Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 

Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---  God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.---► The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---  ◄This book of the Bible happens during this time The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. --- Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 


Joel 1 - 3

A swarm of locusts attacks the Israelites' farms.
The priests should call the people to fast.
The day of the Lord is coming.
The Lord tells the people to turn to Him.
The Lord will take pity on His land.
God will punish the people who took Judah and Jerusalem.

The Book of Joel was written by the prophet, Joel.  People who study the Bible do not agree on when he lived.  Some say that he lived around 500 BC and others say he lived around 830 BC. He lived around 825 BC. He writes about God's judgment on Judah. He warns them to repent. Joel writes about the Day of the Lord.  This is the day when God judges the earth and punishes the sinners.

Joel 1

A swarm of locusts attacks the Israelites' farms.

Joel's father's name was Pethuel.  God talked to Joel. 
[1] The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.


God said, "Listen to this , old men and everyone living in the land. Has there even been anything like this in your time or your ancestors' time?
[2] Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?


Tell your children about it.  They should tell their children, and their children's children.
[3] Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

The crops are gone. The palmerworm ate some. Then, the locust ate what the palmerworm did not eat.   Then, the cankerworm ate what the locust did not eat. Then, the caterpillar ate what the cankerworm did not eat.
[4] That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.


You drunk people should wake up and cry. There won't be any new wine because the pests ate the grapes.
[5] Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.


Our land has been invaded by a strong county.  They have so many soldiers, we can't count them. They are like a lion with big, sharp teeth.
[6] For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.


This lion has destroyed my grape vines and taken the bark off my fig tree. He made the tree branches white and bare.
[7] He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

Cry like an unmarried woman who lost the man she was supposed to marry.
[8] Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

No one brings sacrifices to  the Lord's house. The priests are very sad.
[9] The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD's ministers, mourn.


Nothing is growing in the farmland. The corn is gone. The new wine is dried up. The olives for oil dry up.
[10] The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

Be sad for the farmers. Their harvest is gone.
[11] Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.


The fruit that grows on vines and trees has died.  The people are not happy anymore.
[12] The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.



The priests should call the people to fast.


Priests should dress in scratchy mourning clothes and cry loudly.  People are not making sacrifices to God at the temple.
 [13] Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.


Call the people to fast and don't eat. The leaders and the people should meet together at God's temple. They should cry to the Lord.
[14] Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

They should cry because the day of the Lord is here.  There will be destruction as punishment from God.
[15] Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.


Our food is gone. We are not celebrating at God's temple.
[16] Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?


The seeds are rotten in the fields.  There is no harvest. The barns are broken. The corn is dried up.
 [17] The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

Our cattle and sheep have nothing to eat. They moan because they are hungry.
[18] How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

I will cry to you, O Lord.  The fires have burnt up the fields and pastures.  The fire has burnt up all of the trees.
[19] O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

The animals cry to you. The rivers are dried up. The fire has destroyed their pastures.
[20] The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.


Joel 2

The day of the Lord is coming.

Blow your trumpet in Zion. Send a warning to My holy mountain.  All of the people who live in the land should shake and be afraid because the day of the Lord is coming. It is very close.
[1] Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

It will be dark with thick clouds. There was once a great crowd of people there. But now they won't be anyone there for many years to come.
[2] A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

There was a fire destroying everything in front of them and a fire behind them. It was once like the garden of Eden. Now, it is an empty wilderness. Nothing will escape the destruction.
[3] A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

The flames look like horses and riders running. They will sound like chariots on the tops of mountains. They are a fire that completely burns the hay. They are like a strong army.
[4] The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
[5] Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

The people will see them and look afraid.
[6] Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.


They will run like soldiers. They will climb the wall like men who fight in wars. They will march in straight lines.
[7] They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:


They will not push one another. They will walk in their own way. If they get stabbed with a sword, they will not be hurt.
[8] Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.


They will run all over the city. They will run up the wall.  They will climb on the houses. They will go in windows like a thief.
[9] They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.


The earth will shake in front of them. The skies will shake. They sun and moon will be dark. The stars will stop shining.
[10] The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

The Lord leads His strong army. They do what He tells them to do.  The day of the Lord is terrible.  No one can stand it.
[11] And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?


The Lord tells the people to turn to Him.
The Lord says, "Turn to Me now. Come to me with all of your hearts. Show that by fasting, weeping, and mourning.
[12] Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:


Do not rip your clothing to show how you feel. Turn to Me. I am gracious and mercifu. " God is gracious and has a lot of mercy and kindness for the people who repent.
[13] And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Who knows if they will change their minds and start to leave offerings to God again.
[14] Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?


