Joel 2 Study Notes: A Call to Repent and the Promised Spirit
Joel pictures the LORD's coming day of judgment as a vast army under God's command and urges Judah to return to Him with sincere repentance. The LORD takes pity, promises to restore what the locusts destroyed, and foretells pouring out His Spirit on all kinds of people and rescue for all who call on Him.
General
Who does 2:32 say will be saved?
Answer: Anyone who calls upon the LORD for rescue
Joel promises that anyone who calls upon the LORD, crying to Him for rescue and trusting Him, will be saved, because rescue will come in Zion and Jerusalem (2:32). Peter ends his Pentecost quotation with this very promise (Acts 2:21). Paul quotes the same words in Romans and applies them to Jew and Gentile alike, because one Lord rules over all and is generous toward everyone calling to Him (Romans 10:12-13). In the same chapter Paul makes clear that the Lord on whom people call for salvation is Jesus, confessed as Lord and believed in as the one God raised from the dead (Romans 10:9).
- Joel 2:32 (BSB)“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.”Joel promises salvation to all who call upon the LORD, with deliverance in Zion among the remnant He calls.
- Acts 2:21 (BSB)“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”Peter ends his quotation of Joel at Pentecost with this promise of salvation.
- Romans 10:12-13 (BSB)“For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””Paul applies Joel's promise to Jews and Gentiles alike, since one Lord is generous to everyone calling to Him.
- Romans 10:9 (BSB)“that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”Paul shows that the Lord to be called on for salvation is Jesus, confessed as Lord and believed in as risen.
Theological
To whom does 2:32 extend the promise of salvation?
Answer: Anyone who calls upon the LORD for rescue
The promise of 2:32 is as wide as the outpouring that precedes it: whoever calls upon the LORD's name finds salvation, for rescue will come in Zion and Jerusalem. Peter closes his Pentecost citation with it (Acts 2:21), and Paul applies it to Jew and Greek without distinction, since one Lord reigns over all and is rich toward everyone who calls to Him (Romans 10:12-13). Paul identifies that Lord as Jesus, confessed as Lord and believed on as risen (Romans 10:9), so that calling on the LORD of Joel is fulfilled in calling on Christ.
- Joel 2:32 (BSB)“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.”Joel promises salvation to all who call upon the LORD, with deliverance in Zion among the remnant He calls.
- Acts 2:21 (BSB)“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”Peter ends his quotation of Joel at Pentecost with this promise of salvation.
- Romans 10:12-13 (BSB)“For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””Paul applies Joel's promise to Jews and Gentiles alike, since one Lord is generous to everyone calling to Him.
- Romans 10:9 (BSB)“that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”Paul shows that the Lord to be called on for salvation is Jesus, confessed as Lord and believed in as risen.
General
How does 2:3 contrast the land before and after the army passes?
Answer: Before them it is lush like Eden; in their wake it is barren
Joel calls for an alarm to be sounded with the ram's horn on Zion, the hill of Jerusalem where the temple stood, because the LORD's day of judgment is drawing near, dark and gloomy (2:1-2). He then describes a vast army that runs like horses, scales walls, and leaves fire behind it: ahead of it the land looks like Eden, God's first garden, but behind it lies a desert, and nothing escapes (2:3-9). Readers differ on whether this army is the locusts of chapter 1 described as soldiers, a human invader, or a picture of final judgment. Zephaniah uses the same language of gloom and darkness for that day (Zephaniah 1:15), and the locusts of Egypt likewise left nothing green behind them (Exodus 10:14-15).
- Joel 2:1-2 (BSB)“Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.”An alarm is sounded on Zion because the LORD's dark day is near and a mighty army appears.
- Joel 2:3 (BSB)“Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them.”The land is like a garden before the army and a waste after it, with nothing escaping.
- Zephaniah 1:15 (BSB)“That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,”Zephaniah describes the LORD's day with the same images of darkness, gloom, and cloud.
- Exodus 10:14-15 (BSB)“The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”The locust plague on Egypt was unmatched in size and left no green plant behind, as Joel's army does.
- Isaiah 51:3 (BSB)“For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.”Isaiah promises the opposite movement, with the LORD turning Zion's ruined land back into a garden like Eden.
Theological
What contrast does 2:3 draw between the land ahead of the advancing host and the land in its wake?
Answer: Before them it is lush like Eden; in their wake it is barren
The trumpet alarm on Zion announces the approach of the day of judgment as dark and gloomy (2:1-2), and Joel portrays an invading host of unparalleled strength that leaves the land, Eden-like before it, a desolate waste behind it, with nothing escaping (2:3-9). Interpreters differ on whether the host is the locust plague described in military imagery, a human army, or an image of final judgment. The imagery of gloom and darkness recurs in Zephaniah's description of the day (Zephaniah 1:15), and the total stripping of the land recalls the eighth plague on Egypt (Exodus 10:14-15). Isaiah reverses the image when the LORD turns Zion's desert back into Eden (Isaiah 51:3).
- Joel 2:1-2 (BSB)“Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.”An alarm is sounded on Zion because the LORD's dark day is near and a mighty army appears.
- Joel 2:3 (BSB)“Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them.”The land is like a garden before the army and a waste after it, with nothing escaping.
- Zephaniah 1:15 (BSB)“That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,”Zephaniah describes the LORD's day with the same images of darkness, gloom, and cloud.
- Exodus 10:14-15 (BSB)“The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”The locust plague on Egypt was unmatched in size and left no green plant behind, as Joel's army does.
- Isaiah 51:3 (BSB)“For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.”Isaiah promises the opposite movement, with the LORD turning Zion's ruined land back into a garden like Eden.
General
What does Peter say about Joel's prophecy on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16)?
Answer: That the outpouring of the Spirit they saw was what Joel foretold
Pentecost was a Jewish harvest feast. On that day, after Jesus rose and returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit came on His disciples and they began speaking in other languages (Acts 2:4). When some in the crowd mocked, saying the disciples were drunk (Acts 2:13), Peter answered that this was what the prophet Joel had spoken about. He quoted Joel's words about the Spirit (Acts 2:16-18) and kept quoting through the promise of rescue for whoever calls upon the Lord (Acts 2:21), which is the first half of Joel 2:32. Peter's wording differs a little from Joel's; for example, he begins by saying the outpouring belongs to the last days. He explains that the risen Jesus, raised to God's right hand, had received the promised Spirit from the Father and poured Him out (Acts 2:33). So Joel's promise began to be fulfilled at Pentecost, through Christ.
- Joel 2:28-29 (BSB)“And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”Joel foretells the LORD pouring out His Spirit on all kinds of people.
- Acts 2:4 (BSB)“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”At Pentecost the Spirit filled the disciples and they spoke in other languages.
- Acts 2:16-18 (BSB)“No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”Peter tells the crowd that the event they are witnessing is the one Joel prophesied, and quotes him.
- Acts 2:33 (BSB)“Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”Peter says the exalted Jesus received the promised Spirit from the Father and gave Him to His people.
Theological
What does Peter declare about Joel 2:28-32 in relation to the events of Pentecost (Acts 2:16)?
Answer: That the outpouring of the Spirit they saw was what Joel foretold
When the disciples were filled with the Spirit and spoke in other tongues (Acts 2:4), Peter declared that this was what the prophet Joel had spoken. He quoted Joel's promise of the outpoured Spirit (Acts 2:16-18) and continued through the promise of rescue for whoever calls upon the Lord (Acts 2:21), the first half of Joel 2:32, placing the outpouring within the final days and adjusting some other wording. He grounds the event in Christ's exaltation: the risen Jesus, at the Father's right hand, received the promised Spirit and poured Him out (Acts 2:33). At Pentecost, therefore, Joel's promise began to be fulfilled, as the gift of the ascended Christ to His people.
- Joel 2:28-29 (BSB)“And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”Joel foretells the LORD pouring out His Spirit on all kinds of people.
- Acts 2:4 (BSB)“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”At Pentecost the Spirit filled the disciples and they spoke in other languages.
- Acts 2:16-18 (BSB)“No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”Peter tells the crowd that the event they are witnessing is the one Joel prophesied, and quotes him.
- Acts 2:33 (BSB)“Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”Peter says the exalted Jesus received the promised Spirit from the Father and gave Him to His people.
General
What reason does Joel give in 2:13 for returning to the LORD?
