Bible Study

JOEL (841-834 BC)

Acrostic: 

Cry to avoid judgment (ch. 1)

Return to God’s blessings (ch. 2)

Yield to God’s sovereignty (ch. 3)

[READ Joel 1:1]

¹ The word of Yahweh that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.

From this verse you can see why almost nothing is known about Joel. Besides being the son of Pethuel, his name means, “Jehovah is God.”

1. WHO WROTE THE BOOK?

We know little of the prophet Joel beyond a few personal details contained in the book itself. He identified himself as the son of Pethuel, preached to the people of Judah, and expressed a great deal of interest in Jerusalem. Joel also made several comments on the priests and the temple, indicating a familiarity with the center of worship in Judah (1:13-14; 2:14, 17). Joel often drew upon natural imagery -- the sun and the moon, the grass and the locusts -- and in general seemed to understand the reality that truth must have an impact on us in the real world.

Dating the writing of the book of Joel remains one of the most difficult tasks for OT scholars because unlike most prophetic writers, Joel gave no specific indication of his time period. In particular, Joel refrained from mentioning the current ruling kings. One of the most compelling arguments for dating the writing of the book of Joel explains this omission by suggesting the prophecy occurred in the aftermath of Judah’s only ruling queen, Athaliah (d. 835 BC). Her young grandson, Joash, succeeded Athaliah upon her death. But because Joash was too young to rule, the priest Jehoida ruled in his place until he came of age. So, if Joel prophesied during this caretaking period, it would make sense that he mentioned no official king. The book of Joel also makes ample mention of priests, temple rituals, and nations, such as Phoenicia, Philistia, Egypt, and Edom, that were prominent in the late ninth century BC. All of this points to a date of approximately 835 BC or soon after, making Joel one of the earliest writing prophets, as well as a contemporary of the prophet Elisha.

The book focuses its prophetic judgment on the southern kingdom of Judah with frequent references to Zion and temple worship (1:13-14; 2:23, 32; 3:16, 21). Joel’s familiarity with this area and temple worship suggests that he lived in Judah, possibly even in the city of Jerusalem itself.

II. WHY IS JOEL SO IMPORTANT?

The book of Joel’s importance to the canon of Scripture stems from its being the first to develop an oft-mentioned biblical idea: the Day of the Lord. While Obadiah mentioned the terrifying event first (Obad. 15), Joel’s book gives some of the most striking and specific details in all of Scripture about the day of the Lord -- days cloaked in darkness, armies that conquer like consuming fire, and the moon turning to blood. Rooted in such vibrant and physical imagery, this time of ultimate judgment (still future for us today), makes clear the seriousness of God’s judgment on sin.

[READ 2 Thes. 2:1-2]

¹ Now we ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, ² that you not be quickly shaken in your mind or be alarmed whether by a spirit or a word or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

[READ 2 Pet. 3:10]

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out.

III. WHAT’S THE BIG PICTURE?

Using what was at that time the well-known locust plague in Judah, Joel capitalized on a recent tragedy to dispense the Lord’s message of judgment and the hope of repentance. In referring to the terrible locust plague, Joel was able to speak into the lives of his listeners and imprint the message of judgment into their minds, like a branding iron sears the flesh of an animal.

This terrible plague of locusts is followed by a severe famine throughout the land. Joel uses these events as the catalyst to send words of warning to Judah. Unless the people repented quickly and completely, enemy armies would devour the land as the locusts did. Joel appeals to all the people and the priests of the land to fast and humble themselves as they seek God’s forgiveness. If they responded, there would be renewed material and spiritual blessings for the nation.

But the Day of the Lord is coming. At this time the dreaded locusts of Joel’s day will seem like gnats by comparison, as all nations receive His judgment.

It quickly becomes clear that the overriding theme of the book of Joel is the Day of the Lord, a day of God’s wrath and judgment. This is the Day in which God reveals His attributes of wrath, power, and holiness, and it is a terrifying day to His enemies. In the first chapter of Joel, the Day of the Lord is experienced historically by the plague of locusts upon the land.

Chapter 2:1-17, is a transitional chapter in which Joel uses the metaphor of the locust plague and drought to renew a call to repentance.

Chapters 2:18-3:21, describes the Day of the Lord in eschatological terms and answers the call to repentance with prophecies of physical restoration (2:21-27), spiritual restoration (2:28-32), and national restoration (3:1-21).

The Day of the Lord, which is not a reference to just a single day but to a period of judgment and restoration, consists of three basic features:

• The judgment of God’s people (Joel 2:1-11)

• The judgment of foreign nations (Joel 2:28-32)

• The purification and restoration of God’s people through intense suffering (Joel 3:1-16)

We find each of these elements in the book of Joel, as it offers one of the most complete Scriptural pictures of this ultimately redemptive event.

Whenever the OT speaks of judgment for sin, whether it be individual or national sin, the advent of Jesus Christ is foreshadowed. The prophets of the OT continually warned Israel to repent, but even when they did, their repentance was limited to law-keeping and works. Their temple sacrifices were but a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice, offered once for all time, which would come at the cross (Heb. 10:10). I want you to notice how Joel describes God’s ultimate judgment, which falls during the Day of the Lord …

[READ Joel 2:11]

¹¹ But Yahweh gives forth His voice before His military force;
surely His camp is very numerous, for mighty is he who does His word. The day of Yahweh is indeed great and very awesome [terrible], and who can endure [stand before] it?

The answer to Joel’s question is that we, on our own, can never endure such a moment. But if we have placed our faith in Christ for atonement of our sins, we have nothing to fear from the Day of Judgment.

IV. KEY VERSES IN JOEL

Now I want us to look at several key verses in Joel. Most of you have no doubt heard certain phrases from these verses but didn’t know where they were located in the Bible or what they specifically meant. I hope I can help you gain a better understanding of these passages.

• I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.

Beginning in Joel 2:28, the prophet transitions to a description of events in the distant future (at least from his vantage point).

[READ Joel 2:28-29]

²⁸ And it will be afterwards that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men will dream dreams; your young men will see visions. ²⁹ Even on the male slaves and female slaves I will in those days pour out My Spirit.

What did he mean? Has this been fulfilled?

A NT reference to this verse provides help in understanding this statement. Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost:

[READ Acts 2:15-17]

¹⁵ For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day; ¹⁶ but this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams …’

In this sermon, Peter connects Joel’s prophecy with the Holy Spirit’s coming and the establishment of Christ’s church. Not every detail of Joel’s prophecy is yet fulfilled, but the “pouring out of the Spirit” began on the Day of Pentecost. From that time forward, the Holy Spirit indwells all of those who come to faith in Jesus Christ.

This event marked a notable difference in the Spirit’s role from OT times. Previously, the Spirit had only empowered certain individuals and sometimes only for a particular period of time. On the Day of Pentecost, the 120 followers of Jesus in the Upper Room not only experienced the Holy Spirit’s power but His abiding presence (Jn. 14:16). Three thousand people believed and were baptized that day. These converts all received the Holy Spirit into their lives that same day (Acts 2:38).

One of the surprising outcomes of Joel’s prophecy was that even non-Jews were filled with the Spirit. For example, in Acts 10:45 we read, “And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” God was lavishing His Spirit on everyone who believed in Jesus, regardless of their culture, nationality, or ethnicity. “All people,” as Joel had said, were offered this gift.

In the future, the Holy Spirit will play an active role in end-time events, bringing to pass the other aspects of Joel’s prophecies in chapters 2 and 3 (see Rev. 1:4, 10; 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:1, 6, 13, 22; 4:2, 5, 6; 14:13; 17:3; 21:10; 22:17). But, the initial fulfillment of this prophecy has already begun, as noted by Peter, allowing all who follow Christ today to experience the blessing of the Holy Spirit living within them and empowering them for Christian service.

• Rend your heart and not your garments.

