Joel’s prophecy, particularly in Joel 2:28-32, plays a significant role in understanding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the eschatological events in the Bible. In this passage, the prophet speaks of a time when God will pour out His Spirit on all people, enabling them to prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. This outpouring is described in the context of cosmic signs and apocalyptic events, such as blood, fire, and billows of smoke, and it concludes with the promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Peter, in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:16-21, associates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples with Joel's prophecy, seeing it as being fulfilled in their time.
The implications of this prophecy for tribulation and wrath are significant. Joel describes the outpouring of the Spirit in the midst of severe tribulation and cosmic disturbances, implying that believers empowered by the Holy Spirit could be present during such end-time events. The prophecy does not indicate that believers will be removed from the earth at this point, which suggests that some disciples may indeed live through a period of tribulation. The call for people to "call on the name of the LORD" to be saved during this time also suggests that there is a remnant of God's people who are active in prayer and intercession during times of wrath. This could be seen as evidence that churches of disciples may endure through the tribulation, continuing to pray for mercy and bear witness in the midst of these events.
In Joel 2:12-17, the prophet calls for repentance, urging the people to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping, and mourning. This call to cry out to God for mercy in response to judgment indicates a time of intense spiritual warfare and repentance. If this period of repentance is connected to the events of the tribulation, it suggests that believers are encouraged to pray and intercede for God’s mercy during this time. The presence of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit and who pray and plead for mercy seems to point toward the continued existence of disciples who live and minister during tribulation.
Whether Joel’s prophecy implies a pre-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture is not explicitly answered in the text. However, the fact that the Holy Spirit is poured out in conjunction with apocalyptic signs could suggest that believers experience at least part of the tribulation. Those who hold to a pre-tribulation rapture might view the prophecy as already fulfilled at Pentecost and continuing until the rapture, after which believers are taken before the tribulation. On the other hand, those who believe in a post-tribulation rapture could interpret Joel’s words as indicating that the church will endure through the tribulation, continuing its witness, prayer, and intercession, even during times of great distress.
In conclusion, Joel’s prophecy sheds light on the significant role of Spirit-filled believers during tribulation and wrath. The continuation of prophetic activity, visions, and dreams during these apocalyptic events suggests that Christians may live through the tribulation, empowered by the Holy Spirit to pray, prophesy, and bear witness. Whether or not this serves as evidence of churches living through the entire tribulation depends on one’s eschatological viewpoint, but the prophecy itself does not exclude the possibility of believers actively participating in prayer and intercession during this time of divine judgment.
— ChatGPT, 2024
