How does the threatening army give way to conversion and renewal?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The alarm leads to whole-heart return, assembly, restored harvests and the spirit’s outpouring.

Chapter breakdown

A trumpet and alarm sound in Sion and the holy mountain because the Lord's day is near. The edition explains this as execution of justice on sinners. Darkness, clouds and whirlwinds accompany a numerous strong people spread like morning on mountains, unparalleled through generations. The note offers Assyrians or Chaldeans, or locusts. Fire precedes and follows; a garden of pleasure becomes wilderness without escape. Horse-like forms run like horsemen and leap with chariot and stubble-fire noise. People suffer grievous pains, faces like a kettle. Warriors scale walls and keep ranks without pressing one another, fall through windows unharmed and enter houses like thieves. Earth and heavens tremble and lights darken. God voices his exceedingly great army's command; who can endure his terrible day?

The call is conversion with the whole heart through fasting, weeping and mourning: rend hearts rather than garments. God is gracious, patient and rich in mercy, ready to repent of evil. Who knows whether he will return, forgive and leave sacrifice and libation as blessing? The assembly includes elders, infants and newlyweds. Priests between porch and altar ask that the people be spared and not ruled and mocked by heathens. God has zeal for land and spares the people, promising corn, wine and oil and no further reproach. The northern enemy is driven into impassable desert, facing the east sea with rear toward the utmost sea, his stench rising for pride. The note offers Holofernes's army or locusts.

Land, beasts and Sion's children are told to rejoice. Wilderness beauty sprouts and fig and vine bear fruit. A teacher of justice and early and latter rain are given; wheat fills floors and wine and oil overflow presses. Years consumed by locust, bruchus, mildew and palmerworm, God's sent host, are restored. The people eat, praise and know God among Israel without lasting confusion. Afterward spirit is poured upon all flesh: sons and daughters prophesy, elders dream, youths see visions, and servants and handmaids receive it. Blood, fire and smoke are wonders; sun darkens and moon turns to blood before the day. Everyone calling the Lord's name is saved; Sion, Jerusalem and the residue called by God have salvation. Neither named seas nor Acts or Pentecost identifications occur in this admitted chapter.

The story inside

The forgiveness question preserves uncertainty. The note gives Holofernes or locusts for the northern enemy. A teacher of justice accompanies early and latter rain.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The forgiveness question preserves uncertainty.
2
The note gives Holofernes or locusts for the northern enemy.
3
A teacher of justice accompanies early and latter rain.

Test your recall

Who is included in the announced outpouring?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 100200–100213
2:1. Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: because the day of the Lord cometh, because it is nigh at hand. The day of the Lord.... That is, the time when he will execute justice upon sinners. 2:2. A day of darkness, and of gloominess, a day of clouds and whirlwinds: a numerous and strong people as the morning spread upon the mountains: the like to it hath not been from the beginning, nor shall be after it, even to the years of generation and generation. A numerous and strong people.... The Assyrians, or Chaldeans. Others understand all this of an army of locusts laying waste the land.
Lines 100245–100258
2:11. And the Lord hath uttered his voice before the face of his army: for his armies are exceedingly great, for they are strong, and execute his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible: and who can stand it? 2:12. Now, therefore, saith the Lord. Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning. 2:13. And rend your hearts, and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil. 2:14. Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive, and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God?
Lines 100260–100271
2:15. Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, 2:16. Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bridal chamber. 2:17. Between the porch and the altar the priests, the Lord’s ministers, shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathens should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?
Lines 100273–100287
2:18. The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people. 2:19. And the Lord answered, and said to his people: Behold I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. 2:20. And I will remove far off from you the northern enemy: and I will drive him into a land unpassable, and desert, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea: and his stench shall ascend, and his rottenness shall go up, because he hath done proudly. The northern enemy.... Some understand this of Holofernes and his army: others, of the locusts.
Lines 100301–100314
2:24. And the floors shall be filled with wheat, and the presses shall overflow with wine, and oil. 2:25. And I will restore to you the years which the locust, and the bruchus, and the mildew, and the palmerworm hath eaten; my great host which I sent upon you. 2:26. And you shall eat in plenty, and shall be filled and you shall praise the name of the Lord your God; who hath done wonders with you, and my people shall not be confounded for ever. 2:27. And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: and I am the Lord your God, and there is none besides: and my people shall not be confounded forever.
Lines 100316–100332
2:28. And it shall come to pass after this, that 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. 2:29. Moreover, upon my servants and handmaids in those days I will pour forth my spirit. 2:30. And I will shew wonders in heaven; and in earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. 2:31. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood: before the great and dreadful day of the Lord doth come. 2:32. And it shall come to pass, that every one that shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved: for in Mount Sion, and in Jerusalem shall be salvation, as the Lord hath said, and in the residue whom the Lord shall call.