In our last post we took a look at Verses 28 and 29 of Joel’s prophecy; let us now examine the remainder of that prophecy, Verses 30-32.

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”

Let us break it down so as to be properly digested.

Our Lord’s statements here in these last three verses of this prophecy are in reference to the day of trouble, which proceeds the next age, read the preceding context thoroughly.

“Blow (sound, proclaim) ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain (Christendom, the professed kingdom of the Lord): let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh (the Day of Vengeance, the Great Time of Trouble), for it is nigh at hand.” (Joel 2:1)

VERSE 30 “And I will show wonders (signs, “fearful sights and great signs” Luke 21:11) in the heavens (NOT the literal heavens where God resides, but rather the ecclesiastical heavens, the religious powers and influences of this world, both the seen and the unseen) and in the earth (society), blood, and fire (trouble), and pillars of smoke (as pillars of smoke rise from the earth, this may well represent social upheavals, political and financial troubles, confusion and anarchy)”.

“A day of darkness (ignorance of the prophetic developments of that time) and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness…” (Joel 2:2)

The truth is we have no positive knowledge that this language is merely symbolic; it may also have a literal application as well, some great physical manifestation of divine power in connection with the time of trouble. In fact it is a common belief held among many Bible Students that the “great earthquake” spoken of in (Rev 16:18) is not only in reference to the Great Time of Trouble, but also that it may be in reference to a great literal earthquake, possibly the results of the final settling of the earth’s crust or mantel in preparation for the earthly paradise promised. The Scriptures do seem to allude to a great earthquake taking place around the time Gog and his allies attack Israel (Ezek 38:19, 20).

Likewise we have the Lord’s word that in the next age, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain“(Kingdom). The idea that there would be catastrophes then would be wholly out of harmony with the divine revelation, rather, the appropriate time, if there are to be such calamities such as great earthquakes and etc., would seem to be during the time forewarned “the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation“—at that time, when the “four winds,” the fallen angels are let loose. All of these things coming together will constitute the “time of trouble such as never was.”

VERSE 31 “The sun (the Gospel light, the truth) shall be turned into darkness (obscured by the thick clouds of worldly wisdom), and the moon (the light of the Mosaic Law, i.e. the Law and the Prophets) into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.”

As the sunlight of the ransom, the teaching that we were “bought” with a price, even the precious blood of Christ, becomes obscured, so the moonlight of the Mosaic Law, which in its sacrifices foreshadowed the ransom, must of necessity become obscured also. It is no longer uncommon for public teachers to refer to the bloody sacrifices of Israel, required by their Law, as barbaric. Once, when they saw by the true light of the Word of God, they appreciated the Apostle’s statement that Israel’s sacrifices were but the foreshadows of the “better sacrifices” for sin; but now, refusing the antitype, the ransom, and denying original sin, and all need therefore of sacrifices for it–the typical sacrifices are repudiated also an esteemed barbaric. Thus the darkening of the Gospel sunlight results in the darkening of the moonlight.

Joel also states in Verse 10, that not only shall the sun and the moon grow dark, but that the “stars” shall also be diminish in their brightness, (compare this with our Lord’s prophecy as given in Matt 24:29). What this signifies is that when the Gospel becomes obscured, and the sacrifices enjoined by the Law come to be esteemed as merely barbaric, then the apostles (the stars) who spoke of these things also begin to cease to be recognized as lights (truth bearers).

VERSE 32 “And it shall come to pass (during the Millennium), that whosoever shall call (in sincerity of heart) on the name of the LORD (guaranteed by Jesus’ death) shall be delivered (saved, from sin and death; some to glory, honor and immortality, now; others then to an opportunity for life everlasting in a world-wide Eden): for in mount Zion (the spiritual phase of the kingdom) and in Jerusalem (the earthly phase of the kingdom) shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house (the kingdom, the central visible government, represented on earth by Israel, as the divine channel of blessing, with the Ancient Worthies, the prophets of old, as princes in all the earth) shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (This Kingdom will intervene between the divine invisible government, [the spiritual phase] and mankind because the fallen race will be at that time, still unable to meet the requirements of the divine law. The whole world will send to these wonderful “princes” to have them extend everywhere their government, their yoke of righteousness, seen to be so beneficial to Israel. The New covenant will be inaugurated with natural Israel and gradually the whole world will become attached to Israel as part of Abraham’s earthly seed.)

And many people (the world in general) shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up (let us submit to the New Kingdom of God) to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob (The house of Israel, the New covenant will be made only with Israel, thus the only way other nations can receive a share of restitution favors under that covenant will be by becoming Israelite’s themselves).

“And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.” (Gen 35:10) The word “Israel” means “People of God” and the name will ultimately apply to all who are his.

And he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion (the spiritual phase of the kingdom) shall go forth the law and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (the earthly phase of the kingdom). And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isa 2:2-4)