Our text is in the book of Joel, chapter three, verses one through three. For the sake of context, we will begin the reading in chapter two at verse 28. This is part ten of this series. Perhaps a brief review with a few reminders is in order. We do not have a concrete date for the life and writing of this prophet. It is difficult to discern from this book whether Joel wrote this prophecy before the division of Israel, or before the exile to Babylon. We do believe that Joel wrote of an actual calamity of locusts brought by God as a chastisement on Israel. As this is prophecy, we should also understand that more than one fulfillment is of this prophecy is possible. As concerns prophecy in general, there is usually a near fulfillment that the original hearers would observe, and a far fulfillment that is a future event. That future event is always future from the writer’s perspective. That future fulfillment may be in the past from our perspective. It is al...
1 Corinthians 7:29-31 “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” It is wonderful to see Paul’s love and compassion for the church at Corinth, even with all the turmoil that was besetting them at the time of his writing. He is always careful to remind them that he considers them family (brethren) and he is giving his admonishment out of love and genuine concern. As he addresses them (and us) in this twenty-ninth verse, he assures that “the time is short.” Considering that First Corinthians was written over nineteen hundred years ago, it seems unlikely that he was warning about the end of time. I believe Paul was speaking ...