Revised by Tyler Mayfield (6/24)
Combination of earthly and end-time (apocalyptic) hopes
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 repentRepentance is a central biblical teaching. All people are sinful and God desires that all people repent of their sins. The Hebrew word for repent means to “turn away” from sin. The Greek word for repentance means to “change on’e mind,” more specifically, it means… More. Then, beginning with 2:28, the book moves to a different kind of genreA genre is a type or category of something, often literature. Form criticism (see) begins with sorting biblical literature into various genres. More, 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 DanielAn interpreter of dreams who was delivered from the lions’ den. More and Revelation and occasionally in the Gospels.
Joel’s connection with the TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged… More and the priestly traditions
Though he fits into the picture of classical biblical prophets in many ways, Joel’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 IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)–preachers who boldly proclaimed God’s word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More and JeremiahProphet who condemned Judah’s infidelity to God, warned of Babylonian conquest, and promised a new covenant. More, 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 psalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. More. 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 AmosProphet to the northern kingdom who condemned Israel’s oppression of the poor, calling for justice to "roll down like waters." More 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.
