In this short series on the book of Joel, we have learnt what it means to lament: what it means to cry out to God in our times of sorrow and pain; what it means to turn from sin in genuine repentance.
Now, we want to consider Joel 2:28-32. Specifically, in these few verses: we want to examine this theme of the “Day of the Lord”. What is this great and awesome day of the Lord? What will happen, on this great and awesome day? From Joel 2: 28-32, we learn of some awesome and wondrous promises of God, a God who promises that He will pour out His spirit on His people, even in the midst of chaos and calamity. How do we understand these wondrous promises, and what do they mean for us? We will attempt to answer these questions, in this study.
(A) Fulfilled on Pentecost: God pours out his Spirit on all of his people
The first thing we note is a strange, and wondrous promise from God in Joel 2:28 is that God will “pour out His spirit on all flesh” We should pause to consider: what does it mean that God will “pour out” His spirit?
Earlier, we see this same language of something being poured out (c.f. Joel 2:23). There, God promises that He will pour down on His people abundant, providential rain, the early and letter rain, as before (Joel 2:23c) This same language of pouring helps us to understand what the pouring out of God’s spirit. It tells us that God’s act of giving His spirit to His people will be generous, widespread, and visible: like torrential rain flowing down.
The giving of the Holy Spirit is therefore not just a stingy, inconsequential trickle. It is a very active point of view here: where we learn that God will act, He will do something for His people. As is the general context of chapter 2, we learn that God will provide and protect His people, responding to sinful and rebellious people in a generous and gracious way.
Crucially, Joel 2:28 marks a slight transition in all the previous depictions of God’s providence for His people. Notice the very strong, assertive statements: “it shall come to pass… I will pour out… they shall prophesy…” This verse shows us that God will act personally and in a widespread and undeniable way when He gives His spirit to His people.
Furthermore, we also should note who this pouring out of the Spirit is for. In the rest of Joel 2:28, God addresses different categories of the people of Israel: the sons and daughters (Joel 2:28b), the old, and the young (Joel 2:28c). This blessing of the Holy Spirit is for all flesh: all of God’s people will receive His Spirit.
We should also pay further attention to the people groups mentioned in this verse. From the youngest to the oldest, from the servants to those with more, God’s spirit will be poured out to all, without distinction of gender, class, educational levels, or wealth (Joel 2:28). All of His people will receive His Spirit.
This may sound fascinating to us, but we ought to consider: what is the significance of this promise? Num 11:29 is helpful for us here. Then, in the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord was given to Moses, and Moses spoke on the Lord’s behalf to His people. In the context of Num 11, Moses is appointing elders to aid him in judging the Israelites: and significantly, God takes the spirit that is on Moses, and gives of it to them: that they can prophesy in part. And in Numbers 11, Moses responds to two people who were prophesying with the hope that all Israel will be able to know what God has said, and to relate rightly to Him.
With that said, what is the significance of this verse? If we understand these verses rightly in the context of the rest of the Old Testament, we see that previously, Moses and the previous prophets were the appointed mediators between God and men: that they may speak God’s word exactly, to God’s people, that they may know Him.
In Joel 2, we see a beautiful shift, a wonderful development that reflects the glory of His redemptive plans. Joel 2:28 shows that God intends to make a way for believers to relate to the holy God, personally, without a mediator. All that comes to past because of Jesus Christ: that through His death and resurrection, the Spirit of God comes and resides upon those who would believe in Him, individually. And with this Spirit, God’s people may know what He has to say to them, and to be able to relate rightly to Him. Consider how wonderful it is: that we may look to the holy God, who reigns and rules over all things: that He will make a way for condemned, ruined sinners like us to relate rightly to Him!
When we can see the glory of this promise of God’s spirit, then the significance of these verses become even more clearer. Placed in the context of Joel’s call for the people to repent, these verses emphasize that it is not too late to turn to the Lord. God’s mercy over His people is not one that is reactive. But as we behold God’s wondrous plan of salvation, established even before time itself, we see how great His grace to us is!
Therefore, His mercy is not impulsive, as if God were prone to irrational, sudden bursts of love and compassion that increase and ebb away, like sometimes we are when our emotions are suddenly stirred. His plan of salvation is constant and unchanging. And this God has promised to give us not some superhuman strength, or some raw power; rather, God gives us Himself: in the person of the Holy Spirit.
We might be familiar with this text, because in Acts 2:17-21, Peter references this same passage from today. Peter does so in reference to Pentecost, where Peter refers to this text to refute the claim that these followers of Christ were just really drunk. And in Acts 2, we learn more about the nature of this Spirit that will be received by all. Acts 2:1 tells us of the suddenness of this Spirit, a mighty rushing wind. We sometimes may think of the Spirit as quiet, and perhaps insignificant. But Acts 2 reminds us that the Spirit is God: the third member of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is not some invisible force or psychic energy. We worship a Triune God: One God existing eternally as three persons, all fully and truly God. Therefore, when we look at Acts 2, we learn that it is God Himself visiting His people: and the weight of glory, holiness and purity would be evident and felt.
