Revelation 14:15-20(v13)Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle, and reap; for the hour to…
Joel 3:2(vv11–12)I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my…
Hosea 6:11(v13)“Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of my people.
Mark 4:29(v13)But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Psalms 96:13(v12)before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.
Show all 40 cross-references
Psalms 98:9(v12)Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
Isaiah 2:4(v12)He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears…
Isaiah 3:13(v12)Yahweh stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.
Isaiah 63:3(v13)“I have trodden the wine press alone. Of the peoples, no one was with me. Yes, I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath. Their…
Jeremiah 51:33(v13)For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden. Yet a…
Matthew 13:39(v13)The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Psalms 7:6(v12)Arise, Yahweh, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.
Isaiah 13:3(v11)I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
Joel 3:14(v12)Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near, in the valley of decision.
Micah 4:3(v12)and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares,…
Zechariah 14:4(v12)His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in…
Genesis 18:20(v13)Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
Deuteronomy 16:9(v13)You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to count seven…
2 Chronicles 20:26(v12)On the fourth day, they assembled themselves in Beracah Valley, for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore the name of that place was called…
Psalms 76:8-9(v12)You pronounced judgment from heaven. The earth feared, and was silent, when God arose to judgment, to save all the afflicted ones of the…
Psalms 110:5-6(v12)The Lord is at your right hand. He will crush kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies.…
Lamentations 1:15(v13)“The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me. He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men. The Lord has…
Ezekiel 30:3(v12)For the day is near, even Yahweh’s day is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of the nations.
Ezekiel 39:11(v12)“ ‘ “It will happen in that day, that I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of those who pass through on the east of…
Zephaniah 3:8(v11)“Therefore wait for me”, says Yahweh, “until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may…
Revelation 19:11(v12)I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes…
Genesis 13:13(v13)Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.
Genesis 15:16(v13)In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”
Isaiah 10:34(v11)He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
Isaiah 37:36(v11)Then Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the…
Ezekiel 38:9-18(v11)You will ascend. You will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your hordes, and many peoples with…
Micah 4:12(v11)But they don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the…
Zechariah 14:2-3(v11)For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of…
2 Thessalonians 1:7(v11)and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
Revelation 16:14-16(v11)for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the…
Revelation 19:14(v11)The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen.
Revelation 19:19-20(v11)I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against…
Revelation 20:8-9(v11)and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war;…
Psalms 2:8-9(v12)Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them…
Psalms 103:20(v11)Praise Yahweh, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word.
40 distinct cross-references across this passage (41 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (18 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
John Calvin1540 · Public DomainOn vv11–13At length he concludes, There will Jehovah overthrow thy…
At length he concludes, There will Jehovah overthrow thy mighty ones. Though the Prophet uses the singular number, “thy”, he no doubt refers to the whole earth; as though he said, “Whatever enemies there may be to my people, I will cut them down, however strong they may be.” We now perceive that everything the Prophet has hitherto said has been for this end — to show, that God takes care of the safety of his Church, even in its heaviest afflictions, and that he will be the avenger of wrongs, after having for a time tried the patience of his people and chastised their faults — that there will be a turn in the state of things, so that the condition of the Church will be ever more desirable, even under its greatest evils, than of those whom the Lord bears with and indulges, and on whom he does not so quickly take vengeance.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators1599 · Public DomainOn v13Thus he shall encourage the enemies when their wickedness…
Thus he shall encourage the enemies when their wickedness is full ripe, to destroy one another, which he calleth the valley of God’s judgment.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp1656 · Public DomainOn vv11–13Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen,…
Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Ver. 11. Assemble yourselves, and come all ye heathen] Come and fetch your bane, whereof by your forwardness to come uncalled ye may seem to be ambitious; judgments need not go to find you out; for you associate yourselves, that ye may be broken in pieces, Isa 8:9, as at Armageddon, Rev 16:16. Come on, therefore, since you will needs be so mad, and take what befalls you. "Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together," Isa 27:4; see Zec 14:2-3 Eze 38:4; Eze 38:16-23 Rev 19:17-18. {See Trapp on "Zec 14:2"} {See Trapp on "Zec 14:3"} The word hero Englished assemble is by Jarchi rendered festinate, hasten; by others conglobamini, cluster together, that ye may be the sooner cut off, that the mouth of God s sword may have its full bit, that he may make an utter end, and your affliction may not rise up the second time, Nah 1:9.
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Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down] Vel angeles vel alios, saith Mercer, either thine angels (called God’s mighties, Psa 103:20 Isa 10:34 Psa 18:17, where these "mighty ones" are said to make Sion as dreadful to all her enemies as these angels made Sinai at the delivery of the law) or other thine officers and executioners, that by thy command they may fall on, and destroy these heathen armies, see Joe 3:13; the answer to this prayer of the prophet, and the power of prayer which Luther fitly calleth bombardas et instrumenta bellica Christianorum, the great ordnance and warlike weapons of Christians.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole1685 · Public DomainOn vv11–13Assemble yourselves; the war proclaimed, Joe 3:9, pro vision…
Assemble yourselves; the war proclaimed, Joe 3:9, pro vision made, Joe 3:10, now hasten to the general rendezvous; embody yourselves as you march, and hasten what you can, as the word imports.
Come all; not simply and in utmost latitude, but all that are here concerned.
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Gather yourselves together round about; all round about Judea, the nations near about this valley of vision.
Thither, toward Judea and Jerusalem, the church and heritage of God, cause thy mighty ones to come down; direct and lead them by thy providence, that they may pitch their tents, or encamp there; let all thy mighty ones, whether enemies of thy church gathered against it, or friends of thy church, and gathered for its defence, let them all here encamp; or all those mighty warriors which thou wilt make use of successively to punish the proud oppressors of thy church; so the Chaldeans punished Assyria, Persians and Medes punished Babylon, Alexander punished the Persians, and the divided captains successors plagued one another with wars within sight, as it were, of Jerusalem and Judah.
O Lord; with which the prophet comforts himself and God’s people, intimating that all these mighty ones are under God’s conduct, and he is in the midst of them to save his own people.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill1763 · Public DomainOn vv11–13Assemble yourselves,.... From divers parts into one place: "be…
Assemble yourselves,.... From divers parts into one place: "be ye gathered"; or "gather yourselves together", as the Targum and Kimchi; get together in a body, muster up all the forces you can collect together, Jarchi, from Menachem, by the change of a letter, renders it, "make ye haste"; lose time in preparing for this battle; get men, and arms for them, as fast as you can; be as expeditious as possible:
and come, all ye Heathen; antichristian nations, Mahometan or Papal; which latter, especially, are sometimes called Heathen and Gentiles, because of the Heathenish rites introduced into their worship, Psa 10:16;
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and gather yourselves round about: from all parts, to the valley of Jehoshaphat or Armageddon, Rev 16:14; this is spoken ironically to them, to use their utmost endeavours to get most powerful armies against the people of God, which would be of no avail, but issue in their own destruction; or it may signify what should be done by the providence of God, bringing such large numbers of them together to their own ruin:
thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord; which is a prayer of the prophet, or of the church, to God, that he would send down his mighty ones, the angels that excel in strength, and destroy this great army thus gathered together, as an angel in one night destroyed the army of Sennacherib. So Kimchi and Aben Ezra interpret if of angels, and many other interpreters; but perhaps it may be better to understand it of Christian princes and their forces, those armies clothed in white, and riding on white horses, in token of victory; with Christ at the head of them, Rev 19:14; who may be said to be caused to "come down"; because, being assembled shall go down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, where their enemies are gathered together, and discomfit them, The Targum is,
"there the Lord shall, break the strength of their strong ones.''
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley1765 · Public DomainOn vv11–13Round about - All round about Judah. Thither -…
Round about - All round about Judah. Thither - Toward Jerusalem; the church and heritage of God. Thy mighty ones - All those mighty warriors whom thou wilt make use of successively to punish the oppressors of thy church.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke1810 · Public DomainOn vv12–13Verse 12. Let the heathen be wakened] The heathen…
Verse 12. Let the heathen be wakened] The heathen shall be wakened.
The valley of Jehoshaphat] Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson1811 · Public DomainOn vv11, 13Joe 3:11-12. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come…
Joe 3:11-12. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord — After the prophet has given warning, in the way of irony, to the nations to provide for their defence by all possible means, and to assemble themselves together from all parts, that they might strive with their united force; he, in the conclusion of the verse, calls upon God to cause those to come whom he had appointed to overcome these nations. Some, however, render the clause, the Lord shall cause thy mighty ones to come down, or to be brought low. Let the heathen be awakened — Let their courage be roused up; and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat — To the place of divine judgment.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes1834 · Public DomainOn vv11–13Once more all the enemies of God are summoned…
Once more all the enemies of God are summoned together. “Assemble yourselves,” (Others in the same sense render, “Haste ye,) and come, all ye pagan, round about,” literally “from round about,” i. e., from every side, so as to compass and hem in the people of God, and then, when the net had been, as it were, drawn closer and closer round them, and no way of escape is left, the prophet prays God to send His aid; “thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.” Against “the mighty ones” of the earth, or “the weak” who “say” they are “mighty,” (the same word is used throughout,) there “come down the mighty ones of God.” The “mighty ones of God,” whom He is prayed to “cause to come down,” i. e., from heaven, can be no other than the mighty angels, of whom it is said, they “are mighty in strength” Psa 103:20 (still the same word,) to whom God gives “charge over” Psa 91:11. His own, “to keep” them “in all” their “ways,” and one of whom, in this place, killed “one hundred and fourscore and five thousand” 2Ki 19:35 of the Assyrians. So our Lord saith, “The Son of man shall send forth His Angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity” Mat 13:41.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary1859 · Public DomainOn vv11, 13Down. Many perished in Egypt, the rest in Judea,…
Down. Many perished in Egypt, the rest in Judea, ver. 2.
Valley, at Jezrahel, the valley of destruction, ver. 14.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown1871 · Public DomainOn vv11–13Assemble--"Hasten" [MAURER].
Assemble--"Hasten" [MAURER].
thither--to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
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thy mighty ones--the warriors who fancy themselves "mighty ones," but who are on that very spot to be overthrown by Jehovah [MAURER]. Compare "the mighty men" (Joe 3:9). Rather, Joel speaks of God's really "mighty ones" in contrast to the self-styled "mighty men" (Joe 3:9; Psa 103:20; Isa 13:3; compare Dan 10:13). AUBERLEN remarks: One prophet supplements the other, for they all prophesied only "in part." What was obscure to one was revealed to the other; what is briefly described by one is more fully so by another. Daniel calls Antichrist a king, and dwells on his worldly conquests; John looks more to his spiritual tyranny, for which reason he adds a second beast, wearing the semblance of spirituality. Antichrist himself is described by Daniel. Isaiah (Isa. 29:1-24), Joel (Joel 3:1-21) describe his army of heathen followers coming up against Jerusalem, but not Antichrist himself.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1878 · Public DomainOn vv11–1311. Assemble yourselves] The word is found only here,…
11. Assemble yourselves] The word is found only here, and its meaning is very uncertain. A.V. follows LXX., Targ., Syr., Ibn Ezra, and Kimchi; but the rendering rests upon no philological basis, and is merely conjectured from the context. It is best to suppose an error in the text, and for עושו to read חושו, Hasten.
all ye nations (Joe_3:2) round about, and gather yourselves together] In Eze_36:4; Eze_36:7 the nations round about Israel are its more immediate neighbours; but the context (Joe_3:2; Joe_3:9; Joe_3:12 a) shews that the expression is meant here more generally.
