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Joel 2:28-32 (ANIV)
[The day of the LORD]
28 “And afterwards,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.”

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Not specified in Bible text.

LIGHTING NOTES:
The fire in the background provides the dominant light in this scene.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
Unnamed Hebrew people.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
The group of figures are representative of “all people” seeing visions, dreaming dreams & prophesying. I decided that their upraised arms & general look of happiness or ecstasy would be enough to portray the idea of receiving God’s Spirit!

Note: although Zion (the holy mountain) is mentioned in the bible verses, I thought I would depict a more typically pointed mountain; the sort of thing you expect to see when you encounter the word “mountain”, so my scene actually depicts the Matterhorn!

I enjoyed drawing the fire. The middle column of which is from a photograph of metal smelting in a factory. I loved all the fiery sparks flying out & was keen to include that detail in my scene.

Note: You should be about to make out the large red “blood” moon through the clouds of billowing smoke. There are a few feint stars as well.

Verse 28 (“And afterwards”) refers to the previous verses which tell of the Lord’s intention to drive the “northern army” away from Israel, & to restore the nation. In a future time “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. …etc.”

I will pour out my spirit.
The Lord announced through the prophet Joel that a mighty outpouring of His Spirit would occur on His “Day” (see verse 31). Whilst many modern Christians see this as referring to all people, everywhere, some Bible commentators believe that verse 28 (“Your sons… your old men… your young…”) indicates that “all people” refers to the inhabitants of Judah specifically. Nevertheless, this outpouring will be on all people regardless of their age, gender, or social class.

In Ezekiel 39:29 it says “I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel”, whilst Zechariah 12:10 says “I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem”, which is seen to support the view that it is Judah that will benefit from this outpouring.

Ezekiel 39:29 (ANIV)
29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Zechariah 12:10 (ANIV)
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

The deliverance experienced by Joel’s generation foreshadowed the greater outpouring that is predicted to occur at the end times. Joel (& many other books of the Bible!) also predicts God’s universal judgment at the end of history. Although verse 32 is translated “Everyone”, that doesn’t refer to all people, but rather the Spirit-empowered people of God, mentioned in Joel 2:28-29.

Interestingly, the apostle Paul (in Romans 10:13) related this passage to Gentile (as well as Jewish) salvation. The Apostle Peter also quoted Joel 2:28-32 on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:17-21). Later (in Acts 10:44-48) Peter came to understand that Gentile believers were to be included in this outpouring & salvation of the Lord. Originally salvation was offered to, & came to, the Jewish people. After many of them rejected that salvation through Jesus the Christ, the offer went out to Gentile (ie non-Jewish) people as well. Gentile believers are thus grafted into the root (Jesus) as branches of the vine. Romans chapter 11 is all about this analogy of vine, broken & in-grafted branches.

A most wonderful promises in scripture is found in verse 32: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;” – that is great news for both Jewish & non-Jewish believers!