Joel Chapter 1
3/9/25 11:00 AM
Solitary Man
solitaryman.substack.com
20250220
Joe 1:1 The word (daw-bawr – matter, thing, message, judgment) of the LORD (Yehovah) that came to Joel (yo-el – Jehovah is his god) the son (bane) of Pethuel (enlarged or persuaded of God).
As we touched upon in the introduction, this verse gives us all that we know of this man. He most likely was not a priest or a Levite, as he speaks of them later on as a separate group, and not as one of them. All we have is his and his father’s name that reflect their loyalty to El. And in Joel’s case, that El is Yah, or Yehovah.
There is no attempt to prove or in any way confirm the claim that this is the word of the Lord. The word of Yehovah came to Joel and that was that. However it came, he was utterly convinced that the sender was Yahweh. We know it was the true word of God by many centuries of acceptance by the people of God.
However I want to touch on one aspect of how to tell if a modern word is indeed from the Lord. And from my studies in scripture, one of the surest signs is the subject matter itself. If it is a word of judgment, that is a sign one can place much confidence in. If it is some word of blessing and prosperity, that is one that you really need to be wary of. Jeremiah spoke of this very thing, when he was dealing with the false prophets of his day:
Jer 28:1 And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
Jer 28:2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Jer 28:3 Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:
Jer 28:4 And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Jer 28:5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,
Jer 28:6 Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.
Jer 28:7 Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;
Jer 28:8 The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.
Jer 28:9 The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.
Jer 28:10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.
Jer 28:11 And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
Jer 28:12 Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 28:13 Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.
Jer 28:14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.
Jer 28:15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
Jer 28:16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.
Jer 28:17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
There is a much higher standard of a burden of proof when the prophecy is one of total positivity.
I say all this to try and change the behavior of the modern church. We tend to shy away from the ‘doom and gloom’ preachers. Yet those are the ones that are most likely the true messengers of the Lord.
Joel does have a promise of restoration. But that is not the main focus. The main focus is the certainly and the awfulness of the day of the Lord. Even as God sends mini days of the Lord in contemporary judgments of varying strength, so shall he send the ultimate day of total and final judgment upon all the earth. And even as total repentance was the solution to end the current judgment, so it will be in the final day as well.
Joe 1:2 Hear (shama – hear intelligently, with the idea of obedience) this, ye old men (ancient), and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
Joel is asking whether something in their current situation has ever been seen in Israel’s history. The situation was a plague of locusts of such devastation I am sure it would have been classified as one of those situations where if you spoke of it, it would have ‘made your ears tingle’. Of course the Judeans knew of the great plague of locusts in Egypt, but I think Joel is referring to Israel’s recollection of their history in their own land. Apparently this current plague was one of a kind.
Joe 1:3 Tell (saw-far – mark, tally, inscribe) ye your children (bane – sons) of it, and let your children (bane) tell their children (bane), and their children (bane) another (next) generation (dore – a revolution of time, posterity).
This was one of those events that would be talked about for generations. Every culture and nation has events such as this. For Americans, the war of independence, then the civil war, would have been two such situations. For North Americans, World War Two. For all of us in the west, especially Americans, 9/11 would be such an event. For the world, the covid scamdemic of 2020 fits the bill.
As a quick aside, I have just watched a video that accurately summarized what really occurred in 2020 more than any other one that I have seen. If we are focusing on investigating the outbreak, we are being deceived. We must focus on investigating the response. The response was not one of a national health crisis, but a national security crisis. Everything flowed from that distinction. What was not possible under a health emergency suddenly became possible under a national security crisis. Each government was somehow convinced to secretly declare a national security crisis rather than a health crisis. The key was that it was secret, and not revealed to the public of any nation that that was what was occurring. This allowed all governments to implement draconian measures such as lockdowns, travel bans, etc. This was a worldwide globalist test of a release of a bioweapon, and the security apparatus of each country was put on display. If the public knew what was really going on, they would have never allowed their governments to get away with it. Scare people with a disease, and brains fly out the window.
