Jesus prepares the faithful, and those who would heed his warning, to avoid the severity of God’s judgment by observing the signs and seeking shelter. Joel 2:38 reads,
And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Once again, we must be reminded that this cannot be the final judgment of the world and the end of all things because one could escape this judgment. Joel prophesied it and Jesus warned,
When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains: let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house: and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath: (Matthew 24:15-20)
Luke 21:36 reads,
But watch ye at every season, making supplication, That ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
We cannot mistake the obvious that (1) Joel foretold of a time when God would judge the nations, but the faithful could escape. (2) Jesus spoke of the same for his own generation, meaning that the time Joel spoke of had come (3) On the day of Pentecost, Peter said that the things Joel prophesied in the last days had commenced.
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