3:1–21 Review · The Day of the Lord as Victorious Rule and Reign: Although the day of the Lord means salvation and restoration for Israel, the impending judgment of God awaits those who have tormented and abused the Lord’s elect nation.

3:1–16 · The idiomatic expression “restore the fortunes” includes the concept of a release from imprisonment or debt combined with the return of the Lord’s people to their homeland (Deut. 30:3; Ps. 14:7; 53:6; 126:4; Jer. 29:14; 30:3, 18; Hos. 6:11; Amos 9:14; Zeph. 2:7). The statement reiterates the context of 2:25, where the Lord promises to compensate Israel for her losses during the locust invasion and famine.

In a typical lawsuit format, the Lord gathers the adversaries in the “Valley of Jehoshaphat,” which means “the Lord judges.” The actual locati…