The Judgment of The Nations (Joel 3)
The day of the Lord, as described in Joel 3, is a period marked by war, violence, and global upheaval, yet it also offers refuge and hope for God's people. This era involves God's judgment on the nations for oppressing Israel, scattering its people, and disregarding God's inheritance. Despite the hardships, the message points toward God's plan to gather the nations through the proclamation of the gospel, ultimately restoring all Israel. The day of the Lord is not merely a time of destruction but also of purification, leading to a future of eternal peace, blessing, and pardon. The promise of God's presence dwelling with his people is fulfilled in Christ, whose birth inaugurated this transformative age, and whose return will bring about the eternal kingdom where war will cease, and God's people will live in harmony and abundance forever.
Transcript:
Alright, we are going to be in Joel chapter 3 today, finishing the book of Joel. Joel is a short book—only three chapters—and we’re going to conclude by talking about the judgment of the nations that occurs in the day of the Lord. I want to remind you that the day of the Lord is not a single day or a moment in time.
For Joel, the day of the Lord is an era. We sometimes call it the messianic age, the age of the Messiah, or the inter-advent period, which refers to the time between Christ’s first advent—his incarnation at Christmas—and his second coming, the second advent. For Joel, this era involves a progression of judgment that unfolds until it reaches a climax at the end.
Joel lived about 500 years before Christ and was looking forward to this day of the Lord. One mistake we make as modern Bible readers is treating this ancient text as if it were written yesterday. When we see prophecies looking forward, we often assume they are still future to us. While some remain unfulfilled, many have already found fulfillment in Christ’s incarnation or throughout the messianic age.
Joel was looking ahead to the time we now live in. This passage speaks to the world as we experience it today and ultimately points toward our eternal hope, which is also Israel’s eternal hope. So let's jump in.
Joel 3:1–2 says:
"Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat."
(By the way, Jehoshaphat means 'Yahweh judges'.)
"I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance, Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land."
Here are three reasons why the world is coming under judgment:
Oppression of Israel
Throughout the Old Testament, Israel followed a cyclical pattern: they disobeyed God, pursued false gods, and engaged in immoral behavior. As judgment, God allowed foreign nations to oppress them. When they repented and cried out to Yahweh, he rescued them. This cycle repeated until the exile, when Israel was physically removed from their land and taken to foreign nations.
Jeremiah prophesied a 70-year exile in Babylon. After that period, Babylon was conquered by Persia, and the Persian king received a prophecy to send the Jewish people home. Ezra and Nehemiah document this return. Nehemiah believed God was fulfilling his promise by restoring Israel, while the Persian emperor thought he was reestablishing a vassal kingdom under Persian rule.
Israel never regained a king or full autonomy, remaining under foreign control until Christ came. This oppression of God’s people is a key reason for God’s judgment on the nations.
The Jewish people likely believed they were being freed from Persian rule to return to their homeland as an independent people. Nehemiah led the people out of Persia, and they began rebuilding the temple, palace, and city walls. The surrounding Persian nations noticed this activity and grew alarmed, suspecting the Jews were preparing to rebel. In response, these nations oppressed the Israelites to halt their progress, even as they returned from exile.
So, Israel was being oppressed. Joel writes about a time when God would restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. At the time of writing, the exile was over, and the people had returned, but Joel saw that they were still not truly free. They faced what we might call "post-exile difficulties," as surrounding nations, under Persian rule, continued to oppress them.
Three Reasons for Judgment
Israel Is Being Oppressed
Israel remained under oppression even after their return from exile. The surrounding nations viewed their rebuilding efforts as a threat and sought to stop them. God saw this continued oppression and declared judgment on these nations.Israel Belongs to God
Joel writes that God will enter into judgment because of his people, his inheritance, Israel. In the ancient world, empires functioned as kingdoms over kingdoms, with emperors serving as "kings of kings." Persia treated Israel as a vassal kingdom, but God declares that Israel belongs to him, not to Persia or any other nation. God’s intention was for Israel to return not just to their land, but to him—to be his people, free to worship without interference.Israel Has Been Scattered Among the Nations
Joel also condemns the scattering of Israelites into foreign lands. Historically, this scattering occurred in two stages: first, the Northern Kingdom was exiled to Assyria, Egypt, and Edom; later, the Southern Kingdom, Judah, was exiled to Babylon. Empires employed this tactic—known as "Hellenization" in later Roman times—to assimilate conquered peoples and erase their distinct identities.
