over Yahweh was only apparent and not in reality. For He had even predicted that they would boast in this way. The same word is used in :32, where we learn that there could have been some who "escaped" Babylon's invasion. So potentially, some could have "escaped"; and the word is used in Ez. 14:22 of how a remnant would survive the invasion. But that potential wasn't realized, at Joel's time. All these failed potentials were and are so distressing to God. But the offer of salvation shall finally come true in our last days. It is for us to witness to Israel ahead of time so that they have the knowledge of Christ required for repentance.

Joe 2:4 Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run- Locusts appearing as horsemen is without doubt alluded to in Rev. 9, which as demonstrated there concerns the latter day invasion of the land. The scenario could have been fulfilled during the Babylonian period; Judah could have repented, Babylon destroyed and the Messianic Kingdom established. But they didn't repent, and so the prophecy was reapplied to our last days.

Joe 2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array- The allusion may be to a locust swarm, with the rising sun glinting off their wings. We are given the picture of extreme military advantage and strength, and God's people left powerless to resist. Whilst Joel has limited application to the Babylonian invasion, this doesn't fit the text perfectly; see on :2. The main fulfilment will be in the latter day invasion, described in the locust prophecy of Rev. 9. Currently, Israel survives by keeping the technological, military advantage against their surrounding enemies. But this will not last. They will be left helpless before a vastly superior group of enemies. The enthusiasm for some Protestant groups about Israel's military might is misplaced and quite against the Biblical picture of the last days.

Joe 2:6 At their presence the people are in anguish. All faces have grown pale- "Presence" is Heb. 'face'. The Hebrew implies a face to face meeting between Jewry and her invaders; and her face becomes pale before them. The allusion may be to Jacob in his "time of trouble" meeting Esau face to face having wrestled face to face with the Angel whose face represented that of Esau (Gen. 32:30; 33:10). The unprecedented time of trouble of :2 is the time of Jacob's unprecedented trouble of the last days (Dan. 12:1), and Israel will likewise wrestle with God and man until they finally quit all human strength and repent. There is another Jacob allusion in :11.

Joe 2:7 They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course- Israel's enemies have been ever characterized by disunity. But there will come a brief moment of total unity as they all strive together for the one thing which unites them- the capture of Jerusalem. "The wall" of Jerusalem was Judah's perceived great military and technical advantage, just as modern day Israel trust in such advantage against their enemies; but that shall be scaled.

Joe 2:8 Neither does one jostle another; they march each one in his path, and they burst through the defences, and don’t break ranks- As explained on:7, the enemy will be focused upon the capture of Jerusalem and "Zion", the temple mount, in particular. They will overcome "the defences"; it is so emphasized that the apparent defensive technological advantage of the defenders will be overcome. This has clear appropriacy to latter day Israel. 

Joe 2:9 They rush on the city, they run on the wall, they climb up into the houses, they enter in at the windows like thieves- This continues the picture of :7; Jerusalem's wall, the apparently invincible defensive technology of the Jews, will be totally breached. The houses and windows are those on the wall.

Joe 2:10 The earth quakes before them, the skies tremble, the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining- This is language specifically applied to the last days in Mt. 24:29; Rev. 6:12; 8:12. Earthquakes feature in several descriptions of the last days. Sun, moon and stars are specifically used as symbols of the leaders of Israel (Gen. 37:9). Whatever application there may have been to Babylon's actions, this was but a primary fulfilment.

Joe 2:11 Yahweh thunders His voice before His army; for His forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys His command- The prophets repeatedly emphasize the invading armies were God's armies; His people are not in the hands of radical evil, but rather all "armies" against them are totally under His control and command. See on Mt. 22:7 for another example. The same Hebrew phrase is used in Gen. 32:2 of Yahweh's camp or "forces"- both of Angels and Esau's soldiers (see on :6). Yahweh is Yahweh of hosts, both or Angelic and human armies whom those Angels control.

