Joel 3

JOEL 2:1-11
THE DAY OF THE LORD
SOUND THE TRUMPET IN JERUSALEM! RAISE THE ALARM ON MY HOLY MOUNTAIN! LET EVERYONE TREMBLE IN FEAR BECAUSE THE DAY OF THE LORD IS UPON US. 2 IT IS A DAY OF DARKNESS AND GLOOM, A DAY OF THICK CLOUDS AND DEEP BLACKNESS. SUDDENLY, LIKE DAWN SPREADING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS, A GREAT AND MIGHTY ARMY APPEARS. NOTHING LIKE IT HAS BEEN SEEN BEFORE OR WILL EVER BE SEEN AGAIN.3 FIRE BURNS IN FRONT OF THEM, AND FLAMES FOLLOW AFTER THEM. AHEAD OF THEM THE LAND LIES AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE GARDEN OF EDEN. BEHIND THEM IS NOTHING BUT DESOLATION; NOT ONE THING ESCAPES. 4 THEY LOOK LIKE HORSES; THEY CHARGE FORWARD LIKE WARHORSES.  5 LOOK AT THEM AS THEY LEAP ALONG THE MOUNTAINTOPS. LISTEN TO THE NOISE THEY MAKE—LIKE THE RUMBLING OF CHARIOTS, LIKE THE ROAR OF FIRE SWEEPING ACROSS A FIELD OF STUBBLE, OR LIKE A MIGHTY ARMY MOVING INTO BATTLE.6 FEAR GRIPS ALL THE PEOPLE; EVERY FACE GROWS PALE WITH TERROR.7 THE ATTACKERS MARCH LIKE WARRIORS AND SCALE CITY WALLS LIKE SOLDIERS. STRAIGHT FORWARD THEY MARCH, NEVER BREAKING RANK. 8 THEY NEVER JOSTLE EACH OTHER; EACH MOVES IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT POSITION. THEY BREAK THROUGH DEFENSES WITHOUT MISSING A STEP.9 THEY SWARM OVER THE CITY AND RUN ALONG ITS WALLS. THEY ENTER ALL THE HOUSES, CLIMBING LIKE THIEVES THROUGH THE WINDOWS.10 THE EARTHQUAKES AS THEY ADVANCE, AND THE HEAVENS TREMBLE. THE SUN AND MOON GROW DARK,
AND THE STARS NO LONGER SHINE.11 THE LORD IS AT THE HEAD OF THE COLUMN. HE LEADS THEM WITH A SHOUT. THIS IS HIS MIGHTY ARMY, AND THEY FOLLOW HIS ORDERS. THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AN AWESOME, TERRIBLE THING. WHO CAN POSSIBLY SURVIVE?
OUTLINE


I.     THE ALARM IS SOUNDED (V. 1)

ROMANS 13:11 (NLT) – “THIS IS ALL THE MORE URGENT, FOR YOU KNOW HOW LATE IT IS; TIME IS RUNNING OUT. WAKE UP, FOR OUR SALVATION IS NEARER NOW THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED.”
EZEKIEL 33:3–6 (NLT) – “WHEN THE WATCHMAN SEES THE ENEMY COMING, HE SOUNDS THE ALARM TO WARN THE PEOPLE. … BUT IF THE WATCHMAN SEES THE ENEMY COMING AND DOESN’T SOUND THE ALARM TO WARN THE PEOPLE, HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CAPTIVITY.”

II.  THE ARMY IS DESCRIBED (VV. 2-9)
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MATTHEW 24:21–22 (NLT) – “FOR THERE WILL BE GREATER ANGUISH THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN. … IN FACT, UNLESS THAT TIME OF CALAMITY IS SHORTENED, NOT A SINGLE PERSON WILL SURVIVE.”
REVELATION 9:7–9 (NLT) – “THE LOCUSTS LOOKED LIKE HORSES PREPARED FOR BATTLE. … THEIR WINGS ROARED LIKE AN ARMY OF CHARIOTS RUSHING INTO BATTLE.”

III.       THE ALMIGHTY IS IN COMMAND (VV. 10-11)

ISAIAH 13:11 (NLT) – “I, THE LORD, WILL PUNISH THE WORLD FOR ITS EVIL AND THE WICKED FOR THEIR SIN. I WILL CRUSH THE ARROGANCE OF THE PROUD AND HUMBLE THE PRIDE OF THE MIGHTY.”
REVELATION 19:15–16 (NLT) – “FROM HIS MOUTH CAME A SHARP SWORD TO STRIKE DOWN THE NATIONS. … ON HIS ROBE … WAS WRITTEN THIS TITLE: KING OF ALL KINGS AND LORD OF ALL LORDS.”