Bible Commentaries
Joel 1

Verses 1-21

1

III

THE BOOK OF JOEL

Joel 1:1-3:21

Helps commended: (1) Hengstenberg, (2) Pusey.

Many men of different periods of the history of Israel bore the name Joel. All that we know of Joel, the prophet, is gleaned from the book of his prophecies and that is little indeed. He was the son of Pethuel, a man otherwise unknown to us. From a study of the prophecies of Joel we learn that he was almost certainly an inhabitant of Judah and Jerusalem. He was well acquainted with the services of Jehovah’s Temple. His name means "Jehovah is God" and thus indicates something of the religious convictions of his parents. There is a legend that he was born at Beth-horon, ten miles northwest from Jerusalem, and that he was buried there. We know not the grounds on which this tradition rests and therefore cannot determine these things with any degree of certainty.

Nowhere in the Scriptures are we told just the time when Joel lived and prophesied. The date of his prophecy becomes, therefore, purely a question of literary and historical criticism. Like Obadiah, we find an earlier and a later date assigned to it. The earlier date is 830 B.C., or the reign of Joash; the later date assigned is after the exile. The author prefers the earlier date as being far more consistent with the internal evidence.

The occasion of this prophecy is determined according to the position taken with reference to the interpretation of the "locusts." Those who believe that the locusts referred to by Joel were real, not symbolical locusts, find the occasion of the book to be the entire desolation of the land of Judah by a plague of locusts, while those who hold to the symbolic meaning of the word "locusts" make the occasion of the book the great sins of Judah in turning away from Jehovah. As the author holds to the symbolical theory of the locusts he sees the occasion of this prophecy to be the decline of Judah which is so evident in the latter part of the reign of Joash (see history of his reign) and which calls forth this great summons of the people by the prophet to repentance or to the judgments that would follow.

The canonicity of this book has never been called in question. It is classical and almost matchless in style. Joel is the prince of prophets as to description. His description of the army of locusts, the battle of Jehoshaphat, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the suffering of brute creation is unequaled in literature. It is impossible to read his prophecies and not be impressed with his culture and literary skill. The Hebrew scholars tell us that his book is a fine specimen of pure classic Hebrew. With the strength of Micah it combines the tenderness of Jeremiah, the vividness of Nahum) and the sublimity of Isaiah.

This prophecy was given to Judah. There is no mention of the Northern Kingdom. The name "Israel" (Joel 2:27; Joel 3:2; Joel 3:16) refers to the whole people, while the author mentions Zion, Judah, and Jerusalem many times.

The analysis of this book consists of the title and three main divisions, as follows:

The title (Joel 1:1)

I. The coming of the locusts (Joel 1:2-2:27)

1. An unusual desolation (Joel 1:2-4)

2. A call to mourning (Joel 1:5-14)

3. Forebodings of the "day of Jehovah" (Joel 1:15-20)

4. The alarm sounded in view of the approaching day (Joel 2:1-3)

5. A description of the army and their destructive work (Joel 2:4-11)

6. A promise of forgiveness and blessings upon the condition of repentance (Joel 2:12-17)

7. Repentance vouchsafed and the blessings assured (Joel 2:18-27)

II. The coming of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32)

1. The spirit poured upon all flesh and the results (Joel 2:28-29)

2. The perspective of the final judgment day (Joel 2:30-31)

3. A hope for God’s remnant (Joel 2:32)

III. The coming of judgments (Joel 3:1-21)

1. A summons to the battle of judgment and the reason (Joel 3:18-21)

2. The result of the judgment here and the hope of Israel (Joel 3:14-17)

3. Judah’s final victory over all and her final cleansing (Joel 3:1-21)

In the title to this book we have one of the three common formulas of introduction to the prophets:

1. "The word of Jehovah that came to Joel." This formula is found in Jeremiah 1:2; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; and Zechariah 1:1.

2. "The vision of [author’s name]," is found in Isaiah 1:1; and Obadiah 1:1.

3. "The burden of [author’s name]," is found in Nahum 1:1; and Malachi 1:1.

Lamentations and Daniel have no formal introduction, the former being an elegy in poetic form and the latter being regarded by the Jews as history rather than prophecy. These formulas are significant of the authority by which the prophet spoke and the point of view from which the prophecy is considered, whether "the word of Jehovah," "the vision of [the prophet]" or "the burden [or oracle of Jehovah.]"

In the interpretation of the coming of the locusts it must be kept in mind that Joel is an apocalypse and therefore these locusts must be considered apocalyptical. What the author sees is a swarm of locusts and he describes them as such. So the coming of these locusts is not to be understood literally, but allegorically and, therefore, symbolically. The four invasions here are invasions by locusts under four different names, and represent the curses of the four national powers, viz: Syro-Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian, and Roman. This corresponds to the apocalypse of Daniel in which is set forth the relation of Israel to these same powers. Joel I sets forth the chastisements sent upon the Jews and the reasons therefore. The book is a book of judgments showing the divine order, viz: "Judgment begins at the house of God." These judgments are in a series of four, one after another, as indicated by the locusts. They begin with the Babylonian captivity and culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking away of the Jewish nation by the Romans.

The arguments showing that the literal view of the plague of locusts is inconsistent are as follows:

1. They are described as "the northern" scourge and locusts never came to Palestine that way.

2. The priests are directed to pray, "Give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them" (Joel 2:17).

3. The scourge is to be destroyed "because he hath done great things," or literally, "hath magnified to do" (Joel 2:20), an expression unsuitable to irrational creatures.

