The Message Of Joel: When God Invades

By Robert Spender [1]

Introduction

What happens when God invades our life or community? Sometimes we don’t even recognize it. It may be a small disturbance or a major disruption, but is God really at work? The Lord used his prophet Joel to help his people wrestle with a difficult situation and to spur them on to grapple with greater spiritual truths. Thinking meditatively through the book of Joel can help believers understand some of the ramifications of God invading their lives.

The Prophet Joel

Little is known about this mighty prophet aside from the introduction and the circumstantial evidence that can be gleaned from his writing. His name, while short, is unique among the prophets, since it combines two of God’s names. Most would interpret Joel as “Yahweh (Jo = Jehovah) [is] El (God).” The book is one of the more controversial as to its date, with suggestions spanning several centuries from the eighth to fourth centuries bc. Arguments from silence that are, at best, difficult to assess include Joel’s silence about idolatry or any reigning king over the northern kingdom. Contextual clues point to a time when the temple was active, with the leadership in the hands of priests and elders rather than a king. Enemies which are named are closer neighbors rather than the great kingdoms of Assyria or Babylon, and reference to the Greeks in Joel 3:6 is inconclusive, since Assyrian records mention the Greeks as early as the eighth century bc. [2] The restoration from dispersion mentioned in Joel 3:1-2 could be a prophecy of a future restoration or a historical reference to the Babylonian captivity. Additionally, quotes and allusions from Joel to other prophetic books could be a borrowing in either direction. Finally, Joel’s inclusion with the eighth century prophets in the canon could be for reasons of content rather than chronology, leaving the question still unsettled.

The brief introduction in 1:1 affirms Joel’s prophetic office. He was a recipient of God’s revelation when the word of the Lord came (הָיָה, hāyâ, “was”) to him. Aside from his father’s name, Pethuel, we know little else about the man. After all, the book is not about Joel; it is about the Lord’s relationship with his people. Yet this powerful message about God invading the land provides neither a location nor a time. For that, we need to extrapolate suggestions from the text.

The prophet’s legitimacy rests on an earlier choice by God (a call) and his effective service for the Lord. The fact that he was an interpreter of current events affirmed his calling and office to those who knew him. [3] The preservation of the book would follow along similar lines. With the affirmation of his prophetic office and the corroboration of the message, his book would have been preserved for and by the generations that he mentions in the opening verses.

Joel’s abrupt announcement about a locust invasion eventually transitions into militaristic language and talk about the day of the Lord. The blending of these two subjects, the locust invasion and the day of the Lord, has been the point of prolonged discussion. Some have emphasized one aspect to the exclusion of the other. Perhaps the best approach is to understand the merging of the two as part of Joel’s purpose. Beginning with current events (the locust plague), he moved toward the greater and more horrific invasion of the day of the Lord.

Locusts Invade 1:1-14

Joel’s Announcement 1:1-4

The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: Hear this, O elders, and listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days or in your fathers’ days? Tell your sons about it, and let your sons tell their sons, and their sons the next generation. What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

Joel forcefully announces his message with the juxtaposition of two imperatives (שִׁמְעוּ וַהַאֲזִינוּ, s̆imʿû wᵉhaʾăzînû, “hear and listen”), a favorite verb form of his. Similar imperatives are used by prophets to gain the attention of their audience (Isa. 1:2, 10; 32:9; Jer. 13:15; Hosea 5:1). [4] Twice Joel uses the relative pronoun “this” (זאֹת, zō’ṯ). The first occurrence refers to his message, while the second references the locust plague, thereby anticipating the close integration of these subjects in his book.

Joel’s ability to gather parts into a more coherent whole is reflected in the opening verses as he speaks to a select audience of leaders (“elders”) as well as the entire population (“all inhabitants of the land,” v. 1). Five lines connect five generations to the past witness of history. Beginning with the current audience (“your days”), connection is made to the past (“your fathers’ days,” v. 1), and then moves forward to future generations (“your sons,” “their sons,” and “the next generation,” v. 2). The memory of this disaster will linger for years to come. By leaning toward the future Joel emphasizes the ramifications of the plague and its intensity.

Verse 4 breaks the flow of the opening but creates a flow of its own. Repeated phrases image the never ending waves of locusts sweeping over the land. [5] Such waves of destruction are used by God for judgment, like the plagues on Egypt; but hope of repentance is also provided, evidencing the mercy of the Lord. It is hard to tell if this is Joel’s description of a plague in progress or a more general description of the nature of locust plagues. Perhaps it is both. Peoples of the ancient Near East knew first hand the devastation of such a plague. What Joel seems to be saying is that this one is going to worse than ever before. It will be a record breaker. God can speak by using the forces of nature, and in Old Testament times one of the roles of the prophet was to interpret such events for the people through the lens of God’s activity. That is not to say that God is to be blamed for natural disasters, but he certainly is sovereign over them and can use them for his own purposes.

When Jesus, for example, healed the blind man in John 9, he was not saying that God caused his blindness to bring himself glory, but that God could (and would) intervene in a terrible situation to use it for his glory. This alone God can do. Only God can bring good out of an evil circumstance. You cannot do it. I cannot do it. Angels cannot do it, and certainly Satan cannot do it. Only God can do that. Just look at the cross.

It would appear that Joel is watching a bitter plague unfold, and the Lord speaks to him about its meaning. So the prophet gathers his audience and announces that this plague would be a bad one. His following description (1:5-12) then provides snapshots of the plague as it unfolds. Apparently the plague is accompanied by a drought, or the locusts may be coming on the heels of a drought, making a bad situation disastrous.

Lamenting The Locusts, 1:5-14

Four units or strophes develop the severity of the plague, following the description of the problem. Collectively the first three units (1:5-7, 8-10, 11-12) build an initial lament that finds resolution in the call for a sacred assembly or spiritual gathering (1:13-20). Each strophe opens with a mention of sorrow (“wail”), each notes the effects on agriculture, and each speaks to a specific audience.

Drunkards Lament, 1:5-7

Awake, drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you wine drinkers, on account of the sweet wine that is cut off from your mouth. For a nation has invaded my land, mighty and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness. It has made my vine a waste and my fig tree splinters. It has stripped them bare and cast them away; their branches have become white.

The opening picture is both sad and ironic. Joel gains initial attention by speaking to drunkards, a negative but visible element in that society. Ironically those who have little control over the agricultural products that they use would be severely affected. [6] Their weeping, even if for the wrong reasons, signals a sorrow to come.

I am tempted to make a giant hermeneutical leap at this point and substitute “oil” for “wine.” Our society is addicted to the use of energy, only in the sense that we use it to fuel our pleasure and selfish agendas rather than prosper God’s kingdom. But this is true of many of the good gifts that God has allowed us to have. Instead of being careful and thankful, each year we become more ungrateful and more wasteful. In Joel’s time a locust plague took away objects of habitual dependencies. What would it take to remove the dependencies of our culture; and should that happen, how many would seek the Lord?

The first link between locusts and armies occurs in verse 6, where Joel begins to set the stage for a greater development of the current plague by drawing upon military imagery. Picturing the locusts in their unity, he likens them to a nation that invades (עָלָה עַל, ʿālâ ʿal, “comes up against”) the land. [7] Note that the relationship between Israel and the Lord is being stressed as the Lord sends the plague against “My land” (v. 6). So voluminous are the locusts that they are without number. So fierce is their attack, it is likened to the bite of lions.

Translating verse 7 is challenging because of some difficult vocabulary and its brief structure, but the sense is quite clear. The locust plague that has devastated the land was extremely severe, so as the locust plague grew, so did the devastation. Successive waves of locusts defoliated the land, leaving little for others to eat except the bark off the vines and trees, which under the heat of the sun were bleached white, leaving a ghost like reminder of their invasion. [8] Such loss spelled economic trouble for years to come.

Priests Lament, 1:8-10

Wail like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth. The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord. The field is ruined, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine dries up, fresh oil fails.

The second strophe (vv. 8-10), signaled by the imperative “wail” (אַלִי, ʾĕlî), is directed to the priests (v. 9). Its bitterness is portrayed by the untimely death of a spouse. The man is perhaps the husband (בַּעַל, baʿal, husband, master) rather than a groom (“betrothed”) and probably reflects the all too common image of loss after a battle. According to the law, young bridegrooms were exempt from military duty for one year so that they could consummate their marriage (Deut. 20:7). The premature death of a spouse was a bitter blow and so portrays the gravity of Israel’s situation. Sackcloth was mourning garb that gave way to widow’s garments (cf. Ruth 3:3). The emotional tension is increased by the portrayal of the woman as in her “youth.”

The loss of agricultural products would affect community worship (v. 9). Without grain, the grain offerings would cease and libations would end with no grapes. The priests, also identified as ministers of the Lord, mourn because worship is affected. It may be that the locust plague is even more severe due to a concomitant drought. The language of Joel suggests such a plight. Or it may be that the loss of vegetation has caused the ground to dry out prematurely as the heat of summer approaches.

Just as the drunkards can no longer “do their job” (get drunk), so too the priests are no longer able to perform. With no more oil for libations (or animals for sacrifices), the system shuts down. By referencing various segments of society, Joel is able to impress upon his audience the need for spiritual renewal. Physical decisions have spiritual implications, so choosing to exclude any spiritual light is to make a spiritual decision. The light of Christ shines brightly in a dark world (John 1:5), even though some attempt to hide it.

Expression of the spread and severity of the plague is accentuated by a personification of the land as mourning and the alliteration in the first two clauses of verse 10. The opening words שֻׁדַּד שָׂדֶה אָבְלָה אֲדָמָה (s̆uddaḏ śāḏeh ʾābᵉlâ ʾăḏāmâ, “the field is ruined, the land mourns”) appear to mimic the mourning of those gathered. And well they might, for the failure of the three crops mentioned reflects the demise of Israel’s cash crops. In short, the economy was being destroyed. It is reminiscent of the leaders of Egypt coming to Pharaoh before the locust plague to draw his attention to the destruction of Egypt (Ex. 10:4-7). Mention of new wine (תִּירֹושׁ, tîrôs̈) suggests the beginning of the harvest season. If the beginning is destroyed, what will be the end?

Farmers Lament, 1:11-12

Be ashamed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley; because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine dries up and the fig tree fails; the pomegranate, the palm also, and the apple tree, all the trees of the field dry up. Indeed, rejoicing dries up from the sons of men.

While the drunkards may have been more removed from the source of the problem, the priests were right in the middle of it. The third strophe (vv. 11-12), however, addresses the farmers and vinedressers who had firsthand knowledge of the plague. They too mourn over the destruction. Their shame, which often speaks of a humiliating guilt, carries the idea of embarrassment or failure here. [9] Out of work and facing economic disaster, they helplessly watch the invading locusts devour their harvest. Wheat, the better crop, was more difficult to grow than barley, and the time span between the two grains attests to the longevity of the plague (cf. Ex. 9:31-32; Ruth 2:23).

Five agricultural products are listed together, and while they do have some symbolic value, the essence of verse 12 is to accentuate the severity of the plague. Just as different groups of society have been affected, so too all different kinds of crops have been lost. Locusts (and armies) are no respecter of persons, so the finer fruits (fig and pomegranate) are consumed along with the more necessary grains.

Call To Action, 1:13-14

Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth O ministers of my God, for the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

More imperatives call the priests, as Israel’s spiritual leaders, to lament while the elders are gathered in view of a greater political disaster, the day of the Lord. The assembly, held at the temple, is then convened by the priests. That they “spend the night,” probably in the temple, reflects the urgent need for relief (cf. 2 Sam. 12:16; 1 Kings 21:27).

Joel’s congenial relationship with the priests has long been noted but should not be construed as a reflection on his office as a cult prophet. Rather, Joel coordinates with priestly leadership. In addition, the shift from “my God” to “the house of your God” draws attention to the differing spheres of the prophet’s authority and the priest’s responsibility.

Fasts and assemblies provided public opportunities to seek the Lord, and Joel’s positive endorsement of these practices lines up with Solomon’s prayer when dedicating the temple (1 Kings 8:37-40). However, as Israel’s monarchy developed and struggled to keep a right relationship with the Lord, the prophets became critical of their false fasts (Isa. 58:2-7; Zech. 7:5-12) and antagonistic assemblies (Isa. 1:13; Hos. 7:14; Amos 5:21). Joel, however, was seeking repentant hearts (2:12-13) in an attempt to move people closer to the Lord. This call to assemble the elders and inhabitants of the land provides closure for the opening announcement (1:2) and signals the transition to the day of the Lord (15).

The Day Of The Lord Announced, 1:15-18

Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty. Has not food been cut off before our eyes, gladness and joy from the house of our God? The seeds shrivel under their clods; the storehouses are desolate, the barns are torn down, for the grain is dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer.

Introduced at this point, the day of the Lord concept was already circulating in Israel. If Joel is an early prophet, he is among the first to mention this concept; otherwise the dubious honor goes to Amos. Here, however, Joel appears to be morphing the locust plague toward the eschatological day of the Lord. As God’s prophet, it would have been his duty to unpack daily developments in spiritual terms for the people. So he announces the coming plague, but then brings out a greater spiritual truth. Actually, the interpretation of God’s word (and plan) is a charge given to all believers, and while we are not able to forecast coming disasters (let alone tomorrow’s weather), God has given us insight into his eternal plan.

Joel says two specific things about the day of the Lord. First, it is near; and second, it will be destructive. True, he affirms that it is from the Lord, but that is a given as understood from the title. Its emphasis is underscored by a play on words where the term “destruction” (v. 15) is שֹׁד (s̆ōḏ) while the name of the Lord is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי) or “Almighty.” What he says is that there is s̆ōḏ from Shaddai,” or “destruction from the Almighty.”

One clear emphasis of Scripture is that God places relationships above service and ceremony. Service is good, but if not done from the heart, it provides no pleasure for the Lord. By eliminating the sacrifices, the people’s worship of God stopped. But God did not need their sacrificial meat; and so when served up without faith, the sacrificial system had already ceased to function. Pulling the plug on a dead patient is difficult, but it only affirms the reality. The use of first person plural pronouns (“our eyes,” “our God,” v. 16) includes Joel in the lament and anticipates his cry of intercession in verse 19.

Three of the first four words of verse 17 are so obscure that David Hubbard says it is “probably the most difficult in the book,” [10] but the sense is still clear. The picture worsens as resources dwindle. A shrinking food supply with no future crop in sight spells certain death for many people. What would it take to move people back to the Lord? As disasters come, people can respond with a heart that seeks the Lord or a heart that blames him. The stronger the relationship, the more likely one will seek the Lord and survive with his help. If the seed is not well-planted, it will easily wither and die in the heat.

