Joel 2

2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

• Psalm 47:5 “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.”
• Matthew 24:30-31 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
• John 11:23-24 “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

A concept lost in the dispensational dichotomy is the fact that even those who claim the faith and belief of YHVH the Creator and Savior of mankind will experience difficulty, hatred, and persecution because the world, being influenced and controlled by Satan, wants nothing to do with God. The world tries their best to distance themselves from all Godly principles through science, technology, traditions, mysticism, and the occult; while Christianity distance themselves from God through traditions, paganism and humanism.

• Romans 1:21-32 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

2 A day of darkness (misery, destruction, death) and of gloominess (misfortune) a day of clouds (to act covertly) and of thick darkness, (despair) as the morning spread (daybreak) 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. (massive army)

3 A fire devoureth before them; (destroying everything in their path) 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. (scorched earth military approach)

In Chapter One we witnessed the locust army that is the figurative warning for the approaching horde. In the 9th century BCE, Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, which was one of the two Hebrew kingdoms, the other being the Kingdom of Israel to the north. Jerusalem’s significance as a political and religious center grew during the reign of King David and was further established by his son, King Solomon, who built the First Temple in Jerusalem. The 9th century BCE saw Jerusalem’s development as a prominent city within the region. This certainly aided in the ability to dismiss Joel and his warning. When times are good and emotions are high we all have the tendency to suppress the negative. Yet the war rages on.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. (despair)

• Revelation 13:4 “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”

7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

• Job 1:7 “And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

• Revelation 11:3-7 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.”

11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

• Revelation 19:11-17 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;”

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

• 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly

Here again we see the reference to the sounding of the trumpet. The question becomes: why doesnt the modern church embrace this repetitive warning? The Great Day of the Lord, The Last Great Day, the Second Coming of Yeshua will be announced by a trumpet blast and will usher in the Feast of Trumpets to wit are the 7 final trumpets to be fulfilled.

16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

• John 3:29 “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

18 Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
• 1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

19 Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. (Oil is the anointing of God and Wine is the doctrine of God.)

• Revelation 6:6 “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

• Job 42:11-13 “Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.”
• Exodus 12:35-36″ And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

• Revelation 22:1-3 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:”

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

• Revelation 6:12 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;”

32 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.

• Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Modern day Christian, while moderately divided in principle, primarily believe in a pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. The pre-tribulation doctrine has no biblical foundation, promotes escapism and denies concepts of endurance and reliance upon God alone. The patterns for the timing of the return of Christ and the exposure of the anti-christ would be altered from that described in Scripture. Jesus even warns against this very situation..

Matthew 24:3-4 “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.“

 these are the beginning of sorrows.

1. many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
2. Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars:
3. nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom
4. there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,

then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

1. they deliver you up to be afflicted
2. shall kill you:
3. ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
4. many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
5. iniquity shall abound,
6. the love of many shall wax cold
7. gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations

and then shall the end come.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:21

1. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
2. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
3. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
4. he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet
5. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

We can see from this timeline that there will be a massive and swift invasion of false teachers and false doctrines which garners a swift a complete destruction by Yeshua. The rapture doctrine with its 7 year tribulation does not fit the swift a and permanent answer described in these verses. Things got bad in Egypt and it was 400 years before the exodus occurred but the redemption came in one night. This is why it will feel like a thief in the night. Humanity has this idea that they can escape all this via the rapture.

What if the 7 trumpets of Revelation come in correlation to the Feast of Trumpets? I personally believe it will!

The Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) in the Hebrew calendar, which typically falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar.

The Feast of Trumpets is characterized by the blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn, which serves as a call to repentance and spiritual awakening. It marks the beginning of the Hebrew New Year and is considered a time of introspection, reflection, and renewal.

Biblically, the Feast of Trumpets is outlined in the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 23:23-25), where it is referred to as “a day of sounding the trumpets.” It is one of the appointed times, or “moedim,” designated by God for the people of Israel to observe.

In Hebrew tradition, the blowing of the shofar is central to the observance of Rosh Hashanah. It is blown in a series of distinct patterns, each with its own symbolic significance, including awakening, repentance, and coronation of God as king.

The Feast of Trumpets is also associated with themes of judgment, as it is believed to mark the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe, a period of intense reflection leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During this time, believers seek forgiveness for their sins and strive to make amends with others.