The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Joel chapter 1

"Locusts, Locusts Everywhere"

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

The Book of Joel gives us the details of that fearsome locust army from the 9th chapter of Revelation.

The name JO-EL means "Yahveh is God". This sets the stage and lets us know two important things right away, even before we begin our study of this prophetic and timely book.

First and most important of all, it lets us know that only Yahveh, the Great "I AM", is God, for there is no other!In that sense, you could say that JO-EL is the first of the 10 Commandments summed up in one word.

Secondly, because JO-EL contains God's personal and covenant name, Yah, which is short for YHVH, it also let's us know that He isn't some remote god or creator out there in the universe somewhere, but that He is our Father, the one who created our very souls. 

This is so important to keep in mind as we read about the judgment and spiritual destruction contained in this awesome book, for you see, God loves all of His children and is "longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)". That is His purpose and His will which will be evidenced time and again in Joel by His many calls to repentance. So we are comforted in knowing that God's chastisement, the judgments and plagues He brings upon the land, are part of His overall plan designed to bring His children who have gone astray back to His open and loving arms.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Book of Joel was written concerning the judgment and events of "the last days" that usher in the "Day of the Lord" and the return of Jesus Christ. In fact, the prophecy of Joel is undated and there is no reference to time (though Peter will set the clock on Pentecost Day) because it speaks of the very same "Day of the Lord" that John was taken to "in the spirit" in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:10).
Revelation, which means to "uncover" or "reveal", really contains nothing new that isn't explained in detail elsewhere in the Word of God.

Much of it in the book of Joel!
For the sake of your soul, through out eternity, it is of utmost importance that you know and understand the lessons taught by our Lord through His prophet Joel. Perhaps the hardest part for most people to see and understand is that the desolation by Satan and his locust army is a spiritual destruction which causes the "spiritual death" of the soul, not the physical death of the flesh body. That's right, the great tribulation of the spurious messiah, (Satan,the anti-christ) is actually a time of peace and prosperity which Daniel documents in Dan. 11:24.
To that end, this Book of Joel gives us the details of that fearsome locust army in the 9th chapter of Revelation and also how God's warning, His Word, would be "Trumpeted" in the last days. Furthermore, as we alluded to earlier, the Apostle Peter would let us know with certitude that the Book of Joel was written concerning the events of "the last days" when he stood up on Pentecost Day in Acts chapter two, after witnessing those through whom the Holy Spirit spoke concerning the wonderful works of God, and said "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16)". In other words, Peter said that what they were "seeing" was an example of what Joel described would happen in the last days, i.e. during the final generation.

Also, if you are fortunate enough to have a Companion Bible you should turn to page 1224 and familiarize yourself with the four part structure outlining the simple message of our Father through His servant Joel. That message can also be summarized in one sentence: "Listen closely My children, for though the following unpleasant events described herein must take place, if you will repent and turn to me you shall emerge unharmed and live with Me happily ever after."

Again, the subject of Joel is the "Day of the LORD" declaring that a destruction SHALL COME in the form of devastating and vicious spiritual (not physical) destruction that will consume, the soul, like a plague of locusts, all those who do not have the "Seal of God" (His Word) in their foreheads* (Rev. 9:4). Yes, it is coming soon, in this 21st. century, it is even nigh at hand, so you servants of the Most High need to sound the alarm in His Purple Mountains Majesty and Blow the Trumpet in Zion! 

These two verses sum up the knowledge and the duty of a servant of God in these last days: The reason these two verses say, "for the day of the Lord is at hand" is because Joel prophecy was meant for us, living today , in this last generation!

Joel 1:15
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

Joel 2:1
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

* Note: If you have studied the Word of God through His prophets of old, i.e. in the OT, by the time you get to the Book of Revelation you will know all about locusts and who they actually represent. They are the spiritually deadly army of the false-christ, who is really Satan, Apollyon, the son of perdition, the king of the bottomless pit, their lowlife leader who's claiming to be Jesus. No further introduction is necessary so let's get started.

