Forgiveness and Restoration

Although no historical setting is provided, most scholars date the book of Joel to the Persian period (539–332 BCE), after the destruction of Judah and the Babylonian exile. The message of doom warning of the destruction of Israel is conveyed through the image of a huge locust plague, graphically described, and the damage it wreaks. The prophet declares that “the Day of the Lord” has come, and the locusts then turn into a mighty army fighting Judah at God’s behest. God calls for repentance, to be followed by divine forgiveness and the restoration of Israel, in which the land recovers from the locust plague and becomes productive again. The end of the book foretells the destruction of the other nations, Israel’s enemies, and the eternal security and prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem.