The day of the Lord… (4 things)

• 1^st – The rebirth of Israel… vs. 1
  • 1^st – Behold in those days – at that time – I will bring back the captives from Judah…
    • There are some who suggest this ‘rebirth’ of Israel refers to the return from Babylon…
      • But the context from chapter 2 puts this event squarely in the Day of the Lord…
      • Meaning the fulfillment of this event was THE rebirth of the nation!
    • Israel – Jerusalem – was trampled down by the Gentiles for almost 2000 years – Luke 21:24
      • The Romans ruled it for 250 years from – 70-313 A.D.
      • Byzantine Empire (Rome converted to Christianity) for 320 years – 314-635 A.D. 
      • Arab Caliphate – (early Muslim conquerors) for 400 years – 636-1098 A.D.
      • The Crusaders – (European Christians) for 100 years – 1099-1184 A.D.
      • Muslims / Ottoman Empire for 700 years – 1185-1917 A.D.
      • English Empire – (after the fall of the Ottomans in WWI) – for 40 years 1918-1948 A.D.
    • Because God set aside Israel for a time – and today uses the church to speak to the world…
      • But there are a set number of ‘gentiles’ who will receive Jesus as their savior…
      • No one but God knows the number – or who will be the last gentile to be saved…
      • Romans 11:25 – “[When] the fullness of the Gentiles has come in…”
      • When the ‘Last Gentile’ to believe – receives Jesus – the rapture of the church!
      • Then God will again use Israel as His mouthpiece to speak to the world!
  • 2^nd – Israel is Gods prophetic watch/ timer – they are how God ‘tells time’…
    • In Daniel 9:24-27 we are told 490 years remain for Israel till God establishes His Kingdom!
    • The starting date – the command to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem – Nehemiah 2:1-8
    • After 69×7 – 483 years – Daniel predicted the death of Jesus Christ!
    • At which point God’s clock stopped – and waited – it has been stopped for 2000 years…
    • Until May 14 – 1948 – when the valley of dry bones came to life – Ezekiel 37:21-22
    • Isaiah 43:6 – “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth…”
  • 3^rd – The blossoming of the fig tree – Mark 13:28-32…
    • Since 1948 Israel has literally blossomed – Isaiah 27:6
      • Israel has become a major world agricultural exporter – $1.5 billion a year!
      • The Fig tree has indeed blossomed – Just as the Word of God foretold!
    • The Generation that sees ‘Israel blossom’ – will also see the ‘End of the Age’…
      • Which brings up 2 very important questions – when exactly did Israel blossom…
      • Some say – May 14^th, 1948 – when Israel was declared a nation
      • Some say – June 7^th, 1967 – when Israel reclaimed the Temple Mount (Jerusalem)
      • And how long is a Generation – in the Bible a Generation can be from 20-100 years…
      • Count 20-100 years from 1948/1967 – it means the rapture is VERY close!
    • How sure can we be we are the last Generation – Jesus is coming…
      • Jesus says – Heaven and Earth will pass away – but His words will not!
      • So – we can be VERY SURE – Jesus is coming – VERY SOON!
    • Which leaves the obvious question – do we know the exact day and hour…
      • The Day and Hour referred to is talking about the Rapture of the church…
      • Its not in reference to Jesus 2^nd coming – exactly 3½ years after Abomination of desolation
      • So when does the Rapture occur – no one knows – only the Father in Heaven…
      • Because if we knew when – we might be tempted to live like the devil…
      • Then a month/week/day/ or hour before the rapture – try to get our lives right with God!

• 2^nd – The judgment of the nations… vs. 2-8
  • 1^st – The location of the judgment… vs. 2
    • God will gather all nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat…
      • There is no valley in Israel called the valley of Jehoshaphat…
      • But Jehoshaphat means – God will judge – so this is the valley where God will judge…
      • Thought to be a reference to the valley of Megiddo – Armageddon!