Joel functioned as a spiritual watchman over Judah. In chapter 2:12-19, he pleaded with the nation to turn to the Lord in genuine repentance as the only way to avoid the devastating destruction of the coming “day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15). The prophet’s call begins this way …

[READ Joel 2:12-13]

¹² “Yet even now,” declares Yahweh, “Return to Me with all your heart and with fasting, weeping, and wailing; ¹³ And tear your heart and not your garments.” Now return to Yahweh your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting concerning evil [punishment].

The word for “tear” or “rend” in the original Hebrew means “to split, tear to pieces, rip, bust, separate abruptly or with violence.” To rend one’s garment was an ancient custom that signaled intense grief, repentance, or holy zeal.

When King David received the devastating, but exaggerated, news that Absalom had struck down all of his remaining sons, he rose, tore his clothes, and then lay down on the ground (2 Sam. 13:31; see also 2 Sam. 1:11). The OT records Reuben, Jacob, Joshua, Caleb, Jephthah, Tamar, Ahab, Hezekiah, and others rending their garments in gestures of mourning and repentance.

In the NT, the high priest tore his garment while accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Mt. 26:65). Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in anguish when they realized the people of Lystra were preparing to honor them as deities (Acts 14:14-15).

But more than torn clothing, God wants torn hearts. To “rend your heart” in repentance is to acknowledge your brokenness and need for God’s forgiveness and restoration. As we rend our hearts, we discover that “the LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Ps. 34:18, NLT). When we’ve strayed from God, the sacrifice He desires is “a broken spirit,” for He “will not reject a broken and repentant heart” according to Psalm 51:17. We pave the way for healing, wholeness, and a restored relationship with God when we rend our hearts before Him.

In Joel’s day, the nation of Judah was guilty of putting on false displays of repentance. The people performed rituals of tearing their clothing without experiencing true, heart-crushing remorse for their sin, which would lead to a change in behavior and genuine devotion to God. Only a complete rending of the heart would turn the nation back to receive the compassionate, gracious, merciful, and steadfast love of the Lord.

The idiom rend your heart expresses internal spiritual brokenness, which is vastly more important than any empty, hypocritical act of ripping apart one’s clothing. Rituals of repentance mean nothing if the heart is unchanged. External performances are not enough. For this reason, Jesus taught in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3). Being poor in spirit means recognizing one’s broken spiritual state. We rend our hearts when we admit that we are utterly bankrupt and destitute before God. Without His forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration, we are undone.

Rending our hearts in repentance means a wholehearted surrender to God (see Lam. 2:19; Ps. 51:10; Isa. 6:5). When we rend our hearts before the Lord, God promises to forgive, cleanse, and restore us. Ezekiel gives us a great example of this …

[READ Ezek. 36:24-29]

²⁴ For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. ²⁵ “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. ²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. ²⁷ And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations. ²⁸ “And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be My people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior .…”

• The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood.

The prediction of the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars are referred to in a number of OT passages (see Isa. 13:10; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Amos 5:20; 8:9; Zeph. 1:15; Zech. 14:6; and, of course, Joel 2:10, 2:31; 3:15).

Let’s focus on the Joel 2:30-31 passage for a moment since it explains this event in fuller detail than the other two Joel passages noted above.

[READ Joel 2:30-31]

³⁰ And I will put wonders in the sky and on the earth,
blood, fire, and columns of smoke. ³¹ The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes.

Will the sun literally be turned black and the moon turned to blood?

Not necessarily. As with many descriptive passages in prophecy, this prediction is stated in the language of appearance and should not be taken as a technical statement. The idea is that the sun’s light will be blocked and the moon will have a reddish appearance, like blood.

The sun turning to darkness takes place during a total solar eclipse. It is possible that this natural phenomenon will be a sign of the Lord’s soon coming during the end times. But let’s not rule out that it could be a supernatural darkness, similar to the darkness that took place during Jesus’ crucifixion (Mt. 27:45).

For a solar eclipse to take place at a particular time may not seem to be a big deal. There are total solar eclipses visible somewhere around the globe about every 18 months. However, from any one location on Earth, total eclipses take place on average only once in several hundred years.

It is likely that Joel’s prophecy includes an eclipse visible in Israel just before the second coming of Christ. This would be evidence of God’s intricate timing. However, it is also possible that a supernatural event will occur, blocking the sun’s light from the entire planet. This would explain how the sun could look dark and the moon red at the same time --although the prophecy does not stipulate that the two events are simultaneous.

The moon appears red during a total lunar eclipse. Again, it will be the timing of this sign that will reveal God’s supernatural power.

Jesus speaks of this event in …

[READ Mt. 24:29-30]

²⁹ “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

Notice that Jesus indicates these phenomena will take place at the end of the tribulation period shortly before He returns to Earth. It is possible that the judgments and devastation that take place during the tribulation will be responsible for creating conditions that make the sun appear dark and the moon appear red.

Regardless of how it happens, the appearance of the sun and moon will change. Joel’s prophecy is clear: a darkened sun and reddish moon are associated with God’s judgment shortly before the return of Christ.

• Let the weak say, “I am strong.”

The classic praise and worship song “Give Thanks” contains the line “And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” There are several passages of Scripture that encourage us to see ourselves as strong in the Lord, including 2 Corinthians 12:9, but the precise quotation, from Joel 3:10, has a very different context.

Joel chapter 3 talks about God’s future judgment of the nations. Let’s look at the context.

[READ Joel 3:9-13]

⁹ Call out this message among the nations: Set yourselves apart for a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the men of war approach, let them come up! ¹⁰ Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.” ¹¹ Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. There, bring down, O Yahweh, Your mighty ones. ¹² Let the nations be roused up and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. ¹³ Send in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full;
the vats overflow, for their evil is great.

It is in this context that we see the command let the weak say, I am strong (KJV). The ESV puts it this way: “Let the weak say, ‘I am a warrior.’” The NLT renders it, “Train even your weaklings to be warriors.” But what does this mean?

The weak who say, “I am strong,” are untrained warriors called into battle, using their farming equipment as weapons. This prophecy is of a time when the nations rouse themselves to come against God and His armies (see Rev. 16:14-16; 20:7-10). God is actually calling them to judgment, and they will be soundly defeated. In Joel’s prophecy, God is challenging the wicked nations. The people who come against God in the end will need every available resource and person if they are to have any hope of fighting -- even the weak among them will need to become warriors. No one, even those normally unfit for war, will escape this conflict; there will be no exceptions or deferments; it is the time of the God’s judgment on the whole earth.

When the Day of the Lord comes, God will finally judge the world. Joel’s prophecy reveals the nature of the world at that time. Clearly, only deluded people would think they can do battle against Almighty God and win. Sinful, weak humanity imagine they are above God and will consider themselves strong enough to fight Him.

Joel 3 speaks of a terrible time when godless nations turn their farming equipment into weapons for a final, futile battle. After the judgment, however, God’s people, Israel, are restored to a place of blessing.

[READ Joel 3:17-18]

¹⁷ Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So, Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more. ¹⁸ And it will be in that day, that the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out from the house of Yahweh to water the valley of Shittim [acacias].

Then, at this time of blessing, God says that, rather than turning their farm implements into weapons, people will do the exact opposite.

[READ Isa. 2:4]

⁴ And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.

God is ultimately the victor. He will avenge His people (Joel 3:21), save them from their enemies, and restore them to a blessed state. In Joel 3:10, we see that God issues this challenge to the enemies of His people: “Let the weak say I am strong.” The Lord is prepared for battle, and it’s time for His foes to put up or shut up.

• Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision!

This well-known quote comes from Joel 3:14.

[READ Joel 3:14] The verse in its entirety reads,

¹⁴ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.

Many evangelists have drawn from this passage to challenge audiences to “make a decision” for Christ. Others view this valley of decision as a time of judgment when the Lord decides the fate of the nations. So, which is it? An invitation or a prophecy of doom?

The context of Joel 3 clarifies that this is a time when God judges the earth. Let’s back up to verse 2 where this is made obvious.

[READ Joel 3:2]

² I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel ….

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the same as the “valley of decision.” Jehoshaphat means “Yahweh judges”; the “decision” being made in the valley is God’s, not of the multitudes. The geographical location of this valley is likely the Kidron Valley on the east side of Jerusalem.

The future Day of the Lord will include a gathering of the nations (v. 2), a judgment on wickedness (v. 13), and astronomical signs (v. 15). Joel’s prophecy of the valley of decision finds is undoubtedly the sheep and goat judgment Jesus speaks of in His Olivet Discourse (Mt. 25:31-46). This will occur just before believers enter into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

During the millennium Christ rules as King from Jerusalem.
Some interpreters argue the millennium is figurative, yet many passages, including Joel 3:18-21, describe this time in great detail. Further, Revelation 20:1-7 refers to “1,000 years” six times. It seems that God desires us to know that the millennial kingdom is a literal period of time.

Therefore, the “valley of decision” is not about humans choosing whether or not to follow Christ; it is God handing down His decision of judgment at the end of the tribulation. Wickedness will be dealt with decisively, swiftly and justly. Praise the Lord for His promise to make all things right one day and to be “a refuge for His people” (Joel 3:16).

• I will pardon their bloodguilt.

Readers often wonder what the Bible means when it speaks of “bloodguilt.”

Joel 3:21 is translated in a couple of different ways, as the following examples show:

“And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged” (LSB).

“I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged” (ESV).

“For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed” (KJV).

“Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon. (NIV).

So, is Israel being acquitted or avenged? Some translations seem to say that God is forgiving someone of “bloodguilt”; while other translations appear to say that God is not forgiving someone and is punishing them accordingly.

The Amplified Bible may shed some light on the issue: “And I will cleanse and hold as innocent their blood and avenge it, blood which I have not cleansed, held innocent, and avenged.” This means both are true: Israel is being forgiven, and God is avenging them. Let me explain: Israel’s enemies had committed violence against the Jews as if Israel had been worthy of death; God promises that He will avenge the deaths of His people, thereby declaring Israel innocent (forgiven). When God dwells in Zion, He will provide complete and final justice.

“Bloodguilt” then, is the condition of being culpable for bloodshed or murder. The NKJV translates it as “guilty of bloodshed.” Murder is a horrendous crime in the eyes of both man and God; to be bloodguilty, then, would be to deserve a severe punishment. Yet this is the very sin that God says He will forgive and avenge. His protection of His people is sure, and His grace is boundless.

Joel 3:21 is referring to a future time when the Messiah will rule after judging the nations. From a NT perspective, this parallels Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year millennial kingdom following His Second Coming. This fitting conclusion to Joel’s book emphasizes God’s justice and the promised blessing of dwelling with God for eternity.

IV. HOW DO I APPLY THIS?

Visions of the future, such as the kind we find in Joel or even in

the pages of the more well-known book of Revelation, can often seem remote from our day-to-day existence. However, their vivid pictures of destruction should serve to awaken us from our spiritual stupor. Do you ever struggle with feeling complacent? A strong dose of apocalyptic imagery like we find in Joel might just do the trick of opening your eyes to the necessity of faithfully following after God every moment of your life.

Without repentance, judgment will be harsh, thorough, and certain. At times God uses nature, sorrow, or other common occurrences to draw us closer to Him. But in His mercy and grace, He has provided the definitive plan for our salvation --Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and exchanging our sin for His perfect righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). There is no time to lose, because we are told God’s judgment will come swiftly, as a thief in the night (1 Thes. 5:2), and we must be ready. Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).

[READ Isa. 55:6-7]

⁶ Seek Yahweh while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Only by appropriating God’s salvation can we escape His wrath on the Day of the Lord.

Hard Trivia Question: Joel has a nickname among theologians that relates to the NT. He is known to them as “the prophet of _______?” Answer: Pentecost, because Peter quoted him in his sermon that day (see Acts 2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32).