Nations under judgment

 Joel 3:1-3

Nations under judgment, nothing new in that for all one needs to do is open a history book, or the Bible to see great nations come under the Judgment of God.  It is this writer’s opinion that the United States of America has been under judgment for many years.  We read about Egypt, the Romans, and the Greek empires and how they went from greatness to destruction.  But that is not the “judgment of the nations” referred to in Joel chapter three, check me out on this.

The first clue is found in chapter 3:1-3, “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.”  In those first nine words is the core, those days and at that time refers to what has been written and promised to everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh, they will be saved.  The Jewish peoples eyes will be opened, and once more they will return to their God and have an understanding about who Jesus Christ is.

We're told that these things will take place before Jesus returns, as you go back and study the history of the church, this happens in a small way at Pentecost.  A day is coming like no other, the church age may come to an end, I do not know, but this is for sure; Jewish people will have their eyes opened to God, and they will turn to Jesus Christ, their Messiah. 

At a time before Jesus returns, the world will be in both fear and wonderment over the cosmic signs that are part of His return.  I allowed my mind to ponder on that day and it is going to be something!  Can you only imagine that all the smartphones or not going to be smart, they are not going to work, and all the defense of the military will not work, the satellites will be rendered useless, and the world will be put on notice, God is up to something?

This is the revelation that was shown to the Apostle John and recorded in Revelation 6:12-17.  “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

If you read anything I’ve penned, you are aware that often I refer to John 10:10, and how the thief or the devil, Satan will tell you do not worry if any of this is true then on that day you will call on the Lord and be saved.  Sounds good, one big problem, you have been getting your needs met outside of Christ and not even on that terrible day will you bow to a Holy God.  But there are two calls the one where God’s Spirit calls you, and you are calling on the Lord to be saved.  I took this quote from my study Bible HCSB on page 1487; “God does not save those who do not call on Him, and none call whom He has not called.”   

So dear people, today is the proper day to call on the Lord.  Tomorrow we will look at God calling the nations into battle, they will all come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and it’s meaning is, “the valley where Yahweh judged.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice