In the 5th century BC, the prophet Joel, one of the twelve "small" prophets of Israel, was born on the territory of present-day Palestine. These names of God did not receive such a name because of the insignificance of their deeds, but only for the limited amount of records left behind. Joel was the first in their series. It was his prophecies in writing that reached us.
God's wrath on the people of Israel
According to Old Testament texts, a prophet was born in the Zayordan region, in the ancient city of Veforon. When he reached adulthood, terrible misfortunes fell on the kingdom of Judah. A terrible drought came, from which a significant part of the crop died, and what was saved was destroyed by countless swarms of locusts, which flew in such numbers that they blocked the sunlight.
Across the Promised Land, people were dying in the thousands, and where laughter had been heard before, from now on only moans and sobs were heard. The people did not know what to do and how to get rid of the impending disaster. In this desperate time, Joel the prophet spoke to them with words that were inspired by the breath of God.
A call to prayer for salvation
He urged his compatriots to leave for a while all earthly cares and turn their souls to the Almighty. These events, described in the Old Testament, took place five centuries before the descent of our Savior Jesus Christ into the world, therefore his name is not mentioned in the text. Joel refers to the Lord as it was customary in that era among the ancient Jews, Jehovah.
Joel the prophet called on his compatriots to offer prayers for salvation to Jehovah - the only one in whose authority it was to give life to the work of His hands or take it away. Endowed with the sacred gift of providence, he speaks of the coming “day of the Lord,” which bears the retribution for those transgressions that people committed, departing from the commandments given to them. Everything that was happening then in Judea and plunged people into despair was, according to him, only a small fraction of future troubles. Nothing and no one will save people from the impending 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 be shaken and Jehovah will appear, accompanied by countless troops, from which not one living on earth will hide. The day of vengeance is coming, and therefore no time should be wasted. Joel (the prophet) urged everyone, without exception, to immediately fast and assemble in the temple. There, priests on behalf of the whole nation will have to cry out to the Lord, asking for deliverance from His wrath.
The Jewish people showed prudence and did everything as the chosen one of God told them. As a result, the Lord changed his anger into mercy, sending heavy rain to the earth and dispersing swarms of locusts. To crown it all, He addressed the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judea with words , and Joel the prophet was his mouth. Through him, Jehovah announced that he delivered people from death only through the prayers that they had offered. He promised His people that he would continue to protect him from troubles in every way. It will divert from people drought, disease and the invasion of aliens, but subject to the commandments given through the prophet Moses.
And then, through the prophet Joel, the Most High announced again the proximity of the “day of the Lord," in which only those who call on His name will be saved. Pagans, worshiping man-made idols, are waiting for an imminent and terrible death. Jehovah said so, and the prophet Joel conveyed His words to people. His prophecies inspired hope in a God-chosen people that the Lord would not leave him, no matter what trouble.
Interpretation of Joel's Prophecies
Much of what Joel's prophecies contained was subsequently interpreted as a prediction of events that had already occurred in New Testament times. In particular, the words that God will pour out of His Spirit on all flesh are accepted as a promise of the coming 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's people in the flesh.
Today, among the Old Testament saints who opened the way to the Son of God, the prophet Joel occupies a special place. His life is not rich in details about the earthly path, but is full of predictions, which in many respects predetermined the historical path of Israel. The memory of the saint is celebrated by the Orthodox Church annually on November 1. On this day in the temples the troparia of the prophet Joel, an akathist, sounds and prayers are offered for his intercession before the throne of God.