Joel 2:23–27

Context

The Book of Joel is set against the background of a locust plague (Joel 1:4) and a drought that left Judah desolate. The prophet Joel regards this disaster as a sign of "the day of the LORD" and calls for fasting and repentance (Joel 2:12–14). Beginning at 2:18, the text describes God taking pity on his people and answering them, and verses 23–27 form the final part of that answer. God promises the "children of Zion" that he will restore rain, grain, wine, and oil, make up for what the locusts consumed, and cause them to know that he alone is God "in the midst of Israel." The former rain refers to the autumn rains of the sowing season, and the latter rain to the spring rains before harvest. The four insect names in verse 25 are the same as those in 1:4; some interpret them as different kinds of locusts, others as stages of growth. Immediately afterward comes the promise that begins "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (2:28–32). Scholars disagree on when the Book of Joel was written.

Interpretation

• Covenantal reading: Many commentators read this promise as the covenant blessing by which the produce of the land is restored to a repentant people. Rain, grain, wine, and oil correspond to the grouping of covenant blessings found in Deuteronomy. In this reading, the purpose of restoration lies less in abundance itself than in knowing God (v. 27).
• Redemptive-historical reading: Various interpreters, including those in the Reformed tradition, hold that the material restoration foreshadows both the promise of the Spirit that follows and the restoration to be accomplished in Christ.
• Pentecostal reading: Within Pentecostalism, a widespread interpretation takes the former rain as the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 and the latter rain as the end-time outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival. The Latter Rain Movement, which arose in North America in the mid-twentieth century, took its name from this expression.
• "Teacher of righteousness" reading: The Hebrew word moreh, rendered "former rain" in verse 23, can also be read as "one who teaches." For this reason, some Jewish interpretations and the Latin Vulgate are reported to have rendered the term "teacher of righteousness."

Debates and Issues

• Translation: The Hebrew term rendered "moderately" in verse 23 carries the sense of "according to righteousness" or "righteously," so its wording varies among translations.
• Citation out of context: Verse 25 is frequently cited as a promise that individuals will be materially compensated for lost time or for losses in business or health. Critics argue that this turns a covenantal response to communal repentance into a guarantee of personal prosperity, a criticism tied to the debate over prosperity theology. Those who apply the verse to individuals hold that God's restoring character is displayed in individual lives as well.
• Interpretation of the latter rain: Against readings that correlate the two seasons of rain with outpourings of the Spirit, some object that the text speaks of actual agricultural rain. The Latter Rain Movement is also sometimes cited as one of the roots of the New Apostolic Reformation.

In Korean Churches

• The words of verse 25, "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten," are reportedly cited often in sermons and testimonies on the theme of restoration.
• The expression "the former rain and the latter rain" is also used at revival meetings and prayer meetings in prayers asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Related Passages

• Joel 1:4
• Deuteronomy 11:13–21
• Hosea 6:1–4
• Acts 2:16–21
• James 5:7