There is no information available on Joel, son of Pethuel, that is external to the Bible. We assume he was a scribe or priest. His writing is almost evenly divided between traditional prophesy and apocalypse.

1. Joel draws an analogy between invading armies and a plague of locusts. He describes a scene of devastation and impending famine. He says that ‘the day of the Lord’ is coming, a reference to God’s judgment for Israel’s sin.

2. Joel describes fire sweeping over the land. He implores the people to return to God ‘with fasting, weeping, and mourning’. He describes God as ‘gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love’. He says that if the people return to God he will have pity on them, refill their granaries, and drive their enemies away.

3. Joel says that God will judge all nations, then restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. He then describes a future scene of beauty and plenty for ‘his people’.

Joel begins with a prophesy of total devastation, and ends with a prophesy of peace, restoration, and plenty. Joel thinks that God brings the invaders, God brings the famine, God will repel the enemy, God will fill the granaries, God will bring final judgment. None of it is true, and since the Enlightenment there’s really no excuse for such uninformed beliefs.

Back to Hosea. Forward to Amos.