Rather than obsess over sensational signs and wonders, or downplay the nature of this Spirit, perhaps we need to remember that this Spirit mentioned in Joel 2:28 is God Himself, and we should treat that with awe and reverence. We also see from Acts 2:3 a depiction of divided tongues, as of fire descending upon the disciples of Christ. Fire is used not just as mere passion; but a depiction of God’s holiness: His refining, purifying fire. The Spirit therefore comes in holiness and power. And in verse 11, the disciples spoke intelligible, understandable words, shaped by the nature of God’s holiness, declaring His mighty works.
Some clarifications are now in order. In these verses, we have read about tongues, about visions and dreams, about young men prophesying. Before carrying on, we ought to define for ourselves: what do we actually mean by “prophesying”? What does it mean, to speak in tongues?
1 Cor 14:1 is really helpful here. Depending on our church backgrounds, we do have different definitions of these terms. Some of us may come from backgrounds where prophesying would refer to an impression upon our heart privately revealed to individuals, a word of God personally to them. However, 1 Cor 14:1 reminds us that to prophesy is to speak the Word of God to people. As we have previously identified early in our study of Joel, Joel’s prophecy did not consist of vague predictions of the future or plans for our lives; rather, as a prophet, his prophetic word consisted of him speaking forth God’s Word, to God’s people.
At the core, prophecy is not about individualistic, subjective impressions about what our futures will look like: but clear words from God, ones that will edify and encourage fellow believers to grow in Christ.
We also see in 1 Cor 14:1 a distinction between tongues and prophecy. In these verses, we learn that prophecy is intelligible to others, and can be shared with the church community, to encourage other believers in Christ. As we communicate to share information, it should be in an intelligible language, that people may understand.
What does it mean for such prophecy to “build up the church”? In this, Paul is saying The end result of this work is so that the church may conform more and more to Christ.
How then, should we consider prophecy? In 1 Thess 5, we are urged not to quench the Spirit, not to despise prophecy, but to test them: to be discerning, to be participative. We are not to blindly accept every single word that claims to be of God; but to consider biblically if words that claim from God are in accord with His Word.
The beauty of this passage is therefore this: that if we are truly in Christ, we have received of this promised Spirit, mentioned in Joel 2:28. If we have repented and believe upon Christ, the Holy Spirit is within us.
We ought to consider what a personal way that God has revealed Himself to us! If we consider how God is almighty and over all, surely He could have chosen many other ways to disclose Himself to us: a confined letter, a memo, perhaps. But how intimate it is that this God would take on flesh and dwell with us, and now send another Helper: the Holy Spirit that delights to glorify and make Christ known to us. And as Christians, that is how we know God. In the Triune God, we know true and perfect love: love between the Father, Son and Spirit.
In this, we see that Pentecost is a single, non-repeatable, redemptive act of God, where God first sent His Holy Spirit onto all. That gives us boldness and confidence now. That even as we are weak, and perhaps feeling the weight of insecurity in a world hostile towards Christian beliefs, we know that we have the power of the Holy Spirit to speak truth to others: to share the Gospel rightly, to comfort others. And the Spirit continues to give us gifts to serve one another, to minister to each other.
A final clarification: that with the completion of the Bible, God does not have to use dreams and visions as much as He did before. This does not mean that God cannot communicate with us through visions and dreams, and such experiences. He can communicate with us in any way He so pleases. But now that we have received the fullness of His Word, we know that God has laid for our faith an unshakeable and immovable foundation. His Word is enough for all of our lives.
Hence, how do we respond when we have tough decisions to make, when we need guidance and direction for our lives? Rather than crave for novel words, for ecstatic experiences, we can confidently look to His Word, and discover His will for us.
Knowing that this is the person and work of the Holy Spirit, we ought to ask ourselves: how does this knowledge comfort and strengthen us? Many of us would be in church settings with people who are rather different from us: people much older or younger than us, from different families, backgrounds, cultures, interests and all. And in the messiness of church life, we sometimes face the challenge of helping, guiding and even shepherding others through deep valleys: through sin, sorrow, grief. And outside of our church community, perhaps some of us are trying to share the Gospel with friends at work or at school, who might seem deeply hostile to the Christian faith.
In today’s text we are reminded that in the face of such challenges, we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit: who strengthens, who guides, who gives us the words to say. He equips us with what we need whenever, and wherever He places us.
Let us not be discouraged by the circumstances around us, but be encouraged that the promise of Joel 2:28 has been fulfilled. God has sent His Spirit to dwell in us, and we are to use the words He gives us in His Word, to build up His church.
(B) To be fulfilled on The Day Of The LORD: The Spirit poured upon believers amidst a world in calamity
At the same time, we notice that Joel 2:29, and Peter’s quotation of it in Acts 2, also speaks to us about a seemingly apocalyptic scenario: where the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood. How should we understand such an apocalyptic scenario?
In this, we see a reminder of what is to come. By quoting these same verses in Acts 2, Peter emphasizes how the prophecy of Joel will come to pass. In the same way that God has truly poured out His Spirit on His people, Joel’s other prophecies about coming judgement and destruction will also come to pass. God surely has the power to achieve His plans.
