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Commentary on Joel 2 verses 18–27
See how ready God is to succour and relieve his people, how he waits to be gracious; as soon as ever they humble themselves under this hand, and pray, and seek his face, he immediately meets them with his favours. They prayed that God would spare them, and see here with what good words and comfortable words he answered them; for God's promises are real answers to the prayers of faith, because with him saying and doing are not two things. Now observe,
I. Whence this mercy promised shall take rise (Joe 2:18): God will be jealous for his land and pity his people. He will have an eye, 1. To his own honour, and the reputation of his covenant with Israel, by which he had conveyed to them that good land and had given in the value of it very high; now he will not suffer it to be despised nor disparaged, but will be jealous for the credit of his land, and the inhabitants of it, who had been praised as a happy people and therefore must not lie open to reproach as a miserable people. 2. To their distress: He will pity his people, and, in pity to them, he will restore them their forfeited comforts. God's compassion is a great encouragement to those that come humbly to him as penitents and as petitioners.
II. What his mercy shall be, in several instances: - 1. The destroying army shall be dispersed and defeated (Joe 2:20): "I will remove far off from you the northern army, that army of locusts and caterpillars that invaded you from the north, brought in upon the wings of a north wind, an army which you could put no stop to the progress of; but, when you have made your peace with God, he will ease you of these soldiers that are quartered upon you and will drive them into a land barren and desolate, into that vast howling wilderness that Israel wandered in, where, after having surfeited upon the plenty of Canaan, they shall perish for want of sustenance. Those that have their face to the east sea (the Dead Sea, which lay east of Judea) shall perish in that, and the rear of the army shall be lost in the Great Sea," called here the utmost sea. They had made the land barren and desolate, and now God will cast them into a land barren and desolate. Thus those whom God employs for the correction of his people come afterwards to be themselves reckoned with; and the rod is thrown into the fire. Nothing shall remain of these swarms of insects but the ill savour of them. When Egypt was eased of the plague of locusts they were carried away to the Red Sea, Exo 10:19. Note, When an affliction has done its work it shall be removed in mercy, as the locusts of Canaan were from a penitent people, not as the locusts of Egypt were removed, in wrath, from an impenitent prince, only to make room for another plague. Many interpreters, by this northern army, understand that of Sennacherib, which was dispersed when God by it had accomplished his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, Isa 10:12. This enemy shall be driven away, because he has done great things, has done a great deal of mischief, and has magnified to do it, has done it in the pride of his heart; therefore it follows (Joe 2:21), The Lord will do great things for his people, as the enemy has done great things against them, to convince them that wherein they deal proudly he is, and will be, above them, that, what great things soever they did, they did no more than God commissioned them to do; and as, when he said to them, Go, they went, so, when he said to them, Come, they came, to show that they were soldiers under him. 2. The destroyed land shall be watered and made fruitful. When the army is scattered, yet what shall we do if the desolation they have made continue? It is therefore promised (Joe 2:22) that the pastures of the wilderness, the pastures which the locusts had left as bare as the wilderness, shall again spring and the trees shall again bear their fruit, particularly the fig-tree and the vine. But, when we see how the country is wasted, we are tempted to say, Can these dry bones live? If the Lord should make windows in heaven, it cannot be; but it shall be, for (Joe 2:23) the Lord has given and will give you the former rain and the latter rain, and, if he give them in mercy, he will give them moderately, so that the rain shall not turn into a judgment, and he will give them in due season, the latter rain in the first month, when it was wanted and expected. It would make it comfortable to them to see it coming from the hand of God, and ordered by his wisdom, for then we are sure it is well ordered. He has given you a teacher of righteousness, (so the margin reads it, for the same word that signifies the rain signifies a teacher. and that which we translate moderately is according to righteousness), and this teacher of righteousness, says one of the rabbin, is the King Messias, and of him many others understand this; for he is a teacher come from God, and he shows us the way of righteousness. But others understand it of any prophet that instructs unto righteousness, and some of Hezekiah particularly, others of Isaiah. Note, It is a good sign that God has mercy in store for a people when he sends them teachers of righteousness, pastors after his own heart. 