We have been studying the final battle that will take place on earth. After the final battle has taken place and the Lord has judged the wicked deeds of those who have made themselves His enemy and the enemy of His people, the Lord will set up His eternal kingdom on earth and will reign from Jerusalem. "Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, My holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her." (Joel 3:17) Never again will the people of Israel be surrounded by enemy armies. Never again will they hear the battle cry and the approaching thunder of horses' hooves. Never again will they be invaded, conquered, or taken captive to other nations.
The reference to "foreigners" doesn't mean there won't be Gentiles in the eternal kingdom of the Lord, for the Lord makes His salvation invitation to the people of every nation in the world. Gentiles who have accepted the Lord as their Savior will be a part of this eternal kingdom. The reference to "foreigners" means foreigners to the family of God. It's a reference to anyone who is an enemy of the Lord and an enemy of His people Israel. No one who hates the Lord and who hates the Lord's followers will be a part of that glorious kingdom. But people from all over the world, who have trusted in His holy name, will share in the blessings of Israel. The Apostle John foresaw the Lord's eternal kingdom and said that the nations of the world would walk by the light of the Lord and that ambassadors from every nation would bring gifts to the Lord in His capital city of Jerusalem. (See Revelation 21:22-27 for this segment of John's prophecy.) We have already learned throughout our study of the Old Testament that when the writers use the term "the nations" they are talking about Gentiles.
The next part of Joel's prophecy involves the pouring out of an abundance of blessings. We need to keep in mind that whenever the Bible uses the expression "in that day" in a future sense, it is usually talking about events that will take place in the end times or else it is talking about the eternal kingdom of the Lord. In today's text the eternal kingdom is what's in view here. "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias." (Joel 3:18)
The imagery used in verse 18 can be symbolic or literal or both. Flowing milk and running water are often used to symbolize the blessings of the Lord. But they are used literally too, because when the Lord promised the Israelites to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, He meant not only that He would bless them spiritually but also that He would fulfill their material needs. I believe Joel is talking about every type of blessing a person could ever want or need: spiritual blessings, material blessings, emotional blessings, and mental blessings. There will be plenty of every good thing for every child of God. None of the land of Israel will be unfruitful; the Lord will make an Eden atmosphere even in the place known as the Valley of Acacias (also called the "Valley of Shittim" in the Bible, which was a dry and barren land where some of the Israelites' ancestors sinned with idolatrous Moabite women in Numbers 25). The Lord will cover that place of sin with bountiful waters to make the crops grow. The sins of the past will be remembered no more, thanks to His love and mercy!
Other portions of the Scriptures speak of flowing water in this manner. The prophet Ezekiel foresaw waters flowing outward from the temple in Jerusalem in Ezekiel 47. The prophet Zechariah had a vision of water flowing from the temple in Jerusalem in Zechariah 14. The Apostle John was given a vision of water flowing from the temple in Jerusalem in Revelation 22. In each of these prophecies the men were given a glimpse into a perfect and eternal kingdom over which the Lord reigned. I believe what they saw was the same thing Joel saw.
Those who love the Lord can expect a "life more abundant", to quote the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 10:10) But those who reject the Lord and who persecute His children can expect only barren lives. "But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood." (Joel 3:19) I cannot be certain whether or not the Lord uses the names of Egypt and Edom symbolically here. The word "Egypt" is often used in the Scriptures as a symbol of idolatry and rebellion. Edom was also an idolatrous nation and later, in the book of Isaiah, we will see the word "Edom" used to represent idolatrous nations who hate the nation of Israel, for in addition to being nations that symbolized idolatry, both Egypt and Edom were historic enemies of Israel and Judah. So the Lord may be using their names as a way of saying that everyone who ever has or ever will reject Him, and that everyone who ever has or ever will persecute those who have placed their trust in Him, will be left out of the abundant blessings He intends to pour out on those who love Him. Those who have made themselves His enemy and the enemy of His people will have no share in the eternal kingdom of the Lord.
The book of Joel concludes with the Lord promising never to allow any nation to wipe the Israelites from the earth and He promises to judge every nation that has ever attempted to do so. "Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem throughout all generations. Shall I leave their innocent blood avenged? No, I will not. The Lord dwells in Zion!" (Joel 3:20-21) The Lord, who lives from everlasting to everlasting, will keep His word. He will protect and preserve those who belong to Him. He will avenge those who belong to Him. He will forever reign over, shine upon, and pour out blessings upon those who belong to Him.
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