The Valley of Decision: A Criticism
By Uriah Smith
THE prophet Joel beheld a scene which he describes as follows: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:14. The language most naturally suggests a multitude of people reined up before some important question in reference to which they must make their decision, whether to accept it or to reject it. This is frequently illustrated in the course taken in regard to great truths which God brings to bear upon men, to test them. This language, “in the valley of decision,” seems so natural and easy in such cases that it is often so applied. How often our ministers, when, in a series of meetings, they have called the attention of the people to the Sabbath, and reined them up to a decision on the question, have used these words of the prophet to describe the situation, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision,” meaning that the attention of the people had been called to the great truths of the message for this time, including, of course, the Sabbath question, and they are now querying and debating how to decide in regard to it, whether to accept and keep it, or to reject it; so they are said to be “in the valley of decision.” Now, notwithstanding this thought is so easily and naturally adopted, we venture to suggest that this idea was not7what was in the prophet’s mind at all. This will be seen by the reading of the margin. The subject under discussion is, putting “in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: . . . the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.” Joel 3:13. Then come the words of the text: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision [“concision, or threshing,” margin].” This makes the words of the context consistent: “For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” While it is true that men are daily making decisions which will tend to their acceptance or rejection in the final day, what the prophet speaks of is not such decisions which people make in their own minds, but the great decision which God will render at last in the cases of all those whose “wickedness is great.” Then will be indeed “multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision,” concision, or cutting off, waiting for their final sentence. We have not reached that time yet. Let us, then, labor while we have opportunity, to induce as many as possible to make the right decision now, that they may stand in the great day of “concision” when it shall come.