JOEL

Joel was probably the earliest of all the prophets whose writings have descended to us.

His personal history is unknown further than the bare statement (1:1). His field of labor, however, was presumably Judah rather than Israel, the southern rather than the northern kingdom, because of allusions to the center of public worship which was at Jerusalem, (1:9,13,14; 2:15), and because of non-allusions to Israel distinctively. Such places as 2:27, and 3:16, which you may have noticed, are thought by most expositors to mean Israel as inclusive of Judah, i. e., the whole united nation.

Although it is assumed, that Joel was the earliest of the prophets, yet the evidence therefore is inferential rather than direct.

He is presumably earlier than Amos who is known to have prophesied somewhere about the close of the eighth century B. C., because he seems to be quoted by Amos 5:16-18. He also refers to the same heathen nations as Amos 3:4-6, and to the same physical scourges as prevalent in the land, (1:4, 17, 20).

All the foregoing references are to Joel, a comparison of whose marginal notes will show the corresponding passages in Amos.

General Outline of the Book

As to the book itself we might outline the contents of its chapters thus: