21 Blow a trumpet in Zion , And sound an alarm on My holy mountain ! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble , For the day of the Lord is coming ; Surely it is near , 2 A day of darkness and gloom , A day of clouds and thick darkness . As the dawn is spread over the mountains , So there is a great and mighty people ; There has never e e been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations . 3 A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns . The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses ; And like war horses , so they run . 5 With a noise as of chariots They leap on the tops of the mountains , Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble , Like a mighty people arranged for battle . 6 Before e them the people are in anguish ; All faces turn pale . 7 They run like mighty men , They climb the wall like soldiers e ; And they each march in line , Nor do they deviate from their paths . 8 They do not crowd each other , They march everyone in his path ; When they burst through the defenses , They do not break ranks . 9 They rush on the city , They run on the wall ; They climb into the houses , They enter through the windows like a thief . 10 Before them the earth quakes , The heavens tremble , The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness . 11 The Lord utters His voice before His army ; Surely His camp is very great , For strong is he who carries out His word . The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome , And who can endure it?
12 "Yet even now ," declares the Lord , " Return to Me with all your heart , And with fasting , weeping and mourning ; 13 And rend your heart and not your garments ." Now return to the Lord your God , For He is gracious and compassionate , Slow to anger , abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil . 14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God ?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joel 2:1-14
Commentary on Joel 2:1-14
(Read Joel 2:1-14)
The priests were to alarm the people with the near approach of the Divine judgments. It is the work of ministers to warn of the fatal consequences of sin, and to reveal the wrath from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The striking description which follows, shows what would attend the devastations of locusts, but may also describe the effects from the ravaging of the land by the Chaldeans. If the alarm of temporal judgments is given to offending nations, how much more should sinners be warned to seek deliverance from the wrath to come! Our business therefore on earth must especially be, to secure an interest in our Lord Jesus Christ; and we should seek to be weaned from objects which will soon be torn from all who now make idols of them. There must be outward expressions of sorrow and shame, fasting, weeping, and mourning; tears for trouble must be turned into tears for the sin that caused it. But rending the garments would be vain, except their hearts were rent by abasement and self-abhorrence; by sorrow for their sins, and separation from them. There is no question but that if we truly repent of our sins, God will forgive them; but whether he will remove affliction is not promised, yet the probability of it should encourage us to repent.