JOEL II, 28--32 by B. F. Robbins

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 5, 1860

JOEL II, 28--32.

By B. F. Robbins

It is evident in reading this prophecy, and the application made of it by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, that it not only applies to the outpouring of the Spirit on that day as a demonstration that Jesus had risen from the dead, and was ascended to the right hand of God, and had sent down the Spirit upon his disciples as he had promised, and thus in the fulfillment of the prophecy in the baptism of the Spirit marking the commencement of the Christian dispensation, but it extends also to its end, or to the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, or the day of judgment.

This is evident from the signs given to precede the day of the Lord. "I will show wonders in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke." "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." The signs in this prophecy correspond and harmonize with the signs mentioned by our Saviour to precede his coming. Matt. xxiv, 29. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Rev. vi, 12. "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

These quotations, which correspond with the signs mentioned in this prophecy, and like the prophecy precede the great day of the Lord and the coming of the Son of man to judgment, furnish conclusive evidence that Joel's prophecy covers the whole dispensation to its end.

In the quotation and application of this prophecy by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, he omits the last part of the last verse. "For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." Peter doubtless omitted this clause for the same reason that our Saviour, in reading Isa. lxi, 1, 2, omitted a part of the second verse. See Luke iv, 18, 19. "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord;" omitting the clause, "And the day of vengeance of our God." And why these omissions? Because to my mind the proclamation of the day of vengeance to the world was reserved for the burden of the first angel's message, in the last or closing days of the dispensation after the predicted signs had been given; the "angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come. Rev. xiv, 6, 7. So the omission of Peter was reserved by the Spirit for the proclamation of the third angel's message, which was to call out the remnant people, a people called after the signs to precede the day of the Lord had been given to the world, a people with whom in deliverance, as the Lord hath said.

This prophecy, then, stands forth as a beacon light amidst the darkness of this age to shew to believers in the word of God their true position in the course of time. Did Peter apply the pouring out of the Spirit in this prophecy to the day of Pentecost as its fulfillment in part and as proof that a new dispensation had commenced? So also from the fact that the signs predicted in this prophecy have been given and

are in the past, it is evident that the end of the dispensation is near. The last days have come.

But here an important question suggests itself. Has the first angel's proclamation been given? as it must precede the second and third? I know it is popularly applied to the missionary efforts of the popular churches; but they proclaim no such message. They have no faith in the burden of the message, "The hour of his judgment is come." But a few considerations will make the question clear and easy of solution. What is the chronology of this message? "The hour of his judgment is come." Then the proclamation must synchronize with the prophetic description of the condition of the world at the hour of judgment or the last days. What is that description?

1. One of prevailing wickedness. As it was in the days of Noah, and as it was in the days of Lot.

2. The church in the last days is so far to apostatize from the faith as to fulfill the prediction of Paul in 2 Tim. iii, 1-5, "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come," &c.

3. A time when the church and the world will dislike to hear of the coming of Christ and the judgment. The evil servant saying in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming. All ears turned away from the truth unto fables.

4. A period when scoffers will say, "Where is the promise of his coming?"

5. A time of indifference to the import of the angel's proclamation. When they shall say, peace and safety, even when sudden destruction is coming upon them.

6. After the predicted signs have been given.

What then is the chronology of the first angel's message? The present age; because it answers the prophetic description of the last days, and proves that the last days have come; and because the wickedness of the world in this age proves it to be the last. The condition of the church proves it to be this age. She is worldly and formal. The church and the world unite in opposing the coming of Christ. Scoffers abound, and scoff at the proclamation of the angel, walking after their own lusts, and are willingly ignorant. The predicted signs are past. Hence all combine to prove this time to be the chronological time for the first angel's message. Why? Because the condition of the world in this age required the first message. The church and the world were asleep upon this important and awful event near at hand, and prepared to be overtaken as by a thief in the night. The watchmen saw no danger and gave no warning. Hence the necessity of the first message.

I know it is objected that the Advent proclamation cannot be of God because its expectations were not realized. But it seems to be plain that it must have been so because there were two more to follow, the last of which is now being proclaimed; so that if this proclamation of the first angel is yet to be given a similar disappointment must necessarily follow.

B. F. ROBBINS.