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`That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that
which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which
the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten'.
`I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the
cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army
which I sent among you'.
`I will restore' are words that find their echo in the question of the
apostles: `Wilt thou restore?' (Acts 1:6), and in the testimony of Peter as
to `the times of restoration' (Acts 3:21 R.V.). Repentance is essential.
`Rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God' (Joel
2:13), and the resulting blessing is not only likened to the restoration of
the land from plague and famine, but to the restoring of Israel's access and
acceptable worship under the figure of new wine, and drink offering (Joel
1:13; 2:14; 3:18). Prominent also is the `great and terrible day of the
Lord', a prophetic period of no uncertain value, the object of much Old
Testament prophecy, and certainly having no connection with the `Church'.
The following outline may help the reader:
Joel
A
a
1:7.
New wine cut off.
b
1:8 -13.
Israel `s harvest spoiled.
B
1:14 to 2:14.
Israel a desolation.
C
2:15 -20.
The gathering of Israel.
D
2:21 to 3:1.
I will restore.
C
3:2.
The gathering of the nations.
D
3:2-8.
I will plead.
A
b
3:9 -17.
Gentile harvest.
a
3:18.
New wine restored.
B
3:19 -21.
Egypt and Edom a desolation.
The whole prophecy deals with the nation and the nations. It looks to
the Day of the Lord, and has no room for, or reference to, a church in which
there is neither Greek nor Jew.
The quotation from Joel made by Peter is divided into two parts. The
first was actually fulfilled on the day of Pentecost; the second would have
followed had Israel repented. They did not repent, and consequently the
signs in heaven await the day of the Lord, with which the book of the
Revelation is prophetically concerned. What should intervene between the two
parts of Joel's prophecy it was not part of Peter's ministry to explain. He
confessed later, when writing to the same dispersion, that they would find
help regarding this interval in the writings of Paul (2 Pet. 3:15,16).
We must now indicate the relation of the two parts of Joel's prophecy,
quoted by Peter, showing the present interval. This, of course, was not
mentioned by Peter, for the times and the seasons which the Father had put in
His own power had not been revealed to him. We, too, only know that a new
dispensation fills the gap, because Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, has
made known the dispensation of the Mystery.