Answer: He shows grace and mercy, is patient, and overflows with love
Joel grounds the call to return in who the LORD is: full of grace and compassion, patient, rich in loving devotion; He is also willing to hold back the disaster He has threatened (2:13). These words echo the LORD's own description of Himself to Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:6). Jonah used nearly the same words about God after Nineveh repented (Jonah 4:2). Yet Joel does not presume on God: he asks who knows whether the LORD may still turn and bless them, so that offerings can again be brought to Him (2:14). The king of Nineveh had asked the same question (Jonah 3:9). God's mercy is the reason to come to Him, and it is His free gift, never something owed.
- Joel 2:13-14 (BSB)“So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.”Joel calls the people back on the basis of the LORD's merciful character and hopes He may yet bless.
- Exodus 34:6 (BSB)“Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”The LORD proclaims His own name to Moses as merciful, patient, and rich in devoted love and faithfulness.
- Jonah 4:2 (BSB)“So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.”Jonah says he knew God was merciful and ready to spare, using the same description of His character.
- Jonah 3:9 (BSB)“Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.””Nineveh's king hopes, without presuming, that God may relent from His anger.
Theological
On what ground does 2:13 base the summons to return?
Answer: He shows grace and mercy, is patient, and overflows with love
The call to return rests on the LORD's revealed character: gracious, compassionate, patient, rich in loving devotion, ready to relent from threatened judgment (2:13). The formula draws on the LORD's self-proclamation to Moses at Sinai (Exodus 34:6), which Jonah also cites (Jonah 4:2). Joel's question of who knows whether the LORD may turn and bless (2:14), like the Ninevite king's (Jonah 3:9), guards against presumption: divine mercy is the sure ground of approach, yet it remains sovereign and free, not a claim the penitent can enforce.
- Joel 2:13-14 (BSB)“So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.”Joel calls the people back on the basis of the LORD's merciful character and hopes He may yet bless.
- Exodus 34:6 (BSB)“Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”The LORD proclaims His own name to Moses as merciful, patient, and rich in devoted love and faithfulness.
- Jonah 4:2 (BSB)“So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.”Jonah says he knew God was merciful and ready to spare, using the same description of His character.
- Jonah 3:9 (BSB)“Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.””Nineveh's king hopes, without presuming, that God may relent from His anger.
General
True or False: Joel 2:32 speaks both of people calling on the LORD and of the LORD calling a remnant.
Answer: True
This is true. The same verse that promises salvation to anyone calling upon the LORD ends by describing the survivors as a remnant, a group the LORD preserves, whom the LORD Himself calls (2:32). Peter makes the same pairing at Pentecost: after urging his hearers to repent, he says the promise is for them, their children, and those far off, all whom God summons to Himself (Acts 2:39). The LORD's calling of His remnant fits what is known as effectual calling, God's call that actually brings to Himself those He has chosen, which Paul places in the chain of His saving work from choosing beforehand to final glory (Romans 8:30) and links with a remnant God picked out by grace (Romans 11:5); so people truly call on the Lord, and behind their calling stands His call.
- Joel 2:32 (BSB)“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.”The promise to all who call on the LORD ends with a remnant whom the LORD Himself calls.
- Acts 2:39 (BSB)“This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.””Peter says the promise reaches all whom God calls to Himself, near and far.
- Romans 8:30 (BSB)“And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”Paul links God's calling with His prior choosing and His later justifying and glorifying.
- Romans 11:5 (BSB)“In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul says a remnant exists in his own day because God chose it by grace.
Theological
True or False: Joel 2:32 joins the human act of calling on the LORD with the LORD's own calling of a remnant.
Answer: True
This is true. The promise to everyone calling on the LORD's name closes with the survivors described as a remnant whom the LORD calls (2:32). Peter preserves the same pairing, ending his appeal with the promise to all whom God summons to Himself (Acts 2:39). The LORD's calling of His remnant corresponds to effectual calling, which Paul places in the unbroken chain from predestination to glorification (Romans 8:30), and to the remnant God selected by grace (Romans 11:5); human calling on the LORD and the divine summons stand together, with God's call underlying and securing the response.
- Joel 2:32 (BSB)“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.”The promise to all who call on the LORD ends with a remnant whom the LORD Himself calls.