 Joel chapter 1  

Joel 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

Our Father lets us know that these are His words, not man's, that He has given us through His servant Joel, the son of Pethuel, whose name means "vision man of God".

That's cool, because it is written in this book that in the last days the young men, i.e. the sons and daughters of the prophets, will see (understand) visions, i.e. the visions God gave to their fathers, like Joel, the one we are studying now!
[2] Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
Listen closely and take heed ye elders, all you who are in charge of your families (vs. 3). Ask yourselves if you have ever seen anything like this before in your life that is even anywhere close to what I'm about to tell you?

So pay attention, listen and learn, and then pass it on!
[3] Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
Tell your generations and their generations until the last generation (of sons and daughters) is here, which is the generation when all these things He has foretold us shall be fulfilled (Mat. 24:34). And He has foretold us all things, the details of which He told us through His prophets: Mark 13:23 "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things."

Live Link to->>> The Good Figs and Bad Figs of Judah

Editors Note: (If you have studied the Parable of the Fig Tree, which Christ commanded us to do in Mat. 24 and Mark 13, then you are one of those who know that "final generation", the one which would not pass away before Christ returns, began on May 15, 1948, when the fig tree was planted in the land of Judea when the UN gave sanction to the State of Israel! Yes, there will be Baby Boomers who shall see all these things fulfilled!)  
Live Link to->>> (#7009) The Parable of the Fig Tree
By the way, if your father or one of your forefathers has broken this commandment of God in Joel 1:3 to tell your children His words contained herein, then YOU get busy studying His Word and learn the truth and restart the process with your children. John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Joel 1:4
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
When our Father uses an analogy of a person, or an animal, or a place, or a thing, we are supposed to understand the characteristics of that person, place, or thing in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of that which He would have us know. Therefore we need to know at least the basics of what locusts are and how they behave and especially how they eat since that is what verse four describes them doing in Four Different Stages. You can learn about locusts from an encyclopedia or by going to credible websites such as: http://daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/locust/about/australia/biology

Below are some excerpts from the websites listed above:

"What are locusts?

Locusts are insects belonging to the order Orthoptera. They are identical in appearance to grasshoppers with which they share the family Acrididae. The only difference between the two types of insects is that locusts can exist in two different behavioural states (solitary and gregarious) whereas grasshoppers do not. When the population density is low locusts behave as individuals, much like grasshoppers. However, when the population density is high locusts form highly mobile gregariously behaving bands of nymphs or swarms of adults. It is this change from one behavioural state to another, known as phase change, that makes locusts such devastating pests. Phase change may be accompanied by changes in body shape and colour, and in fertility, survival and migratory behaviour. These changes are so dramatic in many species that the swarming and non-swarming forms were once considered to be different species."

Those of you with eyes to see and ears to hear, who understand about the latter day rain, might find the following information of great interest:
"What causes a locust plague? In general, locust plagues occur when widespread areas of inland Australia receive good rainfall in successive seasons. High rainfall stimulates good growth of grass rendering the habitat ideal for locust breeding."
It is the gentle rain that falls from heaven, from God's Word, that gives "life" and makes things "green" as was declared long ago in that great "Song of Moses" which the overcomers of Satan and his locust army will be singing at the victory celebration in Rev. 15:3.
Deut. 32:2
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.
Yes, our Father pours out the rain to make the earth bring forth abundantly, but the locusts swarm to consume everything that is "green" before them, leaving nothing but desolation and waste behind them.

Also, you will find the four stages of the locust noted in your Companion Bible which are as follows:

The Gnawer
The Swarmer
The Devourer
The Consumer

These four stages describe the complete and total destruction by Satan's locust army. "4" is also the number which denotes "earth" (see appendix 10 in your Companion Bible) for the whole earth is consumed in the wake of the locusts. They also describe their MO, their method of operation as to how they enter in and the stages by which the locusts, through the Four Hidden Dynasties, devour the earth. You might also find it interesting to trace recent locust plagues from a website courtesy of the UN at http://www.fao.org/NEWS/GLOBAL/locusts/Plagues.htm. Just remember that the locusts spoken of here in Joel and in Revelation are symbolic of MEN, (The Kenite Nation) not insects, for they make up the "nation" we shall read of in verse 6!