For the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?- The very words of Mal. 3:2 about the final day of Yahweh at the return of the Lord Jesus.

Joe 2:12 Yet even now, says Yahweh, turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning- The judgments had been spoken and are even recorded in the present tense as if they had already happened, so sure were they of fulfilment. But in the gap between the Divine statement and earthly fulfilment, there is the possibility of repentance- "even now". We too stand in that gap, and it should impart an intensity and urgency to our living and repenting. God's word is His word, and He doesn't say that if they repent, He will change His word. That is implied as a possibility, but it is not to be expected as some kind of contractual obligation from Him if we repent. Hence :14 "who knows if...".

Joe 2:13 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God- A theme of Joel is that repentance can be on a merely surface level, and not the real thing. Joel 1 has described how Judah would cry out to their God- but they were urged to cry out in true repentance. The Babylonian judgment was to come upon Judah because when the Assyrian judgment was averted, Hezekiah had not repented from his heart; he tore his garments (same words in Is. 37:1), but not his heart. And they are being urged to learn that lesson. Hos. 13:8 describes the final Babylonian destruction as God rending or tearing the heart of Judah- again, the same words are used. They refused to tear their hearts, and so their hearts were torn in the condemnation process. If we will not repent, then we shall be forced to repent all too late in condemnation. John the Baptist used the same logic in appealing for repentance; it was a choice of fire, or the fire of condemnation.

 

For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity- The very nature of God's Name, which is alluded to here, invites repentance. God had earlier repented Himself of the evil He planned to do to Israel (Ex. 32:12,14; 2 Sam. 24:16)- in both cases, because of the spirituality of a minority. Joel was hopeful that even if a minority responded to his appeal, the judgment could be averted. This is how God works; third parties are saved, or at least blessed with the aversion of judgment, for the sake of others' spirituality. I suggested on Joel 1:1 that Joel was contemporary with Jeremiah. Judah had not repented of their evil (Jer. 8:6) and so God would not. Jeremiah more than any other prophet repeats this theme of God being willing to repent or relent from His stated position of bringing evil upon a nation (Jer. 18:8,10; 26:3,13,18; 42:10). And Joel is making the same appeal. This feature of Yahweh, stating judgment to come but then repenting of it if there was repentance, was a unique feature unknown in any other god or religious system. Gods are typically presented in all religions as unchanging. The only unchanging feature of Yahweh is that the sons of Jacob are not consumed when they ought to be, because of His grace (Mal. 3:6). And this God is our God today.

The characteristics of God's Name are clearly alluding to His self declaration in Ex. 34:5,6: "Gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness" is word for word what we read there. But "And relents from sending calamity" must therefore be the equivalent of what follows in Ex. 34:7: "Keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin". God through Joel was now clarifying what that meant- it meant that His forgiveness was of such a deep reaching quality that even the consequences for sin could be forgiven. And we rightly gasp at such grace, such a God.

Joe 2:14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God- "Who knows? He may turn..." may not in fact be leaving it as an open question; for in :13 we have just read the assurance that He does do this. The sense may therefore be: "The one who experiences this, will experience a God who turns and relents, and goes even further- He will restore you grain and wine. But you are to use that blessing of grace by offering it to Yahweh, your God". 

 

Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly- This repeats the call made in Joel 1, to hold a day of atonement style fast [the only 'day of Yahweh' where fasting was prescribed]. Whether or not it was the right time of year was immaterial- the fact Joel calls for it to be held could imply it was not. But our spiritual desperation drives us beyond all mere legalism. "Solemn assembly" is definitely the language of the feasts, especially the day of atonement; and the trumpet was blown at that time to proclaim the year of release. But now the trumpet was being sounded also as a warning that the Babylonian armies were approaching (see on :1).

