Joel 3:9

Joel 3:9 says, Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:  I believe God is issuing a warning to those who oppose Him.  They need to prepare for war, and even when they bring their best power against Him, it is going to be ineffective.  Anytime we battle against God, no matter if we bring our most powerful weapons, we are going to lose.  I believe that this also tells us that God always warns everyone that if they are attempting to defeat Him that they are fighting a losing battle.  Verse ten adds, Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.  We as followers of Christ are told to beat our swords into plowshares, but here those that oppose God are told just the opposite.  We may have some very powerful weapons in the world today, but they are nothing compared to the power of God.  If a person or a nation is going to war against God, they can use everything at their disposal, but it is not going to be enough to defeat Him.  Verse eleven continues, Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.  Those opposed to God are called on to gather together, but God warns that His mighty ones, His angels, will come down against them.  We know at the second coming of Christ that the angels will be with Him and the powers of this world will be completely defeated.  We also know that since Christ's ascension that His followers have thought that His return was imminent, but all we can be sure of is that it is certain.  We do not have to fight the forces of evil in the world alone, because the Holy Spirit is there to strengthen us for the fight.  Verse twelve states, Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.  There is coming a day of judgment when all the heathen, those that do not believe in Christ as Savior, will be gathered and judged.  Without accepting the gracious gift of forgiveness through Christ, the only verdict can be guilty. Verse thirteen adds, Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.  The harvest was ripe, but it was ripe with wickedness.  We as followers of Christ are told that we are to be busy witnessing, because the harvest is ripe.  Those who are lost in the world today always need to hear the gospel now.  We are to be concerned not with killing them, but instead with converting them.

Verse fourteen continues, Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. There are indeed multitudes and multitudes in the valley of decision today, even if they don't realize it.  It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to make them aware of their need to make a decision to follow Christ also, for the day of the Lord is indeed nearer every day. Whether it be today or a thousand years, for many people it is today. For everyone who dies today, the day of the Lord is indeed here.