Question 1

What is the day of the Lord in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Here the day of the Lord is a time when God steps in to judge sin in a clear and heavy way. It is pictured with darkness, shaking earth and sky, and an unstoppable army that leaves the land ruined. At the same time, this day also pushes people to turn back to God. Later in the passage, after the warning, God promises restoration, his Spirit poured out, and rescue for those who call on his name. So this day holds both fear for the stubborn and hope for the repentant.

Question 2

Why does God tell the people to rend their heart and not their garments?

Accepted Answer

People in that culture often tore their clothes to show grief. God says, “Rend your heart, and not your garments,” because he is not pleased with empty shows of sorrow. He wants real grief over sin on the inside, not just a religious act on the outside. To rend the heart means to face your sin honestly, be broken before God, and truly turn back to him. Outward fasting, weeping, and mourning are right only when they flow from a humble, changed heart.

Question 3

What was happening when the trumpet was blown in Zion?

Accepted Answer

The trumpet blast in Zion was a warning that God’s judgment was close. A locust swarm and the threat of a northern army showed that God was sending disaster on the land. The fertile fields would become a barren wilderness. The trumpet called everyone in Judah to wake up, tremble, and gather for a holy fast. It was not just a military alarm but a spiritual one, telling the people that their sin had brought them to a crisis point and they needed to seek God together.

Question 4

Who are the great and strong people described like locusts and warriors?

Accepted Answer

The passage paints a picture of a huge, disciplined force that sweeps over the land like a locust swarm and like a trained army. Faithful readers have seen this in more than one way. Some read it mainly as a literal locust plague described in military terms. Others see it as enemy soldiers, such as the Assyrians, pictured as locusts. In either case, the point is the same: God can send an unstoppable judgment, and people cannot resist it but must turn back to him.

Question 5

What does it mean that God will restore the years the locust has eaten?

Accepted Answer

The people had lost much through the locusts and invasion. Fields were stripped, harvests ruined, and many years of work seemed wasted. When God says, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,” he promises to make up what was lost under his discipline. He will bring back grain, wine, and oil in plenty, renew joy, and remove their shame among the nations. It shows that when God’s people truly repent, he can bring real healing and new fruit even after long seasons of loss.

Question 6

What does it mean that God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh?

Accepted Answer

God promises a time “afterward” when he will pour out his Spirit on all kinds of people, not just a few leaders or prophets. Sons and daughters will speak God’s words, old men will dream, and young men will see visions. Even servants and maidservants will share in this gift. This shows a wide and generous work of God, crossing age, gender, and social lines. It points to a future season when God’s presence and guidance are given in a much broader and richer way than before.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows both God’s holiness and his kindness. He is holy and will not ignore sin, so he sends the locusts and the army and speaks of a terrible day of judgment. Yet he also calls, “Turn ye even to me with all your heart,” and says he is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and full of great kindness. He is ready to stop the disaster, remove the enemy, send rain and crops, pour out his Spirit, and save all who call on his name. Judgment and mercy meet together in him.

Question 8

How were the people supposed to respond to God’s warning in this chapter?

Accepted Answer

They were to respond with deep, united repentance. God told them to turn to him with all their heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Everyone was to come: elders, babies, newlyweds, priests, and ordinary people. The priests were to weep in the temple and pray, “Spare thy people, O LORD.” This shows that sin was not a small private matter. The whole community was called to humble itself, seek God’s face, and ask him to remove their shame and restore his favor.

Question 9

Why does the passage say whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered?

Accepted Answer

After warning about dark signs in heaven and earth and a great and terrible day of the Lord, the passage gives a simple promise: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.” This means that in the middle of judgment, God has opened a way of rescue. Those who cry out to him in faith and dependence will be saved, while those who ignore him will face the full weight of his judgment. It shows that God’s mercy is real and open to all who truly seek him.

Joel 2:1

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

The Army of Locusts

Return with All Your Heart

Restoration Promised

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

The Army of Locusts

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Joel 2:1

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

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The Army of Locusts

Return with All Your Heart

Restoration Promised

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

The Army of Locusts

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