joel - in a nutshell

Outline the message of Joel and mention how his prophecy is fulfilled in the New Testament.

Joel was a prophet of God that spoke on God’s behalf toward God’s people in the Southern kingdom (Judah)[1]. The book didn’t refer to a specific timeframe of the prophetic activity but the content probably suggested of a period (ca. 835) before Judah went to the Exile in Babylon. The reference to the northern army in Joel 2:20 could be indicative of God’s impending judgment toward Judah through the invasion of the Babylonian armies in 587 BC.

The message of the book of Joel is tied to Joel’s prophetic ministry. It serves to call God’s covenant people into repentance. Throughout the book, the covenant languages (“your God” [2], “my people” [3], “his people” [4]) used echo the special relationship that God had with Israel. However, that relationship was threatened by Judah’s inevitable inability to keep the covenant. The specific sins committed weren’t particularly mentioned, but they were serious enough for God to pronounce judgment and punish his people. Moreover, God later punished the nations He used to punish Judah. As the nations were punished, the merciful God not only saved his people once they repented, but also deliberately blessed them as his covenant people.

Joel unpacked his message quite structurally within the theme mentioned above. The book opened with a literal judgment of a devastating locust plague (1:2-12) on the land. A call to repentance (1:13-20) starting with the spiritual leaders and then encompassing all who lived in the land was ensued immediately.

The notion of the “Day of the Lord” [5] is a further development of God’s judgment (2:1-11) following the immediate judgment of the locust plague. Joel senses that “the plague is a precursor to Yahweh’s final, decisive visitation upon Judah” [Dumbrell, 2002]. It was depicted using the imagery of an army of locusts that Yahweh led to invade the land and cause the people to terrify.
Having depicted the terrifying scene, Joel again summoned the people to rend their heart to the gracious and compassionate God (2:12-17). The only way of salvation is to surrender to the One who is slow to anger and abounding in love[6]. To start with, the people were to gather as an assembly to perform a ritual public service of lamentation as an expression of the total commitment of the heart. Then, it’s up to the Lord to have pity on them[7].

Indeed, as surely as His loving character, God offered two certain responses to the repenting people. The first one (Joel 2:18-27) which addresses the immediate situation corresponds to the reversal of the covenant curse of the locust plague[8] followed by the restoration of the barren land into a fertile one[9]. However, the ultimate concern here is God’s glory and the removal of the people’s shame[10].

The second (Joel 2:28-3:21) response branches out in time[11] as a further demonstration of God’s deliverance [New Bible Commentary, 1994]. Firstly, the outpouring of the Spirit (2:28-32) to all people[12] (meaning everyone in Israel) speaks of a new era of a perfect relationship between God and his people. Using Ezekiel’s language, God would give new hearts to his people. They would all understand God’s law as it would be written on their hearts (Jeremiah). As the people reflected upon His word in the sense of a prophet would speak of God’s word, they would all obey him. The fulfillment of this prophecy in the New Testament will be described further later.

Secondly, as mentioned earlier, God later punished the nations that treated his people unjustly and oppressively (Joel 3:1-16). God himself vindicated the suffering of his people inflicted by the foreign nations. His purpose to chasten his own people through the invasion of the nations has culminated in God punishing the nations for their own accounts of wickedness (i.e. the looting of the temple treasuries, the enslaving of the war prisoners[13]). The just God is indeed the stronghold for his people.

Thirdly, not only does God promise the spiritual blessing through the outpouring of his Spirit, but also his presence as a covenant God in the midst of his people will only mean that physical blessings are being materialized throughout the land as well (Joel 3:17-21). God’s presence in Zion is a sign that he is ready and willing to bless his people and no foreigners can invade Judah again and take the blessings away.

In the NT, we see the fulfillment of Joel’s outpouring of the Spirit prophecy in Acts 2. Peter was quoting Joel as he addressed the crowds on the day of Pentecost. Those God-fearing Jews, to whom the Spirit was poured down on, spoke in many languages as befitted toward their hearers whilst declaring the wonders of God. Peter further explained the reason for the giving of the Spirit, which came from God the Father to the risen Jesus who is both Lord and Christ having conquered death as one prophesied from the line of David[14].

The significance of the Spirit given to the Jews would later extend to include the gentile believers[15] as well, precisely as prophesied by the prophet Joel that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [16] Those who believe in the message of the gospel of Christ (of his death and resurrection) are those whom God has called and will pour his Spirit onto as a seal of guaranteed salvation achieved in Christ. The “last days” has come since Jesus’ first coming has ushered in the new age while the old age is still rolling.

[1] Joel 2:23, 32; 3:1 [2] Joel 2:13, 26-27; 3:17 [3] Joel 2:17, 3:2-3 [4] Joel 2:18; 3:16 [5] Joel 2:1, 11 [6] Joel 2:13 [7] Joel 2:14 [8] Deuteronomy 28:38 cf. Joel 2:20 [9] Deuteronomy 28:4, 8, 11, 12 cf. Joel 2:22-26 [10] Joel 2:26b-27 [11] Joel 2:28; 3:1 [12] Joel 2:28 [13] Joel 3:5-6 [14] Act 2:33 [15] Acts 2:11 [16] Joel 2:32a

References:
Dumbrell, William J. 2002. The Faith of Israel – A Theological Survey of the Old Testament (2nd Edition). Baker Academic – Grand Rapids, Michigan.
New Bible Commentary – 21st Century Edition. 1994. Inter-Varsity Press, Illinois.