Inclusion of the animals in the lament (1:18, 20) accentuates the tumultuous circumstances that caused them to be confused (נָבֹכוּ, nāḇōḵû, “to wander around in confusion,” v. 18) and sorrowful (נֶאְשָׁמוּ, neʾs̆āmû, “suffer punishment, v. 18). Consideration of animals stems from the potential harmony of all of God’s creation. He created everything for his glory, and all of creation is awaiting its final redemption (Rom. 8:19-22). Animals were considered part of the economy and natural order, as illustrated in Jonah, where they were included in the Ninevite mourning (Jonah 3:8) and considered by God (4:11). While many environmental theologians confuse human life with all living things, other theologians limit the greatness of God and the wonder of his creation by failing to deal adequately with the universe that he created.

Intercessory Prayer, 1:19-20

To You, O Lord, I cry; for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness and the flame has burned up all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant for You; for the water brooks are dried up and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

The prophet closes the lament with a prayer of intercession. Such devastation of pasture, people, and plants moves him to cry out to the Lord. Intercession was, after all, a significant element in the role of the prophet.

Fire, which often speaks of judgment in the Old Testament, effectively symbolizes the degree of destruction. Here it provides an apt description of the loss of grain as it devours (אָכַל, ʾāḵal, “to eat,” v. 19) the pastures. This connects the drought with the covenant curses (Deut. 28:22, cf. Amos 7:4-6).

Invasion On The Day Of The Lord, 2:1-11

The ferocious, orderly, irresistible invasion of God’s “apocalyptic army,” as Wolf terms it, [11] is couched in a concentric arrangement that centers on a lengthy description of its force. Joel’s warning of the coming day (2:1-2) that follows its earlier mention (1:15) transitions to a note about the devastation of the earth in verse 3 which is introduced by the prepositions “before” (לִפְנֵי, lip̄nê) and “after” (אַחַר, ʾaḥar). Each of these elements is echoed at the end, when the section closes with another reference to the day of the Lord (2:11) that is preceded by the devastation of the environment, again introduced with the preposition “before” (לִפְנֵי, lip̄nê, 2:10). The long central section (2:4-9) describes the nature of the army as signaled by the double use of מַרַאֶה (marʾeh, “appearance”) in verse 4. This section, which provides ample comparisons through the repetition of the word “like” (כְּ, kᵉ, 2:4-7), moves to a fast pace staccato style by piling up action verbs (2:8-9). The arrangement produces a description of the day of the Lord that depends upon the locust plague but clearly transcends its impact in its shift toward the coming invasion of an army.

The Day Described, 2:1-3

Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; there has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. A fire consumes before them and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.

Alarms spark responses. When sounded, people prepare, fearing for the onset of a battle or invasion. Israel’s use of trumpets in the wilderness included a battle warning for that very purpose (Num. 10:5-9). So, like a locust plague which can be heard before it arrives, there are signs announcing the day of the Lord. Images of darkness, gloom, and clouds frequently describe the Lord’s appearance or presence (Ex.19:16-18; Nah. 1:5-6; Hab. 3:3-12) and so are standard with descriptions of the day of the Lord (Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:15-16). The opening two phrases exactly parallel Zephaniah 1:15b, but whether Joel gathers them and Zephaniah amplifies his description or Joel abstracts from Zephaniah is unknown. Either way Joel describes God’s theophanic presence. God is coming and it is his Day. But who are the “great and mighty people” (2:2)? This is the army of the Lord. The description anticipates the Lord’s army of verse 11 and so shifts further away from the actual locust invasion (1:6). Once again Joel evokes multiple generations to express the notoriety of the event (cf. 1:3 with 2:2).

Being trapped with no way out is a terrible feeling. Because of ancient Near Eastern siege warfare, people in a besieged city knew that feeling well. This is the way it will be in the day of the Lord; there will be no escape. Employing two couplets that present contrasting imagery from “before” (לִפְנֵי, lip̄nê) and “after” (אַחַר, ʾaḥar), Joel pictured the day of the Lord as inescapable (2:3). Fire represents coming judgment, and images of defoliation, poignantly affirmed by the locust plague, present the coming army. Both of them entrap the people. The contrast between Eden and the wilderness evokes powerful images from history and geography. These images help to visualize the way that the day of the Lord gathers past judgments into one culminating event. Just as hailstones gather layers in the atmosphere, so too the day of the Lord gathers judgments until it falls with final weight upon the enemies of God. We, too, can feel trapped by the “before” of our past and the “after” of its consequences, but God’s Word affirms that today is the day of salvation (Zeph. 2:3; 2 Cor. 6:2).

The Army Described, 2:4-6

Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run. With a noise as of chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people arranged for battle. Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale.

The sight Joel describes assumes the onslaught of a locust plague. Discussion about how much locusts look like horses is mostly relegated to the older commentaries, but his comparison describes the sight of a multitude of critters in close ranks charging forward with unstoppable force. Such is the picture of an invading army. [12]

Joel masterfully employs images in his writing and here blends pictures of sense and sound to reflect the onslaught of an army invasion with chariots. Sadly, the sounds of Scripture are often lost to the reader. Archaeological discovery has produced a multitude of iconographic forms to help visualize biblical images, but little has been done with sounds, as they did not have a way to record them. I have often reflected on the sounds at the crucifixion of Christ as hinted at by the gospel narratives.

The noise of the locusts are likened to the scraping of chariots attempting to maneuver difficult terrain, while the descriptive verb “leap” (רָקַד, rāqaḏ), used of rams, calves, and goats on the mountains, parallels the spring of an animal with the agility of the soldiers. [13] Adding the sound of crackling fire to mimic, perhaps, the creaking of leather goods enhances the emotional outcome portrayed in verse 6. [14]

Verse 6 introduces a psychological response that draws the reader into the intensity of the problem but which also awakens the reality of coming judgment. By using the word “before” (מִפְּנֵי, mippᵉnê, cf. 2:3), the description is moved forward; but dropping the word “after” suggests a bitter end.

Armies Invade, 2:7-11

They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like soldiers; and they each march in line, nor do they deviate from their paths. They do not crowd each other, they march everyone in his path; when they burst through the defenses, they do not break ranks. They rush on the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. Before them the earth quakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness. The Lord utters His voice before His army; surely His camp is very great, for strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

The description of locusts as soldiers in their forceful and focused attack on a city becomes more pronounced when the city walls are finally breached. [15] A city with strong defenses could withstand an enemys’ siege; but once the walls were breached, the end was almost inevitable. Crafted in staccato style, the progress mimics a military attack: the city is surrounded, the wall breached, and houses invaded. The comparison to a thief suggests stealth, while the particle כְּ (kᵉ, “like,” v. 7) links to earlier comparisons (2:4-5).

The perspective becomes global, even astronomical, involving the whole cosmos with a return to a discussion of the day of the Lord. Reference to the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars evokes thoughts of day four of creation, and reference to the earth and heavens (אֶרֶץ and שָׁמָיִם, ʾereṣ and s̆āmāyim, v. 10) recalls the opening of Genesis (1:1). Reversal, however, is envisioned with a de-creation motif that speaks of global judgment. Joel’s use of catastrophic language closely parallels later full blown apocalyptic genre; but like Isaiah 24-27, it is a precursor to that genre. As such, it is labeled pre-apocalyptic by some scholars. [16]

By painting images of the universe coming apart at the seams, Joel anticipates the arrival of the day of the Lord. No longer just a locust plague, now the entire army of the Lord is on the move. Joel’s rhetorical question is meant to open the heart as well as the mind of his audience. If a locust plague is so devastating, how much more so will be the armies of the living God? It will be impossible to withstand them.

Anticipating a call to repent (2:12-14), Joel reminds his audience (and us too) of the strength of God’s word. Our access to the Lord is though his word (Rom. 10:17), but our faith is strengthened in doing his word. Christian academic institutions are frequently engaged in dialog about the role of faith and reason, which is a good thing; but the life of the believer needs to reflect a threefold integrated life, adding the element of practice. God’s word needs to be put into practice (James 1:22). Faith and reason applied in the market place provides evidence for an effective calling and service.

Turning To The Lord, 2:12-17

Readers of Joel quickly discern in the book a movement from disaster and pain to prosperity and blessing. More than one commentator has noted the parallel with the lament psalms that begin with sorrow and move to a positive note of praise. Verses 12 through 17 provide the hinge for this transition. The first part (2:12-14) introduces a call to repent with appropriate reasons, while the second part (2:15-17) calls for a response.

A Call To Repent, 2:12-14

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, even a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?

Joel’s dramatic announcement was timed with the disaster that the people were enduring. His opening combines the urgency of the situation (“even now”) with the authority of the Lord (“declares the Lord”). Growing devastation from the locust plague called for action, while links with the day of the Lord increased the urgency. By noting the Lord’s authority at this point, the announcement is placarded with greater force. The oracular tag “says the Lord,” so common among the prophets, is only used here by Joel. As God’s spokesperson, he reminded his audience about the source of his message.

Important to note is the linking of an internal change with external actions. While eighth century prophets note the futility of Israel’s liturgical actions, Joel integrates the two in seeking a genuine response. True repentance comes from the heart but can be (and should be) portrayed by legitimate actions. Fasting, weeping, and mourning, traditional signs for expressing sorrow and remorse, are appropriate responses to repentance. But while the people were suffering the effects of a great plague, the book is silent about any sin or guilt of the people. No crimes are listed, and while they may be assumed, it is enough for the people to repent and move toward the Lord.

The invitation to repent (שֻׁבוּ, s̆uḇû, “return,” v. 12) continues the topic, but use of the plural form expands the audience. Tearing a garment was a cultural symbol for grief, but it was external. Others spoke of circumcising the heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4), but only Joel speaks of tearing the heart (2:13). Torn garments excluded one from priestly service, but what about a torn heart? A torn heart, welcomed by the Lord, excludes one from pride and false expressions of faith. The five attributes mentioned in verse 13 reveal the heart of God. [17] The challenge for believers is to reveal their hearts to the Lord. David presented a “broken and contrite heart” to the Lord (Ps. 51:17). We need to present a torn heart to God in response to his revelation to us. Joel’s use of Exodus 34:6-7, as noted by Barton, is thus an illustration of theology at work. [18]

Hope increases with the rhetorical question, “Who knows?” (2:14), which genuinely offers a solution to the problem, as indicated by the accompanying verbs, “turn” (שׁוּב, šûḇ) and “change” (נִחַם, niḥam). The Lord’s turning and his changing come in response to true repentance. That can be observed in Jonah 3:9, where the same phrase is found. But while Jonah sees God withdrawing his anger, Joel sees him leaving a blessing. This blessing is the opportunity to -worship. Restoration of agricultural products, so necessary for human life, ultimately restored the ability to worship as imaged by the return of offerings and libations (2:14).

So much has been written on God’s changing his mind, so a brief comment is in order. It may actually seem easier to view God as flexible and adapting to the changes of his creation, as do the proponents of process theology or open theism. [19] But verse 13-14 reveal God’s concern for his creation and willingness to work with people. His “relenting of evil” is based on the stability of his nature rather than indicating a change in his nature. What Joel offers is God’s genuine response to true repentance. That offer stands today! We have to accept the challenge of faith and look for God to invade our lives, trusting him for the better outcome.

A Solemn Assembly, 2:15-17

Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”

Imperatives, never far from the lips of the prophet, are strung in rapid succession to jolt the audience to a response. Working in concert with priests, the prophet directs them to call a great assembly. But preparation is needed. Fasting challenged the attitude and actions of the people as they approached the Lord. They needed to appear with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24:4). Whether this refers to the same assembly as mentioned earlier or another is unclear from the text, but the two announcements (1:13-14 and 2:16-17) encapsulate the teaching about the day of the Lord (1:15-2:15).

Just as the locust plague affected citizens of every sphere, so too all are encouraged to join the solemn assembly (2:16). Use of plural imperatives seeks a widening audience, as does the long list of persons. The first pair includes all people, the second views all ages (elders/infants), while the third speaks to the degree and gender of the audience (bride/groom). This latter pair provides another link to the earlier fast (1:8) and continues to press the urgency of the situation. Today we are experiencing great changes in our country and culture, and so should take from Joel a reminder of the urgency of seeking the Lord with open hearts.

Located at the entrance to the temple, the porch (2:17) was ten by twenty cubits in size (1 Kings 6:3) and could hold twenty-five men (Ezek. 8:16). From here the priests were directed, perhaps with standard format, to seek the Lord. [20] Petitioning God on the basis of the divine honor harks back to Moses’ plea during the golden calf incident (Ex. 32:12), while the understanding of Israel as the Lord’s inheritance (נַחֲלָה, naḥălā) stems from God’s choice (Deut. 32:8-9) and his redemptive power (Deut. 9:29). Thus, the removal of the nations’ taunt, “Where is their God?” (2:17), is based upon the very character of the Lord as compassionate and gracious (Ex. 34:7; Joel 2:13).

The Lord Responds, 2:18-20

Then the Lord will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people. The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. But I will remove the northern army far from you, and I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, and its vanguard into the eastern sea, and its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, for it has done great things.”

When we pray to the Lord, we always know that he hears, but we do not know how he will respond. For Joel’s audience the Lord took pity (חָמַל, ḥāmal, v. 18) on his people and responded quickly. God’s zeal and his jealousy are reflections of his holiness in action, and in this case his zeal resulted in restoration. The root word (קנא, qnʾ, v. 18) includes both the Lord’s outgoing holiness against unrighteousness (jealousy) and his single-mindedness for righteousness (zeal). [21]

The change in the tone of this section is striking, for the Lord’s response is both decisive and positive. The imperative verb forms give way to imperfects (wayiqtol forms) that speak of a brighter future. Three key agricultural resources of Israel (grain, wine, and oil) head the list of restoration blessings (v. 19). People will again have food and be satisfied, but ultimate satisfaction is seated in the Giver, not the gifts. The removal of Israel’s reproach among the nations (v. 19) harmonizes with God’s promise (Gen. 12:3), anticipates Joel 2:26-27, and moves forward as an eschatological concept (Isa. 25:8; Ezek. 36:15; Zeph. 3:18-20).

Again Joel appears to be talking about the locust plague with military overtones. Mention of the “northern ones” (צְּ'פונִי, ṣᵉp̄ônî) in verse 20 more normally reflects the source of an army (Isa. 41:25; Jer. 6:1; Ezek. 38:6), but given the ominous context, it also stands for the destructive nature of the plague as allowed by God. By removing the locusts and sending them off in a direction east and west, they would eventually fall exhausted into the Mediterranean Sea (west) or the Dead Sea and the desert beyond (east) where a great stench would attest to their demise.

The message, however, is reflected not in the controversial identification of the “northern ones” (locusts or armies) but in the first person verbs, “I will remove, I will banish” (v. 20). The Lord will take charge with the eschatological armies (Ezek. 3:21-22) just as he did when he brought the locust plague on Egypt (Ex. 10:19).

Restoration, 2:21-27

Productivity Returns, 2:21-24

Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done great things. Do not fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, for the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the Lord your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before. The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.

Repetition marks verses 21-23, helping to emphasize the surety of restoration. Sadness, in the aftermath of the “great things” done by the locust plague (v. 20), is turned into joy by the “great things” the Lord has done (v. 21). The twice-repeated statement “do not fear” (אָל־תִּירָא, al tîrāʾ, vv. 21-22) is often associated with encouragement when approaching a battle, but it also functions in the realm of redemption (Isa. 40:9). [22] Its directive, first to the land and then to the animals, is for encouragement and calming. So with productivity returning the land is encouraged to rejoice (גִּילִי, gîlî) and be glad (שְׂמָחִי, śemāḥî).

Agricultural reversal provided tangible evidence of restoration with a return in three areas of fertility (v. 22), the animals (“beasts,” בַּהֲמֹות, Bahǎmôṯ), the field (“pastures,” נְאֹות, nᵉʾôṯ), and the trees (עֵץ, ʿēṣ). Specifically named are the fig and the vine, which are frequently linked together to symbolize Israel’s productivity and fruitfulness. [23] During Israel’s rainy season two concentrations of rain could be expected. The early rains (October/November) provided for full germination of the seed, while the latter period of rain (March/April) produced a full harvest (cf. v. 23). Together they picture God’s double blessing, while lack of rain signaled a covenant curse (Deut. 28:24). Some discussion has arisen over the word for early rain (מוֹרֶה, môreh; many mss. have יֹורֶה, yôreh; cf. מוֹרֶה, môreh, a homonym meaning “teacher”), spawning the alternate translation “teacher of righteousness” in place of the “early rain for vindication.” [24] While interesting, the contextual emphasis on physical restoration better supports God’s vindication of their position through sending the rain. The scope of restoration allows all of creation to rejoice in the Lord enough to remind us of a coming day of the earth’s true liberation (Rom. 8:22).

Threshing floors (גֳּרָנֹות, gŏrānôṯ, v. 24) provided a flat surface to process grain, while the vat (יַקָבִים, yᵉqāḇîm), either a press or a catch basin, allowed for the processing of grapes. Ironically, both are used in figures of judgment, as in Joel 3:13. In verse 24 Israel’s triad of key crops is listed for a third time in Joel (cf. 1:10: 2:19), but here the emphasis is on abundance, where full and overflowing food bins evidence the Lord’s blessing.

Satisfaction Returns, 2:25-27

Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame. Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame.

At this point the blessing is obvious. By making up for lost time, caused by the locust invasion, the Lord indicated his personal involvement (first person verbs) and ability to restore. Use of the plural “years” (v. 25) affirms that the results of the plague had been a long-range disaster for the community. After such a plague it would have taken a number of years to regain the agricultural base. Mention of the terms for locusts creates a link with the years of destruction (1:4), yet underscores the reversal through waves of production. By labeling the plague “My great army” (v. 25), God both asserts his sovereignty and carries forward the imagery of a coming invasion during the day of the Lord. [25]

Satisfaction (v. 26) is an interesting concept. Often cited is the wealthy person who, when asked how much more money he wanted, replied, “Just a little bit more.” To be satisfied (שׂבע, śḇʿ) includes physical, emotional, and spiritual shalom. People can be physically satisfied but lack true wellness because they have a spiritual void. Physical restoration, however, provided evidence of the Lord’s works of wonder, allowing his people freedom from future shame. The word shame (בֹּושׁ, bôs̆, v. 26) may have the idea of anguish or embarrassment, especially in the face of a natural disaster. [26] Yet in view of the eschatological nature of the context, it moves beyond the anguish of loss to the realization that the Lord’s presence ultimately provides the basis for the repeated statement: “My people will never be ashamed” (2:26, 27) [27] God revealed his presence to Israel many times throughout their history, but their violation of the covenant showed that they did not truly “know” (יָדַע, yāḏaʿ) him (cf. v. 27). With an eye on a future day, Joel affirmed the needed confession of the Lord’s uniqueness.

The Outpouring Of God’s Spirit, 2:28-32

The Spirit Invades, 2:28-29

It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Anticipating the future, verses 28 through 32 set themselves apart from the previous material by the introductory phrase “after this” and the future time (imperfect verbs). The Hebrew Bible actually numbers this unit as chapter 3 and the following material as chapter 4. At the same time this section seems to be based upon Joel’s earlier discussion of the current problem (locusts) and the future day of the Lord.

The opening phrase “after this” (2:28), used only here in Joel, signals the forward movement of God’s work rather than a specific chronological moment. [28] Here God’s action of pouring (שָׁפַךְ, šāp̄aḵ) out his Spirit (רוּחַ, rûaḥ) brackets the amazing extent of his work and seems to set it apart from what is to follow. If the pouring out of the Spirit initiates the day of the Lord, then there is more to come; and by connecting God’s action with “all flesh” (כָּל־בָּשָׂר, kŏl bāśār), the expansiveness of God’s work is expressed.

In our age of gender inclusivity, we lose the impact of this statement. For while women received God’s Word and spoke it, this was not the norm. Hannah and Miriam are two who are cited as doing so. Yet, while our culture promotes gender inclusivity, it struggles more and more with an aging population amidst the younger climate of technology and post modernism. But the poured-out Spirit, while appreciating the distinctions, levels the ground. Even more surprising, as signaled by the introductory “and even” (וַגַם, wᵉḡām, 2:29), is the third category that continues the gender inclusivity, but adds the lower social class of servants. This, too, has God’s personal attention, as noted by the first-person verbs and pronouns.

God used dreams and visions at various times to communicate his will, which now has been more clearly disclosed in the person of Christ (Heb. 1:1-2). Dreams were deemphasized in Old Testament times, probably due to their association with ancient Near East divination. Thus, visions were a more common form of communication for the prophets. [29] Prophets came from a diverse group—including female, male, priests, royalty, and farmers. Now everyone would be included. The social distinctions of ancient Israel are eliminated. Joel’s statement indicates that the coming day would be characterized by the directness of God’s revelation to individuals.

Signs And Wonders, 2:30-32

I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

The coming day is also marked by unusual natural phenomena that merge the language of creation with the Sinai theophany. Joel, again linking with the locust plague as “great and terrible” (2:31; cf. 2:11), reminds his readers that it will be a dark day—dark (חֹשֶׁךְ, ḥōs̆eḵ) because of natural disorder, but terrible or awesome (נֹּורָא, nôrāʾ) because of the Lord’s judgment.

Light glimmers, however, as Joel speaks of deliverance (2:32). His advice, which builds upon an earlier statement (2:13), provides additional hints on how to escape the day of the Lord. Salvation in Old Testament times was primarily understood as deliverance from physical situations. It can, however, have theological overtones, especially considering the scope of the day of the Lord. [30]

Those who “call upon the name of the Lord” include seekers (1 Kings 18:24; 2 Kings 5:11; Zeph. 3:9) and worshippers (Ps. 80:18; 116:13, 17; 1 Cor. 1:2). And while only a remnant will be delivered in the coming day of the Lord, the expansive nature of this offer goes to “all” (כֹּל, kŏl) as affirmed by Paul’s use of this text in Romans 10:13. Calling upon the name of the Lord affirms the Lord’s call in accordance with the Lord’s word. [31]

When Peter cited Joel at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21), he saw the beginning of God’s announced future (eschatological) work. His introductory phrase “in the last days” for Joel’s “after this” affirms that perspective. Peter also announced its inception by the Spirit as well as its global nature. In addition this was to be a message of salvation, a key point for Joel, and as Peter taught, to be carried forward by the followers of Jesus Christ. One might well pause and ask the question: “How are we doing?” Just as the coming of the Messiah is now understood to be two events, so too the day of the Lord, marked by the pouring out of the Spirit, holds a very real future component of judgment. With the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost the world has been put on notice concerning the day of the Lord, but the evident grace of the Lord allows the church to continue its mission until a yet future time as hinted at by Joel’s prophecy.

Judging The Nations, 3:1-17

The Nations Gathered, 3:1-3

For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 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, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land. They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot and sold a girl for wine that they may drink.

The introductory phrase “for behold” (כִּי הִנֵּה, kî hinnê), frequently employed by the prophets, usually signals a future work. Its use here sets the stage for God’s coming judgment upon the nations in continuity with the earlier mention of the day of the Lord. Two clauses follow (“in those days” and “at that time”) that announce the time.

Three verbs mark God’s activity with the nations. He will “gather” them, he will “bring” them to a specific location, the valley of Jeshoshaphat, and, once gathered, he will judge (“enter into judgment with”) them (3:2). The valley of Jehoshaphat, or “Yahweh judges,” symbolizes the arena of judgment. Suggested geographical places include the Jezreel valley and the valley of Beracah, but there is little to conclusively support either. Rather, the description of valleys that can portray beauty and fertility also can portend war and judgment. [32]

The force of the hyperbolic “all” in “all the nations” is global. Joel speaks of the division between the nations and Israel. This is not xenophobia as construed by some but the clear biblical announcement that God chose Israel out of all the peoples of the earth to bring about his purposes (Ex. 19:5; Deut. 7:6). Paul endorses this perspective in Romans 11, when he speaks of God’s future purpose for Israel. The parallelism further reveals how closely God’s inheritance (Israel) is linked to the Promised Land.

Joel’s sensitivity to the more vulnerable of society shows through when, in verse 3, he condemns the nations for their treatment of captives. Casting lots was a quick and accepted way to divide spoils. A boy sold for the services of a harlot and a girl for some wine illustrates devalued life. Joel concludes the verbal string with an image of consumption, “they gave” (“traded, NASB), “they sold,” and “they drank.” By eliminating the object of the final verb, the unit concludes with a force similar to driving the last nail into the coffin.

Joel charged the nations with these crimes, but Israel was also guilty (Amos 8:6). We need to constantly guard against the inclination to devalue those around us. We cheapen people through gossip or by climbing over them for a promotion. We cheapen people when we do not serve them in the name of Christ. We cheapen people when we place things ahead of people and focus on consumption instead of ministry.

The Nations Challenged, 3:4-8

Moreover, what are you to Me, O Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense on your head. Since you have taken My silver and My gold, brought My precious treasures to your temples, and sold the sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their territory, behold, I am going to arouse them from the place where you have sold them, and return your recompense on your head. Also I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a distant nation,” for the Lord has spoken.

Direct address and rhetorical questions signal this new section (3:4-8) which is directed at specific nations. Tyre and Sidon (Phoenicia) opposed Israel less aggressively than the Philistines, but they were still enemies of God’s people. All three, including the Greeks (3:6), are linked through their association with the sea. Tyre and Sidon were great masters of the sea, while the origin of the Philistines is usually traced to the sea as part of the Sea Peoples’ movement at the beginning of the Iron Age. So too the Greeks, an early mention by Joel, were linked to their movements on the sea.

Joel’s threefold use of the word “recompense” (גַּמוּל, gᵉmûl, v. 4) creates the rhetorical effect of attempted payments. It is like the clink of cash into the hands of the creditor when more is owed than can be repaid. First the word is used in a question, next in a conditional statement, and finally in a promise. Perhaps these nations were speaking ironically by taunting the weakness of Israel among the nations. If so, it is that very attitude that the Lord would judge by bringing their own deeds back upon them (v. 7). No object is mentioned, and it is doubtful that these nations were ever considering reparation. Rather, the thought signals guilt and the impossibility of recompense; hence the boomerang effect of the message.

Little did the nations realize that the treasures they amassed were God’s, and their use in pagan temples was an affront to his glory (Isa. 42:8). Temples in the ancient Near East were often used as warehouses for war trophies that were presented to the gods. Consider, for example, what became of Goliath’s sword (1 Sam. 21:8-9). But the real treasures (מַחְמָד, maḥmāḏ, “precious thing”) were God’s people as underscored by the use of the first person pronoun “My” (3:5; cf. v. 2).

Poignant portrayal of the boomerang principle, attested elsewhere in Scripture (Gal. 6:7), occurs in verses 7 and 8. The particle “behold” (הִנַנִי, hinenî), frequently omitted by English versions to smooth out the translation, joins with the following participle (“am stirring them up,” מְעִירָם, meʿîrām) to set the stage for a reversal. God’s stirring up his people from a distant location reminds us that no distance excludes his watchful eye or powerful hand. Ironically, the return of his people signals the return (שׁוּב, s̆ûḇ) of a payback for the nation’s crimes.

Joel seems to be making more of a moral point than a historical statement when he mentions the selling of the sons and daughters of the Phoenicians and Philistines to the Sabeans by the hand of Judah (v. 8). The Sabeans were a people group in South Arabia; and with use of the boomerang effect, Joel makes the point that what nations have done to others, specifically to God’s people, would be done to them. God is Lord of all nations; and because there is no historical data that suggests Israel was engaged in slave trade with the south, the statement speaks more of the sovereignty of God over all nations. The very system that they endorsed and employed would be used by God to visit judgment upon them.

The Nations Judged, 3:9-17

The Lord Invades, 3:9-14

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.” Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down, O Lord, Your mighty ones. Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

In the next unit Joel announces judgment on the nations and moves through global darkness to the centrality of God’s presence in Jerusalem. While it is clear that the Lord is the judge and the nations are judged, it is less clear who announces this (v. 9) and who invites the Lord to enter (v. 11). Probably the best solution is to understand that it is the prophet, as God’s spokesperson, who speaks in each case.

Three imperatives for armament open the Lord’s invitation to the nations (v. 9). The envisioned battle belongs to the concept of “Yahweh war.” [33] Opening phrases reflect the muster before a battle. Troops are assembled, weapons prepared, and the speech of encouragement delivered. Joel’s reversal of the synecdoche of Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 (“beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears,” v. 10) once again illustrates his use of other prophets, but does not help to date the book, as all three could be leaning on a common source for this.

Imagine mobilizing forces against the Lord! As the ancient Near East shifted to the use of iron, the weapons became more durable, but the technology more difficult (1 Sam. 13:19). Plowshares (אֵת, ʾēṯ) were more likely iron cutting blades which, along with pruning knives (מַזַמֵרָה, mazmērâ), could be converted to scarcer weapons during times of war. [34] The encouragement speech attempts to mobilize all available forces (cf. 1 Sam. 4:9), while the need to strengthen the weak warriors (גִּבּוֹר, gibbôr) provides a striking contrast to the mighty ones (גִּבּוֹר, gibbôr) of the Lord (3:11).

As speaker the prophet would direct the first two imperatives of verse 11 (“hasten and come,” עוּשׁוּ וָבֹאוּ, ʿûs̆û wāḇōʾû) to the nations, while the third imperative (“bring down,” הַנַחַת, hanḥaṯ) is addressed to the Lord. The remaining verb (Niphal perfect, קָבַץ, qāḇaṣ), usually translated as another imperative (“gather yourselves”), may rather signal the transition from one audience to the other as the prophet informs his people of the nations’ activity, “and they will gather themselves.” Either way the Lord’s armies (“mighty ones” or “angels,” cf. 2 Kings 6:15-17) accompany him to carry out his bidding (Joel 3:13).

Not recognizing their downward plight (cf. v. 2), the nations “come up” (יַעֲלוּ, yaʿălû, v. 12) to invade the land, only to discover that God’s summons leads to their demise. Mention of the “surrounding nations” links well with Israel’s immediate enemies (Phoenicians and Philistines, v. 4), but is inclusive of all nations.

Recovery from the locust plague, though slow, eventually came (v. 13), and Joel presses harvest imagery into service for impending judgment. The idea of wickedness reaching a certain point relates the longsuffering nature of the Lord to the boundaries of his holiness (cf. Gen. 15:16).

For the third time Joel warns that the day of the Lord is “near” (קָרֹוב, qārôḇ, v. 14; cf. 1:15, 2:1). Repetition of the word “multitudes” (הֲמֹונִים, hămônîm), a term associated with the noise of a crowd, [35] evokes images of armies as well as the onslaught of locusts, but blends well with the noise and bustling activity of harvest. [36] Equivalent to the valley of Jehoshaphat is the valley of decision, twice used in verse 14 to connect the day of the Lord with impending judgment. The word “decision” (חָרוּץ, ḥārûṣ) is a play on words for a threshing instrument (cf. the homonym חָרוּץ, ḥārûṣ, Isa. 28:27; Amos 1:3), which continues the harvest metaphor. [37] Human ability to discern the future is obscured by God’s design, but God’s timing is perfect (cf. Rom 5:6; Gal. 4:4). The overall tenor of Scripture is to live daily for the Lord in expectation of his imminent return. [38]

The Nations Subdued, 3:15-17

The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness. The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more.

Cataclysmic movement of the heavens and earth, reminiscent of creation, portends destruction or de-creation. The language is pre-apocalyptic in nature and connects with the day of the Lord, moving well beyond the tumult of the locust plague (2:2). The darkening of cosmic light sources reverses events of day four of creation (Gen. 1:17), but they are seemingly obscured, more by the presence of God’s judgment than their destruction, since the stars grow dim (lit. “gather their light,” אָסְפוּ נָגַהָם, ʾāsᵉp̄û nŏḡhām) at his coming. Nevertheless, the scope of these events appears to usher in the end of culture as we know it.

At this point, Zion takes center stage (v. 16). The Lord’s arrival to judge the nations cleanses the area and opens the door for deliverance. Picturing the voice of the Lord as the roar of a lion would strike fear into the heart of any within earshot and, like an earthquake, would send people running for cover.39 People of ancient Israel found refuge in walled cities when an army invaded their land. Ironically the Bible teaches that one can escape the Lord’s invasion by hiding in him (e.g. Ruth 2:12; Isa. 8:13-14a; Nah. 1:7). The choice is one of faith—either attempt to flee from the sovereign Lord or seek refuge in him.

Joel saw one of the purposes of the day of the Lord as moving the head knowledge of God’s people to a heart knowledge (v. 17). At that time the Holy City will be inhabited by a holy people. Using the participle of verb “to dwell,” (שָׁכַן, s̆āḵan), which relates to the Lord’s wilderness “dwelling” (מִשְׁכָּן, mis̆kān, “tabernacle”), Joel indicates God’s enduring and personal presence.

God’s holiness would exclude any unholy person (זָרִים, zārîm, “foreigners”) from his presence. The statement is not intended to exclude all nations (cf. Isa. 2:2; Zech. 14:16), but affirms the holiness of the Lord and the eschatological finality of the day of the Lord. The Lord’s permanent residence, dwelling in Zion, then precludes unholiness from entry, in recognition that the solution to unholiness is the Lord himself.

Blessings From The Lord, 3:18-21

And in that day 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 the Lord to water the valley of Shittim. Egypt will become a waste, and Edom will become a desolate wilderness, because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem for all generations. And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged, for the Lord dwells in Zion.

Joel’s final message expands upon the blessing of prosperity and security for Judah and Jerusalem. Linked clearly to the previous unit by the Lord’s presence in Zion (cf. 3:17, 21) as well as the eschatological “day” (3:14, 18), a break can be evidenced by the closure provided for verse 17 (“then you will know that I am the Lord your God”) and the opening for verse 18 (“And it will come about in that day”).

What an idyllic picture Joel paints for his people’s future. With the emphasis of the first couplet on agricultural and pastoral productivity, the second moves to the all-important resource of water. Productivity includes “sweet wine” (עָסִיס, ʿāsîs, v. 18; cf. 1:5) that speaks of celebration and joy, and “milk” (חָלָב ḥālāḇ) that recalls biblical imagery of the land as flowing with milk and honey. Abundance of water, so necessary for increased productivity, further affirms God’s blessing. Scripture abounds with hydrological images, from rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:10-14) to the deepening stream of Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek. 47:1-12), both which flow from the Lord’s presence to speak of his provision. In a similar way, Joel’s image of fruitfulness flows from the house of the Lord to water the land. Shittim, the valley of the acacia’s, possibly represents the arid area of the Jordan rift just north of the Dead Sea.

In great contrast to Judah’s abundant resources, Edom and Egypt become desolate (v. 19). Edom comes under constant rebuke by the prophets, perhaps for its aggressive posture towards Israel (as noted by Obadiah, among others), or as a representative of neighboring enemies, as seems to be the case in Ezekiel 35. Egypt, ever reminiscent of Israel’s bondage, speaks of the oppressive nature of Israel’s enemies, but also the failed promises that characterized Egypt’s offers of political and military support. By coupling the word “violence” (חָמָס, ḥāmās) with the shedding of innocent blood, a phrase that speaks of evil perpetrated on helpless and guiltless victims (1 Sam. 19:5; Ps. 94:21; 106:38; Jer. 22:17), Joel brings out the evil and cruelty of their actions.

While Israel’s enemies (Edom and Egypt) are destroyed, Judah and Jerusalem survive the locust plague and the day of the Lord, enabling future generations to enjoy the presence of the Lord (v. 20). The mention of multiple generations (לְדֹור וָדֹור, lᵉḏôr wāḏôr) adds closure to Joel’s prophecy by linking back to the beginning, where multiple generations remember the locust plague (1:3).

Translation of the last verse of Joel is notoriously difficult, as reflected by the English versions. The identity of the referent in the phrase “their blood” (דָּמָם, dāmām) is important. If it is Israel, then God’s forgiveness is in view as he leaves them unpunished (נִקֵּיתִי, niqqêṯî, Piel). If the nations are the referent, then God will avenge (נִקַּמְתִּי, niqqamtî, Niphal) the violence done to his people. While both translations have supporters, the context provides some additional help. The word “blood” links most directly with the bloodshed mentioned in verse 19, while the end note of God’s dwelling in Zion reflects his holiness as viewed in verse 19.

