◄ Joel 3:9 ►
Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
Study Bible
Proclaim this among the nations:

God summons the Gentile powers that have opposed His people to hear His decree. The nations are not beyond His rule; He calls them to account for their actions and gathers them for judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 12).

Jer 50:2 Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner…
Psa 96:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders…
Psa 9:11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion;…

“Prepare for war;

The command ironically directs the nations to make their fullest military preparations, though no army can resist the Lord’s appointed judgment. Joel 3:10 describes their conversion of farming tools into weapons, reversing the peace promised under Messiah’s reign (Isaiah 2:4).

Jer 51:27 Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn…
Jer 46:3-4 “Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle!…
Jer 6:4 Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack…

rouse the mighty men;

Seasoned warriors are summoned from every nation. Human strength, courage, and military skill will be assembled, yet they will serve God’s purpose without escaping His verdict.

Isa 13:3 I have commanded My sanctified ones;…
1Ch 12:8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold…
2Sa 23:8 These are the names of David’s mighty men:…

let all the men of war advance and attack!

The hostile nations advance as though they can determine the outcome, but their march leads them into the place where the Lord judges them. The gathering anticipates the final rebellion of the nations against God, culminating in their certain defeat under His sovereign hand.

Num 31:3 So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war,…
Jer 50:29 Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow.…
Deu 20:4 For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joel
A prophet in the Old Testament, Joel is the author of the book that bears his name. His prophecies focus on the Day of the Lord and call for repentance and preparation for divine judgment.

2. Nations
Refers to the Gentile nations surrounding Israel. In this context, they are being summoned for a divine confrontation.

3. Mighty Men
These are the warriors or soldiers being called to prepare for battle. The term emphasizes strength and valor.

4. Day of the Lord
A significant theme in Joel, representing a time of God's judgment and ultimate victory over His enemies.

5. Valley of Jehoshaphat
Although not mentioned in this specific verse, it is the location where God will judge the nations, as described in the broader context of Joel 3.
Teaching Points
Divine Sovereignty
God is in control of the nations and their destinies. Even as they prepare for war, it is ultimately under His authority.

Spiritual Readiness
Just as the nations are called to prepare for physical battle, believers are called to be spiritually prepared for the challenges and spiritual warfare they face.

Judgment and Justice
God's call to the nations is a reminder of His impending judgment. Believers should live with an awareness of God's justice and righteousness.

Call to Repentance
The broader context of Joel emphasizes repentance. This call to war serves as a warning to turn back to God before it's too late.

Hope in God's Victory
Despite the chaos of war, believers can have hope in God's ultimate victory and the establishment of His kingdom.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the call to "prepare for war" in Joel 3:9 reflect God's sovereignty over the nations, and how can this understanding impact our view of current global events?

2. In what ways can believers "rouse the mighty men" in a spiritual sense, preparing themselves for spiritual battles in their daily lives?

3. How does the theme of divine judgment in Joel 3:9 encourage us to live lives of repentance and holiness?

4. Compare the call to war in Joel with the promise of peace in Isaiah 2:4. How do these contrasting images shape our understanding of God's ultimate plan for humanity?

5. How can the assurance of God's ultimate victory, as seen in Joel and other prophetic scriptures, provide hope and encouragement in times of personal or global turmoil?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 2:4
Contrasts the call to war in Joel with the future peace when swords will be turned into plowshares.

Revelation 16:14-16
Describes the gathering of nations for the battle of Armageddon, echoing the call to war in Joel.

Ezekiel 38-39
Details a prophetic battle involving nations against Israel, similar to the gathering described in Joel.

Matthew 24:6-7
Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars as signs of the end times, aligning with the themes in Joel.

Psalm 2:1-6
Discusses the nations' rebellion against God and His ultimate authority, paralleling the defiance seen in Joel.
Sermons
War and JudgmentJ.R. Thomson Joel 3:9-13
RetributionD. Thomas Joel 3:9-17
The Final Battle Between Good and EvilJ. S. Exell, M. A.Joel 3:9-17
People
Grecians, Javan, Jehoshaphat, Joel, Zidon
Places
Edom, Egypt, Jerusalem, Philistia, Sidon, Tyre, Valley of Jehoshaphat, Valley of Shittim, Zion
Topics
Arouse, Attack, Awake, Draw, Fighting, Gentiles, Mighty, Nations, Nigh, Ones, Prepare, Proclaim, Ready, Rouse, Sanctify, Soldiers, Stir, Strong, Wake, War, Warriors
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Joel 3:9-10