The result was that many tribes were lost to history. Today, Jewish people identify as Jews, derived from Judah, rather than as Israelites from specific tribes like Reuben or Naphtali. The scattering seems irreversible, raising the question: How can God restore his people when many tribes have disappeared?
Paul addresses this in Romans 11:25–26:
"A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved."
God promises to restore his people, gathering even the lost tribes scattered throughout the world. What seems impossible to human eyes is possible with God.
Paul makes it clear: God wants all Israel to be saved—not just the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and a handful of Levites. He says all Israel. So how does God accomplish this? Paul explains that the fullness of the Gentiles must come in. Think about the logic: if many of the tribes of Israel have been assimilated into Gentile nations, then by gathering the Gentiles, God is also gathering the scattered tribes of Israel. This is part of what needs to happen during the day of the Lord.
Remember Jesus’ command in the Great Commission:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, disciple the nations."
Jesus is commanding his followers to bring people from every tribe, tongue, and nation into God's kingdom. As the Gentiles are gathered, the scattered tribes are also brought in. This process blurs the line between Israel and the nations, revealing that God's people are not defined by bloodline but by faith. As Paul says in Galatians and Romans, belonging to Abraham’s family comes through the promise, not genealogy.
God is judging the world because of Israel's oppression, because they belong to him, and because they have been scattered. The church plays a crucial role in gathering these scattered people through the preaching of the gospel to all nations.
What Is the Day of the Lord Like?
Joel 3:9–11 gives us insight:
"Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for holy war! Rouse the warriors; let all the men of war advance and attack! Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let even the weakling say, 'I am a warrior!' Come quickly, all you surrounding nations; gather yourselves! Bring down your warriors, Lord!"
So, what is the day of the Lord like? It is like a world at war.
Does that sound familiar? Turn on the news, and you’ll hear about wars across the Middle East, the East, the South—conflict seems endless. This is exactly what Jesus predicted.
In Mark 13:7, Jesus says:
"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must take place, but the end is not yet."
Many treat these words as if Jesus were describing some future moment of catastrophic war, but notice his emphasis: do not be alarmed. Wars and rumors of wars are not signs that the end is imminent; they are characteristics of the day of the Lord, the era we live in right now.
And yet, when Israel was attacked, many Christians reacted with alarm, speculating about the end times. But Jesus said clearly: It is not the end. The presence of war should not distract us from our mission. Our task as followers of Christ remains unchanged: to proclaim the gospel, disciple the nations, and gather God's people.
Jesus, like Joel, understood that international conflict is part of God's judgment on the world and a means of bringing Gentiles into his kingdom. And as the Gentiles come in, so does the fullness of Israel.
So, in this era—the day of the Lord—we will continue to see wars and hear rumors of wars. But we must remember Jesus' command: Do not be alarmed. The mission remains. We are to go, preach the gospel, and trust that through this process, God will gather his people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Paul emphasizes that God wants all Israel to be saved—not just the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and a handful of Levites. He doesn’t settle for a partial return. How does God accomplish this? Paul says the fullness of the Gentiles must come in. If many of Israel’s tribes were assimilated into the Gentile nations, then gathering the Gentiles also gathers the scattered tribes of Israel. This is part of what happens during the day of the Lord.
Jesus, in the Great Commission, commanded:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, disciple the nations."
The church’s mission is to gather people from every nation, tribe, and tongue into God's kingdom. Through this process, God restores Israel—not by bloodline but through faith in the promise given to Abraham.
God judges the world for Israel's oppression, their scattering among the nations, and because they belong to him. Yet, amid this judgment, he is gathering his people through the mission of the church.
What Is the Day of the Lord Like?
Joel describes three characteristics of the day of the Lord:
It Is Like War Throughout the World
Joel 3:9–11 says:
"Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for holy war! Rouse the warriors; let all the men of war advance and attack! Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let even the weakling say, 'I am a warrior!' Come quickly, all you surrounding nations; gather yourselves! Bring down your warriors, Lord!"
War is a defining feature of this era. We live in a time when global conflicts constantly dominate the news. Jesus foretold this in Mark 13:7:
"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must take place, but the end is not yet."
The day of the Lord is an era marked by war—not a sign of the end, but a characteristic of the age. We shouldn’t react with fear or hysteria when conflicts arise; Jesus warned us to expect this.
Violence for Everyone
Joel says, "Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let even the weakling say, 'I am a warrior.'"
This statement indicates that war will no longer be confined to professional soldiers. Civilians, even those who feel weak, will be drawn into the violence. We've witnessed this shift in modern conflicts, where civilians are often directly targeted.
The contrast here is striking when compared to Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3, which say that at the end of the day of the Lord, people will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. While Joel describes the beginning of this era with tools of peace turned into weapons, Isaiah looks to the end, when weapons will be turned back into tools of peace.
Refuge for God's People
Despite the chaos of war and violence, God provides refuge for his people. Joel 3:14–16 says:
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will cease shining. The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites."
The Lord roars from Zion, which represents the heavenly throne of Christ, not just a physical mountain in Jerusalem. In Second Temple literature, Zion is often depicted as a mountain surrounded by other mountains, with God's throne at the summit and a lush, garden-like valley below. This imagery points us to Christ’s exalted position at God's right hand, reigning over all creation.
Even as judgment unfolds, God's people find safety in his presence. Our mission remains clear: proclaim the gospel to the nations and trust that, in God's timing, peace will come when swords are turned into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.
Joel describes how God’s voice is heard from Jerusalem, but this isn’t the earthly city of Jerusalem—it’s the heavenly Zion, where Christ reigns from his throne. How does the Lord’s voice reach the world? Through his people, the church.
What is our mission, church? To proclaim the good news to all people: the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, to disciple the nations, teaching them all Christ has commanded, and baptizing them. The Lord roars from Zion through you, his church. His voice is heard from Jerusalem through you, his church. And through you, God provides refuge for his people—a stronghold in a world of war and violence.
Even now, as we live in a time of war and conflict, we find protection in him. This is why we see, throughout history, that in times of hardship, the church often becomes a place of love and refuge. In Acts 2 and Acts 4, we see the early church caring for one another, sharing property, and meeting each other’s needs. In every era of persecution, faithful Christians have come together as a community of refuge.
Joel paints a picture of the day of the Lord as a time of war and violence but also of refuge and protection for God’s people. But then he shifts to what comes after the day of the Lord. He gives us three key images of what follows this period:
1. The Eternal Kingdom
Joel 3:17 says:
"You will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again."
Joel speaks of God’s heavenly throne in Zion but also envisions a future Jerusalem on earth. Revelation 21 describes the new Jerusalem descending from heaven—a city where God’s presence dwells permanently with his people.
Imagine the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve were commanded to fill the earth and extend the garden's boundaries until the whole world was a place of beauty and order. Though humanity failed in that mission, Christ completes it. The new Jerusalem will fulfill God's original intention: a world-wide city of God, where his presence is fully manifest, and his people live in peace forever.
Unlike the old Jerusalem, which was constantly overrun by enemies, this eternal city will never be invaded or threatened. There will be no need for walls or weapons, for God's peace will reign.
2. Eternal Blessing
Joel 3:18 says:
"In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord's house, watering the valley of Acacias."
The imagery here speaks of agricultural abundance—a symbol of God’s blessing. In the ancient world, famine meant death and was often seen as a sign of divine judgment. But in God’s eternal kingdom, there will be no lack. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, and streams will supply life-giving water.
This is not literal, sticky streams of milk and honey; it's a picture of life, provision, and blessing without end.
3. Eternal Peace
The day of the Lord begins with war and violence, but it ends with peace. Joel describes a time when weapons are turned back into tools for cultivation, echoing Isaiah 2:4:
"They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up sword against nation, and they will never again train for war."
While Joel looks at the beginning of the day of the Lord, Isaiah looks to its end, when violence ceases, and peace reigns. This final, eternal peace means no more wars, no more rumors of wars, and no more fear.
What Should We Do Now?
As we live in the day of the Lord, we face war, violence, and hardship. But we also find refuge in God and in the community of believers. Jesus warned us not to be alarmed by wars and rumors of wars; these events are part of God's judgment and his plan to gather his people from the nations.
Our task remains unchanged: go and make disciples of all nations, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. In doing so, we participate in God's plan to restore his people and establish his eternal kingdom—a kingdom of blessing, peace, and the unshakable presence of God.
