Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Let us turn to the third chapter of Joel. This chapter speaks of Joel's prophecy, some two thousand seven or eight hundred years ago, foreseeing the day of God's judgment. Yet, we have not seen this event unfold until now, which is a source of confusion. Regardless, in this chapter, we will examine it verbatim, as if reading a textbook, and summarise what the day of God's judgment will be like.

Joel Saw the Day of God's Judgment

When Joel wrote the Book of Joel, he immediately saw the first coming of Jesus Christ. He even crossed the entire Old and New Testament eras, witnessing the future day of God's judgment. At that time, Judah had not yet fallen. Joel mentioned Judah's captivity and Jerusalem's restoration, which is somewhat perplexing. In reality, he was speaking of God's people. The day of God's judgment, as described by Joel, is very similar to the conditions mentioned in Revelation by the old John. We can only summarise, through faith, what the day of God's judgment will be like.

You must gradually begin to understand the Old Testament prophets. Some saw the coming of Jesus from their own time, such as in the Book of Isaiah. Some prophets saw the establishment of the church, while others saw the decline, captivity, and restoration of the church. Some also saw Israel's captivity in the Old Testament, followed by their return. When these prophets described future events, they did not write about the timing; they simply wrote what they saw. This is one of the reasons why we are often confused when reading the Minor Prophets.

We are quite certain that Joel saw the day of God's judgment two thousand seven or eight hundred years ago. He simply described it in his own language, perhaps not with perfect precision. Many say that the words in the Bible are inspired by God. What if God deliberately did not let him write so precisely? He saw it himself but did not understand it, so he wrote it down in faith. We should also not discuss why the day of God's judgment, as seen by Joel, is like this or like that. We have not seen it ourselves; it is all what the prophets saw.

That Was When God Caused His People to be Taken Captive and Return

In Joel's time, God's people had not yet been taken captive, and people did not know what captivity was like. Joel saw God's people, Judah and Jerusalem, taken captive. In fact, after Judah and Jerusalem were taken captive, we have never seen the days of Zerubbabel returning to Jerusalem. Only Nehemiah and Ezra returned once. That was in the Old Testament era. Israel fell first, and Judah fell later. After that, the destroyed countries became colonies, and the Israelites and Jews were taken to Babylon. At this time, they began to deeply repent, earnestly longing to return to Jerusalem and rebuild God's temple. Because they longed to seek God there, God favoured His people and gave them an opportunity to prosper in their captivity. Therefore, Daniel served as prime minister for three dynasties, and Nehemiah became the cupbearer, both very high positions.

The meaning is that before the day of God's judgment arrives, many of God's people will repent, humble themselves, and long to return to rebuild God's temple; they will long to return to spiritual life and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It turns out that before the day of God's judgment arrives, God will surely cause His people to be taken captive and return. This is written somewhat implicitly. The most important thing about God causing His people to return is that people's hearts are repenting, longing to restore spiritual life; longing for God's temple, God's house, and God's city to be rebuilt.

Today, there is a small group of people on this earth who long to see the church prosper when it is very desolate. Speaking of the extreme desolation of the church, some feel that some churches have tens of thousands of people. However, it is not about the number of people, but about the extremely desolate spiritual condition of that place. Speaking of this, I have a deep feeling. When our church had very few people, I conveyed a vision to build God's glorious church. At that time, I did not know if that message was precise, but it achieved an effect. Everyone felt that that generation was not about the desolation of the church, but that the spiritual condition was very desolate. Speaking of the church's spiritual condition, it refers to the degree of longing for God's word. Some people engage in direct selling, sell health products, sell insurance, and do business in the church, turning the church into a social circle, which is no longer a church.

When the church was very desolate, I conveyed a concept: to build God's glorious church! At that time, although there were not many people, everyone attended the prayer meetings. Even on public holidays, they gathered together to pray, repent, and long to build God's glorious church. It was at that time that we saw, in faith, the establishment of God's glorious church, and then we had the current church. Being taken captive and returning is about repenting and humbling oneself before God. In Joel's time, there was no Daniel, no Zerubbabel, and no King Cyrus; there was no captivity and no return. But Joel saw God's people, Judah and Jerusalem, taken captive and returning, beginning to repent and long to rebuild. Our church began to constantly restore healing and deliverance at that time, allowing God's people to be delivered. At that time, every brother and sister who came seeking healing received deliverance, so I preached a sermon called All Were Healed.

The Bible also says, God wants to cause His people to come out of this world, to come out of Babylon and Egypt. We must once again desire that God's people come out of the bondage of the world! We must once again defeat and tear down the worldly logical system in our bodies and minds, and long to rebuild God's glorious church. We really need everyone to constantly long for the church to become the place where God dwells. We have been looking forward to it for a long time, but now it seems that our expectation is a little weaker than it was then. The feeling of being very thirsty at that time was because we had been in captivity for a long time. Now it seems that our days are better, and it seems that we have come out, but there are still many who have not come out.

God wants to prosper His people, to once again become His people's refuge, provider, healer, and rock. Everyone must know that our God is a God who loves to prosper, but if people all go to live their own little lives, the result is captivity. People all take care of their own families, no longer care about God's temple, and do not take worshipping God seriously, but instead regard worshipping God as a burden. We must rise up again and once again have that longing to be taken captive and return.

Those Were the Days of War Among Nations

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” Come quickly, all you nations from every side; assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord! “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. (Joel 3:9-12)

The scene described in this passage is frightening! On the day that God judges, every country is engaged in an arms race. At that time, people care about missiles, atomic bombs, universal conscription, and turning sickles into spears, and plowshares into swords; turning iron and steel into weapons of war. If such a day returns in Revelation, it will be the Third World War. The generation in which we live is getting closer and closer to that day, and it seems that we are gradually moving into it. Everyone should know that that war will be terrifying. It will all be unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned weapons supported by artificial intelligence. Even soldiers will not need to go into battle in person; they will not be afraid even if you hold a knife to them. They are all iron guys, scrambling to the front, not knowing pain, and not afraid of death.

What Joel saw was a very terrible war. If you look at it in Revelation, it will be an even more terrible nuclear war. The old John saw an inverted torch coming down from the sky. Isn't that a missile? As for whether it is an intercontinental missile, I don't know. But they are all carrying nuclear weapons. When two countries interact, both sides compare their strength, often threatening each other to drop an atomic bomb. It hasn't been dropped yet, but once it is dropped, that day will come. At that time, both sides will send their soldiers and armies to a place to fight, which is the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and God will sit on the throne judging that generation and the nations of that generation.

Those are the days of war among the nations, and everyone must prepare well. Long to build God's glorious church and God's presence, and long to completely break the worldly logical system within us. If you do not break the worldly logical system within you, I don't think you can withstand these missiles. They are not eggs or duck eggs, but atomic bombs. If people do not long for God's word, how can God protect you? If you prepare to build a unicorn with a worldly system, God will make you a unicorn, and in the end, you will be a beast.

Those Are the Days When God Protects His People

The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

You need not worry about that day; instead, concern yourself with whether you are God's people. If you are, God will surely protect you. Do not question how God will preserve us in a nuclear war; He is able to protect in any circumstance. Should one drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. How God protects is His concern, but we must understand that those disasters are God's judgment upon the nations, leading them to hurl atomic bombs at each other. Even so, God is able to preserve His people, for that day is a day of God's judgment, not the devil's. This distinction must be clear to all.

God judges the nations, but He preserves His people. Some plan to stockpile water and canned goods, but these will expire. I know a pastor who, believing the world would end in the year 2000, filled a room with instant noodles, canned goods, and water. When that time comes, instant noodles, water, and canned goods will not protect you; not even your house can withstand those disasters. Engaging in such preparations stems from a strong, worldly mindset, turning instant noodles, canned goods, and water into one's refuge. In truth, God is our refuge. If you genuinely desire to be God's people, you must dismantle the worldly logic within you, come what may.

Even now, some are deceived, rushing to invest upon hearing that someone is building an ark in Yunnan. They give their money, only to find no ark, and their money is gone, along with the person who claimed to be building the ark. How foolish can one be? It is terrifying for a Christian to operate with a worldly mindset. Therefore, the most important task for God's people is to build God's glorious church, to long for God's presence, and to return from captivity. We were once in the world, but now we must return to God's temple to be His people. This is called return from captivity.

That Is a Day of Harvest and Treading

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. (Joel 3:13)

The harvest here refers to the many people whose hearts begin to yearn for God, drawing them into God's house. Many now long to receive God's protection and grace and to participate in building God's glorious church, God's temple. However, they have some issues, namely, they are not clear on or do not know God's Word. May God have mercy. May God reveal to more people in this generation, so that these yearning ones may receive God's revelation and know how to build His glorious church.

