Today, the Church celebrates and honors the holy memory of the Prophet Joel, one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament.
The Prophet Joel lived and prophesied in Jerusalem between 830 and 750 BC, making him one of the earliest prophets.
Not much is known about the Prophet Joel, except that he was the son of Bethuel. The Hebrew name “Joel” translates to “Lord’s love” in Greek.
The Book of Joel consists of four chapters and is recognized for its literary and poetic quality within the Old Testament.
The prophecy of Joel describes a future devastation of the land through a massive locust invasion, followed by a severe drought, further compounding the destruction. It culminates with the “Day of the Lord,” a time of divine judgment for the nations and a promise of prosperity for God’s people. These events in Joel’s prophecy are not merely historical occurrences but extend into the divine economy’s mystery, aiming toward the salvation of humanity and the world. For this is prophecy: it is what men of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, foresee and foretell for the salvation that is to come.
From the book or prophecy of Joel, we can highlight several key phrases that are heard in the Church and should be familiar to all. The first notable prediction from the book of Joel is the prophecy concerning the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost.
During the Vespers of Pentecost, a prophetic reading includes words from the prophet Joel, highlighting his message about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the apostolic reading of the Divine Liturgy on the Tuesday after Easter, the Apostle Peter, following the revelation of the Holy Spirit, addresses the people and repeats the words of the prophet Joel. What the Prophet Joel saw and foretold 800 years before Pentecost is fulfilled with the coming of the Holy Spirit, “in the form of tongues of fire.”
Here are the words of prophecy that the apostle Peter uses to explain the miracle of Pentecost: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” They are the works and miracles of the Holy Spirit, as witnessed in the Apostles on the day of Pentecost and throughout the lives of the Saints.
The other words, which we differentiate from the prophecy of Joel, are the ones we hear in the Church every year on the Sunday following the Feast of Christmas. The hymnographer draws inspiration from the Doxastikon of the Lauds, based on the words of Joel’s prophecy, which continue from the verses previously explained. “Then I will show,” says God, “wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.”
The Prophet Joel, whose holy memory is celebrated today, was one of those sent by God and enlightened by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the coming of this new world. The world of the Prophets, the Church of Christ, encompasses not only life on earth but also eternal life in the heavens. The preaching of the Prophets is “a promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
