God has given us His Word that is not silent on His plans for the end of history. No one verse, passage, chapter, or book of the Bible contains all He has told us or what we need to know to prepare. This is not a study for information only, but what are we to do as we see the end coming? We are not to be silent of asleep. We have too often been cautious and timid about offending man, but totally unconcerned about offending God. Joel continues to reveal more about what is coming.
Joel 1:13-20 Gird yourselves with sackcloth And lament, O priests; Wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth O ministers of my God, For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God.
God is calling out to the spiritual leaders to repent in sackcloth all night long. The world is in a God ordained famine and there is not even enough to bring offerings into the house of God.
1:14 Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD. J:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
God wants or commands all to join in this national outpouring of repentance, fasting, and confession. Who will begin this call in the U.S.? Too many think this could never be true of us. Are any pastors or shepherds concerned about the times? If they are not, what are they concerned with most?
Joel 1:16 Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God? 1:17 The seeds shrivel under their clods; The storehouses are desolate, The barns are torn down, For the grain is dried up.
There is already comments and concerns about food shortages coming to or in the U.S. Who would orchestrate this and why? Satan would and his servants obey him totally.
1:18 How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep suffer. 1:19 To You, O LORD, I cry; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field. 1:20 Even the beasts of the field pant for You; For the water brooks are dried up And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
This would create riots, food shortages, and desperate attempts to survive are just a few things that could follow such a famine.
Joel 2:12-17 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; 2:13 And rend your heart and not your garments."
Joel continues in Chapter 2 with the same message, return to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Have you ever heard anyone else speaking like this?
Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. 2:14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?
God again reminds us that He is slow to anger and has no limits on His lovingkindness. But, His righteous wrath is as holy as His lovingkindness.
2:15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
2:17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'"
It is time to fast, repent, cry out to God. Blow the trumpet, gather friends, gather family, try and get the pastors involved. It is time for us to declare that God has called us to repent.