John Calvin Commentary Joel 3:17

"So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more." — Joel 3:17 (ASV)

This is a confirmation of the preceding doctrine. Ye shall know, he says, that I am your God. The Prophet intimates that the favor of God had been so hidden during the afflictions of the people that they could not help but think that they were forsaken by God. His word indeed ought to be sufficient for us in the greatest evils; for though God may cast us into the deepest gulfs, yet when he shines upon us by his word, it ought to be a consolation abundantly available to sustain our souls. Yet, unless God really appears, we are confounded and ask, "Where is his power?" For this reason, the Prophet now says that the faithful shall at length know—that is, really know him as their God.

There is a twofold knowledge: the knowledge of faith, received from his word, and the knowledge of experience, as we say, derived from actual enjoyment. The faithful always acknowledge that salvation is laid up for them in God, but sometimes they stagger, suffer grievous torments in their minds, and are tossed here and there. Whatever their state, they certainly do not, by actual enjoyment, know God to be their Father.

The Prophet, therefore, now treats of real knowledge when he says that they shall know they have a God. How are they to know this? By experience.

This passage teaches us that even though God may not manifestly put forth his hand to help us, we ought still to entertain good hope of his favor. For the Prophet spoke for this purpose: that the godly, before the event or the accomplishment of the prophecy should come, might look to God and cast on him all their cares. Then the faithful, before they had real knowledge, knew God to be their Father and therefore did not hesitate to flee to him, even though what the Prophet testified had not yet been visibly accomplished.

Dwelling in Zion, the mountain of my holiness: This has been intentionally added so that the faithful might know that God did not make a covenant in vain with Abraham, that Mount Zion had not been chosen in vain, so that they might call on God there. For our attention must be called to the promises; otherwise, all doctrine will become frigid.

Now we know that all the promises were founded on a covenant—that is, because God had adopted the people, afterward deposited his covenant in the hand of David, and then designated Mount Zion as his sanctuary. Since, then, all the promises flow from this fountain, it was necessary to call the attention of the Jews to the covenant. This is the reason why the Prophet now says that God dwells in Zion, for otherwise this doctrine would undoubtedly lead only to superstition.

Indeed, we know God cannot be contained within the circumference of any place, much less could he be confined to the narrow limits of the temple. But he dwelt on Mount Zion on account of his own law, because he made a covenant with Abraham and afterward with David.

It then follows, And Jerusalem shall be holy, and aliens shall not pass through it any more. While he declares that Jerusalem shall be holy, he at the same time exempts it from profanation.

We know it is a common way of speaking in Scripture, and one that often occurs, that God’s heritage is holy, and also that they profaned it. Hence, when the people were exposed as prey to the will of their enemies, God’s heritage became forsaken and polluted; profane men trod Jerusalem, as it were, underfoot.

But now the Prophet exempts the holy city from this pollution, as though he said, "The Lord will not allow his people to be so miserably harassed and will show that this city has been chosen by him and that he has his dwelling in it. Aliens then shall no more pass through it. Why? For it is first the holy city of God, and then, of his Church."

But as this promise extends to the whole kingdom of Christ, God undoubtedly makes a general promise here that he will be the protector of his Church, so that it may not be subject to the will of enemies. And yet we see that it often happens otherwise.

This ought to be imputed to our sins, for we make the breaches. God would, indeed, be a wall and a rampart to us, as it is said elsewhere (Isaiah 26:1), but we betray his Church by our sins.

Hence, aliens occupy a place in it. This we see at this day, for Antichrist, as has been foretold, has now for ages exercised dominion in God’s sanctuary. Since this is so, we ought to mourn at seeing God’s holy Church profaned. Yet let us know that God will take care to gather his elect and to cleanse them from every pollution and defilement.