Alright, we're in Joel chapter number 3 tonight. Joel chapter number 3. And we've seen that one of the key themes of this book, in fact it's the main theme, is the Day of the Lord. Meaning a day of judgment or a day of punishment. The Day of the Lord can refer to some judgment happening in the present. We saw that when this was written. They had had a a devastating locust plague that was addressed by Joel. And the reason for that, the Lord was chastening His nation and the nation of Judah with that plague because of her disobedience. We saw the destruction of that plague was unique, it was complete, and it was vast. I mean, it affected all of life in the land of Judah, whether you were plant, animal, or a man, or a woman. If you were a person, it was bad. If you were an animal, it was bad. And of course, all the plants got ate. Boom. Now, what the Lord did there is He wanted the people of God to rehearse it in the ears of the generations after them. That's what He said in Joel 1 verse 3. He said to tell your children, Tell your children's children and their children of another generation. That was supposed to continue so they wouldn't forget what happened when they disobeyed the Lord. Now, the Lord, through the prophet Joel, called Judah to true repentance. But He said if they didn't repent, that this plague was just a foreshadowing of future judgment that the Lord would bring upon Judah. And I call your attention to Joel 1 verse 15. Alas, for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. That was after he had told them that they were to repent. That's what they had to look forward to. So, the day of the Lord can It referred to a present judgment. It referred to some judgment in the near future, which that's what we just read there in verse 15 of chapter 1. But we also saw last week that the day of the Lord foreshadows the judgment to come in the final period of history, which consists of chapter number 2 and 3. It consists of the seven year tribulation. It culminates in, as we will see, tonight in the battle of Armageddon, followed by Israel's repentance and salvation, and the millennial reign of Christ on the earth. So we need to know that even when the Day of the Lord refers to a precedent, it is also foreshadowing that future day. The context determines what really the immediate view is in effect there. So tonight we pick up in chapter 3 in the book of Joel, and we see more about the coming day of the Lord. Now, as we left last week, we were beginning to look at the promises of a glorious future. In that future day of the Lord, it's going to get rough for Israel. It's going to get really, really rough. Everybody is going to be against them. And the Lord is going to do a great thing for them. But He does that when they repent. The deliverance experienced by Joel's generation foreshadowed the deliverance of the end times. The day of the Lord, which was narrowly averted by the repentant Israel in Joel's time, will come in full force against the enemies of God's people, the multitudes who will be there at the battle of Armageddon. This is going to be a battle like no other battle. All of the nations in the world are going to be there. They just are. The promises of chapter 2 and verses 19-32 that we saw promises of forgiveness and restoration are going to find their ultimate and absolute fulfillment as the Lord intervenes on Israel's behalf there in chapter 2 verse 32. Look at chapter 2 verse 32 right toward the end right before you get to chapter 3. It says, "...and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." And so there will be a remnant of Israel, those that are alive, that make it to the end of that point. Alive, they will call on the Lord and be saved. Now, we're going to see tonight, we see the Lord decisively gathers and judges the nation's enemies. This is a deliberate gathering of Israel's enemies. It's already happening now. We're seeing in the news of the hatred against Israel. It's just a drop in the bucket of the hatred that's going to be in that day. It just really is. Notice verse number 1. It talks about the restoration of the promised land. The Jews being re-established in the land. It says, verse number 1, For behold, in those days... Let's talk in future. In those days and in that time. This is the future time, future days that he's speaking of. And this is the Lord speaking here. when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord's going to bring them back in the land, see? But He's also, verse 2, I will also gather all nations and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. That's Armageddon. And will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the nations. Notice this. I scattered among the nations and I parted my land." Now that first part, scattered among the nations at 70 A.D. when Israel was scattered. When they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord allowed them to be scattered by the Romans in 70 A.D. Now they're being drawn back into the land. But now that they're back in the land, what's happening? Well, the whole world is wanting them to part with the land. Well, you need to let the Palestinians have that. We need to figure out a two-state solution. You've heard that term on the news, right? You don't have a two-state solution when it's God giving the land to Israel. A two-state solution is parting the land. It's just all it is. Now, I want you to understand that these names are literal. When he talks about bringing again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, if you try to spiritualize them and try to make them apply to the church with replacement theology, which some do, it does damage to the Scripture and it minimizes the very power of the Lord. When this happens, when this takes place, it's going to be, God said He was going to do it. He did it. Right? And He's going to fully fulfill what He says. Now, the gathering of all nations there to the valley of Jehoshaphat, or Armageddon, we read in verse 2. But I want you to hold your place there and flip over to Zechariah 12, just to bring you back to memory. It's been a while back now, but we recently went through Zechariah for the second time. And I want us to look at Zechariah 12, verses 1-3. And then we're going to look at Zechariah 14, verses 1-3. What we read here, we can see happening in our day. It says in Zechariah 12, verse 1, "...the burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretches forth the heavens and layeth the foundation of the earth and formeth the spirit of man within him." I mean, this is God speaking. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling. All you've got to do is mention Jews to some people and they lose it. I mean, it's like they're demon possessed. They can't handle it. A cup of trembling unto all the people round about. It's growing, is it not? It's growing in our time. It's getting worse, even in our own nation. Anti-Semitism is a bad thing that's happening. These portions of Scripture are extremely topical to our day. We see the nations, all nations, deeply entrenched What we read in that other passage in Joel, entrenched in the parting of God's land that He gave to Israel. Well, let's finish reading here. Verse number 2, Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege, both against Judah and against Jerusalem. This is when Armageddon takes place. And it says, And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In other words, the Lord is going to bring forth the victory. He's the one they've got to be concerned with. Oh, they want to wipe out the Jews. But the Jews are God's people. And when they try to wipe them out, God wipes them out with His mouth. Look at Zechariah 14, and let's look at the first few verses here. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations. The Lord is gathering all nations against Jerusalem to battle. And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravaged, and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. And then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when He fought in the day of battle." The Lord's going to fight the battle. That's all I want to read tonight. We can read some more there. Let me encourage you to go back and read those two chapters to refresh your memory about the things we talked about when we preached through that book. But listen, you know, while all nations were established by military force, and that's true, Just every nation you got, some portion of what they've gotten, they've gotten by brute force, by war. Even our own nation. But they don't allow that with Israel. They don't allow it. Since the reestablishment of Israel as a nation, they have been prevented from taking possession of the land that they have conquered. because the nations wouldn't allow it. They could say, you can't have all that land. You need to give some of it back for this type of people. All nations, without exception, and I know our nation now has recognized Jerusalem, President Trump has, and his administration has. All nations without exception refused to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel back when Israel won the city in battle in June 1967. Everybody was saying, no, no, no, no, no. You can't make Jerusalem your capital. You've got to go to Tel Aviv. Well, thank the Lord for President Trump recognizing. both of his administrations. The reason that this is happening is because Satan, the god of this world, is behind all the efforts to thwart the fulfillment of prophecy. He doesn't want the prophecy fulfilled. He's the one who causes the nations to part or cut up the land of Israel. He's the one behind all the anti-Semitism Israel is made to give up land that rightfully belongs to the Jews. And think about the conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank over the last decades. And even today, they're still, I mean, it's just, it's a mess, okay? So-called Palestinians, for the most part, do not recognize Israel's right to exist. Now who else would have that type of people on their border and them lobbing stuff in? Who's not going to take care of it? Right? Who's not going to take care of it? Can you think if Canada said, well, we don't think the United States has got a right to exist, and they started lobbing bombs over, you think that we would do anything about it? We would, wouldn't we? But right now, the Israel's conflicts against Iran, Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah, and others are all against those who reject their right to exist. And that can be said for most all the anti-Semitism in our nation, and not just our nation, but all other nations as well. It's a worldwide thing, you see, anti-Semitism, getting worse with each passing day. God is gathering the Jews back to the land of Israel. But God will also gather all nations that are against her as well. It's going to be God's doing both of those. It's God's doing it. And people that don't know or believe the Bible don't even recognize, they don't even realize what's happening in the spiritual world right now. We're seeing a spiritual battle taking place. There's a battle raging between the powers of darkness and God who fully intends to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants, the children of Israel. He is going to fulfill, to a T, the promises that He gave them. God says, I shall and I will and He is the only one who is sovereign. My friend, He's the only one who can back it up. God is acting according to His will, and the nations are reacting as if they can accomplish anything that they put their minds to. Well, we'll show a little Israel. We're big boys. You better be careful. God will be taking care of you pretty quick. Everybody's full of activity. Running in circles. All up in a tizzy with Israel and what Israel's doing. Blaming Israel. Making speeches. Signing peace agreements. But nothing helps because they disregard the I will of God. The I will of God. The whole world right now is a pressure cooker when it comes to Israel. Like a cup of trembling. That's what I picture. Mom used to cook things in a pressure cooker on the stove. And she had the lid blowed one time. You don't want a pressure cooker lid to blow. It's going to blow. Now she was not in the kitchen, thank the Lord, when it took place. But it did mess the kitchen up when it blew the lid off. But the whole world right now is a pressure cooker when it comes to Israel. And the whole world is going to blow against Israel in the battle of Armageddon, and God's going to blow on them. Amen? They're going to blow. It's going to get to such a crescendo, and it's