Friday, October 09, 2009

Food and Salvation in the Prophecy of Joel

'So the history-long conflict between the people of God and the people of the Serpent will be brought to a climatic conclusion. While God’s people are beating their swords into ploughshares and their spears in pruning hooks (ready to produce a harvest of food) (Isaiah 2:4), the nations must do the reverse, beating their ploughshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears, as they prepare to face God’s warriors. (3:10) While salvation for God’s people means an abundant harvest (2:19), the nations themselves become an abundant harvest of judgment in which they are cut down and trampled under foot: ‘Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.’
(Joel 3:13; see Revelation 14:14-20)

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