Overview of the Book of Joel

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Joel.

The book of Joel was written sometime in the 8th or 9th century B .C.

And Joel is considered one of the minor prophets, but there's really nothing minor about his

prophecy since he is talking about the great and dreadful day of

the Lord.

The book begins with these words, the word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of

Pethuel.

Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land.

Has anything like this happened in your days or even in the days of your

fathers?

Tell your children about it.

Let your children tell their children and their children another generation.

So Joel speaks about this time of trial that is coming upon the

children of Israel.

The land would be devastated first by swarming locusts and then

through severe drought.

And this would have such an impact, it would affect the offerings at the

temple.

So this was a terrible time for the nation.

And his message is, wake up, because the day of the Lord is coming.

God is going to visit Israel, and in this instance, he is going to visit in judgment.

Now, while there was this initial day of the Lord way back then, this also points ahead

to that final eschatological day of the Lord, which will occur in what we

call the end times.

During the time period Jesus referred to as the Great Tribulation.

He goes on to describe an invading army, cosmic

disturbances in the heavens.

He says that the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon

into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

How many of you have ever seen the moon when it turns that blood red?

Well, that's going to happen, and then some in the future.

But then he writes, and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the

Lord shall be saved.

Because people are going to see this, and they have two choices, continue to rebel against God

or call on his name and be saved.

So Joel, who was a preacher, is really urging people to turn back to God

before it's too late.

He then makes reference to the final battle of the age, which we call the Battle of Armageddon.

He talks about multitudes being in the valley of decision.

But the good news that he has for God's people, he said the Lord will be a shelter

for his people.

The book ends in chapter 3 with the blessing that will come after the day of the Lord

in the Millennial Kingdom.

The Lord says, so you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion,

my holy mountain.

Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass

through her again.

And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine,

and the hills shall flow with milk.

And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water.

This is a time of great abundance and prosperity.

And he said a fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord.

But before that, the day of the Lord is coming.

And to those who have an ear, let them hear.