Introduction
• The land of Judah lay in ruin. Massive swarms of locusts destroyed plants, vines, and trees leaving nothing untouched. The people faced economic ruin and possible starvation. In the midst of the devastation a prophet declared that an even greater event was coming. The “Day of the Lord” would be a turning point for God’s people.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 64 of The Bible Unplugged. We examine the life and ministry of the prophet Joel and how his pronouncements to the people challenged them, and us, to a deeper trust and faith in God.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com.
Background
• Joel is an enigma. All we know about his history is his father’s name: Pethuel. We don’t know the date of Joel’s book because he doesn’t mention a king or give any historical context.
• We know he was deeply connected to the worship life of Jerusalem. Joel understood the Temple, the sacrifices, and the rhythms of prayer and repentance. He was not a court prophet who advised kings—he was a prophet who stood up in the middle of a national crisis, calling his community back to God.
The Setting
• A locust plague that destroyed the people’s source of food and economic trade. This paralleled the devastation in Egypt when God brought his people out of slavery and into the Promised Land. The people of Joel’s time would not have missed the connection. I have a comparison chart of these two events in the show notes if you are interested.
A Prophecy for the Ages
• After Joel described the ruined condition of the land and the people, he shifts gears to a message of hope and a brighter future.
• In Joel 2:28 he says, “It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
• The promise Joel gives marked a distinct shift in the way God would relate to his people. In the past, only a select few heard from and spoke for God. Dreams and visions were reserved for prophets, priests, and kings.
• As for the ordinary people? They listened, they followed, but they didn’t see for themselves. That was about to change. Joel prophesied that after the destruction there would come a time when every believer would be a vessel of divine inspiration. It was a spiritual democratization—the common people would be the prophets.
The Fulfillment
• Centuries later, in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit descended on believers gathered in Jerusalem. Tongues of fire appeared above them, and they began speaking in other languages. The crowd accused them of being drunk—until Peter stood up and said: “This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel…”
• Peter recited the prophecy from Joel 2:28 and declared that the prophecy was being fulfilled in their presence.
• The Spirit of God, once confined to temples and prophets, was now poured into human hearts.
• This was more than a single event—it was the beginning of a new era. The dividing line between “sacred” and “ordinary” was erased. Every believer now carried within them the same Spirit that inspired the prophets.
The Hidden Meanings
• Peter plainly declared the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, but there are some details that are easy to miss.
• Joel said, “It will happen afterward…” but after what? After the judgment brought on by the people abandoning the God who sustained them. After they turned their hearts back to God. After they learned the lesson that pure worship led to sustained blessings. Jesus’ death and resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked the shift from before to after.
• The prophecy says that God would pour out His Spirit on “all flesh.”
• Joel declared that dreams and visions, once the domain of a select few, would be common and abundant with all believers.
• Joel also proclaimed a hierarchy of how God would communicate with the people:
• Sons and daughters would prophesy. Those who were likely too young and too inexperienced would have God-given insight into human nature and history. Their messages would resound with wisdom and direction.
• Old men would dream of God’s interaction with the people. Often, dreams are mixed with recollections from the past mixed with future meaning.
• Young men would see visions of the future that God had in store for everyone.
• What Joel prophesied, and Peter declared fulfilled, is a living prophecy that extends to us today.
Takeaways from Joel’s Prophecy
• God’s Spirit is not confined to buildings, titles, or ordination. Every believer can hear, speak, and live out God’s truth.
• Prophecy today may not always mean foretelling the future—it’s often about forth-telling truth, courage, and compassion in a difficult time in our history.
• Dreams and visions are not just supernatural events—they are the language of the heart when the Spirit is active within us.
• The same Spirit that spoke through Joel and descended at Pentecost is still speaking through people today—through your insights, your compassion, your creativity, and your sense of calling.
The Challenge for Today
• I have some challenges for you this week:
• Ask God to renew your spiritual vision. Pray for clarity to see what God is doing in your life and in the world around you. It’s easy to allow distractions to pull your attention away from what God is doing.
• Write down your dreams. Sometimes God plants ideas or burdens in our hearts through symbols and stories that surface when we rest. Keep a “Joel Journal” this week.
• Encourage someone younger or older than you. Joel reminds us that generations need each other—the young see, the old remember. Partner with someone in prayer or conversation and see what God reveals between you.
• Expect the Spirit to speak. God has not gone silent. He still gives dreams, visions, and prophetic insight to those willing to listen.
The conclusion
• Yes, the catchy jazz tune in the background means have reached the end of the episode, but I’ve got a lot more on the way.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next episode, we start an Advent series looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus. I have a devotional series for the Christmas season and a series, “Saints, Sinners, and Scandals: The Real Story of Jesus’ Birth.” Both are available at PowerLoveandMiracles.com.
• My prayer for you is that God’s Spirit would flow through you to declare God’s truth and blessings to everyone around you.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know:
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening. I know I have some good stuff here for you.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
