Chapter 1
1 These are words of Jehovah that came to JoEl the son of BathuEl.
2 Hear these things, O elders; give ear all you who live in the land! Have you seen such things in your [lives], or in the days of your fathers? 3 Describe these things to your children, and to the children of coming generations! 4 For, caterpillars have eaten all that was left; what they didn’t eat was devoured by locusts; grasshoppers ate what was left by the locusts, and what the grasshoppers didn’t eat, was consumed by the blight.
5 Sober up and then weep, all you who are drunk from your wine; for joy and gladness have been removed from your mouths, 6 and a powerful and innumerable nation, has now ascended to My land. He has the teeth of a lion, and his molars are like those of bear cubs. 7 He’s appointed My grapevines to extinction, and My fig-trees to splinters. He searched for it and knocked it down, and all its branches turned white.
8 So, wail to Me like a bride wearing sackcloth, over the husband of her virgin years. 9 Drink offerings and sacrifices have all been removed, from the [Temple] of Jehovah. So, mourn O Priests (those who serve at the Altar of [God]), 10 for all the fields now lie bare! And mourn, O land, for the grain is now gone, the wine has all dried up, and in short supply is the oil. 11 The farmers have withered [and gone], so wail for all your possessions, because the wheat and barley are wiped from the fields. 12 The grapevines have dried up and fig-trees are few; pomegranates, palms, and melons, and all the trees in the fields are now dry… the joy of sons of men has been shamed.
13 Wrap yourselves up and beat yourselves Priests! Wail, O you who serve at the Altar! Go to bed wearing sackcloth, O you who serve before God; for sacrifices and drink offerings are gone, from before the House of your God! 14 So, call for a time of holy fasting; proclaim a time of sacred service! Gather the elders and the [people] of the land, to the [Temple] of Jehovah your God, then fervently call to Jehovah!
15 Woe, woe, woe for the day; for the day of Jehovah is near, and misery upon misery will come. 16 Before your eyes food is destroyed, from before the [Temple] of your God, along with the gladness and joy.
17 ‘The heifers will jump in their stables; all the treasures are gone; all the wine vats have been cut to the ground; and all the grain is dried up. 18 So, what can we store for ourselves?
The herds of oxen now bawl, because there isn’t any pasture, and the flocks of sheep have been wiped out. 19 So, to You O Jehovah we will call out, for fire has consumed the beauty of the desert, and its flames have burned all the trees of the fields. 20 The cattle in the plains must look up to You, for all the springs are now dry, and fire has consumed the beauty of the desert.
Chapter 2
1 Sound the trumpets in Zion! Proclaim it upon My Holy Mountain! All in the land should bow down, for the Day of Jehovah is at hand… it is near! 2 It’s a day that’s quite dim and dark… it’s a day that’s cloudy with fog. And as dawn pours over the mountains, so will come a people vast and strong. Nothing quite like it has happened through the age, and there’ll be nothing like it through the years, and through generations of generations.
3 The things before him are a fire that consumes, and all that’s behind him is burning in flames. Before him the land’s a paradise of delights, and what’s behind him are plains of extinction, from which no one can escape.
4 The sight of them is like horses, and as cavalry in hot pursuit. 5 Their sound is like that of chariots, leaping ‘cross the tops of the mountains… like the sounds of flames burning stubble, and as a people vast and mighty, who are ready to do battle.
6 Before them the people will all be destroyed, and their faces will be like burnt pots. 7 Like warriors they run, and as men of war, they will scale all the walls; each will travel his own way, and they’ll not be turned from their roads.
8 None will stay far from their brothers; and with [heavy] shields they will travel; the [people] will fall by their arrows; and there’s no way that they’ll get exhausted.
9 They will then capture the city, and they will run on its walls. Into the homes they’ll ascend, and through the windows they’ll enter like thieves.
10 Before his face the land will be confused, and the sky will be shaken. The sun and the moon will then darken, and the brightness of the stars will decrease.
11 The Lord will shout from in front of His armies; His camp will be exceedingly great. All of His works will be strong, for great is the Day of Jehovah, and who will be able to stand?
12 ‘Now, run,’ says Jehovah our God! ‘Return to Me with your whole hearts, fasting, and weeping, and beating your chests!’
13 Tear your hearts not your clothes, and turn to Jehovah your God! For, He shows mercy and pity… He’s lenient, full of mercy, and willing to [overlook], all the bad things we’ve done.
14 Who knows if He’ll turn and then reconsider, and leave behind him a blessing… a sacrifice and a drink offering to Jehovah our God?
