The celebration of National Joel Day on January 11 pays tribute to a bygone era while preserving a religion that is widely recognised as one of the most popular in the world today. Joel is one of the most common biblical names in use today.
You’re lucky to have a friend like Joel in your life because he or she is trustworthy, loyal, and generous. If you’re a budding filmmaker or a future rock star, there are a few well-known people named Joel against whom you can measure your own success.
Just Where Did Everything Start?
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To put it simply, Joel is a Hebrew baby name that means “Jehovah is his God.” It is a given name and a surname at the same time. It derives from the traditional Hebrew name Yoel or the Tiberian Hebrew name Yôl, both of which mean “Yahu is God” (or the more contemporary “Yahweh is God”).
Even though Joel is one of the most common names in the Hebrew Bible, its most well-known bearer is the prophet who lived in the eighth century. Though short in comparison to other books in the “Bible,” Joel’s depiction of a never-ending swarm of locusts is one of the most unsettling and recognisable images in the entire canon.
Many Puritans in the 1600s took the name Joel from one of King David’s notable men in the ‘Old Testament. It entered the Top 100 in the middle of the 1960s and stayed there for about twenty years as parents tried to give a fresh spin on an old favourite by giving their sons biblical names.
Men named Joel tend to be gentle, good-looking, and chill. They are reliable and upbeat companions who never fail to lift your spirits when you’re feeling down. They have a strong sense of loyalty and think a person’s character is more important than physical attractiveness. A number of well-known people today share the name Joel, including the actor Joel Grey, one half of the filmmaking duo known as the Coen Brothers, the musician Joel Madden, the television’s Joel McHale, and the “Piano Man” himself, Billy Joel.
When And Why Did The Author Write The Book Of Joel?
The Day of the Lord, a day of God’s wrath and judgement, is the central theme of the Book of Joel. This is the day when God’s wrath, power, and holiness are fully displayed, and it is absolutely terrifying to those who hate God. The first chapter describes the historical event of the Day of the Lord: a plague of locusts sweeping across the land.
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The land of Judah, where the events of the book take place, is ravaged by a massive swarm of locusts. The locust invasion wiped out entire crop fields, vineyards, gardens, and trees. Seeing this as divine judgement for the nation’s sins, Joel likens the locusts to a marching human army.
Two major occurrences serve as bookends. In one extreme we have the locust invasion, and in the other we have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter says this was first fulfilled at Pentecost, which is found in Acts 2.
Review Of the Book Of Joel
A devastating swarm of locusts ravages the land, causing widespread death and destruction. These events serve as the impetus for Joel’s message of warning to Judah. The natural elements have ravaged the land, and unless the people repent quickly and completely, the enemy armies will do the same. Joel exhorts the nation’s priests and populace alike to seek God’s forgiveness through repentance, fasting, and other acts of humility.
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If they choose to act, the nation will once again be showered with material and spiritual blessings. However, the Lord’s Day will eventually arrive. As His judgement is passed upon all nations, even the most terrifying locusts will seem like a picnic by comparison.
Conclusion
Even if they are found in more well-known books like Revelation, visions of the future like those found in Joel can seem far removed from our everyday lives. But their graphic descriptions of death and destruction should shake us out of our spiritual slumber.
When you think about it, how often do you feel complacent? If you’ve never been convinced of the absolute necessity of faithfully following after God in every moment of your life, perhaps a strong dose of apocalyptic imagery like we find in Joel will do the trick.
