What is the book of Joel about?
Quick answer
Joel uses a devastating locust plague as the lens for an urgent call to repentance and the promise of the great Day of the Lord — when God will judge enemies, pour out his Spirit on all flesh, and bless his people.
Chapter 1 paints the locust devastation; chapter 2 widens it to a picture of God’s coming judgment.
"Yet even now, return to me with all your heart" (2:12). Mercy stands ready for those who repent.
Joel 2:28–32 is the great Pentecost prophecy: "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh." Peter quoted it on the day the Spirit fell (Acts 2).
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Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.