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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is at hand; |
Blow ye the trumpet – "Hearken to the sound of the (watchman's) trumpet." (Jer. 6:17) R309:1*
Still the trumpet is to sound until a company shall be developed who will be the virgins, her companions that follow her. (Psa. 45:14) R309:2*
Calling upon all to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. D241
In Zion – The nominal Kingdom of God. D241
Sound an alarm – Do not, as at the World's Congress of Religions, cry, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. (Jer. 6:14) D241
In my holy mountain – Christendom, professed kingdom of the Lord. D540; A318
Among the true Church of Christ. R309:1
Day of the LORD – The Day of Vengeance, the time of trouble. D11, D655
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| 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and gross darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; --a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, to the years of generations and generations. |
A day of darkness – Ignorance of the prophetic developments of that time. R264:4
The world will not know of the Lord's presence. R153:1, R264:4
A day of judgment upon mankind socially and nationally, a day of national recompenses; but not of individual judgment. D11
The day that shall "burn as an oven" (Mal. 4:1); wherein the rich men weep and howl for the miseries that come upon them (Jas. 5:1-6); which is "darkness and not light" (Amos 5:20); which the Lord refers to as "great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21, 22); and Daniel as "a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation." (Dan. 12:1) D11
The same "day" as in Zeph. 1:15, but not the same as in Zech. 14:6,7. D655
A day of clouds – Trouble. R264:5, R153:1; D11, D655
"Behold, he cometh with clouds." (Rev. 1:7) R153:3, R264:6
In the natural storm, lightning and thunder give evidence that atmospheric changes are taking place, that the vitiated and corrupt "air" is to be changed. We rejoice that it will be pure after the storm. R264:5
Thick darkness – The prince of darkness now works. R264:5, R153:2
When the Lord comes and makes trouble and darkness his pavilion, he takes his Bride, delivering her from the strong enemy of the fleshly nature into the perfection of the new divine nature. R265:1
As the morning – The Millennial morning. A9; E359
Upon the mountains – Kingdoms. A318
A great people – The Lord's "Great Army" of trained soldiers of Christendom in rebellion against the powers that be. D546, D543
Not been ever the like – So terrible and so general a revolution. D540
More terrible and more general than the Jewish overthrow of AD70 or the French Revolution, because man today is more dependent on every other member of the social structure than ever before. D540, D536
The battle of this Great Day of God Almighty will be the greatest revolution the world has ever seen because it will be one in which every principle of righteousness will be involved. D541
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| 3 A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as a garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness: yea, and nothing escapeth them. |
A fire – Destruction. A318
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| 4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so they run. |
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| 5 Like the noise of chariots, on the tops of the mountains, they leap; like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. |
Tops of mountains – Kingdoms. D543
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| 6 Before them the peoples are in anguish: all faces turn pale. |
Gather blackness – As a result of anarchy. R3107:6
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| 7 They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and break not their ranks. |
Not break their ranks – Describing, not an undisciplined mob, easily dealt with by war experts, but a mighty, highly-disciplined host. D544
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| 8 Neither doth one press upon another; they march every one in his path; and fall amid weapons, but are not wounded. |
Shall one thrust – Press. D543, D544
And when they fall – And they pass through. D544
Upon the sword – Between warlike weapons. D544
Not be wounded – Not change their purpose. D544
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| 9 They spread themselves over the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in by the windows like a thief. |
Run to and fro in – Hasten forward into lawlessness. D544; A324
Verses 9 to 16 and Isa. 13:1-11 are in striking harmony with the battle and winepress figures of Revelation. A324
Up upon the houses – Into the houses. D544
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| 10 The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. |
The earth – The present social order. D544
The heavens – The ecclesiastical powers. D544
The Lord's army is boldly arrayed against the conservative forces of Christendom, both civil and ecclesiastical, and hopes even to cope with its present strength. D545
Sun and the moon – The illuminating influences of the Gospel and the Mosaic Law. D544
Shall be dark – Infidelity having become widely prevalent. D544
And the stars – The apostolic lights. D544
Withdraw their shining – When the Gospel is obscured, and the sacrifices enjoined by the Law come to be esteemed as merely barbaric, then the apostles also cease to be recognized as lights. D593
The dark night will come wherein no man can labor. D544
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| 11 And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for strong is he that executeth his word: for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can bear it? |
Utter his voice – Using the hopes, fears, follies and selfishness of this great army, according to his divine wisdom, to work out his own grand purposes in the overthrow of present institutions and for the preparation of man for the Kingdom of righteousness. D550
Before his army – A great army of discontents--patriots, reformers, socialists, moralists, anarchists, ignorants and hopeless. D550
Not realizing that they have been used as the Lord's great army to overthrow oppression, to bring down the proud and to thresh mountains (kingdoms), they shall boast themselves of the victory of Liberalism. R622:3, R362:2; Q23:6; D547