Joe 1:4 That which the palmerworm (gaw-zawm – devourer) hath left hath the locust (ar-beh – grasshopper, from a root meaning the increaser) eaten; and that which the locust (ar-beh) hath left hath the cankerworm (yeh-lek – to lick up) eaten; and that which the cankerworm (yeh-lek) hath left hath the caterpiller (khaw-seel – the ravager) eaten.
At the time of the 18th century commentaries, over 80 types of locusts were known, and I am certain that even more may be named as of this day. The idea is that as one calamity is barely over, another one strikes. If you think that you have escaped with something of your goods as the first wave of locusts hit, the second and subsequent waves would quickly disabuse you of your notion.
This is all to represent the totality of God’s judgment. None shall escape. No part of your life will remain unaffected. First the devourer comes. Then if you do not have a change of heart, the increaser comes, multiplying your woe. Then whatever may be left the one who licks up the crumbs of your prosperity is let loose. And if you still have a little defiance left in you, then God releases the ravager to finish you off. Thus the foolish men of wickedness are utterly consumed by the consequences of their sins.
Some see a progression of sin in the human heart. First, the thought comes. If we do not cast it down, then we play and fondle that evil thought, as one would caress a gold coin. Then we choose to act on that thought, putting it into action. Then the action is like planting a seed, and in time an evil harvest is reaped.
God, through Joel, will use the current locust calamity as a visible demonstration of what the day of the Lord will look like. While being a pale imitation of the real thing, local in scope, nevertheless there were left some very vivid images that the Israelites would have burned into their consciousness.
We in the west have never experienced something like this. Some people in Africa have seen it. When a locust horde such as this appears, there is nowhere to hide. You cannot save any of your crops. Not a single blade of wheat may be preserved. Their wealth was tied up in the land. If all the plants were destroyed, then that meant that there would be no food for their animals as well. Maybe their hoarded silver and gold would have escaped, but like Joseph’s household in Canaan during the seven year famine, that would soon be all spent. We have all seen a sliver of God’s judgment from time to time in our lives. From 2020 onward, we have seen much more. Yet that is not to be compared with what is to come when that final day makes its appearance.
Joe 1:5 Awake (koots – awke abruptly), ye drunkards, and weep (baw-kaw – bewail, mourn sorely); and howl (yaw-lal – yell), all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off (kaw-rath – cutting of a covenant, by cutting flesh and passing through the pieces) from your mouth.
Whether or not Joel was making a universal condemnation over some well known national sin is up for debate. What we can infer is that sin does stupify the sinner. It makes us blind to what is right before our very eyes. How could most not see the wickedness of covid? And now, just 5 years later, how can the majority of Canadians not see the same wickedness of the mainstream media, as they demonize Trump and suddenly the Liberal party is the true party of patriots that is going to rescue Canada from the clutches of the bad orange man!
Just how stupid can we get? I cannot express the depth of shame and embarrassment that I feel for my wicked, deluded nation. While America is experiencing a reprieve like we have never seen in our lifetimes, Canada is sinking lower and lower into darkness and ignorance. All of a sudden, the one thing in all of the universe that could keep the Liberals in power (the fake patriotism against a phantom horrific enemy in America), and God chooses to unleash that on us. This is a direct judgment of God on Canada. He is the one who is orchestrating this. No matter how much I pray for Canada, the people keep choosing to rebel more and more.
The scriptures that have been quickened in my heart in recent days for my rebellious nation are these:
Jer 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
Jer 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
Jer 14:11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.
Jer 15:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
Jer 30:15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.
I have been asking the Lord to help me to accept the judgments that must now come. Canada is most likely destined for utter ruin. And even then who knows if anyone will repent? We have become a nation that has no God consciousness. In fact, I have even felt in my spirit that God has already spoken many words of warning for this land, and it refuses to even hear, much less repent.
So be it. Let us continue to examine the characteristics of the day of the Lord.
