This threatens the people's ability to present offerings in the temple ( 1:9, 13, 16 ). Itdevoured everyone and everything that resisted its relentless conquest for world dominion. (LogOut/ They forgot about and abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Does Israel Belong To The State of Israel? Can you go to Canada if you had a DUI 10 years ago? Lets shift to the Bible and continue with two more sets of four; with the first four creatures listed above most likely tweaking your memory. The gnawing and stripping locusts, representing the Babylonian and Roman empires, aptly describe the physical destruction of Jerusalem and the temple destroyed by each. on downtoearth.org.in, View Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Reappearance of Satan, a Roman Emperor & Two Ancient Prophets Bodily! Although Alexander, himself, was mostly kind to and considerate of the Jews, his successors were not. God disciplines His people, but He also defends them. What one kind of locust left, the others claimed. Soon, even sooner, the Lord will rapture born-again believers, Jew and Gentile alike,from an earth that is lapped by terror and covered with evil. But God was merciful in his discipline of Judah, by allowing his people to return to Israel after seventy years. The only conscience they have is one of not getting caught so they thrive in darkness and perpetuate evil, cheering those that practice evil and detesting the children of the light. This is done by planting seeds of corruption into your conscience through the medium of what we see and what we hear. The locust is called an insect, as well as the ant and the bee, but. . In less than half a square mile, there can be anywhere between 40 and 80 million locusts, and a swarm can measure up to 460 square miles in size. Not the least of which was Messiahs death on the (four-pointed) cross during the ascendancy of the Roman Empire, to redeem every person who would accept him as their personal Savior. Joel vividly portrays the dependence of human life upon God's favor. We Must Define The Terms. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. Then at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while you are in exile in the land of your enemies (Leviticus 26:33-34). At this stage we have full-fledged possession and those under the influence of the chewing conscience are dead to good. Many prophets combine current events in Israel when they were written with future (prophetic) events. Unfortunately in the light of this day and age, the people under the influence of the consuming locusts have penetrated the church and are this minute operating as leaders in the church. The swarms had invaded and destroyed Israel's crops. Its like, what do locusts have to do with the number four and with four mighty Gentile nations that shaped the course of Israels destiny and world history. The recent devastation was a foretaste of a coming judgment on Israel and a later judgment upon the whole earth (Joel 2:28). Moreover, the latter prophet even presents us with a similar apocalyptic battle against the nations, portrayed through images of deadly terror and dark horror. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Listen, all who live in the land. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Thus will God manifest His presence in the midst of Israel (2:27). Overall, the sequence of books in The Twelve conforms to the historical periods of the prophets, beginning with Hosea and Amos from the mid-eighth century B.C.E. Weeks, months, and years are linear, continuous. Four basic elements comprise material creation: Earth, fire, air, and water. Defeat in battle by siege and by the sword is one thing. Indirectly, but nonetheless dramatically and effectively, to fulfill Gods plan for all peoples. These are large, blocky locusts. First, some of the final words of Joel (Joel 4:16) rally with the opening words of Amos (Amos 1:1), and an arranger might have brought them into conjunction. These are the locusts (people, spirits) that chew your conscience and numb your senses thereby causing you to make bad choices without regard for the consequences of the same. These three prophets are principally concerned with the status of the Temple, the new religious hierarchy, and the religious obligations of the post-exilic community. God used locusts in the time of Joel the prophet as a punishment to call ancient Israel to repent of its wickedness. Powerful Proof of Messiahs Identity & Arrival in The First Century! Verses What do the locusts in Joel 1 represent? When were these predictions fulfilled? They could and should have returned to Israel, especially after Joseph died. So we see that in the 5th trump, the Locust army are (Arbeh, Arab`s) men and they were to hurt men 5 months. Everything else in these two chapters points to locusts as well. Armageddon & Messiahs Return An Amazing Sequence of Events. There was loss of: grapes (Joel 1:5), figs (Joel 1:7), grain (Joel 1:9; Joel 1:10), wheat and barley (Joel 1:11), the fruit from trees (Joel 1:12, olives (Joel 1:13), and the food for the livestock (Joel 1:18). This is as abrupt an event (which is also a prophetic image) that youll find anywhere in the Bible. Part I, Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! As with flies on a sore, so are the swarming locusts upon the believers mind! The dramatic and traumatic magnitude of this locust onslaught strongly indicates that the locusts are much more than just insects that may have ravaged the land in a one-time plague. God explicitly and exclusively used these four Gentile empires to execute his warnings to Israel first given through Moses before the Hebrews even entered and possessed the Promised Land. There are three types of locusts that attacked. Which Is It? Swarming locust 3. a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness." Then in verses 3-11 Joel describes the locust horde again as a raging army with horses and chariots and warriors. Ethnic Cleansing of Jews The Real Palestinian Agenda, Exposing Antichrists Identity More Compelling Evidence (Part I), Exposing Antichrists Identity More Compelling Evidence (Part II), Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment (Part I), Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment (Part II), First Century Existence of Christ and Antichrist & Their 21st Century Return. Greece: Alexander the Greats amazing four-year campaign that conquered much of the civilized and uncivilized world was accomplished in blitzkrieg fashion, i.e. Locusts (derived from the Latin locusta, meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. I certainly didnt until just recently, when I read again and this time realized the following passage says exactly that. Hanukkah The Festival Born of a Prophecy! If we want to move from one place to another, we must go forward, backward, left or right. UNESCO / Theatre of the Absurd Against Israel, United Nations Downsizing of Israel (Resolution 2334). Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. (2) The allegorical view, which holds that the description of the plague was merely a figure of a coming general judgment on the nation of Israel. BOOK OF JOEL KEY VERSES: 1:4: What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. (Part I), Separation of Church and State For or Against? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They are nations bent on Israels destruction AFTER the Jews fulfill Gods providential plan for their return to Israel, which is underway as we speak. Therefore, the prophet Joel called all the people to fast and pray (Joel 1:14) to avoid further judgements. Death cannot be far behind. Beside the natural catastrophe, part of this prophecy was fulfilled when Israel was defeated by its enemies and taken into exile. Perhaps you grew up with many blessings, but in your heart you wanted to rebel. He hints at Pharaoh, at Joel, at the power of inclusive community. locust (different kinds in Joel 1:4 and 2:25), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem A Broken Promise? The first Gazam points to its voracity; the second Arbeh its multitude; the third Yelek its manner of "licking up" the grass like cattle; the fourth Chasil its destructive effect. That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten, &c.] These, with the two following, are four kinds of, locusts as Jarchi observes; though it is difficult to fix the particular species designed; they seem to have their names from some peculiar properties belonging to them; as the first of these from their sheering or cropping off the fruits and leaves of trees; and the . The group of locusts is usually called a swarm. The Four Gentile Kingdoms Now let's examine the four kingdoms that God specifically utilized to accomplish a good part of his plan for Israel and for all peoples. Do you have to thin paint for a Wagner sprayer. *Note: If you want to see some amazing details of this prophecy, please read the Eye of Prophecy articles entitled, Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power), Parts I, II, & III. 9:4) The locusts Joel saw came from the north. He said, What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten (Joel 1:4). The New Covenant fulfilled and replaced the Mosaic Covenant. How did the tradition of having lamb at Easter start and why. Introduction 1:1 II. Hopping locust: It means lapper. (Or leaps and bounds think of a gazelle or frog). Only four types of locust viz., Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) Bombay Locust (Nomadacris succincta) and Tree locust (Anacridium sp.) Four Hundred Years in Egypt: Through Joseph, the son whom Jacobs other sons had sold into slavery, God rescued Jacob and his family from a great famine in Israel. The reason they are viewed as a plague by ungodly mankind is that the majority of people don't want to hear God's message, it hurts their selfish view of the world and they are plagued by. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. points out: It is interesting to note that most of the [East African] translations examined give specific local names for the types of stages of locusts referred to in 1:4. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten" (ESV). "The chief characteristic of the Prophet's style is perhaps its simple vividness." [16] The Hebrew text of Joel presents no serious interpretive problems and has been well preserved. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). Most concur that it speaks of four different waves of locusts, gnawing, swarming, creeping, and stripping, as they consumed the land. Therefore, even if Joel is referring to a serious plague of locusts that actually took place in his time, the ultimate long-term reference is the incredible (historical) things that would happen to Israel and the nations in the future, including mighty armies that would overwhelm Israel. In short order, they can completely devastate an agricultural economy. If we look up these four words; Palmerworm Locust Cankerworm Caterpillar Peace Between Israel and Judah Then World Peace! His name means "the LORD is God." The date of the book is unknown and it is short--only seven pages--but the writing is clear and easy to ro read. These nations were identified through a spectacular vision that the prophet Daniel experienced when he was well into his 60s. On the fourth day God created the material universethe sun, moon, planets, and stars. Your email address will not be published. Joel calls the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to lament and return to the Lord during a time of national disaster. Is Joel 1:4 referring to literal locusts? Joel actually points out that these types of calamities are signs of God's displeasure that if goes ignored the future . A Mysterious Sign in Virgo What Does It Mean? Does The Holy Spirit Restrain (the Man of) Lawlessness? We most often think in terms of their physical bondage, but that came many years later. Alright, I agree not the best takeoff of the Wizard of Oz. Palestine or Israel? The exact same four words reappear in Joel 2:25, where they are also identified as God's "great army". Part 1: The Locust Plague's Ravaging of the Land and the Repentance of the People. This article is excerpted from The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot, and is reprinted with permission from the Jewish Publication Society. Here again we see the number four, multiplied to the sum of four hundred (years). Nevertheless, there is much verbal and thematic continuityfor example, the dark and devastating day of the Lord (Joel 2:2 and 3:4) and the eventual divine gifts to Israel of natural bounty (2:24 and 4:13). Only a return to God and His subsequent compassion can fix such a dire situation. 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