Old Testament Survey
Joel
- Jehu reigns in Israel 841 B.C.
- Joash reigns in Judah 835 B.C.
- Joel the prophet 835 B.C.
- Jehoahaz reigns in Israel 814 B.C.
- Jehoash reigns in Israel 798 B.C.
Key Verses
2:11
2:28-32
Key Chapters
Chapter 2
Key Concepts
Day of the Lord
Thoughts for Reading
Is vengeance sweet?
Title -- Author
The prophet’s name means “The Lord [Jehovah] is God. Nothing is known about Joel other than that his father was Pethuel (1:1) and that he was from Judah. There is also not dating references in the book. It is, however, best to see Joel as having his ministry around 609-586 B.C.
The meaning of Joel’s name is the reverse of the meaning of Elijah’s name. Elijah’s name means “God is Lord.”
Joel’s message is to the Southern kingdom of Judah. It is a message of judgment, about the impending Day of the Lord. As with the other prophets, the messages calls for repentance based upon the promise of a future restoration of the nation.
A simple outline of Joel is:
- The historic picture of the Day of the Lord - Chp 1
- The prophetic, future Day of the Lord - 2:1-27
- Restoration - 2:28-3:21
The prophet uses the picture of the devastation of a recent invasion of locusts to demonstrate the coming Day of the Lord. This will be a day of judgment upon the nations, including Israel.
The “Day of the Lord” is a favorite phrase of the prophets. It is used by Obadiah, Joel, Amos Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Malachi among the minor prophets. In addition, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel use the description. The Day of the Lord is referred to in Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Peter in the New Testament. It is used 25 times in the King James version, with a similar number of occurrences in the NIV and NASB. Related phrases such as “that day,” “the great day,” and “the day” occur another 75+ times. It is the time of intense judgment upon the earth, the time of the Tribulation which will end with the Second Coming of Messiah. It is also seen as the day of great blessing which ushers in the Millennial Kingdom.
Jesus in Joel
Jesus is the giver of the Holy Spirit (2:28). He is the judge of the nations (3:2, 12), and is the refuge of Israel (3:16).
Peter quotes Joel 2:28 as part of the events being fulfilled at Pentecost with the formation of the church. Joel looks forward to the final Day of the Lord, the Second Coming of Jesus following the events of the Tribulation, but like many of God’s prophecies, the effects of the prophecy benefit the “Gentiles,” the church of Christ.
Joel 2:28
And it shall come to pass afterward, that
I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your
young men shall see visions:
Have you received the Spirit of God?
Do you make good use of this gift?