joy cometh - in the 'morning'

"...the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds

and of thick darkness,

as the morning spread upon the mountains:

a great people

and a strong;

there hath not been ever the like,

neither shall be any more after it,

even to the years of many generations.

A fire devoureth before them;

and behind them

a flame burneth...."

The above passage is from Joel chapter 2, verses 1a thru 3a (without any omissions).  I stylized the text in the fashion shown, in order to make the reading - and thus the meaning - of the passage clear.  It is best thought of as though there were two different voices: one speaking the words in the left-justified margin, and the other speaking the words which are right-justified (and less visible).  An analysis follows:

"Prophesy unto the wind . . ."

I love the above painting by H Mandel.  It is a representation of the account of Ezekiel's Vision in the 'valley of dry bones' (Ezekiel 37).  In context, the Biblical narrative is a prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel as a nation (which began to be fulfilled in 1948).  Yet, I believe it also has a deeper meaning.