[Heb. ; - The Lord [is] God; Greek ᾿Ιωήλ; lat. Iohel], Old Testament Prop. (Commemorated Oct. 19), the author of the book named after him as part of the collection of books of 12 minor prophets. In the Book of Prop. Joel does not contain information about its author, only the inscription says that I. was the son of Bethuel (; - Joel 1. 1). In the LXX his father's name is given as Βαθουήλ (also found in Gen 22.23 LXX). The OT names Joel ca. 40 characters, attempts to identify some of them with I. (especially those mentioned in 1 Samuel 8. 2 or in 1 Chronicles 6. 33, 36-38) do not look convincing ( Nikolay (Dobronravov). 1885. S. 9-10; Strazicich. 2007. P. 50).
In the early Christ. Lit-re information about I.'s personality is fragmentary. In Christ. exegesis it was believed that the place of the Book of Prop. Joel as part of the collection of books of the minor prophets, where it is placed between the Books of the Prophets. Amos and Prop. Hosea, should indicate the time of his ministry, which was most often attributed to the period of the reign of the Jewish king Jotham (c. 740-731 BC) (Clem. Alex. Strom. I 118. 1; Hipp. Chron. 98 sq.; Aug. De civ. Dei. XVIII 27). The authors of the comments on his book considered I. a captive prophet and contemporary, or a prophet. Hosea (Theod. Mops. In Ioel. Praef.; Theodoret. In Joel. Praef. // PG. 81. 1633A; Hieron. In Joel. 1. 1), or the prophets Hosea and Amos (Сyr. Alex. In Ioel. Praef.; cf.: "Commentary on Joel" Ishodad of Merv: Commentaire d "I šo" d ad de Merv sur l "Ancien Testament. Louvain, 1969. T. 4: Ysaïe et les Douze. P. 98. (CSCO; 304. Syr.; 129)). In a fragment of the commentary of Hypatius of Ephesus The book of the prophet Joel contains a comparison of the description of the famine under the Israeli king Jeram (2 Kings 7.12) with the description of the locust invasion in Joel 1.4 (Hypatius Ephesinus. In Ioelem comment. Fragm. 2 // Diekamp F. Analecta patristica. R. , 1938. P. 135. In the Paschal Chronicle (1st half of the 7th century) it is reported that I. prophesied in the time of King Hezekiah (c. 715-687 BC), along with the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah and Nahum (Chron. Pasch. 104).
At prp. Ephraim the Syrian, a legend has been preserved that I. genus. on the territory of the tribe of Reuben, where he was buried (Ephraem Syr. In Joel. Praef.); the tradition is reproduced by Isidore of Seville (Isid. Hisp. De ortu et obitu Patrum. 42 // PL. 83. Col. 144). It is contained in various versions (attributed to Dorotheus, Hippolytus and Epiphanius of Cyprus) of the pseudepigraphic Op. “On the Life and Death of the Prophets” (c. 7th century A.D.). This essay says that I. genus. in the city of Bethomoron (Βεθομόρων) on the territory of the tribe of Reuben, where he was buried (De prophetarum vita et obitu // Prophetarum vitae fabulosae / Ed. T. Schermann. Lpz., 1907. P. 29, 82, 99). The review of Pseudo-Epiphanius says that I. came from the villages. Bethom (Βηθώμ - Ibid. P. 18). The historical reliability of this information is apparently not great; it is believed that they go back to the tradition of early Judaism, assimilated and revised by Christ. authors (Nekrasov. 1884. S. 281; Quasten. Patrology. 1986. Vol. 3. P. 396; Stark. 1998. Sp. 404). In the Synaxar of the K-Polish c. (X century) the birthplace of the prophet is named. I. - Mephomoron (Μεθομόρων - SynCP. Col. 149).
In the Small Roman Martyrology and in the Martyrology of Adon of Vienna (both - IX century), the memory of I. is found under July 6, along with the memory of the prophets. Isaiah and under July 13, along with the memory of Ezra (also called a prophet) (Ado Viennensis. Vetus Romanum Martyrologium // PL. 123. Col. 161-164; Idem. Martyrologium // PL. 123. Col. 298, 302). In the Synaxar of the K-Polish c. I.'s memory was recorded under 19 Oct. (SynCP. Col. 149).
Modern researchers on the basis of indirect data from the Book of Prop. Joel hypothetically determine the social status of I. Apparently, I., whose service took place in Judea, was closely connected with the liturgical practice in the Jerusalem temple: he calls on the people to perform penitential worship and uses some elements of temple prayers (Joel 2. 15-17) . A. Kapelrud believed that in the Book of Prop. Joel reflected the developed rite of temple worship practiced in Israel during the life of the prophet (Kapelrud. . P. 3-9). Since I. often turned to the topic of priestly service (Joel 1. 9, 13, 14, 16; 2. 1, 15-17), many researchers saw in I. t. a temple (English cultic) prophet associated with the community of priests of the Jerusalem Temple (Kapelrud. . P. 176; Ahlström G. W. Joel and the Temple Cult of Jerusalem. Leiden, 1971. P. 130-137).
Some biblical scholars, taking into account the novelty of his prophecies, considered I. t. a peripheral, isolated prophet who delivered a new proclamation to the Jerusalem priesthood from outside rather than from their midst (Redditt. 1986). This t. sp. reinforced by the lack of unequivocal evidence for the role that the prophet played in temple worship and in the priestly hierarchy. Confirming his prophetic authority, I. says that he is called to serve directly through Divine Revelation (Joel 1. 1a), and not on the basis of the official. temple tradition (Introduction to the OT / Ed.: E. Zenger. M., 2008. C. 696-697). I. addresses the priests as one of the social forces responsible for what is happening in Israel. That is why H. Wolff considers I. as a writer close to prophetic circles, but separating himself from the class of temple servants (Wolff. 1977. P. 11-12). However, this view has been criticized, since the notion that the prophet came from the priestly circles of Jerusalem is consistent with the liturgical allusions in his book, which emphasize the important role of the priesthood in the life of the Jerusalem community and the legitimate status of the temple service (for example, Joel 2. 1-11 Cook, S. L. Prophecy and Apocalypticism, Minneapolis, 1995, p. 171). It can be argued with a greater degree of probability that even if I. was not a member of the priestly class, then it largely influenced him (Strazicich . 2007. P. 51).
Because in the Book of Prov. Joel does not mention any kings or historical figures of ancient Israel, which makes it difficult to date. In modern studies define the extreme temporal boundaries of the ministry of the prophet in different ways - from the 9th to the 2nd century. BC (Barton. 2001. P. 3). The question of the time of I.'s service depends on the interpretation and dating of the religious and historical ideas reflected in his book. The most radical assumption was made by B. Doom, who attributed the final formation of the collection of I. prophecies to the 2nd century. BC (Duhm. 1911. S. 161).
In present time most modern. Commentators, despite the difference in views on the unity and composition of the book, are of the opinion that the book was formed in the period after the Babylonian captivity (Barton. 2001. P. 15). For the first time, an opinion about the belonging of the Book of Prop. Joel to the post-captivity period was reasonably introduced into scientific circulation by V. Vatka, who determined the time of service of I. V c. BC (Vatke W. Die biblische Theologie wissenschaftlich dargestellt. B., 1835. Bd. 1: Die Religion des AT nach den kanonischen Büchern entwickelt. S. 462). Before the appearance of this work, most often the time of I.'s service was attributed to the era of the reign of the Jewish king Joash (c. 835-796 BC), when at the beginning of his reign representatives of the priestly circles had great power (see: Credner. 1831 S. 40 ff.).
One of the important arguments that allows us to determine the extreme boundaries of the time of the ministry of I. is the absence of a mention in the book of Israel and Samaria. This may serve as an indication that the prophecies of I. were uttered after 723/2, when Samaria was destroyed by the Assyrians (Stuart. 1997. P. 224). According to most commentators, the words of Joel 3:1-3 reflected a historical catastrophe. Most likely, we are talking about the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II in 586. According to Wolf, the existence of the temple was obvious for the prophet, which was restored after 515 (see: Joel 1. 9, 14, 16; 2. 17 ; 3. 18), and the verses Joel 2. 7, 9 contain references to the rebuilt walls of the city and reflect the completion of this construction c. 445 under arm. Nehemiah. Comparison of dates. the cities of Tire and Sidon with the Philistine territories in Joel 3. 4 indicates the end of the Persian period. dominion, which was marked by the destruction of Sidon by Artaxerxes III Och c. 343; after. these cities were not mentioned. Thus, Wolf defines the time of creation and writing of the book as 445-343 years. (Wolff. 1977. P. 4-5). An indication of the commercial relations of the Philistines with the Greeks (Joel 3. 4-6) also testifies in favor of the post-captive time of the creation of the book. According to J. Barton, most likely the prophecies of I. belonged to the period ca. 400 (Barton. 2001. P. 16-17). In addition to these arguments, the late origin of the book is indicated by references to a significant role in the state. management of the elders and priests (Joel 1.2, 13-14; 2.16-17), which reflects the historical situation associated with the activities of Ezra and Nehemiah in the post-captive community of the Second Temple. This t. sp. reinforces the absence in the book of an indication of the existence of a monarchy, as it was in the post-captive era (see also: Redditt. 1986. P. 235). To con. VI - beg. 5th century BC a number of authors are inclined, for which the starting point for dating is the prophecies about the destruction of Edom in Joel 3. 19 and a comparison with the text of the prophets. Malachi (Mal 1. 2-5) (Myers. 1962; Ahlström. 1971. P. 112). According to F. Stevenson, the words "The sun will turn into darkness ..." (Joel 2.31) are based on the real fact of a solar eclipse, which could have occurred in Jerusalem on Feb. 357 or in July 336 (Stephenson . 1969. P. 224-229).
The later origin of the book is also possibly indicated by certain terms characteristic of books included in the late OT corpus: such as (“spear” - Joel 2.8, which is used in Job 33.18; Nehemiah 4.11, 17), (“back part” - Joel 2.20, also found in 2 Chronicles 20.16; Eccl 3.11; 7.2), (“stench” - Joel 2.20, also found only in Sir 11. 12) and others. According to other authors, evidence of the late language of the Book of Prop. Joel are a short form of the 1st person pronoun sg. h.- (Joel 2. 27), the use of a noun to designate the temple (Joel 1. 13, 16), as well as the phrases “Juda and Jerusalem” (- Joel 3. 1) and “children of Zion” (- Joel 2. 23 ) (Crenshaw. 1995. P. 26). There are other lexical coincidences with later books: for example, certain phrases from Joel 2. 13b and 14a are repeated in Ion 4. 2b and 3. 9a. Parallel comparison of east. and app. seas in Joel 2. 20 is found in a later passage from Zech 14. 8. J. also quotes the words of previous prophets (see, for example: Obd 17; Is 2.4; Mic 4.3) (Wolff. 1977. P . 5). In addition, the apocalyptic genre, to which the Book of Prophets belongs. Joel, was formed in the period after the captivity (Coggins. 2000. P. 17-18).
There are supporters of earlier dating, referring the emergence of I.'s prophecies to the time immediately before the Babylonian captivity, that is, to the end. VII - beginning. VI century: the absence of a mention in the book of royal power could reflect a short time period when the monarchy had already ceased to exist, and Jerusalem was in relative security, that is, before captivity - c. 587-586 (2 Kings 25:4-8) (Stuart. 1997. P. 224; Koch K. The Prophets. Phil., 1982. Vol. 1: The Assyrian Period). According to the supporters of this hypothesis, preserved in the Book of Prop. In Joel, the allusions to the events that took place during the captivity (Joel 3.1-7) do not necessarily reflect the period after 586, since the policy of deportation of peoples could lead to the emergence of earlier local migrations, starting as early as the 8th century. (The Judean Exile after 701 c. e. // Scripture in Context / Ed. W. Hallo et al. Winona Lake (Ind.), 1983. Vol. 2. P. 147-175). These may be circumstances related to other enemy invasions, for example. Assyrian 701 or Babylonian 598 H. Stocks on the basis of similarity with the book. Deuteronomy, which was discovered, in his opinion, in the time of King Josiah, and also, based on the identification of the people “from the north” (Joel 2.20) with the Scythians, refers the emergence of prophecies to the same period (Stocks H. H. D. Der “Nördliche” und die Komposition des Buches Joel // NKZ 1908 Bd 19 S 750).
In addition to the widespread tendency to attribute the time of I.'s service to the post-captive period, some researchers dated the writing of the book to the time of the reign of King Joash, i.e. con. 9th century BC On the early origin of the prophecies of I. in addition to the canonical position of the Book of Prop. Joel indicates, according to M. Beach, the similarity of the content of the book with the content of the cycle of stories about the prophets. Elijah, as well as individual lit. parallels between the Book of Prop. Joel and the Ugaritic epic about Baal and Anat, connected with the theme of the divine battle (Bi č . 1960). The lack of information about the kings cannot serve as a decisive argument for dating, because in the Book of Prop. Nahum also does not contain any mention of the monarchy in Judea, which undoubtedly existed in his time. R. Patterson (Patterson R. D. Joel // The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, 1985. Vol. 7: Daniel and the Minor Prophets. P. 231 ff.) and V. Meissner (Meissner. 2000. S. 37) Among the researchers there were also opinions that I. was a contemporary of the prophets Amos and Hosea (Schmalohr J. Das Buch des Propheten Joel. Münster, 1922) or the prophet Jeremiah (Kapelrud. . P. 179).
In Russian biblical science in the 19th century. I.'s service time was determined in accordance with the patristic tradition and referred to the period of the reign of either the Israeli king Jeroboam II (c. 786-746 BC) ( Palladium (Pyankov). 1872. S. III), or the Jewish king Joash (c. 835-796 BC) (John (Smirnov). 1873. S. 4). This problem was considered in most detail by Archbishop. Nikolay (Dobronravov), who, arguing with A. Merckx (Merx. 1879), came to the conclusion that I. "could not live after the captivity of Babylon", and his activity fell on the first years of the reign of Joash ( Nikolay (Dobronravov). 1885, p. 51); Also, the problem of dating the book is given to many. attention in the work of A. A. Nekrasov, to-ry, disagreeing with the hypothesis of A. Hilgenfeld about the post-captive origin of the Book of Prop. Joel (Hilgenfeld A. Das Judenthum in dem persischen Zeitalter // ZWTh. 1866. Bd. 9. S. 398 ff.), based on the similarity of the main themes and language of the Book of Prop. Joel with the Book of Prop. Amos and the opinions of representatives of the conservative app. school considered I. senior contemporary of the prophet. Amos, who prophesied during the reign of the Jewish king Uzziah (c. 783-742 BC) (Nekrasov. 1884, p. 364). F. I. Pokrovsky (Pokrovsky, 1876, p. 8) proposed the same dating with similar arguments, arguing with him. scientist K. Kredner (Credner. 1831).
P. Yu. Lebedev, A. E. Petrov
Following I., placed in modern. liturgical books, includes: a dismissive troparion of the 2nd tone "Foreknowledge of God's coming in the flesh ..." (see: Menaion (MP). Oct. S. 460-461); kontakion of the 4th tone “Enlightened by the Spirit...” (see: Ibid., p. 463); The canon of the authorship of Theophanes with the acrostic χρησμοὺς ᾿ιωὴλ τοῦ προφήτου θαυμάσω (the prophecy of the prophet is marvel) of the 2nd voice, Irmos: δεῦτε λαο̇ (), beginning: χορὸς ἡμῖν προφητῶν συφραίird); a cycle of stichera-like; saddlen (different in Greek and Slavic Menaion).
Lit.: Credner K. A. Der Prophet Joel. Halle, 1831; Wunsche A. Die Weissagungen des Propheten Joel. Lpz., 1872; Pallady (Pyankov), bishop. Interpretation on St. prophets Hosea and Joel. Vyatka, 1872; John (Smirnov), archbishop. Prophet Joel // Ryazan EV. Approx. 1873. No. 18. S. 512-524; No. 19. S. 564-567; No. 20. S. 589-593; No. 21. S. 611-617; No. 22, pp. 630-635; he is. St. Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos and Obadiah. Ryazan, 1873; Pokrovsky F. I. The time of the activity of the prophet. Joel // KhCh. 1876. Part 1/2. No. 1. S. 3-31; he is. Composition and explanation of the book of Prop. Joel // Ibid. Part 2. No. 7/8. pp. 3-24; Merx E.O.A. Halle, 1879; Nekrasov A. A. Introduction to the book of the prophet. Joel // KhCh. 1884. Part 2. No. 9/10. pp. 280-314; 1885. Part 2. No. 7/8. C. 82-98; No. 9/10. pp. 335-371; Nicholas (Dobronravov), archbishop. The book of the prophets Joel. M., 1885; Preuss G. Die Prophetie Joel "s unter besonderer Rücksicht der Zeitfrage. Halle, 1889; Rybinsky V. P. Prophet Joel // PBE. 1906. T. 7. Stb. 250-254; Bewer J. A. Commentary on Joel // Smith J. M. P., Ward W. H., Bewer J. A. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Obadiah and Joel. Edinb., 1911. P. 49-146; Duhm B. Anmerkungen zu den zw ölf kleinen Propheten // ZAW. 1911. Bd. 31. No. 3. S. 161-204; Baumgartner W. Joel 1 and 2 // B ZAW. 1920. Bd. 34. S. 10-19; Kapelrud A. S. Joel Studies. Uppsala, ; Bič M. Das Buch Joel. B., 1960; Kutsch E. Heuschreckenplage und Tag Jahwes in Joel 1 und 2 // ThZ. 1962. Bd. 18. S. 81-94; Myers J. M. Some Considerations Bearing on the Date of Joel // ZAW. 1962. Bd. 74. No. 2. S. 177-195; Wolff H. W. Die Botschaft des Buches Joel. Munch., 1963; idem. Joel and Amos: A Comment. on the Books of the Prophets Joel and Amos. Phil., 1977; Müller H. P. Prophetie und Apokalyptik bei Joel // Theologia Viatorum. B., 1965/1966. bd. 10. S. 231-252; Welchbillig H. Studie zur Formgeschichte des Buches Joel. Lic Trier, 1967; Medd E. G. An Historical and Exegetical Study on the "Day of the Lord" in the OT, with Special Reference to the Book of Joel: Diss. St. Andrews, 1968; Stephenson F. R. The Date of the Book of Joel // VT. 1969 Vol. 19. No. 2. P. 224-229; Di Gangi M. The Book of Joel. Grand Rapids, 1970; Butterworth G. M. The Date of the Book of Joel: Diss. Nottingham, 1971; Ahlström G.W. Joel and the Temple Cult of Jerusalem. Leiden, 1971; Rudolph W. Joel - Amos - Obadja - Jonah. , 1971; Hosch H. The Concept of Prophetic Time in the Book of Joel // JETS. 1972 Vol. 15. N 1. P. 31-38; Allen L. C. The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah. L., 1976; Garrett D. A. The Structure of Joel // JETS. 1985 Vol. 28. No. 3. P. 289-297; idem. Hosea, Joel. Nashville (Tenn.), 1997. (The New American Comment.; 19A); Good R. M. The Just War in Ancient Israel // JBL. 1985 Vol. 104. No. 3. P. 385-400; Prinsloo W. S. The Theology of the Book of Joel. b.; N. Y., 1985. (BZAW; 163); Loretz O. Regenritual und Jahwetag im Joelbuch. Altenberge, 1986; Redditt P. L. The Book of Joel and Peripheral Prophecy // CBQ. 1986 Vol. 48. P. 225-240; Fowler H. T. The Chronological Position of Joel among the Prophets // JBL. 1987 Vol. 106. N 1/2. P. 146-154; Jeremias J. Joel/Joelbuch // T.R.E. 1987. Bd. 17. S. 91-97; idem. Die Propheten Joel, Obadja, Jona, Micha. Gott., 2007; Bergler S. Joel als Schriftinterpret. Fr./M., 1988; Limburg J. Hosea-Micah. Atlanta, 1988; Hubbard D. A. Joel and Amos: An Introd. and comment. Leicester, 1989; Finley T. J. Joel, Amos, Obadiah. Chicago, 1990; Sandt H., van de. The Fate of the Gentiles in Joel and Acts 2: An Intertextual Study // EThl. 1990 Vol. 66. No. 1. P. 56-77; Simkins R. The Day of Locusts: The History of Creation in the Book of Joel: Diss. / Harvard Univ. , 1990; idem. Yahweh "s Activity in History and Nature in the Book of Joel. Lewiston, 1991; Andińach P. Locusts in the Message of Joel // VT. 1992. Vol. 42. N 4. P. 433-441; Dillard R. B. Joel / / The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Comment. / Ed. Th. E. McComiskey, Grand Rapids, 1992. Vol. 1: Hosea, Joel and Amos, pp. 239-314; Hiebert T. Joel, Book of // ABD. 1992. Vol. 3. P. 873-880; Hurowitz V. A. Joel "s Locust Plague in Light of Sargon II" s Hymn to Nanaya // JBL. 1993. Vol. 112. N 4. P. 597-603; Leeuwen C., van Joël Nijkerk, 1993; Mason R. Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel. Sheffield, 1994; Crenshaw J. L. Joel: A New Transl. with Introd. and Comment. N. Y., 1995; McQueen L. R. Joel and the Spirit: The Cry of a Prophetic Hermeneutic, Sheffield, 1995; Renner J. T. E., Hassod M. J., Mayer R. W. comment. on Joel, Jonah, Habakkuk. Adelaide, 1995; Coggins R. J. Interbiblical Quotations in Joel // After the Exile: Essays in Honor of R. Mason / Ed. J. Barton, D. J. Reimer. Macon, 1996. P. 75-84; idem. Joel and Amos. Sheffield, 2000; Stuart D. K. Hosea-Jonah. Waco (Tex.), 1997. (WBC; 31); Deist F. E. Parallels and Reinterpretation in the Book of Joel: A Theology of the Yom Yahweh? // Text and Context: Old Testament and Semitic Studies for F. C. Fensham / Ed. W. Claassen. Sheffield, 1998, pp. 63-79; Prior D. The Message of Joel, Micah and Habakkuk. Leicester, 1998; Stark M. Joel // RAC. 1998. Bd. 18 Sp. 388-414; Meissner W. Bücher Joel und Obadja. Neuhausen; Stuttg., 2000; Sweeney M. A. The Twelve Prophets. Collegeville, 2000. 2 vol.; idem. The Place and Function of Joel in the Book of the Twelve // Thematic Threads in the Book of Twelve / Ed. P. L. Reddit, A. Schart. b.; N. Y., 2003. P. 133-154; Barton J. Joel and Obadiah. Louisville, 2001. (OTL); Dahmen U., Fleischer G. Die Bücher Joel und Amos. Stuttg., 2001. (NSK. AT; 23/2); Busenitz I. A. Commentary on Joel and Obadiah. Fearn, 2003; Lössl J. When Is a Locust Just a Locust?: Patristic Exegesis of Joel 1:4 in the Light of Ancient Literary Theory // JThSt. 2004 Vol. 55. No. 2. P. 575-599; Roth M. Israel und die Völker im Zwölfprophetenbuch: Eine Untersuchung zu den Büchern Joel, Jona, Micha und Nahum. Gott., 2005; Simudson D. J. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah. Nashville, 2005; Baker D. W. Joel, Obadiah, Malachi: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, 2006; Braaten L. J. Earth Community in Joel 1-2: A Call to Identify with the Rest of Creation // HBT. 2006 Vol. 28. No. 2. P. 113-129; Strazicich J. Joel "s Use of Scripture and the Scripture" s Use of Joel: Appropriation and Resignification in Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity. Leiden; Boston, 2007; Schlenke B., Weimar P. "Und JHWH eiferte für sein Land und erbarmte sich seines Volkes" (Joel 2. 18): Zu Struktur und Komposition von Joel // BiblZschr . N. F. 2009. Bd. 53. No. 2. S. 212-237.
