Blind Joy

“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.” (Joe 2:21 AV)

Note here the difference of tenses of the verbs.  The land is told to rejoice in the present tense because of what God will do in the future tense.  The traditional position of the Hebrews is that Joel prophesied in the reign of Manasseh.  He was the king who nailed the final nail in the coffin of Judah because of his disobedience.  The prophesy of Joel is God’s judgment upon the heathen nations for their persecution of Israel and Judah.  Primarily the end of the tribulation period when the nations of the world meet the LORD in the valley of Megiddo (Decision) and are stricken from the world.  This prophecy is given prior to the hardships which Israel and Judah shall suffer, instructing them to rejoice for the promises of the future in spite of the circumstances of the present.

It is difficult to rejoice for relief that you may never experience.  This is for what Israel is told to rejoice.  The generation that heard this prophecy would be the generation that entered Babylon and die there.  They would never see the great things God would do for the land.  They would never see the restoration of the temple.  None of the Hebrews who read this book would see the coming of the Messiah.  They would die in trouble with a hope yet unfulfilled.  Yet, the LORD told them to rejoice.  And rejoice they should.

We, if we are not careful, can do the same.  We can see the trouble into which we are born (as Job said) and lose sight of the blessed hope which has been promised.  We probably will not see it in our lifetime.  Even though we pray for the rapture, so too has every generation done so since the LORD ascended.  Statistically speaking, we probably will not see it in our lifetime.  Yes, current events point to the probability it may happen soon.  But if our predictions are off, like every other generation, it could be another millennia.  We are still told to rejoice.  Not for our sake.  Not that we would see sweet relief in our lifetime.  Rather, than the LORD might finally be vindicated in the presence of all creation. That is for what we should rejoice!