JOEL 2 AND 3 (NOTES OF A READING)
JOEL 2 AND [p. 419] 3 (NOTES OF A READING)
Joel 2:20 - 32; Joel 3: 13 - 21
CAC Acts 2 gives our link with Joel (cf. verses 28 - 32). Peter says, “This is that”.
Ques How does this passage link up with the last days?
CAC It was the last days of God dealing with Israel. The whole of mankind is in view. “Is he the God of the Jews only?” Paul asks. The great secret of the whole matter is veiled. In Joel he does not give us any ground at all on which this comes to pass, though he speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit. It awaited the coming in of Christ, and the accomplishment of redemption and Jesus being raised and being glorified; all that was essential before the Spirit could be poured out. But he gives the barrenness and desolation of the present time and calls on the people to take it to heart. If they did God would turn and there would be fruitfulness and plenty instead of famine. All the years the cankerworm and palmer-worm had eaten would be restored. All these wonderful things He would do required the coming in of Christ to bring them in, and all these millennial blessings, which are spiritual, will be by the coming in of Christ. The incarnation was a great necessity in view of all this; that is, Jehovah would be known as in the midst of His people. It was verified when Emmanuel was there, expressing the power that would subdue all evil and bring in the blessing of God where the famine had been. There will not be such a witness to God in the millennium as there was in the days of the Son of man, days full of the blessedness of God set forth in the midst of famine and misery — God set forth. Every blessing was there. It is a great thing for us to see the greatness of what was here — God will not be walking down here in the millennium as a Man amongst men. He will be approached in the temple. They will never be able to wash the Lord’s feet with their [p. 420] tears or to lie in His bosom. They will not know the surpassing excellence in which God is known at the present time. All that comes in as preparatory to the outpouring of the Spirit, which was a suitable thing after God had been “manifest in flesh”, and a remnant brought to receive Him as the Christ and Son of God. There is a suitability if the Spirit is poured out. He speaks of the cure of the famine; we know now that He has brought it in in Christ. So the means are provided so that we can approach with an oblation and a drink-offering. He may “return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, an oblation and a drink-offering for Jehovah your God”, it says. Well, that is just exactly what He came in for.
Ques Why is it “all flesh”?
CAC It shows the universality of the thoughts of God. As presented here it is in view of God being known, or God’s mind being made known. That is, attention is called to the result in prophecy and spiritual understanding. So that the Spirit comes specially as enabling saints to speak.
Ques With the Lord going to the Father and the Comforter coming would there be an extension?
CAC With the great addition now that He was risen and glorified, so the Spirit would be connected with that. There was an extension of what was of God. It was there in one Man. The ascended Man has a body here on earth, and it is the vessel of testimony, the Spirit enables persons to prophesy. I think everything that is for God lies in the power of the Spirit. The right walking of the saints is in the power of the Spirit.
“All flesh” means it is not to be limited to Israel. It is to bring out the extensive character of the working of God. It speaks of dreams and visions. It is to cast us on the personal acting of the Spirit, it is something extra to the Scripture. There is not quite so much energy needed for dreaming as for visions, so the old men dream. There is such a thing as meditating in the Spirit so that our thoughts are carried in a spiritual channel. Seeing a vision is something more special,
[p. 421] and very near to a revelation. You get an apprehension of Christ you had not before. “I will manifest myself to him” in John 14 is very like it. It requires spiritual energy, and we should look for this. There is a source of spiritual supply outside the Scripture. Every dream and vision must be subject to Scripture, and we have the Spirit that inspired the Scripture. It is possible for the Spirit to give us thoughts of God and Christ directly from Himself. A beloved servant of the Lord said he always received things by the Spirit, before he found them in Scripture. If a divine Person has come to dwell in us, we ought to understand the possibilities. The sin of Christendom is the ignoring of the Spirit and so the confusion has come in. The natural man has displaced the Spirit of God, it is the cause of the famine. There is continual freshness where the Spirit has His way, nothing is dried up. I believe, brethren, we ought to be exercised as to the personal action of the Spirit. It speaks of the “flow” of waters in chapter 3.
Rem “Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint”, it says (Proverbs 29: 18).
CAC What Peter saw (Acts 10) was by the Spirit, and volume of instruction was in it as to the Gentiles. He would not have gone near Cornelius if he had not had that vision; and so with John.
Rem Jeremiah 31: 26 says, “I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me”. If we were in the Spirit we should never be ashamed.
CAC Therefore the thought of the day of the Lord is helpful. The Lord would deal with everything today we might be afraid of. Jehovah will take up His dealings with Judah and Jerusalem before that day. We have a little anticipation of that. God takes up His dealings with His people and the adversaries are not yet dealt with. He is taking account of all that is adverse to His people, and chastening them, and then presently deals with those very people He has used in chastisement.
At the present time the grace of God predominates, so it remains true that “Whosoever shall call upon the name of Jehovah shall be saved”; it remains true all through this period. The assembly took the place of Zion and Judah at the day of Pentecost. The assembly was the place where salvation was found. There the Lord added such as should be saved, and it is the same now. And as God dwells there, a testimony goes out, as in Corinth, a testimony that God is among His people.
Rem The last word in Ezekiel is, “Jehovah is there”.
CAC And therefore everything must be judged; and so the nations come to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Everything contrary to God must be judged.
Ques Would that be the thought of the sickle in Revelation 14?
CAC Yes, harvest and vintage are figures of judgment. The Lord is constant in judging all that goes on in the assembly.
Ques What does it mean by the sun being darkened and the moon turned into blood?
CAC It will mean the withdrawal of all heavenly light.
There is a blaze of heavenly light today. It is a terrible thing when God will withdraw light from men because it has not been appreciated. It is very solemn that men and countries that have had light are turning away. And they come up to battle; we read they make war with the Lamb. The “valley of decision” is where everything is determined. God must bring everything to judgment. Every human being will find himself in the valley of decision some day; everything will be brought to a head. He will be faithful to His people whenever He has to act in judgment.
Rem “The gifts and calling of God are not subject to repentance”.