Joel 2

The Army of Locusts

1 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; ¹ sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—

2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.

3 Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland— surely nothing will escape them.

4 Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds. ^[a]

5 With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.

6 Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.

7 They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.

8 They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks.

9 They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.

10 Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.

11 The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?

Return with All Your Heart

12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

13 So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. ^[b] And He relents from sending disaster.

14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him— grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.

16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

17 Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Restoration Promised

18 Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.

19 And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

20 The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, ^[c] and its rear guard into the Western Sea. ^[d] And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.

21 Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.

22 Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, for the open pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine yield their best. ^[e]

23 Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

25 I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts— the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust ^[f]— My great army that I sent against you.

26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame.

27 Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

28 And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. ² Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

29 Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns ^[g] of smoke.

31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome ^[h] Day of the LORD.

32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; ^[i] for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.

Joel 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

God's judgments. (1-14) Exhortations to fasting and prayer; blessings promised. (15-27) A promise of the Holy Spirit, and of future mercies. (28-32)

Verses 1-14 The priests were to alarm the people with the near approach of the Divine judgments. It is the work of ministers to warn of the fatal consequences of sin, and to reveal the wrath from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The striking description which follows, shows what would attend the devastations of locusts, but may also describe the effects from the ravaging of the land by the Chaldeans. If the alarm of temporal judgments is given to offending nations, how much more should sinners be warned to seek deliverance from the wrath to come! Our business therefore on earth must especially be, to secure an interest in our Lord Jesus Christ; and we should seek to be weaned from objects which will soon be torn from all who now make idols of them. There must be outward expressions of sorrow and shame, fasting, weeping, and mourning; tears for trouble must be turned into tears for the sin that caused it. But rending the garments would be vain, except their hearts were rent by abasement and self-abhorrence; by sorrow for their sins, and separation from them. There is no question but that if we truly repent of our sins, God will forgive them; but whether he will remove affliction is not promised, yet the probability of it should encourage us to repent.

Verses 15-27 The priests and rulers are to appoint a solemn fast. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. God is ready to succour his people; and he waits to be gracious. They prayed that God would spare them, and he answered them. His promises are real answers to the prayers of faith; with him saying and doing are not two things. Some understand these promises figuratively, as pointing to gospel grace, and as fulfilled in the abundant comforts treasured up for believers in the covenant of grace.

Verses 28-32 The promise began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and it was continued in the converting grace and miraculous gifts conferred on both Jews and Gentiles. The judgments of God upon a sinful world, only go before the judgment of the world in the last day. Calling on God supposes knowledge of him, faith in him, desire toward him, dependence on him, and, as evidence of the sincerity of all this, conscientious obedience to him. Those only shall be delivered in the great day, who are now effectually called from sin to God, from self to Christ, from things below to things above.

Cross References

• 1. (Amos 7:1–9)
• 2. (Acts 2:14–36)

Footnotes

• [a]. Or like charioteers or like cavalry
• [b]. Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.
• [c]. That is, the Dead Sea
• [d]. That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea
• [e]. Literally their strength
• [f]. The precise identification of the four kinds of insects mentioned here is uncertain.
• [g]. LXX clouds or billows
• [h]. Or dreadful; LXX glorious
• [i]. Cited in Acts 2:17–21 and Romans 10:13

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOEL 2

In this chapter a further account is given of the judgment of the locusts and caterpillars, or of those who are designed by them, Joe 2:1-11; the people of the Jews are called to repentance, humiliation, and fasting, urged from the grace and goodness of God, his jealousy and pity for his people, and the answer of prayer that might he expected from him upon this, even to the removal of the calamity, Joe 2:12-20; a prophecy of good things, both temporal and spiritual, in the times of the Messiah, is delivered out as matter and occasion of great joy, Joe 2:21-27; and another concerning the effusion of the Spirit, which was fulfilled an the day of Pentecost, Joe 2:28-29; and the chapter is concluded with the judgments and desolations that should come upon the land of Judea after this, for their rejection of Christ, though the remnant according to the election of grace should be delivered and saved from the general destruction, Joe 2:30-32.