Joel 2:12-14 English Standard Version

Return to the Lord

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13  and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?

Three key words are very important here and they are “return to me”. This is a clear warning to those who were with God and fell away chasing after other gods. Over and over again throughout all of Israel’s history they strayed, repented and returned to God. This warning is meant for everyone who worships the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, especially Christians.

2 Thessalonians 2 (in part)

The Man of Lawlessness

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

The opportunity for repentance and forgiveness is abundant up until the time that the Son of Perdition (KJV term) is revealed and then it will be too late. 

Do not be deceived, do not fall away from the faith, since his influence has always been at work in the world but at some time, perhaps soon, it will be even more persuasive. 

Do not look to the signs of his appearance, look to our faith and make sure it does not falter. The falling away of our faith is our last warning.

Daniel 8:15-17 English Standard Version

The Interpretation of the Vision

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

Daniel was given a vision for a time of an end. Daniel did not live to see that end.

Here is my question as we live today thousands of years removed from this prophet and this message. The end of what?

The answer to that question identifies the sequencing of events that lead up to the end of something that is poorly defined.

19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 

Indignation, what indignation?

Isaiah 34:1-2 King James Version

1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

2 For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

What does that sound like? The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord perhaps! Perhaps!!

• Joel 2:11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
• Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

Read the events of that day in Joel 2 and find these words are found in the midst of it all.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?