But first, lets pause with another warning and wake up call to those Christians who are spiritually drunk from sipping the wine from the cup held to their lips by the religious harlot of Rev. 17, which is churchianity following after the traditions of men.

Joel 1:5
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
The new wine is the truth of God's Word which never reaches their lips because these "drinkers of wine" who think they obey God's commands (though they have never studied His Word enough to know what they are and therefore do not do them, i.e. are not doers of the Word) drink from the golden cup of idolatry held in the hand of the great religious whore described in Rev. 17!
Rev. 17:4
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Purple and scarlet are the colors of royalty and the priesthood. Those who have studied the Book of Hosea know that adultery and fornication are symbolic terms for religious idolatry, which is a form of worship made to appear to the spiritually "drunk" as Christianity, when in fact it is only churchianity where "the new wine" is not found. It is even written that if you try to put new wine (truth) into those old brittle "wine skins" they will burst asunder from the fermentation, which is the purification process of His Word (Mark 2:22).

There are many, many different analogies used throughout the scriptures to describe the deception of these last days. The one we are learning here in the Book of Joel is that the truth has already been cut off from the mouths of the spiritually drunk for it has been consumed away by the unholy nation of locusts! Yes, a nation!

Joel 1:6
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.
Again, by the time you read about the locust army in Rev. 9 (which we cover near the end of study #7142) you will already know that the harmless looking little locusts, which by themselves seem like such nice people, do rip and tear like the great cheek teeth of a lion when they "swarm" upon the land.
Rev. 9:7
And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
Horses are symbolic of power and these locusts (men) are like the horses prepared for the great endtime battle when the trumpets blow! In this prophetic sense it refers to the Four Horses of Rev. 6, those first Four Seals which are the Four Hidden Dynasties of Religion/doctrine of many of our Christian churches, (The Man on a White Horse), Politics/political direction of our country, (The Man on a Red Horse), Economics/economic direction our country has taken, (The Man on a Black Horse) and Education/teachings of our schools and media. (The Man on a Pale Horse), i.e. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" Click #1848, & #1011 or #1012 to learn more.

You see, "on their heads were as it were crowns like gold", which means they control the kings (crowns) of the earth, behind the scene so to speak, and "their faces were as the faces of men" because although you do not see many of those who actually wear the crowns, i.e. are in charge, they are MEN, not insects!

Note: There is a time coming soon when the leader of the locusts, Apollyon, who is Satan himself, is cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-9) along with his angels, and the final stage of the locust army swarms the earth. We shall cover more of that later, but if a person isn't familiar with ground troops who have been marching and chomping away, he or she will not recognize the air support when it arrives as belonging to the enemy. (If you do not understand that at this point, just chill out and we'll explain it in detail later.)
[8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
They appear to be gentle as a woman, which is what the figure of speech "had hair as the hair of a women" means. In other words, their "covering" of hair is just a disguise, a cover-up, because when they open their mouths, they rip and shred and tear like the "biters" of a lion. This is no different than the analogy used of false preachers described as "wolves in sheep clothing"!

Let's identify what "nation" Joel is speaking of in verse 6 who will be so strong and burdensome to our people. We will find the answer in the Book of Amos, whose name means "burden"! This is the same book that details what the great famine of the end time is that Christ told us in Mat. 24 and Mark 13 would be a SIGN of the times before He returns. The famine is not for bread but for the "hearing of the Word of God" (Amos 8:11-13). Neither are the locusts insects, but men of great deception!

Amos 6:14
But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
First, "unto the river of the wilderness" is also a figure of speech which simply means "to the end of the river" or in other words, "until the end of time", meaning the end of this earth age. So from the time Hemath enters into the true House of Israel, even into this great nation of America, our people would be afflicted until Jesus Christ returns.
The only thing left to know is "Who is Hemath?" That's a no-brainer if you seek the answer in God's Word. You will find in the Book of Chronicles that Hemath is the father of the Kenites of the house of Rechab who were not of Israel but had affixed themselves to the tribes of Israel and became their scribes.
1 Chron. 2:55
And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.
The next question is: "Do you know who the Kenites are?" The word "kenite" is a "transliteration", which is simply when you convert the letters of one language into the letters of another. That differs from a "translation" where you convert a word to its meaning. The meaning of "kenite" comes from the Hebrew word "Qayin" or "Kayin" who is known to us English speaking peoples as "Cain". You see, the letter "Koph", ÷, in Hebrew, the first letter in the name Kayin, Qayin, Cain, has the sound of a "K" or a "Q" or a hard "C", just like the names Kathy and Cathy are pronounced exactly the same way in English. A Cainite, or Kenite, is therefore a son of, or descendent of Cain (not to be confused with a Canaanite).

Here is Strong's definition:

ïP÷­ qayin kah'-yin #7014
The same as H7013 (with a play upon the affinity to H7069); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe:—Cain, Kenite (-s).
We will discuss more of these locusts and even give the date when they entered into the "storehouse" of United States of America and began gnawing away! Hint: It was about the same time as the 1st of the Four Stages of Zionism. Oh, here is the Hebrew definition of "storehouse".
øöÈBà �oòtsaòro-tsaw' #214
From H686; a depository:—armory, cellar, garner, store(-house), treasure(-house) (-y).
OK, I too hate it when someone keeps me in suspense. It was 1913! More on this latter.

Tell it to the Children! Tell it to their Children! 

There is a spiritual devastation soon coming upon the land, the likes of which you have never seen before, nor ever will again for that matter!

The prophet Joel was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel who all prophesied during the last 7 years of the kingdom of Judah (See note in Companion Bible, pg. 1224) and all of whom spoke of the events of the last days, concurring that those days would be unprecedented.

In fact, Daniel speaks of "that time" as a "time of trouble" such as never was since there was a nation:

Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
This is the time spoken of in Rev. 12:7-9 when Michael shall cast Satan and his angels to this earth to lead the final onslaught of the locust army. "... Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time (Rev. 12:12)."
More on that in study Live Link to->>> #7142
So it is time to WAKE UP, ye drunkards who stagger in a spiritual stupor caused by old wine produced from the valley (most of our so-called Christian churches) of the traditions of men. The new wine, the truth of God's Word, has been cut off from your mouths.
Joel 1:5
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
Do you remember earlier in our study who it is that causes the new wine to be cut off? It is a false nation, a nation likened unto devouring locusts who will rip and tear like the cheek teeth of a great lion and strip bare all that is green with life and liberty and happiness before them, leaving total spiritual desolation in their wake.
Joel 1:6
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.
We identified this nation from Amos 6:4 as stemming from the kenite controlled nation from the house of Hemath, i.e. Cain's descendants). It grows into the NWO which is then headed by Apollyon, king of the locust army! Rev. 9:11 "And they [the locusts] had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." Do you know who he is? Oh good, you looked it up Strong's Concordance! That's right, he is the Destroyer (Satan), the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, i.e. the abominable one who destroys or makes desolate!
EÁðïëëýùí Apolluoônap-ol-loo'-ohn
Active participle of G622; a destroyer (that is, Satan):—Apollyon.
It is also interesting to note the Hebrew definition of "nation" in both Joel 1:6 and Amos 6:4:
éBb ébÉgoòy go'ee,go'-ee
Apparently from the same root as H1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
However, it should be made quite clear that our Father takes full responsibility for sending this nation against His people. In fact, in Joel 2:11 He will call this locust army "His army" but let us understand why He allows them come upon His people! You see, way back in Deut. 28 we were given a choice as a people and a nation, just like Adam & Eve were given choices. We have FREE CHOICE!  We have the right to CHOOSE to follow God's commands which bring us life, liberty and happiness through His blessings, OR we have the right to CHOOSE liberalism and man's ways, which bring death, bondage and unhappiness by the curses which follow BAD CHOICES! Deut. 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

