Joel Chapter Two

They Shall Run To and Fro in the City

The following passages are the only mention in scripture of the phrase “run to and fro”:

2 Chronicles 16:9 - For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

Jeremiah 49:3 - Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

Daniel 12:4 - But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Joel 2:9 -They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

Amos 8:12 - And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Zechariah 4:10 - For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Of the above six passages, the phrase “run to and fro” in Joel 2:9 alone is defined from Strong’s Hebrew as follows:

H 8264 - A primitive root; to course (like a beast of prey); by implication to seek greedily: - have appetite, justle one against another, long, range, run (to and fro).

Strong’s Hebrew singles out Nahum 2:4 (justle one against another) in its definition of “run to and fro” from Joel 2:9. Why is this? It is due to the fact that the Hebrew scholars assign the same definition (H - #8264) to Joel 2:9 “run to and fro” and Nahum 2:4 “justle one against another.” If you recall, we singled out Nahum 2:4 as well, back in our study of Joel 2:6.

Let us briefly look at a section of that study from Joel 2:6.

Excerpt from Joel 2:6 Study:

In our last study we saw that the attack of these end-time locusts would be fast and furious… Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap. Now we read of these locusts: they shall run like mighty men. It is no doubt a charge in the spiritual sense. The true Gospel is being deluged at an alarming rate! We briefly mentioned the book of Nahum because we found much parallel there to our study of Joel and the end of days. As for these locusts leaping onto the tops of mountains and running like mighty men, Nahum says:

Nahum 2:4 - The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.

It is the false prophets that Nahum terms as chariots. Recall in our last study that we read in Joel 2:5 - “Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap.” Here in Nahum 2:4 the false prophets are being depicted as chariots. We saw that chariots were used as weapons of war in the Old Testament days. Nahum is depicting spiritual warfare with earthly terminology of the warfare of his day. According to Nahum (who penned his words from the Holy Spirit of God), these false prophets will “rage in the streets.” These are not the literal streets of the world; no that cannot be. These are the streets of one particular city; that is Nineveh, the Old Testament type of the great city Babylon of the end of days. These streets are merely spiritual terms for perhaps the many congregations of the world who are a part of this apostate spiritual city. Nahum speaks of these chariots as raging in the streets. The word rage here is defined as to shine, to praise, to boast, etc. Nahum 2:4 goes on to say “they shall justle one against another in the broad ways.” Yes, they are in the broad ways and outside of the true Gospel.

Matthew 7:14 - Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The phrase “they shall justle one against another in the broad ways” tells us that they are eager to run to and fro, to be eager and greedy, to rush back and forth, Brown-Dryer-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions.

Such is the trait of the many denominations of the world. It is often a competition for fame and power; one denomination against another or one congregation against another. The fact that different denominations even exists is sin itself, since Christ is not divided. Yes indeed they justle one against another in the broad ways. The true believer will quietly read their Bible and meditate upon the wonders of God’s grace alone. We need true fellowship, of course, but we see only foolishness in the riches and masses of numbers that many of the corporate churches seek after. End of Joel 2:6 Excerpt.

As stated, the definition of the phrase “run to and fro” from Joel 2:9 carries a negative meaning.

Isaiah 29:8 - It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite:<NOTE: appetite is the same Hebrew word # 8264 for “run to and fro” in Joel 2:9> so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Proverbs 28:15 - ¶As a roaring lion, and a ranging <NOTE: ranging is same Hebrew word # 8264 for “run to and fro” in Joel 2:9> bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Isaiah 33:1-4 -

1 - ¶Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

2 - O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

3 - At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

4 - And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run <NOTE: run is same Hebrew word # 8264 for “run to and fro” in Joel 2:9> upon them.

They shall run to and fro in the CITY

The entire theme of Joel thus far has been the invading armies symbolized as locusts. All past Old Testament historical references and parables hold an end time fulfillment in perhaps the physical but most definitely the spiritual realm. All will come, and is coming to pass. The target of these enemies of God is not any one particular city or country, but the target of annihilation is the spiritual city wherein all worshipers of Christ congregate. Joel chapter two, from the very beginning, tells us precisely where this invasion is to take place:

Joel 2:1 - ¶Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

God’s holy mountain of Zion is the city wherein Satan focuses his final attack. This is nothing of a rarity, however at the end of days Satan’s attack is heightened many times over.

Revelation 12:17 - And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

If Satan’s age-old goal is to destroy God’s Mount Zion, why then does Joel 2:9 tell us that the enemy will run to and fro in the city? Of course we must realize that Mount Zion is much more than a city. It encompasses the entire globe, wherever God’s people are and wherever God’s truth is heard.

