Prophet Joel
Date of celebration: 19/10
The Prophet Joel is one of the twelve minor so-called prophets. He was the son of Bathuel, from the tribe of Reuben (but this is not clear, because others want him to come from the tribe of Gad), and he prophesied when Joash was king in the tribe of Judah (878 – 838 BC).
His prophetic book has been said to be distinguished by a very poetic, elegant, lively style and is a jewel of Jewish literature. Here is what he says about repentance: “And now says the Lord your God, return to me with all your heart, and in fasting and in tears and in mourning, and wash your hearts and not your clothes, and return to the Lord your God, for You are merciful and gracious, long-suffering and full of mercy” (Joel, II 12-13). And now, says the Lord and your God:
Return to me in repentance with all your heart, with fasting and tears of repentance. Tear your hearts with pangs of repentance and guilt, and not your garments. Return to your Lord and God, for he is merciful and gracious, long-suffering and full of mercy.
We can say that the prophetic book of Joel consists of three chapters, in which he prophesies the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts v. 17) to the Christian church, as well as the signs that will precede his second coming Sir.
The prophet Joel passed away peacefully.
Let us note here that another is the prophet Joel whose memory we celebrate on March 30th.