15 Blow the trumpets in Zion! Proclaim a holy [time] of fasting! Declare a [day of] sacred service! 16 Gather together all the people! Proclaim a holy assembly! Choose your elders then gather the infants, who are nursing at the breasts! Tell the groom come to from his bedroom, and the bride from her nuptial chamber!
17 At the base of the Altar the Priests will all weep… those who serve before Jehovah. They’ll say: ‘Spare Your people, O Lord! Don’t give Your people to be scorned, and to be ruled by the nations! So those in the nations never will ask, O where then is your [great] God?’
18 But Jehovah was jealous for His land, and He [showed mercy to] His people. 19 Jehovah replied and said to His people, ‘Look! I’ll send grain in order to fill you, as well as wine and olive oil… no more will you to be scorned by the nations.
20 ‘I’ll drive from you the one from the north, and push him to a waterless land. I’ll remove his face to the farthest of seas, and his backside to the other end, where his rottenness and groaning will ascend, for then his works will be greatly exposed.’
21 So, be courageous O earth! Yes, rejoice and be glad, for Jehovah has been moved to take action! 22 Be courageous, O cattle of the fields, for pastures will burst from the desert. Then all the trees will bear fruit… the fig-trees and grapevines will then yield their strength!
23 Be glad O children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God, for righteousness He has given as your food; He’ll bring both late and early rains, as He has done in the past! 24 Your threshing-floors will then be covered with grain, and the vats of oil and wine will overflow.
25 ‘I’ll repay you for all of the years, that they were devoured by the blight, as well as grasshoppers, caterpillars, and locusts… by My great army that I’ve sent upon you. 26 Then you will eat, and in eating you’ll be filled, and you’ll praise the Name of Jehovah your God… He who performed great wonders among you, for My people will not be disgraced through the age. 27 Then you will [will finally] come to know, that in the midst of Israel here I am… yes Me, Jehovah your God, and other than Me there are none… My people won’t be disgraced through the age.
28 ‘And in the last days I will pour out My Breath, and Your sons and daughters will all prophecy; your aged men will dream dreams, and your young men will also see visions. 29 In those days I’ll pour out My Breath, upon My male and female servants. 30 Miracles I’ll create in the sky; fire, blood, and smoke I’ll bring to the earth. 31 The sun will convert into darkness, and the moon [will be changed] into blood, before the coming and appearance, of the great Day of Jehovah. 32 And it will be [in that Day], all who call on the Name of Jehovah will be saved.’
For, the Lord then said this: ‘On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, there’s just One who can save. So announce this good news to all those, who are calling on Jehovah.’
Chapter 3
1 ‘For {Look!} in those days and that time, I’ll return the captives of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Then I will gather all the nations, and lead them to the Valley of JehoShaphat, where I will judge on behalf of My people (Israel My inherited [people]), those I dispersed among the nations… those among whom I divided My land… My people over whom I cast lots. 3 For, I gave the boys to the whores, and sold the young women for wine, as a drink offering [to Me].
4 ‘What are you to Me O Sidon and Tyre, or Galilee of the Philistines? Should I repay you for all that you’ve done… do you have reason to resent Me? Swiftly I’ll bring what’s owed on your heads, 5 for you have taken My silver and gold, as well as the things I had chosen… the good things that you carried to your temples.
6 ‘Now the sons of Judah and Jerusalem, you’ve given to the sons of the Greeks… you pushed them away from your borders. 7 But {Look!} I’ll now awake them from the place where you sent them, and bring the payment for them upon your own heads. 8 Then to the sons of Judah, I will give your sons and your daughters. They will then take them as captives, into a nation far away; for I Jehovah have spoken.
9 ‘Proclaim these things to the nations! Declare holy war… awaken the soldiers! [Attack and conquer] men of war! 10 Cut your plows into broadswords, and your scythes into spears! Let the weak now say I am strong! 11 Gather and attack those nations round about! Have them all meet together, and let the meek become warriors!
12 ‘Awaken all the nations and make them ascend, to the Valley of JehoShaphat, for there I will sit and separate the nations, that are living round about you! 13 Send out the scythes, for the crops are now ready for harvest! Climb in and tread, for the wine vat is full… the vats overflow with their badness!
14 ‘Sounds resound through the punishment valley, for upon this valley where they will be punished, the Day of Jehovah is near. 15 Then the sun and the moon will grow dark, and all the stars will grow dim. 16 Out of Zion the Lord will then shout, and from Jerusalem His voice will be heard. Then heaven and earth will be shaken, but the Lord will spare all His people, and make the sons of Israel strong. 17 An then you will surely know, that I am Jehovah your God. For, on Zion My Holy Mountain I will camp, and then Jerusalem will be holy… foreigners will no longer pass through her. 18 And it will be in that day, that from the mountains sweetness will trickle… from the hills will flow milk, and from springs of Judah will flow water. Then from the [Temple] of Jehovah a spring will flow out, and the water will become a great river.