It’s also helpful for us to consider that other portions of Scripture also speak of the nature of coming judgement and destruction. In Matt 24:39-41, Jesus Himself describes the “coming of the Son of Man”, where natural cycles are all disrupted. And previously, we learn that the day of the Lord will be a day of deep mourning, as Christ is revealed to unbelieving people.
The day of the Lord is therefore the great and awesome day, where Christ Himself appears. Sometimes we dismiss these descriptions in Scripture as another outlandish myth, but perhaps we ought to pause and consider: what does this mean for us? We are people who have received of the Holy Spirit, but have not yet experienced the wonderful and terrifying nature of the day of the Lord. Joel’s prophecy therefore leads us to consider: what do we do, if this will come to pass?
If we know that the day of the Lord is a reality that will come to pass, then we can’t dismiss this prophecy as a short-sighted myth; as something irrelevant to our lives, as sometimes we are tempted to do. Rather, if this day is indeed coming, then we ought to consider how we lead our lives. In these past months, how have you spent your time? In Joel, we are shown how we lament, how we repent. In light of these truths, we ought to consider: are we preparing our hearts for the inevitable day of the Lord? Do we end up living lives without reference to God? In this current season where many of us are spending more time on video-calls, without much ability to gather due to COVID-19 restrictions, it becomes easy for us to shut off a zoom call, leave a Bible study or our care groups and cell groups, and live as if God did not exist. In this time, our tendency can often be to fixate on other things apart from God: to distract ourselves with entertainment, hobbies, games, and even things that the world considers as productive, like learning new skills. We can do these things without reference to God, entirely.
But as we read Joel 2:29-30, considering how the Day of the Lord as a terrible day, we are confronted with the triviality of these other things we use to distract ourselves. May we be reminded that we cannot live each passing day as just another day, to do whatever we please. But we must live each day with reference to this day of the Lord, this great and awesome day, which will one day come.
Knowing this helps us to see what truly matters, in a world where many things call for our attention. Has God placed in your life people who do not yet know Him? Has He placed in your life people who need help to see more of Him? May we have the urgency and care to share the Gospel with them: because this great and awesome day, this terrifying day, will one day come.
Perhaps some of us who are reading this might also not be a member of a local church. If so, we ought to consider: if God’s judgement is to come, how might you best apply your time in a church that makes Christ known to others?
These are challenging questions to grapple with, and perhaps we might feel weak or discouraged to reflect on them in our lives. However, alongside this depiction of destruction and judgement is also the promise of God’s Spirit that works in our lives. Even in a sinful world, God still strengthens and empowers us to obedience, to do what pleases Him, through His Holy Spirit.
(C) There is salvation for all who call on and are called by the Lord
Our considerations about the day of the Lord have been rather heavy, so far in Joel. We consider how it will not just be a day of joy, but a day of deep sorrow and judgement and destruction: a day of foreboding. But thankfully, this passage does not leave us with a mere sense of doom and gloom. Rather, from this passage, we learn about the powerful assurance that God brings to His people.
In Joel 2:32, we learn that “anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”. We learn from this statement that there is a hope for salvation. Judgement will come, and God is fully righteous to judge; but we know from this verse that if we are to call upon the name of the Lord, salvation is there, and he will save.
What are we being saved from? In the rest of Joel 2:32, we learn about how those in Mount Zion will be those who will escape. In the context of the previous verses, we learn here that there is an escape from God’s wrath, poured out upon unrighteousness and ungodliness. There is a refuge from the storm that will come. And this refuge is not found in us trying in vain to construct some escape for ourselves. This refuge is found in God Himself, the just One who also saves undeserving sinners like us.
We get a sense of the greatness of this salvation in the final lines of Joel 2:32: “among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.” In other words, those whom God saves are also those that He calls. And this is deeply encouraging for us: to remember that our salvation is not dependent on how fall we’ve fallen, to call upon God’s name. Our salvation is not by chance: not a result of a complicated web of human factors that would bring us to God. Rather, we are saved because a gracious God has called us to Himself.
Reading this passage, we might feel weighed down by these descriptions of coming judgement. In a world that often downplays the reality of God’s judgement, these are truths we ought to grapple with prayerfully, rather than sweep them aside. However, if we feel insecure, lost; wondering if this Christ we profess can truly save us from this coming judgement, this passage grants us a deep encouragement. We can know that our salvation is secure. We can know that this God has called us out of our sin, from our cycles of rebellion and disobedience. We once searched and failed to find joy and sustenance in everything else: but we learn today of a God who calls, and is surely able to save us and keep us, until we see Him face to face.
Therefore, even before we called out to God from the depths of our sin, God called out to us first. Before we even knew what to say to this God, this God was active, and reached out to us first. There is no way that we can appease a perfect and holy God, not even us calling out to Him in our own. But we rest on the assurance of a God who calls us, who accomplishes salvation for us, in the person of Jesus Christ.