400 Years-Session One...NCC Roots Bible Study--Led by Terry Cooper
Written 11-17-15
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Tonight we begin a 12 session study through the last 400 years of the prophets of Israel and
Judah that led to the 400 years of silence before the birth of Jesus.
The first 400 years will primarily be a study the prophecies of Joel, Amos 9, Micah and Malachi.
Tonight we begin with Joel and Joel lived in the time when King Uzziah reigned in Judah.
Two other prophets followed Joel in Judah (Amos in Israel) Hosea and Isaiah during the reign of
King Uzziah. You might remember that Isaiah’s vision occurred the year that King Uzziah died.
Isaiah 6:1 (NLT)
1
It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train
of his robe filled the Temple.
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Joel was a prophet that lived in Judah (the Southern Kingdom) around 825 BC and the primary
message was the coming Day of Judgment...the day of the Lord.
Now, bear in mind that both the northern and southern kingdoms had kings during the time of
Joel and the Northern Kingdom of Israel wouldn’t fall to Assyria for another 100 years (IsraelSamaria fell to Assyria in 721 BC bringing an end to the 10 tribes).
Joel’s prophecy describes punishment for sin, but also describes the deliverance from sin and its
punishment.
The punishment of the nation will be described and illustrated as a locust invasion that devastates
the land...but when will this occur?
The language of Joel describes a future time known as the Great Tribulation when a Gentile
army will invade Israel and be destroyed by God.
God will then intervene on behalf of Israel, following her repentance...this supernatural
intervention will come at the end of the Great Tribulation.
The day of the Lord is not just the Day of God’s Wrath, but also a day when God will save and
deliver a remnant...why?
Because God uses Joel to deliver this prophetic message for that day, even 800 years before the
first coming of Jesus... Joel 2:32 (NLT) 32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD
will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said.
These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.
It is in this very scene that Jesus will come to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and begin to
reign.
Now, are you ready to start the Journey of 400 years of prophecy that led to the 400 years of
silence?
Hang on, because it starts hard and heavy.
Joel 1:1-20 (NLT)
1
The LORD gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel.
2
Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything
like this happened before?
3
Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story
down from generation to generation.
4
After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them
came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!
5
Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine-drinkers! All the grapes are ruined, and all
your sweet wine is gone.
6
A vast army of locusts has invaded my land, a terrible army too numerous to count. Its teeth are like
lions’ teeth, its fangs like those of a lioness.
7
It has destroyed my grapevines and ruined my fig trees, stripping their bark and destroying it, leaving
the branches white and bare.
8
Weep like a bride dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband.
9
For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the LORD. So the priests are in mourning. The
ministers of the LORD are weeping.
10
The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and
the olive oil is gone.
11
Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley— all the
crops of the field—are ruined.
12
The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and
apple trees— all the fruit trees—have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them.
13
Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend
the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of
your God.
14
Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all
the people of the land into the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to him there.
15 The day of the LORD is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible
that day will be!
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Is this locust invasion a description of devouring bugs or devouring armies?
The war that will happen...the war that precedes “the Day of the Lord” will not be bugs invading
the land of Israel, but the Gentile armies of the world.
Now, let’s be clear, there were historical locust invasions in the land of Israel and all the people
would easily understand the locust/military analogy given through Joel, but his prophecy is about
the future day when military men will invade the land of Israel.
Three times in these first 15 verses the “Temple of the Lord” is referred to...why...obviously the
Jerusalem Temple will be in play when this invasion occurs and there has not been a Jewish
Temple in Jerusalem since 70 AD.
Do you remember our last chapter in the Zechariah study...what was happening in Israel when
Jesus’ feet step down on the Mount of Olives?
Zechariah 14:1-9 (NLT)
1
Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front
of you! 2 I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses
looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be
left among the ruins of the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has
fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the
Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will
move toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach
across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah.
Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. 6 On that day the sources of light
will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the LORD knows how this could happen.
There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light.
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On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward
the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter. 9 And the LORD will be king over
all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD—his name alone will be worshiped.
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Zechariah prophesied this scene some 300 years after the time of Joel, but you can see it to be the
same event...
Joel 1:15-20 (NLT)
15
The day of the LORD is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that
day will be! 16 Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of
our God. 17 The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns stand empty, and
granaries are abandoned. 18 How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about
confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.
19
LORD, help us! The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures, and flames have burned up all the
trees. 20 Even the wild animals cry out to you because the streams have dried up, and fire has consumed
the wilderness pastures.
