Jo'el: Jehovah (YHWH) IS God*

The meaning of the prophet's name, Jo'el, is "Jehovah is God". Jehovah is the name of God that is translated as "LORD" in our Bible, but the true meaning of this Hebrew name for God is "Creator, Giver of Life, Performer of Promises, Absolute One, Unchangeable One, Living One, Self-Existent One, the I AM who I AM". The Hebrew letters of this name, Jehovah, are yod-heh-vaw-heh, which mean "Behold the hand, Behold the nail". Scripture describes the LORD as being "One" in verses called the Shema. However, the word used to describe this oneness of God is the Hebrew word echad, which is really a unity of plural parts. Christians understand this echad unity of plurality in oneness as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Book of Jo'el in the Bible is a prophetic Book that deals with the day of the LORD, the fulfillment of the Feasts of the LORD, and the judgment of the nations. The third chapter of this prophetic Book deals with the coming kingdom. This is vital to our understanding of the warfare in the Middle East. The third chapter of Jo'el begins with the Word of the LORD against those nations that abused His people when they were scattered among the nations, and the land of their inheritance from God was divided among those nations. We see this division of the land of inheritance, Israel, today. The LORD specifically refers to the coastal nations, including Palestine, as taking the gold and silver of God, and selling His people (v. 1-6). The LORD then promises those nations in regard to His people: "Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither you have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head." (v. 7). The LORD commands the nations, the heathens, to prepare for war, to make their farm equipment and tools into weapons, and to assemble and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat, where He will judge them. The harvest of the wicked is ripe: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 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. 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." (v. 14-17). The LORD prophesied that a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD in Judah, and He condemned Egypt and Edom for their violence and the shedding of the innocent blood of the children of Judah in their land. God promises again: "But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerualem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion." (v. 18-21). God made these promises to Abraham, and He will keep His Word. The world has a negative understanding about Zion and Zionism, but Zion of the LORD is the place of His presence and dwelling. It is the name of the LORD's mountain, and not the mountain of any other god, and no, no other god is the same as our God, YHWH, Jehovah. No other peace is the same as the peace of our God, YHWH, Jehovah. The world will promise a seven year peace treaty, which they will break. That will be a false peace that will lead eventully to the war that is called Armageddon. Isaiah wrote of the peace of the LORD. The LORD's house will be established at the top of the mountains, and all nations shall come to it to learn of God's ways, and to walk in His paths: "...for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Isa. 2:1-3). The LORD will judge the nations. Implements of war will be made into instruments of peace, fruitfulness and harvest: "...nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (v. 4)., The house of Jacob is invited to walk in the light of the LORD (v. 5). True peace will be estblished, not by man, but by the LORD. The prophet Micah also wrote the same Word of the LORD as Isaiah and Jo'el: "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains...exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it...for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem...and he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off...neither shall they learn war any more."" (Mic. 4:1-3). The LORD promises that all will dwell in safety, pleasantness, and will not fear: "...the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever...the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem (v. 4-8). This is the thousand year reign of the Messiah, Jesus, from Jerusalem. The LORD promises to redeem His people from captivity, and from the hand of their enemies. Many nations would gather against them, but they would be beaten in pieces because: "...they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor." (v. 9-13). Although the nations and the people may not value God's Words, they need to understand this: Jehovah, the "Performer of Promises", the "Unchangeable One", will never forget His promise to Abraham, or His covenant with Israel. Another prophet, Zechariah, also wrote the Word of the LORD regarding the warfare of the nations against Israel: "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 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. (Zech. 12:1-3). We see again the promise of the LORD to defend Jerusalem and Judah against all enemies: "In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them...I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." (v. 4-9). Again we see the connection of this defense of Jerusalem and Judah with a spiritual renewal, and the revelation of the Messiah who was pierced: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn...And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (v. 10, 13:6). The LORD again promises in that day, "there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." (Zech. 13:1). The innocent blood of the Lamb cleanses and takes away your sin and mine. Some picture of the sufferings of this first born Son must be available for them to look upon, and mourn. The Shroud of Turin is an accurate representation of the suffering of Christ, and of the medical pathology of His death. God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and He will keep His promises. In the judgment to come, the LORD says that He will turn the world upside down: "Behold, the LORD maketh the world empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." (Isa. 24:1, 21-23). This is not a judgment against flesh and blood only, but also against those spiritual powers who have brought the rebellion against God to men. They will be confined to the pit for the one thousand year reign of Jesus on earth (see Rev. 20:1-3). Revelation also speaks of this casting down of the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavens, adding, "And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Rev. 12:10-11). Have we offered ourselves as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, with our lives, service and worship? As for the saints, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (see Rev. 20: 1-6). God's promise, repeated many times in scripture, is to defend Israel when the nations surround and attack it, to bring repentance, cleansing and salvation to His people, and to install His Son, the Messiah, Jesus, in His Kingdom reign from Mount Zion, in Jerusalem. Jehovah, YHWH, IS God, and He will perform His promises. *Based upon the 10/15/23 message of Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. to the Church. To hear the full message, look for Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. You can contact this ministry at PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705.

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