One of the earliest images of I. was preserved in the mosaics of the katholikon of the monastery of the VMTs. Catherine at Sinai (550-565): bust, middle-aged with short dark curly hair covering the ears, with a narrow strip of mustache and beard. Created in 586 in the monastery of St. John in Bet-Zagba near Apamea (Syria) of the Gospel of Ravvula (Laurent. Plut. I.56. Fol. 5r) there is a full-figure image of I. in white robes, with a folded scroll in his hand; he and the prophet Hosea is represented on the sides of the table of canons, above the scene "The Marriage in Cana of Galilee". In full growth, with short gray hair and a beard, holding a folded scroll in his left hand, and I. blessing him with his right is depicted in the miniature sir. bible con. VI - beg. 7th century (Paris. syr. 341. Fol. 175v). To con. VII - beginning. 8th (?) c. researchers refer to the full-length image of I. on a small carved plaquette from the Louvre of Syro-Palestinian origin, where he is presented against the background of the city walls in a chiton and himation, with curly hair and a short wedge-shaped beard, in motion, with his right hand pointing upwards and a scroll from Greek. text on the left. The image of I. with an unfolded scroll, on which the words from Joel 2.15 are written, is in the manuscript of the Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzus (Ambros. E49-50inf. Pag. 37), created in the 1st half. 9th century, probably in one of the Greek. mon-ray of Rome. In a ninth century manuscript "Sacra Parallela" (Paris. gr. 923) 4 images of I. in medallions (Fols. 63v, 225r, 229r, 232r); in them he invariably appears young, with a dark beard or beardless. In the manuscript of the Christian topography of Kosma Indikoplova, pos. thurs. 9th century (Vat. gr. 699. Fol. 68v) I. is depicted among other prophets, whose prophecies, according to the author, confirm his vision of the world order. I. is presented in full growth, blessing the book, which he holds in his left hand.
The image of I., as well as images of other prophets, as a rule, is located in the upper part of the temple decoration: on the wall of the main nave (in the Cathedral of San Marco in Venice, early XIII century), in the drum of the dome (in the monastery of Chora (Kahriye -dzhami), 1316-1321 and the church of Our Lady Pammakaristos (Fethiye-dzhami) (c. 1315) in the K-field, in the church of the Transfiguration on Kovalev (1380) and the church of the architect Mikhail Skovorodsky Monastery ( beginning of the 15th century) in Veliky Novgorod, etc.), on girth arches (in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Volotovo Field in Veliky Novgorod, c. 1363, on the western arch), etc.
The image of I. is part of the prophetic rows of iconostases: the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery (1425-1427, SPGIAHMZ); Assumption Cathedral of Kirillov Belozersky Monastery (c. 1497, Russian Museum); Cathedral of the Nativity of St. Virgin of the Ferapontov Monastery (1502, KBMZ); Sophia Cathedral in Vel. Novgorod (XVI century, NGOMZ); Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (middle of the 16th century, GMMK); Cathedral of the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery (1652), etc. In cases where several prophets are depicted on one board, I. is presented next to the prophet. Jonah (as in the iconostasis from the Trinity-Sergius Monastery), with the prophets Elisha and Zechariah (in the iconostasis from the Kirillov Belozersky Monastery). His single image can be seen on the icon from the main iconostasis of the Yaroslavl church. St. John Chrysostom in Korovniki (c. 1654, YaIAMZ).
Quite rarely, the image of I. appears in the composition “Praise of the Mother of God” (for example, on the icon of the 2nd half of the 16th century from the church of martyr George in Vologda, VGIAHMZ), where the attribute of I. is the heart; on the scroll - a text from Joel 2. 13. Dr. example - the icon of the 1st quarter. 18th century (GVSMZ): I. is presented among 25 prophets with a scroll, on which the text of Joel 2 is written. 28.
In addition to the mentioned text fragments, there are also found on the scrolls: Joel 2. 21 (in the monastery of Chora and the church of Our Lady Pammakaristos, in the church of Great Martyr George in Staro Nagorichino, 1317-1318) and Joel 2. 12 (the church of St. Achilles, Bishop of Larissa, in Arilia, Serbia, 1296).
In Erminia hierom. Dionysius Fournoagrafiot (c. 1730-1733) I. is described in the section “St. prophets. Their appearance and prophecy ”(Ch. 2. § 132. No. 12):“ with a black forked beard, he says: The Lord will call from Zion, and from Jerusalem will give his voice ”(Joel 3. 16) (Erminia DF. 1993. S. 82). In the icon-painting original of the Novgorod edition of the XVI century. he is mentioned on October 19: “... sitting, like Elijah the prophet, with great beard and hair; braid one on the left shoulder; the upper riza is greenish dikaa, the underside is kenovar ”(Icon-painting original of the Novgorod edition according to the Sofia list of the end of the 16th century: With variants from the lists of Zabelin and Filimonov. M., 1873. Otdel. 2. P. 10). In the Russian consolidated icon-painting originals (XVIII century), it is said about the appearance of I.: “In the likeness of gray hair, beard and hair like Elijah the prophet, a prophetic robe, wild greenery, vermilion underside, a scroll in his hand, and it is written in it:“ I will pour out from My Spirit on all flesh ... "" (Filimonov. Icon-painting original. 1874. P. 174); “Sad, like Ilya, great brada and hair, one scythe, the top of the praz, under the cinnabar, the signature is in the scroll (no text. - Auth.)” (Bolshakov. Icon-painting original. 1998 p. P. 11).
