4. End Times Bible Prophecy: "Blow the Trumpet in Zion!" - Joel 2:1-32

The book of Joel gives some of the most striking and specific details in all of Scripture about the day of the Lord—days cloaked in darkness, armies that conquer like consuming fire, and the moon turning to blood. Rooted in such vibrant and physical imagery, this time of ultimate judgment, still future for us today (2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10), makes clear the seriousness of God’s judgment on sin. The day of the Lord, which is a reference not to a single day only but to a period of judgment and restoration, consists of three basic features: The judgment of God's people; The judgment of foreign nations; The purification and restoration of God's people through intense suffering (Joel 2:1-11; 2:28-32; 3:1-16). Today, we are continuing on in our End Times Series, in The Book of Joel, chapter 2.  This is a sounding of the alarm... A WARNING, and a call to repentance.  Joel is prophesying of the devastation to the land of Israel as armies from other nations came against them, but also to the future as he foretells of the day of the Lord, which is a reference to God's wrath being poured out upon this world, and unbelieving Israel. The description is detailed and frightening.  This would be a horrific chapter if it were not for the promise of hope. Besides being a time of judgment, it will also be a time of salvation as God will deliver the remnant of Israel, fulfilling His promise that “all of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), forgiving their sins and restoring His chosen people to the land He promised to Abraham (Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 30:19-31, 40; Micah 4; Zechariah 13). The final outcome of the day of the Lord will be that “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:17). The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil and fulfill all His promises. Once again, God gives fair warning but also calls the people to repent and return to Him. This is genuine repentance, a genuine change of heart, not the outward pretense.  He wants our hearts and our devotion...