Joel 1 Footnotes

1:15 Joel had a terrifying view of what he called “the day of the LORD.” He used terms like “Woe!” and “great and terrible” (2:31) to describe it. The expression “day of the LORD” is known from other prophets. Amos may have been the first to use it. He spoke of a time that the Israelites longed for without realizing its negative consequences for them. Apparently they thought it would be a time of “light” and “brightness,” whereas actually it was to be “darkness” and “gloom” (see note on Am 5:18-24). Both Joel and Amos mention a time of restoration after a period of judgment (Jl 3; Am 9), so that some will be saved from God’s wrath. Joel emphasized the salvation aspect with his proclamation that “everyone who calls on the name of LORD will be saved” (2:32).

For Joel the locust plague was so severe that he compared it to the coming day of the Lord. Only complete repentance on the part of the people could give the nation any hope that the Lord might turn back from the judgment it represented. The plague could bring about a destruction that, for all practical purposes, would seem like the final judgment.