Joe 2:16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her room- Absolutely everyone was to be involved in this repentance; even children. For children can also sin. And no human situation was to be allowed to distract or excuse- if you had just given birth or were in the midst of your wedding, all the same, you needed to repent. And it is the experience of otherwise legitimate human experiences which often serves as an excuse for us not to repent, not to deeply engage with our sins. But the language is as ever hopeful; for Isaiah envisaged a repentant Judah as going forth as a bride from her room (Is. 49:18; 61:10; 62:5) into the Messianic kingdom. And this is Joel's vision. If they had repented, then the Messianic Kingdom could then have been established, as he goes on to describe. Male or female, elder or prole... all were guilty and needed to repent. For relationship with God is individual, and not predicated upon an eldership or priesthood.

Joe 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar- The offerings weren't being offered because there was no grain or wine or animals left to offer, as Joel 1 has made clear. So the altar was to be approached with a different sacrifice- genuinely broken hearts in repentance, exactly as David had taught in Ps. 51:17.

 

And let them say, Spare Your people, Yahweh- God had used this very word in saying that He would not "spare" His impenitent, rebellious people (Jer. 13:14; 21:7). The clearly stated purpose of God was open to change by repentance.

 

And don’t give Your heritage to reproach- Again, as noted above, God had stated that he would bring Judah "to reproach" (s.w. Jer. 23:40; 24:9; 29:18). But Joel knew God well and closely enough to understand that His stated purpose could be changed by human repentance. If as suggested on Joel 1:1 Joel was contemporary with Jeremiah, this would explain his repeated references to Jeremiah.

That the pagan nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’-  Joel was clearly inspired by the reasoning of Moses, whose single handed mediation led to the "evil" planned by God being 'repented of'.

Joe 2:18 Then Yahweh was jealous for His land, and had pity on His people- This section would be one of the clearest examples of the 'prophetic perfect' tense; that which was yet future being spoken of as if it had already happened. At the time of the Babylonian invasion, Yahweh ultimately did not have pity on His people (Jer. 13:14; Lam. 2:2,17,21; 3:43; Ez. 5:11; 7:4) in that the Babylonians showed no pity on the people (2 Chron. 36:17). The implication in Joel's context was that his appeal for repentance went unheeded. But ultimately, God would have pity, and would reestablish His Kingdom. For one day Judah would be repentant, and God's intended Kingdom purpose would come true.

Joe 2:19 Yahweh answered His people, Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations- Grain, new wine and oil were all required for the temple rituals. Joel 1:12 had lamented that the grain and wine offerings couldn't be offered because there simply was none left to offer. So the idea is that blessings would be given, so that they could be given back to God. And that principle remains to this day in our lives.

Joe 2:20 But I will remove the northern army far away from you- The vast majority of the many Biblical references to the northern invader are to Babylon- not Assyria, let alone Russia. The Babylonian invasion which Joel sought to avert through his calls to repentance did actually happen. It was not 'removed' let alone destroyed. But the latter day invader will be. There are reports of those living in the Jerusalem area describing the locusts swarms which descended upon them as "the northern army"; but locusts typically enter Israel from the south and not the north.

 

And will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea- The language of driving suggests the invader is a now cornered beast, with a head and back part. Daniel and Revelation have much to say of the latter day invader as a beast. The seas referred to are the Mediterranean and Dead Seas. This never happened historically, so again we conclude that Joel's prophecies concern the latter days. This presumably is the same location as the valley of decision of Joel 3:2,12,14. However, if the allusion continues to locusts, the idea may be that this huge swarm is driven into a deserted area and some are driven into the Dead Sea and others into the Mediterranean. But in this case, the language of "stench" is difficult to understand.

 

And its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise- Continuing the image of the invaders being as a locust swarm, which is now over and lay dead and decaying. The same word is used of the "stench" of the Edomite nations who are judged in the last days (Is. 34:3). The smell of the destroyed nations led by Rosh is likewise noted in Ez. 39:11 AV. The latter day "northern" invader will comprise all these groups.

 

Surely He has done great things!- The reference is to God, as repeated in :21. This is again an example of the future being spoken of in the past, as God's word of gracious promise is ultimately so sure of fulfilment. This emphasis is given here in Joel because Judah did not repent, and the tendency would have been to wonder if therefore God's purpose had totally failed.

Joe 2:21 Land, don’t be afraid! Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things!- This confident exaltation is because Joel knows that even if his appeal for repentance is unheeded and Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, ultimately God's purpose of establishing His Kingdom would come true. And even when faced with the reality of sin and the spiritual weakness of God's people, and the inevitability of Divine judgment, those who are spiritual can see beyond that- to the wonderful reality of God's Kingdom that shall ultimately come.

Joe 2:22 Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength- The judgments described in Joel 1 are now specifically undone. The present tenses mean that what God had prophesied as happening ultimately was so sure of fulfilment, that it could be spoken of in the past or even present tenses. The future Kingdom is indeed "now but not yet". Joel could rejoice in the ultimate reality of the Kingdom, and encourage others to do so, even though on the eve of the Babylonian invasion of a Judah who had refused Joel's message that reality looked very distant.

Joe 2:23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh your God; for He gives you the former rains in just measure, and He causes the rain to come down for you, the former rains and the latter rains, as before- As noted on :22, the immediate reality was bleak. Babylon was about to invade, and Judah had refused Joel's call to repentance; and so the potentially possible Messianic kingdom would not then come. But it would ultimately, so certainly that it could be spoken of in the present tense. And therefore Joel specifically addresses "you children of Zion", the faithful, repentant remnant within Jerusalem. For them, there could be joy in the ultimate hope. And for us too, when we recognize as Daniel had to that we shall maybe not see the Kingdom of God in our lifetime, and that God's people are not as they should be and we individually and collectively have missed the realization of so much that could have been and should have been... yet all the same, the hope of the Kingdom is so certain.

"The former rains" can be translated "the teacher or righteousness", perhaps a reference to the Elijah prophet who could have arisen to prepare the way for Messiah in Joel's time, had Judah repented. But this promise will be delayed until the last days, and Malachi 4 confirms that such a figure will indeed appear in the last days before the Lord's return. But former and latter rains may simply be read as meaning 'the blessings of the covenant as God intended'.

Joe 2:24 The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil- The tenses change here to the future, perhaps to emphasize the previous usage of the prophetic perfect tense. The Kingdom of the future was as good as already there- even when Joel and the faithful remnant were at the low point of human experience. Their appeal for repentance had been unheeded for the most part, and God had chosen not to accept their personal repentance as enough to avert the destruction of His people and temple. But still, the Kingdom shall come. We see this same hope and approach in Habakkuk particularly.

Joe 2:25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, My great army, which I sent among you- See on 1 Kings 22:22. Finally Israel will realize that the armies of invaders were sent by God. "The years" may need to be read as 'what your lost in the years...', as GNB. This fits with the whole prophetic theme of restoration. The Kingdom of God on earth will be the restoration of the Kingdom of God as it was in Israel (Ez. 21:25-27).

 

Joe 2:26 You will have plenty to eat and will be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh your God who has dealt wondrously with you- This clearly didn't happen at the Babylonian invasion; it potentially could have done, but Judah didn't repent and so it didn't. But finally they shall, after the latter day Babylonian invasion. "Dealt wondrously" is the same term used of God's actions in delivering Israel from Egypt (Ex. 3:20; Neh. 9:17), and in making His first covenant with Israel (Ex. 34:10). If God had delivered Judah from the Babylonian invasion, He would have "dealt wondrously" for His people (Jer. 21:2). In the last days, the deliverance from latter day Babylon will issue in a new covenant between God and His people.

 

And My people will never again be ashamed- This therefore refers to the final restoration of Israel, in the last days, at the Lord's return and the establishment of the Kingdom. Any previous fulfilment was at best an initial, primary fulfilment.

