Now, in those days, he goes into chapter
3, and in that time, when I shall
bring again the captivity of Jerusalem and Jerusalem,
that is, in the days, we're getting close
now, for God has returned again the captivity
of Judah and Jerusalem, that I also will
gather all nations and bring them down to
the valley of Jehoshaphat.
Now, where is the valley of Jehoshaphat?
We don't know.
It is a valley that is only spoken
of here, and as far as we know,
it is close or related to Jerusalem.
Some say the Kidron Valley, but we remember
that Zechariah tells us that when Jesus comes
again, empowering great glory with all of his
saints, he's going to set his foot on
Mount Olives, and Mount Olives is going to
split in the middle, and a new valley
is going to be formed in that rift.
And there will be a new river that
will spring forth from under the altar there
in Jerusalem, and will flow through this new
valley down to the Jordan Valley, to the
Dead Sea, and when the waters of this
river come into the Dead Sea, the Dead
Sea will be healed.
The new valley that is formed by the
coming again of Jesus Christ, and by the
splitting of the Mount of Olives, could very
well be the valley of Jehoshaphat.
They'll have to give it a name, and
Jehoshaphat is as good a name as any.
And this, I believe, will probably be the
valley of Jehoshaphat.
That new valley formed at the severing or
the splitting, the rift that is created when
the Mount of Olives splits in two.
Now, we know from Matthew chapter 25, that
when Jesus returns, he is going to gather
together the nations of the earth for judgment.
Here it is told in Joel, the same
thing.
He will gather all of the nations and
bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat,
and will plead with them there for my
people and for my heritage Israel.
You remember when Jesus brings the nations together
for judgment?
He will separate them as the shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats.
And he'll say to those on his right
side, Come ye, blessed of the Lord, inherit
the kingdom that's been prepared for you from
the foundations of the earth.
For I was hungry and you fed me,
thirsty and you gave me to drink.
I was sick and you visited me, I
was naked and you clothed me.
Lord, when did we see you hungry?
When did we see you thirsty?
When did we see you naked?
And he said, inasmuch as you did it
unto the least of these my brethren, referring
to the Jews, you've done it unto me.
To those on his left, he will say,
depart from me, you workers of iniquity, into
the everlasting fire that was prepared for the
devil and his angels.
For I was hungry, you didn't feed me.
Thirsty, you didn't give me to drink.
Naked, you did not clothe me.
Distressed and sick, and you didn't visit.
Lord, when did we see you?
Inasmuch as you did it not unto the
least of these my brethren.
And so the nations are to be judged
for their treatment towards Israel.
And that is why I believe that the
United States should remain a strong supporter of
the nation of Israel.
It'll go easier for those people from the
US who stand in judgment in that day,
if we will keep strong pro-Israeli ties
and support.
It's important.
The nations will be judged for the way
they have treated God's ancient people, the Jews.
For notice, I will plead with them for
my people and for my heritage.
Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations
and have parted my land.
And they have cast lots for my people.
They have given a boy for a prostitute.
They've sold a girl for wine that they
may drink.
That terrible treatment that the Jews have received
from the people throughout the world.
The ill treatment, even up until the Holocaust
in Hitler's day.
God's people, and yet the world has treated
them so terribly.
And the world will stand in judgment before
God.
Yes, and what have you to do with
me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all of
the coast of Palestine?
Will ye render to me a recompense?
If you recompense me swiftly and speedily, I
will return your recompense upon your own head.
Now, this scripture is interesting to me because
he's talking about Palestine and all.
Rendering an evil against Israel, but God returning
and retaliating speedily and swiftly.
To me it is interesting the tact that
the Jewish people have taken towards terrorists.
How that they immediately respond by a counter
-attack more vicious than the tact that was
against them.
Almost as if they were fulfilling this verse
in Joel.
The Lord said, because you've taken my silver
and gold and you've carried away into your
temples my goodly pleasant things.
The children of Judah and the children of
Jerusalem have been sold to 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.
I will return your recompense upon your own
head.
When Rome finally conquered Israel in 70 AD,
it is estimated that 1,600,000 Jews
were put to death at that time.
They took several hundred thousand, about 600,000
it is estimated, as captives.
Of these, all of the boys and girls
under 17 were sold as slaves.
Sometimes for as little as a bushel of
barley.
The others were used for the Roman sports
and fed to the lions in the various
arenas around the world.
They kept only the tallest and the strongest
for the triumphant march into Rome.
When Titus made his triumphant march and the
Ark of Titus was erected, only a small
portion, just a few thousand of the tallest
and strongest, were used in that display of
Roman power, prating their captives through Rome.
