God’s judgement on Judah and Jerusalem

Introduction

1:1

• The word of God came to Joel [The specific date of this revelation is unknown]

A locust swarm has arrived

1:2-3

• Question. Listen: has such a thing occurred in the past [involving a devastating plague of locusts in Judah]?
• Answer. [No, therefore] you must tell the future generations [of this fulfilment of the curse of Dt 28:15, v38]

1:4

• A locust swarm has devoured the Land [KJV says ‘palmerworm’ & ‘cankerworm’ but they are locusts]

1:5

• The drunkards should weep & wail because the new wine is cut off from them

1:6-7

• A nation [of locusts] has come with teeth like a lion; they have stripped vines & fig trees bare

1:8-13

• People & priests must weep; offerings are withheld from the temple as there is no harvest

The day of Yahweh is coming

1:14-15

• Call the people to fast, to pray and to cry out, ‘Alas!’ because the day of Yahweh is near

[The locust swarm symbolises the coming ‘day of Yahweh’ which is a day when God acts in judgement]

1:16-20

• Food is cut off [by famine]; joy has gone; the animals cannot eat;
• [Joel says:] ‘I cry to You [God] because [bush-] fires consume the trees;
• the animals cry to You [God] because of drought!’

2:1-11

• Sound an alarm; the day of Yahweh is coming;
• God’s army arrives and it destroys the Land

God will save all who turn to Him

2:12-18

• God says, ‘Return to Me with all your heart in fasting, weeping & prayer!’ for God is kind & relents [from sending punishment] & leaves a blessing of grain & drink offerings (cf. 1:9-13);
• say, ‘Spare Your people!’ Yahweh will be jealous for His Land & have pity on His people

2:19-27

• God will say, ‘I am sending you grain & wine;
• 'you won’t be dishonoured any more;
• 'I will drive away the northern [invading army];
• 'do not fear [but] rejoice, for God will do great things;
• 'there will be rain [instead of drought] and grain, wine & oil;
• 'I will repay you for the years of loss caused by the locusts (in 1:4);
• 'you will know that Yahweh is your God!’

2:28-29

• [God says:] ‘I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh!’ [fulfilled at Pentecost, see Acts 2:1-4, v16-21]

2:30-31

• [God says:] ‘I will show signs & wonders (before the day of Yahweh arrives):
• 'blood, fire, & billows of smoke (cf. 1:19, 2:3-5),
• 'the sun will be darkened & the moon turned to blood!’ [like solar & lunar eclipses, but see 2:1-2, v10-11, 3:14-16 & cf. Isa 13:9-10, Matt 24:29-31, Rev 6:12-17]

2:32

• [God says:] ‘All who call on the name of Yahweh will be saved!’ [cf. Acts 4:8-12, Rom 10:9-13]

On the day of Yahweh, God will judge the ungodly nations

3:1-3

• [God says:] ‘When I return the captives of Judah [back home], I will gather all nations into the Valley of Jehoshaphat [Yeho-shaphat means Yahweh-judged];
• 'there I will judge them for they scattered My people & took My Land!’ [Is 2 Chron 20:15-27 symbolic of this future judgement?]

3:4-8

• [God says:] ‘What about you, Tyre & Sidon [in Phoenicia]? & also Philistia? Are you repaying Me [in retribution, as if I have wronged you]? If so, then I will repay you [for how you wronged Me]!
• 'You took My silver & gold to put in your [idolatrous] temples & you sold Israelites as slaves but I will bring them [back] from where you sold them, & will sell your children as slaves!’

3:9-13

• [God says:] ‘The nations should prepare to fight [against Me] in the Valley of Jehoshaphat! There I will judge them! The harvest is ripe; the [wine-] press is full!’ [cf. Isa 63:3-6, Rev 14:14-20]

3:14

• Multitudes [of people are] in the Valley of Decision [on] the day of Yahweh

[An alternate translation could be Valley of Threshing; the place where God not only decides the punishment but also carries it out]

God will protect and bless His people

3:15-17

• The sun, moon & stars will turn dark; God will roar; all creation will tremble
• God will keep Israel safe, [saying:] ‘I will live in Zion so Jerusalem is holy & free from [attack by] strangers!’

3:18

• In that day wine & milk will flow on the hills & streams will flow [in contrast to Joel ch. 1]
• & a fountain of water will flow from God’s house [cf. Ezek 47:1-12, Zech 14:8 & Rev 22:1-2]

3:19-21

• [God says:] ‘Egypt & Edom will be desolate for they shed innocent blood in Judah [Dt 32:35-43];
• 'but Judah will be inhabited forever & I will cleanse (KJV) their blood’

[God will cleanse the Israelites' blood by pardoning them and declaring them innocent (see YLT), but some translations infer that the cleansing and declaration of innocence comes through God's act of avenging the Israelites against their enemies (see ESV)] 

Dan / Hos / JOEL / Amos / Oba