Joel, Book of

The Book of Joel is a prophetic work attributed to Joel son of Pethuel, addressed to the people of Judah in response to a devastating locust plague. The prophet interprets the disaster as a foretaste of the Day of the Lord and calls the nation to solemn repentance. The second half of the book moves from judgment to promise, culminating in the great prophecy of the Spirit's outpouring on all flesh — sons and daughters, servants and handmaids — which Peter identifies as fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.

Joel is one of the most frequently cited Old Testament prophets in the New Testament, his eschatological imagery shaping both apostolic proclamation and Revelation's visions of cosmic judgment and restoration.