The trained soldiers of Christendom, in rebellion against the authorities. D549
Now in preparation by the transfer of the loyalty of the soldiers from the crown to the people. D559-D561
The living saints, and many of the world, are now being used as the Lord's soldiers in overthrowing errors and evils. B101
His "regular army" are few--a "Little Flock"; but there is an immense army of "irregulars" in every kind of uniform--Communists, Infidels, Socialists, Anarchists and Nihilists. R817:3
Is very great – And could not, therefore, be the "Little Flock." D543
Executeth his word – The beast, or Roman empire, in its horns or divisions, still exists, and will be slain by the rising of the masses of the people and the overthrow of governments preparatory to the recognition of the heavenly rulership. A259
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| 12 Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; |
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| 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. |
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| 14 Who knoweth? He might return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, an oblation and a drink-offering for Jehovah your God? |
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| 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, hallow a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; |
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| 16 gather the people, hallow the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her closet. |
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| 17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people, and give not thine inheritance to reproach, that they should be a byword of the nations. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? |
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| 18 Then Jehovah will be jealous for his land, and will have pity on his people. |
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| 19 And Jehovah will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I send you corn, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. |
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| 20 And I will remove far off from you him that cometh from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things. |
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| 21 --Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for Jehovah doeth great things. |
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| 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; for the tree beareth its fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield full increase. |
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| 23 And ye, children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the early rain in due measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the early rain, and the latter rain at the beginning of the season2. |
For you the rain – Truth. B256
Rain has come in abundance in the last few years. Palestine again blossoms. 10,000 olive trees have been planted in Samaria. HG649:2
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| 24 And the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. |
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| 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. |
Caterpillar – Figuratively represents God's army. R5527:1
Great army – The saints will not be in that army at all. R5527:1, R362:3
Of discontented, along the lines of Socialism, claiming that it is God's remedy. Eventually it will go into anarchy. Q23:7
Anarchists may be part of God's great army, in that he will supervise their campaign. R5527:1
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| 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of Jehovah your God, who hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. |
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| 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, Jehovah, am your God, and there is none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. |
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| 28 And it shall come to pass afterwards 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. |
To pass afterward – Verses 28 and 29 need to be transposed to see the two outpourings clearly; probably reversed to obscure the matter until the proper time. E164, E219; R376:5, R852:2, R1411:5, R2504:5, R2930:2
After the days mentioned in the next verse. E219; R636:6, R5317:6, R226:6, R2930:2; CR216:6
After the completion of the selection of the Church, the Christ. R4497:6, R3361:2
Will be fulfilled under the ministration of the Millennial Kingdom. R4467:3
As a work of the Times of Restitution. R636:6
After "we have received the spirit of adoption." (Rom. 8:15) E163
After the Day of Vengeance has humbled the arrogance of men. D518, D653
After the days when the new dispensation shall have been fully ushered in, when the New covenant shall become operative in the world, when Messiah shall take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them all a heart of flesh. HG274:3
After the world has witnessed the Lord's peculiar blessings on Israel in the Millennial dawn. D639
When the High Priest finishes the sacrifice he will "pour out his spirit upon all flesh"; just as, at the completion of the first sacrifice, he "poured out his spirit on his servants and handmaidens" at Pentecost. R4340:5
During the Gospel age none can receive God's spirit except by consecration; while, in the next age, the carnal mind, being removed, the acquirement of the mind of the spirit will be without difficulty. R636:6
Pour out my spirit – To put a new spirit within them, as it was in Adam before sin entered. R111:1, R1412:3; CR399:3
The general baptism of the spirit. E217
It is the same spirit in both outpourings, received in the same way, from the same source, through the same channel; but its seal and witness are very different to the two groups. R1411:6; E220
To them also, a spirit of begetting, begetting again as human sons. R1412:3
A second Pentecostal blessing. PD73/87
Then, as now, it will be the spirit of truth; the recipient must first come to a knowledge of at least the first principles of the truth and be consecrated to God's service. R1411:6
The spirit of the truth. With truth will go its spirit, its influence, its power to correct the heart and life and to bring it into accord with God. R2504:6
Through the truth and the divine judgments of that time. In proportion as they receive his spirit they will come into the attitude of sonship. R5583:5
