Joe 2:18-3:21 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Joel 2:18: 2:18–3:21 Up to this point, the book of Joel has focused on God’s judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, but from here on, it describes God’s promise of restoration. If the people sincerely repented, God would respond graciously. Summary for Joel 2:18-27: 2:18-27 God promised to restore his people’s material lives in the immediate future, replenishing their fields, orchards, vineyards, and flocks. 2:18 Since both people and land suffered from God’s judgment, both would be the objects of his zealous compassion.

Summary for Joel 2:18: 2:18–3:21 ^a Up to this point, the book of Joel has focused on God’s judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, but from here on, it describes God’s promise of restoration. If the people sincerely repented, God would respond graciously.
Summary for Joel 2:18-27: 2:18-27 ^b God promised to restore his people’s material lives in the immediate future, replenishing their fields, orchards, vineyards, and flocks. 2:18 ^c Since both people and land suffered from God’s judgment, both would be the objects of his zealous compassion.
Summary for Joel 2:19-20: 2:19-20 ^d grain and new wine and olive oil: God would restore the fruits of the land. This would again make available the elements necessary for sacrifice and worship (see 1:10 ^e, 13 ^f). God would also eradicate the invading armies from the north.
Summary for Joel 2:21-22: 2:21-22 ^g Don’t be afraid: God’s great deliverance would be full and complete.
2:23 ^h autumn rains ... rains of spring: God would once again restore the regular pattern of rainfall, and the drought (1:12 ⁱ, 20 ^j) would be reversed.
2:25 ^k The Lord promised restitution for the terrible damage done by the locusts (see 1:4 ^l, 10 ^m, and corresponding study notes).
Summary for Joel 2:26-27: 2:26-27 ⁿ and you will praise the Lord your God: God’s promised restoration of their crops and food supply should lead the people of Judah and Jerusalem to praise and adoration, acknowledging that the Lord was in their midst and that he alone is God.
Summary for Joel 2:28-3:21: 2:28–3:21 ^o In the more distant future, God would restore his people’s spiritual lives, pour out his Spirit on all people who respond to him in faith, and render judgment on the peoples and nations that refuse to acknowledge his lordship.
Summary for Joel 2:28-32: 2:28-32 ^p The prophet looked beyond his time to the future day of the Lord, when God would pour out his Spirit in ways never before seen and would perform signs and wonders for all humanity to see. The apostle Peter quoted this passage as being fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21 ^q).
Summary for Joel 2:28-29: 2:28-29 ^r I will pour out my Spirit upon all people: In Israel, the empowering gift of God’s Spirit had previously been given only to select individuals such as judges (Judg 3:10 ^s; 15:14 ^t), priests (2 Chr 24:20 ^u), kings (1 Sam 10:10 ^v), and prophets (Isa 61:1 ^w). A time was coming when the Spirit would be given to every one of God’s people, regardless of gender, age, or social position. In fulfillment of Moses’ wish that every Israelite might be a prophet (Num 11:29 ^x), all would prophesy and see visions. In Acts 2:1-47 ^y, Peter expanded this promise to include people from all over the known world who were gathered in Jerusalem, regardless of their ethnicity (Acts 2:39 ^z; see also Gal 3:28 ^aa).
Summary for Joel 2:30-31: 2:30-31 ^ab The future outpouring of God’s Spirit would be accompanied by signs and wonders. Blood and fire and ... smoke, together with the darkening of the sun and the moon, are indications of God’s coming in judgment (see 2:10 ^ac; Mark 13:24 ^ad; Rev 6:12 ^ae).
2:32 ^af everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved: Calling on the name of God should not be a final act of desperation; it accompanies a lifelong commitment of worship, service, and fellowship with the Lord (see Gen 12:8 ^ag; Ps 105:1 ^ah; Isa 12:4 ^ai; Rom 10:13 ^aj; 12:1-2 ^ak).

• Those whom the Lord has called are his chosen remnant, the survivors of judgment who worship him (see 2 Kgs 19:31 ^al; Ezra 9:8-15 ^am; Isa 10:20-22 ^an).

‏ Joel 3

Summary for Joel 3:1-16: 3:1-16 ^ao Joel here foretold divine judgment on the nations, particularly those that had oppressed God’s people.
Summary for Joel 3:2-3: 3:2-3 ^ap The Lord would assemble the armies of the world (literally all the nations) in the valley of Jehoshaphat. This valley was not connected with King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kgs 22:41 ^aq); rather, this description, which means “the valley where the Lord judges,” identifies the site as the place where God would render his decision (see Joel 3:14 ^ar) regarding the fate of the nations.

• The sins of the nations include exiling God’s covenant people and victimizing helpless boys and girls in an inhuman slave trade (cp. Ezek 27:13 ^as; Rev 18:13 ^at).
Summary for Joel 3:4-6: 3:4-6 ^au The Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon and the cities of Philistia were guilty of looting the precious treasures of Jerusalem and selling its people as slaves to the Greeks (see Amos 1:6 ^av, 9 ^aw).
Summary for Joel 3:7-8: 3:7-8 ^ax The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia had enslaved Israelites, so the Lord would punish them by selling their sons and daughters into slavery.
3:9 ^ay The nations are mockingly called to a futile war against the Lord that would end in their destruction and judgment.
3:10 ^az Hammer your plowshares into swords: Deliberately reversing an image from Isa 2:4 ^ba and Mic 4:3 ^bb, Joel ordered the nations to mobilize every resource for the forthcoming battle. Even those unfit for war, the weaklings, must become soldiers.
3:12 ^bc The battle would take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat (see study note on 3:2-3), where the Lord would pronounce judgment on them all.
3:13 ^bd God would defeat the nations like a sickle that mows down stalks of grain and like workers who tread grapes in the winepress (see Isa 63:2-3 ^be; Rev 14:14-20 ^bf).
3:14 ^bg Thousands upon thousands (literally roaring, roaring; or crowds, crowds): The repetition of the Hebrew word captures the chaotic noise made by an immense crowd.

• valley of decision: The name of the valley is changed (cp. 3:2-3 ^bh, 12 ^bi) because now the Lord’s judgment had been decided.
3:16 ^bj The Lord’s voice, like that of a lion, would roar from Zion, shaking heaven and earth and terrifying sinners (see Amos 1:2 ^bk). Yet this same ferocious lion is also a refuge for his people.
3:17 ^bl Then you will know: God’s ultimate purpose is that his people should know him and share his holy character. They must learn that he alone is God and that he reigns over all creation from Zion, his holy mountain (see also 2:27 ^bm). The only true security in the present, and the only hope for the future, comes from God’s presence.
3:18 ^bn Blessings would flow from the Lord’s sovereign presence in Zion (see also Ezek 47:1-12 ^bo; Amos 9:13 ^bp). There would be a superabundance of sweet wine and milk. The Temple, God’s own dwelling on earth, would be the source of a spring that would forever water the arid landscape (see Zech 14:8 ^bq; Rev 22:1-2 ^br).
3:19 ^bs Even as Judah is restored, her ancient enemies Egypt and Edom would experience God’s judgment for their crimes against his people.
Summary for Joel 3:20-21: 3:20-21 ^bt The conclusion of Joel’s prophecy is the antithesis of its beginning. In 1:1-20 ^bu, Judah’s future seemed in grave doubt. Plague and drought, the signs of divine judgment, threatened Judah’s existence. Now Joel ends with the divine assurance that Judah ... and Jerusalem will endure through all generations. God’s people in every generation rest secure in the hope that his kingdom will reign over heaven and earth (see also Isa 9:6-7 ^bv; Dan 2:44 ^bw; 7:13-14 ^bx).