Author: The name Joel literally means, "Jehovah is GOD". This is a very common name in Israel, and it says Joel the Prophet is the son of Pethuel. Nothing is known of him or of the circumstances that surrounded his life. It seems that he lived in Judah and prophesied in Jerusalem.
Date: There is no way to date the book of Joel with complete exactitude and the experts vary in their opinions to that respect. Joel contains references that also appear in Isaiah and Amos (Compare Amos 1:2 with Joel 3:16 and Is. 13:6 with Joel 1:15). The predominant opinion in conservative circles is that Amos and Isaiah lean on Joel, which would make him one of the first minor prophets.
Content: The Book of Joel is divided into two parts. The first (1:1-2:27), that brings GOD's judgment, contains a calling to repentance and a promise of restoration.
The second section (2:28-3:21) explains that this plague, as horrible as it was, is nothing compared to the divine judgment that is approaching. This will be a time when not only Judah, but all the nations of the earth must appear before GOD. On that occasion, when the sound of the locusts will be silenced, "Jehovah will roar from Zion, and will utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and earth will shake..." (3:16).
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