Joel 2

Joel 2:1-32 . THE COMING JUDGMENT A MOTIVE TO REPENTANCE. PROMISE OF BLESSINGS IN THE LAST DAYS.

A more terrific judgment than that of the locusts is foretold, under imagery drawn from that of the calamity then engrossing the afflicted nation. He therefore exhorts to repentance, assuring the Jews of Jehovah's pity if they would repent. Promise of the Holy Spirit in the last days under Messiah, and the deliverance of all believers in Him.

1. Blow . . . trumpet--to sound an alarm of coming war ( Numbers 10:1-10 Hosea 5:8 Amos 3:6 ); the office of the priests. Joel 1:15 is an anticipation of the fuller prophecy in this chapter.

2. darkness . . . gloominess . . . clouds . . . thick darkness--accumulation of synonyms, to intensify the picture of calamity ( Isaiah 8:22 ). Appropr iate here, as the swarms of locusts intercepting the sunlight suggested darkness as a fit image of the coming visitation.
as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people--Substitute a comma for a colon after mountains: As the morning light spreads itself over the mountains, so a people numerous [MAURER] and strong shall spread themselves. The suddenness of the rising of the morning light, which gilds the mountain tops first, is less probably thought by others to be the point of comparison to the sudden inroad of the foe. MAURER refers it to the yellow splendor which arises from the reflection of the sunlight on the wings of the immense hosts of locusts as they approach. This is likely; understanding, however, that the locusts are only the symbols of human foes. The immense Assyrian host of invaders under Sennacherib (compare Isaiah 37:36 ) destroyed by God ( Joel 2:18 Joel 2:20 Joel 2:21 ), may be the primary objects of the prophecy; but ultimately the last antichristian confederacy, destroyed by special divine interposition, is meant
there hath not been ever the like--(Compare Joel 1:2 , Exodus 10:14 ).

3. before . . . behind--that is, on every side ( 1 Chronicles 19:10 ).
fire . . . flame--destruction . . . desolation ( Isaiah 10:17 ).
as . . . Eden . . . wilderness--conversely ( Isaiah 51:3 , Ezekiel 36:35 ).

4. appearance . . . of horses--( Revelation 9:7 ). Not literal, but figurative locusts. The fifth trumpet, or first woe, in the parallel passage ( Revelation 9:1-11 ), cannot be literal: for in Revelation 9:11 it is said, "they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit"--in the Hebrew, Abaddon ("destroyer"), but in the Greek, Apollyon--and ( Revelation 9:7 ) "on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men." Compare Joel 2:11 , "the day of the Lord . . . great and very terrible"; implying their ultimate reference to be connected with Messiah's second coming in judgment. The locust's head is so like that of a horse that the Italians call it cavalette. Compare Job 39:20 , "the horse . . . as the grasshopper," or locust.
run--The locust bounds, not unlike the horse's gallop, raising and letting down together the two front feet.

5. Like the noise of chariots--referring to the loud sound caused by their wings in motion, or else the movement of their hind legs.
on the tops of mountains--MAURER connects this with "they," that is, the locusts, which first occupy the higher places, and thence descend to the lower places. It may refer (as in English Version) to "chariots," which make most noise in crossing over rugged heights.