A prophet of the Southern Kingdom of Judah

From today, we begin our study of the Book of Joel, which is the second of the Minor Prophets. The name Joel means “The Lord (Yahweh) is God.” (1) Chronologically, he is a prophet who comes after Obadiah. Since the Book of Joel is quoted twice in the Book of Amos, we can see that Joel was a prophet who preceded Amos (Joel 3:16 is quoted in Amos 1:2, and Joel 3:18 is quoted in Amos 9:13). (2) Joel was a prophet of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. In the Book of Joel, the sin of idolatry is hardly addressed. This suggests that he ministered during a period when the Southern Kingdom of Judah was relatively stable. He was probably active during the reign of King Joash (around 835 BC). Joash was one of the good kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. (3) Joel was a prophet who was very familiar with Jerusalem. This can be seen from the descriptions in 1:9, 13, 14, and 2:15. (4) Joel further develops the theme of “the day of the Lord,” which Obadiah had addressed, and proclaims his prophecy with greater depth (ref. 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14, etc.). “The day of the Lord” refers to the day of the Lord’s judgment, that is, the time of the Great Tribulation.

Quoted in the New Testament

(1) The New Testament quotes the Book of Joel twice. Acts 2:17-21 is a quotation from Joel 2:28-32, and Romans 10:13 is a quotation from Joel 2:32. (2) In Joel’s time, a great plague of locusts occurred, and the land of the Southern Kingdom of Judah was devastated. It was a disaster so severe that it drove the people to the brink of despair. Joel takes up this great calamity and, from it, proclaims prophecy concerning a future invasion by evil spirits, as well as an invasion by enemy armies. The Book of Joel teaches two lessons. (1) God rules over every event in the world. (2) When human beings repent, God responds by changing how He deals with them. Let us also learn from these two lessons today. No matter what may happen around us, God’s absolute sovereignty and protection do not change. What is most important for us is repentance. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise” (Ps. 51:17). Amen.