Let the pagan be awakened - This emphatic repetition of the word, "awaken," seems intended to hint at the great awakening, to Judgment , when they "who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, being awakened" from the sleep of death. Another word is used of "awakening" . On the destruction of antichrist it is thought that the general Judgment will follow, and "all who are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth" John 5:27-29 : They are bidden to "come up" into the valley of Jehoshaphat , "for to come into the presence of the most High God, may well be called "a coming up." For there will I sit to judge all the pagan round about," (again literally "from round about,) from every side," all nations from all the four quarters of the world. The words are the same as before. There "all nations from every side" were summoned to come, as they thought, to destroy God's people and heritage. Here the real end is assigned, for which they were brought together, for God would sit to judge them. In their own blind will and passion they came to destroy; in God's secret overruling Providence, they were dragged along by their passions - to be judged and to be destroyed. So our Lord says, "When the Son of Man shall come in His Glory, and all the Holy Angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His Glory and before Him shall be gathered all nations" Matthew 25:31-32. Our Lord, in that He uses words of Joel, seems to intend to direct our minds to the prophet's meaning. What follows are nearly His own words;

Let the heathen be wakened - The heathen shall be wakened.

The valley of Jehoshaphat - Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies.

Let the Heathen be awakened, and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat,.... That is, let the enemies of Christ and his church be aroused from that state of security in which they are, and prepare for their own defence; for in such a state the antichristian powers will be before their destruction; see Revelation 18:7; let them bestir themselves, and exert all the rigour and strength they have; let them come in high spirits against the people of God; let them invade the holy land, and come even to the valley of Jehoshaphat; and, when come thither, let them, descend into the place appointed for their ruin: the land of Judea being said to be higher than other countries, going to it is generally expressed by going up to it; otherwise it is more usual to say that men go down a valley than come up to it; and, mention being made again of this valley, shows that the same thing is referred to here as in Joel 3:2; these words are said in answer to the petition in Joel 3:11; for they are spoken by the Lord, as appears by what follows:

for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about; thither gathered together from all parts: the allusion is to a judge upon the bench, sitting to hear and try causes, and pass a definitive sentence; and here it signifies the execution of that sentence; such a pleading the cause of his people, as to take vengeance and inflict just punishment upon their enemies; see Psalm 9:4.

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

3:12 The heathen - The several nations in their appointed time, perhaps the Assyrians first under Salmaneser, next under Sennacherib, both of whom came up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there - In the midst of my people to plead with, condemn and punish the heathen round about Judea.

12. See Joe 3:2.

judge all the heathen round about-that is, all the nations from all parts of the earth which have maltreated Israel; not merely, as Henderson supposes, the nations round about Jerusalem (compare Ps 110:6; Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3, 11-13; Zep 3:15-19; Zec 12:9; 14:3-11; Mal 4:1-3).

3:9-17 Here is a challenge to all the enemies of God's people. There is no escaping God's judgments; hardened sinners, in that day of wrath, shall be cut off from all comfort and joy. Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and their Redeemer! The acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favour to some, will be a day of remarkable vengeance to others: let every one that is out of Christ awake, and flee from the wrath to come.