B. A call to repentance 2:12-17

Such an awesome prospect of invasion led Joel to appeal to the people of Jerusalem to repent. This would hopefully turn away God's judgment. He voiced two appeals, but, unusually, he did not say what the sins of the people were. Evidently they were known well enough at the time.

 1. An appeal for private repentance 2:12-14

2:12-13a Speaking for the Lord, Joel urged his hearers even now--even though judgment was threatened--to repent. However, he clarified that their repentance needed to be wholehearted, not just external. Fasting, weeping, and mourning would give evidence of the people's sincerity, but they had to rend their hearts, not just their garments, as was customary in mourning. They needed to return to Yahweh their God.

2:13b-14 If they did, they could count on His being gracious, compassionate, patient, loyal to them, and willing not to punish them (cf. Exod. 34:6; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 103:8; 143:8; Jon. 4:2). Their genuine repentance might--Yahweh is still sovereign--move Him to turn from His previously intended course of action and bless, rather than curse, them (cf. Mal. 3:7).²²Agricultural blessings would signal a reversal of His judgment in the recent locust invasion, and they would then be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord again (cf. 1:9, 13).

 2. An appeal for public repentance 2:15-17

Joel went beyond calling for personal heart-felt repentance to urging the people to assemble for a corporate expression of their sincere contrition.

2:15-16 The prophet urged the blowing of the shophar in Zion again, but this time to call a public assembly and a fast rather than to announce the coming invader (v. 1; cf. 1:14). Fasting involved sacrificially going without food to devote oneself to a higher spiritual purpose. God's people needed to gather together and re-consecrate themselves to Him as a people. Everyone without exception should participate, from the oldest to the youngest. Even newlyweds, who sometimes received a special exemption for being newly wed (Deut. 24:5), needed to attend this meeting.

It is interesting that the Jews will assemble in the Promised Land, having received encouragement from the Antichrist, during the first half of the Tribulation. Then the invader will descend on their land and the terrible prospect envisioned in verses 1-11 will take place, in the second half of the Tribulation. Antichrist will persecute them. They will not assemble then in repentance, however.

2:17 The priests should take the lead in this public expression of repentance. They should weep and pray for God to have mercy on His people because they were His special inheritance and for the glory of His name. The pagans might conclude that He was unable or unwilling to defend His chosen people from their enemy if He allowed the invader to succeed.