The Book of Joel

Joel was a prophet of Judah. The book of Joel is a prophecy assuring the people that with repentance they will again receive the blessings of God. We know very little about the prophet Joel. Joel 1:1 tells us the name of his father, but no other information is given about his personal life. It is not likely that the Joel who wrote this book is the same Joel mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Because Joel did not mention the nations of Assyria or Babylon, it is hard to tell when he lived and wrote. He seemed to be familiar with the country of Judah, however, so we assume he preached there.

“The Day of the Lord”

Joel’s message centers around what he calls the “day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15; 2:1; 2:11; 2:31; 3:14). The “day of the Lord” refers to a day or time of judgment when the Lord delivers rewards and punishments. While we often refer to the Second Coming as the day of the Lord, there are other days of the Lord. For example, when Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, that was the day of the Lord’s judgment on Israel. On an individual level, the day of the Lord may be the day a person dies.

Latter-day Application

Although Joel’s prophecies must have had application to the people of his day and time, Moroni told Joseph Smith that a passage in Joel 2:28–32 would “soon” be fulfilled (see Joseph Smith—History 1:41). Consequently, we should consider how Joel’s prophecies apply to our day, especially regarding the “day of the Lord” we most often call the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.