Psalms 48:2 - Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Psalms 125:1 - ¶<<A Song of degrees.>> They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Joel 2:32 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: <the Christian era?> for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Daniel 9:16 - O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

Jerusalem: The City under Assault

We have stated that Satan’s assault is not poised at any particular city or country of the world. Now we are stating that this assault is fixed upon Jerusalem. Is this a contradiction in terms? No, it is not. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s message has transitioned from Israel of old to the entire world.

Isaiah 42:1 - ¶Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 49:6 - And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Matthew 12:18 - Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Acts 11:18 - When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Acts 26:23 - That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

Romans 15:16 - That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

The city of Jerusalem was the city of worship for Old Testament Jews, who held their many feasts, festivities, etc. in that city. This was God’s Holy Mountain - Mount Zion - in the Old Testament era. As salvation expanded into the Gentile nations after the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the literal city of Jerusalem had become a symbol or type of our heavenly home … the eternal Jerusalem.

Hebrews 12:22-23 -

22- But ye are come unto mount Sion <Mount Zion>, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 - To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

<Yes, the Mount Zion is Jerusalem, but it is most definitely not of this world. Our Jerusalem and our Mount Zion is the city of our living God, and that city has nothing in common with the cities of this fallen earth. We as true believers in Christ - our God and Messiah - worship in the heavenly Jerusalem - the spiritual CITY of our God.>

Hebrews 11:10 - For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Revelation 21:10 - And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Galatians 4:26 - But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

When Joel states that these spiritual locusts shall run to and fro (attack) in the city, we know beyond a doubt that this city is not the literal Jerusalem on the Mediterranean Sea. As we have learned, ancient Jerusalem was and is an Old Testament type or representative of the New Testament spiritual Jerusalem. We are not stating that God is finished with literal Jerusalem and national Israel, perhaps there is still a purpose with regard to their existence, and probably much so. However, we must stay focused upon the spiritual transition that the New Testament brings to us. Having said that, how can these locusts have access to the heavenly city of Jerusalem if they indeed are prophesied to run to and fro within this city?

Heavenly Symbols Have Earthly Representations

Old Testament symbolism all prefigured Christ alone, from the tabernacle in the wilderness, the Ark of the Covenant, the temple in Jerusalem, etc. - everything revolves around Christ. These symbols were shadows of the spiritual truth to be revealed in the coming Messiah.

As we look to our study of Joel 2:9 and ponder upon the phrase “they shall run to and fro in the city,” we now ask the question, what city is in view? Let us recall that Revelation chapter eleven speaks of Christ’s witnesses within this city as “my two witnesses.”

Revelation 11:3 - ¶And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Without going into a detailed study of these two witnesses, let us say that they in all likelihood represent the Church of Jesus Christ. Two is the biblical number that symbolizes the church. As Noah’s Ark was a type of Christ’s church, God assigned two of every creature that entered into the ark:

Genesis 6:19 - And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

Genesis 6:20 - Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

Genesis 7:9 - There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

Christ sent His disciples out two by two:

Mark 6:7 - ¶And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

The prophet Zachariah spoke of God’s anointed ones as the two olive branches:

Zechariah 4:3 - And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

Zechariah 4:11 - ¶Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

Zechariah 4:12 - And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

Zechariah 4:14 - Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Zechariah speaks of the two olive branches as being the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth, Zechariah 4:12 and 14. Now notice what Revelation 11:4 says:

These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Thus Revelation chapter eleven speaks of the true Church of Jesus Christ as being God’s two witnesses here on earth. They and they alone stand before the God of the earth. These two witnesses are not two individuals as we hear many proclaim today. That is nonsense to the highest degree. These are not Moses and Elijah reincarnated as many have stated. Again, that is nonsense in respect to proper biblical interpretation. There is an end to the witnessing of these two witnesses; their testimony will come to an end according to God’s plan and purpose:

Revelation 11:7-8 -

7 - And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8 - And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

<The term “dead bodies” from the Greek comes from the alternate of Strong’s Greek #4098; a ruin, that is, specifically body (corpse, carrion): - dead body, carcass, corpse. The true church will be silenced as if a corpse or in ruin. The testimonies of these two witnesses will be killed in the street of the Great City! Remember, we are looking for that city wherein the enemies of God (spiritual locusts) will attack - run to and fro in the city, Joel 2:9. The above verse eight of Revelation chapter eleven states that these two witnesses will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Christ was crucified at Jerusalem, but why does God tell us that this great city of Jerusalem is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt?