Joe 1:6 For a nation (goy – gentile) is come up upon my land, strong (aw-tsoom – powerful, numerous), and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth (the biter) of a great (fierce) lion.
While it may be hard to envision, the horde of locusts are still in view. They are like a heathen nation invading God’s land. In a number beyond count, their tiny teeth are as the teeth of lions, even the fiercest lions. While each tooth is microscopic in size in comparison, the billions of teeth together will ravage the land in an orgy of destruction in the same way the fiercest lion would ravage and annihilate its prey.
God has now began to use the devastation of the current locust infestation as a type and an example of what the day of the Lord will be like. He will not mention this day until verse 15. At that point, the day of the Lord will be spoken of as occurring right now, in the judgment of the locust. The prophecy will then morph into revelations about the future day itself.
Joe 1:7 He hath laid (treaded down) my vine waste (ruined), and barked (kets-aw-faw – fragment, from a root meaning to crack off, only time in OT) my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare (khaw-sal khaw-sal – naked naked), and cast it away; the branches (tendrils) thereof are made white.
The locusts leave nothing behind. Not only one type, but 4 different types were unleashed, one after another. In times of total judgment, this is the pattern. Don’t expect the covid saga to be the only calamity. Already we know that this is not true. Think of the DEW weapons and the horrible fires. The weather manipulation and the floods in North Carolina. The continual chemtrails. The mRNA in God knows what else besides the jabs. The slaughter of our birds and our beef. The lunatic politicians who do nothing but steal, kill, and destroy, implementing 15 minute cities wherever they can get away with it. And so it goes.
Based on the first month of Trump’s 2nd presidency, perhaps America is in the time of Josiah. Forced righteousness on the land. However, Josiah experienced an early death, and immediately after, Judah plunged right back into rebellion, with total destruction coming just 19 years later. Their hearts had never genuinely repented, despite the best efforts of Judah’s most righteous king of all time. It just goes to show that you can never never legislate repentance.
This is the challenge for the church in America right now. Will you take up the burden of intercession, praying for a true spirit of repentance and the fear of the Lord to manifest as never before, or will you now relax and think God has rescued us? If real repentance does not grip the land, and soon, then all of this temporary restraining of lawlessness will truly be for naught.
We are in the time of the final judgment. It has already begun. Like the locusts, it will leave nothing. If you think you can somehow ride it out and escape with at least something of your wealth without taking the appropriate spiritual steps, you are sadly mistaken. Do not let this reprieve go to waste.
Joe 1:8 Lament (aw-law – bewail, only time in OT) like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
This one last stand against the forces of darkness that God has graciously brought to America is not cause for celebration and relaxation. No matter how much you may be cheering on the new administration, as they accomplish more in one month than most presidencies have done in their entire term, the fact of the matter is that America has piled up an insurmountable burden of sin that cannot be purged by the good deeds of one man. So much innocent blood. So much wickedness. Do not let the devil deceive you into forgetting the unpayable debt that we have piled up in the eyes of our God. The question is not if. The question is when. When will the final destruction hit?
Lament. Bewail. Cry like a woman who lost her husband, right after she was married. Cry like you have never cried before.
Joe 1:9 The meat offering (min-khaw – food offering) and the drink offering (neh-sek – libation) is cut off (kaw-rath) from the house of the LORD (Yehovah); the priests (co-hen), the LORD’S ministers, mourn (aw-bal – bewail, lament).
We now speak of the most common daily offerings that could not be performed, due to the materials needed (grain, wine) being utterly consumed by the ravenous beasts in the land. A great verse that gives us the shortest and sweetest summary of the various offerings of the Lord can be found here in Leviticus:
Lev 7:37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
Here is the expanded translation:
Here is the Torah of the o-lah (burnt offering), of the min-khaw (a bloodless and voluntary meat or food offering), of the khat-aw-ah (sin and its punishment), and the aw-shawn (the trespass or guilt or fault offering) and of the mil-loo (consecration) and of the zeh-bakh (the slaughter of a sacrifice) of the sheh-lem (requital or peace or thanks offering).
I think one can see how one could become a religious nut in trying to keep your scorecard up to date, as far as ensuring that each and every type of offering has been done appropriately, and on time, and properly. If the priests and the Levites did not have the actual materials on hand to perform the required mandatory offerings, then they were afraid that further wrath would fall upon them, as perhaps God would hold them accountable for not performing their daily duties.
This goes to show that once the judgment cycle hits, everything gets upended. Even as during the judgment of covid, that global military operation against the citizens of the entire planet, churches were shut, ministries were shut down, and the work of the body of Christ came to a halt. While many pastors I am sure revelled in the ‘free’ government money that they were given to disobey God and shirk their duty, some I am sure wondered what they could do, as in some places the government acted with severe draconian measures, as in Canada, where pastors were jailed for the audacity to hold a church service while the imaginary virus was waiting to slay us all in those most dangerous of places – the Christian house of worship.
Note that no muslim place of ‘worship’ was ever bothered. This was never about health or safety. It was all about the militarization of the response to Christians and patriotic individuals. It was round one of the normalization of the violent assault on all citizens of righteousness.
If we have entered into the time of serious judgment, there are certain things that we may be sure have occurred. One is that the house of the Lord is not functioning properly. While greedy, carnal prosperity preachers would focus on the material aspect of this verse, the spirit of the Lord would not. No, it’s not that the offerings have dried up. It’s that there is no meat in the Father’s house. The true word of God is our food. The moving of the Holy Spirit is our drink. Instead, false prophets and teachers have overtaken the land. There is hardly any church worth attending anymore. When apostasy rises, judgment is just around the corner. When apostasy dominates, judgment is certain.
Joe 1:10 The field (country) is wasted (shaw-dad – ravaged), the land mourneth (aw-bal); for the corn (grain, wheat) is wasted (shaw-dad): the new wine is dried up (yaw-bashe – ashamed, confused, disappointed), the oil (yits-hawr – anointed, anointing oil) languisheth (aw-mal – droop, sick, wax feeble).
As the locust ate everything up in the natural, so everything in the spirit is destroyed as well. Note that when the day of the Lord, which is the day of judgment, appears in the land, it is in response to what has occurred in the spirit. The field, where the souls are to be found for harvesting, is wasted. That is, no one wants to hear the gospel message. And that is because the gospel message has become so corrupted that it is not the gospel at all. Thus, the crop in the field is wasted. You cannot harvest the field of souls with a false gospel of prosperity and no repentance. Those souls are left to rot on the stem. The land mourns for the lack of a harvest.
While the wheat is wasted, the new wine disappears. When there is backsliding, apostasy, heresy, and carnality, the gifts of the Spirit depart. No fresh word for you. No anointed preaching, no one is anointed to heal the sick or do anything meaningful for the kingdom of God.
Such a land is ripe for the day of the Lord, which is a visitation of God in his anger. Yahweh expected a harvest. Instead, thorns and thistles. Good for nothing but to be eaten up and consumed in his ‘smoke in the nostril’ sort of wrath.
Joe 1:11 Be ye ashamed (boosh – confounded), O ye husbandmen (farmer); howl (yaw-lal), O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished (aw-bad – lost, voided).
Do we feel ashamed for the spiritual condition of our churches? Do we grieve at the condition that we find the body of Christ in today? Do we lament that most of us have not even witnessed, never mind led someone to the Lord in many a year? That field of souls was out there. Yet no water of the word, no oil of the spirit. No way to reach the lost. God knows they are not going to be impressed just by coming to our church. When there is no life, there is no harvest. But how many of us truly weep, day and night, for the lack of any power in our midst? Does our terminal spiritual state even bother us any more?
Joe 1:12 The vine is dried up (yaw-bashe), and the fig tree languisheth (aw-mal); the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered (yaw-bashe): because joy is withered away (yaw-bashe) from the sons (bane) of men (aw-dawm).
Life has become bitter. Joyless. When the spirit of the Lord left the temple, for several years hardly anyone noticed. We were too busy revelling in the blessings and prosperity that was our part and portion. We thought that God was still blessing us, not understanding that all blessing was halted, all that we had were merely the echoes of a once great and holy era.
Eventually, we started to notice that nothing was really happening anymore. No one was getting saved. No one was really living holy. No one was going all out for Jesus anymore. Everything began to dry out.
So we started to fake it. We manufactured the gifts. We pushed people to the carpet. We laughed hysterically. We rolled around and shook and shaked, and many marvelled at the spectacle.
And all the while Jesus wept.
Joe 1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament (saw-fad – tear the hair and beat the breast), ye priests (co-hen): howl (yaw-lal), ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night (stay) in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God (elohim): for the meat offering (min-khaw) and the drink offering (neh-sek) is withholden (maw-nah – kept back, restrained) from the house of your God.
God puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of his ministers. The pastors and prophets and teachers. Where was the call to prayer? Where were the sermons on the judgments of the Lord? Where was the sincerity? These priests were expected to tear their hair out. To beat their breasts as a sign of their remorse. They were to howl in abject misery. They were to prostrate themselves for the entire night in rough garments, denying themselves all physical pleasure. There was nothing left to sacrifice to their God. In spiritual terms, there was no more burden for the lost. Our hearts had become stone cold. Indifferent to the lost. Not moved by the misery and the blindness of our fellow man. Uncaring that the rest of the world was headed straight to hell. Our spiritual larder was empty.
Joe 1:14 Sanctify (kaw-dash – consecrate, keep holy) ye a fast (tsome), call a solemn assembly, gather the elders (zaw-kane) and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry (zaw-ak – shriek) unto the LORD,
So what was the answer? Repentance. Repentance not just for the ministers, but for all of God’s people. Repentance of such a depth of feeling and determination, that the very angels themselves could hear our souls shrieking in the agony of our dry, barren, lifeless state.
Fasting was to be a part of this. Not to fulfill some sort of religious ritual, but a choice that was made to forsake the temporal for the eternal. While food fasts are the norm and the commonplace, I believe the concept of fasting must go much deeper than that. It is the denial of self. The denial of what we can see, what we enjoy doing. Today, it would kill many believers to cut off all social media. They simply could not do it. The things of this world are just too precious and valuable in their hearts and in their minds. It makes me shudder with terror in wondering at the fate of so many of us here in the west. When we examine our lifestyles with brutally honest lenses, what do we really see? Is Jesus really your all in all? What is the priority in your life? Bible reading, or checking your phone? Prayer, or texting? Intercession for the lost, or keeping an eye on your social media account?
Note that the elders were to be gathered first. If the mature ones in the body can’t be bothered to take up the call of the cross, then who will? Well, God will keep searching. He is always on the lookout for those hearts who are completely his. But you elders, your time is running out. If you are not willing to go all out for Jesus at this late stage in your life, then when?
Joe 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand (kaw-robe – nigh, near), and as a destruction (shode – violence, ravage, desolation, spoil, wasting) from the Almighty (shad-dah-ee) shall it come.
Here it is. The theme that Yahweh wants us to focus on. The day of the Lord.
There are 3 basic truths that are fundamental in understanding the true meaning of this day. First, it is at hand. That is, in Joel’s day, an initial fulfilment was occurring, and what was the evidence of at least a preliminary fulfilment? Judgment.
Second, it is not a day of positivity in any way, shape, form, or fashion. It is a day of destruction. A day of violence, ravaging, desolation, spoiling and wasting. Pick your poison. So many of us yearn for the day of the Lord, the final day, when Jesus returns to make all things new. Well, I have news for you. Before you get to any of the things that you are longing for, such as the marriage supper of the Lamb, there is a great feast of a different kind. John speaks of it for us:
Rev 19:17 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;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
I don’t think any of us would mind if we were somehow overlooked when the invitations to that feast are handed out!
