Prophet
Joel
Prophet of the Day of the Lord
date debated — likely c. 835 or 400 BCE
Biography
The book opens with locusts "such as has not been before, nor shall be after them to the years of many generations" (Joel 1:3). Joel calls for national fasting and repentance, then pivots to the promise of restoration: "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (2:25). Joel 2:28-32 is the book's theological climax: "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit." Peter at Pentecost declares: "this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16). The pouring out of the Spirit inaugurates the age of the church; the last days have begun. Joel's "great and awesome day of the LORD" is both judgment and hope — a pattern the NT apocalyptic inherits.
Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful
More Key Verses
Joel in Scripture
21 verses use this name, in 7 books. Open a book to read its mentions here. Text: Berean Standard Bible. Names repeat in Scripture — some of these verses may speak of another person called Joel.
Old Testament6 books · 20 mentions
1 Samuel1 mention
1 Chronicles15 mentions
- 1 Chronicles 4:35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel),
- 1 Chronicles 5:4The descendants of Joel:
- 1 Chronicles 5:8Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.
- 1 Chronicles 5:12Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Jaanai and Shaphat, who lived in Bashan.
- 1 Chronicles 6:28The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn and Abijah his second son.
10 further mentions in 1 Chronicles — read them in the book.
2 Chronicles1 mention
Ezra1 mention
Nehemiah1 mention
New Testament1 book · 1 mention
Spiritual Significance
Joel is the prophet of the Day of the Lord and of the Spirit's outpouring. His Pentecost-quoted prophecy is foundational for Christian pneumatology.
How Joel Points to Jesus
The pouring out of the Spirit (Joel 2) is fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2). The "day of the LORD" is fulfilled in Christ's first and second comings.
Character Profile
- Strengths
- Prophetic clarity in a moment of national crisis; theological vision of the Spirit's democratization.
- Weaknesses
- None recorded.
- Lessons
- Natural disasters can be divinely interpreted; the Spirit will one day be poured out on all flesh regardless of gender, age, or station; restoration is possible after devastation.
Related Characters
Also named, no page yet:Pethuel — father
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