The earthly type of our heavenly Jerusalem has always been the global church of Jesus Christ. As we know, the corporate church will have become so grossly apostate at the time of the end that God refers to it as Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. It is our great spiritual city of Jerusalem that appears to be referenced here; our earthly place of worship for the entire Church Age. But what has become of this great city? It has fallen and has turned apostate as Sodom and Egypt. Sodom was judged and destroyed for its abominable sins and Egypt continues to represent one’s bondage; in this case not bondage to the Egyptians but bondage to one’s sins. All who continue to remain in their sins without Christ are indeed still residents of spiritual Egypt and yet remain dead in their sins and trespasses. Thus it is that this great city - wherein God’s true witnesses have worked the harvest fields of salvation - has finally been overtaken by the enemies of God. The city has become spiritually Sodom and Egypt; it has opened its doors and allowed the world of Babylon to overtake it at every opportunity. It is now Babylon the Great - that great city. Please see our study “Mystery Babylon: The Abomination of Desolation?”

Within the once faithful spiritual city of Jerusalem, God’s truth thrived. Yet it has now fallen into irreversible judgment. Because of its sins, God has thus judged it and given it over to be ravaged by that age-old serpent. Satan and his ambassadors now run to and from within this once great city that has now diluted itself to Babylon the Great. Consider the following passages:>

Lamentations 2:11- Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

Lamentations 2:12 - They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

Lamentations 2:15 - All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

They Shall Run Upon the Wall

(Joel 2:9b)

The walls of Joel 2:9 are the same walls mentioned in Joel 2:7. Let us recall what we learned from Joel 2:7:

Joel 2:7 - They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

In the historical sense Judah and Jerusalem were conquered by the Babylonians as Joel foretold. The walls of the city were no doubt scaled. One such study headlines the event this way:

588 BC Nebuchadnezzar Takes Jerusalem

In 588 Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army breached the wall of Jerusalem, capturing it and destroying the temple. Many of the Jews of Judea were taken to exile in Babylon.

Yes, that is the historic fulfillment of Joel and as such we find that when Joel spoke of locusts he was merely using symbolical terms in describing the massive force of the Babylonian army. The fundamental or underlying teachings of Joel are hidden to those who have spiritual ears to hear. This is not a boast, we say this in meekness. The invasion of Judah and Jerusalem by the Babylonian army (symbolical locusts) prefigures the end of days invasion of spiritual Jerusalem by the world of Babylon and its symbolical locusts. In this invasion the wall of Jerusalem will once more be scaled and overrun. But we must ask: Is there such a wall as this in Jerusalem today?

The above picture shows the Wailing Wall in East Jerusalem by night.

Our only question is how will these locusts climb this wall? This appears to be the only “wall” that the world knows of when considering Israel and Jerusalem and their wall. In today’s world we see many people scaling tall buildings such as the famous French climber know as Spiderman. Will the armies of the end of days be skilled in climbing tall buildings? They must all be military personnel since Joel says of them: “They will climb the wall like men of war.” Perhaps they are a special unit of the famous Green Beret, trained for just such an event as this?

At this point we need to get back into God’s Word and attempt to search for any such “wall” in these final days.

Isaiah 5:5 - And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

Now we are getting somewhere by going back to God’s Word. Yes, during the Old Testament days, as long as Jerusalem existed, it always had a wall of protection. Here in Isaiah 5:5 God refers to Jerusalem as His vineyard. We are entering the spiritual to a high degree here. God is the Lord of the Vineyard in the parables of the New Testament. The vineyard is His and His alone. The vineyard appears to be the kingdom of heaven. On earth the vineyard would be the congregations of the world; God’s earthly representation of His eternal kingdom. God’s elect are His workers of the vineyard. Isaiah speaks of a time wherein God’s vineyard on earth will be eaten up. What can eat up vineyards, we ask? Of course it is the locusts! Along with the eating of the vineyard God states that He will break down the wall thereof and it shall be trodden down. We are getting closer to discovering the truth of Joel 2:7 where God states “they shall climb the wall like men of war.” But what precise wall is in view? Can it still be the literal Old Testament wall of Jerusalem? If God’s vineyard is spiritual in nature, must not His wall or walls also be spiritual in nature? Of course it should be and indeed it is.

Isaiah 56:5 - Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

That Name is Christ-ians.

Acts 11:26 - And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

We as true believers in Jesus the Christ are members of His unseen household. We live within God’s unseen walls of safety. Our personal world is His vineyard. While we sojourn through this life, there are those of the outside world who desire to kill God’s people in both soul and body. These are Satan’s ambassadors who come disguised as angels of light, but in truth they come to destroy or kill Christ’s Word. In doing so they will attack the vineyard, even the walls of our safety.

Isaiah 26:1- ¶In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

Isaiah 60:18 - Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

Yes, all true believers are members of God’s eternal city and as such we can claim salvation as our walls. Can you possibly think of anything better or more marvelous in life than this? Nonetheless, while we remain on this sin-cursed earth we can expect wickedness to abound and tribulation as a way of life. When the prophet Joel penned his words in scrolls he did so not by his own choosing, but he did so by the commands of God.

