From Joel 2:23 through the end of chapter 2, consider the physical results that will come about as a result of God’s outpouring of His Holy Spirit on all flesh.
I keep emphasizing all flesh because it did not begin that way. The Day of Pentecost saw 120 disciples filled with the Holy Spirit in the upper room at Jerusalem. This, by no means, was all flesh. By the time the end of the day had come, 3,000 more people accepted Jesus and were probably filled with the Holy Spirit also. But again, that was by no means all flesh. All flesh would mean exactly that—every person—which would include unbelievers.
Through the centuries, many who were saved have also received the Holy Spirit’s filling and spoken with tongues, as they did in Acts chapters 2, 8, 10, and 19. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit began at the opening of the Church Age and has occurred daily in the lives of those receiving salvation and moving into discipleship. During times of revival, being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking with tongues has accompanied the great revivals of history.
But how could Acts 2 and other occurrences in Acts have been for all flesh? There have always been more unbelievers on the earth than believers (Matthew 7:13-14). It is because Peter gave Joel’s prophecy of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as beginning in “the last days” (Acts 2:17).
The last days do not begin at the beginning of the tribulation or Millennium; they began on the Day of Pentecost. Since then, the Holy Spirit has always been poured out only on believers.
But on the day the Millennium begins, all people on earth will be believers. All unbelievers will have been removed and sentenced to hell with Satan, demons, fallen angels, the anti-christ, the false prophet, the beast, and all rejecters of Jesus from all times.
So, grasp this fact: we are in the last days now. The last days began on the Day of Pentecost and continue through today, through the Tribulation, and into the second coming of Jesus to destroy the antichrist and remove all unbelievers from the earth.
To repeat what I just said: when the Holy Spirit is poured out as Jesus begins the kingdom reign, it will be on all people—all flesh—because there will be no sinners on earth on that day. Later in the Millennium, there will be unbelievers, because even in a time of perfect environment with Jesus on the throne, many will reject Him. They will be born from parents who were saved during the Tribulation, endured through it, and entered the Millennium. They will have children during the Millennium, but the children will not accept Jesus. A large group, which cannot even be counted, will rise up against Him at the end of the Millennium and try to over-throw Him (Revelation 20:7-10). They will be sentenced to the lake of fire with Satan and all who rejected Jesus in all time periods.
The Former and Latter Rain
“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month” (Joel 2:23).
In the agricultural economy of ancient Israel, the “former rain” and the “latter rain” were important times in the harvest of crops. The former rain was the predictable, moderate spring rain which came at planting time each season to provide the necessary moisture to cause the seeds to germinate and begin to grow the eventual crop. The latter autumn rain provided the abundant, large amounts of water needed for harvesting the great number of crops. Both—the former and latter rains—could usually be counted on to arrive regularly.
In our time, I can well remember when our weather was more stable and predictable than it is today. In recent years, it seems the world’s climatic conditions have become so erratic, no one can safely say what is likely to occur. Weather forecasters everywhere point out the difficulty of anticipating our constantly changing weather conditions. Recent tornadoes and hurricanes are more plentiful and powerful and are striking places never bothered before. As a result of prolonged droughts and repeated crop failures, wide-scale famine is a topic of much concern among world leaders. Increasingly, it is being predicted that worldwide food and water shortages are possible.
Yet, we as Christians are assured of our future. We know from the pages of God’s Word there is coming a day when all of this will be corrected again. This is what Joel is saying in these verses. The former and latter rains can be counted on with the same regularity as the coming of the Holy Spirit. The heavens and the earth will again work with regularity and perfect order.
But this passage has a spiritual meaning, because you and I are now living close to the time of the coming latter rain of the Holy Spirit. It will begin pouring in abundance at the end of the Church Age, continue through the time of the Tribulation, and be given in even greater abundance at the beginning of the Millennium. So much power and presence of the Holy Spirit will be given at the beginning of the Millennium, it will be like both the former and the latter rain occurring in the same month. The former rain is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. The latter rain is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. The presence of the Lord at the beginning of the Millennium will be greater because no unbelievers will be on the earth. They will have been removed after Jesus comes to earth and sentenced to hell until the Millennium is over.
Paul gives the millennial reign of Jesus the title, “the dispensation of the fullness of the times” (Ephesians 1:10). It combines the best—and more—of all the time periods before, including the former and latter rain: a double outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all the inhabitants of the earth.
Jesus told His disciples, and us, the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s coming to fill us is to give us divine power to witness, win souls to Jesus, and take the message of the gospel to the world (Acts 1:8).
Witnessing is not natural, a formula, or a memorized method—it is supernatural. It takes the receiving of divine power and the use of our prayer language, tongues, to prepare us to properly witness. I believe it is important to depend on the Holy Spirit for divine guidance and wisdom to lead a person to salvation.
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is a word of knowledge. Jesus used this gift often when He witnessed. He told Nathaniel, “I saw you sitting under a tree.” Nathaniel replied, “You are the Son of God” (John 1:48-50). Jesus told the woman at the well, “You have had five husbands, and the one you are living with now is not your husband.” She told Jesus she perceived He was a prophet (John 4:16-19).