4. The figurative expressions used in connection with the locusts, viz: The fire and the flame and beasts being desired to rejoice in the tree. These expressions are unquestionably figurative; therefore, the whole may be so regarded.

5. The imagery goes beyond the plague of locusts, in that (1) the people are terrified, (2) the air is darkened and (3) they enter the city (Joel 2:6; Joel 2:9-10).

6. The effects are greater than would be produced by mere locusts, in that (1) the meal offering is destroyed, (2) the fruits of more than one year are destroyed and (3) the plague is described as worse than any that was remembered (Joel 1:2; Joel 1:9; Joel 2:2).

7. Locusts could not have been driven at once into the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean.

8. The day of the Lord is identified with the scourge, and is far beyond the plague of locusts (Joel 2:1; Joel 2:11).

9. The locust is used elsewhere in the Bible symbolically, to represent a curse (Revelation 9:3-11).

According to this position the prophet announces a complete desolation of the land, as if locusts had laid it waste. Upon the occasion of this approaching curse he calls for mourning and penitence. Then he gives the foreboding of the "day of Jehovah" and orders the sounding of an alarm and follows that with a masterful description of an invading army and its destructive work. In Joel 2:12-17 the prophet holds out the hope of forgiveness and blessings if they will really repent; at Joel 2:18 he introduces the prediction which stretches across the messianic age to the introduction of the millennium. In Joel 2:23, we have the promise of "the teacher of righteousness" (marginal reading) as in 2 Kings 17:27; Job 36:22; Proverbs 5:13; Isaiah 9:15; Isaiah 30:20; Habakkuk 2:18. So the order here seems to be (1) Christ comes, "the teacher of righteousness," (2) come Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, (3) comes the destruction of Jerusalem which is the climax of the "day of the Lord" on the Jewish people.

In Joel 2:28-32 we have the first distinct prediction of the advent of the Holy Spirit, fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, following which is the far distant judgment day, adumbrated by the destruction of Jerusalem from which destruction escapes a remnant who are specially called of Jehovah (see Isaiah 1:9; and Romans 11:5).

In Joel 3:1-21 we have a forecast of the judgments on the anti-Christian nations. First, there is a summons to the battle of judgments in which God pours out his wrath upon these nations because of their treatment of his people, Israel. This accords with Isaiah 66:5-6; Daniel 11:36-45; Zechariah 14:1-15; and Revelation 19:11-21, in which is described the great battle of Jehoshaphat at which the Jews are to be converted, a result of the interposition of God, as described here in Joel 3:14-17. This ushers in the millennium in which Judah (or the prince of Judah) will win the victory over the world in bringing in the Messiah’s kingdom and disseminating the knowledge of him to the ends of the earth.

There appears in this book for the first time the expression, "The day of the Lord," which refers to the time of God’s judgments and has partial fulfilment in the destruction of Jerusalem, then another in God’s judgments on the ungodly nations above described, and then finds its final and complete fulfilment at the last great judgment.

There appears also, for the first time in this book, the idea of the fountain. This idea expands as we follow it through the Bible to its fulfilment. Here it is briefly stated, showing its source and its objective; the valley of Shittim with no interpretation given. In Ezekiel 47:1-12 we have the idea very much enlarged, showing this fountain developed into a great river which symbolizes the river of life presented in Revelation 22:1-2. Then in Zechariah 13:1 we have an additional idea presented, viz: that it is "for sin and uncleanness" from which we derive the beautiful hymn, "There is a fountain filled with blood." The fulfilment of this idea is found in Christ’s teaching in John (4-7), where he refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation and in life.

There are two other ideas that appear in this book for the first time which have already been explained, viz: The coming of the Holy Spirit and the battle of Jehoshaphat and the conversion of the Jews.

Some of the most important lessons of this book are as follows:

1. God’s retribution for disobedience. This is plain from the calls to repentance and the threatened judgments in the book.

2. God’s long forbearance toward a gainsaying and disobedient people, showing that his "mercy endureth forever."

3. God’s blessings of the Holy Spirit. They are for all people in all ages. Though he selected and elected one nation as his own peculiar people, yet "whosoever calleth on the Lord shall be saved."

4. God’s blessing of final victory for his cause and people. Evil may triumph and Jerusalem be trodden down for a time but the promises of God are sure and the Jew, though rejecting his Messiah and scattered to the ends of the earth, shall eventually accept this Messiah and become a mighty factor in the spread of his kingdom.

QUESTIONS

1. Who was Joel?

2. What was the date of this prophecy?

3. What was the occasion of this prophecy?

4. What of the canonicity of this book?

5. What of the style and character of the book?

6. To whom was this prophecy given and how do you explain the use of the name "Israel" in Joel 2:27; Joel 3:2; Joel 3:16?

7. What were the essential points in the analysis of this book?

8. What formula of introduction found in the title to this book and what the three formulas found in the introductions to the prophets?

9. What are the interpretation of the coming of the locusts?

10. What were the arguments showing that the literal view of the plague of locusts is inconsistent?

11. According to this position, then how interpret Joel 1:2-2:27?

12. What promise in Joel 2:28-32 and where do we find the fulfilment?

13. What are the judgments of Joel 3:1-21 and when their fulfilment?

14. What ideas appear for the first time in Joel and what their application?

15. What are the most important lessons of this book?