THE BOOK OF JOEL

 I’ll be taking a short break on posting new articles, but I’ll post some short studies from the minor prophets. Read these books with the knowledge that Yehovah is speaking to the world that will experience Yeshua’s second coming. He is coming to save Israel!

Joel asks his readers to imagine a terrifying plague of locusts and its horrifying impact on society and the natural environment. Then the locusts become a mighty army sent by the Lord against Judah. At the point where human society and culture in Judah are at the brink of destruction, we are asked to identify with a prophetic voice that calls on them to return to the Lord and too fast and lament. Then the book moves to Judah’s salvation and to a series of passages dealing with the ideal future, in which the fate or judgment of the Nations figures prominently.

This book shows end time concerns. It conveys images and reassurances of “once and for all” actions of the Lord on behalf of Judah and Jerusalem, and against those who have persecuted them. It teaches that the “Day of the Lord” is coming--the day when the Lord will manifest Himself in the destruction of His enemies and the exaltation of His friends. This day is accompanied by extraordinary phenomena in nature. The attitude of a person’s heart and life before the Lord will determine their reaction to this day.

Joel is quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost, and its promise of the “day of the Lord” is partially fulfilled by the coming of the Holy Spirit. This illustrates the “duality” or “multiple” fulfillment of prophecy. It is a warning of Judgment and a sign of ultimate deliverance to all believers--both Jewish and Gentile in the coming age. When reading the prophets we should always try to understand them in their historical (that time), personal (our lives), and prophetic (future) context.

The author of the Prophecy    1.1

The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son Pethuel. Joel means “Jehovah is God.” The book of Joel and his prophetic word is not set in any particular period. Most scholars think around 400-350 BC.

I. The locust plague as the harbinger of the Day of the Lord    1.2-2.17

The divine judgment against Judah and their response.

  A. The threefold calamity: locusts, drought, and conflagrations     1.2-20

    1. The invasion of the locusts    1.2-12

1.2-3 The prophet tells the old men and all the inhabitants of the land to listen. What they are about to hear has never been heard or seen in the land. They are instructed to tell all generations. This call emphasizes the link between generations, and the everlasting truth and relevance of what they are going to be told.

1.4-7 A plague of locusts coming upon the land is described as an invading army. This army is vast beyond counting with teeth like a lion and fangs like a lion. The vines and fig trees have been stripped bare.

These verses are describing the end time battle for Jerusalem and the many nations that will come against Israel and the Jewish people (Revelation 9.3-11).

The four locusts may refer to the four nations that will rule over Judah--Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and finally through the present age, Rome. Rome represents the “Babylonian” system.

1.8-12 The prophet laments like a young newlywed who has lost her husband. The offerings at the temple have ceased and the priests mourn. The country is wasted and the farmers are dismayed. Vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and apple trees have withered because of the desolation. Rev 9.15-21

The time of prosperity has ended because the swarm of locusts, armies of the nations, have desolated the land. The vine and three trees represent the nations of the earth--all are affected.

    2. A call to repentance    1.13-14

1.13 The priests are told to lament and spend the night in sackcloth. There is no temple service, because there is most likely no temple.

1.14 The nation is called to a solemn assembly, to fast and cry out to the Lord--all the inhabitants are called to participate. This is a solemn day and it is time to repent. We all fall short and need to humble ourselves before the Lord. When we stumble there is one place we can always go (Matt 11.28). At the end of the age the nation will be crying out to the Lord for salvation (Zechariah 12.9-13).

   3. The terrors of the Day of the Lord    1.15-20

1.15-20 Alas! The day of the Lord is near. Food is not available, there is no joy or gladness. The barns and granaries are empty and in ruins. A fire has consumed the land--even the water is gone! Rev 8.10-11

This is a scene of an extraordinary day of judgment for the wicked and unrepentant. God is not showing pity to anyone, not even the animals in the field. This burning fire has all the earmarks of nuclear war. Day of the Lord: Isaiah 13.6, Ezekiel 30.2-3, Zephaniah 1.14-15. Those who repent are not destined to wrath (1 Thess 5.9). God’s anger/chastisement is designed to get men to repent and receive His mercy.

