OT - Survey 34 - Joel

All content is derived from A Survey of the Old Testament by Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, with additional insights from R.C. Sproul's Dust to Glory. Further sources referenced are listed in the reference section below.

Key Ideas

Analogy of the locust plague to describe the coming day of the Lord

The pouring out of the Spirit on all people as a prelude to judgment

The Prophet Joel and His Context

— Joel’s prophetic image of a locust plague is among the most vivid in the Old Testament, used as a metaphor for impending invasion and divine judgment. — Joel is not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, leaving little known about his personal life. — Despite this, his writing reveals a powerful and compelling prophetic voice. — Some scholars have classified him among the “temple prophets,” referencing contemporaries like those active during Jeremiah’s ministry (see Jeremiah 28), although Joel’s reliability stands in contrast to some of their failures.

The Book’s Influence on Christianity

— Joel's message gained particular prominence in Christian history through its use in Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16–21), where Joel’s prophecy served as the theological foundation for the early church's understanding of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring.

The Challenge of Dating Joel

— Dating the Book of Joel is one of the most complex tasks in Old Testament scholarship, with proposals ranging from the 9th century BC to the 2nd century BC. — The lack of chronological markers in Joel 1:1 forces scholars to rely on internal evidence.

Indicators of Early Dating (9th Century BC)

— Joel addresses “elders” instead of a king, suggesting a time when no monarch was active, such as the minority reign of Joash (2 Kings 11:4–21). — The sacrificial system is still functioning (Joel 1:9), effectively ruling out the Babylonian exile period. — Joel is placed second among the Twelve (Minor Prophets), between Hosea and Amos, suggesting an earlier composition. — The “day of the Lord” theme was already familiar by the time of Amos (Amos 5:18), suggesting earlier use. — Neither Assyria nor Babylon is referenced as enemies, consistent with a pre-empire context.

Indicators of Postexilic Dating (5th Century BC or Later)

— Joel 3:12 treats the scattering of Israel as a past event, which some argue cannot be explained by the prophetic perfect. — The absence of references to idolatry or Baal worship — prominent issues in the preexilic period — is striking. — This omission is especially notable if Joel ministered shortly after Queen Athaliah, whose reign was marked by Baalism (2 Kings 11:18).

Joel’s Use of Other Prophets

1:15 — Isaiah 13:6 2:3 — Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 36:35 2:10 — Isaiah 13:10 3:10 — Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3 3:16 — Amos 1:2; Isaiah 13:13 3:17 — Ezekiel 36:11; Isaiah 52:1 3:18 — Amos 9:13

Possible Historical Settings

— If Joel is postexilic, the Persian period becomes the context. — Debate continues over whether the book fits better during the early Persian era alongside Haggai and Zechariah, or the later period of Ezra and Nehemiah. — A plausible window is the mid-Persian period, after the temple’s reconstruction under Zerubbabel but before Edom’s downfall, potentially during Xerxes’ reign (Esther 1:1) or slightly earlier under Darius I. — Unfortunately, the biblical record offers scant information about Israel’s internal life during this time.

Purpose and Message

— Joel’s primary focus is “the day of the Lord,” a theme introduced through the contemporary locust plague (Joel 1:4). — He urges repentance even though no explicit sin is named. — The people's positive response leads to divine favor and a promise of coming prosperity (Joel 2:18–19). — Later, the focus shifts to the nations, who will face judgment while Israel receives restoration and blessing (Joel 3:1–21). — Both judgment and restoration are portrayed in socioeconomic terms, with prosperity functioning as a key sign of divine favor.

Structure and Organization of the Book

— Joel’s message begins with a present-tense crisis—the locust plague—interpreted as divine judgment. — Unlike many preexilic prophets who forecast future judgment, Joel focuses on the current disaster as an opportunity for repentance and renewal. — His call to action includes spiritual and ritual elements, contrasting with earlier prophets who condemned empty ritualism and demanded ethical reform (see Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:6–8). — The structure follows two main cycles:  — First cycle (Joel 1:2–2:17): Description of judgment, call to repentance, the Lord’s displeasure  — Second cycle (Joel 2:18–2:27): Lord’s response, renewed prosperity, and restoration — The final section (Joel 2:28–3:21) shifts to eschatological prophecy — still under the umbrella of “the day of the Lord” — now focused on the nations.

Major Themes in Joel

The Locust Plague as a Symbol of Judgment

— Ancient Israel’s agrarian economy was deeply vulnerable to natural disasters like locust plagues. — Such devastation could ruin harvests for years, leading to widespread famine, poverty, and social disruption. — In the broader Ancient Near Eastern context, natural disasters were typically attributed to divine displeasure, although discerning which god was offended was often difficult. — In Israel, Joel resolved the identity of the divine agent — Yahweh — but did not explain the specific offense. — Instead, he presented the plague as a prelude to “the day of the Lord,” a time of universal judgment and redemption (Joel 1:15; 2:1). — The implication is clear: the Israelites must repent and seek God’s mercy before divine wrath intensifies.

Excursus: Joel and the Pentecost

The prophecy of Joel had an impact far beyond the audience that he personally addressed because later interpreters applied it directly to their own generations. This is particularly evident in the apostle Peter's use of Joel's prophecy in the birth of the church at Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came on those in the upper room the change that occurred in them caused quite a stir among the many visitors who were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost feast. Peter spoke up and immediately explained the phenomena as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy found in 2:28–32. He launched into a sermon explaining who Jesus was and calling on the people to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:1–41). Citation has sometimes perplexed scholars, for it is difficult to see how the endowment of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost had much of anything to do with the “day of the Lord” that was addressed in Joel. Peter’s use of this passage, however, need not indicate that he considered the day of the Lord to have arrived. The apostle’s situation had two significant similarities with the prophecy of Joel: the endowment of the Spirit and the need of the moment — call upon the Lord and be saved. These conditions would have been sufficient for Peter to draw the connection. As we discussed in the introduction to prophetic literature, Peter was free to identify the events of Pentecost as a fulfillment of Joel in the sense that there were certain ways that the events of Pentecost shed some appropriate light on what Joel had said and vice versa.

Summary of the Book of Joel

Joel’s prophetic ministry is marked by a vivid use of imagery, especially the locust plague, to portray both immediate and eschatological judgment. The book emphasizes the “day of the Lord” as both a warning and a hope. Joel calls for national repentance in the face of current disaster and assures the people of divine restoration if they return to God. The prophet’s appeal stands out for integrating ritual response with genuine repentance and spiritual renewal. Though the precise date of the book remains uncertain, its theological resonance spans from the Persian period to the early Christian church. Joel’s prophecy transcends its historical setting, influencing the apostolic understanding of divine action at Pentecost and beyond. The book presents a dynamic theology of judgment and redemption in which repentance and divine mercy form the core of Israel’s hope.

References

Hill, A. E., & Walton, J. H. (2009), A survey of the Old Testament (3rd ed.). Zondervan Academic.

MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2021). The MacArthur study Bible (2nd ed.). Thomas Nelson. (New American Standard Bible).