The treading mentioned later refers to the coming of God's wrath, treading upon this generation. Whether you will be trodden upon depends on what fills your mind. If you are a vessel of God's wrath, God will manifest His wrath at that time, and you will be trodden upon. The most critical issue is that many among us are filled with worldly matters, relying on worldly things, because they love the world at their core. Do not think that coming to a victorious church is enough for those who love the world at their core. As long as love for the world remains at the core, God will manifest the accumulated wrath upon them. This is the harvest of God's people and the treading of vessels that manifest God's wrath! Only by gathering God's people into God's temple will God preserve them.

That Is the Day God Dwells in Zion, and Jerusalem Becomes Holy

So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. (Joel 3:17)

We are to build a holy and sanctified church, where sanctification means God's Spirit dwells among us. We must build a church where God's Spirit dwells among us, valuing God's presence above all else. I am deeply moved; I see many who can work overtime for three days straight without issue, but when asked to give time for God, they cannot. Can God dwell in such a place? How does God see you? If we are seen as dung in God's eyes, God cannot be with us; if God sees us as treasures, He will surely be among us. The church must be sanctified, for God will descend upon Mount Zion, and Jerusalem will become God's holy city. This is the vision for us to build God's glorious church, a holy, united church filled with God's glory. In that era, God will descend, and Jerusalem will be sanctified. Sanctification means God is fully present with us.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. (Joel 3:18)

How refreshing the days when God's presence is with us! Though we have not fully seen it yet, my heart deeply yearns for it.

That Is the Day Egypt Will Be Desolate, and Edom Will Become a Desolate Wilderness

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. (Joel 3:19)

Do you want to belong to the world, to walk the path of Egypt? Walking the path of the world will surely lead to desolation. Walking the path of Esau means living by one's own hands, relying on the sword—days of desolation! Recently, a sister was defrauded of nearly a million, and another sister and brother were each defrauded of 600,000. Are these not desolate wildernesses? People insist on walking the path of the world, relying on their own abilities and hands to make a living—that is being cursed! Whether you like it or not, it is a curse.

Brothers and sisters, know that it is not that God does not want to judge. When God comes to judge, who can stand? Our God is full of grace and mercy, always hoping that we will come out of the state of belonging to the world, like Egypt, and relying on our own abilities, like Edom, living by our own hands and swords. Everyone must quickly come out of there, quickly dismantle it, for that is not the way; it is a day of desolation and bleakness.

Judah Will Abide Forever, and Jerusalem Will Abide for All Generations

But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion. (Joel 3:20-21)

If you just love the logic of Egypt and Esau, then at best, you will live for seventy or eighty years in this world, or perhaps ninety. Let me praise you a bit more: I bless you to live to be a hundred years old. To say Wish you a long life is actually a curse, because we, as God's people, Judah, will abide forever, and Jerusalem will abide for all generations. There are two systems of logic here: one is the logic of this life, and the other is the logic of eternal life. If you are filled with interest and pursuit in worldly matters but have no interest in godly matters, then what you are pursuing is destruction, desolation, and bleakness. If you have no longing for eternity within you, once the candle is blown out, you die, your legs stretch out, your eyes close, and the game is over. So, for a person to live only pursuing worldly matters is a tragedy!

We should not think that God will not judge. God will surely judge, allowing His people to abide forever and His glorious church to abide for all generations. Before, God had not executed vengeance, but now God will execute vengeance, because the Lord dwells in Zion, dwells among us. Joel must have seen the second coming of Jesus Christ, seen Jesus Christ in Zion, in the holy city, reigning and preeminent on earth, leading His people to rule this generation, this world, with a rod of iron. Perhaps Joel did not see the second coming of Jesus Christ, nor did he see the millennium, but he saw a rough outline, and God revealed that much.

Brothers and sisters, let us once again be motivated by that love for God within us. I see that some people's interest is entirely in the world—just wanting to make money, work, busy to the point of being cursed without knowing it. That is truly being busy! If you really want to be busy, then be busy for God. Unfortunately, only wanting to be busy for God yields no money, resulting in a love for the world. If anyone does not love God, let him be accursed. This is from the New Testament. So, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. If you have no love for the Lord within you, it will be difficult for you to have passion for God.

If you come to church, but your heart is always thinking about not being kicked out by the pastor, it is because you still want to partake in the blessing, afraid that you will not receive it if you are kicked out. The key is still to love God. In this place, if you are a person who loves God, how wonderful it is for us to walk this path together! Because we are pursuing Judah abiding forever and Jerusalem abiding for all generations, walking a path of eternal life, dismantling the worldly, temporal logic system. If all your hopes are in the world, then we are not the same kind of people, and it will be very painful to walk together forcibly. Let us together carry the same longing, longing for God's glorious church to be built up; longing for us to enter into eternal life together.

May God bless everyone!