Joe 2:27 You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Yahweh your God, and there is no one else- If the restoration had happened as God potentially enabled, then the temple of Ez. 40-48 would have been built, and God's presence found there; it would have been called "Yahweh is there" (Ez. 48:35). This didn't happen, and most of the Jews preferred to remain in exile. But it shall ultimately come true. As noted on :26, Judah are to enter a new covenant with God, and this will involve their recognition of His exclusive relationship with them and they with Him.

 

And My people will never again be ashamed- This therefore refers to the final restoration of Israel, in the last days, at the Lord's return and the establishment of the Kingdom. Any previous fulfilment was at best an initial, primary fulfilment.

 
Joe 2:28 It will happen in the last days, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions- Judah's entry into a new covenant (:26) will result in the gift of the Spirit to them. Jer. 31:33 says that the new covenant will mean God operating directly upon their hearts, giving them a heart to know Him and be obedient to Him. The spirit refers ultimately to the heart and mind, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of a new mind, a new pair of eyes, a new psychology. That this gift of the Spirit is part and parcel of the new covenant which even then was potentially possible for Judah is made explicit in Ez. 36:27; 37:14; 39:29. As Acts 2 makes clear, the receipt of the gift of the Spirit is the very reason to be baptized and enter the new covenant. We are thereby washed not only in water but with the regeneration of the Spirit (Tit. 3:5-8); born of water and the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-5). The essential gift of the Spirit is of moral and spiritual cleansing, but in the first century it was manifested through the visible miracles. These were specific things for specific times, a visible manifestation of the internal gift which is such a major part of the Christian Gospel- which is the new covenant which Judah could have entered (Heb. 8:8-13). They could have entered it if they had repented and averted the Babylonian victory over Jerusalem; but they didn't. When a minority did repent in the first century, they entered the new covenant and received the Spirit. But the main fulfilment will be when the remnants of the Jewish people in Israel repent, whilst under the latter day tribulation. Then the Spirit will be poured out for their usage against their abusers, as we see hinted at in several passages in Revelation. 

Many attempts to understand prophecy, not least the book of Revelation, have fallen into problems because of an insistent desire to see everything fulfilling in a linear chronological progression, whereas God's prophecies (Isaiah is the classic example) 'jump around' all over the place as far as chronological fulfillment is concerned. And this principle is not only seen in Bible prophecy. The historical records in the Old Testament tend to be thematically presented rather than chronologically (Joshua is a good example of this); and the Gospel records likewise. It especially needs to be recognized that in line with so much OT prophecy, neither the Olivet prophecy nor its extension in the Apocalypse can be read as strictly chronological. Thus Lk. 21:8-11 gives a catalogue of signs, and then v. 12 jumps back to the situation before them: "but before all these things..." (21:27,28; Mk. 13:10 are other examples). These principles are all brought together in the way Peter interprets Joel 2. The comments in brackets reflect the interpretation which Peter offers later in his address. He gives each part of it a fulfillment not in chronological sequence with what has gone before: "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel [i.e. you are seeing a fulfillment of this prophecy before your eyes]: I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [fulfilled by the apostles after Christ's ascension]... and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath [the miracles of the Lord Jesus during His ministry]... the sun shall be turned into darkness [the crucifixion], and the moon into blood [also referring to an unrecorded event at the crucifixion?], before that great and notable day of the Lord come [the second coming; or the resurrection?]: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved [fulfilled by the crowd accepting baptism on the day of Pentecost]" (Acts 2:16-21). Typical of the NT writers, Peter doesn't quote from the Masoretic [Hebrew] text, but from the Septuagint, and in Joel 2 there are significant differences. And yet Peter adds and changes things even from the LXX. The inspired writers don't quote exactly, and often mix interpretation with quotation.

"The last days" is a phrase doesn't have to necessarily refer to the last days before the Lord's second coming. It could equally refer to the last days of some other period- in the case of Peter's quotation of it in Acts 2, the Mosaic system. But the phrase is of course ambiguous- exactly because the Lord's second coming could have occurred then in the first century, but the various required preconditions were not met. The LXX also has as the Masoretic Text: "Afterward". "The last days" would appear to be Peter's inspired interpretation, choosing a minority reading of the Hebrew text [which the NEV follows].