2 Peter 1:21 - For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

When Joel stated that the enemies of God will climb the wall like men of war he was no doubt prophesying of the literal invasion of Jerusalem. Likewise he was also prophesying of a non-literal invasion of God’s vineyard, His city, and His heritage by the masses of unsaved humanity at the end of time. Their aim or target is the very heart of the Gospel message: The salvation we have in Christ Jesus; the very WALL God has appointed for us. “…salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks,” (Isaiah 26:1).

Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

They Shall Climb Up Upon the Houses

(Joel 2:9c)

We saw these locusts climbing upon the wall in Joel 2:7 and now we see them climbing up upon the houses. The Hebrew word climb is the same word in both passages. What are these houses within this city that the locusts are so interested in? As we know, Joel speaks of these events in relation to the Day of the Lord. Let us look at Zechariah 14:1-2 as an important parallel passage:

1 - ¶Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

2 - For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

As the locusts run and climb upon the wall of God’s city, they will discreetly attack on all fronts. As Zechariah 14:2 states, God will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. This is not the literal city of Jerusalem in view here. That entire issue is not addressed in these studies. We are not saying that national Israel does not have a role in the end times, it appears that they do. However, we are strictly dealing with spiritual Jerusalem (the earthly sanctuary of God’s people) in these studies.

Lamentations 5:1-2:

1 - ¶Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

2 - Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.

They shall climb upon the houses! Are these houses literal dwellings? If the city spoken of is not literal but spiritual, then we should realize that everything in relation to it is spiritual in nature. What then can these houses be if not literal? Let us look at Matthew chapter seven:

Matthew 7:24 - Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Matthew 7:25 - And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Matthew 7:26 - And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Matthew 7:27 - And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Yes, the houses within this city are indeed confirmed in the Gospels. If one is to build his house upon the rock and foundation of Jesus Christ, it can and will withstand anything that comes against it. Christ tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us, Hebrews 13:5. So then, we can certainly build a literal house upon a rock and it will eventually fall in time. The house that God tells us to build is our spiritual house or soul that will never fall throughout eternity. The wall of our city is God’s salvation plan throughout the ages and the houses of this city are indeed our spiritual heritage; our eternal souls. The forces of Satan have always been at war with this city, but at the end of days God’s plan is to allow the forces of Satan to seize this city just as literal Jerusalem of old was seized as a type and a forerunner to the spiritual events at the end of time. Today this city - the global and corporate church of Jesus Christ - is being inundated with common everyday men and women who in actuality are spiritual locusts, prophesied of old, who come to eat away at God’s vineyard within this city. God’s salvation plan (the Wall) is under attack as well as each and every person’s spiritual house within this city. These people are climbing the wall with their own views and interpretations of salvation. They are running amuke (running to and fro) in this city with their own versions of God’s plan for the ages. They are spiritually breaking into the houses of multitudes of souls with their Christ-less versions of salvation, and yet they want to be claimed as true Christians. They do not eat the spiritual bread of Christ, neither do they wear the spiritual apparel of the true Christian:

Isaiah 4:1 - ¶And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Jeremiah 23:28 - The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

Job 21:18 - They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

Psalms 1:4 - ¶The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

They Shall Enter In at the Windows Like a Thief (Joel 2:9d)

An extremely popular television host here in the United States and abroad has recently stated that there are many ways to get into heaven. This view is common, of course, among non-believers, however this host has millions of people that she influences with her views. If the physical veil was dropped and we were allowed to see the truth, one would find her spiritual appearance as a locust eating away at God’s vineyard. Please pray for her. As pleasing, friendly, and loving as she appears, she is but only one of multitudes of examples.

1 John 4:1 - ¶Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

We have reached the last statement of Joel 2:9: They shall enter in at the windows like a thief. Satan’s host at the end of days has the fallen world in his grip; his aim is the place where God’s Gospel is preached. This great spiritual earthly city - the corporate church - is under siege from those who profess to be Christians from within and also from non Christians on the outside. Not only are they eating away at God’s wall of salvation, they are destroying the souls within this city by entering into their spiritual houses. Now God tells us that these locusts will enter at the windows and please note: like a thief. God’s true eternal temple has one and only one entrance, and it is clearly not the windows. What is this entrance?

John 10:7-10:

7 - Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 - All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

9 - I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

<Satan’s ambassadors certainly will not enter in at the door of Christ. They are thieves and robbers, therefore they attempt to sway the world into falsely believing that they can enter into heaven other than through Christ - the DOOR to eternal life. As God tells us through Joel, these locusts will attempt to sway the masses into believing a lie; that is they will teach that heaven is accessible through many ways (windows) other than the true DOOR. They will enter in at the windows like a thief.

End of Study