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What does this time on earth, specifically in the land of Israel sound like...the Great Tribulation?
Matthew 24:15-22 (NLT)
15
“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object
that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)
16
“Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.
17
A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.
18
A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.
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How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.
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And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21
For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so
great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive.
But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
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Who is standing where...as Jesus quotes Daniel?
The antichrist is in the Jerusalem temple.
Why flee, why run, why hide?
Why will God shorten the days...for God’s chosen ones!
Can you see the locust analogy of Joel in verse 21 and 22?
Matthew 24:26-31 (NLT)
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“So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or,
‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!
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For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man
comes.
28
Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is
near.
29
“Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be
deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen
ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
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Now, let’s go back and pick up Joel 2...
Joel 2:1-17 (NLT)
1
Sound the alarm in Jerusalem! Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear
because the day of the LORD is upon us.
2
It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn
spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before
or will ever be seen again.
3
Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as
the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.
4
They look like horses; they charge forward like war horses.
5
Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of
chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
6
Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror.
7
The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never
breaking rank.
8
They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses
without missing a step.
9
They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves
through the windows.
10
The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the
stars no longer shine.
11
The LORD is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and
they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive?
12
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with
fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to
relent and not punish.
14
Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse.
Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the LORD your God as before.
15
Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn
meeting.
16
Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his
quarters and the bride from her private room.
17
Let the priests, who minister in the LORD’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the
Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, LORD! Don’t let your special possession
become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has
the God of Israel left them?’”
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Sound the alarm...blow a trumpet in Zion.
Let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble at what is about to come...the Day of the Lord.
A time of Darkness and gloom...look at how Isaiah describes this time.
Isaiah 8:20-22 (NLT)
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Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
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They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will
rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven
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and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair.
They will be thrown out into the darkness.
Isaiah 60:1-3 (NLT)
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“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.
2
Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and
appears over you.
3
All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.
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Let me ask you a simple question...would you like to live through this if you had a chance to
escape it?
Why did Jesus say this to the Church at Philadelphia?
Revelation 3:10-11 (NLT)
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“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of
testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.
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I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.
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Why did Jesus tell us to watch out and pray this specific prayer?
Luke 21:34-36 (NLT)
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“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this
life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
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like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
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Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors
and stand before the Son of Man.”
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What I’ve read to you tonight was written by the prophet Joel some 800 years before Jesus was
born in Bethlehem.
Joel was one of the prophets in the 400 year countdown to silence that would end with the birth
of Christ.
God is not random and He sees the end from the beginning.
If you study the genealogies of the Bible you will see that there were about 2000 years from
Adam to Abraham and 2000 years from Abraham to Jesus and it’s now been about 2000 years
from Jesus to today.
The Book of Matthew comes after the 400 years of silence and birth/life of Christ and begins
with genealogies and numbers...the countdown from Abraham to Jesus...
Matthew 1:1-2 (NLT)
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This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
2
Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his
brothers.
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After Matthew lists the genealogies he writes this...
Matthew 1:16-17 (NLT)
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Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the
Messiah.
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All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to
the Babylonian exile [70 years], and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.
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I don’t want to make too much out of the 14-14-14, but I do know that God is not random.
If a generation is 70 years...then there have been roughly 28 generations of men since the time of
Christ.
Isaiah 23:15 (NLT) 70 years is the length of a kings life
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For seventy years, the length of a king’s life, Tyre will be forgotten. But then the city will come back
to life as in the song about the prostitute:
Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NLT) 70 years was Israel’s captivity in Babylon
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This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do
for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.
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For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
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In those days when you pray, I will listen.
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If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
14
I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will
gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
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All of that to close with this tonight.
Israel became a nation (after 2500 years of absence) on May 14, 1948.
This year (May 14, 2016) will be 68 years of the reestablished state of Israel.
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Is Israel the fig tree in Luke 21?
Luke 21:20-36 (NLT)
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“And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its
destruction has arrived.
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Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the
country should not return to the city.
22
For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.
23
How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be
disaster in the land and great anger against this people.
24
They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And
Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.
25
“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in
turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.
26
People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be
shaken.
27
Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.
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So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
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Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree.
30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near.
31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of
God is near.
32 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken
place.
33
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
34
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries
of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming
horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
So what about Joel...
Joel 2:1-2 (NLT)
1
Sound the alarm in Jerusalem! Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear
because the day of the LORD is upon us.
2
It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn
spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before
or will ever be seen again.
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Next Week...Joel chapters 2-3 and the locust that look like warhorses.