Joel
A prophet in the land of Judah in the Old Testament. The date of his life is uncertain—he may have lived sometime between the reign of Joash, before 850 B.C., and the return of the tribe of Judah from captivity in Babylon.
The book of Joel
The book centers on a prophecy that Joel made after the land of Judah was smitten with a severe drought and with locusts (Joel 1:4–20). Joel assured the people that through repentance they would again receive the blessings of God (Joel 2:12–14).
Chapter 1 is a call for a solemn assembly in the house of the Lord. Chapter 2 tells of war and desolation to precede the Millennium. Chapter 3 speaks of the latter days and affirms that all nations shall be at war but that eventually the Lord will dwell in Zion.
Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:16–21). The angel Moroni also quoted this same passage to Joseph Smith (JS—H 1:41).