Book of Joel Chapter 3 Vs. 13

 The Lord Judges the Nations

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Joel 3:13

Put ye in... In Joel 3:13-16 we have a reference to the battle of Armageddon and the destruction of the many armies of the nations of the Antichrist, by the Lord, in fulfillment of Isa. 63:1-5; Eze. 38-39; Zec. 14:1-21; Rev. 19:11-21. These verses (Joel 3:12-13) plainly indicate that the judgment mentioned in this chapter will actually take the form of divine warfare against Israel’s enemies. So the event described here is to be equated with Armageddon (cf. Rev. 14:14-20; 16:16; 19:11-21), rather than the judgment of the nations prophesied in Mat. 25:31-46.

the sickle, for... The sickle in His hand suggests judgment. And this is supported by the messages of the three angels (Rev. 14:15-20). The sickle in His hand suggests judgment. And this is supported by the messages of the three angels (Rev. 14:15-20).

An angel called out to Christ to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe. The ripeness is in the sense of withered or overripe (exēranthē). What follows is judgment as the sickle is swung… over the earth.; Rev. 19:15.

for the press... Christ is also described as the One who treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty (cf. Rev. 14:19-20; and cf. Almighty in Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 16:14; 19:6; 21:22). This scene is a dramatic indication of the awfulness of the impending judgment. Mat. 24:30 indicates that those on earth will be witnesses of this impressive scene.

The first command (Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe) probably compares judgment to harvesting grain (cf. Isa. 17:5; Rev. 14:15). The second (Come, trample the grapes) compares the annihilation of the enemies to treading grapes in a winepress (cf. Isa. 63:1-6; Rev. 14:18-20). The underlying reason for the nations’ demise is that their wickedness is great.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 7

 The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:7 “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

In verse 7, we see the correct way to talk to the devil.

It is written... Christ replied with another verse from Israel’s wilderness experience (Deut. 6:16), recalling the experience at Massah, where the grumbling Israelites put the Lord to the test, angrily demanding that Moses produce water where there was none (Exodus 17:2-7).

Thou shalt not... not tempt the LORD your God. Exo. 17:7; Num. 14:22; Mat. 4:7. Quoted from Deut. 6:16. Jesus could have thrown Himself headlong from the temple to show a sign or wonder of who He was. God calls people who have to have signs and wonders, before they will believe, a wicked and perverse generation.

You see, God is not interested in convincing us through our mental capacity. He wants us to believe from our hearts.

Not every sign and wonder is from God. The devil is a counterfeiter. Mat. 24:24 is printed in red, because it is the words of Jesus Himself.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

You see, we must know the Word so well that we will be able to discern the truth from a lie.

Jesus responded, again from Deuteronomy (Deut. 6:16), that it would not be proper to test… God and expect Him to do something when one is out of His will.

Book of Joel Chapter 3 Vs. 12

 The Lord Judges the Nations

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Joel 3:12

Let the Heathen... That is, let the enemies of Christ and his church be aroused from that state of security in which they are, and prepare for their own defense. For in such a state the antichristian powers will be before their destruction (see Rev. 18:7).

and come up... Let them bestir themselves, and exert all the rigor and strength they have. Let them come in high spirits against the people of God; let them invade the holy land, and come even to the valley of Jehoshaphat. And, when come thither, let them, descend into the place appointed for their ruin.

The land of Judea being said to be higher than other countries, going to it is generally expressed by going up to it. Otherwise it is more usual to say that men go down to a valley than come up to it; and mention being made again of this valley, shows that the same thing is referred to here (as in Joel 3:2).

These words are said in answer to the petition (in Joel 3:11); for they are spoken by the Lord, as appears by what follows.

there will I... This not only refers to Armageddon, but to the judgment of the nations (Mat. 25:31-46). There gathered together from all parts. The allusion is to a judge upon the bench, sitting to hear and try causes, and pass a definitive sentence. And here it signifies the execution of that sentence; such a pleading the cause of his people, as to take vengeance and inflict just punishment upon their enemies (see Psm. 9:4).

This is the same battle where 2/3 of Gog in the land of Magog will die in battle. So many die in this battle, that people on the Mediterranean Sea must put clothes pins on their noses to stop the death odor. All Israel will be 7 months burying the dead.

Ezekiel 39:12 "And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land."

This plainly says that the deaths in this great battle are a judgment of God against the heathen people.

The Lord Himself now repeated the summons of the preceding verses, instructing the nations to enter the Valley of Jehoshaphat (cf. Joel 3:2). Employing agricultural imagery, He then commanded His warriors to destroy His enemies.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 6

 The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:6 “And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

for it is... Note that Satan also quoted Scripture (Psalm 91:11-12) – but utterly twisted its meaning, employing a passage about trusting God to justify testing Him. A misquotation of Psm. 91:11-12. And this time the Devil quoted Scripture (out of context), in order to get Him to sin and ultimately to shake His faith in the Word.

