In the 5th century BC, the prophet Joel, one of the twelve “minor” prophets of Israel, was born on the territory of present-day Palestine. These chosen ones of God received such a name not for the insignificance of their deeds, but only for the limited volume of records left behind. Joel was the first in their line. It is his written prophecies that have come down to us.
The wrath of God on the people of Israel
According to the Old Testament texts, a prophet was born in the Transjordan region, in the ancient city of Bethoron. When he reached adulthood, terrible misfortunes fell upon the kingdom of Judah. There was a terrible drought that killed a large part of the crop, and what was saved was destroyed by countless swarms of locusts that swooped in in such numbers that they blocked the sunlight.
Thousands of people were dying all over the Promised Land, and where laughter was heard before, now only groans and sobs were heard. The people did not know what to do and how to get rid of the ensuing disaster. In this desperate time, Joel the prophet spoke to them with words inspired by the breath of God.
A call to prayer for salvation
He called on his compatriots to leave all earthly cares for a while and turn their souls to the Almighty. These events, described in the Old Testament, took place five centuries before the descent into the world of our Savior Jesus Christ, so his name is not mentioned in the text. Joel, on the other hand, calls the Lord the way it was customary in that era among the ancient Jews - Jehovah.
Joel the prophet called on his compatriots to offer up prayers for salvation to Jehovah, the only one in whose power it was to give life to the creations of His hands or take it away. Endowed with the sacred gift of providence, he speaks of the coming "day of the Lord", which carries the retribution for those sins that people have committed, deviating from the commandments given to them. Everything that happened then in Judea and plunged the people into despair was, according to him, only a small part of the future troubles. Nothing and no one will save people from the coming wrath of God, except for deep and sincere prayer, filled with humility and repentance.
Deliverance from the wrath of God
The day is near when the sun will be darkened, the earth will shake, and Jehovah will appear, accompanied by an uncountable army, from which not one of the inhabitants of the earth will hide. The day of vengeance is already coming, and therefore there is no time to waste. Joel (the prophet) urged everyone, without exception, to fast immediately and gather in the temple. There, the priests, on behalf of the whole people, will have to cry out to the Lord, asking for deliverance from His wrath.
The Jewish people were sensible and did everything as they were toldthe chosen one of God. As a result, the Lord changed his anger to mercy, sending heavy rain on the earth and scattering swarms of locusts. To top it off, He addressed with words to the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah, and Joel, the prophet, was His mouth. Through him, Jehovah proclaimed that he delivers people from death only through prayers offered by them. He promised His people that He would continue in every possible way to protect them from troubles. He will take away drought, disease and the invasion of foreigners from people, but subject to the observance of the commandments given through the prophet Moses.
And further, through the prophet Joel, the Almighty again announced the nearness of the "day of the Lord", in which only those who call on His name will be saved. The pagans, who worship man-made idols, will face an inevitable and terrible death. This is what Jehovah said, and this is how the prophet Joel conveyed His words to the people. His prophecies gave hope to God's chosen people that the Lord would not leave them, no matter what troubles happened.
Interpretation of the prophecies of Joel
Much of what the prophecies of Joel contain was subsequently interpreted as a prediction of events that occurred already in New Testament times. In particular, the words that God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh are usually perceived as a promise of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, confirmation of which can be found on the pages of the New Testament. Studying in detail his statements, theologians of the whole world see in them also prophecies about the coming appearance of the Lord in the flesh to people.
Today, among the Old Testament saints who opened the way for the Son of God, a special placeoccupied by the prophet Joel. His life is not rich in details about the earthly path, but is full of predictions that largely predetermined the historical path of Israel. The memory of the saint is celebrated by the Orthodox Church annually on November 1. On this day, the troparion of the prophet Joel, the akathist, sounds in churches, and prayers are offered for his intercession before the Throne of God.
