Note. The trouble comes from the north (2:20). The North is called here because the main enemies of Israel (Assyrians, Scythians) usually came from there. In addition, the north signified in the East the seat of the Godhead. Consequently, the invasion is predestined by the will of God.

3. The prophecy of the Day of the Lord, according to Joel's vision, has two aspects: on the one hand, it is the dreadful Day of Judgment. "The sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood" (2:31), that is, the age-old laws of the universe will be shaken; but, on the other hand, the Epiphany will be a salvific act, in which the mercy of the Lord will be revealed:

Do not be afraid, earth; Rejoice and be glad, for the Lord is great to do this... And you, children of Zion, rejoice and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He will give you a Teacher of Righteousness. (2,21,23)

In the Synodal translation, "will give you rain in moderation," but modern textual criticism allows us to translate this phrase: "will give you a Teacher of Righteousness"[41]. The later Jewish sectarians, the Essenes, identified him with their leader (see §30), but in reality we have before us a messianic prophecy, a prophecy about the coming Christ.

For Joel, the coming of the Teacher of Righteousness is a sign of the fall of the barrier separating man from God. When the Master appears, the Eternal will reveal Himself not only to the chosen prophets, but also to all the faithful:

And it will be after I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; And your sons will prophesy and your daughters; Your elders will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. And also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit... And it shall come to pass, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord; will be saved. (2,28-29,32)

The hope of this descent of the Spirit has lived on in the Old Testament since ancient times (cf. Numbers 11:29). It was fulfilled in the Upper Room of Zion, when tongues of fire were kindled over Christ's disciples (Acts 2:3-4). Therefore, Ap. Peter, explaining to the people the miracle of Pentecost, referred to Joel (Acts 2:16-21). Therefore, during the Trinity service, the Church reads his prophecy.

Up. Paul, in interpreting the words "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," emphasized the word "everyone"; Thus, he excluded the possibility of understanding prophecy in a narrow sense (as the salvation of the Israelites alone). God's people include any person who lives in the Lord (Rom 10:12-13).

The Book of Kings concludes. St. Joel with a picture of the triumph of the Kingdom of God. The Heavenly Judge gathers the nations "into the valley of Jehoshaphat" (3:2) that surrounds Jerusalem. This image has a double meaning: the rebirth of the Remnant of Israel, scattered among the nations, and the rebirth of the Church of Christ in a terrible apocalyptic era.

The Kingdom of God is depicted by the prophet in visible features. God's righteousness puts an end to all wars and hostile forces (3:9-14). Peace and prosperity are granted to the faithful. These pictures (3:17-21) are characteristic of the metaphorical, metaphorical language of the prophets. To a certain extent, they also nourished the ideas of earthly messianism and chiliasm[42]. But the main gift of Theophany is the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who will transform creation.

4. Chapters 9-14 of the Book. Zechariah are an independent work with a special title. In language, style, and themes, it differs from the writings of Zechariah, who lived in the sixth century B.C. It no longer speaks of the rebuilding of the Temple, Zerubbabel, and the high priest Joshua, as in Zechariah. Author of chapters 9-14 of the Book of Kings. Zechariah no longer expects the speedy restoration of David's kingdom. His aspirations are eschatological and apocalyptic. Since he mentions the Greeks, most commentators refer to the second part of Book II. In this epoch, the troops of Alexander the Great captured the whole of Western Asia. The prophecies about the fate of Syria (Hadrach and Damascus) and Phoenicia (Tyre and Sidon) are believed to contain echoes of the events of this time.

To the conquerors and tyrants of this world, the prophet opposes the true King, the Messiah:

Rejoice with joy, O daughter of Zion, Rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem; Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; righteous and saving, Meek Sitting on a Donkey and on a colt, the son of a foal. (9,9)

The Messiah does not choose the donkey by chance. The horse has long been a symbol of war. The meek King must enter the holy city on the back of an animal, which signifies peace. That is why Christ the Saviour will do just that when He triumphantly enters Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-5).