Let the milk and wine flow!

In our final look at the Book of Joel, we want to focus on the highlighted reversals of calamities—those that turn disaster into restoration.

In Joel 1:10, we see that “the field is ruined and the land mourns.” In Joel 2:19, the devastation is described as “fire has devoured the pastures” and  “the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.” And in Joel 2:5, the enemy is depicted as “leaping on the tops of the mountains.”

But now, in our passage and when the Messiah returns, the entire landscape is transformed. In Joel 3:18, the mountains themselves will drip with sweet wine, revealing the abundance and richness of the land. The Hebrew word נָטַף (nāṭap), translated as “drip,” also suggests speaking out or testifying, as if creation itself will declare God’s blessings.

And milk will flow, symbolizing harmony even among the animal kingdom, which Joel tells us was also suffering. And see how this verse indicates that the house of the Lord, the Temple, will be rebuilt — not the third Temple, but the fourth one, the large one described in Ezekiel 40-48.

First, notice at the end of 3:18 how the water flows through the Valley of Shittim. Why mention the Valley of Shittim in particular, among all places in Israel? It is not only a geographical location but also a spiritual and religious symbol.

The word shittim in Hebrew means the acacia tree.

This tree leads us directly into the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place of the Temple. There, we see that the Ark of the Covenant was made from acacia wood and covered with gold. Similarly, the altar of incense was crafted from acacia wood and covered with gold, and the table of bread was made entirely of acacia, as were the boards and poles of the Tabernacle structure. So, shittim refers to the new house of the Lord that will be built in Jerusalem.

The rabbis compared the acacia wood to the Torah and God’s covenants, seeing it as a symbol of faith during hard times. This is because it was used in the Tabernacle and because it endures over time and through different situations.

In this final study on Joel, we also address an important question: How can the message of Joel influence the lives of its readers, both those living today and those who will turn to it during the upcoming Tribulation? For them especially, the words of prophecy will seem vividly real. We might, for example, think of the 144,000 described in Revelation 7 and 14.

How will these chosen servants find strength, receive guidance, and influence the world around them through the message of the prophet and Joel, especially? It is precisely this question that Joel himself anticipates and addresses in a specific part of his prophecy.

There is a section in this book so important that it is considered a separate chapter in the Hebrew Bible. That’s why, in the Hebrew Bible, there are four chapters in Joel, but they contain the same number of words as our translations with just three chapters.

This chapter contains only 5 verses from Joel 2:28-32 in our translations. Let us read the first two verses, vs.28-29: It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. What are these verses doing in the middle of the Book of Joel?

This passage is one of the most discussed topics in rabbinic literature. Most scholars see its fulfillment as occurring during the Messianic Age, when the Spirit of God will dwell within the righteous. However, this prophecy is unlikely to be fulfilled during the Messianic times but rather during the period of Tribulation prior to the Second Coming.

If you keep reading, you’ll encounter apocalyptic descriptions of war, like those in Joel 2:30-31, with blood, fire, vapor, and smoke. These events will occur before the great and terrible Day of the Lord, as Joel describes in chapter 2, when nations will invade Israel.

The Spirit will be poured out, and all people—men and women alike—will receive prophecy, dreams, and visions. It is during the Tribulation that this will certainly equip and empower believers to proclaim the Word of God.

During the Tribulation, we learn in Revelation 12 that all demons will be confined to Earth. The believers, who will be the fruits of the work of the 144,000 and the two witnesses, will be powerfully equipped for the tasks they are called to perform. As a result, we see in Revelation 7 that millions of souls will be saved. All of this shows us that the greatest revival ever will occur during the Tribulation.

This will be the moment when the veil is lifted from Israel, and a remnant, starting with the 144,000, finally fulfills the original purpose Israel was meant to serve. In Exodus 19:6, God states, ‘You shall be a kingdom of priests,’ and later the prophet tells them they will be a light to the nations. This will be that moment. As Paul states in Romans 11:12, Now, if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Their fullness, pleroma, will begin to flourish during the Tribulation, when we will not have just one Paul, but 144,000 of them going out to proclaim the Word, and they will perform such wonderful works. If in their fall, during their persecution and oppression, the Messiah came and we received the Word of God, imagine what it will be like in the Tribulation!

This will be the time when many, both Jews and Gentiles, will recognize the one they have pierced: it will happen through the powerful work of believers during that period, starting with the Jews and then the Gentiles following, just as it was in the formation of the church.

And this is when Peter stood up and spoke to them, quoting Joel 2:28-32 or the entire chapter 3 in the Hebrew Bible. As he said this, they must have been very familiar with the passage. The section from Joel 2:28-32 that Peter quoted was read during the morning prayer of the synagogue service on the day of Pentecost, which usually took place before sunrise, that is, before the 6th hour, which Peter specified as 9am.

This section of Joel 2:28-32 is part of the Haftarah, the reading of the prophets done on this day. So, when Peter cited Joel, they must have just read it. At the end of Peter’s speech and his quotation of Joel, we learn that they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37. They didn’t ask: Who is Joel, and where did you get these words from? They already knew Joel because they had just read about him.

Click Here for the Video :  Joel part 6 : Israel’ Shalom – The Call to Respond