The other day I was involved in a discussion with one of my readers, and I realized that the subject is important enough that I need to pass on the essential truths to all of my readers.
While discussing Joel 2, and whether it is a reference to the Gog and Magog war, or not, I was distracted by the statements regarding the darkening of the sun and moon.
I remember going through these passages while writing The Spirit of Prophecy, and it seems that the three references to “the sun darkened, and the moon turning to blood” are very significant for the timing of the End Times wars in the bible.
Sometimes we tend to focus on major events and neglect little words in the middle of a passage. Most people, at first glance, would probably think that these three references are repeats of the same event. Sometimes God does this type of thing, to add emphasis.
I don’t believe this is the case with these three references. Let’s take a look at them, and then we can discuss where they belong in the prophetic chronology;
10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Joel 2:10-11
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. Joel 2:31
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is NEAR in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. Joel 3:14-15
The first thing I would note is that these three references appear to be out of order. The first one in Joel 2:10-11 is actually prophesying conditions that will exist during the day of the Lord. This is backed up by the prophet Amos;
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. Amos 5:18
Now notice that the next reference specifies that this condition will occur BEFORE the day of the Lord. This is not the same event as that of Joel 2:10-11, and Amos 5:18-20. The event spoken of here is a Church-age event, and Christians will still be here on this planet to witness it!
Notice the next passage in Joel 3. Here we have another event which most scholars would identify as Armageddon. Though I said that I thought it occurs before the Tribulation, I’m afraid I have to concur. As you read the context you will see that this is a war that involves the whole world. It appears that the author starts with the Tribulation period, then goes back to a time shortly before the Tribulation begins, and then in chapter 3 goes forward again to the Tribulation itself.
Notice what he says shortly before verse 31;
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. Joel 2:28-30
Notice the word “afterward”. He is saying that after this attack on Israel, these other signs will occur. During the Church Age the Lord has not dealt with mankind in visions and dreams, and though many false prophets exist, publicizing their visions and dreams, the Lord’s prophets today stick with the Scriptures. The “afterward” here is actually the Tribulation period! This attack, of Gog and Magog, will occur in the waning years of the Church Age, and before the rapture takes place!
I don’t think that any of these three passages in Joel denotes the Psalm 83 war, but we can date that conflict by the Ezekiel 38-39 account of Gog and Magog. It will occur several years prior, and will actually set the stage for the Gog/Magog war.
The peace spoken of in the early parts of Ezekiel 38 will begin in the aftermath of the Psalm 83 war. At that time the terrorists will lay down their weapons, if they aren’t already dead, and will cooperate with Israel, and they all will prosper for several years.
Gog/Magog is not imminent. The Psalm 83 war is not imminent either, though we can see the Arabs working furiously to form that confederacy. Thus, it is my contention that once the Iranian nuclear threat is dealt with, that the next event on the prophetic calendar is the Psalm 83 war.
housetops 
“I realized that the subject is important enough that I need to pass on the essential truths to all of my readers.”
Two questions. First, are you asserting that your comments here sum up all, or even the majority, of the “essential truths” of the book of Joel?
Secondly, since the subject of the verses from Joel that you quoted is “the Day of the LORD”, could you share a quick summary of the when, what, and where of the Day of the LORD in your proposed chronology of the prophesied events of these last days ?
Thanks!
charlie
Hi Charlie,
If I didn’t say “all” then I didn’t mean all. I have never said that I know all essential truths. I do maintain, however, that Truth never contradicts the Truth! Therefore, though others may see things that I didn’t see, if what I saw was from God, then what they find will not contradict what I have found, but will add to it!
The second question is answered in the article, and in other articles on this blog, but In case I wasn’t clear;
1) Psalm 83, including the destruction of Damascus, Lebanon, Cairo, and other Arab cities.
2) A Time of peace, resulting from the Arab defeat, and perceived by some to be the Tribulation. This will be accompanied by a European leader many identify as “the Antichrist”. The pope will support this leader, and he will be identified as the “false prophet”. I believe both of these men will be involved in negotiating the peace deal between Israel and the Arabs.
This will be a peace that will stick, for a time, and I expect that this will be the time that Israel gives up her nuclear weapons. I expect they will promise Israel unconditional support if attacked, and this will be why the Russians nuke Rome. I don’t have a verse for this point, I just know that Satan always has his counterfeits. Therefore he must produce a counterfeit of the Harlot. Could the counterfeit be the USA? I doubt it. It is more likely Rome. Rome has the seven hills, after all, and a great false church. What better city to set-up for destruction?
At this time the real Antichrist will most likely be a minor official, or a figurehead. He may even be appointed by Israel, or the UN, to administer the Arab territories after their defeat in the Psalm 83 war.
3) This time of peace will end with the Gog and Magog war. I expect this war will begin with the destruction of Rome, the false Antichrist and the pope. With Rome out of the way the Russo/Iranian coalition will be able to concentrate on the destruction of Israel. What they will not take into account is that God will personally intervene on behalf of Israel.
The real Antichrist will be one of the voices who protests the Russo/Iranian invasion with “are you come to take a prey?” Eze. 38:13. He may even stand up publicly and pray for Israel’s deliverance, and thus take credit when the invading armies are massacred by the heavenly bombardment.
4) The rapture of the Church will take place shortly after the Gog/Magog war. This will be shortly after the Antichrist is unveiled, but before he has the power to do them any real harm. The rapture will be much smaller than many imagine. The majority of “Christians” will be left behind, and will deny that it was the rapture. I would expect it to take place around the time the peace negotiations are taking place, perhaps shortly before, or shortly after the Antichrist “confirms a covenant” for seven years.
5) The destruction of Rome will necessitate the relocation of the Catholic church. The new headquarters is most likely Babylon, or Al Hillah, on the plains of Shinar. Her sister city is one Amman Jordan, a city of seven jabals, or mountains. I would not be surprised if Amman is renamed Philadelphia by this time. It was her name at the time of Christ, and this fact will be used by the Antichrist to point to his city as being the Philadelphia of Revelation 3, and his church as the Philadelphian Christian church. It will be a time of great deception.
I am convinced that the majority of the world will believe themselves to be Christians, and they will persecute the true church, which will spring up shortly after the rapture. Technically they won’t be “the Church”, but believers of the Old Testament type. Saved by grace, but not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Church is a “limited time offer” by God! Its expiry date is drawing close!
Interestingly both Satan, the Antichrist and Jesus Christ hate the Harlot! This is the one thing they all have in common! Satan will use the false church to put his man on the world throne, but because they have some allegiance to a Jesus, they will have to be destroyed before the Antichrist claims to be the Son of God.
The problem with them is that their Jesus is not the Jesus of the bible, but another Jesus. A Jesus who does not have all the characteristics of the biblical Jesus, but depends on his church doing things for him. This is something that is commonly taught in false churches today, that they must create the “kingdom of God on earth, before Jesus can return”. Such a teaching is offensive to Jesus, who depends on no man, and so He will put it in the hearts of the worlds leaders to destroy the false church.
It will be around this time that the Antichrist will die and be raised from the dead. He will claim that his resurrection proves that he is the son of God, just as Christians have claimed for some 2,000 years. It will also be around this time that the 144,000 witnesses are raptured, which makes me think that they will be indwelt, just as the Church is.
After this all Hell breaks loose. I wouldn’t want to be her at that time.
That is the End Times timeline as I see it.
Dan