Blow the Trumpet in ZION
"You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: 'If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.' Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, 'I am terrified and trembling.'
No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel."
Hebrews 12:18-24
In Joel 2, the prophet Joel relays a vivid message from God to the people of Judah, highlighting both their dire situation and the path to redemption through repentance. The chapter unfolds as follows:
The Invasion of Locusts (Joel 2:1-11)
Joel begins with a powerful call to sound the alarm and let everyone tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. A terrible and destructive army is advancing, described metaphorically as a locust swarm. This army is likened to a mighty force, bringing darkness and gloom. It is described as follows:
A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains, a large and mighty army comes, such as was never seen before.
They are compared to horses and warriors, with the sound of chariots leaping over mountaintops.
This army devours everything in its path, leaving desolation in its wake.
God is using this invading force as an instrument of judgment against Judah for their sins. The locusts symbolize an unstoppable and devastating force, highlighting the severity of God's judgment.
Call to Repentance (Joel 2:12-17)
In the midst of this dire warning, God calls the people of Judah to repentance:
God urges them to return to Him with all their heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
He implores them to rend their hearts, not just their garments, signaling a call for genuine, heartfelt repentance.
God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love; He may relent and leave behind a blessing.
The priests and leaders are urged to lead the people in repentance, to cry out to the Lord and spare the people from further destruction. Joel emphasizes that the response should be communal, involving everyone from elders to infants, and even newlyweds.
God's Mercy and Restoration (Joel 2:18-27)
When the people respond with genuine repentance, God shows mercy:
The Lord is zealous for His land and takes pity on His people.
He promises to send grain, new wine, and oil, satisfying their needs and removing their disgrace.
The northern army will be driven far away, and God will restore the land that the locusts have destroyed.
He will repay them for the years the locusts have eaten, and they will have plenty to eat until they are full.
God assures them of His presence, and His people will never again be put to shame. This restoration demonstrates God's compassion and His willingness to forgive and bless those who truly repent.
The Outpouring of the Spirit (Joel 2:28-32)
Joel concludes with a promise of future blessings:
God will pour out His Spirit on all people, with sons and daughters prophesying, old men dreaming dreams, and young men seeing visions.
This outpouring will extend to all servants, both men and women.
There will be signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Joel 2 portrays a cycle of judgment and redemption. God uses a devastating enemy to bring Judah to a point of repentance, and in response to their genuine turning back to Him, He shows mercy and promises restoration and future blessings.
Joel 2
1 Sound the alarm in Jerusalem! Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us.
2 It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again.
3 Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.
4 They look like horses; they charge forward like warhorses. 5 Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
6 Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror. 7 The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank. 8 They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses without missing a step.
9 They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.10 The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.
11 The Lord is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive?
12 That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. 14Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.
15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. 16Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. 17 Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”
18 Then the Lord will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land. 19 The Lord will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations. 20 I will drive away these armies from the north. I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea, and those at the rear into the Mediterranean. The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.” Surely the Lord has done great things!
21 Don’t be afraid, O land. Be glad now and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things. 22 Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit; fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more. 23 Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. 24 The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25 The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. 26 Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. 27 Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.
28 Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. 30 And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. 32 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the Lord has said. These will be among the survivors whom the Lord has called.
Randy Rothwell’s song, Blow the Trumpet in ZION 🎶