Here are those two clear choices He set before us:

Course of Action - Choice #1

Deut. 28:1
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: [2] And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Course of Action - Choice #2
Deut. 28:15
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
It seems that our people in these last days have chosen Plan #2 which is to observe and do all the adulterous/idolatrous traditions of men which He commanded us not to do! So we will skip through the long list of curses (judgments) in vss. 16-37, and pick them up as they continue in verse 38:
Deut. 28:38
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
Plant, chomp! Plant, chomp! Chomp, chomp go the locusts!
[39] Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
All that labor in the field and not much to show for it!
[40] Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
To cast its fruit means to drop it before it is ripe!
[41] Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
It is written (Hos. 9:3) that in the last days God's people shall go into "Egypt", which is the symbolic name for "captivity". And boy are our people ever slaves to today's taskmasters.

And if you think they do not have whips like those taskmasters in Cecil B. DeMille's movie "The Ten Commandments"... just try not producing the same tally of bricks each day by skipping a couple of interest payments on your mortgage or car loan.
[42] All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
We are about to read this exact same thing in Joel. Trees are always symbolic of people in the Word of God, beginning in the garden of Eden where Christ is called the Tree of Life and Satan is called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Read Ezek. 31 for a lesson in trees). And how is it that the locust shall consume the fruit and the productivity of our people? It was explained to us long, long ago, even in the next two verses of Deut. 28!
[43] The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
The "stranger" is that foreign nation, not of true Israel but of Hemath, who affixed themselves to the tribe of Judah in 1 Chron. 2:55. They have become the taskmasters and have taken over the storehouse of our people, i.e. our U.S. treasury!
[44] He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
Note: If you do not understand how money works and the benefits derived from capital, or why our national debt must continue to grow, or how our "debt monetary system" has enslaved our people, or who the "lenders" of our people are who have become the head which wags the tail, then find a copy of the booklet, "The Hidden Dynasty of the Economy" and read it.
Note: "The Hidden Dynasty of the Economy" is no longer in print and available, but we have found a electronic version! See Live Link to->>>  The Hidden Dynasty of the Economy

And now... once again... so there is no doubt who is at fault... let's understand the reason for all these curses:
Deut. 28:45
Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
BAD CHOICE! Let's return to the first chapter of the Book of Joel where we will now be told in the past tense what the "nation" of Joel 1:6 will do when it is "come upon His land"(of which the United States is the largest member in this 21st. century):
Joel 1:7
He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
One of the things the locusts have completely eaten away is the identity of God's vine, i.e. His people(the Christian nations of today's world), who were originally the House of Israel. In other words, the bark on our family tree has been stripped away and the branches made so completely bare and white that although we can tell it is like a tree, we can't tell what kind or whose it is. You see, most of our people believe they are gentiles and not of the true House of Israel, largely in part because they have been falsely taught that the House of Israel are all Jews. They must have never even looked at the maps in the back of their Bibles? The House of Israel and the House Judah became two separate nations a long time ago following King Solomon's reign and they will not become one "stick" again until Christ returns (Ezk. 37- Ezekiel's dry dead bones/see Link below).

Live Links to->>> Do you know who you really are?"  Are you a Israelite?
and to->>>  "Israel's Lost Tribes"
and to->>>  How is this proclaiming of the gospel among ALL NATIONS going to be accomplished? Is man going to do it, or is God going to do it?
Ezekiel's dry dead bones

Worse yet, because the "fig tree" has been stripped bare before their eyes, our people cannot tell a "good fig" from a "bad fig" (Jer. 24) of whom a mixture of both live in the land today called Israel, which is not the "House of Israel" at all, but the "House of Judah", and then only in part. You see, the House of Judah today is a "mixed basket" of a small remnant of Judah (real Jews) along with the sons of Cain (Kenites) from the house of Hemath who claim to be of Judah, but are NOT!  Yet most Christians, in their ignorance and blindness, believe that the "bad figs", those "who say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9)", i.e. those who "say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie (Rev. 3:9)", are actually God's chosen people!

