Joel 3 Bible Study Guide: Christ's Eternal Reign

"And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; a fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Acacias." Joel 3:18

When God Restores: The Prophetic Hope of Joel 3

"In that day" indicates the prophetic future (2:28, 3:1).

The prophet Joel used current events in his day to describe coming events. Joel used prophetic imagery to describe the productivity of the land in the messianic age.

Joel is also known as the prophet of Pentecost because his words about the Holy Spirit were later quoted by Simon Peter on the day of Pentecost.

Joel 3: Judgment, Restoration, and Christ's Eternal Reign

The Particulars: 

What nation or enemy is Joel speaking of in chapters 2 and 3? He may be referring to several in general, giving special emphasis to the last in particular:

• The Assyrian Invasion (701 BC) Sennacherib led the invasion. It was crushed at the gates of Jerusalem by God's death angel (2 Kings 19). (See Joel 2:20)
• The Babylonian Invasion (586 BC) Led by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24-25)
• The Russian Invasion This invasion is said to be led by Gog (Ezekiel 38-39) during the middle of the Tribulation.
• The Final Invasion This is Armageddon led by the Antichrist at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 16:13-16; 19:11-21).

The Place: The Valley of Jehoshaphat

(Joel 3:2; see also Joel 3:9-14)

NOTE: This battle, the biggest, boldest, bloodiest and most brazen of all time, will stretch from the city of Megiddo on the north (Zechariah 12:11; Revelation 16:16) to Edom on the south (Isaiah 34:5-6; 63:1), a distance of some 200 miles. It will reach from the Mediterranean Sea on the west to the hills of Moab on the east, a distance of 100 miles. Thus, the total fighting area will exceed twenty thousand square miles. The center of the action will apparently be the valley of Jehoshaphat, located just east of Jerusalem, between the Holy City and Mount of Olives. It is also known as the Kidron Valley.

The Purpose: Two Opposing Plans

• The purpose of the Antichrist - to destroy Israel and her God (Psalm 2)
• The purpose of God - to destroy Antichrist and his allies.

The Product: Signs and Divine Intervention

"The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel." (Joel 3:15-16) (see also Revelation 19:11-21)

The Profit: Blessings of the Messianic Age

God's Spirit Poured Out Upon All Flesh

(See Joel 2:28-32). This event will mark the fulfillment of Moses' desire (see Numbers 11:29).

Peter would later quote this passage in Joel on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:16-21). This he did, not to indicate that Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (for it was not), but rather as an example of it.

All Human Needs Will Be Provided For

(Joel 2:21-27)

Nature Itself Will Be Transformed

(Joel 3:18)

Christ Himself Will Reign in Zion

(Joel 3:21) Mount Zion is the height that rises close to the southwest corner of the old walled city. It was once within the walls of ancient Jerusalem. It is held to be one of the most sacred places in Israel, because there is located the traditional tomb of King David.

Above it is an upper room believed to be the site of that upper room in which Jesus and his disciples ate the last Passover together and where he established the Communion service (Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13).

This upper room has also been considered to be the place where the twelve disciples gathered when the Holy Spirit came upon them the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-4).