- Acts 2:39 (BSB)“This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.””Peter says the promise reaches all whom God calls to Himself, near and far.
- Romans 8:30 (BSB)“And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”Paul links God's calling with His prior choosing and His later justifying and glorifying.
- Romans 11:5 (BSB)“In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul says a remnant exists in his own day because God chose it by grace.
General
In 2:12-13, what kind of repentance does the LORD call for?
Answer: Torn hearts turning back to Him, not just torn clothing
Even at this late hour, with judgment close, the LORD Himself invites His people to come back to Him wholeheartedly, with fasting, tears, and mourning (2:12). Repentance means turning from sin to God. Tearing one's clothes was a common outward sign of grief, but Joel says to tear their hearts instead, meaning a real inward sorrow over sin and a turning back to God (2:13). Outward signs are not condemned, but they mean nothing without a changed heart. David says God does not despise a crushed and repentant heart (Psalm 51:17), and James calls sinners to come near to God, cleanse their hearts, and grieve (James 4:8-9). Paul adds that sorrow of this godly kind produces a turning from sin that ends in salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).
- Joel 2:12-13 (BSB)““Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.”Even now the LORD calls His people back with their whole heart, inward sorrow rather than torn clothes.
- Psalm 51:17 (BSB)“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”David says the sacrifice God values is a broken spirit and a humbled heart.
- James 4:8-9 (BSB)“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.”James calls sinners to approach God with purified hearts and genuine mourning.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 (BSB)“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”Paul teaches that sorrow according to God's will produces a turning from sin that brings salvation.
Theological
What contrast does 2:12-13 draw in its call to repentance?
Answer: Torn hearts turning back to Him, not just torn clothing
The divine invitation of 2:12, issued even now on the brink of judgment, calls for wholehearted return accompanied by fasting, weeping, and lament. Verse 13 then sets inward against outward: they are to tear their hearts, not merely their garments. Genuine repentance is a turning of the whole person from sin to God; the external rite is not rejected, but it is worthless without inward contrition. The same priority appears in David's confession (Psalm 51:17) and in James's summons to cleanse the heart and mourn (James 4:8-9), and Paul distinguishes the godly grief that produces saving repentance from the grief of the world (2 Corinthians 7:10).
- Joel 2:12-13 (BSB)““Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.”Even now the LORD calls His people back with their whole heart, inward sorrow rather than torn clothes.
- Psalm 51:17 (BSB)“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”David says the sacrifice God values is a broken spirit and a humbled heart.
- James 4:8-9 (BSB)“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.”James calls sinners to approach God with purified hearts and genuine mourning.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 (BSB)“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”Paul teaches that sorrow according to God's will produces a turning from sin that brings salvation.
General
What reason do the priests give in their prayer in 2:17 for asking the LORD to spare His people?
Answer: So the nations would not scorn them and ask where God is
Joel calls for a sacred gathering of everyone, from the elders to the children and nursing babies, and even a newly married couple are to leave their rooms (2:15-16). The priests are to weep between the temple porch and the altar and plead with the LORD to spare His people, His inheritance, so that the nations would not mock them and wonder where their God had gone (2:17). The prayer rests on the honor of God's name among the nations, not on Judah's merit. The psalmists pray the same way (Psalm 79:9-10; Psalm 115:1-2), and through Ezekiel the LORD says He acts for His holy name's sake (Ezekiel 36:22).
- Joel 2:15-17 (BSB)“Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’””The whole community gathers, and the priests plead that God's people not become a mockery among the nations.
- Psalm 79:9-10 (BSB)“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name. Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.”Asaph asks God to help for His name's sake so the nations cannot taunt that Israel's God is absent.
- Psalm 115:1-2 (BSB)“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?””The psalmist seeks glory for God's name alone and protests the nations' taunt about where God is.
- Ezekiel 36:22 (BSB)“Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.”The LORD says He restores Israel for the honor of His holy name, not for their deserving.
Theological
What argument underlies the priests' plea for mercy in 2:17?
Answer: So the nations would not scorn them and ask where God is
The solemn assembly is to include the entire community, elders, children, and infants, with even bride and groom called from their chambers (2:15-16). The priests' intercession between portico and altar appeals not to Judah's deserving but to the LORD's own glory: if His heritage becomes a byword, the nations will taunt that their God is absent (2:17). This is the logic of Psalm 79:9-10 and Psalm 115:1-2, and of the LORD's declaration through Ezekiel that He acts for His holy name's sake (Ezekiel 36:22).
