You have heard me mention this phenomenon before.  But why does the prophet Joel speak of it as being associated with the coming of the day of the Lord?  

Decision is an important part of life. Decision is in fact the most important part of eternal life.  Life in Christ begins with the decision to ask Him into your life, that He might direct your path as you follow Him.  We as individuals make decisions every day that can have lasting impact on our marriages, on our children and families, even on our spiritual lives which can have eternal consequences.  We in fact are a product of our decisions.  

What is important for us to understand is the fact that nations and governments are no different.  In the case of the United States we became a great country as a result of decisions that were made by our founders, and we as a country will eventually go the way of other great nations and empires who saw their demise in much the same manner, by our poor decisions.  It will be as a result of decisions that build upon themselves; the last few of which will eventually lead to our demise.  And as the saying goes: “as the U.S. goes so goes the world”.  This is becoming more and more evident, as we are watching the prophecy time clock tick on.  And as Theologians are contemplating just where is the US in Bible prophecy?

When Trump lost the 2020 election, at that time, I thought we were likely entering the end of days.  I thought that for a couple of reasons. The greatest of which you already know. The signs: they were progressing. But among them is what actually becomes obvious when studying prophecy.  It is the obvious demise or lack of support for the people of God within the governments of this world. 

What I was seeing then was the array of decisions being made in favor of choosing evil over good among the western Christianized world leaders.  But then Trump came back into power and the tide toward evil was given the opportunity to be halted or slowed. The opportunity for good to be chosen over evil is always God’s intent when opportunity is provided.  And it comes when it does, for one reason only. And that is to give leaders and individuals a choice that can eventually turn the rudder giving direction to the nation in question, and if that turn is toward good and God, then there will be extended further peace and prosperity.  But when that rudder turns even more directly toward evil there are only two choices left for the individuals within that nation, who then also must make a choice.  For once a nation has set its course toward evil then it is up to each man to decide to either follow that nation to its defeat or to buck that nation and suffer the consequences.  Either way when nations are judged not just the evil men will suffer. 

We are now seeing troubling decisions take place among local and State legislatures even in the midst of some good that is being done by our present federal administration attempting to move the U.S. back toward Godliness.  We are seeing victories in primary elections for Communists and Islamists at both local and state levels.  We must understand, that the heart of the people is well known by God. Our perception is not always correct in this regard.  

Men’s hearts are determining whom they will serve, and the heart of mankind will eventually move us into that valley of decision where, one’s last decision will be the only one that matters:

Joel 3:14  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  15  The sun and moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. (NASB1995)

In several passages but especially in Isa 13 and Joel above, what we see is the sun and moon not shedding there light before the Day of The Lord comes or when it is near.  So what does this mean for our world according to Matt 24:29?  – this day will come after very troublesome times.  the Great Tribulation we are told by Jesus in the Matt 29 verse will proceed Jesus coming.  There is no doubt that before it comes there is great tribulation on earth even as Jesus explained it in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, where He tells us that these Sun, moon and star signs are before His coming, and the prophets tell us that those signs preceded the day of the Lord, these signs are not after this coming day as the Dispensationalists often teach it. This therefore places Jesus New Covenant Church (the one new man) in the valley of decision along with the world before His coming.  Jesus brethren are at that point in time in need, for they then can neither buy nor sell.  They can neither take the mark nor worship the beast.  To decide wrongly, would be to deny Him.  

The valley of decision occurs for a very specific reason.  God will leave no man undecided, when it comes to their own choosing.  Every man will have chosen. Some will have chosen their spirituality between the Christ and Satan.  Others  will have chosen between good or evil.  And it will have been done before Father ends this age.  Men in Christ will be resurrected or raptured to forever be with the Lord. Men who have chosen the occult will be destroyed in eternal torment with the Antichrist and his father’s angels.   While others who are not yet spiritual, but who remain  in their mortal state will choose to do good or to choose otherwise to just not get involved. 

Jesus Himself told us that not every man will have chosen to be in Him before this time as He provides judgment over the nation’s.  There will be salvation decisions as men are entering into covenant with Christ during this the time of decision, but they seem very few; as Jesus asks if faith will actually be found on this earth when He returns.  

This decision time is the final season of mankind’s influence upon this earth.  For the final Trumpet will sound and:

Revelation 11:15  Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become [the kingdom] of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (NASB2020)

This inaugurates the Day of the Lord when Jesus Returns with the sounding of this last Trumpet recorded here in Scripture.  It is then that He tells us that He will gather the nations still on this earth.  You and I are charged with studying related verses scattered throughout Scripture and allowing not our own understanding or that of others, but only that of the Holy Spirit to teach us. 

So we do know from other Scriptures that those left alive as mortals are yet to be Judged.  The Spiritual men of this earth; those who have worshiped either The God of creation or the false gods representing Satan will have been harvested from the earth at this point.  

In chapter 14 of Revelation, we are told of this harvesting. 

Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. (KJV)

This chapter deals with harvest. The first fruits of the harvest are the 144,000, who were sealed after the Tribulation began. Since we are dealing with harvest in Chapter 14 of Revelation we might conclude that these are harvested first. They are first fruits.  This is interesting  because Jesus has stated that the first shall be last and the last first. 

One question that might be asked is: how can anyone other than Jesus own resurrection proceed those who are the first fruits; (and Jesus is also called the first fruits)?

It appears from this that as first fruits we are seeing that the Jews who are the last saved will be the first harvested in the Rapture.  There are two reapings which take place in this chapter.  One is done by the Son of man, and this likely represents the resurrection and Rapture which we know occurs in the twinkling of an eye.  We believe this since it is shown to be the harvest done by Christ from the earth.  The souls of the dead in Christ would come from Heaven to meet their resurrection bodies, and they would rise first, before these alive are to be harvested.  This is in keeping with Paul’s teaching in 1 Thess 4.  Then we who are alive would be among this first harvest or reaping shown in Rev. 14.  

One other point. It certainly appears that these can not have been harvested to stand with Jesus before His saving of the Jews thought to be in Petra. It is believed that they are the subject of Jesus’ actions recorded in Isa. 63:1-7. This being the case they are not yet present with Him, because He makes it clear that no man is with Him. So are these the 144,000, those who are protected at Petra?

And there is then recorded in Rev. 14 the second reaping of the earth done by an angel, who then places this harvest into the winepress of the Wrath of God. At this point we should understand that Babylon has already fallen before this as it is recorded before these events in vs. 8. This falling of Babylon is seen again in a later chapter of the Revelation to occur at the end of this period of mankind’s rule. So Chapter 14 is a prelude to what is still coming at the very end of the Tribulation, and John will record it all.  

Based upon what we are seeing take place today it is likely that we will soon be entering into this period of our history.  When this time comes Jesus has called on each of us to be witnesses and to endure. Our decisions for these days should incorporate both.