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thither cause thy mighty ones (or warriors) to come down] the prophet suddenly turns aside to address Jehovah: he has bidden the nations assemble, for the contest against Israel, in the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joe_3:2; Joe_3:12): he now prays Jehovah to cause His warriors also to descend thither to meet them. The mighty ones are, no doubt, the angelic hosts (Psa_68:17; Zec_14:5), whom Joel pictures as the agents of Jehovah’s will, and who are called in Psa_103:20 the “mighty in strength.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers1878 · Public DomainOn vv11, 13(11) Thy mighty ones—i.e., thy, because Jehovah had summoned…
(11) Thy mighty ones—i.e., thy, because Jehovah had summoned them to take arms, as champions against Him in the final conflict.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary1880 · Public DomainOn vv11–13This verse expresses the precipitancy with which the procession…
This verse expresses the precipitancy with which the procession of the hostile nations is hurried on in order to meet their doom, as also the prophet"s prayer for the descent of Jehovah"s mighty ones to the slaughter. Assemble yourselves, and come. It is rather, hasten, and come; the word WvW, only occurring here, being equivalent to WvWj, equivalent to "hasten ye." The LXX and Chaldee, indeed, favour the sense of "assemble;" the former has sunayroizesye . But that idea is expressed afterwards by the verb WxBq, which is an anomalous form of the imperative Niph. for wxbQhi, though some take it for the perfect with vau consec. The word hanchath is usually and properly taken as the imperative Hiph., from nachath, to come down, the pathach taking the place of tzere on account of the guttural and the nun retained without assimilation, as the nun rarely falls away in verbs that have a guttural for their second stem-letter. The meaning
(1) then, is, "Assemble yourselves." The margin,
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(2) however, has, "The Lord shall bring down," i.e. cause to succumb, destroy, "thy mighty ones," which must then signify "the mighty ones of the enemy.
This, though supported by the Chaldee, Syriac, Vulgate, and Jerome, is less simple and obvious, necessitating also a corresponding change of the verbal form into tjinji or tyjinhi. The LXX rendering is peculiar, and as follows: "Let the meek become a warrior."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator1887 · Public DomainOn v13Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is…
Joe_3:13
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
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The end of the world represented by the harvest
All things are evidently tending to decay and dissolution. As there was an hour fixed from all eternity for the creation of the world, so there is an hour fixed for its dissolution. Many scriptural figures represent the brevity of human life, the frailty of mans existence. The text contains a prophetic description of the destruction of all Gods enemies, who are represented as a field of corn.
I. The ripeness for the great harvest. There is a ripeness to which every one must attain. Even the wicked fill up the measure of their sin. The righteous are acquiring ripeness; and for this due preparation and daily cultivation are needed. True., thorns and briars spring up among the flowers; but they are only allowed to grow together for good and useful purposes.
II. The holy scriptures alone can furnish the true test of the ripeness referred to in the text. Compare the condition of a sinner meet for destruction with the happy state of a soul ripe for the blessedness of eternal glory. Such a review must induce every one to pray that the life he lives in the flesh may be a life of faith on the Son of God; of conformity to the will of God; and of preparation for the judgment of God.
III. When the corn is fully ripe, the sickle is to be put in. When our measure of sin and holiness is complete, we shall be reaped down: the saints will depart and be immediately with God. Address the undecided. (Nat. Meeres, B. D.)
Harvest
This emblem of the harvest is used elsewhere in the Bible. The text probably refers to the harvest of the wicked. Two things for consideration.
I. The process of ripening. In the natural world we think of the later period of growth, after the ear is formed, as the ripening time. Consider the process of ripening as regards the wicked.. (Gen_15:16.) The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. It was ripening, but not ripe. Sin has dominion over a man. Sin is the spring and root of eternal ruin. The signs that sin is ripening are two.
1. The habit of sinning wilfully, and living wilfully under the dominion of known sin.
2. Growing insensibility to the truths which have a tendency to awaken the mind. The ripening process as regards the righteous is the converse of that which takes place with the wicked. There is a ripening process going on in every child of God. That which is the cause of this ripening in the Christian is holiness. Increasing holiness alienates him more and more from sin, and from the follies and vanities of the world. Signs of the ripening process are--
1. A deepening sense of our own personal unworthiness, and helplessness, and guiltiness in the sight of God.
2. Growing simplicity of trust in the person and work of Christ. It is the work of the Spirit to reveal Christ to the soul.
II. The harvest itself. For the individual the time of death. For the world the judgment day. The children of God are ripening for a blessed harvest. The wicked are ripening for a harvest of wrath, of fiery indignation. (Emilius Bayley, M. A.)
Character
These words suggest three remarks concerning mans moral character.
I. It is a growth. The harvest begins with the germinating seed. Moral character, both good and bad, is a growing thing; thoughts grow, affections grow, principles grow, habits grow. Character is not like a rock, which remains the same from year to year; but rather like the tree, ever growing. Men get worse or better every day.
II. It has a maturity. Every character ripens, reaches its harvest. Hemlock as well as wheat ripens; character, both evil and good, comes to maturation.
III. It has retribution. Put ye in the sickle. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, he that soweth to the spirit shall reap everlasting life. The time for the sickle hastens to all. (Homilist.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary1892 · Public DomainOn v13Joe_3:13.] The judgment compared to a double figure.
CRITICAL NOTES.
Joe_3:13.] The judgment compared to a double figure.
