Joel: The Day of the Lord Is Near: A Wake-Up Call

The prophet Joel stood in a land stripped bare. The fields—once bursting with wheat and barley—were wastelands. Vineyards lay in ruins, their fruit devoured. The land of Judah, once a land flowing with abundance, had become a land of desolation.

What had caused such devastation?

Not war.

Not drought.

Not fire.

Locusts.

Wave after wave, the insects swarmed in, consuming everything in their path. It was a disaster unlike anything the people had seen. Yet, as terrible as it was, Joel’s message was clear:

This is just the beginning.

Judah had suffered, but they had failed to see the warning. The locusts were a wake-up call, a sign from God. If they ignored it, something far worse was coming—the Day of the Lord—when God Himself would step into history, bringing both judgment and restoration.

A Pattern of Warning and Judgment

Throughout Scripture, God gives warnings before He brings judgment.

Before the flood, Noah built the ark. The world carried on, oblivious, until the waters rose (Genesis 6–7).
Before the destruction of Sodom, Abraham interceded for the city, but the people refused to repent (Genesis 18–19).
Before Jerusalem fell to Babylon, Jeremiah pleaded with the people to turn back to God, but they mocked him instead (Jeremiah 25).

And now, through Joel, God was calling Judah to wake up. The locust plague was not random. It was a warning, a preview of something worse—the invasion of a powerful army that would leave Judah in ruins. And beyond that, Joel looked forward to the ultimate Day of the Lord—when all nations would stand before God.

“The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” (Joel 2:11)

This is the question. Who can endure the judgment of a holy God? The answer: No one.

Not Judah.

Not the nations.

Not you.

Not me.

Unless—God Himself provides a way.

The Day of the Lord: Darkness and Light

Joel’s prophecy is unique because it doesn’t just look at Judah’s immediate crisis. It looks ahead to the final Day of the Lord—when God will judge the entire world.

This future Day of the Lord will be both dark and bright.

Dark—because it will bring global tribulation, a time of war and suffering unlike anything the world has seen.

“The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.” (Joel 3:15)

This is not mere poetry. Jesus Himself echoed Joel’s words when He described the end of the age:

“Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky.” (Matthew 24:29)

The heavens will shake. The earth will tremble. The nations will mourn as Christ Himself returns in power and glory (Matthew 24:30).

But the Day of the Lord is not only about judgment. It is also a day of restoration.

Bright—because it will end with Christ’s reign, the restoration of Israel, and God’s Kingdom on earth.

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” (Joel 2:25)

Joel saw a future day when Israel would turn back to God. In that day, God would pour out His Spirit on all His people:

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28)

This prophecy was partially fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2), when the Holy Spirit came upon the first believers. But it also points forward to a final outpouring of God’s Spirit when all Israel will turn to Christ (Romans 11:26).

The Day of the Lord is both a day of reckoning and a day of redemption. It is a day of justice—when sin will be punished. But it is also a day of mercy—when those who call on the Lord will be saved.

A Choice Before Us

Joel’s message forces us to choose.

We can ignore the warnings, like Judah did. We can assume life will always continue as it has, that we have all the time in the world. But God has fixed a day:

“He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.” (Acts 17:31)

Or—we can repent.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (Joel 2:32)

That is the promise. No one can stand before God’s judgment unless they call on the name of the Lord.

If you have never done that, why wait? Judgment is coming, and you cannot endure it alone.

Right now, you can call on Him.

Acknowledge your sin. Admit you cannot stand before a holy God on your own.
Believe that Jesus took your punishment, dying in your place on the cross.
Trust that He rose again, conquering sin and death.
Call on His name, and He will save you!

For Those in Christ: Two Urgent Truths

If you are a believer, what should you take away from Joel’s message?

First, God is in control.

The world is not spiraling into chaos—it is moving to

Second, time is running out.

Joel’s warning is a reminder: we do not have forever. We must proclaim salvation while we still can. Judah ignored the warnings. They missed the signs. They assumed they had more time.

Let’s not make the same mistake.