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[5] as chariots rattle,
[5] with a noise like that of chariots
they leap on the hill tops,
they leap over the mountain tops,
like flames that crackle, consuming the straw,
like crackling fire consuming stubble,
like a vast army in battle array.
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
[6] Hearts are in anguish before them,
[6] At the sight of them, nations are in anguish:
all faces turn pale.
every face turn pale.
[7] They charge like warriors,
[7] They charge like warriors:
they advance like fighters,
they scale walls like soldiers,
each on his own track--
They all march in line,
no tangling of path--
not swerving from their course.
[8] None pushes his fellow,
[8] They do not jostle each other:
each follows his own line;
each marches straight ahead.
they burst through weapons
They plunge through defences
unbroken,
without breaking ranks.
[9] they rush on the city,
[9] they rush upon the city,
run over the walls,
they run along the walls.
climb into houses
They climb into the houses;
and enter the windows like thieves.
Like thieves they enter through the windows.
[10] At their advance the land is quaking,
[10] Before them the earth shakes,
the heavens are shaking,
the sky trembles,
sun and moon are dark,
The sun and moon are darkened
the stars have ceased to shine.
and the stars no longer shine.
[11] and the Eternal thunders
[11] The Lord thunders
in front of His army
at the head of His army
a mighty host is His,
His forces are beyond number,
and strong are those who
and mighty are those who
execute His orders.
obey His commands.
For the Eternal's day
The Day of the Lord
is great and awful:
is great, it is dreadful
who can face it?"
who can endure it?"
Thank goodness for verse 11!!! However we may interpret the details of verses 2-10
it certainly strikes fear into the heart of the reader and one can easily imagine that at this
time, during this Day of the Lord "every face turns pale" (2: 6)! So, without getting
bogged down with the detail, what is described here? Joel gives us a picture of the
greatest army of all time (2: 2) and very good (!) at its job (2: 7-9). This army is also
totally destructive (2: 3) and those attacked by it are pale and in anguish (2: 6)--but who
and what does it attack? Joel 2: 9 tells us it is the city. The city in which Joel has
gathered all the inhabitants of the land. Thus Joel 2: 1-10 is describing an attack by a
mighty army upon the city of Jerusalem and the Jews who live in it and the surrounding
land.
Verse 10 should bring us up with a jolt for it shows that the power of this army is
much greater than can be imagined and, as we shall see, behind this army is the great
adversary of God, Satan.
Here in Joel 2: 1-10 is perhaps his greatest attempt to wipe the Jew off the face of the
earth and so make God break promises He had made to various people. There are many,
many passages to which we could now turn but the following two will be sufficient to
demonstrate the point.