Joel Part 03

Joel 1:15 introduces the concept of the “Day of the LORD,” which may refer to any time that God intervenes in man’s affairs. Such events are called “a day of the LORD.” The question arises: how much of this is a reference to God’s intervention at that time by a locust plague (and possibly a drought), and how much refers to the future events described in other parts of the Bible, such as Revelation? Joel 2:25 calls the locusts “God’s army” that He sent. However, the passage may also be a prophecy of the Day of the LORD. Revelation 9 describes locusts as part of the fifth trumpet plague. The answer could be that there is a dual fulfillment—the locust plague and its effects are possibly foretypes of end-time plagues. 

The exclamation in Joel 1:15, “Alas for the day,” points to a time of mourning for those not responding to God’s call.

Revelation 1:7 says,

“He is coming...every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” 

“Destruction from the Almighty” indicates that it will be God’s doing. In Joel 1:16–18 the mention of barns and storehouses broken down indicates a long-term famine. We might remember empty shelves during supply chain disruptions, such as after COVID-19. This was and will be even more impactful. Even the animals go without—sheep can usually get by with inferior pasture, but there is not enough even for them. 

Joel 1:19-20 may be the direct cry of Joel himself. If he is unable to motivate his countrymen to turn to God, he at least sets an example. Similar cries for God’s mercy appear in Ezekiel 9:8, “Ah! Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel?” and in Amos 7:2, “Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small!” In verse 20 animals are anthropomorphized to seem to also call on God—indicating that even brute beasts have sense enough to do something people won’t. 

Joel 2:1 states, “Blow the trumpet”—an alarm for approaching disaster or doom. Now we see even more direct parallels with Revelation. The ultimate trumpet alarm occurs before the Great Day of the LORD, as seen in Revelation 8 through 11. 

The reference to Zion in Joel 2:1 is worth understanding. “Zion” is a name for a peak within Jerusalem—not the Temple Mount. Zion is the earthly center of God’s government. We believe “Zion” or “Daughter of Zion” is often used to symbolize the Church, largely because God dwells in Zion, as He does in Christians: 

• Psalm 9:11, “the LORD, who dwells in Zion!” 
• Psalm 76:2, “His dwelling place in Zion.” 
• Joel 3:21, “The LORD dwells in Zion.” 
• Romans 8:9, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you” (like He does in Zion).
• 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” 

God says some things about “Zion” that seem to apply to the Church more than to a mountain peak. A word study on “Zion” could be intriguing.   

• Psalm 125:1, “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion.”  
• Isaiah 46:13, “I will place salvation in Zion.”  
• Isaiah 51:16, “[I will] say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”  

From these verses we can see that, “blow the trumpet in Zion” tells us that we, the Church, should not be taken by surprise by the Day of the LORD—we should hear the alarm when it is near at hand. As Matthew 24:33 says, “When you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”  (See also Mark 13:29).

Joel 2:2 emphasizes that the Day of the LORD is not a happy occasion. Isaiah 2:12 and Jeremiah 46:10 echo this. Amos 5:18–20 says, “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord . . .” The day will be marked by “thick darkness”—darkness is the fifth of the seven last plagues (Revelation 16:10; Amos 5:18). A literal locust plague would include great clouds literally blocking the sun, like an eclipse. However, that seems to symbolize a large army of “people.” Joel 2:20 refers to the “northern army,” and Joel 2:25 calls them “My great army.”  

It could be that a real locust plague came and that it was a foretype of the Babylonian army to come—and eventually of an end-time army. Daniel 11:40 refers to the “king of the North,” and Revelation 9:16–19 mentions a “200 million-man army.” A literal army of men might spread across the land like light from a sunrise. Joel describes it as “The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,” which argues strongly for end-time fulfillment. This aligns with Daniel 12:1, Jeremiah 30:7 and Matthew 24:21. This also fits with Joel’s later description of heavenly signs and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

The events described are truly fantastic, and demonstrate God’s power as only He has the ability to foretell the future and bring the events to fruition.

Minor Prophets class is taught at ABC by Dr. Frank Dunkle.

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.