The third great truth is that the day of the Lord is from – wait for it – the Lord! Not from the devil. Not from Bill Gates or George Soros or (pick your favorite villain). It is not orchestrated by the UN or the WEF or the WHO or USAID (though I am sure one can find a few trillion allocated to a study to ensure that the day of the Lord is diverse, equitable, and inclusive).
So much of our teaching has ruined the faith and the beliefs of the average believer. We have taught that everything good is of God and everything bad is of the devil.
Did you know that both sides of that coin are wrong? What? What are you saying? Okay, maybe you have finally convinced me that sometimes, God does send bad, or evil things. But how can you say that the devil sends good things?
Because of how we have defined what is good, we are susceptible to receiving those same ‘good’ things from the evil one. Since we have taught that physical prosperity and good health is always a good thing, do you not think that the devil won’t grant you a little wealth, as long as you stay away from the real truth of scripture? Did not the devil himself tempt Jesus with the things of this world?
Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
I wonder just how many prosperity preachers have been given the ‘glory’ of these worldly kingdoms, in wealth and influence, because they were faithful in spreading the heresy of the gospel of greed. These corrupt souls mocked the children of God who embraced their own cross, suffering with the thorns and chains and deprivations, all of which were given to them by God, as Yehovah knew that they would certainly overcome for the Father’s glory:
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect not
The world of Babylon was not worthy to have these precious souls in their presence, so the Father took them home early. Instead, Babylon embraced the Copelands and their ilk, spreading their damnable lies that all that is in Babylon should be sought after with all lustful longing, suffering no restraint. No amount of wealth accumulation is to be too great. Did not Solomon have mountains of silver and gold? Were not Job and Abraham rich men? These deceivers would delicately pick and choose a verse here, a phrase there, judiciously avoiding the 99% of the sacred word that would put a stop to their madness.
Although Joel has the current punishment of his time period in mind, each and every descriptive verse of the day of the Lord teaches us an aspect of the actual great and final day, when all things do come to an end. Alas, the prophet cries! He does not say, hooray, or rejoice. He says woe. Woe is the day.
When that day finally comes to pass, that day of judgment, we too shall cry woe. One more time, I must make mention of the ignorant ones who still want to try and convince us that we are living in the most exciting time in history. Eventful, yes. Exciting, no. Once the judgment of God hits them directly, they will not be so positive, I can guarantee you. Judgment means loss. It means hurt, pain, and torment. Ultimately, it means death. Judgment comes because there is no other remedy. God has exhausted his options. It is always the last thing he does. If judgment had begun to fall upon you and your land, then woe, woe, woe unto you. It means that you are beyond hope. Beyond recourse. Sure, a few here and there may still repent at the very last moment, as our God’s mercy is beyond measure. But judgment means justice. Retribution. Punishment. A recompence for unrestrained evil.
What we will see here is that at the first sign of judgment, we will still find hope. If we take immediate action, there may still be a prospect of deliverance. When we get to a stage such as Jeremiah faced in 588-586 BC, that ship had already sailed. In other words, as judgment progresses, you will come to a point where no more hope may be found. Only a certain expectation of doom.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Verse 27 above tells us what the final day of the Lord is really all about. The devouring of all of God’s adversaries, once and for all. And what should we be doing, as we see this day draw near? Paul tells us in the portion of text that immediately precedes this terrifying passage:
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We’re to hold on with no thought of vacillation. We’re to actually provoke one another. Not to sin or to conflict, but to love and to good works. And finally, we’re to spend time together with like minded believers (if you can actually find any). And we are to do all these things with greater zeal, as we see the terrible time of final, total judgment approaching.
