Joel

The Day of the Lord
Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

A locust invasion had ravaged the land of Judah. As Joel, the son of Pethuel, reflected on this disaster, the Word of the Lord came to him. He became a powerful prophet, proclaiming to his people the spiritual significance of this calamity. The book that bears his name records Joel's sermon on this occasion.

The prophet describes the plague as a human army that advances, leaving scorched earth in its wake. Joel recognizes that this invasion of insects is orchestrated by God; in fact, it is God's army. This event marks the Day of the Lord—a day of judgment against a sinful people. The prophet calls on the people to repent, expressing hope that God will relent and retract the judgment.

Joel's ministry was more successful than that of many other prophets, as shown by God's willingness to relent, indicating that the people did clearly repent. The prophet assured them in God's name, saying, "I will remove the northern army, which refers to the locusts, and I will restore the years that the locusts have eaten."

However, Joel's sermon was not yet complete. He warned that worse judgments awaited the world, as it failed to acknowledge God's sovereignty and did not adhere to the ethical standards found among other nations. God will graciously bestow His Spirit upon all His people, but the Gentile nations will face judgment and punishment. From this coming wrath, God's people will be delivered. As a result, Judah and Jerusalem will experience remarkable prosperity and will be eternally blessed with God's divine presence.

In these terms, Joel conveyed the human hope and the divine promise that God is sovereign over His creation and will ultimately fulfill His will on earth, just as it is in heaven. The kingdoms of this world shall... "become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." Revelation 11:15

The book of Joel has a lot to say about the Gentile nations and their collision course toward Armageddon. The primary theme in the book of Joel is The Day of the Lord.

Two Major Points in the Book of Joel

1. God is in control of world events. Nothing happens anywhere in the world that is outside of God's control; nothing that happens to a believer is outside of God's control.
2. God responds to repentance. Where there is true repentance, God will respond accordingly.

A Springboard for Further Study:

What is The Day of the Lord?

The Day of the Lord is a technical expression in Scripture that is full of meaning. It includes the Millennial Kingdom, which will come at the second coming of the Messiah, but Joel is going to make it very clear to us that it begins with the Great Tribulation Period, the time of great trouble.

Scarlet Thread

The Messiah as the One Roaring from Zion
Joel 3 14-16 The Day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Judgment! The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will stop shining. The Lord will roar from Zion, and shout from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth will shake, but the Lord will be the refuge of His people and the strength of the people of Israel.

Acts 2:17-21 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days, I will even pour out my Spirit on my workers, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. I will display wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon turn to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.- Joel 2:28-32

Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. - Joel 2:32

Wake up and embrace the faith of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and join yourself to Him!