Fay,

Let me start by saying that I enjoy your multi-topiced posts that you present to we Doves on a weekly basis. They are interesting and informative.

That said, I have to (nicely) disagree with your approach / discernment of Joel 2. For the last two weeks you have proposed or put forth the theory that the soldiers or warriors that are presented in Joel 2 are as you phrased it ….. “Either machines or are humans with advanced exo skeletons - enabling them to perform almost superhuman feats”

Whereas you are right about their super human abilities I strongly believe you will find from scripture that they will have no man-made machine characteristics such as robotics........ but will have capabilities much greater than mankind could ever develop.

I can confidently say this because in verse 11 of Joel 2 God proclaims that these warriors depicted in Joel 2 are......”His army”. No man-made fabricated components to these beings but all “home made” by the creator of everything.

Are these super human beings described elsewhere in scripture besides Joel 2? Yes, in many places but lets first look in Ezekiel 37. There we see who / how / when /where / and why God creates these end times super beings.

Who are they?

In verse 11 we see that they are the whole house of Israel. Meaning all the deceased descendants of Jacob / Israel that have ever lived on this earth. Hundreds of millions of resurrected people from the lineage of Jacob.

How are they made?

In verses 4-10 we see that God resurrects all components of these people.....bones, sinews, flesh, skin, etc. and then breaths life into them from the four winds..... at the appropriate time.

But most importantly (from my prospective) God the Father puts His personal Spirit into them …..verse 14. So, they are spirit beings endowed by their creator with some of His extraordinary powers and abilities. They won't need to eat, to drink, to rest or be re-supplied. And they will all have the attributes spoken of in Joel 2 including their riding of fire breathing horses that can also fly. No earthly obstacle is an obstruction to these horses whether it be rivers, oceans, mountains, etc. Habakkuk 3:15, Joel 2:5

When are they resurrected?

In the last days..... to do God's bidding or should I say His wrath. It isn't by accident that we find this whole resurrection taking place and God's huge army being re-created in Ezekiel 37......... just prior to when Israel gets attacked in Ezekiel 38 and 39. There will be a great price to be paid by the nations of the world for attacking God's land (Israel) and His Holy city (Jerusalem) and nearly wiping them out as is portrayed in Ezekiel 38-39 and elsewhere in scripture.

Where are these beings resurrected?

My assumption on this is......just like the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected in mass from all over the earth at the rapture, so will the whole house of Israel / Jacob be resurrected at the same time. The dead in Christ taken from the earth to a place of safety and the whole house of Israel constructed / conscripted / drafted by God the Father for His end time purposes here on earth.

Why are all these descendants of Jacob to be resurrected?

As per Ezekiel 37:10 to form an exceedingly great army. And also after this army completes it's ride to be completely regrouped as the complete house of Israel. Meaning the resurrected dead and the alive today Jews will be combined to live together in harmony during and after the tribulation period as is expressed in great detail also in Ezekiel 37.

How big is this “exceedingly great army”?

As per Revelation 9 this army riding fire breathing horses (as in Joel 2) will be comprised of 200 million beings / riders.

What is this exceedingly great army (comprised of spirit beings, riding fire breathing horses) tasked by God to do?

As per Revelation 9:15 they are tasked by God to kill one third of mankind by...... fire, smoke and brimstone (verse 17)

Why would God choose these resurrected Jews to administer a major part of His end times wrath?

His chosen people have been hated, persecuted and killed for centuries for basically just being His people. This demonic hatred that was passed to the masses to then be acting on for all these centuries. The bible says that all nations of the world will be against His land, His Holy city and His people. With the exception of a few that is the reality of the present time we live. And after the rapture I am sure all nations will soon act to destroy Israel and its people.....ie. Ezekiel 38,39. So then logically why wouldn't God allow his people to eradicate all of those who had it in their hearts to destroy them if given a chance. It's perfect poetic justice in my way of thinking.

I believe that whomever had it in their hearts to kill and destroy the Jews if given a chance will be the third of mankind killed as per Revelation 9. A general theme throughout the bible has been that God turns the tables 180 degrees where the oppressors become the oppressed and it appears to me that that is exactly what will happen in the weeks ahead.

It appears to me from reading in later verses of Joel 2 that the raptured church will be called from their dressing rooms or their hiding places to witness what God the Father and His exceedingly great resurrected army do to His and Israel's enemies. Verses 15-17 appear to alert all interested parties to leave what they are doing to witness the wrath of God on His enemies.

I believe that this resurrected army from the whole house of Israel will be resurrected at the same time that the dead in Christ are resurrected. The resurrected Christians will be taken to heaven along with the alive in Christ but as per Ezekiel 37, Revelation 7 and Revelation 9 the resurrected Jews, the whole house of Israel / Jacob, this great resurrected army, will spend a period of time in suspended animation. They will be “whole” except for the breath of life.

This is portrayed and explained “starting” in Ezekiel 37 where we see this great multitude of people is resurrected but the breath of life from the four winds is held back from them for a period of time.

We see this same story line pick up and continue in Revelation 7. Here we see four angels holding back the same four winds from blowing life back into this huge multitude of people. Holding back..... until.....part of this great resurrection has been sealed and the other timing of Revelation 9 is right. Those being sealed are the 144,000 first fruits of this great Jewish resurrection as is also portrayed in Revelation 7.

Then, this same story line and it's same characters continues in Revelation 9. There we see the same four angels that were holding back something (the same four winds) from blowing life back into this army.

There we see these same four angels who have been bound or prevented from allowing the four winds from blowing life back into this great resurrected multitude. Then when the timing is correct.....(I presume) after Israel has been attacked (Ezekiel 38)......we see another angel (the sixth) who is instructed to release the four angels who are holding back the four winds.

Now, with this release by these four angels who had been prepared for the hour, day, month, and year............ we have life and the Spirit of God the Father blown into this great multitude by the four winds. The verses that follow tell the number of this exceedingly great army as 200 million. That they ride fire breathing horses as in Joel 2 and that the riders have breastplates bearing three different colors (A Jewish tradition). That a third of the population of earth will be killed by fire, smoke and brimstone with these riders and horses.

As I mentioned above, there are many other areas of scripture that describe in detail the terrible ride of this resurrected army as it crosses over earth like a giant flamethrower burning nearly everything in it's path. This army of 200 million riding fire breathing horses may well be hundreds and hundreds of miles wide and the bible says that you can hear the noise of it coming from great distances bringing heart-stopping fear and fright to all in it's path. What a horrifying picture to imagine in ones mind. Even Hollywood horror films are not scripted on a scale of this magnitude.

There are many other areas of scripture in Isaiah, Zechariah, Habakkuk and others along with Joel that describe the horrifying ride of God's end time army. When the prophet Habakkuk was made aware of God's end times army and God's mission for it he was afraid and pleaded with God to remember mercy in the wrath to come.

Habakkuk said this......

When I heard my body trembled;

My lips quivered at the voice;

Rottenness entered my bones;

And I trembled in myself,

That I might rest in the day of trouble.

 

So Fay.....I believe you will find that man made robots or AI machines will not be part of the faction on display as portrayed in Joel 2.

Keep up your interesting diverse posts......although, somehow I don’t think any of us will be posting very long    

Blessings......John B