Blow the trumpet in Zion. Tell the people to come together and fast.
[15] Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:


Everyone should come whether they are old or young and no matter what they are doing.
[16] Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.


The priests and ministers of the Lord will cry at the temple. They will ask God to save His people. They don't want the heathen people to make fun of God's people and ask where God is.
[17] Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?


The Lord will take pity on His land.


The Lord will answer and take pity on His land and His people.  He will say, "Look, I will send you corn, wine, and oil. You will be full and satisfied. You won't be made fun of by the heathen people any more.
[18] Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
[19] Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

An army will attack you from the North. But I will make them leave. They will go into a place that is desolate and empty. They will die there in between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. They will smell bad becase they will decay.
[20] But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.


People in the land, don't be afraid. Be happy and rejoice because the Lord will do great things.
[21] Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.


Animals in the field, don't be afraid. The trees and fruit will grow again.
[22] Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.


Children of Zion, be happy and rejoice in the Lord.  He will cause it to rain in the spring and in the fall.
[23] Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.


You will have plenty of wheat, wine, and oil.
[24] And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.


I had sent locusts, cankerworms, caterpillars, palmerworms, and a big army to destroy you. Now, I will give you back what you lost.
[25] And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

You will eat a lot and feel full. Praise the name of the Lord your God. He has treated you well. My people will never be ashamed.
[26] And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.


You will know that I am in the middle of Israel. I am the Lord your God. There is not another God. My people will never be ashamed.
[27] And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
After that, I will pour out My spirit on all flesh. Your sons and daughters will tell about the future.  Your old me will have dreams. Your young men will see visions of the future.
[28] And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

I will send My spirit to male and female servants.  In those days, I will pur out My spirit.
[29] And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

I will show miracles in the heavens and earth. I will show blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.
[30] And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

When the day of the Lord comes, the sun will turn dark. The moon will turn into blood.
[31] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.


If anyone calls on God's name, he will be saved. Mt. Zion and Jerusalem will be saved as God has said. The people who are left who the Lord calls will also be saved.
[32] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.


Joel 3


God will punish the people who took Judah and Jerusalem.

In those days, I will punish the people who took Judah and Jerusalem away.
[1] For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
[2] I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

They have gambled for My people. They have sold boys and girls for alcohol and prostitutes.
[3] And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

Tyre, Zidon, and Palestine, are you trying to take revenge on Me? If you try to pay Me back, I will turn around and pay you back. You did bad to take My good silver and gold items to your temples.
[4] Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
[5] Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

You sold the children of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks so you could send them further away.
[6] The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.


Watch and see, I will bring them out of the places where you sold them. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people in Judah.  They will then sell them to the Sabrean who live far away. The Lord has said this will happen.
[7] Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:
[8] And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Tell this to the Gentiles, "Get ready for war. Wake up your soldiers. Let all of the fighters come close.
[9] 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:

Turn your farm tools into weapons for war.  Weak people should say they are strong.
[10] Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.


Come together. Ask God to send soldiers.
[11] Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.


Wake up the heathen people. Tell them to come to the valley of Jehoshaphat. That is where God will judge the people from all around the area.
[12] 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.


The harvest is ripe.  It is time to cut it down. The wine press is full.  The wicked people are very bad.
[13] 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.


They are crowds in the valley. The day of the Lord is coming.  He will judge the people in the valley.
[14] Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon will go dark. The stars will stop shining.
[15] The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.


The Lord will come loudly from Zion and Jerusalem.  The heavens and earth will shake.  But, the Lord will give people hope. He will make the children of Isael strong.
[16] The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.


You will know that I am the Lord your God. You will know that I live in My holy mountain of Zion. Jerusalem will be holy. No foreigners will go through her anymore.
[17] So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.


On that day, a new vine will grow on the mountain.  Milk will flow out of the hills. All the rivers of Judah will flow. A fountain will come out of the house of the Lord. It will make water for the valley of Shittim.
[18] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
Egypt will be destroyed. Edom will be destroyed. They will be destroyed because they killed the children of Judah.
[19] Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.


But people will live in Judah forever. People will live in Jerusalem for generations to come.
[20] But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

The Lord will live in Zion. He says He will punish the guilty people.
[21] For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.