Joel

Not much is known about Joel. The time he prophesied appears to have been before the invasion by Babylon as he mentions “the army of the north”. Hosea appears to have quoted or referred to the statements of Joel. So, Joel probably prophesied to Judah and Jerusalem before Hosea and Isaiah.

“Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.” (Joel 1:5-6)

“Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Alas for that day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.” (Joel 1:13-15)

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming.”

“It is close at hand a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.” (Joel 2:1-2)

“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity. Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.” (Joel 2:13-14; 18)

The Coming Messiah “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” (Joel 2:28-32)

Key Points from Joel ➢ The Old Testament children, Israel and Judah, ceased worshiping and serving God. Many of God’s New Testament children also, from the first century until now, have ceased worshiping Him. ➢ There is hope for salvation since God poured out His Spirit on all people when by obedience, they put their trust in Christ.