If thou be... In verse 6 here, the devil again asked whether Jesus is the Son of God. He even went so far as to quote a Scripture to get Jesus to tempt God the Father as noted above.

So many times today the enemy will come to us, using passages from the Scripture to make us believe that we are not of God. The devil never changes. It is the same devil, and the same tactics.

Satan was saying, in essence, “Why don’t You do what the people are expecting and make some marvelous display? After all, the Scripture says His angels will protect You and You won’t even hurt a foot as You come down.” Satan may have thought if Jesus could quote Scripture to him, he could quote it too. However, he purposely did not quote Psm. 91:11-12 accurately. He left out an important phrase, “in all Your ways.” According to the psalmist, a person is protected only when he is following the Lord’s will. For Jesus to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in some dramatic display to accommodate Himself to the people’s thinking would not have been God’s will.

Book of Joel Chapter 3 Vs. 11

 The Lord Judges the Nations

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Joel 3:11

Assemble yourselves, and... From different parts into one place:

come, all ye... Anti-Christian nations, Mohammed or the Catholic Church: Which latter, especially, are sometimes called Heathen and Gentiles, because of the Heathenish rites introduced into their worship (Psalm 10:16). From all parts, to the valley of Jehoshaphat or Armageddon (Rev. 16:14). This is spoken ironically to them, to use their utmost endeavors to get most powerful armies against the people of God, which would be of no avail, but issue in their own destruction.

and gather yourselves... Be ye gathered; or gather yourselves together, as the Targum and Kimchi. Get together in a body, muster up all the forces you can collect together.

Jarchi, from Menachem, by the change of a letter, renders it, make ye haste. Don't lose time in preparing for this battle; get men, and arms for them, as fast as you can. Be as expeditious as possible.

Or it may signify what should be done by the providence of God, bringing such large numbers of them together to their own ruin.

thither cause thy... Which is a prayer of the prophet, or of God's people, to God, that he would send down his mighty ones, the angels that excel in strength, and destroy this great army thus gathered together. As an angel in one night destroyed the army of Sennacherib.

So Kimchi and Aben Ezra interpret it of angels, and many other interpreters. But perhaps it may be better to understand it of Christian princes and their forces, those armies clothed in white, and riding on white horses, in token of victory; with Christ at the head of them (Revelation 19:14) as well as the angels of God.

Who may be said to be caused to "come down"; because, being assembled shall go down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, where their enemies are gathered together, and discomfit them.

The Targum is, "there the Lord shall, break the strength of their strong ones."

They are rushing to their doom. The mighty ones could come to battle, but they are no match for God. God, Himself, fights for Israel.

And they are assemble for battle (Joel 3:11; cf. Zec. 12:9). The Lord is urged to bring down His warriors.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 5

The Temptation of Jesus

 

Matthew 4:5 “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,”

pinnacle of the... This was probably a roof with a portico at the southeast corner of the temple complex, where a massive retaining wall reached from a level well above the temple mount, deep into the Kidron Valley. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, this was a drop of nearly 450 feet.

The second test by Satan appealed to personal display or popularity. This test built on the first, for if He is the Son of God and the Messiah, nothing could harm Him. Satan took Him to… the highest point of the temple. Whether this was actual or simply a vision cannot be determined dogmatically. Here Satan made a subtle suggestion to Jesus as the Messiah. In effect he was reminding Jesus of Malachi’s prophecy (Mal. 3:1), which had led to a common belief among the Jews that Messiah would suddenly appear in the sky, coming down to His temple.

Book of Joel Chapter 3 Vs. 10

The Lord Judges the Nations

 

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Joel 3:10

Beat your plowshares... Prepare for war, let all the enemies of God and of his people join together. Let them even call all the tillers of the ground to their assistance, instead of laboring in the field. Let every peasant become a soldier.

and your pruninghooks... Let them turn their agricultural implements into offensive weapons, so that the weak, being well armed, may confidently say, I am strong. Yet, when thus collected and armed, Jehovah will bring down thy mighty ones; for so the clause (in Joel 3:11), should be rendered.

This is the opposite of beat your swords into plowshares. They are to prepare for the great battle. This war would be so great, that all the farmers and husbandmen would have to fight too.

The nations are to beat their farming implements into weapons (Joel 3:10; contrast Isa. 2:4; Mic. 4:3) and assemble for battle (Joel 3:11; cf. Zec. 12:9).