I have always been interested in verses that speak of the time just before the return of the Lord. There are 2 chapters in the old testament that come to mind, that specifically speak of the time before the Lords return. Joel chapter 2 and Malachi chapter 4 both speak of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, which is obviously the Second Coming and what happens before this event. When Jesus came the first time, He came as a Lamb for the slaughter to die for the sins of the world, but when He comes the second time, it will be as a mighty King to judge the living and the dead. This would be speaking of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
These are the 2 verses that speak about the time before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.” Joel 2:31-32
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6
In both these chapters it speaks of something great happening on a spiritual level before Christ’s Return. In Joel it speaks of God raising up an Army - His Army destroying His enemies and also the pouring out of His Spirit on all flesh. In Malachi, it speaks of His fire coming upon His enemies, along with healings and miracles.
We need to remember that there is a lot of prophetic language being used in these verses. The big one to consider is that when it speaks of His enemies being destroyed it is not to do with flesh and blood (people) but spiritual forces and the mischief they have created.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12
Jesus speaks of demonic forces as insects and vermin that are small in comparison to us in this verse.
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:19
To give you another example of prophetic language, and how you can’t always be taken literally, I’d like to show this verse.
“All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.”
Most of us would think that this verse is taken out of the Book of Revelation, and that it will literally happen. But its not so, for this is from Isaiah 34:4-5 and speaks of judgement coming on the Edomites, Israel’s enemy. The heavenlies spoken of here are the spiritual forces that empowered Edom being brought down. The Edomite nation fell, as the spiritual rulers over them were destroyed. Daniel chapter 10:10-14 also makes this principle clearer.
In the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905 there was a time when God sovereignly brought down the spiritual forces over Wales allowing the people to see the light and the nation turned to God in their thousands. This nuclear explosion in the spirit effected the world.
I believe that there will be a great revival before the Lord’s return, and I see it explained in both these chapters of Joel and Malachi. God is going to shake the spiritual heavens and earth causing longstanding strongholds to come down, and He will accomplish this by using an obedient Spirit filled people.
In Joel chapter 2 we have an Army of God’s people bringing about destruction upon His enemies before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. If you don’t understand prophetic language these verses will all seem very confusing. It says that there has never been anything like this event before, and there never shall be again. This is the Lord’s Army. I believe it’s a people who really know who they are in Christ. I can see how the Lord has been grooming a people for this event over the years. He has been giving those who are listening more and more revelation that will enable them to be part of this army.
“For the day of the Lord is coming,” Joel 2:1
“A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.” Joel 2:2-3
I couldn’t get my head around this being the Lord’s Army at first, especially if they are destroying everything in their path, but when symbolism is applied it all begins to make sense. This could be speaking of a people who are being used by God to destroy the enemy’s strongholds, and bringing down spiritual forces like never before. A fire went before them and burned up all their enemies.
When you look at Genesis 13:10 you read of the plains of Sodom before God destroyed it with fire from heaven and it too was like the Garden of Eden.
“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.”
This people are on fire for Jesus burning up the enemies of the Lord. They are like God’s Elijah calling down fire from Heaven. Not on people but the long standing strongholds of the enemy. They are ministers of flaming fire who are doing the works that Jesus did and even greater works because they know their position in Christ, in God. They know that they are seated in heavenly places with Christ.
The next part is harder to understand but could be showing us the period in which all this is taking place. “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots over mountaintops they leap, like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.” Joel 2:4-5
It says that they are ‘like’ Horsemen and not that they are riding on horses. Could this be speaking of the forms of transport that we have today. We travel about swiftly and make a lot of noise, our engines roaring.
With prophetic language ‘mountains’ can speak of governments, strongholds and nations.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Isaiah 2:1
Joel 2:6-9 speaks of the anguish brought upon the enemies of the Lord. God’s Army is synchronized and under the control of the Holy Spirit. They are a surrendered people, all on the same hymn sheet. This Army enters into houses and takes the enemy captive. God’s army has power over the enemy.
“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” Matthew 12:28-28
The next verses tie up with Malachi 3 and 4 and also with Haggai 2.
“The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. The Lord gives voice before His Army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?” Joel 2:10-11
We see here the heavens and earth trembling and also the stars being affected, which are also spoken of in Haggai 2 before the return of the Lord, the Desire of Nations. This Army helps to bring about a time when the enemies’ long-standing strongholds are brought down before the Lord’s Return.
Malachi chapter 4 also speaks of a day that burns as an oven when the ‘enemies’ of the Lord are brought down and they become like ashes beneath our feet. Our enemies are not people but the forces of darkness. Our enemies are sickness, disease, poverty, lack, unbelief, and fear for example. It also speaks of the coming Elijah, which would be a prophetic picture of a powerful miracle working church. It also speaks of the Lord bringing a day of healings as well. It says that there will be a day when the sun arises with healing in its rays (wings). This would be the day when an Army of God’s People, who are on fire, ushering in Revival. Ministers of Flaming Fire.
“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 4:1-3
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6
I don’t think we have much time left before the Lord’s return and that many of the End Time teachings today are false, red herrings that have many in the Church facing in the wrong direction. I don’t want to be like the 5 unwise virgins in Matthew 25 who procrastinated and missed out on a full reward.
God is looking for those who will be Pparticipators and not just Spectators. So many of God children today are just Couch Potatoes. We are a people who have so much yet are so distracted by the trinkets of this world that are blinding us to our great calling in God. The Devil is disengaging us from our true identity which is wrapped up in the glorified Christ. We are not filling our minds with heavenly realities but are being distracted by the natural realm. So many Christians are choosing the mess of pottage like Esau did instead of the first-born blessing that is their rightful inheritance. They chose a short term gratification instead of enduring for their full reward. Church its time to wake up before its too late.