At first sight Salvation in Joel is mainly about escaping the wrath of God. This is, indeed, the gospel. In the gospel God Himself is the centre of attention and direction. ‘God so loved the world …’ In the gospel God does not say to humanity, ‘Please, repent’, but ‘Repent!’ Likewise, in Joel the Lord urges the people of Judea to return to Him. When Jesus is sent into the world to proclaim the Kingdom of God we are confronted with a kind of dualism of evil. There are wicked people, but there are also crowds of victims of evil. Wrath and mercy go hand in hand. That is probably the reason why God is asking the prophet to proclaim to the nations to consecrate for war in the Valley of Decision. There it will become clear who is on the Lord’s side and who is not. Apart from the fact that this is describing a future event the prophecy expresses the ardent hope and the urgent necessity for the establishment of the righteous reign of the Kingdom of God. This picture of God’s final judgement is more than the fulfilment of a long awaited vindication; it is part of the call to repentance. The promises are given to help return to the Lord now. They emphasise the urgency.