But the rest of them were horribly treated,
even as the Scripture here describes.
But God said, I will raise them out
of the place where they've been sold.
I will bring them from the places in
the world where they've been scattered.
And I will return your recompense on your
own head.
I will sell your sons and your daughters
into the hand of the children of Judah,
and they shall sell them to the Sabaeans,
to a people far off, for the Lord
has spoken it.
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles, prepare for
war.
Now here is the call to the battle
of Armageddon, actually.
Prepare for war and say, the Gentiles are
surely responding to that, aren't they?
You hear what's happening to the defense budget?
How many trillions of dollars are designated for
the war chest in the next few years?
Russia is prepared for war.
Now we're having to prepare.
Prepare for war.
Wake up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near.
Let them come up.
Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning
hooks into spears.
Let the weak say, I am strong.
Now, Isaiah and Hosea both see that future
day when the Lord establishes his kingdom, and
they will beat their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning hooks.
And we'll study war no more, but that
isn't now.
And any politician that tries to tell you
of the golden age that he will usher
in if you elect him.
And he'll bring in an age of peace
and prosperity and we'll beat the swords into
plowshares and all.
Don't listen to him.
He's premature.
Man will not do that by politics.
That will not be done until human governments
are destroyed by the rock that comes out
of the mountain.
It is only then that we will beat
the swords into plowshares and the spears into
pruning hooks.
But right now, the call for the preparation
as the nations will be gathered into that
great final conflict.
Assemble yourselves and come all ye heathen.
Gather yourselves together round about.
Thither cause your mighty ones to come down,
O Lord.
Let the heathen be wakened and come up
to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
For there will I sit to judge all
of the heathen round about.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is
ripe.
Come get you down, for the press is
full.
The vats are overflowing, for the wickedness is
great.
Revelation 14, parallel passage as he speaks about
the cup of the indignation overflowing.
Wrath of God.
Multitudes, multitudes in this valley of decision.
That is the valley where they are to
be judged.
Multitudes, multitudes.
For the day of the Lord is near
in this valley of judgment.
The sun and the moon shall be darkened.
The stars shall withdraw their shining.
And the Lord also shall roar out of
Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem.
And the heavens and the earth shall shake.
But the Lord will be the hope of
his people and the strength of the children
of Israel.
Another reference to the Lord roaring out of
Zion.
In the tenth chapter of the book of
Revelation, we have a very graphic description of
the return of Jesus Christ.
The coming again.
This mighty messenger of God, the angel.
Clothed with the rainbow.
With a scroll in his right hand that
is open.
Setting one foot upon the earth, one upon
the sea.
Saying that the kingdoms of this world have
now become the kingdoms of our Lord and
of his Christ.
And in Revelation it says, and he shall
roar as a lion.
And there are several prophecies.
The next one you'll come across is in
Amos chapter 3.
And here in Joel 3.16. The Lord
also shall roar out of Zion.
As a lion that has conquered its prey.
Stands over the fallen prey and lets out
this blood-curdling roar.
It's a roar of absolute mastery and victory.
So when Jesus comes again.
There's going to be an earth-rending roar.
As the lion of the tribe of Judah
proclaims his absolute mastery and victory.
To reign over the earth.
His foes subdued and defeated.
And he begins his glorious reign.
I can hardly wait to hear that roar.
I always like to hear lions or elephants
and all roar out.
When our Lord shall roar out of Zion.
Utter his voice from Jerusalem.
The heavens and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be the hope of
his people.
So shall ye know that I am the
Lord your God dwelling in Zion.
My holy mountain.
Then shall Jerusalem be holy.
Now these people say the Lord's already come
and established his kingdom.
You know you're living in the golden age.
The Lord came already.
1914.
We're living in the kingdom age.
Isn't this glorious?
Blessed kingdom.
Boy I'm disappointed.
I was hoping for much better than this.
No these events have not yet taken place.
Don't let them deceive you.
As though the day of the Lord has
already come.
When he comes it won't be some to
some secret chamber.
Every eye shall see him.
It's going to be the most publicized and
well-known event that has ever taken place
in the history of the world.
Every eye shall see him.
Every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the
Lord.
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 stranger pass through her
anymore.
And it shall come to pass in that
day that when the mountains shall drop down
new wine.
And the hills shall flow with milk.
And all of the rivers of Judah shall
flow with water.
That a fountain shall come forth from the
house of the Lord.
And shall water the valley of Acacias.
So this fountain that comes forth from the
house of the Lord.
Will develop into a stream according to the
prophecies in Ezekiel.
And also Zachariah prophesies this.
And will flow down to the Dead Sea.
A branch of it will break off and
go to the Mediterranean.
And so here again it will water the
valley of the Acacia trees.
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 is dwelling in Zion.
So Joel takes us forward to that glorious
day.
The return of the Lord.
His reigning upon the earth.
There in Zion.
And the glory of the Lord.
Once again.
Covering the earth.
Even as the waters do cover the sea.
And how we as the children of God.
Look forward with eagerness to that day.
Now.
It is interesting.
That there are people today that still get
upset.
When you talk about God's future blessing upon
the nation of Israel.
There are people who still get
highly emotionally involved.
Over race.
And ethnic differences.
But as a Christian.
Race shouldn't bother me at all.
I should not even be conscious of it.
As a Christian I cannot be anti against
any race of people.
As a Christian.
I am a whole new race.
If any man be in Christ.
He is a new creation.
And as a Christian.
I am one.
With every other child of God.
No matter what his ethnic background may be.
And as a true Christian.
You should be able to embrace.
Any other fellow Christian.
No matter what.
His ethnic background should be.
And no matter.
There's just no difference.
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
And there is no favored nation status.
As far as Christians are concerned.
We.
Have a whole new relationship with God.
A closer.
Deeper relationship.
Through Jesus Christ.
Where we are the sons of God.
By our faith and trust in him.
Beloved now are we the sons of God.
It doesn't yet appear what we're going to
be.
But as a son of God.
I have such a close relationship with God.
But it is a relationship that is.
Open and available to man of every race.
Now I don't go on as our government.
And include.
Creed.
Because it isn't open to men of every
creed.
It's only open to those who believe and
trust in Jesus Christ.
But every man who believes and trust in
Jesus Christ.
Is my brother.
And I should be able to embrace him.
And love him freely.
And if I am a true child of
God.
I do.
There is no room for prejudice.
In the heart of the child of God.
I am appalled.
That in some churches.
And in some church institutions.
There still does exist.
Prejudice.
Sometimes anti-semitism.
Sometimes the.
Almost fascist.
Anglo superiority attitude.
The Aryan race.
God help us.
These cannot and do not reflect.
A true Christian.
Or his experience.
Thank God.
For that oneness that we have in Christ.
I am so glad.
That I just belong to the family of
God.
I belong to this new nationality.
In Jesus Christ.
That makes me a son of God.
And makes me.
A brother.
To each of you.
I love it.
We all have that equal footing.
And equal standing before God.
For Christ is our common denominator.
And if you are a true child of
God.
Those will also be your true feelings.
You cannot be anti-semitic.
And really be a true child of God.
He will take that away.
He will give you a love.
For those whom he loves.
So we pray.
Father we thank you.
For the glorious hope.
Of that day of the Lord.
Our hearts oh God are.
Trembling.
For the events that must transpire.
To bring the day to pass.
But Lord.
Looking around at the world.
We realize that you can't let it go
on much longer.
Man is about ready to destroy himself.
The power brokers of the world.
Are bringing us.
To a face off.
With the super weapons.
And God man is just about ready to
do himself in.
We see the preparations for war.
And God we wonder what will it lead
to.
We are so thankful that our.
Hope is in Christ.
Our trust is in you.
And Lord we know that our lives are
in your hands.
And because they are.
Come what may.
You are our God.
And you will keep us.
And you will sustain us.
And we shall dwell with you.
World without end.
Thank you Lord.
And even though there is darkness before us.
You have shown us the light.
On the other side.
And thus.
We have a hope.
Whereas the world looking at the darkness.
That is before them.
Can only despair.
And cry out in utter hopelessness.
Yet Lord we.
Born again by the spirit of God.
Look for that.
New day.
The new heaven the newer the new kingdom.
Wherein dwells righteousness.
Oh Lord.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done.
In earth even as it is in heaven.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
Shall we stand.
Next week.
The first part of the book of Amos.
The first four chapters.
First five chapters I think it is of
the book of Amos.
Next week.
And.
Again.
This fig picker.
Sycamore fruit fig tree.
Has a lot of interesting things to share
with us.
Not only of the conditions of the land
in his day.
But he also.
Has insight.
Into things of the future.
And thus becomes very challenging to us today.
As we put the word of God next
to the newspaper.
And we see God's word coming to pass.
Before our eyes.
Now may the Lord be with you and
bless you.
May he give you a good week.
May you just experience more and more.
The grace and the fullness of our Lord.
As you yield your lives to him.
May you discover.
God's blessed plan.
That he has in mind for you.
And may you not come short in any
spiritual gift.
May you abound in all things in Christ
Jesus.
As we wait.
For the glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Lord be with you.
And the Lord bless you.