4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses they run.
5 As with the rumbling of chariots,
they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
drawn up for battle.
6 Before them peoples are in anguish;
all faces grow pale.
7 Like warriors they charge;
like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
they do not swerve from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.
9 They leap upon the city,
they run upon the walls,
they climb up into the houses,
they enter through the windows like a thief.
10 The earth quakes before them;
the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
11 The Lord utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
More verses about the terror of the nation God is raising up to judge the Judahites for their sin. Notice in verse 11 the army is God’s, the exceedingly great camp is his. The Babylonians, when they conquered Jerusalem, were God’s army (even though they also sinned and will be judged for the evils they committed).
In verse 10, this invasion is described in cosmic terms. The sun and moon are darkened and the stars stop shining. This language is used throughout the Bible, including in Revelation, and may be helpful for interpreting verse 30-31 which are quoted by Peter in Acts 2. When great destruction comes on the earth, it’s like the cosmic planets and stars weep and mourn and suffer too. Ultimately when the final Day of Lord comes and the Earth is destroyed and renewed, some of these images may well be physically and literally fulfilled, but there’s definitely a metaphorical understanding in view here.
“Who can endure the Day of the Lord?” asks Joel. Surely only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Heavenly father, thank you that I will endure the Day of the Lord. Not by my own strength, but only through Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Leave a Reply