So are we at this final time? I believe so. Whether or not this is true only time will tell. One truth is indisputable is that we are in a time of judgment. Whether Canadian or American (despite the blessing of your last election), or if you’re a citizen of any other nation, our sins have piled up to heaven’s gates. Too much innocent blood has been spilled, and is continuing to be spilled. Any reprieve we think we have is strictly temporary. Do not be deceived. Destruction is coming. It is already here. Joel has begun to hint at our only solution. Chapter two will expand on the solution in much greater detail.
Joe 1:16 Is not the meat (food) cut off (kaw-rath) before our eyes, yea, joy (sim-khaw – glee, pleasure) and gladness (gheel – rejoicing) from the house of our God?
In Joel’s day, the harvest was taken away by the plague of locusts. In our day, our food supply is being cut off by wicked men who are culling our cattle and our birds. Buying up farmland in order to remove it from production. Climate change hysteria to declare an essential element of life, carbon dioxide, as a toxin. Prohibiting farming under the most retarded reasons imaginable. Burning down many dozens of food processing centers in America in the past several years. Yes, our meat is being cut off before our very eyes.
And not only that, but the true joy of the Lord is missing. Instead, we get rock concerts and pyrotechnics and shouting and screaming and jumping around and call it worship. We’ve all lost our minds. We act like this because no one really knows God anymore. Anyone who has truly encountered the living God in their lives does not act like a rabid child with ADHD on meth. A true revelation of the glory and the ‘beauty of his holiness’ can only lead to a profound sense of reverence and unworthiness that will govern your behavior in such a way as to never draw attention to yourself, making a spectacle of your aberrant conduct. How can one act so flippant and callow in the presence of the one who has terrifying creatures crying out as follows:
Isa 6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isa 6:4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Do you feel undone? Do you truly? Have you ever encountered this God? Or is the only god that you encountered one where you exchange hugs and peace symbols? One who understands you, just the way you are? One who never makes any demands upon you, that lets you come into obedience on your own terms, in your own time?
God help us all.
Joe 1:17 The seed (per-oo-daw, only time in OT) is rotten (aw-bash – dried up, only time in OT) under their clods (mig-raw-faw, only time in OT), the garners (depository) are laid desolate (shaw-mame – stun, destroyed), the barns (mam-meg-oo-raw’ – granary, only time in OT) are broken down; for the corn is withered (yaw-bashe).
Yes, the seed is truly rotten in the body of Christ. The seeds that the preachers are sowing will mostly produce tares, wolves, and goats. Sound doctrine has all but disappeared in the land. Why, even now, with total judgment about to be unleashed in Canada, and a last blessing covering America, where are the preachers of repentance in either situation? God sends judgment, and the church ignores it. God sends a blessing, and the church rejoices, but refuses to change course. Joel will teach us the centrality of repentance. Right now, our barns are empty. Our vessels, that should be filled with anointing of the Holy Ghost, are mostly dry, empty husks. Our barns, or houses of worship, have no spiritual sustenance in them.
Are you experiencing the same difficulty that I am? I look high and low for true, anointed preaching. One that convicts, that tears at the heart, that blasts me out of my zone of complacency. And I can find almost none. Even with the help of the internet, one would think that there would hundreds of preachers to choose from. Find me even two.
Sure, you can find some gifted speakers. Some towering intellectuals. Some very competent expositors. But who is causing the sheep to flee to the altar, filled with dreadful trembling at the awful truths of the most severe and terrible judgments of the Lord? Where shall we find the motivation to change our ways? God wants our daily lives to be different. He wants a bride that behaves nothing like the world. That the things of this world are but dung in our eyes. That silver and gold have truly become meaningless. That the burden of souls threatens to truly tear us apart.
Where are those preachers that have the fire of God in their belly, appointed and anointed by God, separated and consecrated to go and bring a starving body that life giving word of truth?
Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts: Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Jer 20:9 And if I say: ‘I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name’, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I weary myself to hold it in, but cannot.
Jer 23:29 Is not My word like as fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Lam_4:11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
When a man of God has truly been appointed by God to speak his word, it is to warn his people of his hot displeasure. The following are the sorts of messages a true prophet of the Lord is commanded to bring:
Eze 5:13 Thus shall Mine anger spend itself, and I will satisfy My fury upon them, and I will be eased; and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them.
Eze 5:14 Moreover I will make thee an amazement and a reproach, among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.
Eze 5:15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury, and in furious rebukes; I the LORD have spoken it;
Eze 15:7 And I will set My face against them; out of the fire are they come forth, and the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them.
Eze 22:21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
A man that has truly received a heavenly commission will experience something so profound, so poignant, that the depth of the encounter shall not be easily plummeted.
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Eze 3:15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and I sat where they sat; and I remained there appalled among them seven days.
Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
When the true God touches you, you will not be launched into uncontrollable laughter. Uncontrollable fear, maybe. You will not launch into a dance party. You will never be the same. The things of this world will seem ludicrous in comparison. The things that the average church believes and indulges itself in will seem as an abomination in your sight.
Once you have tasted of the heavenly gift, how could you ever go back and be seduced by the allure and the temptations of Egypt and Babylon?
Joe 1:18 How do the beasts (be-hay-maw) groan (aw-nakh – sigh, mourn)! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
When the locusts devoured the crops, not only did the people suffer, but so did the animals. As the cabal engage in their depopulation agenda, does not your heart also break over the wanton destruction of literally tens of millions of cattle, chickens, and hogs? Is it not a torment to see the wild animals being poisoned with mRNA jabs? The water and the soil being contaminated with heavy metals? The trees sickening and dying? Where is PETA when there is a real genocidal crisis amongst all the animals? Where are all the tree huggers? Everything that occurs today is just further proof that all of these kids who used to protest against all sorts of environmental concerns, when it was in the interest of the left and the marxists to do so, were all simply evil little devils. None of them give two cents worth of care over actual animals who are being murdered in the name of fake science. It’s so sickening. Our children have been so indoctrinated by our wicked schools. We have lost them. Maybe in America there is still hope but I can tell you that in Canada, we have lost the youth. It is only a matter of time before this country comes crashing down. The only uncertainty is the timing and the means God will choose to do so.
Joe 1:19 O LORD, to thee will I cry (kaw-rah – call out): for the fire hath devoured (aw-kal – consumed) the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
Joel had enough sense to know where to turn. He did not turn to MAGA, nor to MAHA. He did not call for Nuremberg 2.0. Nor did he scream for any man to come to his rescue. No, his only hope was the Lord. And that is our only hope too.
DEW weapons are doing the opposite of this punishment. Instead of burning all the grass and the trees, these microwave type weapons burn up all the houses and the cars, but leave the trees alone. If anyone cannot see the uniqueness of the fires in Lahaina, Jasper, and California, then I don’t know how else to reach you. Glass and aluminum melt right off the cars, while trees nearby remain nearly untouched. Forest fires cannot melt glass. It cannot become hot enough to do so. It is impossible. 2700 degrees, enough to melt glass, but apparently not hot enough to burn leaves off a tree. Amazing, isn’t it?
Joe 1:20 The beasts (be-hay-maw) of the field cry (aw-rag – long for) also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up (yaw-bashe), and the fire hath devoured (aw-kal) the pastures of the wilderness.
All of God’s creation suffers when the day of judgment hits. And it’s all man’s fault. The poor animals had nothing to do with it. Yet they suffer. Just as our little babies suffer being torn limb from limb in the womb. They feel that pain. Then if some are actually born, they are given up for sexual abuse and torture. What did they do to deserve that?
So we see that in this first prophetic book ever written, God wants us to know that he will most certainly judge. He, and he alone, will punish sin. While sin has its own consequences, there is yet a proper and righteous punishment that all sin attracts. And if we do not have our sin taken away by the blood of Jesus, so we too will experience this wrath.
We will continue this examination of the characteristics of this most terrible day in the next chapter.
Solitary Man
