Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20100110.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Joel: Call To Revere Almighty God
Part III: God's Promised Blessing For Repentance Out Of Reverence For Him, Joel 2:18-3:21
B. God's Promised Spiritual Deliverance For Repentance In The Great Tribulation
(Joel 2:28-32)
  1. Introduction
    1. Repentance toward Almighty God brings especially spiritual blessings in any era of human history, a fact predicted in Joel 2:28-32 to occur even in the coming dreadful Great Tribulation Period.
    2. We view that passage for the hope it provides not only for those who will face that time of great trial on the earth, but for those of us in the current Church era when we also repent of our sins (as follows):
  2. God's Promised Spiritual Deliverance For Repentance After The Great Tribulation, Joel 2:28-32.
    1. When the people of Israel repent toward God in the coming Great Tribulation era, which repentance is predicted in Joel 2:12-17, 18 as we have already studied in this lesson series, not only will there be great physical and emotional deliverance (Joel 2:19-27), there will also be spiritual deliverance and blessings.
    2. This spiritual deliverance is predicted in Joel 2:28-32, and we view it for encouragement that if God will so deliver people in the dire trauma of the unparalleled Great Tribulation Period, He certainly can and will spiritually deliver His people if they repent today (as follows):
      1. When Israel repents at the height of the unparalleled trauma of the Great Tribulation (Joel 2:12-18), God will pour out His Holy Spirit on all Jews in Jerusalem who believe in Jesus Christ, Joel 2:28a, 32.
      2. [The foretaste of this event was seen on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came on the first Christians, Jewish believers, in Jerusalem, a fact Peter noted in Acts 2:14-21; cf. Acts 1:4-5.]
      3. Consequently, Israel's sons and daughters will prophesy, her old men will dream prophetic dreams and her young men will see prophetic visions from the Lord that edify, Joel 2:28b.
      4. Even believing male and female slaves will receive the Holy Spirit's filling and power, Joel 2:29.
      5. At that time, God will show wonders in the stellar heavens, with blood, fire, pillars of smoke, the sun being turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome Day of the Lord when Christ comes back to earth in great power and glory, Joel 2:30-31. These events are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, events that will traumatize the world in God's effort to urge all men to repent:
        1. Zephaniah 1:14-16 reveals that these stellar signs will be accompanied by sounds of alarm against walled cities and high towers, alarms due to invading forces that terrify the inhabitants of the land.
        2. Zephaniah 1:17 predicts men will be distressed, walking about as blind men due to the stress, and that many will die in war, their bodies being slaughtered and discarded as waste material in the dust.
        3. Revelation 6:12-15 foretells that these stellar changes will be met with even the earth's rulers, great men, rich men and military leaders along with mighty, bond and free, hiding themselves in the dens of the rocks of the mountains! Thus, the self-pride of sinners will evaporate as the arrogant hide like terrorized animals in the dens of the mountains, Isaiah 2:10-16. Once in these mountain dens, the terror of the Lord will still pursue them, and they will call for the mountains and rocks to crush them, to hide them from the wrath of Almighty God and of Jesus Christ, Revelation 6:16-17!
      6. In even this era of great trauma of judgment for all sinners, whoever will decide to cease dreading God, but call upon Him for help as their Savior, will God physically and spiritually deliver, Joel 2:32; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1420; J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, 1972, p. 505-506!
Lesson: In the coming Great Tribulation Period when God so terrifies all the peoples of the world in its worst judgment in history so that their pride is spent, and they even seek death to hide from His wrath, even THEN will God spiritually and physically deliver them IF they CALL on Him for SALVATION!

Application: (1) May we trust that regardless how severe are the trials even of God's judgment that we face in this life now, if GOD will SAVE ALL who CALL on HIM in the future time of His GREATEST WRATH on earth FOR man's SIN, we can be sure He will SAVE us NOW IF WE REPENT! (2) Thus, may we respond to life's traumas NOT by FLEEING FROM God, but by RUNNING TO Him! (3) May we AVOID sin as believers NOW to AVOID God's SURE SEVERE DISCIPLINE, Hebrews 12:29!