Survey of the Book of Joel

from the old testament

• Author: The book of Joel was written by the prophet Joel (Joel 1:1).
• Date of Writing: Approximately between 835 and 800 BC.
• Purpose: There are a couple of key purposes within Joel: 1. Describe destruction that leads to repentance, and 2. Foreshadow the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the first part of the book, Judah is devastated by a locust invasion (Joel 1:4-7). The locusts destroy all of the crops and plants, from grain fields and vineyards to trees and gardens (Joel 1:10-12). Joel describes the locusts symbolically as an army representing divine judgment on the nation for its many sins (Joel 2:1-11). The Lord calls Judah to fasting and repentance (Joel 2:12-17). Part 2 foreshadows the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the initial fulfillment of which happened on the Day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-29).
• Brief Summary: The invasion of locusts has led to a severe famine throughout the entire nation (Joel 1:4, 10-12). Joel uses this situation to give the people of Judah a strong prophetic warning. Unless they wholeheartedly and immediately repent, enemy armies will come to destroy their land just as the locusts did (Joel 2:1-3, 11). Joel exhorts the priests and people to fast, be humble, and seek forgiveness from God (Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-13, 15-17). If they do this, spiritual blessings will come to the nation (Joel 2:18-27). However, the judgment day of the Lord is coming. The “day of the Lord” is a day of supreme wrath and judgment from God on His enemies and all the nations (Joel 1:15; 2:1-2; 3:14-16). This event is a central theme of the book of Joel.
• Various versions of the day of the Lord occur throughout Joel. The plague of locusts is referenced historically in the first chapter (Joel 1:4, 15). Chapter two (Joel 2:1-17) begins with using the locust plague as a metaphor to motivate the nation of Judah to repentance. The second half of chapter two (Joel 2:18-27) and chapter three (Joel 3:1-21) use eschatological terms to describe the ultimate day of the Lord and contain prophecies of physical, spiritual, and national restoration in response to obediently answering the call to repent.
• The Old Testament, particularly the prophets, contains many references to judgment for sin (Isaiah 13:9-11; Jeremiah 25:31; Ezekiel 18:30). The traditional warnings call Israel to repent, and that repentance includes keeping the Law and doing required works, such as making animal sacrifices in the temple (Leviticus 4:27-31; Micah 6:6-8). However, these sacrifices and rituals were all foreshadows of the one perfect sacrifice that was coming to provide redemption that would last for all time—Jesus Christ (John 1:29; Isaiah 53:5-7).
• The final judgment day of the Lord is described by Joel as "great and very awesome; who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11). On our own, there is no way we could endure, but in Christ, we have been made righteous and have nothing to fear when our faith is in Him.

from the new testament

• Peter refers back to the book of Joel at Pentecost in Acts 2:16-21, declaring that the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. Joel had foretold a time when God would “pour out [His] Spirit on all flesh,” so that sons and daughters would prophesy, old men would dream dreams, and young men would see visions (Joel 2:28-29). He also spoke of signs in the heavens and on the earth—blood, fire, smoke, and the darkening of the sun and moon—before the coming of the “great and awesome day of the Lord” (Joel 2:30-31). Peter explained that what the crowd witnessed in Jerusalem, as the disciples spoke in many languages and proclaimed God’s mighty works (Acts 2:4, 11), was the beginning of this promised age of the Spirit. He emphasized Joel’s call that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21), confirming that salvation through Jesus is now available to all people, not just Israel.
• Paul cites Joel 2:32 in Romans 10:13:“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”; this is to emphasize salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
• Revelation 6:12 and 9:3 contain imagery of cosmic signs as in Joel (darkened sun, blood-red moon). The destructive locusts also reflect Joel 2:10, 31 and Joel 1:4 as symbols of end-time judgment.
• Jesus’ teaching about the sun darkening and the moon not giving its light echoes Joel 2:31’s description of the Day of the Lord, the Day when God will judge and usher in His final reign of justice and salvation (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25)

implications for today

The primary takeaway from the book of Joel is that repentance is crucial. If we do not repent of our sins, we are guaranteed to be subject to God's severe judgment. We can't trust in our own goodness or possessions for salvation; we can only trust in God. His merciful plan for our salvation was the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins and rose back to life victorious over sin and death, proving His payment was sufficient and that He is who He claims to be. All who put their faith in Him are declared righteous in God's sight (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are saved by God's grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1-10). The Bible says "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2; cf. 2 Peter 3:10), so there is no time to waste in getting right with God: "Now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Key Verses:

Joel 1:4: "What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten."

Joel 2:25: "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you."

Joel 2:28-29: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit."