The Prophet Joel

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- Chapter 2 -

(Amos 7:1–9)

Blow the trumpet in Zion, wail on my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land be stirred up. For the day of the Lord is on its way; for it is near:(a)

a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and whirlwinds. Like the morning reaching over the mountains, they are a numerous and strong people. Nothing like them has existed since the beginning, nor will exist after them, even in the years of generation upon generation.(b)

Before their face is a devouring fire, and behind them is a burning flame. The land before them is like a lush garden, and behind them is a desolate desert, and there is no one who can escape them.(c)

Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and they will rush forward like horsemen.

Like the sound of a four-horse chariot, they will leap over the tops of the mountains. Like the sound of a burning flame devouring stubble, they are as a strong people prepared for battle.

Before their face, the people will be tortured; each one’s appearance will retreat, as if into a jar.(d)

(e)

They will rush forward, as if they were strong. Like valiant warriors, they will ascend the wall. The men will advance, each one on his own way, and they will not turn aside from their path.

And each one will not hem in his brother; every one will walk in his own rough path. Moreover, they will drop through the breach and not be harmed.(f)

They will advance into the city; they will rush through the wall. They will scale the houses; they will go in through the windows, like a thief.

Before their face, the earth has trembled, the heavens have been moved. The sun and moon have been obscured, and the stars have retracted their splendor.(g)

And the Lord has bestowed his voice before the face of his army. For its military camps are very numerous; for they are strong and they carry out his word. For the day of the Lord is great and so very terrible, and who can withstand it?

Return with All Your Heart

Now, therefore, the Lord says: “Be converted to me with your whole heart, in fasting and weeping and mourning.”

And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and convert to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and merciful, patient and full of compassion, and steadfast despite ill will.(h)

Who knows if he might convert and forgive, and bequeath a blessing after him, a sacrifice and a libation to the Lord your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call an assembly.

Gather the people, sanctify the church, unite the elders, gather together the little ones and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom depart from his bed, and the bride from her bridal chamber.

Between the vestibule and the altar, the priests, the ministers of the Lord, will weep, and they will say: “Spare, O Lord, spare your people. And do not bequeath your inheritance into disgrace, so that the nations would rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

Restoration Promised

The Lord has been zealous for his land, and he has spared his people.

And the Lord responded, and he said to his people: “Behold, I will send you grain and wine and oil, and you will again be filled with them. And I will no longer give you disgrace among the Gentiles.(i)

And he who is from the North, I will drive far from you. And I will expel him into an impassable land, and into the desert, with his face opposite the Eastern sea, and his furthest part towards the furthest sea. And his stench will ascend, and his rottenness will ascend, because he has acted arrogantly.(j)

(k)

Earth, do not be afraid. Exult and rejoice. For the Lord has great esteem for what he has done.(l)

Animals of the countryside, do not be afraid. For the beauty of the wilderness has sprung forth. For the tree has borne its fruit. The fig tree and the vine have bestowed their virtue.(m)

And you, sons of Zion, exult and rejoice in the Lord your God. For he has given you a teacher of justice, and he will make the early and the late rains descend to you, just as it was in the beginning.(n)

And the threshing floors will be filled with grain, and the presses will overflow with wine and oil.

And I will repay you for the years which the locust, and the beetle, and the mildew, and the caterpillar consumed: my great strength which I sent upon you.

And you will eat with enjoyment, and you will be satisfied, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked miracles with you, and my people will not be confounded forever.

And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the Lord your God, and there is no other, and my people will not be confounded forever.

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

(Acts 2:14–36)

And after this, it will happen that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your elders will dream dreams, and your youths will see visions.(o)

Moreover, in those days I will pour out my spirit upon my servants and handmaids.

And I will grant wonders in the sky and on earth: blood and fire and the vapor of smoke.

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

And it will happen that everyone who will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. For on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and in the remnant whom the Lord will call, there will be salvation, just as the Lord has said.