In the ancient world, thriving agriculture was everything. So when Joel speaks of mountains dripping with sweet wine and hills flowing with milk, he’s not saying we’ll all be farmers in eternity. It’s imagery—a vivid way of expressing God’s eternal provision. Whatever God’s provision looks like in his eternal kingdom, it will be abundant, complete, and more than sufficient for life.
We can’t fully grasp the mystery of this future blessing, but the promise is clear: we will experience life in its fullness, with every need met.
Three Things That Come After the Day of the Lord
Eternal Kingdom
Joel 3:17 says:
"You will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again."
This kingdom isn’t a return to ancient Israel’s past. It’s the culmination of God’s plan to dwell with his people forever. Zion, God's heavenly throne, will come down to earth, as Revelation 21 describes, and God's presence will fill the world. This eternal city represents the fulfillment of the mission God gave Adam and Eve—to extend the garden of Eden across the whole earth. Humanity failed, but Christ will accomplish it.
The promise here is not just a secure city but an unbreakable peace. Foreigners will never overrun it again, not because God builds walls but because sin and rebellion will be no more.
Eternal Blessing
Joel 3:18 continues:
"In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord's house, watering the valley of Acacias."
These images symbolize abundant blessing. In the ancient world, famine was a death sentence, often perceived as divine punishment. God promises a future where scarcity no longer exists. Life will flourish, needs will be met, and joy will be abundant. This eternal blessing reflects the completeness of God's redemption.
Eternal Pardon
Joel 3:20–21 says:
"Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, for the Lord dwells in Zion."
This is the heart of God's promise: eternal pardon. Many ask, Can we sin in heaven? The answer is: I don't know, but we won't. Why not? Because God's transformative work through Christ changes us fundamentally. Jesus' death didn’t just forgive sins—it broke sin’s power over us. His blood not only cleanses but renews our nature, making us people who desire to follow him.
The reason for this lasting pardon is given at the end of verse 21:
"For the Lord dwells in Zion."
God's presence in the eternal city ensures our sinlessness. With Christ enthroned among us, sin will have no place. His incarnation, the act of God dwelling with humanity, was the beginning of this transformation. In John 1:14, we read:
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
Jesus' birth was the start of God's permanent presence with his people.
Tying It to Advent
This vision of the eternal kingdom is deeply connected to the Advent season. We celebrate Jesus' birth because it marks the moment God came to dwell with us, initiating the process that will culminate in this eternal kingdom.
Yes, Joel's prophecy is bleak at times—he describes war, violence, and judgment—but the end is glorious. We move from darkness to light, from violence to peace, from scarcity to abundance. This is the hope we anticipate during Advent.
As we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth, let's not get distracted by the cultural noise. Christmas is about Jesus, not family gatherings or festive decorations. Those things are good, but Jesus is the great gift we celebrate.
Our church has Advent packets available with daily readings and prayers to guide us through this season. Take time each day to focus on Christ's coming—both his first coming in Bethlehem and the future day when he will return to establish his eternal kingdom.
Let this Advent season be a time of eager anticipation. Christ has come, Christ is with us, and Christ will come again. And when he does, we will dwell with him forever, in a kingdom of perfect peace, blessing, and pardon.
As we reflect on the bleak realities described in Joel—the war, violence, and destruction—we are reminded of our deep need for Christ, his birth, and the hope of the glorious future he promises.
That’s why we’ve prepared the Advent materials. Each day has a short reading, a reflection, and a prayer to guide you. There are also weekly activities—crafts, painting ideas, and other fun projects. If you have kids, this is a great way to engage them, but even if you don't, these activities can help you slow down and reflect on the beauty of Christ's coming kingdom.
I want to encourage you to prioritize our Advent services over the next four weeks. It’s not about attendance numbers or giving metrics—I don’t care about those things. As your pastor, I care about your heart longing for Christ and his eternal kingdom. That’s what gives me peace and joy: knowing that you are beholding Christ more deeply.
Let me pray for us:
Lord, as we step into this Advent season, we ask that the harsh realities we see in Joel—war, rumors of war, violence, and destruction—would stir in us a deeper desire for Jesus. May we long to see his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Help us not to despair or be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. Instead, remind us of the promise of days to come—days when nations will no longer rise against each other, when swords will be beaten into plows, and spears into pruning knives. We look forward to that day of peace and flourishing.
Until then, sustain your people. Be our refuge and our strength, and let us find comfort in your word and in the community of your church. Fill us with joy this Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the one who came to dwell among us and will one day return to make all things new.
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
