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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Joel – Prophet of the Day of the Lord (4 of 4)
Focus Text: Joel 2.28-32
Joel’s amazing view of Pentecost (see the focus text) was one which could only have had its origin in heaven! No Jew would have willingly spoken of the day the Gentiles would be redeemed, nor would Jewish readers generally appreciated hearing such a message. From that perspective, it is an amazing thing that the message was ever delivered and also that it survived the cultural environment in which it was delivered and preserved. The Jews certainly did not relish the idea of preserving a book which condemned their actions nor would they have ordinarily guarded a work which spoke of Gentiles on an equal spiritual basis with themselves.
Take from these observations two things: 1) Joel’s message was of Divine origin, and 2) Others believed it was of Divine origin otherwise it would not have survived. Implicit in all of this is Joel’s God-given ability to confirm the messages he delivered. When we think of biblical prophets we must not forget the element of the miraculous – both in the delivery of the message and in the confirmation of the message. The miraculous was obviously a huge part of the day of the Lord predicted by Joel in 2.28-32. There was the miracle involved in the revelation to Joel, the miracle involved in revealing its inspired interpretation to Peter, and the miraculous that attended the apostle’s actions on Pentecost (the sound, the sight, and speaking in tongues; see Acts 2.1-12).
Like other prophets before and after him, Joel possessed the ability to perform signs and wonders as confirmation of his message. God equipped men who delivered His revealed word with the tools they needed to ensure that their hearers had adequate evidence to draw informed conclusions and that included the ability to know that the prophet to whom they were listening was in fact a prophet of the Lord God. When we think of the profiles of the prophets, we must not lose sight of their ability to confirm their word through the miraculous – whether such is explicitly stated or not.
The Hebrews writer said it as follows: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” (Hebrews 1.1). “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2.1-4). The prophets spoke by God’s power. God bore them witness (i.e. testified on their behalf) by signs, wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Joel, courageous and focused as he was, would not have been able to have delivered God’s word without miracles; miracles in revelation and miracles in confirmation. When we judge so called prophets today they ought to pass the same tests to which biblical prophets were subjected.
Questions:
1. What miracles were involved in Peter’s declaration concerning the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy?
2. Would Joel’s book have survived had it not been inspired? Why or why not?
3. How did God bear witness to the prophets?
4. How could one know whether or not a prophet is of God? Why is confirmation of the word of God not needed today?
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