Judgment Day
Read Joel 2:28–3:21
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12. “Let the nations be called to arms.Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I, the Lord, will sit to pronounce judgment on them all.
13. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people.”
14. Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
15. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
16. The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavensand the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,a strong fortress for the people of Israel.
17. “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.” Joel 3:12-17
He stands on the street corner every day, trumpeting a message of warning and doom. “The world is going to end soon,” he says. “You’d better repent now while there’s still time.”
In this reading, Joel sounds like a doomsaying street preacher. But not all of his news is bad. For those who love the Lord, Joel’s message is filled with hope. The Lord will be gentle with his people. For his enemies, however . . . it’s not too late to repent!
Joel’s messages included many references to the “Day of the Lord,” a final day of judgment that still lay in the future. On that final judgment day, every person who has ever lived—dead, living, and yet to be born—will face God (Joel 3:2, 12, 14).
Today many people don’t believe in a final day of judgment. Some even mock the idea, pointing to the many doomsayers who have come and gone with their warnings unfulfilled. But we don’t disbelieve in medical science because some doctors are quacks. Likewise, we shouldn’t disbelieve the Bible’s prophecies because of false prophets in the present day.
God has told us that we will be held accountable for our actions, and we will. We need to acknowledge and prepare for that time.
To be prepared for the Judgment Day, live according to God’s Word, and tell others of his love for them. Let the coming Day of the Lord motivate you to action.