3. All their losses shall be repaired (Joe 2:25): "I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten; you shall be comforted according to the time that you have been afflicted, and shall have years of plenty to balance the years of famine." Thus does it repent the Lord concerning his servants, when they repent, and, to show how perfectly he is reconciled to them, he makes good the damage they have sustained by his judgments, and, like the jailer, washes their stripes. Though, in justice, he distrained upon them, and did them no wrong, yet, in compassion, he makes restitution; as the father of the prodigal, upon his return, made up all he had lost by his sin and folly, and took him into his family, as in his former estate. The locusts and caterpillars are here called God's great army which he sent among them, and he will repair what they had devoured because they were his army. 4. They shall have great abundance of all good things. The earth shall yield her increase, and they shall enjoy it. Look into the stores where they lay up, and you shall find the floors full of wheat, and the fats overflowing with wine and oil (Joe 2:24), whereas, in the day of their distress, the wine and oil languished and the barns were broken down, Joe 1:10, Joe 1:17. Look upon their tables, where they lay out what they have laid up, and you shall find that they eat in plenty and are satisfied, Joe 2:26. They do not eat to excess, nor are surfeited; we hope the drunkards are cured by the late affliction of their inordinate love of wine and strong drink, for, though they were brought in howling for their scarcity (Joe 1:5), they are now brought in again here singing for the plenty of it; but now all shall have enough, and shall known when they have enough, for God will make their food nourishing and give them to be content with it.
These are the mercies promised, and in these God does great things (Joe 2:21), He deals wondrously with his people, Joe 2:26. Herein he glorifies his power, and shows that he can relieve his people though their distress be ever so great, and glorifies his goodness, that he will do it upon their repentance though their provocations were ever so great. Note, When God deals graciously with poor sinners that return to him it must be acknowledged that he deals wondrously and does great things. Some expositors understand these promises figuratively, as pointing at gospel-grace, and having their accomplishment in the abundant comforts that are treasured up for believers in the covenant of grace and the satisfaction of soul they have therein. When God sends us his promises to be the matter of our comfort, his graces to be the grounds of it, and his Spirit to be the author of it, we may well own that he has sent us (according to his promise here, Joe 2:19) corn, and wine, and oil, or that which is unspeakably better, and we have reason to be satisfied therewith.
III. What use shall be made of these returns of God's mercy to them and the good account they shall turn to.
1.God shall have the glory thereof, for they shall rejoice in the Lord their God (Joe 2:23), and what is the matter of their rejoicing shall be the matter of their thanksgiving; they shall praise the name of the Lord their God (Joe 2:26) and not praise their idols, nor call their corn and wine the rewards that their lovers had given them. Note, The plenty of our creature-comforts is a mercy indeed to us when by them our hearts are enlarged in love and thankfulness to God, who gives us all things richly to enjoy, though we serve him but poorly. When God restores to us plenty after we have known scarcity, as it is doubly pleasant to us, so it should make us the more thankful to God. When Israel comes out of a wilderness into a Canaan, and there eats and is full, surely he will then bless the Lord, with a very sensible pleasure, for that good land which he has given him, Deu 8:10.
