Don’t Take Things So Literal
First, this will probably be shorter than normal. I’m vacationing in San Diego, listing to the crashing of waves on a bright sunny morning.
The Book of Joel contains many of the prophecies surrounding the Second Coming of the Lord and describes events prior to and after it. The language is purposefully terrifying and comforting at the same time. These types of events however are not unique to our time. There have always been wars, pestilence, and destruction by natural events that have darkened the sun and made the moon appear as blood. If we were to take these signs literally we could argue that the Second Coming should have happened already.
The events of the parousiamania (word of the day) can’t be local phenomenons but world-wide in scope. “…and all flesh shall see it together”. I do not believe that any cataclysmic event would block out the sun for the entire globe and not wipe out all life as we know it. So how can we interpret the prophecies in a way that expand to all humanity?
Here are some of my ideas.
Wickedness is built on lies. People who live lives based on false premises and worship gods of wood and stone are those who should heed the warnings in the prophecies. Those who are ideologically possessed, are motivated by greed, pursue hedonic pleasure, are narcissistic or nihilistic are those who will be consumed by the fire.
So what is the all-consuming fire that will leave the wicked world desolate? The answer is the word of the Lord, or in short, truth! We have had access to the word of God for eons so why hasn’t it consumed wickedness already? There are two reasons:
- The word of the Lord has been controlled and manipulated by false priests and churches, oppressive governments, and the lack of communicative technologies.
- The ability of evil to move in deep shadows that originated at the time Cain slew Abel. These secret combinations use powerful oaths that mimic true covenant-making.
Jerusalem and Zion are repeatedly mentioned in these passages. While Jerusalem is a physical place, it is also a metaphor for the city of God, a connection between Heaven and earth, a place of peace, and some others. Zion is a metaphor for a united and pure people, having one heart and mind. Mount Zion is a phrase the describes a place from which the word of the Lord is disseminated; which is the temple.
I believe that we are quickly coming to a time when wickedness will be exposed. Those who have gained power through lies, deception, oppression, and manipulation will become victims of the traps they set to control others. They will become so comfortable and confident that they will will speak lies and tell us they are lies, thinking that evil is a majority opinion.
The great and dreadful day of the Lord is when the great lie is exposed. Truth will be undeniable and those who have lived that lie will wish for the mountains to cover them and the righteous will be lifted to the heavens. The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
In this case, the prophecies of the Second Coming are far more devastating and wonderful if they are not taken literally. If your life is built on a lie, the consuming fire of truth will expose you, leaving you naked for all to see, and you will have nowhere to hide. If you live in truth, you will stand, clothed in the glory of God.
The armies mentioned in Joel are those who are willing and unrelenting in their quest to speak the word of God and fill the earth with His knowledge. You can take that part literally.