563 BC
The Prophet Joel (approximately 560-550 BC) prophesied during the post-exilic period, addressing a devastating locust plague that had stripped the land of Judah bare. Joel interpreted the locusts as a preview of the coming 'day of the Lord'βa time of divine judgment and purification. 'Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is coming, coming as destruction from the Almighty' (Joel 1:15). He called the people to repentance: 'Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments' (Joel 2:12-13).
Joel's most significant prophecy is the promise that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh: 'And it shall come to pass afterward, that 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 servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit' (Joel 2:28-29). Peter quoted this prophecy at Pentecost (Acts 2:17-21), identifying the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the fulfillment of Joel's vision.
The Catholic Church sees Joel's prophecy of the Spirit as one of the clearest Old Testament anticipations of Pentecost and the New Covenant. Key Scripture: Joel 1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21; CCC 763, 2652