- Joel 2:15-17 (BSB)“Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’””The whole community gathers, and the priests plead that God's people not become a mockery among the nations.
- Psalm 79:9-10 (BSB)“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name. Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.”Asaph asks God to help for His name's sake so the nations cannot taunt that Israel's God is absent.
- Psalm 115:1-2 (BSB)“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?””The psalmist seeks glory for God's name alone and protests the nations' taunt about where God is.
- Ezekiel 36:22 (BSB)“Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.”The LORD says He restores Israel for the honor of His holy name, not for their deserving.
General
In 2:28-29, on whom does the LORD say He will pour out His Spirit?
Answer: On every kind of person: young and old, men, women, and servants
After the promises of rain and harvest, the LORD promises something greater: He will pour out His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, on people of every kind (2:28). Joel spells out what all means: sons and daughters, old men and young men, and even male and female servants (2:28-29). In Israel the Spirit had come on certain leaders and prophets, and Moses had longed for every one of the LORD's people to prophesy (Numbers 11:29). Joel promises that wish fulfilled across age, sex, and social rank. Ezekiel also foretells the LORD placing His Spirit within His people (Ezekiel 36:27), and Paul says the promised Spirit comes to Gentiles through faith in Christ (Galatians 3:14).
- Joel 2:28-29 (BSB)“And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”The LORD promises His Spirit on all kinds of people, naming sons and daughters, old and young, and servants.
- Numbers 11:29 (BSB)“But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!””Moses wished that the Spirit would rest on all of God's people so that all could prophesy.
- Ezekiel 36:27 (BSB)“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.”God promises to place His own Spirit within His people so that they will walk in His ways.
- Galatians 3:14 (BSB)“He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”Paul says Christ redeemed His people so that Gentiles too would receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Theological
How does 2:28-29 define the scope of the promised outpouring of the Spirit?
Answer: On every kind of person: young and old, men, women, and servants
The outpouring of 2:28-29 is universal in kind: the Spirit comes on people of every kind, which Joel defines by his own list, sons and daughters, old and young, male and female servants. Under the old covenant the Spirit rested on particular leaders and prophets; Moses' longing for every one of the LORD's people to prophesy (Numbers 11:29) is here promised fulfillment across every line of age, sex, and status. The promise belongs with the new covenant gift of the indwelling Spirit (Ezekiel 36:27), which Paul says reaches the Gentiles by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:14).
- Joel 2:28-29 (BSB)“And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”The LORD promises His Spirit on all kinds of people, naming sons and daughters, old and young, and servants.
- Numbers 11:29 (BSB)“But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!””Moses wished that the Spirit would rest on all of God's people so that all could prophesy.
- Ezekiel 36:27 (BSB)“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.”God promises to place His own Spirit within His people so that they will walk in His ways.
- Galatians 3:14 (BSB)“He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”Paul says Christ redeemed His people so that Gentiles too would receive the promised Spirit through faith.
General
True or False: In 2:18-19 the LORD responds by showing zeal for His land, sparing His people, and promising food and an end to their shame among the nations.
Answer: True
This is true. Joel turns from call to answer: the LORD was stirred with jealous love over His land and had pity on His people (2:18). Jealous here means a burning, protective love for what belongs to Him. He promises grain, wine, and oil to satisfy them, and says He will no longer let the nations scorn them (2:19). He will also drive the northern army far off into a dry and desolate land (2:20); the text does not say more about who that army is. God shows the same protective zeal for Zion in Zechariah (Zechariah 8:2), and His pity is like a father's compassion for his children (Psalm 103:13).
- Joel 2:18-19 (BSB)“Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people. And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.”The LORD shows zeal for His land, spares His people, and promises them food and an end to their disgrace.
- Joel 2:20 (BSB)“The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.”The LORD promises to drive the northern army away into a barren land.
- Zechariah 8:2 (BSB)“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.””The LORD declares His intense zeal for Zion, the same protective love Joel describes.