2.They shall have the credit, and comfort, and spiritual benefit, thereof. When God gives them plenty again, and gives them to be satisfied with it, (1.) Their reputation shall be retrieved; they and their God shall be no more reflected upon as unfaithful to one another when they have returned to him in a way of duty and he to them in a way of mercy (Joe 2:19): "I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen, that triumphed in your calamities and insulted over you;" and Joe 2:26, Joe 2:27, "My people shall never be ashamed, as they have been, of their good land which they used to boast of, but shall again and ever have the same occasion to boast of it." Note, It redounds much to the honour of God when he does that which saves the honour of his people; and those that are his people indeed, though they may be for a time, shall not be always, a reproach among the heathens; if we be rightly ashamed of our sins against God, we shall never be ashamed of our glorying in God. (2.) Their joys shall be revived (Joe 2:23): Be glad and rejoice, O land! and all the inhabitants of it. Times of plenty are commonly times of joy; yet the favour of God puts gladness into the heart more than those who have corn, and wine, and oil increase. But especially be glad them, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, Joe 2:23. They mourned in Zion (Joe 2:15), and therefore there in a particular manner they shall rejoice; for those that sow in penitential tears shall certainly reap in thankful joys. The children of Zion, who led the rest in fasting, must lead the rest in rejoicing. But observe, They shall rejoice in the Lord their God, not so much in the good themselves that are given them as in the good hand that gives them and in the return of his favour to them, as theirs in covenant, which these good things are the tokens and pledges of. The joy of harvest and the joy of a feast must both terminate in God, whose love we should taste in all the gifts of his bounty, that we may make him our chief joy, as he is our chief good, and the fountain of all good to us. (3.) Their faith in God shall be confirmed and increased. When temporal mercies are made by the grace of God to be of spiritual advantage to us, and plenty for the body is so far from being an enemy (as with many it proves) that it becomes a friend to the prosperity of the soul, then they are mercies indeed to us. This is promised here (Joe 2:27): You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, the Holy One in the midst of thee (Hos 11:9), and that I am the Lord your God, and none else. As it proves that the Lord is God, and there is none other, because he wounds and he heals, he forms light and darkness, he does good and evil (Isa 45:7; Deu 32:39), so it proves him to be God of Israel, a God in covenant with his people and a father to them, that as a father he both corrects them when they offend and comforts them when they repent. It was the burden of the threatenings in Ezekiel's prophecy, Such and such evils I will bring upon you, and you shall know that I am the Lord; and the same is here made the crown of the promises: You shall eat, and be satisfied, and rejoice, and thus you shall know that I am the Lord. Note, We should labour to grow in our acquaintance with God by all providences, both merciful and afflictive. When God gives to his people plenty, and peace, and joy, upon their return to him, he thereby gives them to understand that he is pleased with their repentance, that he has pardoned their sins, and that he is theirs as much as ever - that they are taken into the same covenant with him, for he is the Lord their God, and into the same communion, for he is in the midst of them, nigh unto them in all that they call upon him for, and, as the sun in the centre of the worlds, so in the midst of them as to diffuse his benign influences to all the parts of his land.
3.Even the inferior creatures shall share therein and be made easy thereby: Fear not, O land! Joe 2:21. Be not afraid, you beasts of the field, Joe 2:22. They had suffered for the sin of man, and for God's quarrel with him; and now they shall fare the better for man's repentance and God's reconciliation to him. Nay, the beasts were said to cry unto God (Joe 1:20); and now that cry is answered, and they are directed not to be afraid, for they shall have plenty of all that which their nature craves. God, in sparing Nineveh, had an eye to the cattle (Jon 4:11), for the cattle had fasted, Joe 3:8. This may lead us to think of the restitution of all things, when the creature, that is now made subject to vanity and groans under it, shall be brought, though not into the glorious joy, yet into the glorious liberty, of the children of God, Rom 8:21.
(Verse 18 and following) The Lord was zealous for His land, and spared His people. And the Lord answered and said to His people: Behold, I will send you grain and wine and oil, and you will be filled with them, and I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. And I will remove him who is from the north far away from you, and I will drive him into a dry and desolate land: his face will be towards the eastern sea, and his end towards the western sea. And his stench will rise up, and his rottenness, for he has acted arrogantly. LXX: And the Lord was jealous for his land and spared his people and the Lord answered and said to his people: Behold, I will send you grain and wine and oil, and you will be filled with them, and I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations, and I will drive away the one from the north and bring him into a land that is without water, and I will destroy his face in the first sea and his hind parts in the last sea: and his stench will rise, and his decay will rise, because his works are magnified. After the priests prayed for the people and said: Spare, Lord, your people, and do not give your inheritance into reproach, and the people did what was commanded, to sanctify the fast, to preach healing, to gather (or compel) the multitude, to sanctify the Church, to choose the old men, to gather the little ones and those suckling at the breast, and