The Ohio Independent Baptist, March 1967

t Do Proph ts Sa y? (A tudy in Jo I) B G , Id V. Sr,, lso, I I'( 1 l,c~, is 1\l\i, \111l'l'l'i11g I i111e- 11cc • .111cl I, \l l is tl11..· 111i 1 1111,· !1(111(/ \ \ t l ,l t l i 111 e 1, i t i 1, t 11 c 111 l lg ra ll l () I , ,ct ·. \ ' \l ·J1 tile Jc,,' It tl1~ ll1l1ll" i, till' \\ \,1 ti \lf ( 1l''-I - a11ti it 1 - I \ '-''' tl1c·c 1" 1n it ,)111c clltt: 1<.l ,1 l',c11t li.l, l' ' c,11, \\ 1 h. t ,1 tc t1111()t1, , J'l('J'lhC"'\ .1g.11r1,t tl1c 1'c11t1 ,1nti l"lt..' 11111'-icl ,, h") ticn\ the ti,, inc 111- ~,1 attl'ltl llf tl1c \\ (,rti l)l (1Lti. It) the tl('CI c R1l1lc-l1elic, 1ng ( hr1 ·tian. it .... , the .. l.1111~1 tinto n1) feet. anc.l ,l light t111l, r11)' i1ath" f l)f Jtl t t1ch ,ln hour ,\, ,,e arc ,1ppr a hing. F r \\C re– ~" gn1zc th.1t \\ c arc going into the t ·c1clc>,,, ,, h1ch ~,re bt1t a harbinger ,t d,1r1'.cr thing to con1e. ..... \\ h~lt li_~l,t d the prophet thr v., .t~r "'' ot1r pathVva 1 ? It i ttr pttrp e in th1 olt1rnn to again place one of the prophet on the \.\ itne tand and a"~ h1n1. "\\ hat i your n1e age for h d •)" t t a\ . ~ Toda} ~e introdt1ce Joel. I \\ ould beg my reader to read arefull) the prophecy through and note the grandeur and olemnity of the e re, elation . Of all generation \\ e are the mo t privileged, living in the e 1gnificant times, tanding on the thre hold of the fulfillment of the e prediction . We behold in our da~ ho\\ e\'er 1 ·thing i haping for the great event with which thi pre - ent age will clo e. Coming event ca t their hadow before. There i a note of warning needed in connection \.\ ith the study of thi prophe ) e\ en a others. The n1ethod of interpretation which finds in the Chri tian Church the fulfillment of all Old Te tament prophecy concern– ing t\Ie iah' Kingdom: and in the de truct1on of Jeru alern, A. D. 70. the fulfillment of all prophecie con– cerning the day of Jehovah, ha robhed the Book of J oel of its proper, natural and unforced n1eaning. 1·he nan1e of our prophet is ver} ugge ti,•e for Joel mean "Jehovah i God.'~ urrounding condition in the d } of the prophet called for uch a te~ timonv a h1 name offered. ., The 2ro materiali m of the Je\.\ .... in our da\' demand the same te ti- ~ 111on). Th~ great \UbJect matter of his prophet i.... n1e age i therefore •"the MARCH, 1967 PAGE 14 Rev . Gerald V. Smelser <.la) of Jehc)val1," the clay in which Jcho" ah i ~ "(j ocl ," t h ,1 l i~, J ehova h \.\ ill he 111,lnifc te<l a5 God . A Great Need ( ' ha1)tcr one reveal th ,tl ,l great cata trophe h,1d overtaken the la11d of 1 rael. A plague of literal locusts had deva lated the land. We believe their de truction to be prophetically typical of what the Gentile nation have done and will do to thi land and people. The application i con– f irn1ed by 1:6, 15. An appeal i made to the aged to Vv arn the coming generation of thi tragedy and others to follow, al o to hear and heed God's mes age ( I :2, 3). \Vhat a pitiful plight in our day to ee elderly Jews so utterly abandon the prophet and forefeit their in- CLEVELAND HEBREW MISSION INC. Founded 1904 Witnessing to Jews in Cleveland, Ohio; · Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The larg est staff in th e history of the Mission augmente d by a radio mini stry a t home and abroad, and a ma iling ministry in the United States and abroad . Presenting Christ to our Lord's brethren by v isita t ion, Bible classes, correspond· e nce courses and literature. Staff members a re happy to visit chu rches in the sp irit of Acts 15 :4 to present the work of the Mission through inspirat ional reports and by colored slides. " Bre thre n , my (our) heart' s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Write for your free copy of " The Trumpe ter for Israe l" our qua rte rly mag· az ine d evoted to the work of Jewish evangeli sm. Gera ld V. Sme lse r, Supt. Cleve land He b rew Mission P. 0 . Box 18056 Cleve land, Ohio 44 118 1111 I ll cc l) \ 'I l h . l) ll I h I ll I c ""' I . I h fc)ur 11~tt11cs r)I tl1c lt'll;llsts (I : ) . ( I the I l ei , C\\ 11a111cs rer>r~sc n1 I u s I ages , l l ticv c It l lJ 111 c n I ll t t h c < l nc i r sl'cl) . ~11\! I ii ting ty fJCS l)l tl1c J u 11ll\.-\' L'l'ft1I nalillll S C,Lltl r>crn1itl ctl t c; nler t~1e lanll anti la y wa tc . lsrul 1s ( r <lc.ls vi ne anti (1,)tl" s fig lie (1:7). nc1\v t111r<><ltctl anti frtiillcs L .. at11l'11tati<>t1 is the <>rclcr lll the <..la in Jc\.\ 1 ry because c>f the clivi11c visitc1 tic1ns 111 juc.lg111c11t (1:8-12: Isa. 3:26 } ~rhc I'll tests ( ral,bi s) ,,re largel y re \[)t1n,1l1lc l ()r the l1lintlncss an1011 their pcc)plc . (,c.)cl <..lcn1anc.l\ their r~ J)Cnlancc ( 1: 13- 16). l 'hc He.lay of th l ..ord ' . will he the signal for Israel 11at1onal repentance, revival and re\ t or ,l l i o n ( I : I 5, I 9 a ) . Sound the Trumpets! In chapter two a great invadi n arn1y i<i de cribed under the f1gur of locu<;t . The cene of it future ful 1illment i "the tirne of J acob' troub le' ' which precede the gloriou 1nanife tation of the Lord. The bJo~ ing of "the trumpet in Zion' ' 1s th 0L1nding of the alarm (2: I) for tha Great Day. Figuratively peak1ni every mi ionary to the Jew houl be doing that now. We must soun the .. ilver trumpet' ' of the Go pe and hou ld blow "the brass trumpet warning of impending judgment. 1 ,,ivid de cription of the terrible arm ( 2: 2-11) reminds us that the who] earth i an armed camp and the Pale tine i viewed as a rich priz (2: 3b). The fig tree ( I rael) i b( ing made "tender" (Matthew 24: 32 for the Day of national repentanc and revival (2:12-27). The outpou1 ing of the Holy pirit upon believin I rael, aved Gentiles and even ere, lion await the fulfi llment of all othe condition relative to the ··n ay of th Lord' ' (2:28-32). It can in no sen be applied to Pentecost, or any othe period in the Church. Peter di not say that Pentecost was a fulf il n1ent of thi prophecy but that imilar work of the Holy Spirit wa in evidence (Act 2: 16). Joel kne, nothing of the ·church age' (Ephe~ ians 3: 2-6), but prophesied alon about I rael and the nations. Chapter three is the grand final, A day of terrible retribution a\\•ait anti- emitic nations ( 3: 1-8). Worl conflict i the order of the day wit the Je\,\, a the "under-dog," an thu the age hall draw to a clo~ (3:9-15). But out of the babel c ~ orld confusion God will resto1 peace and ord~r by His Mes ial King, the Lord Je ' Lt hri t (3: 16-2 P aln1 2; Malachi 4:2). THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIS