Joel 3:1-3
“In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine to drink."
The Valley of Jehoshaphat (not currently a named or recognized geographic area) can be interpreted in different ways, (lit. “the valley of decision”); but I've got an idea that maybe a new valley is created in that day of decision (Micah 4:3 "He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide..." ).
I'm thinking that maybe..
Zechariah 14:4
"In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley."
...maybe the valley created on the day of the Lord is the valley of decision. And there the world will receive the judgment due them as a result of their evil treatment of Israel. The remnant Israel shall escape the judgment through that new valley, and flowing out from that valley of judgment will be rivers of life, "living waters shall flow from Jerusalem", and the Lord shall be King over all the earth. This all occurs on the day of the Lord. In the evening on that day the created lights will dim, neither day or night, and the light of Christ will shine forever, in winter and summer the rivers of life and light will flow.
As children of light in Christ, we are never in darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:4).
Some will prefer to see in these prophecies imagery about Christ Jesus' while he walked among the people frequently visiting the Mount of Olives, possibly ascending into heaven from there, and the gospel therefore flowing out from there into Jerusalem the pagan world. And in this way the salvation promise and new life in Christ is accomplished, and the fulfillment of those prophecies is made complete. None of that is untrue, but I believe it's just not what the prophet saw.
Why?
Because the justice has not also come. The created lights still shine in their own ways. The world is still dark. Satan is still the ruler of this planet. The kingdom judgement is yet to come. It's not just some symbolic description of the trials and tribulations of the first century church. It's not a prophecy about the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70.
No, this prophecy is about a literal supernatural creative process. A new valley is given birth to. A new Jerusalem. A new earth. And the river of life will literally flow out from it, recreating everything it touches.
And the enemies of God will be silenced. Their tongues will dissolve in their mouths...have they? Are they silent? In this "church age" are they silent? For that matter, is the church itself silent, no longer about false teachings? Are the children of God living in the light of Christ and in his millennia age? Is this the kingdom of Christ? Are all the kingdoms of the world coming to Jerusalem to worship the King as promised?
Of course we are not in the kingdom age. What's coming is a tremendous cataclysmic kind of a change that will take place in and around Jerusalem when Jesus comes. The Mount of Olives will tremble, and that whole thing is just gonna split half towards the north, half towards the south, and this great new valley is formed going down to the Red Sea, transforming on a Genesis level, the whole region. A vast underground reservoir of river water will spring forth from the area of the throne in Jerusalem. And it divides heading into the Dead Sea which will be transformed by it, and also flows into the Mediterranean Sea. And in this way all the waters of the world will be transformed. And along with this transformation, all who have the righteousness of Christ will join him there.
"And when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory" ( Colossians 3:4 ).
And when God establishes this new valley and new heaven and the new earth, we'll be right there with Him. So it's gonna be a very interesting astronomical, cosmological, and geophysical phenomena that will take place. God the Creator will get it done. Science today can't understand it because they can only understand what they know from a three dimensional perspective.
Some will still not come in the kingdom age. They will receive no rain, no living water, and the plagues will rage upon them.
Here's the thing, the Revelation tells us about the bowls of judgment being poured out upon the earth. These things will not simply come and go. They'll continue to plague the resistance. The time of choosing has come and gone. Now the valley of decision has come. The choice is made for them in the wake of the destruction left behind. Come, or don't. Rain or plague.
Food For Thought:
Many believe that humanity will continue at its present rate and eventually come together in peace and love. They'll evolve into love and compassion I suppose. And they think this why? Will education and erudite reason accomplish this? Has it?
LOL 😂
No...they devolve.
They turn to false gods and idols, homo-sexuality and all manner of sexual immorality. Greed consumes them, wars rage, slavery grows even greater today than ever.
No...mankind is devolving as it walks, no runs away from Jesus. The churches teach false Christ's and mislead the people. And the confused people leave church worse off than when they came.
Fact of the matter is, only a cataclysmic Genesis-like event will recreate the human race. A sifting must happen in order to weed out the evil spirits possessing them. And as the 1000 year (millennia) kingdom age happens, a stark contrast will finally be seen. You'll see the righteousness of Christ in his New Creation up against the left-behind remnant of rebellion against God's will, all making their decision in the valley of decision.
Every regeneration must be in an instant. From death to life. New birth. Instantaneous new birth, not gradual like sanctification, you either live or die. You decide.