  B. The scourge as the forerunner of the judgment day    2.1-17

Military imagery is used in this section, the army is a personification of the locusts (Proverbs 6.6-7). This section also stresses the need to turn back to the Lord before the arrival of the Day of the Lord, otherwise we will become victims of God’s power. God desires that men repent and turn back to Him.

    1. A vivid picture of the coming judgment    2.1-11

2.1-2 Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm! Let all the earth tremble for the day of the Lord has come. This is a day of darkness, gloominess, and thick clouds of darkness. These armies are a vast horde…there has never been anything like this before or after. 

This is a picture of Revelation 18 and 19. The final days will be like nothing that has ever happened before (Matt 24.29-31). The nation of Israel will be on the ropes--but the Lord will come and save them when they cry out to Him.

2.3 This horde burns everything that is before and behind them. Everything is wiped out.

2.4-5 This army is like a herd of wild horses, intense noise, confusion, and destruction.

2.6 Everyone trembles in fear before them.

2.7-10 This army is all warriors, scaling walls, in formation, well disciplined. They totally ransack the city like brazen thieves. The earth trembles before them, the sun and moon are darkened. This is a great war.

2.11 The Lord roars ahead of His army of many thousands, uncountable thousands. The judgment of God on the wicked is seen here (Rev 19.11-16)

This army represents the second coming of Yeshua at the end of the age (Rev 19).

    2. An exhortation to repentance    2.12-17

2.12-14 Even with all this calamity on the horizon the Lord says, “Turn back to Me with all your hearts, and with fasting, weeping, and lamenting. Rend your hearts, rather than your clothes.” The Lord is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness. If we return, He may relent and leave a blessing behind.

God only desires that we turn from our sinful ways and humbly come to Him. From an eternal stand point God is slow to anger. Throughout history mankind has treated each other violently and uncaringly. In this sense, you could ask how God puts up with us? Man brings judgment on himself--God demands justice and fairness--we covet, steal, and kill on a personal and national level. God reaches out in love--that is why He came in the person of Jesus Christ. Man refuses to repent. God leaves us to our own devices and we treat each other with cruelty--this is the nature of war. When we are about to destroy ourselves--He will appear. His appearance will bring wrath on the wicked and salvation to the repentant.

2.15-17 The warning trumpet is sounded (Rev 1.10). A fast is proclaimed, an assembly called! The congregation is to gather and purify themselves. The bridegroom comes out of his chamber, the bride from her canopy. The priests weep and ask God to spare His people--otherwise the nations will taunt, “Where is your God?”

God is searching our hearts to see if we are willing to contend for our nation, our world. Do we care? Are we seeking Him? Even the bride and bridegroom are disrupting their plans to plead with the Lord. On an individual level there is not a lot we can do, but we can contend in prayer. We can seek God’s direction for our lives. We can turn toward God and He will hear us. On the world stage calamity is inevitable, but God wants His people to contend for individual souls. There is a need to turn back to the Lord on a communal level before the day of the Lord arrives. God is looking for men and women who care enough to contend for the nations.

II. The averting of judgment and bestowal of blessings    2.18-3.21

 A. The blessings in the immediate future    2.18-27

2.18-24 In these verses the Lord is aroused by the response of His people. He is going to restore them and “drive the northerner away” from them. The stench of their enemies demise will be intense. Then the Lord will restore the land and it will bloom again. The people will rejoice and be glad as the rain returns and the land prospers.

In the Hebrew the “one from the north” is interpreted as “yetzer ha-ra” which means “the evil inclination” which is constantly hidden in the heart of man. This verse is then understood as stating that in the future, God will drive this inclination away from humanity into a land barren and desolate. This brings to mind the Apostle Paul speaking of the spiritual body in 1 Corinthians 15.35-58. The word rain in Hebrew can be interpreted as “teachers.” Proper teaching will help our souls prosper.

The day is coming when there will be no more inclination towards sin--we shall all be changed on that day of resurrection. We will experience that which we now hope for. This will be the day all God’s enemies will be put under his feet. Until that day, the Lord exhorts us to contend in prayer, living, and shining His light in the world. Are we willing to spend time in prayer? Are we willing to yield to His wisdom lay down our lives? If we are, we will experience personal revival.

