"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; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread 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.
A fire devoureth before them; 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. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 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.
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 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: 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.
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. 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: 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?
"Therefore also now," saith the Lord, "turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 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."
Who knows 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? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 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.
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?"
Then will the Lord be jealous for His land, and pity His people. 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: 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.
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. 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. 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. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
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. 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. 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.
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: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
A fire devoureth before them; 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. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 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.
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 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: 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.
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. 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: 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?
"Therefore also now," saith the Lord, "turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 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."
Who knows 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? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 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.
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?"
Then will the Lord be jealous for His land, and pity His people. 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: 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.
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. 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. 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. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
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. 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. 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.
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: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
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." (Joel 2:1-32)
Is this the experience which was previously spoken of by the prophet Joel? Is this what the scriptures intended when we read that in the last days the Lord would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh?
Certainly, Joel prophesies of the last days. As well, in Acts 2 it is revealed that not only do the heavens open but we see the outpouring of God‘s Spirit into the lives of Adam‘s redeemed race of believers. The actual event recorded plainly for us in the scriptures, so that we also could be partakers of the goodness that God has for us.
Yet in spite of the succinctness and accuracy of the scriptures, and the eventuality of Joel's prophesy coming to realization, we are left wondering as to why someone would endeavour to misrepresent this grand opening of the entrance of the new covenant sealed with Holy Ghost blood and confirmed by the Spirit of God. Why would that be? The new covenant entering in, complete with sound effects sounding as if a mighty wind was blowing, this sound so effective that its sound filled all the place where they were sitting should have been sufficient evidence. Indeed, the prophesy now fulfilled on the day of Pentecost definitely demanded their priority attention and focus.
We should have been saying "wow" to the events that were transpiring in Acts, and marvelling at God our Saviour. Their tongues and language now also affected by the Spirit of God. Their tongues somehow feeling as if they had become cloven (split or divided) in a way that made them appear to be on fire. This experience felt as if someone was sitting on them. Certainly, something unexplained was happening to those individuals assembled together. Everyone appeared to be moving from one episode to another, with each one in step one with the other one. In essence, what was happening? Well, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost -- the Spirit of the living God. His precious Name JESUS in this current dispensation of grace.
While the noise filled the room, the dialect was totally unknown to those listening. As they observed the proceedings, they noted that the sounds being expressed by those who were assembled were emanating from their own mouths. It seemed like their tongues were on fire, just like a lot needed to be said and yet, there was not enough time to say it. This cloven tongue on fire experience just remained on them. Again, to those observing, it appeared as if they were not in command.
Then wonders of wonders, an emotional high occurred within the midst. It was as if a spring of waters began rising up. Just when the people had thought there could be no higher or greater joy, peace covered them like a blanket. What better peaceful experience than the peace that comes with redemption? These experiences birthed them into a new covenant, a new creation experience. They have now been filled with His Spirit. They have now engaged in a born again experience. They had been born of God. Indeed, these people had been adopted by the one true God who was in the man Christ Jesus and reconciled to Himself by the shedding of His own blood. (for more on Pentecost, see Leviticus 23 )
No longer is God on the outside knocking on hearts but now God is on the inside. We, as new born children, now desire more than ever before to be fed with the sincere word of God. Yes! With cloven tongues we speak as men in everyday happenings. We speak with surety of the wonderful words of life which allow individuals who receive Jesus into their lives to secure God's plan of redemption and enjoy a born again life. Although this life experience is unimaginable in the eyes of unbelievers, it is true nonetheless.
I repeat the words Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Are you a ruler and you do not know these things? Except a man be born again, he can neither see nor can he enter the kingdom of God."
But the good news is that we can see clearly now. Lord, you alone have the words of eternal life, and you alone have given freely of the gift. Be still and know that I am God. Remember too that when the Holy Ghost enters, we, like the bush in the old testament may burn as with fire, but we will not be consumed.
Thanks to the goodness and grace of God, we are regenerated and reborn. Peace in Jesus. Stand in the offering plate.
Yet in spite of the succinctness and accuracy of the scriptures, and the eventuality of Joel's prophesy coming to realization, we are left wondering as to why someone would endeavour to misrepresent this grand opening of the entrance of the new covenant sealed with Holy Ghost blood and confirmed by the Spirit of God. Why would that be? The new covenant entering in, complete with sound effects sounding as if a mighty wind was blowing, this sound so effective that its sound filled all the place where they were sitting should have been sufficient evidence. Indeed, the prophesy now fulfilled on the day of Pentecost definitely demanded their priority attention and focus.
We should have been saying "wow" to the events that were transpiring in Acts, and marvelling at God our Saviour. Their tongues and language now also affected by the Spirit of God. Their tongues somehow feeling as if they had become cloven (split or divided) in a way that made them appear to be on fire. This experience felt as if someone was sitting on them. Certainly, something unexplained was happening to those individuals assembled together. Everyone appeared to be moving from one episode to another, with each one in step one with the other one. In essence, what was happening? Well, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost -- the Spirit of the living God. His precious Name JESUS in this current dispensation of grace.
While the noise filled the room, the dialect was totally unknown to those listening. As they observed the proceedings, they noted that the sounds being expressed by those who were assembled were emanating from their own mouths. It seemed like their tongues were on fire, just like a lot needed to be said and yet, there was not enough time to say it. This cloven tongue on fire experience just remained on them. Again, to those observing, it appeared as if they were not in command.
Then wonders of wonders, an emotional high occurred within the midst. It was as if a spring of waters began rising up. Just when the people had thought there could be no higher or greater joy, peace covered them like a blanket. What better peaceful experience than the peace that comes with redemption? These experiences birthed them into a new covenant, a new creation experience. They have now been filled with His Spirit. They have now engaged in a born again experience. They had been born of God. Indeed, these people had been adopted by the one true God who was in the man Christ Jesus and reconciled to Himself by the shedding of His own blood. (for more on Pentecost, see Leviticus 23 )
No longer is God on the outside knocking on hearts but now God is on the inside. We, as new born children, now desire more than ever before to be fed with the sincere word of God. Yes! With cloven tongues we speak as men in everyday happenings. We speak with surety of the wonderful words of life which allow individuals who receive Jesus into their lives to secure God's plan of redemption and enjoy a born again life. Although this life experience is unimaginable in the eyes of unbelievers, it is true nonetheless.
I repeat the words Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Are you a ruler and you do not know these things? Except a man be born again, he can neither see nor can he enter the kingdom of God."
But the good news is that we can see clearly now. Lord, you alone have the words of eternal life, and you alone have given freely of the gift. Be still and know that I am God. Remember too that when the Holy Ghost enters, we, like the bush in the old testament may burn as with fire, but we will not be consumed.
Thanks to the goodness and grace of God, we are regenerated and reborn. Peace in Jesus. Stand in the offering plate.
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