Yet again the list maker takes a passage about G-d and claims it is a messianic prophecy Jesus fulfilled. Yoel / Joel was a prophet of the priestly tribe of Levi. He lived in the 6th century BCE -- long before Jesus. It is ironic that a missionary would point to Yoel / Joel as proof of Jesus being a messiah who "died for your sins" since the entire message of the Book of Yoel / Joel is REPENT and be forgiven! No need for sacrifice! No need for Jesus to "die for your sins" (which is an abomination since G-d forbids human sacrifice). Just repent! There is no "Joel 2:28 - 32." Christian bibles lump chapter 2 and 3 together. Yoel / Joel chapter 2 ends at verse 27 "And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the L-rd your G-d, there is no other; and My people shall never be ashamed." There is only one G-d. There is no other. Not surprising the list maker would ignore this verse! Yoel / Joel 3:5 (2:32 in Christian versions) says: . "And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call in the name of the L-rd יִמָּלֵ֑ט / shall be delivered, for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be a deliverance, as the L-rd said, and among the survivors whom the L-rd invites." Whoever calls on the name of the L-rd. Not the name of Jesus. Joel warns of a day of great darkness, both literally and figuratively, as locusts cover the land. The locusts will run across the land like horses, driven onward by their riders. The sound will be comparable to chariots, or to fire consuming straw. The locusts are an invading force, from which people will flee. The locusts will travel in their paths, doing their job as agents of G-d. G-d sent warning through His prophets, so that the people should repent, because who can stand up before His punishment? G-d still asks the people to repent and return to Him. He would rather they “tear their hearts” in repentance than be punished and tear their clothes in mourning. He is quite merciful, slow to anger and He would rather avoid having to punish people. If people recognize their shortcomings and resolve to improve, they can still walk away from the coming plague relatively G-d has mercy on His people, He will repay them for the damages incurred by the locust swarms. The people will eat, be satisfied and thank G-d for the wonders He has worked for them. The people will recognize G-d and never be ashamed. Yoel / Joel is speaking of the messianic age when everyone will know G-d, when there will be universal peace (hasn't happened yet) -- and the prophet (speaking for G-d) says "And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh." This is not the "holy spirit" -- a part of a three-headed god. The term “holy spirit” in the T’nach (Jewish bible) does not refer to an entity as it does to Christians. There is no “holy spirit” aka the “holy ghost.” There is only one G-d (D’varim / Deuteronomy 6:4). The term "holy spirit" (in which "holy" is an adjective) never appears in the T'nach even once. G-d is not a spirit. G-d is not a physical entity (He has not physical form, He is not a man). רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶש / Ruach HaKodesh should be translated as "a spirit of [the] holiness" or "a spirit of [the] sanctity". Meaning it is a state of holiness in a human being, NOT a mythical G-d of spirit. Let me repeat that – it is a state of holiness in a human being, NOT a mythical spirit of G-d. The term in Yoel / Joel 3:1 (2:28 in Christian versions) is not "holy spirit." The word here is רוּחִי֙ / my spirit. רוּחַ / ru'ah is a "spirit", and can also be also translated as "wind." G-d breathed a spirit into man (B'reshit / Genesis 2:7).. The Hebrew word (רֽוּחַ) / ruaḥ, which Christians almost invariably translate as “spirit”, in fact nearly always means something else. It usually means a “wind” (as in “north wind” or “east wind”), but it can mean a “mood” or a “fit”; and it can also refer to G-d’s “presence”. It would seem that this Christian “holy ghost” (“holy spirit” of the trinity) is based on a misuse of the Hebrew term Ruach HaKodesh (mistranslated as holy spirit) But Ruach HaKodesh doesn't mean "the holy spirit.” “Holy Spirit” would be הָרוּחַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ ha-ru'ah ha-kadosh (ha meaning “the”) or perhaps הָרוּחַ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה ha-ru'ah ha-k'doshah (because רוּחַ ruach can be both masculine & feminine – all nouns in Hebrew must be either male or female). קוֹדֶשׁ (kadosh) is a noun ("holiness" or "sanctity") and literally means to be separate. The term רוּחַ literally means “wind” and is the lowest level of the soul – the life force. רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶש / Ruach HaKodesh should be translated as "a spirit of [the] holiness" or "a spirit of [the] sanctity". Meaning it is a state of holiness in a human being, NOT a mythical G-d of spirit. Let me repeat that – it is a state of holiness in a human being, NOT a mythical spirit of G-d. So what does it mean? What is a state of holiness in a human being? Divine inspiration. One inspired by G-d. A state of being of a person. Inspiration being a level below communication with G-d (prophecy). Can Yoel / Joel be speaking of Jesus? No -- again read this in context. Yoel / Joel warns the people of his generation of pending catastrophe. . . but REPENT says the prophet. G-d would rather the people "tear their hearts" in repentance than be punished. If the people repent G-d will forgive and turn aside punishment. At the end of chapter 3 the prophet says that everyone will rejoice with G-d. . . . This did not happen with Jesus. The Jewish people were under Roman domination 2000 years ago -- the Romans crucified around 200,000 Jews. They destroyed the Temple, they burned Jerusalem and eventually they exiled most of the Jews from the land, destroying the country and renaming it for the Jewish enemy, the Philistines. . . In the past 2000 years has there been a time when "everyone" rejoices with G-d? It certainly wasn't the Crusades when the Jews were rounded into a Synagogue in Jerusalem and burned alive. Or the Middle Ages with Jews accused of killing Christians and being murdered in groups. It didn't happen during the Spanish Inquisition. Or the pogroms in Russia. Or the Holocaust in World War II. Or today when antisemitism is on the rise and Jews in France flee for their lives while Arab rockets rain down daily on the Jewish town of S'derot. No, the promise of Yoel / Joel that the Jews will rejoice has not yet happened. Yet another false claim by the list maker. . .
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