- Psalm 103:13 (BSB)“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”The LORD's pity toward those who revere Him is compared to a father's tenderness to his children.
Theological
True or False: In 2:18-19 the LORD answers the intercession with zeal for His land, pity on His people, renewed harvest, and an end to their disgrace before the nations.
Answer: True
This is true. The turning point of the book comes in 2:18: the LORD burned with zeal over His land and spared His people. His jealousy is His zealous, covenantal commitment to what is His own. He answers with grain, wine, and oil, with a promise that His people will no longer be a disgrace before the nations (2:19), and He will drive the northern army into a parched and desolate land (2:20), a force the text leaves unidentified. Zechariah voices the same divine zeal for Zion (Zechariah 8:2), and the psalmist likens the LORD's compassion to a father's (Psalm 103:13).
- Joel 2:18-19 (BSB)“Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people. And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.”The LORD shows zeal for His land, spares His people, and promises them food and an end to their disgrace.
- Joel 2:20 (BSB)“The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.”The LORD promises to drive the northern army away into a barren land.
- Zechariah 8:2 (BSB)“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.””The LORD declares His intense zeal for Zion, the same protective love Joel describes.
- Psalm 103:13 (BSB)“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”The LORD's pity toward those who revere Him is compared to a father's tenderness to his children.
General
According to 2:11, whose army is this?
Answer: The LORD's own army, which carries out His command
As the army advances, the ground shakes, the sky trembles, and the sun, moon, and stars go dark (2:10). Then Joel reveals who stands at its head: the LORD shouts out in front of His army, His camp is vast, and those who carry out His word are mighty (2:11). The invasion is not out of God's control; it is His judgment. That is why Joel asks who can survive such a day. Malachi asks the same question about the LORD's coming (Malachi 3:2), and Revelation echoes it at the final day of wrath (Revelation 6:17). The only hope, as the next verses show, is to turn back to the very LORD who leads the army (2:12-13).
- Joel 2:10-11 (BSB)“Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?”Earth and sky shake as the LORD Himself speaks at the head of His army, and Joel asks who can stand that day.
- Malachi 3:2 (BSB)“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.”Malachi asks the same question of who can endure when the LORD comes to purify His people.
- Revelation 6:17 (BSB)“For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?””At the opening of the sixth seal people cry out that no one can withstand the arrival of wrath.
Theological
Whose army does 2:11 declare the invading host to be?
Answer: The LORD's own army, which carries out His command
The cosmic upheaval of 2:10 culminates in the disclosure of 2:11: the LORD Himself utters His voice at the head of the host, His camp is vast, and those who execute His word are mighty. The invader is the instrument of divine judgment, not an independent force, and so the question of who can withstand the day is unanswerable on human terms. Malachi poses the same question of the LORD's coming (Malachi 3:2), as does Revelation at the final day of wrath (Revelation 6:17). The paradoxical answer follows at once: the only refuge from the LORD is turning back to Him (2:12-13).
- Joel 2:10-11 (BSB)“Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?”Earth and sky shake as the LORD Himself speaks at the head of His army, and Joel asks who can stand that day.
- Malachi 3:2 (BSB)“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.”Malachi asks the same question of who can endure when the LORD comes to purify His people.
- Revelation 6:17 (BSB)“For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?””At the opening of the sixth seal people cry out that no one can withstand the arrival of wrath.
General
What signs does the LORD promise in 2:30-31 before His great Day comes?
Answer: Blood, fire, and smoke, a darkened sun, and a blood-red moon
Joel promises wonders above and below: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke, with the sun turned dark and the moon blood-red, before the LORD's great and fearful Day arrives (2:30-31). Peter includes these signs when he quotes Joel at Pentecost (Acts 2:19-20), and similar pictures appear in Jesus' teaching about coming events and in John's vision of the sixth seal (Mark 13:24-25; Revelation 6:12). Christians differ on how the signs are fulfilled, whether around the cross and Pentecost, at the end of the age, or both. That day is real and fearful, and the next verse offers the way of rescue (2:32).
- Joel 2:30-31 (BSB)“I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.”Signs in the sky and on earth come before the arrival of the LORD's great Day.
- Acts 2:19-20 (BSB)“I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.”Peter includes Joel's signs in his Pentecost sermon.
- Mark 13:24-25 (BSB)“But in those days, after that tribulation: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’”Jesus uses similar language of darkened sun and moon and falling stars for the events He foretells.
- Revelation 6:12 (BSB)“And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,”At the sixth seal John sees a darkened sun and a moon that turns red as blood.
Theological
Which portents come before the LORD's great Day in 2:30-31?
Answer: Blood, fire, and smoke, a darkened sun, and a blood-red moon
The portents of 2:30-31, blood, fire, and pillars of smoke, a darkened sun and a blood-red moon, precede the LORD's great and fearful Day. Peter includes them in his Pentecost citation (Acts 2:19-20), and kindred imagery appears in Jesus' teaching about the days to come and at the sixth seal (Mark 13:24-25; Revelation 6:12). Interpreters differ on whether the signs are fulfilled around the cross and Pentecost, at the end of the age, or in both. The day itself is certain and dreadful, and the very next verse announces the way of deliverance (2:32).
- Joel 2:30-31 (BSB)“I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.”Signs in the sky and on earth come before the arrival of the LORD's great Day.
- Acts 2:19-20 (BSB)“I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.”Peter includes Joel's signs in his Pentecost sermon.
- Mark 13:24-25 (BSB)“But in those days, after that tribulation: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’”Jesus uses similar language of darkened sun and moon and falling stars for the events He foretells.
- Revelation 6:12 (BSB)“And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,”At the sixth seal John sees a darkened sun and a moon that turns red as blood.
General
What does the LORD promise His people in 2:25?
Answer: To make up to them for the years the locusts had devoured
The tone changes from grief to joy: the land and the animals are told not to be afraid, and the land and the children of Zion are told to rejoice, because the LORD has acted mightily on their behalf (2:21-23). He sends rain in both seasons, fills the threshing floors, and promises to make up for the years the swarms consumed, swarms He calls His great army, which He Himself sent against them (2:23-25). The locusts came from God's hand, and so does the restoration. The aim is that His people would praise Him and know that He is with them, that He alone is their God, and that they will not be disgraced again (2:26-27). God had promised rain in season to His people (Deuteronomy 11:14), and Ezekiel too foretells harvests so plentiful that Israel would bear no more shame for famine (Ezekiel 36:30).
- Joel 2:25 (BSB)“I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.”The LORD promises to restore what the locusts consumed and calls them the army He sent.
- Joel 2:26-27 (BSB)“You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame. Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.”God's people will praise Him and know that He is present among them and that He alone is God.
- Deuteronomy 11:14 (BSB)“then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.”God had promised to give His people seasonal rains for their harvest.
- Ezekiel 36:30 (BSB)“I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.”Ezekiel foretells such plentiful crops that Israel would no longer be shamed by famine.
- Psalm 126:3 (BSB)“The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”The returning exiles praise the LORD for His mighty acts on their behalf, as Joel's hearers are told to do.
Theological
What restoration does the LORD pledge in 2:25?
Answer: To make up to them for the years the locusts had devoured
Joel's summons to fear not and rejoice (2:21-23) rests on the LORD's mighty acts: rain in both its seasons, overflowing threshing floors and vats, and the promise to restore the years consumed by the swarms, which He names His great army, sent by Him (2:23-25). The same sovereign hand that brought judgment now brings restoration. Its goal is praise and renewed fellowship: that the people would praise Him and know His presence in Israel, His sole deity, and their freedom from shame (2:26-27). The promise of seasonal rain belongs to the covenant (Deuteronomy 11:14), and Ezekiel likewise links abundant harvest to the end of Israel's disgrace among the nations (Ezekiel 36:30).
- Joel 2:25 (BSB)“I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.”The LORD promises to restore what the locusts consumed and calls them the army He sent.
- Joel 2:26-27 (BSB)“You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame. Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.”God's people will praise Him and know that He is present among them and that He alone is God.
- Deuteronomy 11:14 (BSB)“then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.”God had promised to give His people seasonal rains for their harvest.
- Ezekiel 36:30 (BSB)“I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.”Ezekiel foretells such plentiful crops that Israel would no longer be shamed by famine.
- Psalm 126:3 (BSB)“The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”The returning exiles praise the LORD for His mighty acts on their behalf, as Joel's hearers are told to do.