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Joe_3:14.] A description of the streaming of nations into the valley of judgment. Multitudes, multitudes] Heb. immense multitudes; akin to our hum, noisy crowds (2Ki_3:16).
Joe_3:15-17.] Dreadful commotions will happen before that day. Out of Zion Jehovah will destroy his enemies, protect his people, and purify his sanctuary.
THE TERRIBLE OVERTHROW.—Joe_3:13-16
The prophet earnestly besought God to call his “mighty ones” in the final scene. God responds, brings his messengers, and bids them put in the sickle, for all things, good and evil, are ready for judgment. Three things are to be noted in the description of this judgment.
I. It is a moral result. As ripe corn is ready for harvest, and full vats and winepresses for treading out, so men prepare for judgment.
1. Sin ripens men for destruction. It unfits the soul for the enjoyment of God, creates many horrors and foretastes of hell, and renders men ready for destruction.
2. Holiness ripens men for glory. It fits the soul for the society of the blessed, makes meet for the heavenly inheritance, and will be consummated in God’s presence. Thus judgment is only a harvest for which men are ripening in the present life. The wicked are filling up the measure of their iniquity (Gen_15:16); the righteous are reserved for degrees of holiness which will perfect their character (Eph_4:7-13). Both will reap as they sow. “For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
II. It is universal. The prophet seems amazed at the great throng assembling together. “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision.” It is one living, surging mass, an innumerable army, rushing blindly on to their own destruction. Or, to take the figure of the text, vast numbers are ripe for judgment. Angels and wicked spirits, good men and bad, will be present. None will be forgotten, none can escape. “We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.”
III. It is awful. It is attended and followed by convulsions, in which the framework of society shall be shaken, and by symbolic signs in heaven and earth. Countless multitudes assemble in the valley, the heavens above darken with the frown, and the earth beneath trembles at the thunder of God. “The wickedness” of men “is great,” and ripe for harvest. The day of judgment, the day of decision and separation, has come. The grain must be gathered into the garner, and the wine into the vats; the worthless chaff consumed, and the wheat preserved. “Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Rev_14:15).
HOMILETIC HINTS AND OUTLINES
Joe_3:13. May be taken literally as a harvest sermon, in proving
(1) the power,
(2) the providence, and
(3) the goodness of God. We think nothing of God’s mercy, because the effects of it are common. How faithful to the promise, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest,” &c. Every harvest should remind us of the truth of God. The harvest a type of final judgment, I. The ripening process The righteous and the wicked, growing together like tares and wheat for their proper end. II. The state of maturity.
1. Wilful ignorance, sin against conviction, and total insensibility, in some.
2. Growing likeness to Christ, and sincere desire to be with him, in others. III. The reaping. Not before the corn is ripe, is the sickle put in. There are stages of growth in sin and grace. In gradual law and due season judgment comes. Every act and every day promotes maturity. “The harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels.”
Consider the text as addressed—First, to ministers of the Word. We are allowed such an application. “The harvest truly is plenteous,” &c. Means of usefulness and opportunities are intended by harvest; by labourers, those whose office it is to make use of them. When the grain is ripe, if not gathered in, it is liable to perish. The season for saving it is short and uncertain. Men therefore forego ease, and endure fatigue, to secure it. What is the safety of grain to the salvation of souls! How many destroyed for lack of knowledge! We have religious freedom, means and opportunities for doing good. There are loud calls to preachers, parents, and Christians generally. But the time for work will not continue. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,” &c. Secondly, as addressed to public judgments. The people spoken of were ripe for ruin. So with the Canaanites, when their iniquity was full, and Joshua and his army were the reapers. So with the Jews, when Nebuchadnezzar was called to punish and the Romans to destroy them. So with many nations and communities since. We have reason for apprehension if we estimate our condition by our guilt, and our guilt by our privileges. God is never at a loss for instruments. Hearts, events, elements, are all his; but threatenings are mercifully conditional. “If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil I thought to do them.” Thirdly, as addressed to the messengers of death—accidents, diseases, whatever can bring us to the grave. This regards individuals. We know our own destiny, whatever be that of nations. It is appointed unto each once to die. But when men are ripe it is not easy to decide. It is certain that sin ripens for hell, but the most grossly and openly vicious are not always the most guilty before God. It is wise to keep from every approximation to such a dreadful state. Surely when a man is insensible under the word; incorrigible under the rebukes of providence; when conscience ceases to reprove, and he can turn Divine things into ridicule, he must be “nigh unto cursing.” Holiness ripens for glory, but when matured and meet for it we cannot ascertain. We should think favourably of one dissatisfied with himself, and who esteemed the Lord Jesus; who was anxious to resemble him and trusted to him in all things. But God knows them that are his; chooses the proper time for removing them; the wheat for the barn, and the chaff for the burning. But the end of all things is at hand. Fourthly, God thus addresses his angels at the last day. We are sure of the event if ignorant of the period. Then cometh the end; his purposes will be accomplished, his promises and threatenings verified, and all will be ripe. Time will be no longer. The earth will be cleared of all the produce, and the fields in which it grew will be destroyed. “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” [Jay].
Joe_3:14. The day of the Lord.
1. Near; comes suddenly, and may find many unprepared.
2. Decisive; cannot be repeated. Every one’s doom will be fixed, and the struggle between Satan and God end. “The valley of decision.”
Joe_3:16. The different aspects of the day to men. I. A terror to God’s enemies. “The Lord shall roar.” Now he speaks in mercy, then his terrible voice will be like a roaring lion (Isa_42:13-14; Jer_25:30; Amo_1:2). II. A hope to God’s people. The material universe may be destroyed, but God will be the refuge of his people. “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psa_146:5; Jer_14:8; Jer_17:7).
