Figure Analysis
The prophet Joel is ancient Israel’s number one writer of socially conscious science fiction.
Grubs and grasshoppers that invade homes. Ravaging locusts that transform into armies and destroy the nation’s crops. The sun, moon and stars going dark. Joel’s far-out metaphors set the standard for hundreds of episodes of Star Trek, Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica, but perhaps his most influential image is that of a world where everyone, not just the religious and political elite, has a meaningful voice. Verses 28 and 29 also include a prophecy that God will send his spirit so everyone can prophesy:
Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. (NRSV 2:28-29)
The New Testament Book of Acts says this prophecy was fulfilled when the disciples spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost. Bonus reference: this democratic vision from the prophet Joel shows up in Bram Stoker’s sort-of sequel to Dracula, the vampire potboiler The Lady of the Shroud. Unfortunately for our friend Joel, Stoker mis-attributes this quote to the prophet Isaiah, which as Minor Prophetical references go, sort of …
… wait for it …
sucks.
Joel lived in Judea, the southern kingdom, but the dates of his prophetic work aren’t clear. His prophecy ends with a poetic description of the restoration of Judah after an impressive feat of divine pest control.