In the darkest hour of mankind the Lord will have an army of people who are contending in spiritual warfare and righteous living. We are not going to be “raptured” out to watch and observe--we will be contending! That is the message here. We are being prepared for the new world that is to come. This is our training ground for future rule with the Lord in the Millennial Kingdom. Now we are to contend.

2.25-27 The Lord says he is going to restore the years the locust have eaten, the people will have plenty to eat (good teachers and shepherds), and they will praise God again. They will know that He is in the midst of Jerusalem and be ashamed no more (Rev 21).

Once we turn back to the Lord our lives once again have meaning and purpose. The word once again comes alive and has deep meaning for us. We can hear and see again. Have you ever been ashamed of something you’ve done in the past? When we return to the Lord we are often ashamed of past things we have done--but He forgives us and restores us in love. He is quick to show mercy--but if men refuse to repent--the day of wrath in inevitable.

  B. The outpouring of the divine Spirit    2.28-32

2.28-32 - After that (repentance and restoration) the Lord says He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Sons and daughters will prophesy, old men shall dream dreams, and young men see visions. All this is done before the great and terrible day of the Lord. There will be portents in the sky--blood, fire and pillars of smoke. The sun will become dark and the moon like blood. Those who call on the name of the Lord will escape (eternal damnation). There will be a remnant on Mt. Zion and in Jerusalem. Anyone who invokes the name of the Lord will be delivered (for eternity).

Based upon our above actions, there is a glorious future for the faithful.

All who turn to the Lord are included. God will always provide light in a dark world--because God would that all men are saved. That is why we go through “much tribulation to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14.22, John 16.33, 2 Thess 1.4).

God has never raptured his people out--they have gone through and provided light to those in darkness. That is what Jesus did--He went through until the end. Why should we be any different? The rapture comes when the Lord returns with His heavenly army at the end of the age (Rev 19.11-16), at the final trumpet sound! 2 Thess 4.16-18

The other thing we see God doing throughout history is pouring out His spirit in a great way prior to calamities. Many revivals preceded dark times and events.  He knows what is coming and is merciful wanting to save as many as possible. Those who refuse God’s graciousness, however, are doomed. Rev 9.20-21, 16.9-11

  C. Judgment upon the Nations    3.1-17

This portion pictures the enemy gathering massive forces against Jerusalem but finally being destroyed. (See Ezekiel 39 and 39 for similar ideas.)

   1. The avenging of wrongs committed against the Judah    3.1-3

3.1-3 In those days, after God brings Judah and Jerusalem back from captivity, the nations will be gathered in the valley of Jehoshaphat. There God is going to finally contend with the nations over His people because they have divided the land and cast lots (attempted to destroy) His people.

This is the great day of the Lord. The nations will be gathered against Israel and the Lord is going to return (Rev 19.11-21). This issue of the land, the people, and the covenant will be decided with finality.

    2. Judgment upon Tyre and Sidon    3.4-8

3.4-8 Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia are condemned for oppressing and coming against Judah. They are accused of destroying and taking Judah captive. Now the Lord is going to reverse the outcome and Judah’s enemies will become her captives. See Isaiah 14.2 These are great end time verses for Israel’s ultimate salvation. Have we taken our enemies captive? Note: we are grafted into Israel.

    3. World judgment    3.9-17

3.9-13 The Lord tells the nations to prepare for battle. They are told to beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears (a reversal of Is 2.4 and Micah 4.3). God is challenging the nations to come to the valley of Jehoshaphat where He will judge them for their wickedness. The Lord is swinging the sickle to reap the nations. God’s word is going to divide and try men’s hearts.

See Rev 14.14-20.

3.14-17 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. The day of the Lord is at hand and the Lord will roar from Zion against all Judah’s enemies. The Lord will be a shelter to His people and Jerusalem will be holy unto the Lord.

See Rev 19.9-21

D. The blessings following the judgment    3.18-21

3.18-21 The mountains shall drip with wine, the hills with milk, and rivers of water shall flow from the House of the Lord. There will finally be peace on earth and the Lord shall dwell in Zion. See Rev 22.1-7

The Millennial Kingdom will be a time of teaching the nations about the goodness of Jehovah our God.

Sources: The Jewish Study Bible and The Open Bible