The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains shall they leap, like the noise of
a flame of fire devouring the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth:
the land is as the Garden of Eden before them,
and behind them a desolate wilderness;
yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Joel 2:3-5
Very few people are really familiar with the prophecy of Joel. How tragic that is. For, Joel's prophecy largely focuses upon a number of earth-shaking events (literally and figuratively), most of which occur within the space of one generation:
Joel began, in chapter one, by advertising the aged men concerning events that had never before happened, but which were then still very far off in the future. Joel said there would first come to pass a protracted spiritual and moral decline in the whole world, during the years preceding the coming Day of the LORD. At length, joy would be "withered away" from among mankind and a pervasive pall would ensue; which, in turn, would further degenerate into a widespread sense of despair and hopelessness. Even the righteous, Joel indicated, would be greatly afflicted and "mourn", by reason of the apostasy that would then generally prevail. And, so, it has come to pass that the spiritual, moral, and psychological condition of the entire world, in this present generation, is now characterized by a sense of perplexity and despair. Moreover, the precipitous decline of morality and of genuine spirituality, throughout the past several generations, serves to reinforce the belief that the gross apostasy among the erstwhile Christian Church, in this present generation, answers perfectly to the scenario laid out by Joel.
Chapter one closes in ashes, as it were. And chapter two opens with ominous warnings: "Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm!" Where? "In Zion, on my holy mountain." Why? "Because, the Day of the LORD cometh!" Yet, no sooner than he had burst forth in urgent warning of the rapidly approaching Day of the LORD, Joel immediately began to describe in great detail certain notable characteristics of that Day - giving the distinct impression that, in fact, the arrival of the Day of the LORD occurred with extraordinary suddenness.
Chapter one closes in ashes, as it were. And chapter two opens with ominous warnings: "Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm!" Where? "In Zion, on my holy mountain." Why? "Because, the Day of the LORD cometh!" Yet, no sooner than he had burst forth in urgent warning of the rapidly approaching Day of the LORD, Joel immediately began to describe in great detail certain notable characteristics of that Day - giving the distinct impression that, in fact, the arrival of the Day of the LORD occurred with extraordinary suddenness.
"It [the Day of the LORD] is a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness" -- (and not, as practically every modern-day Bible prophecy teacher falsely proclaims, a day of Revival!). That is all that Joel had time to say (and a most significant observation it was, indeed), before Joel's vision was wholly occupied with a singularly awesome sight (represented by the picture, at the head of this article).
What Joel next described is oftentimes referred to as 'Joel's army'. Of course, it is not his army, but the army he saw in his vision from God. It doesn't require years of study - but only careful reading, in order to understand who and what is 'Joel's army'. The soldiers of that army are not of this world, that's for sure. They exhibit supernatural strength, endurance, and agility. Their discipline is remarkable. Their power, evidently, is unstoppable. Not least important, they are actually immortal. Who are they? Verse eleven of chapter two gives us the answer: "And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word...." But...we're still not sure who they are. Are they, perhaps, warring angels?
There is another clue to solve the riddle. We should not only ask, "Who are they?" but we should also ask, "Why are they?" In other words, why does that invincible army appear in the earth, in the Day of the LORD? Here is where a lot of Bible prophecy teachers get derailed, and go off into error.
The Day of the LORD is spoken of throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. In every instance, it is a reference to that time when God shall again judge the world (the Flood was the first time), when the "transgressors are come to the full" (Daniel 8:23). (I think we're there.) The Day of the LORD is a time of God's wrath and vengeance - not of mercy and reconciliation. In Isaiah 10:5, Antichrist is called the "rod of [God's] anger" and the "staff [of God's] indignation". Antichrist does not first overcome God and, so, arise to rule the world! But God allows the most evil men, together with a vast horde of the cruelest demons, to afflict and torment the world's ungodly and unrepentant inhabitants, during the Day of the LORD.
But that's not all. For, after a short season, when Billions of men and women have submitted themselves to receive the mark of the beast (in order to survive) - Joel's army then appears, to destroy everyone who has the mark of the beast, and to search out and destroy the wicked wheresoever they are in hiding.
There is not the space, here, to go into further depth, in order to prove who are the soldiers in Joel's army. I must simply state the fact: Joel's army consists of the glorified saints of God who, soon after the Rapture, they appear during the Day of the LORD to "execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them THE JUDGMENT WRITTEN: this HONOR have ALL HIS SAINTS" (Psalm 149).
1 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?"
The Holy Ghost is right now recruiting and training soldiers who, if they be found worthy (Luke 21:36; Rev. 3:4), God himself shall honor them, by translating them to heaven (in the Rapture); equipping them with immortality and supernatural powers; and, then, send them to the earth to carry out the divine wrath and vengeance of God during the Day of the LORD - sometimes (misleadingly) called the Tribulation period.
When the Rapture happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the world - including the worldly churches - shall never know that it happened. But it will be business - I mean, church as usual: with their long-haired, earring-wearing, rock-and-roll 'worship leaders'; with their 'Encounters' and their latte (or wine) bars and their Bible-substitutes; with a menagerie of books and seminars and hip preachers making a mockery of Grace; not to mention a host of abominations too unfit to name. Old-fashioned preaching, warning lost souls of their impending doom in a devils' hell, is welcomed in today's churches like the plague. While those who dare to step out and sound a serious trumpet-call, are labeled as troublemakers and fanatics.
Nevertheless, those troublemakers and fanatics and trumpet-blowers are just about to graduate from boot-camp....of which Joel wrote: Holy Ghost boot-camp.
What Joel next described is oftentimes referred to as 'Joel's army'. Of course, it is not his army, but the army he saw in his vision from God. It doesn't require years of study - but only careful reading, in order to understand who and what is 'Joel's army'. The soldiers of that army are not of this world, that's for sure. They exhibit supernatural strength, endurance, and agility. Their discipline is remarkable. Their power, evidently, is unstoppable. Not least important, they are actually immortal. Who are they? Verse eleven of chapter two gives us the answer: "And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word...." But...we're still not sure who they are. Are they, perhaps, warring angels?
There is another clue to solve the riddle. We should not only ask, "Who are they?" but we should also ask, "Why are they?" In other words, why does that invincible army appear in the earth, in the Day of the LORD? Here is where a lot of Bible prophecy teachers get derailed, and go off into error.
The Day of the LORD is spoken of throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. In every instance, it is a reference to that time when God shall again judge the world (the Flood was the first time), when the "transgressors are come to the full" (Daniel 8:23). (I think we're there.) The Day of the LORD is a time of God's wrath and vengeance - not of mercy and reconciliation. In Isaiah 10:5, Antichrist is called the "rod of [God's] anger" and the "staff [of God's] indignation". Antichrist does not first overcome God and, so, arise to rule the world! But God allows the most evil men, together with a vast horde of the cruelest demons, to afflict and torment the world's ungodly and unrepentant inhabitants, during the Day of the LORD.
But that's not all. For, after a short season, when Billions of men and women have submitted themselves to receive the mark of the beast (in order to survive) - Joel's army then appears, to destroy everyone who has the mark of the beast, and to search out and destroy the wicked wheresoever they are in hiding.
There is not the space, here, to go into further depth, in order to prove who are the soldiers in Joel's army. I must simply state the fact: Joel's army consists of the glorified saints of God who, soon after the Rapture, they appear during the Day of the LORD to "execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them THE JUDGMENT WRITTEN: this HONOR have ALL HIS SAINTS" (Psalm 149).
1 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?"
The Holy Ghost is right now recruiting and training soldiers who, if they be found worthy (Luke 21:36; Rev. 3:4), God himself shall honor them, by translating them to heaven (in the Rapture); equipping them with immortality and supernatural powers; and, then, send them to the earth to carry out the divine wrath and vengeance of God during the Day of the LORD - sometimes (misleadingly) called the Tribulation period.
When the Rapture happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the world - including the worldly churches - shall never know that it happened. But it will be business - I mean, church as usual: with their long-haired, earring-wearing, rock-and-roll 'worship leaders'; with their 'Encounters' and their latte (or wine) bars and their Bible-substitutes; with a menagerie of books and seminars and hip preachers making a mockery of Grace; not to mention a host of abominations too unfit to name. Old-fashioned preaching, warning lost souls of their impending doom in a devils' hell, is welcomed in today's churches like the plague. While those who dare to step out and sound a serious trumpet-call, are labeled as troublemakers and fanatics.
Nevertheless, those troublemakers and fanatics and trumpet-blowers are just about to graduate from boot-camp....of which Joel wrote: Holy Ghost boot-camp.
"Soldier, some day, you'll thank me!"
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