Joel 2:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Sound the trumpet in Zion and proclaim on my holy mountain; let everyone dwelling on the earth be bewildered, for the day of the Lord has arrived—a day marked by darkness and tempest, a time of clouds and obscurity. He vividly illustrates the scene of conflict, whether we interpret ‘rods and tempests’ as a reference to the Babylonians or otherwise, both interpretations hold validity. The city, he asserts, is filled with turmoil and dread, as if the chaos of war has already breached its gates and has been declared throughout all of Zion or Judea.

The assault of the Chaldeans is portrayed once more through the imagery of locusts. The prophet is commanded, or rather urged, to call upon all who can hear the voice of God to raise their voices like a trumpet, proclaiming loudly in Zion and upon His sacred mountain, so that the people of Jerusalem will quake at the sound of the trumpet and the shouts. When the trumpet sounds, it should be declared: The day of the Lord—meaning a day of reckoning and judgment—has come without further postponement; captivity is upon us, and the army of Babylon is already advancing.

Even after the Prophet’s prayer, the Lord again commands, in accordance with divine law, to sound the trumpets in Zion and to summon all to the mountain set apart for God. The time of judgment is approaching, which many rightly refer to as a day of shadows and despair, filled with storm and chaos; during this time, calamities will prevail to such a degree that no one will be able to see any light, and all will feel as though they dwell in darkness and desolation. Then the Prophet describes the nature of this judgment.