 "All flesh" shows that a prophecy apparently about "all" here has a specific fulfilment in a limited group. Other Biblical references to "all" must likewise be understood; from God's perspective, the believers are "all things" to Him.

 

Joe 2:29 And also on the servants and on the handmaids I will pour out My Spirit in those days- The servants / slaves and handmaids are emphasized. In order to see a fulfilment of this at that time of Pentecost, surely there were female believers who also began speaking in foreign languages- although that is not recorded. Often the NT quotes the OT selectively, omitting words and phrases which were not relevant to the fulfilment. The fact the "handmaids" and "daughters" (Acts 2:17) are mentioned would surely mean that there were women also given the gifts at this time. The fact this is not specifically recorded is yet another example of how the records are so abbreviated. That women aren't recorded as publically preaching at this time is no reason to think they did not. Likewise the fulfilment of the Joel prophecy meant that there were both old and young men preaching (Acts 2:17). The "all" who were "together in one place" (Acts 2:1) were those who received the gifts, all within the house; not just the apostles. However, Acts 2:7 records the impression that "all" who were speaking in foreign languages were from Galilee. The women / sisters in view were therefore presumably also from Galilee. Peter "and the eleven" stated that "these are not drunk" (Acts 2:15)- rather than 'We are not drunk'. The use of "these" suggests that there were others apart from 'the twelve' who were preaching with the Spirit gifts. It was a shameful thing for a Jewish man to talk publically to a woman, let alone for her to read the Torah, and for a woman to publically preach God's word would have been nothing short of scandalous. In this we have a challenge to our own sense of inadequacy in witness; women, Galileans, the illiterate and poorly educated... were those used by God to make history's greatest and most effective public witness to Christ.

Joe 2:30 I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke- Blood, fire and smoke columns suggest Mosaic sacrifices, in which the blood had to be poured out and then the carcass burnt. God's judgments are described as Him having a sacrifice (Jer. 46:10), and in the Acts 2 quotation, the AD70 judgment of Jerusalem is surely in view. This is the language of Mt. 24:5-7 about the same event. But AD70 was but a preview of the last days, which is the burden of Joel's prophecy.

Thomson (Land and the Book, vol. 2, p. 311) suggests the allusion in this passage is to the whirlwind sandstorms, which are appropriate figures of Divine judgment: “We have two kinds of sirocco, one accompanied with vehement wind, which fills the air with dust and fine sand. I have often seen the whole heavens veiled in gloom with this sort of sandcloud, through which the sun, shorn of his beams, looked like a globe of dull smouldering fire. It may have been this phenomenon which suggested that strong prophetic figure of Joel, quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost. Wonders in the heaven and in the earth; blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. The pillars of smoke are probably those columns of sand and dust raised high in the air by local whirlwinds, which often accompany the sirocco. On the great desert of the Hauran I have seen a score of them marching with great rapidity over the plain, and they closely resemble ‹pillars of smoke”.

Joe 2:31 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes- This would confirm the allusion to sandstorms noted on :30. Sun and moon represent the leaders of Israel (Gen. 37:9). In the primary application, Joel was speaking of the destruction of the royal family under Zedekiah. This had to be removed before God's kingship in Messiah could be enthroned. But Judah's lack of repentance precluded the outcomes which were then possible, and so we can understand this to refer to the bloody destruction of the Israeli leadership in the last days.