Wow, have our people's brainstems been gnawed off by the locusts, or what?

Did you know that only two churches of out of the seven mentioned in Rev. 2 & 3, the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia, know and teach who these deceivers are? 

Does your church teach who the Kenites are? 

If not, Christ has a problem with your church (Rev. 2:9&3:9)!

If only our people would study God's Word and obey His commands and quit letting the scribes of Hemath do their translating for them, we wouldn't be in this mess. Instead, we have become a nation of spiritual harlots instead of remaining spiritual virgins. It is a sad story, even a lamentation to those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Joel 1:8
Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
Christians are to remain true and faithful and wait for their husband, Jesus Christ, to return. Paul even warned about remaining a chaste virgin in 2 Cor. 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

 However, many of you who have studied the Book of Hosea with us know that the 10 northern tribes of the House of Israel, with America as their leading nation today, have become spiritual whores and harlots and will already be spiritually married to the false Jesus, Satan, when their true Husband returns.

That is why Christ would say in Mark 13:17 concerning these last days "But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" He was speaking of thier spiritual seduction by the false-christ, Satan, and his angels, made possible by the spiritual "famine", the lack of knowledge of His Word in these last days (Amos. 8:11)! In other words, our people cannot tell the difference between the false Jesus and the real Jesus. When you tell them there are two Jesus Christs, they look at you as if you are nuts!
[9] The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn.
There is no more sacrifice! The true "bread and wine" have been cut off. The abominable one has already been set up in the minds of most Christians so that when he comes and stands in the Holy Place they will surely follow after him and worship him as Christ.

This is the great falling away, the great apostasy spoken of by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thes. 2.
[10] The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
The field is the world which the sons of Adam through Noah and his sons were suppose to farm, i.e. dress and keep and plant the seeds of truth and knowledge. You should know what the "bread" and "wine" symbolizes, and the "oil" which produces "light" for the virgins! Here is the Hebrew definition of "oil" used in verse 10:

øä˜öÀP yitshaòryits-hawr'
From H6671; oil (as producing light); figuratively anointing:—+ anointed, oil.

Joel 1:11
Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
You farmers, you sons of 'eth-'Ha'adam Adam (the individual man/Adam, talked about in Genesis chapter two, not Adam, as in mankind, talked about in Genesis chapter one), (2 different peoples, both erroneously translated man in our Bible)   you who should have been diligently working the fields, you should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing the fields to perish where there is virtually no fruit for the harvest at the end of this flesh age! In fact, it is written in Rev. 6 and elsewhere, that you will be ashamed when Yeshua returns.
[12] The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
The "sons of men" should read "the sons of adam ('eth-'Ha'adam , the individual man/Adam )". Joy is gone because His blessings are gone as the curse of the false nation continues to consume every living thing, the green grass and all the trees of the field EXCEPT those men and woman who have the seal of God in their foreheads. Rev. 9:4 "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."

 Do not be confused by the syntax of this verse. Remember, trees are symbolic of men, so if you are a man (no gender implied) without the seal of God, His Word, locked in your mind, then you will be a tree which will be spiritually consumed by the locust army.
The "joy of the sons of Adam" is the Joy Bringer, Jesus Christ, whom they have forgotten because they have forsaken His Word.
[13] Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
The real truth is not to be found in most of the houses of God because the fields have been stripped bare and the great famine is upon us. So lament and howl and mourn all through the "night" because our people cannot find the true sacrifice for He has been "withholden from the house of your God". Amos 8:11-13 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: [12] And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Yes, the true bread and the wine have been "withholden from the house of your God"!

Joel 1:14
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,
It's not celebration time! This is as serious as it gets, for our eternal life and that of our brothers and sisters is at stake here! So sanctify a fast, not a feast, and call a solemn assembly and cry unto the Lord thy God. For behold, alas, time is short and the swarming locusts are about to lick our platter clean!
[15] Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
The Day! The Day of the LORD!
It iS coming! Are you prepared?
 
