The Pulpit Commentary — Joel — Section 32

eocinl distinction, for there is neither bond a. liteml or figurative aenae, were symbolical nor fl'(>P; without sexual distinction, for of gree.t revolutionary oba.ngea. 'fhe e:a:- there is neither me.le nor feme.le; without preSBions themselvee refteot the m\rncles of ccrernonie.l distinction, for there is neither Egypt. Of the wonders on earth whioh the ci!'<'lllll<'ision nor unrircumcision; without prophet first mentions, the blood brings to inkl1Pd11R] or educe.tiono.1 distinction, for mind the chnnging of the Nile-water into tit<' hRrhe.riRn e.nd even the Scythie.n, the blood; the fire reminds us of the fire tho.t lowest type of bo.rbo.rie.n, o.re free to she.re ro.n along upon the ground, mingled with tlw blessing. The f1ef!am before the "eer- the hail; while the smoke carries b0,0k our \'R11ts" nod "he.ndme.ide," rendered in the thoughts to the wonderful events of the citation by Peter, not e.e in the LXX. by e. wilderness o.nd of the eooa.mpment at Sinai, "imple 1<al. but by ,real .,,,, and in the Autho- when, a.s Jehovah descended upon tho rized Version "and e.lso,'' is e.n empho.tic ad- mount, " Mount Sinai wo.s altogether ou a dition to the previous enumeration, equiva- smoke, because the Lord descended upon it lent to "nay more" e.nd implying something in fire : o.nd the smoke thereof ascended as extraordinary and unexpected, tho.t not only the smoke of a furnace." the weaker sex, but. the meanest of both Ver. 31.-The BUD. shall .be tnrn11d into sexrs, were to po.rticipate in the Lleesing. da.rlme11, e.nd the moon into blood, before "Not a single case," BBys Keil," occurs in the great and terrible day of the Lord oome. the whole of the Old Testament of a slave These wonders in the heavens follow the receivin_g the gift of prophecy." The mode wonders on earth, and these obscurO:tions in which spiritual communication ie (l) of the heo.venly bodies-the darkening of according to some is the.t of visions to the the sun and the dull blood-like appearanca· young. whose fancy is more vigorous; that of the moon-were portents of coming judg- of dreams to the old, in the decadence of ment. These miraculous phenomena, if lite- their mental powers; while to the sons and rally employed, mo.y refer to those porten- daughters the gift is prophesying. Others tous sights which, as the Jewish historian· more correctly (2) understand prophecy e.e Josephus and t.he Roman historian Tacitus the general term for speaking under the testify, were witnessed, both by besiegers Spirit's influence or instructing by Divine and besieged., during the siege and before inspiration; while the two forms of pro- the destruction of Jerusalem. But taken phetic revelation are dree.me when the symbolically, e.e is preferable, blood sym- mental "faculties e.re suspended by ne.tnre.l bolizes bloodshed; fire,. the firing of a. ea.uses," and visions or trances when "sus- town in time of war ; and pillars of smoke, pended by supernatural ea.uses," the com• the clouds of smoke rolling up to heaven munication in either case being supernatural. from the burning or smouldering ruins of Thie prediction began to be fulfilled on the a. town or city set on fire by the enemy; Dav of PentecosL while the darkening of the sun and the turn• Ver. 30.-.And I will show wonders in the ing of the moon into a. dull blood-red would heaven& and in the earth, blood, a.n.d fire, an.d portend approaching judgment, and a. change, pillars of smoke. Along with the wonderful political and ecclesia.etical, in the existing distribution of gifts and gra.cee a.t the Day constitution of things. More pe.rtioule.rly, of Pentecost, attention lil direct.ed to portents by reading Joel's prophecy in the light of of destructive viBitation; after a. diepenaa.- the New Testament, we shall understand tion of mercy follows a. diepense.tion of with tolerable clearness the meaning of the wrath; mercy e.nd jodgment thus succeed symbols of the sun and moon. The sym- each other in the providence of God. The bolic language of Joel's prediction found its visitation of mercy msy, by way of contre.et, fulfilment, a.t least in part, within less than suggest that of judgment ; or thti connection half a century from the time when Peter of this o.nd the following verses with the spoke. Scarce forty years from that Pente- preooding may be the plague of the locusts, costal outpouring and the ruling powers, civil the mind pa.esing on from that visitation to and eccleeil1.8tical, of the Jewish nation came the vi;;ite.tion a.t the destruction of Jerusalem, to a.n end. The Jewish Church and Hebrew as also to that which shall take place a.t the commonwealth went out in darkness. The judgment of the ls.et day. Our Lord, in the moon of the latter began to wane from the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, seems to first day the Roman power was set up in Jningle the portents which were to precede Palestine, but at the destruction of the the destruction of Jerusalem with those that capital the light of that moon was extin- shall usher in the judgment-day. There guished for ever ; the sun of the former was may be some doubt whether the expressions long getting obscured by clouds, but a.t le.et before us a.re to be undentood literally or it uuderwent a. total and final eclipse. But figuratively. In either ce.ee coming events why, it may be asked, are sun and moon were cw,tiJ.Jg their el,adows before; and the thus symbolic of rulers superior and inferior, 11ppee.r1rnces enumerated, whether ta.ken in or of ruler11 of greater e.nd less importance, cm. n. 1-82.J THE BOOK OF JOEL. 29