J. Deering, AncientPath.net

Joel - "Yahweh is God"

Time of Writing:
Between 875 B.C. and 835 B.C.

Historical Time and Place:
King Joash becomes King @ 7 years of age at about the time Joel writes (835 B.C. Joash reigns for 39 years (until 796 B.C.). The land is filled with severe drought, which brought on an invasion of waves of Locusts infestations, until everything was devoured.

Joel's Perception:
The invasion of Locusts was brought about as punishment of national sin and was an harbinger of a future military campaign (finalized with a future military campaign in "The Day of the Lord."

Locust meanings in Joel (Hebrew):
shearer, swarmer, lapper, devourer

The Day of the Lord:
The day of the Lord, the major theme of this prophecy, involves God's special intervention in the affairs of human history. Three facets of the Day of the Lord are discernable:

(1) the historical, that is , God's intervention in the affairs of Israel (Zephaniah 1:14 - 18; Joel 1:15) and heathen nations (Isaiah 13:6; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 30:3);
(2) the illustrative, whereby an historical incident represents a partial fulfillment of the eschatological Day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11; Isaiah 13:6-13);
(3) the eschatological. this eschatological "day" includes the time of the Great Tribulation (Isaiah 2:12-19; 4:1), the second coming of Christ (Joel 2:30-32), and the Millennium (Isaiah 4:2; 12; 19:23-25; Jeremiah 30:7-9).

Special Notes:

1:13 Because judgment is public - Repentance must be public
1:19 The true prophet identifies with his people (Like Moses)
2:2 Near and Far views - unparalleled JOY coming in a latter day
2:3-7 Near View - Assyrian Army
2:10- Far View - Mt 24 "except the days be shortened"
2:12-13 Christ foreshadowed through the prophets 1 Peter 1:10-12
2:16 Joel, like Moses, interceding for his people
2:17 Final Prophet, Jesus interceding as Prophet-Priest
2:18 Near view... Far view---- When Christ Comes
2:21-27 Millennium - Day Of The Lord
2:28-32 The Coming of the Holy Spirit - Partial fulfillment at Pentecost, :28-25 in Acts 2, :30-32 Not in Acts 2 - Rev. 6:12-14, Mt. 24:29, Isa. 13:10
2:28 Not all Israel saved, only those present on the Day of Atonement, Romans 9:30-33
3:1-21 The Judgment and Consummation of The Day Of The Lord
3:10 Plowshares to Swords VS Micah 4:3 Swords into Plowshares and Isa. 2:4
3:17 Jerusalem will be Holy when God is there
3:20 Far View
3:21 What the Day Of The Lord is all about

2012-11-21