• Joel, Book of
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • words found at Joel 2:32 to both Jews and non-Jews who call upon Jehovah in faith.—Rom. 10:12, 13.

      OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

      I. Jehovah’s word about a severe insect plague (1:1-14)

      A. A plague so great as to be talked about for generations to come (1:1-4)

      1. Drunkards to wake up, howl and weep because devastation by numberless “nation” strips land bare, cutting off supply of sweet wine (1:5-8)

      2. Wheat, barley, vine and trees affected to such an extent that grain offering and drink offering cease at Jehovah’s house, causing priests to mourn (1:9-12)

      B. Priests urged to put on sackcloth, sanctify time of fasting, assemble older men to Jehovah’s house and cry to Him for aid (1:13, 14)

      II. “The day of Jehovah is near” (1:15-20)

      A. Jehovah’s day marked by invasion of “his military force,” a numerous and mighty people resembling horses; ‘ahead of it a fire devours and behind it a flame consumes’ (2:1-11)

      B. Call for all to come back to Jehovah with complete hearts, as he is gracious, merciful, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and will answer prayer of his repentant people (2:12-19)

      1. Jehovah to disperse “northerner” in their behalf (2:20)

      2. To bless his repentant people with abundant crops, make compensation for injury done by great military force of insects and afterward to pour out his spirit on every sort of flesh (2:21-29)

      C. Portents in heavens and on earth to precede coming of Jehovah’s day (2:30, 31)

      D. Those calling on Jehovah’s name to escape his fear-inspiring day (2:32)

      III. When captives of Judah and Jerusalem restored, nations to be judged for violence done to them (3:1-3)

      A. For selling Judeans, Tyre, Sidon and Philistia to have sons and daughters sold into hands of Judeans who, in turn, will sell them to men of Sheba (3:4-8)

      B. Nations to prepare for war and come down to low plain of Jehoshaphat, there to experience winepress treatment (3:9-15)

      1. Jehovah to protect his people when executing judgment upon nations (3:16)

      2. Judgment resulting in his people coming to know him as their God and Jerusalem becoming a holy place with no strangers passing through (3:17)

      C. Egypt to become a desolate waste and Edom a wilderness, but the land of Judah to produce abundantly and to be inhabited for time indefinite, the blood of its inhabitants being considered innocent by Jehovah (3:18-21)

      See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 146-148.

  • Jogbehah
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • JOGBEHAH

      (Jogʹbe·hah) [perhaps, height].

      One of the fortified cities with stone flock pens that was built or rebuilt by the Gadites before their crossing the Jordan to assist in the conquest of Canaan. (Num. 32:34-36) At a later period Judge Gideon’s forces passed Jogbehah prior to their surprise attack on the Midianite camp at Karkor. (Judg. 8:10, 11) Modern geographers usually place Jogbehah at Khirbet el-Ajbeihat, situated about 3,470 feet (c. 1,058 meters) above sea level and some six miles (c. 10 kilometers) NW of modern Amman (Rabbah).

  • Johanan
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • JOHANAN

      (Jo·haʹnan) [contracted form of Jehohanan, “Jehovah has been gracious”].

      The English name John stems from this Hebrew name.

      1. An ambidextrous mighty Benjamite, one of the skilled warriors who joined David at Ziklag.—1 Chron. 12:1-4.

      2. A Gadite officer, one of eleven exceptional fighters who came to David’s side in the wilderness.—1 Chron. 12:8, 12-15.

      3. A high priest. It was likely his son Azariah who was high priest when King Uzziah acted presumptuously.—1 Chron. 6:9, 10; 2 Chron. 26:19, 20.

      4. Firstborn son of King Josiah. (1 Chron. 3:15) Since he is nowhere mentioned in connection with succession to the throne of Judah, as are his three younger brothers, he must have died before his father’s death.—2 Ki. 23:30, 34; 24:17; Jer. 22:11; see JOSIAH No. 1.

      5. One of the chiefs of the military forces remaining in Judah after the general deportation to Babylon in the summer of 607 B.C.E. This son of Kareah readily supported the appointment of Gedaliah, and, on learning of Ishmael’s plot to assassinate the governor, asked Gedaliah for permission to kill Ishmael secretly but was denied it. (Jer. 40:7, 8, 13-16) Gedaliah was assassinated, Johanan led the forces to avenge him, and persons whom Ishmael had taken captive were recovered, but the assassin himself escaped to Ammon. (Jer. 41:11-16) Fearing reprisals from the Babylonians, Johanan and the others asked the prophet Jeremiah what they should do, but, rather than follow Jehovah’s advice to remain in the land, they fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them.—Jer. 42:1–43:7; 2 Ki. 25:23-26.

      6. Son of Hakkatan and head of the 110 males of the paternal house of Azgad who returned with him to Jerusalem, accompanying Ezra in 468 B.C.E.—Ezra 8:1, 12.

      7. Grandson of Eliashib, the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah. (Neh. 3:1; 12:22, 23) His being called Jonathan in Nehemiah 12:11 is probably due to a scribal error, as the names “Johanan” and “Jonathan” are very similar in Hebrew. Johanan is mentioned in a letter found among the Elephantine Papyri, where he is addressed as high priest.—See DARIUS No. 3; Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, chap. VII, par. 1.

      8. A descendant of Zerubbabel; he and his six brothers were the last generation of David’s descendants mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.—1 Chron. 3:1, 5, 10, 19, 24.

  • John
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • JOHN

      [Jehovah has been gracious].

      1. John the Baptist, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth; the forerunner of Jesus. Both of John’s parents were of the priestly house of Aaron. Zechariah was a priest of the division of Abijah.—Luke 1:5, 6.

      MIRACULOUS BIRTH

      In the year 3 B.C.E., during the assigned time of service of the division of Abijah, it became Zechariah’s turn to enjoy the rare privilege of offering incense in