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 3
Joe_3:12-14. Judgment day. Spencer says that two soldiers entered the valley of Jehoshaphat, when one of them said, “In this place shall be the general judgment, and I will now take my place where I shall then sit.” He then sat down upon a stone, and looked up to heaven as if to receive his sentence; when such dismay overwhelmed him, that he fell to the earth trembling, and ever after remembered the day of judgment with horror.
Joe_3:15-16. How sublime is this description! How should we adore the God before whom the unconscious earth and sky do reverence, and act as if they knew their Maker! Though the solid world is convulsed at God’s presence, saints do not fear. God is their refuge and strength (Psa_46:1). The enemy will be destroyed, but the Church shall be saved. “She shall not be removed; God shall help her.”
The heavens and earth shall pass away,
And be to dissolution brought,
But Zion’s strength shall ne’er decay,
For her Redeemer changeth not.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv11–12General Information:
General Information:
Yahweh continues the speech he began in Joel 2:25, promising good things for the people of Israel.
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Hurry and come ... together there
These words continue the ironic call to battle that begins in Joel 3:9. (See: Irony)
gather yourselves together
The purpose of the gathering is for battle. This can be stated explicitly. AT: "gather yourselves together for battle" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Yahweh, bring down your mighty warriors
Possible meanings are 1) Joel is telling the people of Judah that this is what they are to "proclaim among the nations" (Joel 3:9) or 2) Joel interrupts the words of Yahweh and prays a short prayer.
GEBible — Godless Engineer's Bible App
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv11–13 At length he concludes, There will Jehovah overthrow thy…
At length he concludes, There will Jehovah overthrow thy mighty ones. Though the Prophet uses the singular number, “thy”, he no doubt refers to the whole earth; as though he said, “Whatever enemies there may be to my people, I will cut them down, however strong they may be.” We now perceive that everything the Prophet has hitherto said has been for this end — to show, that God takes care of the safety of his Church, even in its heaviest afflictions, and that he will be the avenger of wrongs, after having for a time tried the patience of his people and chastised their faults — that there will be a turn in the state of things, so that the condition of the Church will be ever more desirable, even under its greatest evils, than of those whom the Lord bears with and indulges, and on whom he does not so quickly take vengeance.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v13 Thus he shall encourage the enemies when their wickedness…
Thus he shall encourage the enemies when their wickedness is full ripe, to destroy one another, which he calleth the valley of God’s judgment.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen,…
Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Ver. 11. Assemble yourselves, and come all ye heathen] Come and fetch your bane, whereof by your forwardness to come uncalled ye may seem to be ambitious; judgments need not go to find you out; for you associate yourselves, that ye may be broken in pieces, Isa 8:9, as at Armageddon, Rev 16:16. Come on, therefore, since you will needs be so mad, and take what befalls you. "Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together," Isa 27:4; see Zec 14:2-3 Eze 38:4; Eze 38:16-23 Rev 19:17-18. {See Trapp on "Zec 14:2"} {See Trapp on "Zec 14:3"} The word hero Englished assemble is by Jarchi rendered festinate, hasten; by others conglobamini, cluster together, that ye may be the sooner cut off, that the mouth of God s sword may have its full bit, that he may make an utter end, and your affliction may not rise up the second time, Nah 1:9.
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Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down] Vel angeles vel alios, saith Mercer, either thine angels (called God’s mighties, Psa 103:20 Isa 10:34 Psa 18:17, where these "mighty ones" are said to make Sion as dreadful to all her enemies as these angels made Sinai at the delivery of the law) or other thine officers and executioners, that by thy command they may fall on, and destroy these heathen armies, see Joe 3:13; the answer to this prayer of the prophet, and the power of prayer which Luther fitly calleth bombardas et instrumenta bellica Christianorum, the great ordnance and warlike weapons of Christians.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Assemble yourselves; the war proclaimed, Joe 3:9, pro vision…
Assemble yourselves; the war proclaimed, Joe 3:9, pro vision made, Joe 3:10, now hasten to the general rendezvous; embody yourselves as you march, and hasten what you can, as the word imports.
Come all; not simply and in utmost latitude, but all that are here concerned.
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Gather yourselves together round about; all round about Judea, the nations near about this valley of vision.
Thither, toward Judea and Jerusalem, the church and heritage of God, cause thy mighty ones to come down; direct and lead them by thy providence, that they may pitch their tents, or encamp there; let all thy mighty ones, whether enemies of thy church gathered against it, or friends of thy church, and gathered for its defence, let them all here encamp; or all those mighty warriors which thou wilt make use of successively to punish the proud oppressors of thy church; so the Chaldeans punished Assyria, Persians and Medes punished Babylon, Alexander punished the Persians, and the divided captains successors plagued one another with wars within sight, as it were, of Jerusalem and Judah.
O Lord; with which the prophet comforts himself and God’s people, intimating that all these mighty ones are under God’s conduct, and he is in the midst of them to save his own people.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Assemble yourselves,.... From divers parts into one place: "be…
Assemble yourselves,.... From divers parts into one place: "be ye gathered"; or "gather yourselves together", as the Targum and Kimchi; get together in a body, muster up all the forces you can collect together, Jarchi, from Menachem, by the change of a letter, renders it, "make ye haste"; lose time in preparing for this battle; get men, and arms for them, as fast as you can; be as expeditious as possible:
and come, all ye Heathen; antichristian nations, Mahometan or Papal; which latter, especially, are sometimes called Heathen and Gentiles, because of the Heathenish rites introduced into their worship, Psa 10:16;
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and gather yourselves round about: from all parts, to the valley of Jehoshaphat or Armageddon, Rev 16:14; this is spoken ironically to them, to use their utmost endeavours to get most powerful armies against the people of God, which would be of no avail, but issue in their own destruction; or it may signify what should be done by the providence of God, bringing such large numbers of them together to their own ruin:
thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord; which is a prayer of the prophet, or of the church, to God, that he would send down his mighty ones, the angels that excel in strength, and destroy this great army thus gathered together, as an angel in one night destroyed the army of Sennacherib. So Kimchi and Aben Ezra interpret if of angels, and many other interpreters; but perhaps it may be better to understand it of Christian princes and their forces, those armies clothed in white, and riding on white horses, in token of victory; with Christ at the head of them, Rev 19:14; who may be said to be caused to "come down"; because, being assembled shall go down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, where their enemies are gathered together, and discomfit them, The Targum is,
"there the Lord shall, break the strength of their strong ones.''
