This Bible Study delves into when Joel wrote his prophecies and the themes found in the book. Presented by Tim Martens, October 1, 2022, at United Church of God in Northwest Arkansas.

1. Book of Joel
©2022 Tim Martens
United Church of God-Northwest Arkansas
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2. Book of Joel
One of 12 Minor Prophets
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
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3. United Kingdom of Israel
Kings David and Solomon
Southern Kingdom of Judah
Two tribes
◦ Rehoboam
◦ Abijah
◦ Asa
◦ Jehoshaphat
… and other kings (Joash)
Carried away to Babylon 607 BC
…and 597 BC
Northern Kingdom of Israel
Ten tribes
◦Jeroboam
◦Nadab
Baasha
◦… and other kings (Ahab)
Carried away to Assyria 722 BC
…started in 735 BC
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5. Book of Joel – Timeframe Elements
 Before the exile of Judah to Babylon
 No king mentioned
 Likely during the reign of Joash, the boy king of Judah
(835-796 b.c.), and in the time of the high priest Jehoiada.
 If 835 BC, then Joel was a contemporary to Elisha –
prophet to the northern tribes of Israel
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6. Duality of Prophecy
For the immediate future
-- Can be repeated at a later time and place
Written for us to understand the end times
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7. Joel Prophesied Four Invasions
Invaders correspond to four species of pests…
 Babylon, 588-538 BC palmerworm
 Medo-Persian, 538-330 BC locust
 Graeco-Macedonian, 330-190 BC cankerworm
 Roman, 38 BC to 70 AD caterpillar
Joel 2:25 …
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8. Joel Prophesied Four Invasions
Joel 2:25
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust
has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
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9. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Coming time of judgment
God will judge both the people and nations who have rebelled
against Him.
Term is used 35x in the Bible (29 in OT and 6 in NT)
(19 times by the eight different Old Testament prophets including
5 times in the Book of Joel.
The term is used 6 times in the New Testament.)
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10. How Long is the Day of the Lord?
Isaiah 34:8
For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance,
The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Numbers 14:34
According to the number of the days in which you spied
spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall
bear your [a]guilt one year, namely forty years, and you
you shall know My rejection.
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11. How Long is the Day of the Lord?
Ezekiel 4:5-6
5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according
to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days;
so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your
right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of
Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
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12. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Joel 1:15
Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; It shall
come as destruction from the Almighty
1/5
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13. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Joel 2:1
Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy
mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the
the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:
2/5
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14. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Joel 2:11
The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very
great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the
day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
3/5
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15. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into
blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of
the Lord.
4/5
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16. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day
of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
5/5
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17. Great & Terrible Day of the Lord
Drought
 Fire
 Plague
Famine
 Violent weather
Celestial phenomena
(sun & moon dark)
Earthquakes
Invading armies
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18. A Call for Repentance
Joel 2:12
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
heart, With fasting, with
weeping, and with mourning.”
Joel 2:13
So rend your heart, and not
your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and
merciful, Slow to anger, and
of great kindness; And He
relents from doing harm.
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19. Repentance May Be Accepted
Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be
deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
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20. A Time of Restoration -- Physical
Joel 2:25
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust
has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And
the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
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21. A Time of Restoration (Millennial)
Joel 3:18
And it will come to pass in that day
That the mountains shall drip with new wine,
The hills shall flow with milk,
And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water;
A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord
And water the Valley of Acacias.
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22. A Time of Restoration -- Spiritual
Joel 2:28
“And it shall come to pass
afterward That I will pour out
My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons
and your daughters shall
prophesy, Your old men shall
dream dreams, Your young
men shall see visions.
Joel 2:29
And also on My menservants
and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those
days.
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23. A Time of Restoration - National
God’s Judgment on the Unrighteous and Blessings for the
Repentant
Joel 3:1-21
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24. Three Types of Restoration
 Physical restoration of the land
 Spiritual restoration
 National restoration
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25. Book of Joel
©2022 Tim Martens
United Church of God-Northwest Arkansas
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26. Study Sources
Teacher’s Bible Commentary by Paschal & Hobbs
Davis Bible Dictionary
Halley’s Bible Handbook
Beyond Today Bible Commentary
Abingdon Bible Commentary
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27. Study Sources
A.R. Fausset’s Bible Encyclopaedia and Dictionary
The Layman’s Bible Encyclopedia by William C. Martin
Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume
All the Men of the Bible by Herbert Lockyear
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