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CHAPTER 29 – Joel: Approx. 620 B.C.-Eden Restored

Joel is the twenty-ninth book of the Bible. The title of the book in the Hebrew Bible is Yo’el meaning “Yahweh is God.” The English title comes from the Septuagint which has the title Ioel, “Joel.”

Authorship

The prophet Joel is the author of the book of Joel. The book was perhaps written about 620 B.C.

Summary

The book of Joel covers the period from approximately 620 B.C. to the future time when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, and the entire earth is restored to the beauty of the garden of Eden.

Joel begins with a vivid description of the countryside of Judah which is stripped of all greenery by a severe plague of locusts. He calls upon the elders to see that no such plague had ever been since the time of their fathers, and they are to tell it to the three succeeding generations. Nothing remains for the offerings of God’s Temple as crop after crop has been ruined.

In view of this crisis, Joel calls for a period of fasting and summons the people of the land to the Temple for a solemn assembly. He then describes the effect of the plague on man and beast. Accompanying the plague of locusts is a severe drought. The drought is so great that the nation faces extinction which Joel describes as the coming day of the Lord.

The land is as if it had been swept by fire and the locusts are compared to a well-disciplined army. Joel then asks who can abide the day of the Lord God. Next, he calls the people to wholehearted repentance and to pray to God.

If they do so, God promises to remove the plague of locusts and to send the usual early and latter rain. God also promises that, as a result, they will have wheat, wine, and oil, sufficient to supply the needs of all. Furthermore, God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon the hearts of the people.

God then declares that there will be extraordinary signs in the sun and moon before the great and terrible day of the Lord God comes. Also, God promises that all those who call upon the name of the Lord will be delivered. Moreover, God promises to restore Judah and Jerusalem from their captivity.

God next declares that He will gather all the other nations which have been His people’s oppressors to the vicinity of Jerusalem and execute judgment upon them. God promises to annihilate Judah’s enemies and that never again will the nations oppress Judah.

Lastly, the book of Joel ends with God’s promises of a bright future. For in the future, God declares that the land of Judah will stand forth in perpetual fertility and beauty. Also, God declares of Judah that, from generation to generation, God will dwell in the midst of His people.

Themes

• National disaster caused by God’s actions in the natural world.
• A call to repentance and to prayer to God.
• A coming day of the Lord God bringing national ruin.
• The coming great and terrible day of the Lord God at the end of the world.
• The land to be restored to productivity under God’s favour.
• The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on God’s people.
• The annihilation of the enemies of God’s people.
• The future glory of God’s people who are established in their own land under God’s favour.

God as Revealed in the Book

• God brings judgments upon nations for their sins.
• God calls nations to repentance and to prayer.
• God brings national ruin for a nation’s sins.
• God can restore a land from natural disasters to productivity.
• God’s favour in His outpouring of the Holy Spirit on people.
• God will annihilate the enemies of His people.
• God will give future glory to His people.
• God dwelling in the midst of His people.

Connections with the Rest of the Bible

Joel was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah. Now in 31 A.D., after Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and ascended to heaven, it happened that on the day of Pentecost, “they [the disciples of Christ] were all filled with the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit], and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.“ Acts 2:4.

Thus, Peter, a disciple of Christ, said, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my [Holy] Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:16, 17.

“And on my servants and on my handmaidens [on my female servants] I will pour out in those days of my [Holy] Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:18. This prophecy of the prophet Joel, as it was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D., will again be fulfilled in the last days just before Jesus Christ comes to the earth a second time.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days [of persecution of the saints by the Roman Catholic Church]” (Matthew 24:29), “lo, there was a great earthquake” (Revelation 6:12) and then “shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” Matthew 24:29.

Of these three signs of Christ’s second coming, the first sign was an earthquake on November 1, 1755 in Lisbon in Europe. It was one of the most terrible earthquakes ever recorded. The second sign occurred over New England in America and parts of Canada on the “Dark Day” of May 19, 1780. The third and final sign occurred in the great meteor shower of November 13, 1833 which was seen all over North America.

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30. “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:27. This is the future great and terrible day of the Lord God which was prophesied by the prophet Joel.

Spiritual Applications

Pray to God sincerely and ask God to help you to do His will, believing that God will help you, and thus you will be enabled to make the spiritual applications noted below:

• Repent of your sins and pray to God.
• “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 1:21. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit and, hence, be saved to eternal life.

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