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Joel 3:12

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

Let the heathen be wakened - The heathen shall be wakened.

The valley of Jehoshaphat - Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies.

Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Let the pagan be awakened - This emphatic repetition of the word, “awaken,” seems intended to hint at the great awakening, to Judgment, when they “who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, being awakened” from the sleep of death. Another word is used of “awakening”. On the destruction of antichrist it is thought that the general Judgment will follow, and “all who are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth” John 5:27-29: They are bidden to “come up” into the valley of Jehoshaphat, “for to come into the presence of the most High God, may well be called “a coming up.” For there will I sit to judge all the pagan round about,” (again literally “from round about,) from every side,” all nations from all the four quarters of the world. The words are the same as before. There “all nations from every side” were summoned to come, as they thought, to destroy God‘s people and heritage. Here the real end is assigned, for which they were brought together, for God would sit to judge them. In their own blind will and passion they came to destroy; in God‘s secret overruling Providence, they were dragged along by their passions - to be judged and to be destroyed. So our Lord says, “When the Son of Man shall come in His Glory, and all the Holy Angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His Glory and before Him shall be gathered all nations” Matthew 25:31-32. Our Lord, in that He uses words of Joel, seems to intend to direct our minds to the prophet‘s meaning. What follows are nearly His own words;

Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary
Here is a challenge to all the enemies of God's people. There is no escaping God's judgments; hardened sinners, in that day of wrath, shall be cut off from all comfort and joy. Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and their Redeemer! The acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favour to some, will be a day of remarkable vengeance to others: let every one that is out of Christ awake, and flee from the wrath to come.