A sign of relationship to God, then as human sons, not as "new" or spiritual, ones. R376:4, R5452:4
Not signifying as during this age, a begetting to a spirit nature; but simply that the recipient has come into harmony with Christ, the Mediator--not a change of nature, but a restitution to that which had been lost. E220, E221
In proportion as men shall come into full harmony with that holy Spirit will any of them become eligible to the eternal conditions of life and joy beyond the Millennial age. E165
As they receive of his spirit they will be coming back to soundness of mind. CR399:3
The miracle that will cause the knowledge of the Lord to cover the whole earth as the waters cover the mighty deep. (Isa. 11:9) ; HG432:3; HG443:4
"The Autumn rain brings them blessings." (Psa. 84:6) D653
The Ancient Worthies must receive it in the future. R5074:4
"And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come." (Rev. 22:17) E165
Upon all flesh – All that Joel here prophesied was not fulfilled at Pentecost, but what they saw was all foretold by Joel, and more too. R1411:6
All the families of the earth shall be blessed. R4666:6, R5317:6; T88
No longer only on the few special servants. E239
Upon the whole world of mankind. R5317:6, R1411:6, R5452:4; T88
All reconciled to God under the New covenant. R2070:4
All the willing and obedient. R5066:6
That they may come back into sonship. R5452:4
After the overcoming Church has been glorified. R2504:5
Israel's blessing implies the blessing of all nations; the seed of Abraham being first. OV118:1
Pictured by the increase of the widow's pot of oil until every available vessel was filled. (2 Kings 4:1-7) R558:4
Enlightening them, helping them overcome inherited tendencies, and restoring them to perfection. E218
It will be necessary for them, as now for those who would profit thereby, to consecrate themselves to God, and eat the truth. E218; R5583:5
By no means insuring the same results to them as to the Little Flock of the Gospel age; no longer pointing to sacrifice, but to the laying hold of earthly rights and privileges more freely. R852:4
The spiritual mind is to be restored to all flesh during the Millennial age. R636:6
Then, indeed, all will understand and appreciate the promises now being grasped by the "Little Flock." A86
Including the Ancient Worthies, to fix, establish and crystallize their already perfect characters. R5074:4
Your sons – In the receiving of these earthly sons, Israel will be the first. God will pour upon them "the spirit of grace and of supplication." (Zech. 12:10) R376:5, R2504:5; OV118:1
Your daughters – We have examples of women prophesying: Anna (Luke 2:36-38); Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8,9); Miriam (Micah 6:1-4); Huldah (2 Chron. 34:21-28) and Deborah (Jud. 4:4-24). R1549:3
Shall prophesy – Teach, or declare. R226:6, R227:4, R376:5
Teach--not a teaching in the church or of the church, but a teaching of the world by the world, under the supervision of the glorified Christ. R4467:3
Your old men – Ancient men--the prophets. R4467:4
Dream dreams – The things they hoped, dimly understood, and greatly longed for. R4467:4
Shall see visions – They will see that of which their Ancients prophesied. PD73/87; HG274:3
Shall see the glorious visions (of restitution blessings, etc. in process of fulfillment) of which your ancient men dreamed. R4467:4, R227:4
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| 29 Yea, even upon the bondmen and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. |
Servants and ... handmaids – The Church during this Gospel age, begotten to sonship, "New Creatures in Christ." R5452:4, R636:6, R2504:5, R4666:6
Slaves--those bound to the Lord by a covenant. R226:6
The holy Spirit is to be poured upon these only during the Gospel age. R4497:6, R5537:2, R5066:6; CR216:6
All of the "gifts of the spirit," during the Gospel age, shall be poured out upon God's servants and handmaids, preparing the way for the spirit to be poured on "all flesh" during the next age. R103:6
Regardless of age, sex or national distinction. R4467:3
In those days – During the Gospel age. D639; R2930:3, R226:6
The two ages and their blessings are distinguished by the expressions "in those days," signifying the Gospel age, and "after those days," signifying the Millennial age. R4467:3
Pour out my spirit – This blessing began at Pentecost, and will close with the anointing of the last member of the Body of Christ. R4467:3, R226:6, R4340:5, R5317:6, R376:5; SM753:T
There have been counterfeits of the holy Spirit in the past, and also in modern religious revivals. D565
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| 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. |
I will shew wonders – The day of trouble preceding the Millennial day of blessing. R1411:6
Prefigured by the wonderful manifestation at the establishment of the Law covenant at Mt. Sinai which caused Moses and all the Israelites to fear and quake. (Heb. 12:26-28) HG399:2
In the heavens – Powers of spiritual control. A318
In the earth – Society. A318
Fire – The burning of cities and villages is surely a fire in the earth. SM317:T
Pillars of smoke – Are rising from battlefields, burning villages and funeral pyres. SM317:T
May refer to social upheaval, political and financial troubles; also some great physical manifestation of divine power in the time of trouble. R5318:1
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| 31 The sun shall be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come. |
The sun – Symbolically, the true Gospel light, the truth; and thus, Christ Jesus. D590; R5917:T
Into darkness – Literally, in the dark day of May 19, 1780, which extended over 320,000 square miles. D587
Symbolically, by denial that we were bought with the precious blood, and by substituting the theory of Evolution. D592
Obscured by the thick clouds of worldly wisdom. R5917:4
And the moon – Symbolically, the light of the Mosaic Law. R5917:4; D590
The darkening of the Gospel sunlight results in the darkening of the moonlight. D593
Into blood – By claims that the typical sacrifices were "bloody" and barbaric. D592
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| 32 And it shall be that whosoever shall call upon the name of Jehovah shall be saved: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as Jehovah hath said, and for the residue whom Jehovah shall call. |
Shall come to pass – During the Millennium. R5317:6
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