increasing. Day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, the hatred against Israel and the forces against Israel are increasing. And it's going to blow when all the world comes against Israel in the battle of Armageddon. We see the guilt of the nations mentioned in verses 3-8. Let's read verses 3-8. And what have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the coasts of Palestine? Will ye render me a recompense? And if ye recompense me swiftly and speedily, will I return your recompense upon your own head? Because ye have taken my silver and my gold and have carried it into your temples, my goodly pleasant things. When they would go in and raid the temple and carry people away into captivity, they did these things. Verse 6, the children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have you sold unto the Grecians that you might remove them far from their border. Behold, I will raise them out of the place where you have sold them, and I will return your recompense upon your own head. And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabians, to a people far off, for the Lord hath spoken it." Now, God's Word gives us a more detailed picture here regarding the guilt of the nations against Israel. And we know that while some of this may not be happening today, it has happened during the process of the last 2,600 plus years, the time of the Gentiles. It began with Babylon to the present time. That's the time of the Gentiles. And we know that in 70 AD, the Jewish people were dispersed literally into the whole world a fulfillment of the prophecy, they have cast lots for my people. It's a fulfillment of that. We can actually see in our time the nations uniting against Israel. Those in the Middle East are openly and aggressively that way. Others that have mostly been friendly and helpful to Israel, such as the USA, are increasingly becoming more anti-Semitic. I want you to think about When the rapture takes place, but we're out of here, how long do you think it's going to take for USA to be totally anti-Semitic? It's going to happen. The Gentiles took advantage of the Jews, but the day is coming when the Jews will take advantage of the Gentiles. Now we see the nations are called to prepare for war there in verse number 9. It says, proclaim ye this among the Gentiles. Prepare war. Wake up the mighty men. Let all men of war drawn near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. And let the weak say, I am strong. In other words, you think you're hot stuff? Go ahead. Go ahead and get your arms together. Go ahead and make your battle plans. This is what he's saying there. Assemble yourselves. And come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about. Thither calls the mighty ones to come down, O Lord, and let the heathen be waken, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down, for the press is full, the fats overflow, for their wickedness is great. He says, "...multitudes and multitudes in the valley of decision. For the day of the Lord is nearer in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining." Notice the first part of verse 16 also. "...The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake." We know it goes on to say, but the Lord will be the hope of His people and the strength of the children of Israel. So, the nations are called to war. And what the Lord does at Armageddon shows what Isaiah 40, verse 17 says. It says, All nations before Him, before the Lord, are as nothing. And they are counted to Him less than nothing in vanity. That includes U.S. of A. All nations are nothing before the Lord. He does His will. He will do His will. And so we see the Lord decisively gathers and judges the nation's enemies. And then the Lord securely establishes His people and their land. And that's the rest of chapter 3 there, verses 16 through the end. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem Heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord will be the hope of His people and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall you know that I am the Lord your God. That's what's going to convince the Jews. So shall you know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain, and shall Jerusalem be holy There shall be no more strangers pass through her anymore, and shall come to pass in that day that 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 out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. 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. But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed. For the Lord dwelleth in Zion." Talking about the millennial reign of our Lord. Praise God. Hey, the Lord is closer than we think. I'm glad we're going to be out of here. We're going to be on the end of the victory coming this way. When the Lord comes back, turn real quick to Revelation chapter 19. Revelation chapter 19. Let's take a look at what this is talking about here. And this is when the Lord comes back. Revelation 19 verse number 11. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse He that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." Now, people, when you preach a message such as I've done tonight, done the Bible study like I've done, people want to find fault with the Lord. There's no fault to be found with the Lord. He's righteousness in what He does. He's righteous. Totally righteous. Whatever He does. Verse 12, His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. And He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture, dipped in blood. His name is called the Word of God. That's Jesus. Amen. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. That's us following, coming with Him. First of all, we go home to be with Him. Then we come with Him as He comes. Verse 15, out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God, that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceedeth out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. That is future history. What's called future history. History looks back at what's done. Well, we know there's future history because God does what He said He's going to do. That's future history. Alright, that's our Bible study for this evening. We'll set that aside and pull back out of the prayer list. Let's pray for the needs and we'll be dismissed with this prayer.