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Round about - All round about Judah. Thither -…
Round about - All round about Judah. Thither - Toward Jerusalem; the church and heritage of God. Thy mighty ones - All those mighty warriors whom thou wilt make use of successively to punish the oppressors of thy church.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv12–13 Verse 12. Let the heathen be wakened] The heathen…
Verse 12. Let the heathen be wakened] The heathen shall be wakened.
The valley of Jehoshaphat] Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 Joe 3:11-12. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come…
Joe 3:11-12. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord — After the prophet has given warning, in the way of irony, to the nations to provide for their defence by all possible means, and to assemble themselves together from all parts, that they might strive with their united force; he, in the conclusion of the verse, calls upon God to cause those to come whom he had appointed to overcome these nations. Some, however, render the clause, the Lord shall cause thy mighty ones to come down, or to be brought low. Let the heathen be awakened — Let their courage be roused up; and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat — To the place of divine judgment.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Once more all the enemies of God are summoned…
Once more all the enemies of God are summoned together. “Assemble yourselves,” (Others in the same sense render, “Haste ye,) and come, all ye pagan, round about,” literally “from round about,” i. e., from every side, so as to compass and hem in the people of God, and then, when the net had been, as it were, drawn closer and closer round them, and no way of escape is left, the prophet prays God to send His aid; “thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.” Against “the mighty ones” of the earth, or “the weak” who “say” they are “mighty,” (the same word is used throughout,) there “come down the mighty ones of God.” The “mighty ones of God,” whom He is prayed to “cause to come down,” i. e., from heaven, can be no other than the mighty angels, of whom it is said, they “are mighty in strength” Psa 103:20 (still the same word,) to whom God gives “charge over” Psa 91:11. His own, “to keep” them “in all” their “ways,” and one of whom, in this place, killed “one hundred and fourscore and five thousand” 2Ki 19:35 of the Assyrians. So our Lord saith, “The Son of man shall send forth His Angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity” Mat 13:41.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 Down. Many perished in Egypt, the rest in Judea,…
Down. Many perished in Egypt, the rest in Judea, ver. 2.
Valley, at Jezrahel, the valley of destruction, ver. 14.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Assemble--"Hasten" [MAURER].
Assemble--"Hasten" [MAURER].
thither--to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
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thy mighty ones--the warriors who fancy themselves "mighty ones," but who are on that very spot to be overthrown by Jehovah [MAURER]. Compare "the mighty men" (Joe 3:9). Rather, Joel speaks of God's really "mighty ones" in contrast to the self-styled "mighty men" (Joe 3:9; Psa 103:20; Isa 13:3; compare Dan 10:13). AUBERLEN remarks: One prophet supplements the other, for they all prophesied only "in part." What was obscure to one was revealed to the other; what is briefly described by one is more fully so by another. Daniel calls Antichrist a king, and dwells on his worldly conquests; John looks more to his spiritual tyranny, for which reason he adds a second beast, wearing the semblance of spirituality. Antichrist himself is described by Daniel. Isaiah (Isa. 29:1-24), Joel (Joel 3:1-21) describe his army of heathen followers coming up against Jerusalem, but not Antichrist himself.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv11–13 11. Assemble yourselves] The word is found only here,…
11. Assemble yourselves] The word is found only here, and its meaning is very uncertain. A.V. follows LXX., Targ., Syr., Ibn Ezra, and Kimchi; but the rendering rests upon no philological basis, and is merely conjectured from the context. It is best to suppose an error in the text, and for עושו to read חושו, Hasten.
all ye nations (Joe_3:2) round about, and gather yourselves together] In Eze_36:4; Eze_36:7 the nations round about Israel are its more immediate neighbours; but the context (Joe_3:2; Joe_3:9; Joe_3:12 a) shews that the expression is meant here more generally.
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thither cause thy mighty ones (or warriors) to come down] the prophet suddenly turns aside to address Jehovah: he has bidden the nations assemble, for the contest against Israel, in the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joe_3:2; Joe_3:12): he now prays Jehovah to cause His warriors also to descend thither to meet them. The mighty ones are, no doubt, the angelic hosts (Psa_68:17; Zec_14:5), whom Joel pictures as the agents of Jehovah’s will, and who are called in Psa_103:20 the “mighty in strength.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 (11) Thy mighty ones—i.e., thy, because Jehovah had summoned…
(11) Thy mighty ones—i.e., thy, because Jehovah had summoned them to take arms, as champions against Him in the final conflict.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv11–13 This verse expresses the precipitancy with which the procession…
This verse expresses the precipitancy with which the procession of the hostile nations is hurried on in order to meet their doom, as also the prophet"s prayer for the descent of Jehovah"s mighty ones to the slaughter. Assemble yourselves, and come. It is rather, hasten, and come; the word WvW, only occurring here, being equivalent to WvWj, equivalent to "hasten ye." The LXX and Chaldee, indeed, favour the sense of "assemble;" the former has sunayroizesye . But that idea is expressed afterwards by the verb WxBq, which is an anomalous form of the imperative Niph. for wxbQhi, though some take it for the perfect with vau consec. The word hanchath is usually and properly taken as the imperative Hiph., from nachath, to come down, the pathach taking the place of tzere on account of the guttural and the nun retained without assimilation, as the nun rarely falls away in verbs that have a guttural for their second stem-letter. The meaning
(1) then, is, "Assemble yourselves." The margin,
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(2) however, has, "The Lord shall bring down," i.e. cause to succumb, destroy, "thy mighty ones," which must then signify "the mighty ones of the enemy.
