Historical Setting
Unlike many of the prophetic books, the superscription of the book of Joel contains no historical data (i.e., mention of the reign of a particular king), nor is there any mention of the prophet in any other Biblical book. Furthermore, there are few hints in the text as to its date. The first part of the book describes an ecological crisis, while the remainder of the work provides few references to historical situations in Israel or in neighboring states. Thus, the book has been notoriously difficult to date, and opinions have greatly varied, ranging from the ninth century BC to the postexilic period, as late as the fourth century BC.
The first part of the book (1:1–2:27) lacks any reference to a king, has frequent statements about priests, and appears to describe active temple worship. None of these items provide conclusive evidence for a date. However, the second part of the book (2:28–3:21) appears to contain references to the fall of Judah, the Jewish Diaspora and a return of the exiles (e.g., 3:2, 7), which suggest a postexilic time period. There are also no references to Samaria and to the northern kingdom that fell in 722 BC. Moreover, references to the Greeks (3:6) and the citing of earlier prophetic literature (Isa 2:4, referenced in Joel 3:10; Am 1:2, referenced in Joel 3:16) appear to imply a later date to the text, probably between the eighth and sixth centuries BC. The other peoples mentioned (Philistines, Sabeans, Tyrians and Sidonians) are known to have had relations with Israel throughout the early first millennium BC. There are, however, references to an invasion of Judah by locusts, etc., which, if symbolic, may be referring to the invasion of the Assyrians in 701 BC or the Chaldeans in 598 and/or 586 BC. In sum, the book of Joel does not lend itself to an easy chronological determination. ◆
Key Concepts
• Natural disasters can serve as the judgment of God, but not all who suffer the consequences should therefore be judged guilty. Such disasters draw our attention to God and stimulate us to self-examination.
• The day of judgment is to be feared, and therefore should motivate us to change our ways.
• Prophecy is more important for what it reveals about God than for what it reveals about the future. Fulfillment is sure, but the message is primary.