THE LOCUSTS (7). (Cont. from
Previous Page)Chapter 1. Verses 14-20:
Here we are told to: "Sanctify a time of fasting. Call together a solemn assembly. Gather together the older men, all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of Jehovah your God, and cry to Jehovah for aid". (Joel 1:14 NWT). But people are not doing this, they are instead calling to each other to gather money, enlisting the AID of charities! God requires we sanctify A TIME OF FASTING and CALL TO HIM FOR AID. To do this, the people need spiritually qualified elders of His temple to call together all who are of the spiritual "land".The great literal swarms of locusts now in Africa, in addition to all the other parts of "THE SIGNAL", are the scriptural indicators that these "solemn assemblies" should begin worldwide; beginning the assemblies of the "festival of booths" (See Zech 14:16), instead of receiving more disasters.
Chapter 2. Verses 1-17:
These verses repeat mainly what has already been said, with some additions, such as: "For the day of Jehovah is great and very fear-inspiring, and who can hold up under it?" This day of literal locusts will become very great, and after their disposal our God will then pour out His Spirit "on every sort of flesh". (Joel 2:28 NWT). We can understand from this verse and other associated scriptures that these promised and imminent Spirit pourings from our God will primarily be a spirit of justice. Those able to "hold up under it" within His "land" will be saved, through their humble spirit obedience to these pourings. For a little over a decade now, they have been pourings of righteous denunciations through His anointed "menservants and maidservants". (Joel 2:29 NWT). For the most part, this has proven to be of a grievous nature, informing and correcting, to sanctify both ourselves and others in the "land".To sum up what has gone before, the urgency now is to:
CALL A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY TO CALL TO GOD FOR HIS AID.
Maybe He will feel regret, and leave us all a blessing.
(Cont. on Next Page).
26/10/88.