would have been. The Acts period epistles say "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh"

and what draws near can withdraw.

This is also the case with the pronouncement of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus

Christ in Matt. 3: 1 and 4: 17 where the words "is at hand" are translated by the

Englishman's Greek New Testament "has drawn near". Again what draws near can

withdraw and this happened. They rejected Christ, they did not repent and the kingdom

did not come in (Matt. 21: 42-44).

Returning to Joel, we see there a call to repent and turn to the Lord (Joel 2: 12, 13).

Also in Joel we are told that the Day of the Lord was at hand, it had drawn near. It seems

that always these two have been related. Did the people respond to Joel's message? Did

they repent and turn to the Lord? If Joel was written during the last days of the kings of

Judah then we know that they did not.  They continued in their wicked ways and

remained in their apostasy. The nation was exiled to Babylon and the Day of the Lord,

which had drawn near, . . . . . withdrew. What would have happened if that people had

repented . . . . . well, using the expression correctly and reverently, only God knows!