19 ‘Egypt will thereafter be gone, and Idumea will become a plain of extinction, because the sons of Judah were unrighteous… because the blood of the just they shed in their land. 20 Then they’ll dwell in Judea through the ages, and for generations of generations in Jerusalem. 21 I’ll avenge all the blood and never acquit, and then in Zion Jehovah will camp.’
Notes
The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?
Throughout the Bible, we find the entire realm of creation divided into three entities, the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English we understand that there’s a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In an ancient time God created the sky and the ground.’
This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above, and the water. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time. However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, so readers can grasp the proper meaning of each text.
This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek word ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at Romans 3:5, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The ancient earth and sky weren’t covered by water. However, (obeying God’s instructions) they stood together between the water [that was above and below].’
Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to that portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘gentle’ as inheriting the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth, we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not ground.
In the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, ‘The Hereafter.’
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Hades: Hell or the Grave?
The Greek word hades (they pronounced it hahdess) has been translated both as Hell (which is thought of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can’t mean two very different things, which translation is correct?
Hades (like the English word Hell) actually means the place of the dead. However, as pagan Greek philosophy started to develop, then creep into Christianity, the latter-day Greek view of hades (a place of torture) was applied to it. Was this a correct application?
An insight into how the ancient Hebrews and the early Christians understood the word can be gained by looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (the ‘Old Testament’) which was the Bible of Jesus’ day. There, the Hebrew word sheol is translated into Greek as hades in every instance, yet in each case, these are obvious references to the grave (the place of the dead), not to a place of conscious torture (see Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).
Another revealing application of the word hades is found at Revelation the 20:13. It says there, ‘ The sea (gr. he thalassa) gave up its dead, death and the grave (gr. thanatos kai ho hades) gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’
Notice that those who die at sea are differentiated from those who are buried in graves (hades) and in other places (thanatos). So, Hades is better translated as grave.
In the book of Job, another word that is used once in the Christian Era Scriptures and often translated as Hell, is found in two scriptures. That Greek word is Tartarus, which refers to the place where evil gods or angels are sent. For more information, see the linked document ‘Is There a Burning Hell?’
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Breath
The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing illness) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bibles this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word espiritu, which (again) means breath. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.
The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (breath-like or wind-like). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force which God used in creation – and in motivating His servants today – is another God-like person. So, to prevent confusion, it is usually translated as breath here, except when it refers to spirits (demons), where the description ‘breath’ would just be confusing. For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’
Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase ‘Breath of Life.’ This means more than just breathing, it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life that’s shared by all living things, which makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death, because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection (for more information, see the link ‘Is there a Burning Hell?’).
In certain cases, pneuma is used to describe an innermost feeling or direction, so we have also translated it into other appropriate words (see Daniel 2:1).
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Why the Name Changes?
You may have noticed that we have started putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.
We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example), is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah? For Jonathan means Jehovah has Given. So, the name was originally pronounced Yo-nuh-thahn. Then the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift.
In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done.
Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’
Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it iJah, because the i would typically be pronounced as a long e followed by a y in Hebrew, and writing it without the i (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So we have rendered it JeremiJah, which is similar to the way this name is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.
Another important word in names that we usually capitalize
is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people
commonly pronounce Ee-lee-ay-zer and means God [has] Helped) should
actually be pronounced Elee-eh-zer. The same is true for the letters Ai,
especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the
word city. So, AiLam probably meant the City of
Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the letters ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.
Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places, and where they should be? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship. All we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by Greek-speaking Jews.
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Jehovah
The existing modern copies of the Greek Septuagint (Greek translation of the ‘Old Testament’ or ‘Ancient Scriptures of Israel’) don’t use the Name of God (Jehovah) at all. We know that the reason why the Name was removed from all later copies of the Hebrew versions, was because Jewish scribes had become so awed with God’s Name that they refused to write it or say it, so they started substituting the term ‘the Lord’ (the Master) or ‘Theos’ (God), wherever it was found. And since most existing versions of the Septuagint come from the second century or later, it isn’t surprising that God’s Name has been omitted from modern texts.
That the Name Jehovah (which means, He who Causes to Be, or, The Creator) was originally in the Bible, is documented in all ancient Hebrew texts. And it is most likely that the Septuagint translation which Jesus and his Apostles used (most quotations they gave seem to have come from an ancient Septuagint) carried that Name, but probably in the four Hebrew characters that represent the English consonants YHWH.
