Lesson 4 of 6
In Progress

Introductory Issues in Joel

Revised by Tyler Mayfield (6/24)

Combination of earthly and end-time (apocalyptic) hopesĀ 

The first part of Joel seems to be preoccupied with a real, historical, tragic event. A locust plague would be a terrible, frightening occurrence. Joel understood it as a message from God that the people should repent. Then, beginning with 2:28, the book moves to a different kind of genre, speculating about a future time when all people can prophesy, when wondrous signs indicate that huge changes are coming, and when battles take place in which enemies are defeated once and for all and Israel is vindicated. This is one of the first biblical passages that looks like the end-time (apocalyptic) literature found in Daniel and Revelation and occasionally in the Gospels.

Joelā€™s connection with the Temple and the priestly traditions

Though he fits into the picture of classical biblical prophets in many ways, Joelā€™s interest in priestly concerns makes him different from most. When he calls for lamenting and repenting, he seems to think that this is something that should be done by the community in the Temple, following certain prescribed rituals. This would not be true of prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, who prophesied prior to the Babylonian exile. When scholars try to understand what kind of a prophet Joel was, they look for clues for what happened to the office of the prophet in the days after the exile when some of the people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. One can easily imagine Joel as a supporter of the Temple and the priests during the Persian period.

Sudden turn to hope

The first part of the book is full of vivid descriptions of the locust terror, accompanied by calls to lament and repent. Then, suddenly (in 2:18), God responds favorably and promises relief. It is almost shocking to read words of assurance after all the despair that has poured out. Has the relief already come, or is this an expression of hope that God will soon act to take away the threat and restore good fortune to the people? The same kind of abrupt transition from despair to hope occurs in the structure of a typical lament psalm. The reader of a lament psalm probably will not move to hope immediately, but the psalm (like Joel) is a reminder that in the past people who have suffered have had their hope renewed. God does respond favorably to those who call for help from the depths of their despair.

Historical context

Some prophetic books such as Amos and Isaiah mention the reigns of certain kings. The book of Joel provides no historical references to help readers situate its message within the ancient world. Scholars have suggested a range of dates for its composition from the ninth to the fourth centuries BCE. This scope of time includes pre-exilic, monarchical Israel, the Babylonian exile, and post-exilic Persian period, making Joel possibly one of the earliest prophetic books or one of the latest. The majority of scholars find allusions to other biblical texts and therefore date Joel to the post-exilic period.Ā Ā