Lit .: Nikolaeva T.V. Old Russian painting of the Zagorsk Museum. M., 1977. S. 59; Gravgaard A.-M. Inscriptions of OT Prophecies in Byzant. Churches: Cat. Copenhagen, 1979, p. 66; Belting H., Mango C., Mouriki D. The Mosaics and Frescoes of St. Mary Pammakaristos (Fethiye Camii) at Istanbul. Wash., 1978. (DOS; 15); Popovich L. D. Compositional and Theological Concepts in Four Prophet Cycles in Churches Selected from The Period of King Milutin (1282-1321) // Cyrillomethodianum. Thessal., 1984/1985. T. 8/9. P. 283-318; Lazarev V.N. History of the Byzantines. painting. M., 1986. T. 1, 2; Lelekova O. V. The iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Cyril-Belozersky Monastery of 1497: Research. and restoration. M., 1988. S. 338. Fig. 51; Lowden J. Illuminated Prophet Books: A Study of Byzant. Manuscripts of the Major and Minor Prophets. Univ. Park (Pa.), 1988; Vzdornov G. I. Volotovo: Frescoes c. Assumption on the Volotovo field near Novgorod. M., 1989. S. 39, 63; Sinai: Treasures of the Monastery of St. Catherine. Athens, 1990; Byzance: L "art byzantin dans les collections publiques françaises. P., 1992. P. 182-183; Icons of Yaroslavl XIII - middle of the XVII century: Masterpieces of ancient Russian painting in the museums of Yaroslavl. M., 2009. T. 2. S. 271.
I. A. Zhuravleva, I. A. Oretskaya
Prophet Joel and his book
Personality of the Prophet Joel.
Among researchers of the prophet Joel, it is customary to translate his name "Joel" from Hebrew as "Jehovah is God." Although there were other assumptions. For example, blj. Jerome of Stridon translated the name of the prophet as "beginner".
Countless assumptions can be made about the personality of the prophet Joel and the circumstances of his life, because exact historical data are not available. Perhaps he was born and buried in Veferon, as recorded by Sts. Ephraim the Syrian, Epiphanius and Dorotheus with reference to an ancient tradition. From the book of the prophet itself, we know that he was “the Son of Petuel (or Bethuel) (1:1). But it is not known who Petuel was. Researcher Rashi claims that this is the prophet Samuel (who, indeed, had a son named Joel). Goldhausen calls the father of the prophet Joel Petahia, a contemporary of David, the head of the 19th priestly order (1 Chr.24:16). However, none of the assumptions has sufficient grounds.
The prophet himself may have come from a priestly family. Western biblical scholars Kredner, Kramer and Ewald believe that Joel is the father of the psalmist Haman, a Levite from the clan of Koafa (1 Chr.6:33). But even these opinions do not have a solid factual basis.
Undoubtedly, only that (writes V.P. Rybinsky, Prophet Joel) that Saint Joel passed his ministry in Judea, because he speaks only about it, we use the word "Israel" (2:24; 3:12,16) only for designations for the entire Jewish people (not the ten-tribe kingdom).
Time of life and service.
The question of the time of life and the prophetic activity of St. Joel is one of the most controversial, it is solved differently both in Western literature and in ours. The main hypotheses can be listed:
The prophet Joel was a contemporary of Rehoboam (according to Charles, Pearson);
The prophet Joel lived in the first years of the reign of Joash, king of the Jews, i.e. about 868-838 (Kredner, Ewald, Gitzig, Orelli, Dobronravov);
The prophetic activity of Joel dates back to the time of Jeroboam II, when Amos (Schmolper, Knabenbauer, Pokrovsky) was serving;
Perhaps Saint Joel lived in the post-captive period (Goonaker), perhaps in the 4th century (Scholz), perhaps in the middle of the 5th century (Hilgenfeld, Merckx); or maybe at the beginning of the 6th century (Novak, Wellhausen, Marty).
The latest researchers It is generally believed that Joel was a prophet after the captivity, citing the following arguments:
1) The post-captive features of the political, social and religious state of the people, nothing is said about kings, princes, but only about priests, elders (2:16-17). The temple is called the only sanctuary, there is no question of idolatry. The subject of the prophecies is only Judah (2:27; 3:1), which the prophet in some places called "Israel" (3:2). In addition, mention is made of the dispersion of Israel - Judah among the nations, the division of the land of Israel.
2) Similar places with other prophets:
Joel 3:16 - Amos 1:2; Joel 3:18 - Amos 9:13; Joel 1-2:11 - Amos 7:1-6; Joel 2:2 - Zephaniah 1:14-15; Joel 2:14 - Jonah 3:9; Joel 2:11, 3:4 - Malachi 3:23; Joel 3:18 - Ezekiel 47.
And since the prophet Joel borrowed, according to some scholars, something from these prophets, it means that he lived after them.
3) Joel's views are of a post-captive nature: he attaches great importance to the victims, regrets their termination. While the do-captive prophets attached less importance to the victims.
4) The prophet Joel speaks of the “day of the Lord” as a judgment of the peoples, which could have taken place only in the era of the Assyrian-Babylonian conquests, but not in ancient times.
But also ancient view on the book of Joel, as a captive one, has solid grounds (according to the successors of A. Lopukhin. Explanatory Bible):
Its place in a number of prophetic books (Hosea, Joel, Amos);
Before the destruction of Samaria, one can also call the Jews Israel, because in fact they were the only people of God then, and the ten-tribe kingdom preferred idolatry, serving calves;
The situation when the temple was the only legal place of worship is understandable even in the pre-captive era;
The silence about idolatry can be explained by the fact that the prophet Joel, in principle, does not speak about the sins of the people.
Some interpreters add that the mentioned attack of the Philistines (3:4) corresponds to the events described in 2 Chronicles 21:10 that happened under King Jeram, which means after 879 BC.
The absence of a mention of the Assyrians and Syrians, according to another group of scholars, dates the time of the prophecies of Joel to 746 (the year the Assyrians entered) and to the sack of Jerusalem by the Syrians (2 Chr.24:23) - 928.
Priest Gennady Egorov, as if summing up all these numerous hypotheses, writes (the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament) that “in the book of the prophet Joel there is no indication of the time of writing. Most likely, he was one of the first prophet-writers, because his book is placed in the canon at the beginning of the books of the minor prophets. Apparently, he lived during the time of King Joash. There are many fundamentally different datings with a spread of 350 years, therefore, there is no single answer. In view of this situation, we do not devote much time to finding out when the book was written, if it does not contain precise indications, but we adhere to the Tradition of the Church.
The reason for the utterance of prophetic speeches, their number and content.
