Common misinterpretations treat this verse as merely a historical promise fulfilled in ancient Israel's post-exilic return, overlooking its prophetic forward look to the ultimate Messianic age; others apply it rigidly to modern political Israel to justify territorial claims without emphasizing spiritual renewal and faith; some misconstrue 'strangers' as excluding all non-Jews eternally, promoting exclusionism rather than highlighting the end of hostile Gentile domination through God's judgment and redemption.
Joel 3:17
King James Version (1769)
17 So shall ye know that I am the Lord 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 conveys the core truth of God's assured recognition by His people as the sovereign LORD dwelling securely in Zion, His holy mountain, resulting in Jerusalem's enduring holiness and freedom from foreign invaders, symbolizing divine restoration, protection, and sanctification in the eschatological day of the Lord where God's presence guarantees victory and purity for His covenant community.