Blow the Trumpet
For all you old timers in the charismatic movement this will be a wonderful throwback to days of youth, when church services got a little crazy! I recently had the opportunity to review chapter two of the prophetic book of Joel in the Old Testament. The chapter starts with “Blow the trumpet in zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill.” My mind immediately went back to my high school years. Back to a song that we sang at church and Christian conferences. I can still see the televangelists singing it. The song was a song of praise - a victory march.
Blow the trumpet in zion, zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain. Blow the trumpet in zion, zion, sound the alarm.
The day of the Lord is a terrible day. Nothing can stand before the Army of God.
We sang celebratorily about the army of God “rushing on the city and running on the wall.” It was all clapping and dancing. But as I read chapter two of the book of Joel today, my God. This book, and particularly that chapter is horrifying. Chapter 1 of Joel focuses on an invasion of locusts, an invasion that is unlike anything that has never been seen “in your day or in the days of your ancestors.” Joel is writing to the elders and the people of Israel and he is warning them to “wake up!” The second half of chapter one is a call to lament. “Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you ministers before the altar.”
Then chapter two starts out with a declaration to “sound an alarm”, which we charismatics turned into a church party. What are we thinking? What is described in chapter two of Joel is the day of the Lord. It is coming. While we who are saved may look to this day as one of victory, when evil is vanquished and our eternal King rules here on earth, yet it is a terrible day. A day of absolute destruction. Nothing can stand against the army of God as it lays waste to everything. Joel describes it like this, “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of eden, behind them, a desert waste - nothing escapes them.” It is a terrible day.
Through Joel’s prophetic word God admonishes the people to “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments.” Joel’s prophecy was a warning of a day that is to come and it will be unlike any other. Why must this day come? Why would God cause such a terrible thing to happen? It is not God’s fault. Like anyone who creates something worth adoring, God has no interest in causing destruction to His creation. But humanity’s sins, our rebellion toward God, must be dealt with. It must be eradicated, hence the terrible day of the Lord.
But now is the time! The book of Joel tells us to sound the alarm so that we might be warned of the impending day. So that we may turn from our wicked ways. Repent for our God is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” Do not ignore the alarm sounded in Joel’s prophetic writing. The day of the Lord is coming.