Joel

Joel, whose name comes second amongst the minor prophets, is called the son of Pethuel or Bethuel, but neither the contents of his book nor the traditions of the Hebrews throw any light upon the author, whose date even is a matter of uncertainty. Some assign him to the reign of Joash in Judah, others contend that he wrote after the return from Captivity. The plague of locusts which forms the starting-point of his prophecies cannot be identified with any historical event, and may be a mere allegory. He does not refer to any specific power as the oppressor of his country, and his mention of Phoenicians, Philistines, Edomites, and Egyptians does not point to any particular period. On the other hand, it would seem that when he wrote the national life still centred about Zion, where elders and priests assembled without a king, that Israel had ceased to exist, and that the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt by Nehemiah. Moreover, if the words, "when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem," are to be accepted literally, they absolutely fix the date as being after the exile. The style and language of Joel are remarkably pure and clear, but he lacks originality and fire. His book opens with an address to the nation then suffering under a plague of locusts, and an invitation to seek the sole remedy in repentance, fasting, and prayer. Then comes the reply of Jehovah to his humbled worshippers, wherein are recapitulated all the promises of future prosperity and of revenge on foreign foes that may be read in the other prophets, but none of Messianic import.