I once sat next to a young man on a plane, and the Holy Spirit said to me, “He is ready to receive Me.” The young man told me he had been shown how to become a Christian by a friend weeks before but had forgotten how. He had prayed that morning for someone to explain it to him, and he sat next to me. I led him to Jesus immediately. It was an example of supernatural leading to win a soul. The Holy Spirit’s main ministry is to equip us and empower us for witnessing (Acts 1:8).
“The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil” (Joel 2:24).
These verses not only speak of the abundance of grain for food and wine for rejoicing, but also of spiritual food in abundance—the knowledge of the glory of the Lord revealed in all the world. God never gives just a small amount of anything. He gives everlasting life, the Holy Spirit to overflowing, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the knowledge of God’s glory will also be overflowing, like the seas that cover the earth (Habakkuk 2:14).
We think we have seen manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our day, but each one is nothing compared to the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit that will be manifested on the day our Lord returns to rule and reign over the entire planet. All the unbelievers will be removed, so only believers remain. And each believer will be filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God! The whole earth will be filled with praise and worship to the Lord, and it will go on for 1,000 years. His kingdom will have come, and His desires will be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven.
And the good news is that we as Christians do not have to wait for that day to begin living in the blessings and fullness of God’s Spirit. The latter rain began on the Day of Pentecost and never stopped. The Church of Jesus Christ should be receiving similar benefits today as we will enjoy in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
The Millennium will be a period of universal prosperity—a time when the former and latter rains will arrive at the same time and without measure. Prosperity will be the order of the day. But even material prosperity will be just a picture of what is happening spiritually. The material and spiritual worlds are closely linked. This is why the apostle John said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). John knew that outward, material prosperity in the life of a spiritual believer is only a manifestation of inward, spiritual prosperity.
God’s prosperity does not originate in the pocketbook but by His will and in the spirit. It does not depend on what is in the wallet, purse, or bank, but on what is in the heart. Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things…” (Matthew 12:35).
The Restoration of Israel
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust [Assyrians] has eaten, the crawling locust [Babylonians], the consuming locust [Romans], and the chewing locust [Armageddon], my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25).
God is not referring to the four physical locust invasions the nation has experienced, but the four corresponding military invasions of Israel—two in the Old Testament and two in the New Testament. The last one will be the battle of Armageddon, from which God will save Israel from all the armies gathered together from all the nations of the world. The Millennium will truly be the greatest case of cursing turned into blessing. Israel and Jerusalem will no longer be the target of Satan and all nations of the world.
Jesus said of the coming Tribulation that the Jewish nation and people will be hated of all nations because of the name of Jesus. The entire nation of Israel and its property will again belong to the Jewish people. And Jesus Himself will rule from the temple in Jerusalem forever. In that time, and forever after that time, Israel will possess the entire Promised Land. The closest Israel ever came to owning all of the land promised to them was under the reign of Solomon.
But there is coming a time when the Jews will own all the land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, including areas now occupied by their enemies. All this territory will one day be restored to Israel, just as the Lord Jesus promised. That is the time when all prophecies concerning the ownership of land for Israel and the Jews will be fulfilled—the Abrahamic Covenant.
Today, some well-meaning Christians and political believers speak of trying to return Israel to its rightful land. God was behind the United Nations act of 1948 when Israel was given their land. But the land will never be given totally until Jesus returns. No government, politician, Christian minister, or pastor will accomplish it. It will be done by Jesus personally at His second coming, when every nation will see Him, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Understand the Day of the Lord—and Live with Unshakable Hope in the Last Days.
Are you confused about end-times prophecy, the rapture, and the second coming of Christ? Do headlines stir fear instead of faith? Have you wondered how the book of Joel connects to your life today—and what the “day of the Lord” really means for you?
The answers are not hidden in speculation or sensationalism. They are found in God’s unchanging Word.
Through careful, Scripture-by-Scripture teaching, Bob Yandian unveils the prophetic timeline revealed in Joel—clarifying the difference between the rapture and the second coming, the Tribulation and the Millennium, judgment and restoration. With pastoral insight and unwavering confidence in biblical truth, he shows you that prophecy is not meant to frighten you—but to anchor you in faith.
In these pages, you’ll discover how to:
Distinguish clearly between the rapture of the Church and Christ’s visible return to rule.
Understand the purpose of the Tribulation and God’s mercy even in judgment.
Recognize the signs and sequence of Armageddon and the Valley of Decision.
Replace fear of the end times with faith in the faithfulness of God’s Word.
Live today in the power of the Holy Spirit—the “latter rain” already poured out.
You were never meant to dread the future. The same Jesus who rescues, restores, and reigns is your shelter and strength. Satan’s rebellion has an expiration date. God’s promises do not. The Day of the Lord is not the triumph of darkness—it is the ultimate revelation of Christ’s glory.
