Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Joel 3:9-14
YHWH Calls The Nations To Judgment Before Him And His Mighty Ones (Joel 3:9).
The final day of YHWH is set up and the nations are called for judgment. The nations send out the call because they clearly think that they will be able to do battle with YHWH (as they always do) but really it is YHWH Who has called them, and they are reduced to helplessness by YHWH's Mighty Ones. In the midst of life and expectation of great booty they are suddenly and unexpectedly faced up with YHWH's judgment. For there in ‘the valley of YHWH is Judge' the nations are brought to judgment, not by earthly forces but by heavenly ones. And there they are called on to pay the price for their wickedness.
Analysis of Joel 3:9.
a Proclaim you this among the nations, “Prepare war, stir up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears, Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.' ” (Joel 3:10).
b Haste yourselves, and come, all you nations round about, and gather yourselves together.
c There cause your mighty ones to come down, O YHWH.
d Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of YHWH is Judge (Jehoshaphat), for there will I sit to judge, all the nations round about (Joel 3:12).
c Put you in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe, come, tread you, for the winepress is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great (Joel 3:13).
b Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! (Joel 3:14 a)
a For the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision (Joel 3:14 b).
Note that in ‘a' the call to the nations goes out that they are to prepare themselves to face YHWH, and in the parallel the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision. In ‘b' the nations are to make haste to gather themselves together, and in the parallel there are multitudes in the valley of decision. In ‘c' YHWH will make His mighty ones come down, and in the parallel they put in the sickle and reap. Central in ‘d is the purpose of it all, the nations are to come to the valley of YHWH is Judge in order to be judged by YHWH.
‘Proclaim you this among the nations,
“Prepare (literally ‘sanctify') war,
Stir up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.
Beat your ploughshares into swords,
And your pruning-hooks into spears,
Let the weak say,
“I am strong.”
The heralds of the nations are commanded by YHWH to call their nations to battle. It is as usual a silent command, and the nations would not be aware that they were responding to YHWH's call. Their view would be that they were following out their own political decisions. But the call was in fact YHWH's for the time had come for the nations to be judged.
‘Sanctify war.' This is a reminder that Judah were not the only nation to call on their deity for assistance in war. Every nation believed that their own gods would give them victory a long as they treated him properly and fulfilled his ritual requirements. And their heralds would therefore call on them to perform those necessary rituals. The difference was that their gods had no roar (see Joel 3:17), and could do nothing when YHWH was calling the nations to judgment..
So just as YHWH had stirred up His own people to return to Him (Joel 3:7), the nations were now to stir themselves up to come to judgment. They were to do so by sanctifying themselves for war, mustering their mighty men, calling up the men of war, turning their farm implements into weapons, and encouraging the waverers to be strong. The turning of their sharp farming instruments into weapons was not just symbolic. Many warriors would have no other weapons. Little would those who were mustered realise that they were simply providing evidence to YHWH when they come before Him for judgment. We have precisely the same idea presented in Revelation 19:11 where the gathering of the earthly forces was not directly aimed at the figure on the white horse, but at His people on earth. It is only we who are permitted to see the heavenly side of things as YHWH's great ones come to carry out God's judgment.
‘Haste yourselves, and come, all you nations round about,
And gather yourselves together.'
The call goes out for the nations to hurry themselves up. It is a time for war. They are to gather themselves ready for their attack on God's people. Little do they realise as they excitedly come together what they are hurrying towards. Their eyes are glistening with the hope of spoils, they do not realise that it is they who will be the spoils.
There cause your mighty ones to come down,
O YHWH.'
For unknown to them their Enemy is also mustering His troops, and what troops they are. YHWH is causing His Great Ones to come down from heaven ready for what is to come. He is offering divine protection for His people (the protection that was not called on by Jesus Christ Who trod the way of suffering alone - Matthew 26:53).
‘Let the nations bestir themselves,
And come up to the valley of YHWH is Judge (Jehoshaphat),
For there will I sit to judge,
All the nations round about.'
Now it is YHWH Who sends out His summons. Let the nations bestir themselves and make haste, for they are coming to the valley of YHWH is Judge, where YHWH is waiting to judge them. As in the case of Revelation 19 there is to be no battle. Who can battle against the Almighty or against the Lamb? Rather they will discover that YHWH is seated there on His judgment seat ready to act as Judge.
‘Put you in the sickle,
For the harvest is ripe,
Come, tread you,
For the winepress is full,
The vats overflow,
For their wickedness is great.
And there in that valley of YHWH's judgment the angels are commanded to ‘put in the sickle and reap' because the harvest is ripe. The wicked have come to full ripeness and it is the time for the nations to be judged. The angels are to reap the grain, gather the grapes and tread the winepress which will then be full to overflowing, with the result that the winevats will also overflow, because the wickedness of the nations is very great.
This vivid picture is taken up again in Revelation 14:14 which is another picture of the last judgment, and is also in mind in Matthew 13:30; Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:49. All that Joel lacks is awareness of Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.
The picture is in some ways deliberately parallels that in Joel 2:24, except that the message is different. But both harvests would benefit His people. It is a reminder that because of their repentance the future of Judah has changed.
‘Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision.'
The passage closes off with ominous words. ‘Multitude, multitudes in the valley of decision, because the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision.' The picture is of the massed multitudes of the enemy, gathered in numbers beyond counting (indicated by the repetition of ‘multitudes'), and unaware that the day of YHWH is almost upon them. (What a contrast they are with another multitude which no man could number which was made up of the chosen of YHWH - Revelation 7:9 ff.).