Under the prophet Joel, a terrible drought and an invasion of locusts occurred in Judea, which served as an occasion for the prophet Joel to pronounce his two speeches (1:4-17, 18-20; 2:1).
1) First speech contains:
Description of the sad state of the country and calls for weeping and prayer. In addition, the prophet warns that the present disaster is a harbinger of the future terrible day of the Lord: “Oh, what a day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; he will come as devastation from the Almighty” (1:15);
Description of the devastation caused by the locusts, a call to appeal to Jehovah (1:1-16): “The locusts ate what was left of the caterpillar, the worms ate what was left of the locusts, and the beetles ate what was left of the worms” (1:4). “Appoint a fast, announce a solemn assembly, call the elders and all the inhabitants of this country to the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord” (1:14);
Description of the drought: "... the streams of water dried up, and the fire consumed the pastures of the desert" (1:20);
Locusts and drought are images that foreshadow the day of the Lord: “... the day of the Lord is coming ... fire devours before it, and after it a flame burns ... no one will be saved from it. His appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like horsemen…” (2:1-11);
An exhortation to pray for help: “... turn to Me with all your heart in fasting, weeping and sobbing, tear your hearts, and not your clothes, and turn to the Lord your God; for He is good and merciful…” (2:12-17). (Archbishop N. Dobronravov. The book of the prophet Joel. Master's thesis.
It is especially worth dwelling on the image of locusts, which has been used and is used in books and speeches quite often due to its visibility.
Eyewitnesses of locust invasions recall: “The locust spares nothing, devours not only everything sown in the fields, all grass and greenery, but gnaws dry plants, pulls grass roots out of the ground and devours them ... All measures against it are unsuccessful. It is easier to fight against the wildest Bedouins than against this small but all-devouring insect... Locusts usually swoop in unexpectedly and devour everything with incredible speed. Beautiful flowering areas suddenly take on a pitiful look. Locusts perish in barren deserts and flying over the seas. (N. Dobronravov)
Prophet Joel in the Bible Dictionary of E. Nystrom (1868) is called the best in describing locusts (2:3). Four times listed by him in 1:4 species of this insect, possibly a breed of locusts.
From the notes of Dr. Shaw, a traveler: “... Eating everything, she relentlessly moved forward, climbing over everything that served her as an obstacle: walls, trees, climbing into houses and bedrooms. To prevent its movement, they dug pits, ditches, filling them with water, put heather, branches and other combustible material in them, which were lit when the locusts approached. But in vain, the ditches soon overflowed, and the fire was extinguished by myriads of locusts, closely marching one after another. After one or two days, new hordes appeared, devouring what the previous ones had left (bark, gnawed branches). The Prophet rightly compares the locust with an army, and the land before its appearance with a beautiful garden, and after its departure with a desert.
Bible encyclopedia archim. Nicephorus: “The locust was the eighth plague sent to Egypt (Ex. 10:4-15, Ps. 77:46). In Revelation 9:7, locusts are likened to horses prepared for war. Locusts are often used in Scripture as an instrument of God's wrath (Deut. 28:38-42, 1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chr. 6:8). Even the pagans looked at the locusts as a terrible manifestation of the wrath of the gods. Pliny testifies that a strong manifestation of the wrath of the gods is found in the locust. “With its innumerability,” he writes, “she darkens the sun ... her strength is indefatigable ...”
Their hordes do not move in a continuous mass, but in separate large bands and maneuver very coherently. An army of walking locusts moves at an average speed of 15-20 km per day. Then they mature, gaining wings, and take off to a height of 200-300 m, and can rise up to 1500 m.
Every day, each insect eats as much as it weighs itself - 2 g. Thus, one million individuals eat as much food as a herd of 10 elephants, destroying about 200 kg of greenery per day. The nomadic locust can jump over 200 meters longer than its body. During her life, each female lays about 200 eggs, and the larvae are able to conceive new offspring within two weeks after hatching.
The meaning of the first speech: the Church Fathers preferred an allegorical interpretation, according to which locusts and drought are images of the enemy's future attacks on Judea.
Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (+387) was an adherent of the allegorical interpretation of the book of the prophet Joel. For example, in the form of four types of locusts, he saw the four enemies of Judah: Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar.
Blessed Jerome also interpreted this book allegorically, but under the guise of locusts, in his opinion, the prophet meant four peoples hostile to Judea: the Assyro-Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the Macedonians and the successors of Alexander, especially Antiochus Epiphanes, and the Romans. But, at the same time, blzh. Jerome was the first of the Church Fathers to offer, along with the allegorical, a literal interpretation of the first speech of Saint Joel.
Blessed Theodoret also interpreted the first speech literally and allegorically.
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (+444) allowed a literal understanding of Joel's words about locusts.
In modern times, few researchers adhered to an allegorical interpretation.
In modern times, beginning with Kredner, the literal understanding has prevailed. It was given from domestic biblical scholars Khergoezersky, Horde, Smirnov, Nekrasov, architect. Iriney Pskovskiy and others.
Most likely, it will be correct to agree with blzh. Theodorite is that in the first speech of the prophet Joel one can find both literal and allegorical meanings.
2) Between the two speeches in the book of the prophet Joel there is, as it were, a historical remark that Jehovah delivered his people from troubles (2:18-19a). This may mean, as suggested by the archbishop. N. Dobronravov that the Jews heeded the first prophetic speech and turned to Jehovah. And so the Lord spared them.
3) The second speech of the prophet Joel obviously refers to the time after the disaster, which he announced in the first speech. Content:
An announcement about the end of troubles and about the fertility of the earth (2:19c - 27);
- the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your elders will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions…” (2:28-32);
Spiritual promises;
Judgment on the nations (3:1-15), a promise to return the Jews after captivity to the fatherland, and in the valley of Jehoshaphat to judge the Gentiles for the oppression of the people of God: “I will gather all the nations, and bring them to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and there I will execute judgment on them for my people ... Israel, which they scattered among the nations, and divided my land ... ”(3:2 and further);
Judgment on all Gentiles (3:9-12);
The blessed state of Israel (chapter 3) - the terrible day of the Lord will not be like this for Israel, but for Israel it will be a day of salvation, blessedness: generations of generations…” (3:16-21).