Are you one of those who has the "Seal of God" in your forehead, i.e. your mind? Or are you a milk-toast Christian about to have your spiritual clocked cleaned?
[16] Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
What kind of meals are served in your house of God?

 Many people have attended church for decades and are still so Biblically illiterate they should be ashamed of themselves. They should be able to work in the field and nourish the seeds they plant, which is to teach others.
But no! You see, the bread and wine have been cut off in their house of God and all they get is some skim milk on Sunday mornings. "Lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God." Here is the apostle Paul's admonishment to those who have been Christians for some time now but are still Biblically illiterate:
Hebrews 5:12
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
They cannot even eat a steak dinner from the table of the Lord because they are still spiritual babies who haven't matured enough to be able to digest a full course meal!
[13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Most "Baby Boomers" are still spiritual babies.
It is a fitting title indeed!
Joel 1:17
The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
[18] How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
"Where's the Beef?", asked Clara! Hey, they all have "Mad Cow" disease.

There is much religious and spiritual confusion among our people today! And no wonder! The churches do not provide any green pasture nor do they put any food in the troughs for the sheep to come and eat and so the sheep are spiritually scrawny and desolate.

Then too, many churches and pastors spend half their time, when they could be feeding the sheep, beating them over their heads to get them to empty their pocketbooks into the church treasuries.

They do not believe God's people will pay their way when they receive good meals. Well, I guess guilt trips and false promises of prosperity tied to "giving" is about the only way to get starving sheep to willingly donate their wool, isn't it?  To that end, this ministry does not ask for one dime from anyone, nor do we even pass a collection plate, no, you can freely dine here any time you want to.
[19] O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
We will discuss this "fire" in more detail when we get to Joel 2:3. Just know for now that it is "spiritual fire" for it burns up all the pastures and all the trees of the field, which are what? Tall brown things with branches and leaves?
No! They are people.
[20] The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
In other words, this consumption is worldwide, global, international. ALL the living beings, all the peoples of the whole wide world (www.earth) are consumed by the "fire" that devours the pastures and the trees! It is written that "all the world will wonder after the beast (Rev. 13:3)" "which deceiveth the whole world (Rev. 12:9)".
The question is: "If you have eyes to see and ears to hear and you know that "Day of the LORD" is coming, what should you do about it?" Stick around and find out shortly! Meanwhile, take some trumpet lessons!

JO-EL means "Yahveh is God" and we are going to learn how good He is to His "sons and daughters" of this final generation who Know Him, and Love Him, and Serve Him.

So let's begin with a recap of what our Father would have us learn in the first chapter of Joel and in doing so we shall see to whom this Book of Joel was specifically written and what it is all about. Here's a clue! Peter told us in Acts chapter 2 that Joel wrote about what the "sons and daughters" of God would be doing in the last days! Would you believe they would be "Blowing the Trumpet in Zion"? What trumpet? The 5th one! (Stay alert in this study!)

(1.) Hear ye, old men... (vs. 2) This lets us know right off that this Book of Joel is written to those who can "HEAR" what is being spoken of, i.e. those who have "Ears to Hear", who are the "old men", meaning the spiritually mature made up of God's elect and anyone else who will take heed and give ear unto the words of the prophets! You see, it is written in this second chapter of Joel and quoted by Peter in Acts chapter two that in the last days the "old men", the spiritually mature in His Word among the sons and daughters of the prophets, would dream dreams, i.e. "see in their mind's eye the dreams and vision of prophets" and bring forth the reality of the prophecies of Joel and Ezekiel and Daniel, etc.! This Book of Joel was written for this time of the prophesying, the teaching of the prophets, by the sons and daughters of understanding in these last days!

(2.) Tell ye your children... (vs. 3) even to the children of the final generation. Tell them about the four stages of the gnawing, swarming, devouring, consuming locusts! We shall see that this Book of Joel specifically concerns the sounding of the 5th Trump of Revelation chapter 9 which describes what the locust army will and will not do when the 6th Trump sounds!