Footnotes

(a)2:1 The day of the Lord:That is, the time when he will execute justice upon sinners.(Challoner)

(b)2:2 A numerous and strong people:The Assyrians, or Chaldeans. Others understand all this of an army of locusts laying waste the land.(Challoner)

(c)2:3 The pronoun used in the Latin to refer to the ‘numerous and strong people’ of the previous verse is singular in Latin. However, in English, when we use a pronoun to refer to a group, we use the plural. For example: a group of people entered the building, and they sat down. So ‘eum’ is translated in the plural here.(Conte)

(d)2:6 There are two ideas expressed in the last part of this verse. The first refers to the reaction of each person and their facial expression, which becomes withdrawn or driven back, as if into a jar. The second meaning refers to the losses in battle of those who oppose them. Their appearance (in battle) is driven back as if into a jar. All opposition is driven back by them, whether personal opposition shown even by facial expression, or forceful opposition with weapons.(Conte)

(e)2:6 This entire passage can be interpreted to refer to the coming war (World War III) between the Arab nations of the Middle East and the Western nations (U.S. and Europe). It can also refer to much later battles, whereby the Antichrist conquers the world.(Conte)

(f)2:8 Literally, the text says, ‘they will fall through the windows,’ but the context is warfare, so the translation uses ‘drop’ instead of ‘fall’ and ‘breach’ instead of ‘window.’ In other words, during battle, they will break through the breach point (narrow opening) in order to advance militarily.(Conte)

(g)2:10 Here the text does not say that the sun and the moon go dark, but are lessened in their light. Similarly, the stars do not go dark, they reduce their shining beauty.(Conte)

(h)2:13 Or, ‘excelling over ill will.’ Or, ‘....steadfastly rising above ill will.’ Or, ‘excelling above malice.’(Conte)

(i)2:19 In the Christian view of this text, the ‘Gentiles’ are those who are non-Christian and non-Jews, those who do not believe in the teachings of the Bible. And grain, wine, and oil represent the Sacraments, which make use of these things.(Conte)

(j)2:20 This verse is about the Antichrist, who will first take power in the kingdom of the North (as the Book of Daniel says). The phrase ‘extremum eius ad mare novissimum’ could be interpreted to mean ‘with his back towards the furthest sea.’ The word ‘novissimum’ can mean ‘newest,’ but it can also mean furthest, since the newest troops are the last in the line of troops and the furthest away. This phrase is something of a play on words, since his furthest part, his extremity, is towards the furthest sea.(Conte)

(k)2:20 The northern enemy:Some understand this of Holofernes and his army: others, of the locusts.(Challoner)

(l)2:21 This last phrase does not actually say, ‘For the Lord has done great things.’ It says, ‘because the Lord has greatly esteemed that which he has done.’(Conte)

(m)2:22 Or, ‘The fig tree and the vine have given their strength.’ The virtue of the fig tree and the vine is in their fruits, but these are also symbols of the true fruits of Creation, such as virtue and the other gifts of God’s grace.(Conte)

(n)2:23 In Israel, it rains a little in the fall and a little in the spring. Most of the rain falls in the winter. The early and late rains, at the start and finish of the planting season (from fall to spring) can make the difference between a crop that succeeds and one that fails.(Conte)

(o)2:28 Here is an example of a verse where the Challoner Douay-Rheims version translation refers to men: ‘old men,’ and ‘young men,’ but the text itself is fairly gender inclusive. The word ‘senes’ is masculine, but if the text wanted to refer specifically to men, it could easily have been worded with the word ‘vir.’ And the same can be said for ‘juvenes,’ (juveniles or youths). This translation (the CPDV) is certainly NOT an inclusive language or gender neutral version. Instead, the text is translated with whatever words most closely fit the Latin text, even if at times it might seem to be inclusive language. Notice also that the text actually says ‘sons and daughters’ in the Latin. Therefore, when the text only says ‘sons,’ a translation of ‘sons and daughters’ or ‘people’ would not be justified.(Conte)

(Amos 7:1–9)

Blow 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 comes, for it is close at hand:

A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and they run as horsemen.

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

At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course.

One doesn’t jostle another. They each march in their own path. They burst through the defenses and don’t break ranks.

They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

The LORD thunders his voice before his army, for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of the LORD is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

Return with All Your Heart

“Yet even now,” says the LORD, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to the LORD, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, LORD, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Restoration Promised

Then the LORD was jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

The LORD answered his people, “Behold,(a) I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.

Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.

Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD, your God; for he gives you the early rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the early rain and the latter rain, as before.

The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied, and will praise the name of the LORD, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.

You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am the LORD, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed.

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

(Acts 2:14–36)

“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.

And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

It will happen that whoever will call on the LORD’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the remnant, those whom the LORD calls.

Footnotes

(a)2:19 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.