for the bridegroom to go forth from his bed, and the bride from her chamber, and to serve not the flesh and pleasure, but the soul and tears. The Lord was zealous for his land, which he had previously treated as if it were foreign, and he had allowed the locusts to devastate it. He had spared the repentant ones so much that he made them worthy of his response and said, 'Because the locusts, the cankerworm, and the mildew have destroyed all your crops, I will give you grain and everything else that the prophet has described, and I will not deliver you to captivity again. I will also keep the Assyrians and the Chaldeans from the north, especially those from Babylon, far away from you.' As it is written, 'A numerous and mighty people, with fire devouring before them and flames burning behind them, like the appearance of horses.' And I will cast him into a land of solitude, says he, and his former parts shall fall into the Eastern Sea, and his latter parts into the Western Sea, and his stench shall ascend, that is, the one from the North, and his decay, because he has acted arrogantly. Often I have heard it said under the figure of the flight of locusts to describe the assault of the Chaldeans, by which Judaea was laid waste. Therefore, he keeps the metaphor in the remaining parts, and he speaks in this way, according to the location of the province, as if he seems to refer not to enemies, but to locusts. Even in our times, we have seen swarms of locusts cover the land of Judea, which later, with the mercy of the Lord, were driven by the wind into the sea, between the vestibule and the altar, that is, between the place of the cross and the resurrection, while the priests and the people were praying to the Lord and saying: Spare your people. The first and the last were cast into the sea. Understand the first sea that is near the desert and faces the East, which is the place where there were once Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which is now called the Dead Sea because no living creatures exist there." } But the western sea, which leads to Egypt, has on its shore Gaza, Ascalon, Azotus, Joppa, Caesarea, and other coastal cities. And when the shores of both seas were filled with heaps of dead locusts disgorged by the waters, the stench and decay of them was so harmful that it corrupted the air, and a pestilence arose affecting both animals and humans. The learned reader may inquire where this was done literally regarding the Chaldeans. Not long after these prophecies were made, as we read in Isaiah, one hundred eighty-five thousand Chaldeans were struck down by a raging angel in one night under the reign of King Hezekiah (Isa. XXXVII). This we will say according to history. However, according to allegory, every soul is the Lord's earth, in which the father of a family sows his seed, which when it grows among the wheat produces weeds, that is, oats and darnel, and offends its Lord. But afterwards it repents, and with weeping says: Spare, O Lord, your people. The Lord is zealous for his earth, and he will spare it, which he had previously despised, and he addresses it with his own words, saying: I will send you grain, of which it is written: Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces many fruits (John XII): and wine that gladdens the heart of man, and oil that makes the face shine, so that the old sorrow of sins may be tempered by the joy of wheat and wine and oil, that is, the joy of virtues, and they will have such an abundance of all good things that they will be filled and satisfied. And when they have achieved this, they will never be handed over as a reproach to the nations about whom the Apostle speaks: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual wickedness in the celestial places (Ephesians 6:12). Also, the one who is from the north (about whom Jeremiah speaks: From the north evil will be kindled on all the inhabitants of the earth (Jeremiah 1:14): about whom Solomon also writes: The north wind is extremely harsh). I will remove him far away from you, and I will expel him into an uninhabited and deserted land, which has no knowledge of God, in which the Holy Spirit does not dwell. And his appearance will be in the first and last sea, among those who have opened the door of sin for him, and with whom he will remain until the end of his life, and its stench and decay even rises against those who promise great things to themselves, and they fall because of their pride: for human frailty is never secure, and the more we grow in virtues, the more we ought to fear falling from the heights. According to the letter, the swarms of locusts are more often brought by the south wind than the north wind, that is, they do not come from cold, but from heat: but since he was speaking about the Assyrians, putting the similitude of locusts, he included the north wind, so that we understand not a true locust, which usually comes from the south, but under the locust we understand the Assyrians and Chaldeans.
Joel, the prophet, offers evidence about [the devil] with these words: “And I will remove far off from you the northern one, and I will drive him into the land thirsty and desert, and I shall expel his face into the nearest sea and his hinder parts into the utmost sea.” We thank you, Lord, for this arrangement. What would the devil do if free, when he afflicts the world when bound?
“I will remove the northerner,” both the Assyrian and Babylonian. Someone may ask, “Since for its position Babylon is not situated north of Jerusalem, why does God say through the prophet, ‘I will remove the northerner far from you’ and ‘Out of the north evil shall break forth upon’ these people”? And we answer that first of all, these words are not said in consideration of the geographical position of Babylon and Jerusalem but of those northern nations subject to the Babylonians—the Arzanites, the Araratites2—who will come down to Jerusalem with the Babylonians. Second, it is because those who want to reach Jerusalem from the regions of Babylon, Persia and the east go up toward the region of the north and then come down toward Jerusalem in the south.
