The book of Joel is rich in apocalyptic imagery and is strongly related to end of the world events. It is believed to be written around 400 B.C. The theme of the book is "day of the Lord."
The first part of the book is about locusts. Locusts wrought famine on the land of Jerusalem. Everyone of the tribe of Judah panicked except for Joel. Joel organized the people together and told them that he saw the locusts as the coming of the Lord. Therefore, he had the people of Judah repent and fast and mourn for the Lord. Once they did this, the Lord drove away the locusts.
The concluding poem is about judgement day. Israel becomes forever secure from her enemies.
Joel, which in Hebrew means "YHWH is God", was a Judean and lived in Jerusalem. It is impossible to know the personality of the prophet because all personal traits have been left out of his book in the Bible. Joel was supposedly a cult prophet attached to the Jerusalem temple-community. He might have been a temple official but he didn't identify himself as a priest. Joel most likely lived between the mid-eight hundreds to the mid-seven hundreds B.C.
The prophet Joel is important in salvation history because he shows that people can find God everywhere, even in a swarm of locusts.
Here is an outline for the Book of Joel:
I. The Plague of Locusts and the Community
A. Plague of Locusts
B. Call to Lamentation
C. Great Alarm
D. Call to Repentance
II. The Response of the Lord to all Israel and the Nations
A. Compassion for the Community
B. Blessings ofr the Community
C. Judgement on the Nations
D. Presence of God in Jerusalem
Here is a quote from the book of Joel:
Joel 2:12-13
"Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God."
Review Questions
1. What were the approximate dates of Joel's lifespan?
2. Why was Joel important in salvation history?
3. How did Joel drive away the locusts?
4. Where did Joel live?
5. What tribe did Joel belong to?
Answers
Pazdan, Mary Margaret. Collegeville Bible Commenetary: Joel, Obadiah, Haggai, Zecahria, Malachi. The Liturgical Press, 1986.
The New American Bible. Catholic Book PUblishing Co. New York, 1991.
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