 |  |
No.2.
1: 1 - 13.
pp. 211 - 220
On page 1224 of The Companion Bible Dr. E. W. Bullinger gives his structure for this
book:
1: 1. The Title.
A |
1: 2, 3. Call to hear.
B
| 1: 4-13. Judgments. Inflicted.
A |
1: 14 - 2: 17. Call to repent.
B
| 2: 18 - 3: 21. Judgments. Removed.
On page 262 of volume XXV of The Berean Expositor Mr. 100: H. Welch suggests that
the following may of help to the reader:
A | a | 1: 1-7. New wine cut off.
b | 1: 8-13. Israel's harvest spoiled.
B | 1: 14 - 2: 14. Israel a desolation.
C | 2: 15-20. The gathering of Israel.
D | 2: 21 - 3: 1. I will restore.
C | 3: 2. The gathering of nations.
D | 3: 2-8. I will plead.
A |
b | 3: 9-17. Gentiles harvest.
a | 3: 18. New wine restored.
B | 3: 19-21. Egypt and Edom a desolation.
The chapter divisions in our Bibles, and indeed the verses were put in by man and they
do make study and reference much, much easier. However there were no such divisions
in the original inspired writings and there are places where the break is inappropriate and
spoils the flow of the message. In order to compare similar sentiments and to contrast
differing ones the use of structures is a great aid--breaking down and cutting across the
rigidity of chapters and verses. Different writers often present different structures and we
will produce a detailed one at the end of our study of Joel but in the meantime the reader
may care to note for himself passages which repeat and emphasize similar thoughts and
ideas and those which directly contrast with one another.
Whichever of the above two structures we choose to follow we see that there is a
change at the end of verse 13. Thus in this study it would seem to be appropriate to
consider the first thirteen verses of the opening chapter of Joel's prophecy.