    • This may also be a reference to the story of Jehoshaphat – II Chronicles 20:20-21
      • When the people were facing the combined armies of Moab / Edom / and Ammon…
      • Jehoshaphat told them to believe (Hiphil) in God – and they would be established (Niphal)…
      • The phrase ‘you will be established’ is one word –                    – the same word for believe…
      • In other words – if you believe – you will find you had good reason to believe!
      • Although believe God can do anything – I doubt – my problem is have never seen Him do it!
      • Having faith is not about what we do – but who we spend time with – Romans 10:17
      • Our faith grows as we spend time with the Word – Jesus!
      • It has been said that seeing is believing – but that is not the case – II Corinthians 5:7
      • It is by believing we get to see God do the impossible – and that establishes our faith!
    • Jehoshaphat showed he believed by deciding to put the worship team in front in the battle…
      • They were singing about the victory – before they even went into the battle!
      • And as they sang – the Lord set an ambush for the armies of Moab / Ammon / and Edom…
      • Moab and Ammon began to battle the people of Edom – and they wiped each other out…
      • When Jehoshaphat and Judah arrived – there was not a single man left alive!
      • So the valley of Jehoshaphat refers to the place where God brings the victory!
      • According Zechariah 14:2-4 / Acts 1:11 – Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives…
      • And when He touches down HE ALONE will destroy the armies of the Antichrist!
  • 2^nd – The reason for the judgment… vs. 3-8
    • Because of what the nations did to Israel – 4 accusations…
      • They scattered the people among the nations – divided up the Land of God – Diaspora…
      • They cast lots for the people of God – sold boys to pay for harlots / girls to pay for wine…
      • Specifically the costal powers of Tyre and Sidon are mentioned as being guilty of this!
      • They took the silver and gold from the Temple – gave it to their gods…
      • Sold the people of God to the Greeks (sons of Ionian) – taken to a far away land…
    • As retaliation God would send these same nations into captivity…
      • The people of Israel would sell their enemies sons and daughters into captivity…
      • To the Sabeans (people of Sheba – south west Arabia) a people who were far away!
      • When Alexander conquered Tyre – he sold thirty thousand of their people into slavery!
      • There is an old saying – what goes around also comes around…
      • Meaning the way you treat others – is how you are going to be treated!
      • Therefore how do we want others to treat us – is how we should treat them!
      • Matthew 7:12 – “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…”

• 3^rd – The battle of Armageddon… vs. 9-17
  • 1^st – Assemble and gather all the nations… vs. 9-12
    • Proclaim among the nations – prepare for war – let them come up (to Jerusalem)…
      • He tells them to beat their plows into swords / pruning hooks (tree trimmers) into spears…
      • Arm even your farmers – let the weak say I am strong – it is time for everyone to go to war!
      • Speaking of the idea that men think they can defeat God with bullets and bombs!
      • Interesting contrast – because a during the Millennial Kingdom…
      • Isaiah 2:4  – “God shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; 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 anymore.”
    • But the truth was God was going to ‘wake the nations’ – so He could judge them!
      • Psalm 2:1-4 – “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?  The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord… He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision.”
      • We might snicker at the idea of men being able to ‘fight God’ will tanks and guns…
      • But the truth is we often try to ‘fight the will’ of God in our own lives…
      • God wants us to do one thing – and we stubbornly insistent on doing things our own way…
      • It is only when we are exhausted / defeated – that we finally look up and surrender!
  • 2^nd – The description of Armageddon… vs. 13-15
    • Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe – the winepress is full…
      • Revelation 14:19 – “The angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God… and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one 180 miles.”
      • The sun / moon / and stars will be darkened – Revelation 8:12
      • Multitudes / Multitudes in the valley of decision (more literally – the threshing tool)!
      • I have heard evangelists quote this verse – people in the ‘valley of decision’…
      • But this verse is not about salvation – it is about the judgment of God!
      • One of the most important concepts in understanding the Bible is CONTEXT…
      • Interpreting a verse or passage in relation to the surrounding verses….
      • That is why we study the whole Bible – teachings chapter by chapter…
      • We learn the Bible in CONTEXT – having an accurate understanding of theWord!
    • The valley of the ‘threshing tool’ – where the Lord will separate the wheat from the chaff!
      • In Matthew 13:24-43 – Jesus gave and interpreted the parable of the wheat and the tares…
      • What happens to the Tares – the Harvest of judgment at the end of the world…
      • The reapers are the Angels that God sends out to gather all men to the judgment…
      • There the bad seeds (tares) will be bound up – cast into THE fire – and burned!
      • The fate of those who reject Jesus as their savior is determined…
      • In the Day of Judgment they are cast into outer darkness…
      • The final – and only – destination for those who reject Jesus – the Lake of Fire!
  • 3^rd – The day the Lord returns… vs. 16-17
    • The Lord will roar out of Zion / his voice from Jerusalem – and heaven and earth will shake…
      • The people of Israel will know the Lord their God – He will dwell in Zion…
      • Then Jerusalem will be Holy (because Jesus is there) – no strangers will ever enter her again!
    • At the end of the 7 years of Tribulation – Jesus will return – Revelation 19:11-21
      • He will come riding in on a white horse – ‘King of Kings – and Lord of Lords’!
      • All those who were raptured will return with Him from heaven – Jude 14
      • He will face off against the armies of the Anti-Christ – Valley of Armageddon…
      • With one word from his mouth He will destroy them all – II Thessalonians 2:8
      • All of the Jews will see Jesus – realize He is their Messiah – and believe – Zechariah 12:10 
      • God will save the whole nations of Israel – all of them will receive Jesus – Romans 11:26
        
• 4^th – Millennial Kingdom… vs. 18-21
  • 1^st – The blossoming of Israel… vs. 18-19
    • It will come to pass – the mountains will drip with new wine / the hills with honey…
      • After the judgments of the nations – after the battle of Armageddon…
      • Jesus will establish His Millennium Kingdom here on earth – Revelation 20:1-7…
      • And a fountain will flow from the House of the Lord – the 4^th Temple…
      • The water valley of Acacias (shittim) – remote desert valley where shittim trees grow …
      • God will send this water to bring life back to the dead sea – Ezekiel 47:8
      • There will be peace – ‘the lion will lay down with the lamb’ – Isaiah 11:6-9
      • Death will still be possible – but men will live to be much older than they do now….
      • A man may even be able to live during the entire 1000 years – Isaiah 65:20
    • And we will rule and reign with Jesus Christ…
      • We will help Jesus when He judges the world – Revelation 20:4 / I Corinthians 6:2
      • Then rule and judge the nations with Jesus for those 1000 years!
      • Revelation 2:26-27 – “He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations…  He shall rule them with a rod of iron…”
  • 2^nd – The forgiveness of Israel… vs. 20-21
    • Egypt and Edom (Jordan) will be a desolate wilderness…
      • Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, I will curse him who curses you.”
      • Every nation who has ever come against Israel – has been humbled…
      • Spain was a world power in the 1500 – until the inquisition – and were never a power again
      • Germany was a world power in mid 20^th century – controlled all of Europe!
      • Then came the Holocaust – the empire crumbled and has never been a world power again
      • England was the empire the sun never set on – sided with the Arabs in 1948
      • Shortly afterwards they slipped from the world stage as a major power!
      • The Untied States is a blessed nation – who supports Israel – for now…
      • If they ever stop supporting Israel – the blessing may become curses!
    • But Judah will abide forever – they will be forgiven – and He will live with them in Zion!
      • What a contrast Joel leaves with us – wrath and judgment / or grace and forgiveness…
      • Destruction and death – or blessing and life / eternal separation – or everlasting reunion…
      • It seems like an obvious choice – yet the nations rage against the Lord!
      • Here is where we have an opportunity – to go out and tell people…
      • Now we might be nervous about sharing our faith with others…
      • We might think we need to have all the answers to all the questions…
      • But I like the example of Philip in Acts 8:35 – he opened his mouth!
      • It is God who speaks through us the words that are needed…
      • All we need to do is be willing to open our mouths – share Jesus!