Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Thursday, March 3, 2022
He burned the house of the true God and destroyed all things of value (2 Chron. 36:19).
Once the Babylonians laid waste to the land, passers-by could only say, “It is a desert, without man or beast, and has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans” (Jer. 32:43). Some two hundred years after Joel uttered his prophecy, Jehovah had Jeremiah predict something else about this attack: that the invaders would hunt down the wicked Israelites and capture them all. Jeremiah 16:16, 18 says: “I will send for many fishermen,” declares Jehovah, “and they will catch you. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them on all the mountains and hills and in the clefts of the rocks." And he adds: “I will give them fully what they deserve for their error and their sin.” Neither the oceans nor the forests could serve as a hiding place for the unrepentant Israelites.
a) What question arises when analyzing Joel 2:20? b) And what question arises when analyzing Joel 2:25?
First, let us note what Jehovah promises at Joel 2:20: “The one coming from the north [i.e., the locust plague] I will take far away from you.” If the locusts represented Jehovah's Witnesses, who preach and make disciples just as Jesus commanded, why would Jehovah take them away? (Ezek. 33:7-9; Matt. 28:19, 20). To be sure, God does not take away his faithful servants, but someone or something that is against them.
Second, consider what Jehovah says at Joel 2:25: “I will repay you for the years in which your crops were eaten by the winged locust, the wingless locust, the ravenous locust and the devouring locust, the great army that I sent against you." Notice that God promises to make up for the damage caused by the locusts. If these represented Jehovah's Witnesses, why would I say that the message they preach causes harm? Actually, his message saves lives and can cause some wicked people to repent (Ezek. 33:8, 19). Of course, that would be a good thing for them.
What is the significance of the word “after” at Joel 2:28, 29?
(Read Joel 2:28, 29). Third, let's examine the order in which things happen in the prophecy. Jehovah says: “Afterward I will pour out my spirit,” that is, after the locusts have finished their mission. If the locusts represented those who preach the Kingdom of God, why would Jehovah pour out his spirit on them after they finished their work? Actually, if it were not for the power of God's holy spirit, they would not have been able to continue preaching for so many years despite opposition and even prohibitions from governments.
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