Joel 2:25

[pawnraider]

I am currently reading a book written by a somewhat well known minister in which he refers to Joel 2:25 and by it he means that the Lord can restore that, for whatever reason, was lost or may not have been attained in the first place. In other words the Lord will provide. Is this how you understand this verse? The commentary that I have is not all that clear. What do you say? The verse in question is given below:

Joel 2:25 reads, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.”

Just so that there are no misunderstandings the author doesn’t use the whole book to expound on this verse nor was he a “Word of Faith” or prosperity preacher. His theology was Reformed.

 

[childofdust]

Joel 2:25 . . . means that the Lord can restore that, for whatever reason, was lost

First of all, you need to establish context. This is a prophetic text written to--literally speaking to--the Israelite people concerning a plague of locusts that destroyed their land. We know this from the text itself.

So it is not "whatever was lost" - what was lost is their ability to feed themselves. Their ability to sustain their own lives through the produce of the land. The restoration that is coming is a reversal of that. Instead, they will have an abundance of "grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied" (2:19 NRSV) as opposed to lacking grain, wine, or oil, and starving.

Second, we need to understand what is causing all this blight upon their land and food, what is "shaming" the "people of Israel" in the eyes of other nations. This has happened not "for whatever reason." This has happened because it was brought upon them by God:"I will no more make you a mockery among the nations." (2:19 NRSV)

God has done this to the land and people of Israel. Yet just as he brought this destruction upon them, so he is bringing restoration. And when he does so, they will know that their god is in their midst "and there is no other."

 

[juvenissun]

I am currently reading a book written by a somewhat well known minister in which he refers to Joel 2:25 and by it he means that the Lord can restore that, for whatever reason, was lost or may not have been attained in the first place. In other words the Lord will provide. Is this how you understand this verse? The commentary that I have is not all that clear. What do you say? The verse in question is given below:

Joel 2:25 reads, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.”

Just so that there are no misunderstandings the author doesn’t use the whole book to expound on this verse nor was he a “Word of Faith” or prosperity preacher. His theology was Reformed.

I do not see your question. What is your concern about this verse or this chapter?
God punishes; God restores. What is the problem?

 

[hedrick]

My comment is similar to childofdust. There's a context to this verse. It's speaking of restoration of Israel after a punishment from God. Almost all the prophets announce some kind of judgement, usually threatening that a foreign power will defeat Israel, but after that defeat they promise a restoration. So these passages are really about God's plans both to chastise and restore Israel as a people.

That means they aren't really about individuals. On the other hand, God does work with individuals, and will bring good out of evil for us. But I wouldn't try to apply individual verses like this directly to yourself. In Romans Paul looks at God's overall plan for Israel, and how Christians fit into it. As promised by the Prophets, God was committed to restoring Israel, and in some of the prophets that vision was extended so see Israel as itself the vehicle to restore "the Nations." Jesus saw the Kingdom he established as the fulfillment of these promises. We are called to be part of it. Our individual salvation is only a part, though an important part, of God's plan to redeem the whole world.

 

[pawnraider]

Wouldn't 1 Cor. 10:11 put Joel 2:25 into "context" as well?

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Cor. 1:11.

 

[jacobs well]

This prophecy is basically for the end time when Jesus Christ returns, not for the people of Joel as much.
In addition to the expression " day of the Lord " verse 1, verse 2 strongly indicates a great time of distress as never seen before (Matt 24:21)
The invading army of Revelation is mentioned in chapter 2 of Joel and is represented as a huge swarm of locusts.

although there is a call to repentance for his people in his time frame the strongest evidence that the majority of this prophecy is for the end time age is in verses 28, 29 which describes the outpouring of God's holy spirit which is a New Testament church initial fulfillment and a greater fulfillment at the time of heavenly signs and His future return.

in any case, Joel's message is a serious warning of " doom and gloom ' yet it reveals the great love and mercy of God to those who heed the warnings.

That's the way I see it anyway.

 

[Bobinator]

The book of Joel is about the end times. We know this because it refers to the Day of the Lord.

There will be great famine during the tribulations, which many believe is right at our doorstep. This is spoken of specifically in Revelations 6:6 where a measure of wheat will be sold for a penny. The word "penny" actually refers to a whole days wages, according to my Bible's footnotes.

After the tribulations, when Jesus returns, God will restore what was destroyed.

 

[Mark51]

It suggest to me that Joel 2:25 is a symbolic prophecy speaking of the nations weakened spirituality; and that according to Peter, was starting to being fulfilled at Pentecost. See Acts 2. In this account, Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32.

In many scriptures Jesus an other writers used symbolisms such as fields, cultivation, fruitage, branches and so forth.-John 15:1-8. I other words the people were spiritually malnourished as if “…the creeping, unwinged locust, and the cockroach and the caterpillar have eaten…” their spirituality.

 

[Job8]

Joel 2:25 reads, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.”

There's absolutely no reason why this cannot have a personal application, although the primary application is to Israel. There is a spiritual principle embedded in this verse.

 

[Mark51]

I think the account at Joel 2:25 was about a prophecy to take place in the first century C. E. Peter referred to Joel writing in Acts 2; and, the reference to insect was symbolic to the Roman army that destroyed Jerusalem in 70 C. E..