The prophecy about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people (2:28) occupies, according to most researchers, the most important place in the book. And its fulfillment, most likely, will be correctly attributed to the New Testament times (V.P. Rybinsky. Prophet Joel). The main reason for such an assumption is the words of the holy apostle Peter: “They are not drunk, as you think, for now is the third hour of the day; but this is what was foretold by the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…” (Acts 2:15-21). That is, the apostle Peter directly says that the words of the prophet Joel 2:28-32) are a prophecy about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. In addition, the apostle sees in this event the fulfillment of the prophet's saying about the terrible day of the Lord (V.P. Rybinsky).
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles is the final dispensation of the messianic kingdom for the salvation of people, when all grace-filled forces have been given. Now it remains only to wait for God's judgment for their correct or incorrect use. In all its fullness, the words of the prophet Joel about the terrible day of the Lord can only refer to the "end times."
On the day of the Lord, the main event should be moral renewal as a result of repentance: “... turn to Me with all your heart in fasting, weeping and weeping. Rip your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God; for He is good and merciful… who knows if He will not have mercy…” (2:12-14). For those who repent, the Lord promises blessing and retribution: “And I will repay you for the years that locusts, worms, beetles and caterpillars devoured ... and until you are full you will eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God ...” (2:25-27 ). (Jer. Gennady Egorov. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments).
“And I will show signs in heaven and on earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun will turn into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And it will come to pass: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be salvation, as the Lord has said, and for the rest whom the Lord calls” (2:30-32). In these words, following the general church interpretation, Priest Gennady sees a prophecy about the Golgotha events, which, in turn, is an image of the last times (2:32): “The following sequence of events is built:
Golgotha (Joel 2:10-11);
Pentecost (2:25-29);
The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:30-31).
And at the end is the harvest (3:13). The image of the harvest is often used by the Lord in his parables, referring to the events during the Second Coming.
The final blessing is depicted as prosperity (3:18, 20-21)."
The language of the book of the prophet Joel.
“The language of the book of the prophet Joel is characterized by clarity and fluency of speech, liveliness of presentation and an abundance of poetic images, accuracy and accuracy of expressions” (Arch. Nikolai Dobronravov. Book of the prophet Joel. Master's thesis. 1885).
Place in the series of books of the minor prophets.
If Joel lived at the beginning of the reign of Joash, then he was the first prophet from whom the writings have come down to us. And if so, then his book, according to the chronological principle, should be placed before the book of the prophet Hosea. Perhaps the book of St. Hosea comes first because of its volume, which surpasses all other books of the minor prophets.
In the second place in the canon, the book of the prophet Joel is placed in the Vulgate, in the Slavic, Russian Bible, and also in the Hebrew Bible.
liturgical use.
Three proverbs are read from this book:
At Vespers of Pentecost (about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit); as well as from the 2nd and 3rd chapters about the judgment of God on Wednesday of the Cheese Week at the clock and at Vespers.
Interpretations on the book of the prophet Joel.
Blzh. Jerome Stridonsky. Interpretation on the book of the prophet Joel;
Blzh. Theodoret of Kirsky. Interpretation of the prophet Joel;
Rev. Efrem Sirin;
St. Cyril of Alexandria. Interpretation of the prophet Joel;
Bishop Pallady (Pyankov). Interpretation on the book of the holy prophet Joel;
Archbishop Nicholas (Dobronravov). Book of the prophet Joel;
Archbishop John (Smirnov). Prophet Joel;
A.A. Nekrasov. Introduction to the book of the prophet Joel;
F.I. Pokrovsky. Time of activity of the prophet Joel;
V.P. Rybinsky. Prophet Joel.
Prophet Joel, Michelangelo Buanorotti, Sistine Chapel vault painting
Prophet Joel is one of the 12 minor prophets. Descended from the tribe of Reuben. He predicted the desolation of Jerusalem and the end of the Old Testament sacrifices. He also prophesied that the time would come when the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh through faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (Joel 2:28-32). He wrote a book of prophecies - "The Book of the Prophet Joel."
Nothing is known about the identity of the prophet and the time of his life. Due to the extreme parsimony of the description of contemporary events in the book of Joel, even an approximate dating of his life is impossible. However, on the basis of some stylistic features, most experts believe that the holy prophet Joel lived 800 years before Christ in Judea . The time of his ministry is most often referred to as the period of the reign of the Jewish king Jotham (c. 740-731 BC). But this is only one of the versions.
The prophet himself may have come from a priestly family.
Joel is the first biblical prophet who, according to legend, left behind a record of his sermons (the Book of Joel). The reason for the utterance of prophetic speeches was the great calamity that befell the kingdom of Judah - a prolonged drought and a huge number of locusts that swept the country of Judah. In this regard, the prophet calls on the people to turn to God with a prayer for help, for the day of the Lord is near.
Book of the Prophet Joel
The "Book of the Prophet Joel" is small, consists of three chapters and is thematically divided into two main parts ( Joel. 1:1-20 - Joel. 2:1-27 and Joel. 2:28-32 - Joel. 3:1-21). The first part contains prophecies related to the situation of Judah in the modern position of the prophet, the second part contains prophecies about the Last Judgment .
The prophet Joel also predicted the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles: “… I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy… also on male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit”(Joel 2:28-29). The apostle Peter quotes these words on the Day of Pentecost: “This is what was foretold by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your youths will see visions, and your elders will be enlightened by dreams. And on My servants and on My handmaids in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they will prophesy.”(Acts 2:16-18).
The text of the book of the prophet Joel is mentioned quite often in the New Testament. Of particular importance are the lines relating to the last days. So his description of the signs of the coming of the day of the Lord is quoted by Jesus Christ when he speaks of the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, Luke 21:25). Paul in Romans, commenting on Joel. 2:32, emphasizes the word "everyone", that is, so that everyone who calls on the name of God and whom the Lord has called belongs to the people of God (Rom. 10:12-13). The book of Joel finds many parallels in the Revelation of John the Theologian.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the holy prophet Joel October 19/November 1 .