This, though supported by the Chaldee, Syriac, Vulgate, and Jerome, is less simple and obvious, necessitating also a corresponding change of the verbal form into tjinji or tyjinhi. The LXX rendering is peculiar, and as follows: "Let the meek become a warrior."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is…
Joe_3:13
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
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The end of the world represented by the harvest
All things are evidently tending to decay and dissolution. As there was an hour fixed from all eternity for the creation of the world, so there is an hour fixed for its dissolution. Many scriptural figures represent the brevity of human life, the frailty of mans existence. The text contains a prophetic description of the destruction of all Gods enemies, who are represented as a field of corn.
I. The ripeness for the great harvest. There is a ripeness to which every one must attain. Even the wicked fill up the measure of their sin. The righteous are acquiring ripeness; and for this due preparation and daily cultivation are needed. True., thorns and briars spring up among the flowers; but they are only allowed to grow together for good and useful purposes.
II. The holy scriptures alone can furnish the true test of the ripeness referred to in the text. Compare the condition of a sinner meet for destruction with the happy state of a soul ripe for the blessedness of eternal glory. Such a review must induce every one to pray that the life he lives in the flesh may be a life of faith on the Son of God; of conformity to the will of God; and of preparation for the judgment of God.
III. When the corn is fully ripe, the sickle is to be put in. When our measure of sin and holiness is complete, we shall be reaped down: the saints will depart and be immediately with God. Address the undecided. (Nat. Meeres, B. D.)
Harvest
This emblem of the harvest is used elsewhere in the Bible. The text probably refers to the harvest of the wicked. Two things for consideration.
I. The process of ripening. In the natural world we think of the later period of growth, after the ear is formed, as the ripening time. Consider the process of ripening as regards the wicked.. (Gen_15:16.) The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. It was ripening, but not ripe. Sin has dominion over a man. Sin is the spring and root of eternal ruin. The signs that sin is ripening are two.
1. The habit of sinning wilfully, and living wilfully under the dominion of known sin.
2. Growing insensibility to the truths which have a tendency to awaken the mind. The ripening process as regards the righteous is the converse of that which takes place with the wicked. There is a ripening process going on in every child of God. That which is the cause of this ripening in the Christian is holiness. Increasing holiness alienates him more and more from sin, and from the follies and vanities of the world. Signs of the ripening process are--
1. A deepening sense of our own personal unworthiness, and helplessness, and guiltiness in the sight of God.
2. Growing simplicity of trust in the person and work of Christ. It is the work of the Spirit to reveal Christ to the soul.
II. The harvest itself. For the individual the time of death. For the world the judgment day. The children of God are ripening for a blessed harvest. The wicked are ripening for a harvest of wrath, of fiery indignation. (Emilius Bayley, M. A.)
Character
These words suggest three remarks concerning mans moral character.
I. It is a growth. The harvest begins with the germinating seed. Moral character, both good and bad, is a growing thing; thoughts grow, affections grow, principles grow, habits grow. Character is not like a rock, which remains the same from year to year; but rather like the tree, ever growing. Men get worse or better every day.
II. It has a maturity. Every character ripens, reaches its harvest. Hemlock as well as wheat ripens; character, both evil and good, comes to maturation.
III. It has retribution. Put ye in the sickle. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, he that soweth to the spirit shall reap everlasting life. The time for the sickle hastens to all. (Homilist.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v13 Joe_3:13.] The judgment compared to a double figure.
CRITICAL NOTES.
Joe_3:13.] The judgment compared to a double figure.
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Joe_3:14.] A description of the streaming of nations into the valley of judgment. Multitudes, multitudes] Heb. immense multitudes; akin to our hum, noisy crowds (2Ki_3:16).
Joe_3:15-17.] Dreadful commotions will happen before that day. Out of Zion Jehovah will destroy his enemies, protect his people, and purify his sanctuary.
THE TERRIBLE OVERTHROW.—Joe_3:13-16
The prophet earnestly besought God to call his “mighty ones” in the final scene. God responds, brings his messengers, and bids them put in the sickle, for all things, good and evil, are ready for judgment. Three things are to be noted in the description of this judgment.
I. It is a moral result. As ripe corn is ready for harvest, and full vats and winepresses for treading out, so men prepare for judgment.
1. Sin ripens men for destruction. It unfits the soul for the enjoyment of God, creates many horrors and foretastes of hell, and renders men ready for destruction.
2. Holiness ripens men for glory. It fits the soul for the society of the blessed, makes meet for the heavenly inheritance, and will be consummated in God’s presence. Thus judgment is only a harvest for which men are ripening in the present life. The wicked are filling up the measure of their iniquity (Gen_15:16); the righteous are reserved for degrees of holiness which will perfect their character (Eph_4:7-13). Both will reap as they sow. “For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
II. It is universal. The prophet seems amazed at the great throng assembling together. “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision.” It is one living, surging mass, an innumerable army, rushing blindly on to their own destruction. Or, to take the figure of the text, vast numbers are ripe for judgment. Angels and wicked spirits, good men and bad, will be present. None will be forgotten, none can escape. “We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.”