Joe 2:32 It will happen that whoever- This clearly implies Gentiles. But that wasn't how the early Christians understood it when this was quoted in Acts 2. They chose to understand the Lord’s universal preaching commission as meaning going out to preach to Jews of all nations, and they saw the response of Acts 2 as proof of this. And yet “all nations” is used about the Gentiles in all its other occurrences in Matthew (Mt. 4:15; 6:32; 10:5,18; 12:18,21; 20:19,25). Such intellectual failure had a moral basis- they subconsciously couldn’t hack the idea of converting Gentiles into the Hope of Israel. They allowed themselves to assume they understood what the Lord meant, to assume they had their interpretation confirmed by the events of Acts 2… instead of baring themselves to the immense and personal import of the Lord’s commission to take Him to literally all. We too can read Scripture and assume we understand it, and thereby skip over massive implications for us.

 

Will call on the name of Yahweh-  This seems to prophesy of multitudes calling upon the name of the Lord in the ‘last days’. The preliminary fulfillment of this in Acts 2:21 must surely be repeated in the ultimate ‘last days’; and there, the name was called upon by calling upon themselves the name of the Lord Jesus in baptism and faith. And it may be that it is multitudes of Diaspora Jews who respond in the last days, as it was in Acts 2… The description of "the remnant" being saved out of Jerusalem and mount Zion, the temple mount, may mean that they go into the temple area in the last days to seek safety as the Jews did in AD70 and at the time of Hezekiah, and this is where they are at the moment of the Lord's intervention. Joel 2:32 could have had its primary fulfilment in the redemption of this remnant, and it therefore has an application to the salvation of the latter-day Jewish remnant out of Arab-occupied Jerusalem:  "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord (i.e. truly pray for deliverance in faith, perhaps through calling upon themselves the Lord's name through baptism into Christ) shall be delivered:  for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem (cp. 2 Kings 19:30,31 for the  mention of those two terms) shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said (through Isaiah and his prophets), and in the remnant...". This passage is quoted in different contexts in Acts 2:21 and Rom. 10:13, but this does not preclude its application to the faithful remnant in Jerusalem in the last days. This New Testament usage is regarding how a convert should eagerly call upon himself the Lord's salvation / deliverance from sin in Christ. This should therefore be done with the same sense of urgency and desperate intensity as the persecuted remnant of the last days will do, like their counterparts within Jerusalem in Joel's time could have done.

The urgency we have in our witness isn't only joyful; there's an element of dead seriousness to it because of the very urgency of our task. Joel 2:32 predicted that when Jerusalem was surrounded by her enemies at Joel's time , with all in Judah who could do so having fled into the city for safety, "It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered [saved]: for in Mount Zion [the temple mount] and in Jerusalem  there shall be deliverance [RV "those that escape"]". These words are alluded to by Peter when he stood near the temple mount and urged people to be baptized into Christ, to call upon themselves the Lord's Name; and they are applied to all our witness by Paul (Rom. 10:13). Those refugees fleeing before the Babylonian war machine are the people of this world whom we urge to accept deliverance and salvation through baptism into Christ.

Shall be saved- Initially, saved from the Babylonian invasion. But Peter guides us to understand these words as referring to eternal salvation in Christ.

 

For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape- Literally, "a remnant", although a different word to that at the end of this verse. The idea is that most of the Jews would be destroyed, but a remnant would escape and be saved by the appearance of salvation on Mount Zion. That could have happened if Judah had repented; the Babylonian army would have been destroyed, the remnant of Judah saved eternally, and the Messianic Kingdom established. But they didn't repent, and so these promises were reapplied to all who would accept God's salvation in Jesus. The same word was used in Joel 2:3, where we learn that there would be none that escaped Babylon's invasion. But potentially, some could have been; and the word is used in Ez. 14:22 of how a remnant would survive the invasion. But that potential wasn't realized, at Joel's time.

 

As Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls- This called remnant are different to those just mentioned, who were a remnant of natural Jews. The idea may be that if Judah had repented, the Babylonian invader would have been destroyed and a Messianic Kingdom established in Zion, and Yahweh would have called out a remnant from the Gentiles, perhaps a remnant from the invading armies, who could also have found salvation in the hope of Israel. This potential scenario didn't happen, but it shall do in the last days.