Joel, Book of, is a book of the Bible named for an Israelite prophet. The book is part of a collection called the Prophets in both Jewish and Christian editions of the Bible. There are no specific historical references in the book. But scholars believe it dates from about 450 B.C., after the Babylonian Exile. The exile was about a 50-year period that followed the Babylonian conquest of the Israelite kingdom of Judah in 587 or 586 B.C.
The Book of Joel is divided into two parts. Part one (chapters 1-2:27) describes a plague of locusts that leaves the land barren. Many scholars believe the account refers to an actual plague, which Joel believed was a warning of God’s anger against His sinful people. The prophet calls upon the priests, the elders, and the people to repent their sins and seek God’s mercy to end the plague. Part two (chapters 2:28-3:21) concerns Joel’s prophecy of the Day of the Lord, or Judgment Day, in which only the faithful will be saved. Israel will be restored to its land, which will be fruitful again. God’s anger will pour down on all others, especially the heathens who exiled the Israelites.