The northern enemy: Some understand this of Holofernes and his army: others, of the locusts.
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SUMMARY
Joel 2:20 presents a powerful divine promise of deliverance and restoration following a period of devastating judgment, likely a locust plague described as a "northern army." God assures His people that He will decisively remove this destructive force, driving it into barren lands and scattering its remnants across the seas, signifying a complete and irreversible eradication. The lingering stench of the defeated "army" serves as a tangible testament to its demise and the finality of God's judgment against that which ravaged His land and people.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Joel 2:20 is a pivotal verse within the book of Joel, marking a dramatic shift from pronouncements of judgment to promises of restoration. The preceding chapters, particularly Joel 1 and the early verses of Joel 2, vividly describe a calamitous locust plague, portrayed with military imagery as an invading "northern army" (Joel 2:1-11). This plague serves as a terrifying precursor to the "Day of the Lord," a time of divine reckoning. Following a fervent call to national repentance and lamentation in Joel 2:12-17, God responds with compassion and a promise to "pity his people" (Joel 2:18). Verse 20, therefore, is the direct fulfillment of this divine compassion, demonstrating God's immediate action to reverse the devastation and restore the land and its productivity, setting the stage for further blessings in Joel 2:21-27.
Historical & Cultural Context: The ancient Near East, including Judah, was an agrarian society heavily reliant on agricultural yields for survival. Locust plagues were a common and utterly devastating natural disaster, capable of stripping entire regions bare, leading to famine, economic collapse, and widespread suffering. Such events were often interpreted through a theological lens as divine judgment for sin or as a call to repentance. The "northern army" could refer primarily to the locusts, given the detailed descriptions of their destructive power in Joel 1:4-7 and Joel 2:2-9. However, the term "northern" also frequently denoted the direction from which human invaders (like Assyrians or Babylonians) came to attack Israel, adding a layer of potential dual prophecy or symbolic depth to the "army." The geographical references—the "east sea" (the Dead Sea) and the "utmost sea" (the Mediterranean Sea, which lay to the west and was considered the "hinder" or "western" sea from an Israelite perspective)—underscore the complete and widespread nature of the enemy's expulsion from the land of Judah.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Joel and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it highlights Divine Sovereignty and Control, demonstrating God's absolute power over nature and all forces, whether natural (locusts) or human (armies). He is not merely a distant observer but actively "removes" and "drives" the destructive power. Secondly, the verse underscores the theme of Repentance and Restoration. It is a direct consequence of the people's turning back to God, illustrating that divine judgment can be averted or reversed through sincere contrition, leading to God's compassionate intervention and the promise of a bountiful future, as further elaborated in Joel 2:25-27. Lastly, it speaks to Judgment and Deliverance, showing that while God brings judgment upon sin and rebellion, He also provides complete deliverance and vindication for His repentant people, utterly defeating their oppressors and removing the very memory of their devastation.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Joel 2:20 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message. Metaphor is central, as the "northern army" functions as a vivid representation of the locust plague, yet its military description also allows for a broader interpretation as any destructive force or invading army. This dual imagery enhances the sense of threat and the power of God's deliverance. Personification is evident in describing the "army" with a "face" and "hinder part," attributing human-like or animal-like directional qualities to the collective force, making its defeat more visceral. The phrase "his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up" utilizes potent Imagery, appealing directly to the sense of smell to emphasize the overwhelming and undeniable reality of the enemy's destruction. Finally, the concluding phrase, "because he hath done great things," is a profound example of Irony. The "great things" refer to the immense devastation caused by the "army," but their ultimate outcome is a putrid, ignominious end, highlighting the reversal of their power and the divine judgment upon their destructive "greatness." This irony underscores God's ultimate triumph over all forces that oppose Him.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joel 2:20 stands as a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness and His sovereign power to deliver His people from even the most overwhelming threats. It illustrates a fundamental biblical principle: that divine judgment, though severe, is often a precursor to a deeper demonstration of God's mercy and restorative power, especially in response to genuine repentance. This verse shows that God not only removes the immediate threat but utterly eradicates it, ensuring its complete disappearance and leaving no residual power to harm. The "stink" of the defeated enemy serves as a permanent, unpleasant reminder of the consequences of opposing God and the finality of His judgment. This divine act of cleansing the land and removing the blight foreshadows the ultimate cleansing and restoration that God promises for His creation and His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Joel 2:20 offers profound encouragement for believers facing overwhelming challenges today. It reminds us that no matter how devastating the "locusts" or "armies" in our lives may seem—whether they are literal hardships, spiritual attacks, or personal struggles—God possesses the ultimate power to intervene, remove, and utterly defeat them. This verse calls us to cultivate a deep trust in God's sovereignty, knowing that He is not passive in our suffering but actively works to deliver and restore. It also underscores the transformative power of repentance; when we turn to God with contrite hearts, His compassion is stirred, and He acts decisively on our behalf. Just as the land of Judah was cleansed of its blight, we can trust God to cleanse our lives, our communities, and our world of destructive forces, leaving behind only the testimony of His victorious power and enduring faithfulness. This should inspire us to pray with confidence for deliverance and to live in hopeful expectation of God's restorative grace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is the "northern army" mentioned in Joel 2:20?
Answer: While the immediate and primary referent of the "northern army" in Joel 2 is the devastating locust plague that had ravaged Judah, as described in detail throughout Joel 1 and Joel 2:1-11, the military language used to depict them (e.g., horses, chariots, soldiers, a disciplined army) suggests a broader symbolic interpretation. Many scholars believe it also foreshadows future human invaders from the north, a common direction for enemies of Israel (e.g., Assyria, Babylon). Thus, the "northern army" can be understood as a dual prophecy, encompassing both the literal locusts and any subsequent hostile forces that threaten God's people.
What do the "east sea" and "utmost sea" represent in this verse?
Answer: The "east sea" refers to the Dead Sea (also known as the Salt Sea), which lies to the east of Judah. The "utmost sea" (sometimes translated as "western sea" or "hinder sea") refers to the Mediterranean Sea, which lies to the west. From an Israelite perspective, facing east (the direction of the rising sun) meant the west was behind them, hence "hinder part" or "utmost." By driving the "northern army" with its "face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea," God signifies a complete and total dispersal and destruction of the enemy across the entire breadth of the land, leaving no escape or possibility of return. It emphasizes the thoroughness of God's judgment and deliverance.
What is the significance of the "stink" and "ill savour" that come up?
Answer: The "stink" (Hebrew, bᵉʼôsh) and "ill savour" (Hebrew, tsachănâh) refer to the putrid smell of the immense number of dead locusts (or fallen invaders) after their annihilation. This imagery serves several significant purposes. Firstly, it provides a vivid, sensory detail that underscores the sheer scale of the enemy's destruction and the finality of its defeat. Secondly, it is an ironic consequence of the "great things" the army had done; their destructive "greatness" culminates in their own foul, ignominious end. Thirdly, it acts as a tangible, undeniable sign to the people of Judah that God has indeed intervened and completely removed the threat, leaving behind only the evidence of its demise and the restoration of the land.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joel 2:20, with its powerful imagery of divine deliverance from a devastating "northern army" and the complete eradication of the enemy, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "northern army" represents any force of evil, sin, or death that ravages humanity and God's creation. Just as God promised to "remove far off" and "drive" this destructive force from His people, Christ, through His atoning death and glorious resurrection, has decisively defeated the ultimate enemies: sin, death, and the devil. The Lamb of God took upon Himself the "great things" (the destructive consequences) of humanity's rebellion, and by His sacrifice, He rendered powerless "him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). Christ's victory is not a temporary reprieve but a complete and final triumph, akin to the enemy being driven into a "land barren and desolate," with its remnants scattered and its "stink" rising as a testament to its utter defeat. Through Christ, believers are delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13-14). The "stink" of sin and death, once overwhelming, is replaced by the sweet aroma of Christ's sacrifice and the new life He offers (2 Corinthians 2:15). Ultimately, in Christ, God's people receive not just physical restoration but eternal life and the promise of a new heavens and new earth where "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain" (Revelation 21:4).