Joel: The Day of the Lord

The Message of Joel: The Day of the Lord is the major theme of this prophecy and it involves God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history. (Ryrie NASB Study Bible).

The phrase “The Day of the Lord” does not have reference to a chronological time period, but to a general period of wrath and judgment uniquely belonging to the Lord. (MacArthur Commentary)
It is exclusively the day which unveils His character– mighty, powerful, and holy, thus terrifying his enemies. (MacArthur Commentary)

Key Verse

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
¹³And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
Joel 2:12-13 (NASB)

Available Lessons

Content Outline

Setting and Timeline

“Joel’s major theme is the ‘day of the Lord’ and the need for God’s people to be prepared.

‘Day of the Lord’ is used in Scripture to refer to different periods when God sent judgment to His people, but the main emphasis is on the future ‘day of the Lord’ when the nations will be judged and Christ shall return to setup His glorious kingdom.”
Dr. Warren Wiersbe

“In the first section (1:2-20), the prophet describes the contemporary Day of the Lord.

The second section (2:1-17) provides a transition from the historical plague of locusts described in chapter 1 to the eschatological Day of the Lord in 2:18-3:21.

In the third section (2:18-3:21), the Lord speaks directly of an eschatological hope, assuring His people of His presence among them (2:27, 3:17, 21)”.
Dr. John MacArthur

“The answer is that we probably cannot understand all the problems involved with the existence of monstrous evil in a world created and governed by a good God, but we can understand parts of the problem, as the book of Joel indicates.

The important point is that Joel had witnessed a devastating invasion of Judah by locusts and that he had recognized that it was God himself, and not mere chance, who was responsible.”
Dr. James Montgomery Boice

“According to Deuteronomy 28:38, locusts were a mark of God’s judgment on sin. So it became Joel’s mission to tell people they were experiencing God’s judgment.

He also said the locusts foreshadowed something yet to come– the Day of the Lord, the culmination of history in which God’s final judgment will occur. The plague of locusts was a signpost for the future.

But there’s another theme in Joel– restoration. Joel 2:25 says ‘So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten’.”
Dr. David Jeremiah

About the Author

References

The Minor Prophets Volume 1 (Hosea – Jonah): An Expositional Commentary by James Montgomery Boice
Be Amazed: an OT Commentary on the Minor Prophets by Warren W. Wiersbe
The MacArthur Bible Commentary: by John MacArthur
The Bible Project: Joel