III. It is awful. It is attended and followed by convulsions, in which the framework of society shall be shaken, and by symbolic signs in heaven and earth. Countless multitudes assemble in the valley, the heavens above darken with the frown, and the earth beneath trembles at the thunder of God. “The wickedness” of men “is great,” and ripe for harvest. The day of judgment, the day of decision and separation, has come. The grain must be gathered into the garner, and the wine into the vats; the worthless chaff consumed, and the wheat preserved. “Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Rev_14:15).
HOMILETIC HINTS AND OUTLINES
Joe_3:13. May be taken literally as a harvest sermon, in proving
(1) the power,
(2) the providence, and
(3) the goodness of God. We think nothing of God’s mercy, because the effects of it are common. How faithful to the promise, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest,” &c. Every harvest should remind us of the truth of God. The harvest a type of final judgment, I. The ripening process The righteous and the wicked, growing together like tares and wheat for their proper end. II. The state of maturity.
1. Wilful ignorance, sin against conviction, and total insensibility, in some.
2. Growing likeness to Christ, and sincere desire to be with him, in others. III. The reaping. Not before the corn is ripe, is the sickle put in. There are stages of growth in sin and grace. In gradual law and due season judgment comes. Every act and every day promotes maturity. “The harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels.”
Consider the text as addressed—First, to ministers of the Word. We are allowed such an application. “The harvest truly is plenteous,” &c. Means of usefulness and opportunities are intended by harvest; by labourers, those whose office it is to make use of them. When the grain is ripe, if not gathered in, it is liable to perish. The season for saving it is short and uncertain. Men therefore forego ease, and endure fatigue, to secure it. What is the safety of grain to the salvation of souls! How many destroyed for lack of knowledge! We have religious freedom, means and opportunities for doing good. There are loud calls to preachers, parents, and Christians generally. But the time for work will not continue. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,” &c. Secondly, as addressed to public judgments. The people spoken of were ripe for ruin. So with the Canaanites, when their iniquity was full, and Joshua and his army were the reapers. So with the Jews, when Nebuchadnezzar was called to punish and the Romans to destroy them. So with many nations and communities since. We have reason for apprehension if we estimate our condition by our guilt, and our guilt by our privileges. God is never at a loss for instruments. Hearts, events, elements, are all his; but threatenings are mercifully conditional. “If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil I thought to do them.” Thirdly, as addressed to the messengers of death—accidents, diseases, whatever can bring us to the grave. This regards individuals. We know our own destiny, whatever be that of nations. It is appointed unto each once to die. But when men are ripe it is not easy to decide. It is certain that sin ripens for hell, but the most grossly and openly vicious are not always the most guilty before God. It is wise to keep from every approximation to such a dreadful state. Surely when a man is insensible under the word; incorrigible under the rebukes of providence; when conscience ceases to reprove, and he can turn Divine things into ridicule, he must be “nigh unto cursing.” Holiness ripens for glory, but when matured and meet for it we cannot ascertain. We should think favourably of one dissatisfied with himself, and who esteemed the Lord Jesus; who was anxious to resemble him and trusted to him in all things. But God knows them that are his; chooses the proper time for removing them; the wheat for the barn, and the chaff for the burning. But the end of all things is at hand. Fourthly, God thus addresses his angels at the last day. We are sure of the event if ignorant of the period. Then cometh the end; his purposes will be accomplished, his promises and threatenings verified, and all will be ripe. Time will be no longer. The earth will be cleared of all the produce, and the fields in which it grew will be destroyed. “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” [Jay].
Joe_3:14. The day of the Lord.
1. Near; comes suddenly, and may find many unprepared.
2. Decisive; cannot be repeated. Every one’s doom will be fixed, and the struggle between Satan and God end. “The valley of decision.”
Joe_3:16. The different aspects of the day to men. I. A terror to God’s enemies. “The Lord shall roar.” Now he speaks in mercy, then his terrible voice will be like a roaring lion (Isa_42:13-14; Jer_25:30; Amo_1:2). II. A hope to God’s people. The material universe may be destroyed, but God will be the refuge of his people. “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psa_146:5; Jer_14:8; Jer_17:7).
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 3
Joe_3:12-14. Judgment day. Spencer says that two soldiers entered the valley of Jehoshaphat, when one of them said, “In this place shall be the general judgment, and I will now take my place where I shall then sit.” He then sat down upon a stone, and looked up to heaven as if to receive his sentence; when such dismay overwhelmed him, that he fell to the earth trembling, and ever after remembered the day of judgment with horror.
Joe_3:15-16. How sublime is this description! How should we adore the God before whom the unconscious earth and sky do reverence, and act as if they knew their Maker! Though the solid world is convulsed at God’s presence, saints do not fear. God is their refuge and strength (Psa_46:1). The enemy will be destroyed, but the Church shall be saved. “She shall not be removed; God shall help her.”
The heavens and earth shall pass away,
And be to dissolution brought,
But Zion’s strength shall ne’er decay,
For her Redeemer changeth not.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11–12 General Information:
General Information:
Yahweh continues the speech he began in Joel 2:25, promising good things for the people of Israel.
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Hurry and come ... together there
These words continue the ironic call to battle that begins in Joel 3:9. (See: Irony)
gather yourselves together
The purpose of the gathering is for battle. This can be stated explicitly. AT: "gather yourselves together for battle" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Yahweh, bring down your mighty warriors
Possible meanings are 1) Joel is telling the people of Judah that this is what they are to "proclaim among the nations" (Joel 3:9) or 2) Joel interrupts the words of Yahweh and prays a short prayer.
translationWords
might
Yahweh
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv12–13 3:12 The battle would take place in the valley…
3:12 The battle would take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat (see study note on 3:2-3), where the Lord would pronounce judgment on them all.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.