Who is/was Joel?

There are 'fourteen' different references to men named "Joel" in the KJV.

The name "Joel" literally translates into the English as "YAHOVAH is his GOD".

JOEL
[JOE uhl] (Jehovah is God) - the name of 14 men in the Old Testament:

1. The oldest son of Samuel the prophet (1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chron 6:28; Vashni, KJV) and the father of Heman the singer (1 Chron 6:33).

2. A leader of the tribe of Simeon (1 Chron 4:35).

3. The father of Shemaiah, of the tribe of Reuben (1 Chron 5:4).

4. A man of the tribe of Gad and a chief in the land of Bashan (1 Chron 5:12).

5. A Levite ancestor of Samuel the prophet (1 Chron 6:36).

6. A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chron 7:3).

7. One of David's mighty men (1 Chron 11:38).

8. A Levite who helped bring the ark of the covenant from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem (1 Chron 15:7).

9. A keeper of the Temple treasuries in David's time (1 Chron 26:22).

10. A son of Pedaiah who lived during the time of David (1 Chron 27:20).

11. A Levite who helped cleanse the Temple during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Chron 29:12).

12. A son of Nebo who divorced his pagan wife after the Captivity (Ezra 10:43).

13. Overseer of the Benjamites in Jerusalem in Nehemiah's government (Neh 11:9).

14. An Old Testament prophet and author of the Book of Joel. A citizen of Jerusalem, he spoke often of the priests and their duties (Joel 1:9,13-14,16). For this reason, many scholars believe he may have been a Temple prophet. He also had an ear for nature (Joel 1:4-7), and included imagery from agriculture and the natural world in his messages. Also see JOEL, BOOK OF.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

In this series of studies, we shall be mainly concerned with Joel, the prophet, the author of the Book of Joel, and that information which FATHER would have HIS servant, Joel, convey unto us.


JOEL BOOK OF
A brief prophetic book of the Old Testament that predicted the outpouring of the spirit of God on all people-a prophecy fulfilled several centuries later on the Day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-21). The title of the book comes from its author, the prophet Joel, whose name means Jehovah is God.

Structure of the Book. The three brief chapters of this book are divided into two major sections of about equal length. In the first section (1:1-2:11) the prophet Joel introduces himself and speaks to his readers about their need to turn from their sins. The speaker in the second part of the book (2:12-3:21) is the all-powerful God, who warns His people about the approaching day of judgment and assures them of His abiding presence, in spite of their unworthiness.

In the first section of the book, Joel calls attention to a devastating swarm of locusts that had recently swept through the land (1:4). These destructive locusts stripped the foliage from all trees, shrubs, and crops (1:7). The people and livestock of Judah were facing the threat of starvation because of the famine that followed this invasion (1:15-18). As bad as this natural catastrophe had been, the prophet declares it will be as nothing in comparison to the coming day of the Lord. This is the day of JUDGMENT, when God will vent His wrath upon His sinful and disobedient people. Joel also informs the people that this terrible day can be avoided. The way of escape is to turn to God "with all your heart, with fasting, and with mourning" (2:12).

After Joel delivers his pleas for repentance, God Himself speaks to His wayward people. In spite of the famine, He declares that there will be plenty to eat in the days of blessing to come (2:18-19). This day of renewal will be marked by the outpouring of His spirit on all people (2:28-29). All the nations of the world will take notice as God gathers His people together in the holy city of Jerusalem to serve as their ruler: "Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation" (3:20).

Authorship and Date. The author of this book was the prophet Joel, who identifies himself in the introduction as "the son of Pethuel" (1:1). This is all we know about this spokesman for the Lord. >From evidence in the book itself, we can assume that he knew a great deal about Jerusalem, Judah's capital city, and the rituals associated with Temple worship (2:15). But he probably was not a priest, since he called upon the priests to go into mourning because of the sins of the nation (1:13). Indeed, Joel's many references to agriculture (1:7,10-12) may indicate he was a farmer or a herdsman, although this is not certain.

It is difficult to determine the exact date of this book's writing. Unlike most of the other Old Testament prophets, Joel mentions no kings of Judah or Israel and no historical events that might give us some indication about when he wrote his prophecy. The one strong clue is the similarity of Joel's concept of the Day of the Lord to the language of the prophet Zephaniah (Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:14-16). Zephaniah prophesied shortly before the fall of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah in 587 BC This also seems the most likely time for the writing of the Book of Joel.

Historical Setting. If Joel did write his book about 600 BC, he would have lived in the frantic final years of the nation of Judah. After the Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem in 2238 AD the leading citizens of Judah were carried into captivity in Babylon. This invasion of the Babylonians must have given special significance to the terrible "day of the Lord" about which Joel warned his countrymen.

Theological Contribution. The Book of Joel is remarkable because it shows that a message from God can often come packaged in the form of a natural disaster. The truth of the book is rooted in the disastrous invasion of locusts, which Joel describes in such vivid language. This prophet teaches us that the Lord may use a natural disaster to stir in His people a renewed awareness of His will. Any traumatic event of nature-flood, fire, storm, or earthquake-should motivate the sensitive ear to listen again to the words of the Lord.

Special Considerations. Readers of Joel are always impressed with the prediction of the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:28-32). The apostle Peter used this passage to explain the exciting events of PENTECOST to his hearers (Acts 2:16-21). Just as Joel predicted, the Holy Spirit was poured out on all these early followers of Jesus who were gathered in Jerusalem seeking God's will and praying for His divine guidance.

But there is still a future dimension to Joel's prediction. The gifts of the Spirit that began to flow through the people of God on Pentecost were not exhausted on that day. They are still available to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and who anxiously await His return and the final establishment of His kingdom..
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)