refuge

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.

“Egypt shall be a desolation,
And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah,
For they have shed innocent blood in their land.
But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation.
For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
For the Lord dwells in Zion.”
— Joel 3:18-21

Men, the enemies of God’s people will be summoned to the valley of decision, where the Lord God will deliver His verdict and judgment. Those who take refuge in the Lord will be strengthened. All will know that the Lord is God.

Another time will come, and on that day the mountains will “drip with new wine.” Vineyards will be productive, but new wine also represents a season of celebration. “The hills shall flow with milk.” This tells us that in that day, grazing land will be rich enough to support cattle. Remember, Judah is barren at that time following waves of locusts.

Additionally, milk often represents Spiritual blessings in the Old Testament. It is mentioned roughly 50 times in the OT alone. In Joel’s time, water would be scarce in certain seasons, but in this coming time the rivers would flow.

Most importantly, it says a “fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord. In Solomon’s temple, a literal fountain flowed to feed the many baths for ceremonial preparation. There is likely dual meaning here, a literal fountain may flow, but as the Lord takes up residence in the new Millennial temple, His Spirit will flow out. Go back to Ezekiel for more.

The enemies of God are dealt with in this future time, and Judah is acquitted of all bloodshed from their history. The Lord will then dwell in Zion (Jerusalem). Zion means “fortification”. It is the area of Jerusalem where Abraham offered up Isaac, where David bought the threshing floor from the Jebusites and more.

Move forward men, with all the proclamation of judgment and shelter, famine and blessing, war and renewal, we can turn to v18 and recall, “And it WILL come to pass.” The Word of God is the reliable road map of what’s to come. Combining Joel with the whole of scripture grants us much to watch for. As prophecy unfolds, take care which side of God’s Word He may find us in. What is promised is as certain as if it’d already happened. May we each experience the Lord as Shelter, Deliverer, and Redeemer.

Vance Durrance

GodIsOurDeliverer

“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel”, saith the Lord God, “that My fury shall come up in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at My presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.”

“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains”, saith the Lord God: “every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.” — Ezekiel 38:18-23

Men, in the latter times, the Lord is bringing a massive coalition led by Gog, the king of the north, against Israel. He will allow evil thoughts to corrupt their angry minds as they form camps around the mountains of Israel. The fury of the Lord will then be displayed. Earthquakes will shake every living thing in the region from the fish, to the fields and even the birds. All mankind shall shake at His presence. Mountains and walls will fall down. Confusion will take hold until armies begin fighting themselves. Disease and bloodshed will come in judgment. Flooding rain, hailstones, fire and brimstone will descend upon the enemies of God.

For all the idolatry, agnosticism, and atheism on the earth when this happens, the Lord will be magnified and made known. The coalition coming against Israel at that time will seem invincible, and overwhelming. If not for the Lord God demonstrating Himself powerful over all His enemies, Israel would then cease to be.

For those who won’t know this prophetic Word in this future time, all will seem lost. Men’s knees will go weak at the sight of insurmountable opposition. Men will consign themselves to accepting their end, and then the Lord will unleash a barrage of fury upon His enemies.

We each have challenges in our daily lives that threaten to bring us down. Our personal defeat may seem at hand. It may seem we are opposed from all sides, with no hope of escape or victory. The Lord knows all things. He is not distant. While we may suffer until the opportune time, He is our deliverer, our rescue, our strength and refuge.

Move forward men, waiting on a victory. Hold your faith, hold your ground. Stand upon His promises and rest under His wing of security in Christ, our everlasting hope.

Vance Durrance