     8329   readiness

Library
The Gospel Day Seen in Prophecy.
Upon reading the account of man's creation in the first chapters of Genesis we conclude that he enjoyed perfect peace and happiness. From the beautiful description given there of the garden of Eden--man's abode--we understand that God was interested in his felicity. In the nature of created things he could retain this happiness only by obedience to the Creator's laws. By a subtle foe he was induced to transgress those laws and thus became acquainted with sin and sorrow. After the transgression he …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Whether the Judgment Will Take Place in the Valley of Josaphat?
Objection 1: It would seem that the judgment will not take place in the valley of Josaphat or in the surrounding locality. For at least it will be necessary for those to be judged to stand on the ground, and those alone to be raised aloft whose business it will be to judge. But the whole land of promise would not be able to contain the multitude of those who are to be judged. Therefore it is impossible for the judgment to take place in the neighborhood of that valley. Objection 2: Further, to Christ …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Post-Millennialism Refuted.
The post-millennial position rests largely upon a mis-translation. In Matt. 13:39 we read "The harvest is the end of the world," and again in Matt. 24:3--"And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Now the Greek word which is used in the above passages is entirely different from the one found in John 3:16--"God so loved the Kosmos." In the verses …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon! What extravagant speculations have been indulged concerning it! What unscriptural theories have been entertained respecting it! To begin with; this appears from the term employed. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of "The Battle of Armageddon." The Scriptural expression is "The Battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14). This Battle of the great day of God Almighty will bring the Tribulation period to a close and will witness the return of Christ to the earth to …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Valley of Hinnom.
A great part of the valley of Kedron was called also the 'Valley of Hinnom.' Jeremiah, going forth into the valley of Hinnom, went out by the gate "Hacharsith, the Sun-gate," Jeremiah 19:2; that is, the Rabbins and others being interpreters, 'by the East-gate.' For thence was the beginning of the valley of Hinnom, which, after some space, bending itself westward, ran out along the south side of the city. There is no need to repeat those very many things, which are related of this place in the Old …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Great Assize
[i.e., The Last Judgment -- GL] [21] "We shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ." Rom. 14:10. 1. How many circumstances concur to raise the awfulness of the present solemnity! -- The general concourse of people of every age, sex, rank, and condition of life, willingly or unwillingly gathered together, not only from the neighboring, but from distant, parts; criminals, speedily to be brought forth and having no way to escape; officers, waiting in their various posts, to execute the orders …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

On the Various Names and Titles
Man is the total human or the mind; in Genesis: God made man after His own image and likeness. And in a bad part of the psalm: arise, o Lord, let not man prevail, here is flesh or the devil. [Gen. 1:27; Ps. 9:20(19)] The man is the spirit, that is, the mind; in the apostle: man is the head of woman. Man is the same in a bad part of Genesis: the virgin was fair of face and not known to any man, that is, the devil, who corrupts the mind greatly with imagining. [I Cor. 11:3; Gen. 24:16-18] The woman …
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the Mother of all the Godly.
1. The church now to be considered. With her God has deposited whatever is necessary to faith and good order. A summary of what is contained in this Book. Why it begins with the Church. 2. In what sense the article of the Creed concerning the Church is to be understood. Why we should say, "I believe the Church," not "I believe in the Church." The purport of this article. Why the Church is called Catholic or Universal. 3. What meant by the Communion of Saints. Whether it is inconsistent with various …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Gospel Feast
"When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?"--John vi. 5. After these words the Evangelist adds, "And this He said to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do." Thus, you see, our Lord had secret meanings when He spoke, and did not bring forth openly all His divine sense at once. He knew what He was about to do from the first, but He wished to lead forward His disciples, and to arrest and …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Discourse on Spiritual Food and True Discipleship. Peter's Confession.
(at the Synagogue in Capernaum.) ^D John VI. 22-71. ^d 22 On the morrow [the morrow after Jesus fed the five thousand] the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea [on the east side, opposite Capernaum] saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone 23 (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after that the Lord had given thanks): 24 when the multitude …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

On Earthly Things
The earth is man himself; in the gospel: another has fallen into the good earth. The same in a bad part about the sinner: you devour the earth all the days of your life. [Mark 4:18; Genesis 3:14] The dry lands are the flesh of a fruitless man; in Ecclesiastes, to work in a dry land with evil and sorrow. [Ecclesiastes 37:3] The dust is a sinner or the vanity of the flesh; in the psalm: like the dust, which the wind blows about. [Ps. 1:4 Vulgate] The mud is the gluttony of sinners; in the psalm: tear …
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ, to his Poor Servant, John Bunyan
In this my relation of the merciful working of God upon my soul, it will not be amiss, if in the first place, I do in a few words give you a hint of my pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that thereby the goodness and bounty of God towards me, may be the more advanced and magnified before the sons of men. 2. For my descent then, it was, as is well known by many, of a low and inconsiderable generation; my father's house being of that rank that is meanest, and most despised of all the families in …
John Bunyan—Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Interpretation of Prophecy.
1. The scriptural idea of prophecy is widely removed from that of human foresight and presentiment. It is that of a revelation made by the Holy Spirit respecting the future, always in the interest of God's kingdom. It is no part of the plan of prophecy to gratify vain curiosity respecting "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"--this is its key-note. In its form it is carefully adapted to this great end. …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the Poultry, 1689. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary on my left. It was very frequently republished; …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Memoir of John Bunyan
THE FIRST PERIOD. THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER. 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8. 'Though ye have lien among the …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Joel
The book of Joel admirably illustrates the intimate connection which subsisted for the prophetic mind between the sorrows and disasters of the present and the coming day of Jehovah: the one is the immediate harbinger of the other. In an unusually devastating plague of locusts, which, like an army of the Lord,[1] has stripped the land bare and brought misery alike upon city and country, man and beast--"for the beasts of the field look up sighing unto Thee," i. 20--the prophet sees the forerunner of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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