Notice this comment by Robert Hanhart, who contributed the Introduction to ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture.’ He stated therein that, ‘All Greek biblical texts of Jewish origin found to date, whether from pre-Christian or Christian times, transmit the name יהוה Jehovah not in the form κύριος [Lord] encountered in all the LXX [Septuagint] manuscripts of Christian origin, but in some form of the Tetragrammaton.’ (See: ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture,’ 2002, book, p.7, by Martin Hengel. Introduction by Robert Hanhart, published by Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2790-X).
You will see how in the book of Isaiah, for example, God is often referred to in Greek as Kyrios ho Kyrios, or, Lord the Lord (see Isaiah 48:16 LXX). And these are obvious examples of texts where God’s Name was omitted, for such sentences should clearly read Jehovah the Lord, or Lord Jehovah.
Since the words God and Lord both appear to have been substituted in the text wherever God’s Name originally appeared, it is difficult to know where to reinsert the Name for the titles. We could refer to the Hebrew texts and insert it wherever the Name appears there, but that would be out of harmony with the purpose of presenting this translation of the Septuagint on its own merit. So, wherever the term the Lord appears in reference to God, we have decided to insert the Name Jehovah.
There are places where we have deviated from this rule. For example, there is the instance when Abraham was talking to three ‘men,’ one of whom he referred to as the Lord. In this case, Abraham was obviously speaking to a messenger from Jehovah (likely His representative, Michael), because, as God told Moses, ‘No man can see God and live.’ So, in such instances we have left the term ‘Lord’ unchanged, because that is likely the actual word Abraham used.
Also, in the writings of many of the Prophets, you will notice that they were often spoken to by God’s messengers, who they referred to as the Lord. And these messengers thereafter went on to give them messages from Jehovah. So, you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when referring to the angel messenger, and Jehovah, when referring to God. For example, notice the wording of Jeremiah 2:1 as an example: ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and yell in the ears of Jerusalem! Tell them that Jehovah says… ’
By the way, notice that the term for pagan gods (Baal, Beel, and Bel) simply meant ‘the Lord.’ So, all the pagan peoples in Bible times referred to their gods as ‘the Lord.’ Then they might have added the name of that ‘Lord,’ to show which one they were referring to. So, if the Israelites, Hebrews, and Jews had simply referred to their God as ‘the Lord’ without giving His Name, then no one among the surrounding nations would have known which ‘Lord’ they were talking about. So, from the context (and from its use in all ancient Bible texts) we can see that the name Jehovah once appeared throughout the Bible to show which ‘Lord’ the Israelites worshiped.
And where you find the exclamation HalleluJah, which is the original Hebrew rendering of this word, understand that this word means ‘Praise Jehovah!’ (Hallel means praise, u implies second person, and Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah). So, even in most Bibles where God’s Name has been omitted, it usually still appears in this Hebrew exclamation, as well as in most Bible names of faithful men.
But, is using God’s Name really all that important? Yes, because He Himself said concerning the nations, as recorded at Jeremiah 16:21, ‘Because of this {Look!} I’ll show them My hand, and in that time I’ll show them My power. Then they will know that My Name is Jehovah.’
It has long been argued that the Name Jehovah wasn’t used before God revealed it to Moses on the mountain, because He said (at Exodus 6:2-4), ‘I am Jehovah. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I was their God. However, I didn’t show them My Name Jehovah when I established My Sacred Agreement with them [and promised] to give them the land of the Canaanites, the land they were visiting and living in as strangers.’
While many disagree with this view and argue that God was actually referring to His revealing the power behind His Name (which could be true), the fact that His Name is missing from inclusion in the names of His followers until after the time of Moses, and then it becomes so commonly used, would seem to indicate that the Name Jehovah wasn’t actually known prior to that time, and was inserted by later writers, such as Moses.
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Age
The Greek word aionos is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period. However, there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era. Please note that where the plural form of the word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time, at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ‘ages of ages’ is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to God, we would assume that this truly means forever.
It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.
The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply without an end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says:
‘Long ago, O Lord, You laid the foundation of the earth and Your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but You will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [You would do to] a robe, You will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, You are the One, and Your years will never run out.’
The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular form (aioni, aiona, aionos, aioniǒn, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.
Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in the age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aioniŏn (life age – singular), not zoe aioniōn (life ages – plural).
Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
So what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they would (in their current life) be considered among the ‘living,’ not among the ‘dead’ (see Revelation 20:12). This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever; it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that.
From consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life, the conclusion might be logically reached that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that; unlike those whom God considers to be ‘dead,’ living people would receive ‘life in the age,’ meaning, they will be considered worthy of life by God during their lifetimes. How long these ages will last is unclear from the references. Yet, as Jesus said, everyone who puts faith in him will be given this life.
Two words imply infinity in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia, which means undying or immortal(ity) and is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15 (where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality) and at 1 Timothy 6:16 (where it speaks of Jesus as having received it). The other Greek word, aidios, which is found at Romans 1:20 and at Jude 6, is used to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal.
For more information, select the linked document, The Hereafter.
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The Last Days
Throughout the Christian Era Scriptures (New Testament), we read of a time that is referred to as ‘the last days’ (gr. tas hemera eschata). These words seem to be speaking of the same period or periods, however, many religious groups prefer to identify them as separate and distinct eras. Take for example, the prophecy of Joel that Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost, 33-C.E. There we read (at Acts 2:17-21):
‘In the last days, I will pour out some of my Breath on all flesh, and your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will have visions and your old men will dream dreams. In fact, I will pour out some of my Breath in those days, and my male and female slaves will prophesy. And I will send omens from the heavens above and signs to earth below, blood, fire, and a smoky mist. Before the great and shining day of Jehovah arrives, the sun will be changed into darkness and the moon into blood. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Peter’s application of this prophecy clearly indicates its fulfillment as happening during the time that he was saying this, during and after Pentecost 33-C.E. So, many religions teach that Joel’s prophecy concerning the last days had its application just in the last days of ancient Jerusalem… before its destruction by Roman armies in 70-C.E. On the other hand, where these same words (last days) are found in other Bible verses, these same religions teach that the fulfillment comes just during ‘the Lord’s Day.’ For example, notice the words found at 2 Timothy 3:1-5:
‘Recognize that the last days will bring fierce times. People will love themselves and money. They will be braggers, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to their parents, unthankful and disloyal. They won’t love their families or be willing to agree on anything. They will be slanderers who don’t have any self-control. They will be wild and won’t love anything that is good. They will be betrayers who are headstrong and proud. They will prefer pleasures to caring about God. They will have some form of religion, but they won’t follow it.’
Obviously, at least in the prophecy of Joel, the last days do refer to the time between Pentecost of 33-C.E. and 70-C.E. However, notice that this prophecy also mentions its fulfillment as happening during ‘the great and shining day of Jehovah,’ so it seems to also indicate another fulfillment as coming in some future last days.
That there would be such a future period of last days (which would come after Jerusalem’s destruction) appears to be indicated by Jesus’ words as found throughout the book of John. For example, John wrote (some 29 years after Jerusalem’s destruction) that Jesus said (at John 6:39. 40), ‘This is what the Will of the One who sent me is: That I shouldn’t destroy anything He has given me, but that I should resurrect it on the Last Day. This is what my Father’s will is: That everyone who pays close attention to the Son and believes in him should have life in this age, and I will resurrect him on the Last Day.’
It is noteworthy that John didn’t then go on to explain that the resurrection had already started with the destruction of Jerusalem. So, apparently it hadn’t and the resurrection was still to come during some future last day. In fact, John’s writing of the Revelation indicates that the resurrection wouldn’t come until after what is referred to as ‘the battle of Armageddon’ (Revelation 16-20). Such conclusions lead us to believe that there are actually two periods referred to in the Bible as the last days:
1. The last days of Jerusalem
2. The Lord’s Day in which we could now be living.
That both last days would see similar fulfillments is indicated by Jesus’ words as found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. If you read these chapters and reference the linked Notes, it seems clear that both last days would see the fulfillment of many (but not all of the same) prophecies. So, is there to be some future fulfillment of the outpouring of God’s Breath and its gifts as seen at Pentecost in these last days? Although every religion has reached strong but differing opinions and doctrines on this, the answer isn’t totally clear.
That there will be (or has been) some special outpouring of God’s Breath in these last days appears to be clearly indicated by Joel’s prophecy. However, while many religions that claim to experience these gifts usually express it through healing, snake handling, and speaking in tongues, notice that Joel’s prophecy speaks specifically of miraculous prophesying. And Paul, when speaking of such gifts at 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14, actually discouraged speaking in tongues, putting prophesying and developing Christian love as foremost. Also: although the early Christians actually did Divine healing, this gift isn’t mentioned in Joel’s prophecy. So, if there is to be some modern fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, it seems to center on prophesying (more so than giving interpretations of Bible doctrines) and on an unusual expression of love.
See also the linked documents, The Last Days, and The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.
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