(3.) Awake, ye drunkards... (vs. 5) Who is drunk? Those who have been spiritually "blinded" by the traditions of men, i.e. those who "walk in the spirit of slumber", that drunken spiritual stupor in these last days spoken of by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:8! You see, this Book of Joel describes the WAKE UP CALL, the REVEILLE of the TRUMPET, to those spiritual drunkards who have guzzled the wine of deception of churchianity brought forth and perpetuated by the "many who come in the name of Christ and have deceived MANY (Mat. 24:4-5, Mark 13:5-6)"!

(4.) For a nation is come... (vs. 6 & 7) This Book of Joel is written to those who know who the false "nation" is of the house of Hemath and Rechab (1 Chron. 2:55) who have already laid waste His vine, i.e. destroyed the truth of the great heritage and national identity of the true House of Israel. This book therefore concerns those Christians of the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia in Rev. 2:9 and 3:9 respectively, who know and teach who the kenites are. They are the only two churches out of the seven that Jesus Christ found no fault with!

(5.) Lament like a virgin girded in sackcloth (i.e. mourning and waiting) for her husband... (vs. 8) This Book of Joel gives instructions to the 5 wise virgins who fill themselves with the Holy Spirit of God, the anointing oil which fuels the light (remember?), i.e. those who have filled themselves with the knowledge of His Word and who will not be seduced and taken by the false husband, the false messiah, when he appears at the sound of the 6th Trump.

(6.) The new wine is dried up... (vs. 9-12) This Book of Joel is written to those who know and recognize what the great famine of the end time is, which is for the hearing of the Word of God. You see, the foolish virgin's are rejoicing, not lamenting, and they are busy making charitable contributions and doing all sorts of 'wonderful works' in the name of Jesus (we are not condemning their good works), but millions of them believe that Jesus Christ will return at any moment and fly them away in His Rapturemobile! The point is, most of them are almost completely Biblically illiterate and know not the Word of God because the truth of God's Word, the new wine, has been cut off from the "house of God" ("Beth-el" in Hebrew). We learned in our study of Hosea that the churches should be "Beth-els" but alas, they have become "Beth-avens", "houses of emptiness", i.e. void of His Word. The traditions of men have been substituted in place of the oil, the truth from His Word!

(7.) Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests...(vs. 13) To gird yourself is to "put on, as a belt or armor" (see Strong's) which simply means to prepare your mind with the revelations of Jesus Christ, i.e. the Word of God, for Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and to be obedient to His commands contained therein, some of which we are reading right now! 1 Peter 1:13-14 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; [14] As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:" And if you have eyes to see and ears to hear and love and serve God and show forth the praises of Him, then you as a Christian are a priest of the Living God in this final generation. 1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" So prepare yourself! This Book of Joel concerns your Father's commission to you in these last days!

royal = âáóßëåéïòbasileios bas-il'-i-os
From G935; kingly (in nature):—royal.

priesthood = jåñÜôåõìáhierateumahee-er-at'-yoo-mah
From G2407; the priestly fraternity, that is, a sacerdotal order (figuratively):—priesthood.

(8.) Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly... (vs. 14) Finally, we are told to sanctify a fast and call a solemn assembly in the house of "your God", who is Yahveh, for only "Yahveh is God" (JO-EL), and cry unto the LORD! This does not say go become some big evangelist or preacher type, but as we shall see, you are to do your priestly duties, those of the "watchman" in this final generation (of whom Ezekiel was our example), to the one, or among the few family and friends, or among as many to whom God has given you charge as His watchman, or simply together with others as we are collectively one body in Christ.
Yes, the truth of God's Word has been withholden from the house of God in this final generation. Our preachers have failed to teach His Word and our forefathers have failed to tell their children from generation to generation until this final generation is void and desolate of spiritual truth and most lack any knowledge whatsoever of the ensuing spiritual desolation of Satan and his locust army.

Live Link to->>> Joel - The Complete Book
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