Joel 2: From Eden to Ruination? To what is this referring?

Joel Chapter 2:1-2. > 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; > sound the alarm on my holy hill. > > Let all who live in the land tremble, > for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand— 2 a day of darkness and gloom, > a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains > a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times > nor ever will be in ages to come. > > 3 Before them fire devours, > behind them a flame blazes. **Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, > behind them, a desert waste— > nothing escapes them.** I find this scripture utterly amazing. It seems to be a last-days related scripture, and yet we have nothing on this earth resembling "the garden of Eden". No doubt this had an initial fulfilment. To what nation did this apply, and did they have Eden-like conditions?