Joel 1:1-4; 2:28-32, Visions of Joel

Sometimes I get hung up on the meaning of names in the OT.  Joel 1:1 is interesting to me.  Joel means, of course, “Jehovah is God” (YAHWEH-El).  His father’s name, Pethuel, means “vision of God.”  Not to make an overstatement, but Joel had access to three visions in his short prophecy.  First, a vision of the meaning of a locust plague in his own day.  Second, a vision of a coming judgment of God.  And third, a vision of God’s ultimate plan for Israel.  But as you read his prophecy, sometimes you may wonder what Joel is describing.  So here is a brief explanation of what I see as the distinction between three events.

·       Joel 1 gives the vision of a locust plague.  He describes the variety of locusts.  The effect on Israel has to do with the trees and crops that are destroyed.  When he calls them a “nation” (1:6) the rest of the verse and verse 7 make it clear that it is a “nation of locusts.”  To me, the key is that he says “the day of the LORD is at hand” (v15).  This is a current event.

·       Joel 2:1-11 describes a coming judgment by a nation of people that will have an effect similar to that of the locust plague.  In this situation Joel says “the day of the LORD is coming” (2:1).  It is future to his day.  The emphasis is on the pain and suffering of the people, being personally attacked rather than suffering the attack on the plant life of  the locust plague.  In v11 the one who executes God’s word is the king of the nation that God uses, Nebuchadnezzar.  What follows this passage is a call to the people to repent (2:12-17).  It is true that the land suffers in this vision, and the land will be refreshed when the people repent (v18-27). 

One matter to clarify has to do with the “day of the LORD.”  This is applied both to the current plague of locusts and the coming invasion of a literal army.  Neither of these is the ultimate “day of the LORD” that precedes the coming of Messiah to rule from Zion.  It helps to understand that this “day” is a time of God’s judgment, when He sets things right in Israel, correcting the nation through the invading nation, and then judging the invading nation that goes beyond His intended plan.  The “day of the LORD” applies to all, with the earlier days of judgment leading to the eventual “day” when the Mystery of God is fulfilled in Christ.

·       In Joel 2:28 the key is “afterward.”  We know 2:28-32 refers to the “outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” the time when Israel is brought into the New Covenant relationship with God through their Messiah.  Thus the rest of Joel refers to this further future time.  When Israel is truly a saved nation, God will then judge the nations (3:1-17) and all the world will be what glorifies God (3:18-21).

The sovereign LORD has a plan and it is always being worked out, even in our world today.  We should learn to recognize that work as it is being accomplished even in our own day.