Joel closes on a powerful and positive scene with God dwelling in the midst of his people, but joined to the somber thought of the price of holiness. Blood sacrifices and the blood of injustice speak of the need to right wrongs—how much more does the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7)! God invades our space to get our attention; but we then have a choice to make, either to resist him or run to him. As believers, we should faithfully embrace our Lord and affirm that he knows what he is doing and when he is going to do it.

Notes

1. Bob Spender is Professor of the division of Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College. He is in fellowship at Monterey Bible Chapel in Leola, PA. Previous articles on Habakkuk, Obadiah, and Amos have appeared in The Emmaus Journal. See EmJ. 11 (2002): 51-78; 14 (2005): 75-95; 17 (2008): 61-103.
2. For a discussion on early Greek trade (cf. Ezek. 27:13) see James Crenshaw, Joel, AB (New York: Doubleday, 1995), 25, 182; Duane A. Garrett, Hosea, Joel, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman), 383.
3. Observed fulfillment seems to have come from the removal of the locust plague (2:20). Joel’s ability to predict its removal would provide great confirmation for his message about the day of the Lord.
4. Like most occurrences of these two imperatives, Joel uses them in parallel statements (bicolon). Presumably the initial imperative שִׁמְעוּ (s̆imʿû) harks back to the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. The reverse order is found only in Isaiah 28:23.
5. The great debate over the different terms used for locusts is nicely summarized by Duane Garrett, Hosea Joel, 315. Whatever view is chosen, it is important not to miss the rhetorical effect of the statement.
6. A number of scholars view the word “drunkards,” (שִׁ'כּורִים, sikkôrîm) in a neutral fashion, (e.g. John Barton, Joel and Obadiah, OTL, [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001], 50; David W. Baker, Joel, Obadiah, Malachi, NIV Application Commentary [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006], 43-44). Their feeling is that Joel is addressing a broad spectrum of society, many of whom drank wine, rather than a specific negatively perceived social group. But Joel’s word clearly includes the idea of drunkenness and harmonizes with his more narrowly focused audiences in the other strophes as he moves from drunkards to priests and farmers. His point is that destruction will be felt by various levels of society.
7. The combination of “nation” (גּוֹי, gōy) plus “go up” (עָלָה עַל, ʿālâ ʿal) is general (Mic. 4:2; Zech. 14:18-19) but occurs in several passages with clear reference to a military context (Jer. 50:3; Ezek. 26:3 [hiphil, “to bring up”]; and Zech. 14:16).
8. Encyclopedia Judaica, 11:423f.
9. See L. M. Bechtel, “Shame as a Sanction of Social Control in Biblical Israel: Judicial, Political and Social Meaning,” JSOT 49 (1991): 47-76.
10. David Allan Hubbard, Joel & Amos, TOTC (Downers Grove, IL: Tyndale Press, 1989), 51. When a word only occurs once in the entire Hebrew Bible, it can be difficult to translate. Clues from context, presumed roots, cognate languages, and other versions all help but are not necessarily conclusive.
11. Han Walter Wolff, Joel and Amos, Hermeneia (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977), 42.
12. References to the sights and sounds characteristic of a locust plague are chronicled by S. R. Driver, The Books of Joel and Amos, CBSC (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1934), 50-51.
13. David S. Dockery, “רקד,” NIDOTTE, edited by Willem A. VanGemeren, 5 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 3:1195.
14. Similar imagery is found in Revelation 9:1-11, where a bottomless pit spews out a more venomous plague of locusts that attack the earth during a coming time of tribulation.
15. The word שֶׁלַח (s̆elaḥ) “defenses” (NIV) can also be translated “weapons” (ESV). Either way a successful enemy would have to defeat both defensive and offensive systems.
16. John Oswalt’s brief summary in his Isaiah, NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 280 is helpful.
17. John B. Kohlenberger III provides a succinct summary of where the Exodus 34:6-7 passage is used in the Bible (Jonah and Nahum, Everyman’s Bible Commentary [Chicago: Moody Press, 1984], 110-23); and though he does not mention it, a number of scholars note a strong link between Joel 2:13 and Jonah 4:2, both from the word order and the context (H. Wolff, Joel and Amos, 49).
18. Barton, Joel Obadiah, 81.
19. For summaries of these positions see Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, revised and expanded (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008), 213-19 and 618-21.
20. The phrase “let them say” (2:17) suggests the introduction to an anticipated response, cf. Pss. 35:27; 40:16; 66:3; 118:2 and Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 60-150, A Continental Commentary (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993), 396-97.
21. When commenting on Nahum 1:2, Paul House says that God’s jealousy is “zeal for righteousness,” Paul House, Old Testament Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998), 373.
22. See the study of Edgar W. Conrad, Fear Not Warrior: A Study of ʾal tîrāh Pericopes in the Hebrew Scripture (Providence: Brown University, 1985) who tends to press most areas toward a military situation.
23. The concepts of wholeness and peace are included in their imagery (1 Kings 4:25; Isa. 36:16; Mic 4:4; Zech. 3:10).
24. The alternative translation is supported by the Vulgate and Targum Jonathan.
25. The Bible does not blame negative situations on God, but it clearly asserts his sovereignty over them. Consider the striking statements of Exodus 4:11; Deuteronomy 32:39 and Isaiah 45:7.
26. For an environmental perspective on shame see: Matthew J. Lynch, “Neglected Physical Dimensions of “Shame” Terminology in the Hebrew Bible,” Biblica 91 (2010): 499-517.
27. Given Joel’s penchant for repetition, the double occurrence of this phrase should not be written off as an accidental repetition, cf. Barton, Joel and Obadiah, 90; and Wolf, Joel and Amos, 56.
28. Compare the general use of the phrase in 2 Samuel 2:1; 8:1; etc.
29. Dreams were more common in the Pentateuch, while visions became more prevalent later (2 Sam 7:17; Isa. 1:1; Amos 1:1, etc.).
30. R. Spender, “Salvation,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, ed. by Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), 2:1884-5
31. The unusual statement, “according to what the Lord said” (2:32), is taken by many as a reference to Obadiah 17. More likely Joel is referring to revelation from the Lord himself. See Garrett, Joel and Amos, 37.
32. See the entry on “Valley,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, ed. by Leland Rykein, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longmann III (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998), 909-11.
33. Translations tend to hide the second imperative that reads, “sanctify a war” (Piel imperative of קָדַשׁ, qāḏas̆, “to sanctify or make holy;” cf. NASB, “prepare a war”). I opt for calling this Yahweh war, as opposed to holy war, by following the lead of Peter C. Craigie, The Problem of War in the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), since it places the emphasis upon the sovereignty of the Lord instead of the sanctity of war.
34. Shamgar, for example, used an ox goad as a spear (Jud. 3:31), while in the early monarchy possession of swords was limited (1 Sam. 13:22).
35. W. R. Domeris, “המה,” NIDOTTE 1:1042
36. Oded Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1987), 58
37. David W. Baker, Joel, Obadiah, Malachi, 135; and Marvin A. Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2000), 1:182.
38. Sadly, a number of Bible scholars continue to struggle with this. Some, like Harold Camping, erroneously believe they can figure eschatological timing out, while others, like Clark Pinnock, simply limit God’s knowledge on the subject. How nice it is to know that our God knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10: Rev. 22:13).
39. Although Hosea 11:10 and Amos 3:8 speak of the fearful reaction to the Lord’s roaring, Amos provides the closer link (1:2).