Book of Joel Name meaning: Yahweh is God, Lord is God. World Christian Fellowship 60, High Worple, Rayners Lane, Harrow Middlesex, HA2 9SZ, United Kingdom Tel: +44 208 429 9292 www.wcflondon.com wcflondon@gmail.com Year Written: 835-700 BC, 10 years after Prophet Obadiah prophesied and uses the phrase called Day of the Lord from him. Obadiah prophesied to the enemy nation Edom whereas Joel Prophesied to the nation of Judah but you will notice the message is almost similar. Disaster strike the Southern Kingdom of Judah without any warning and in matter of hours everything was ruined completely and the land was left bare. Book has 3 chapters and 73 verses. Historical background: When the people heard the prophecy of judgement on the nation of Edom they were all happy but when they hear the news that God is judging the nations of His they are all angry. Locusts have come and eaten away all their crops. 1
Over 500 million of them can come together at one time and they are so dense enough to hide the sunlight and bring darkness in a moment. 80,000 Tons of food per day and they can travel about 10 miles in a day. 2
Purpose: God s terrible wrath upon all unrighteousness will be punished so Joel asks the nation to repent. If they do NOT repent then they will face the wrath of God on the Judgement Day. God promised King David that he will never lack a son to sit on his throne forever. 1 Kings 2:4, that the Lord may fulfil His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' But we see there was a woman Athaliah, who becomes the Queen of Judah. Athaliah was Queen of Judah from 842-836 BC. She was the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of the northern kingdom of Israel. She also was the wife of King Jehoram of Judah, and the mother of King Ahaziah. Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah introduced into that kingdom the worship of Baal. (B.C. 891) After the great revolution by which Jehu seated himself on the throne of Samaria Athaliah killed all the members of the royal family of Judah who had escaped his sword. (2 Kings 11:1-4 also @ 2 Chronicles 22:10-12 and read 2 Chronicles 23 about Athaliah full life story of her reign and death) 3
From the slaughter one infant, named Joash, the youngest son of Ahaziah, was rescued by his aunt Jehosheba wife of Jehoiada, the high priest. (2 Chronicles 24:6) The child was brought up under Jehoiada's care, and concealed in the temple for six years, during which Athaliah reigned over Judah as Queen. At length Jehoiada thought it time to produce the lawful king to the people, trusting to their zeal for the worship of God and their loyalty to the house of David. His plan was successful, and Athaliah was put to death after the Prophecy of Joel. This is the reason Joel was asking the nation to repent but never once mention from what they need to repent. Brief Outline: Chapter 1 1. Destruction of the nation by Locust (V1-12) 2. Repentance of the People (V13-27) Chapter 2: Day of the Lord 1. Repeat of the destruction (V1-11) 2. Repentance (V12-17) 3. Refreshing of the Land (V18-27) 4. Restoration (V28-32) Chapter 3: God s Judgement 1. Retaliation of Nations (V1-15) 2. Blessings on Gods people (V16-21) 4
The first Christian sermon ever preached was by the apostle Peter, he cantered his preaching on one prophecy out of all those found in the Old Testament. In his mind this one prophecy was one of the most important to show the Jews that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah of Israel. What prophecy did Peter use to preach? The prophecy of Joel, when he spoke on Pentecost Day in 30 AD, 50 days after the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. He used from Joel 2, Acts 2: 16-21, 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men hall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapour of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. Apostle Paul used Prophet Joel in his letter to Romans 10:13, For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 5
Application for today: We can see the future in visions like we see in the book of Joel or Revelation. Some time it may sound very rare or nonexistence to us but it should awaken us from our stupor to reality. However, their vivid pictures of destruction should serve to awaken us from our spiritual stupor too. Do you ever struggle with feeling complacent? Judgement is certain but they will be very harsh without repentance. So where is your trust? Our trust should not be in our possession but in the Lord our God. God can and will use anything to get the attention of the people. But by His mercy and grace He has provided the definitive plan for our salvation Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and exchanging our sin for His perfect righteousness. He may come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2) Today is the day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) Anyone who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32) Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7) 6
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17) Only by accepting God s salvation we can escape His wrath on the Day of the Lord. Joel mentions in 2:31, The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord either can be great or it can be dreadful day. How this day is going to be for YOU?? 7