Bible Survey

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Bible Survey

• Joel

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Bible Survey - Joel

• Title
• Hebrew laeÞAy
• Greek Iwhl
• Latin Iohel

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Bible Survey - Joel

• Author

Joel
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Bible Survey - Joel

• Date of Writing
• 835 B.C.

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Bible Survey - Joel
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Bible Survey - Joel
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Bible Survey - Joel
Joel 14 What the gnawing locust has left, the
swarming locust has eaten And what the swarming
locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten
And what the creeping locust has left, the
stripping locust has eaten.
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Bible Survey - Joel

• Theme
• Joel describes two distinct ways in which the
  Day of the Lord can be experienced. The first is
  as a judgment for sin in which the nation of
  Judah will experience an even worse devastation
  than the devastation of the locusts.  

Joel 21-2 Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an
alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of
the LORD is coming Surely it is near, 2 A day
of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick
darkness.
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Bible Survey - Joel

• The second is as a day of vindication from the
  nations.
• Joel 230-32 "I will display wonders in the sky
  and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of
  smoke. 31 "The sun will be turned into darkness
  And the moon into blood Before the great and
  awesome day of the LORD comes. 32 "And it will
  come about that whoever calls on the name of the
  LORD Will be delivered.

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Bible Survey - Joel

• The Day of the Lord will come one way or the
  other the only thing for the people to decide is
  which side they want to be on when it comes. If
  they want to be on the side of the Lord and
  experience the Day of the Lord as a day of
  vindication, then they simply need to repent.
•  

Joel 212-13 "Yet even now," declares the LORD,
"Return to Me with all your heart, And with
fasting, weeping and mourning 13 And rend your
heart and not your garments." Now return to the
LORD your God, For He is gracious and
compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in
lovingkindness And relenting of evil.
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Bible Survey - Joel

• Purpose of Writing
• Joel wrote to bring the people of Judah to
  repentance. He illustrated Gods total
  sovereignty over nature and nations with the
  plague of locusts that had recently devastated
  the land. He taught that God was in control of
  those locusts and in the same way that he had
  brought devastation, he could bring blessing, if
  he wanted. For this reason, the people should
  repent and return to loving obedience.

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Bible Survey - Joel

• Christ in Joel
• 1. The Spirit of Christ
• 2. Christ the Judge

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Bible Survey - Joel

• Joel 228-29 "It will come about after this That
  I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind And
  your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old
  men will dream dreams, Your young men will see
  visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants
  I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

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Bible Survey - Joel
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Bible Survey - Joel

• Joel 32, 12-14 I will gather all the nations And
  bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
  Then I will enter into judgment with them
  there.12 Let the nations be aroused And come up
  to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I will
  sit to judge All the surrounding nations. 13 Put
  in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come,
  tread, for the wine press is full The vats
  overflow, for their wickedness is great. 14
  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
  For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of
  decision.

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Bible Survey - Joel
Revelation 1911-21 And I saw heaven opened, and
behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He
judges and wages war.
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Bible Survey - Joel

• Place in the Canon
• Historically, Joel informs us that the road
  which led eventually to Judahs Babylonian exile
  was not without possible exit points. She could
  have repented and avoided her punishment.
  Theologically, Joel shows us that God is both
  holy (in ferociously punishing sin) and merciful
  (in ferociously pardoning sin). Devotionally, we
  are led to repent and praise God for his mercy
  and faithfulness.