(A Revisit), Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part I Turmoil), Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part II Tragedy), Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part III Terror). I say periods of punishmentin the literal application of actual time or years of Israels history. Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part I), Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part II). Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! If we want to move from one place to another, we must go forward, backward, left or right. Soon, very soon, Israels physical and spiritual restoration will be complete. And a really bad time: So much so, that were it not for Gods direct intervention through Queen Esther, the Persian Kings edict falsely procured by the lies of the wicked official Haman would have resulted in genocide of the Jewish people. Rome: I saw a fourth beastterrifying, dreadful, and very strong. We will examine the effects of each one of these should they be given legal ground in our lives. Lets look at the (locust) passage from one of the so-called Minor Prophets (all of them are major to me! Introduction: Joel was the son of Pethuel. The book of Joel mentions four types of locusts that would destroy the agriculture of Israel. 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. They will no longer get drunk with wine, because the locusts have destroyed the vineyards (5-7). But overall, this captivity invoked times of great hardship and misery and sporadic episodes of hostility such as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace. 1718, 21). God will judge all the nations on Judah's behalf. The turning point comes in response: Then the Lord was roused on behalf of His land and had compassion upon His people and in a great word of promise, He tells them that He will provide new grain, wine, and oil in abundance (2:1819). (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. Rains will come; the threshing floors will fill to overflowing (2:2324.). Instead of bringing you pleasure, rebellion brought you pain. Has Antichrist Already Died How, When & Why, Humiliating End of the Great City (Revelation 17), Hurricane Harvey & A Year of Prophetic Milestones (2017), Intriguing Comparisons Between Antiochus IV & Antichrist (Nero), Israel Is Again The Head, Not the Tail (The Deal of the Century). (1Co_5:6; Pro_9:6, Pro_13:20; 2Ti_2:16-18; Heb_12:15; 2Pe_2:2, 2Pe_2:18-20). Consumer eats. Joel calls the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to lament and return to the Lord during a time of national disaster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. God used locusts in the time of Joel the prophet as a punishment to call ancient Israel to repent of its wickedness. It is possible that the prophet Joel employed a recent catastrophe of locusts that affected ancient Israel as an illustration to the Judgment Day. But that will all change and soon! Because for hundreds of yearsbefore, during, and after their Babylonian exileGods people time and time again demonstrated that they could not and would not keep their part of the Covenant. What are the four types of locusts in Joel? Joel is writing exclusively to the southern kingdom of Judah. U.S. President Agrees with God Jerusalem Is Israels Capital! Yet, before the first advent of Jesus Christ, there were long periods in which God was either silent or, because of Israels disobedience, issued stern warnings of punishment unless they listened to and obeyed him. Hopping locust: It means lapper. (Or leaps and bounds think of a gazelle or frog). As to its date, in addition to liturgical practices and language, the whole tone of the book suggests that we are dealing with a period sometime after the restoration of the Second Temple. This seed can be further fueled through the same medium unless you turn away or cut it off. There is no further information either in the superscription or from indications in the text regarding the time or place of the prophet. And finally, one may observe that the central horror of the Book of Joel is a plague of locusts, one type of which is called the gazam (cutter [Joel 1:4]), whereas the prophet Amos reports how God brought about a plague of gazam (Amos 4:9), among other disasters, in order to bring the people to repentance all to no avail. The poles of death and life are starkly registered: the dependence of human life upon divine care for existence is manifest. There you will find that seven times over (7 x 7 x 7 x 7) translated to years (which was the basis for Gods measuring out of his discipline) lasted exactly until 1967; the remarkable year when Israelis once again assumed control of the Holy City of the Holy Land in the Six-Day War of 1967. 5 Incredible Locust Facts! 25 "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming [ a]locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. One, Two, Or Could There Be Three? The Chewing Locust Meanwhile you pursue the. Now the reason for that is obvious if you have read the Book of Joel recently. We Must Define The Terms. Once again, God took the initiative to return his people to Israel by providentially causing Babylon to fall to the Persians; with none other than Cyrus, the King of Persia, issuing an edict that the Jews could return to Israel. (Part I), Spiritual Bodies A Contradiction of Terms? We know beyond any doubt that the four consecutive sets of seven times over (meaning years) resumed after the Babylonian captivity, as the Jews were once again conquered, this time by the Romans with that Diaspora exile lasting an agonizing 19 centuries. Some contextual readers believe that the four different names of the locust has a special meaning, but it is generally thought otherwise. And from the same prophet no less! Directly, this plan involved Gods discipline of Israel in order to return them to himself. God withdrew his protection and blessings from Israel enough to allow Israels enemies to conquer and/or control them. Then, God acts on our behalf. In the Bible, God afflicts ancient Egyptians with ten plagues for their sins. Only Messianic Jews embrace Jesus as Messiah; however, there are tens of thousands of those Jews the world over. . Each causes more harm than the other. (LogOut/ That is until now! Joel commences with the mention of the plague of locusts. Part 1 (Joel 12) presents a detailed and graphic depiction of an unprecedented locust plague, which attacks like a raving enemy that wipes out the food supply of the people (1:2-7,1012, 1619). Zechariahs Dramatic Description of Antichrists Fatal Wounds. You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it (Deuteronomy 28:37-38). Required fields are marked *. 9:2, 3) The locusts Joel described are driven away. It is close at hand a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. In the Bible, a swarm of locusts comprised the eighth plague in the story of the plagues of Egypt. Joel vividly portrays the dependence of human life upon God's favor. The number four derives its significance from Gods creative work especially pertaining to the earth, including Gods dealings with and disposition (rise and fall destiny) of nations. Death cannot be far behind. Key Notes: Assyrians are like locusts. (Part II), One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews Part I, One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews Part II. The plague of the. At this stage we have full-fledged possession and those under the influence of the chewing conscience are dead to good. Here again we see the number four, multiplied to the sum of four hundred (years). A Palestinian State? This is done by planting seeds of corruption into your conscience through the medium of what we see and what we hear. Will All Children Be Taken in The Rapture? 5. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Which led to their near annihilation by the Romans and second exile, this time much more severe and longer in duration. For their part, the priests are urged to weep and cry out a liturgy of anguish, that the Lord may spare His people (2:17). 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. And what the first part presents as an event affecting Israel alone becomes in the second part a decision of judgment against the nations. I would need to travel east from my home city of Phoenix, Arizona to get to Los Angeles, California! PDF Slides - Joel 1-2 27 What are the 4 types of locusts? The time is surely coming, says the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine on the landnot a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. Scripture is exceedingly explicit that Gods covenant with Abraham and his descendants (the Jews) was unconditional. Key Themes Day of the Lord. By Gods miraculous intervention through the Maccabees, Israel was rescued from what would have been even more massive destruction and death at the hands of this evil ruler, one who is identified as the prototype of Antichrist in Daniel Chapter 11. What are the four types of locusts? The four names, palmerworm, locust, cankerworm, caterpiller, indicate different swarms of the insect. Which is why the Jews to this day celebrate the Feast of Purim. Gog/Magogs Prophetic Clock Is Ticking, Ticking. As such, threats to the nation's crops were one of the main concerns of its citizens. One of them was the plague of locusts. In general, two interpretation have been held regarding the plague of locusts in Joel 1: (1) The literal view, which states that Joel is describing a mainly distressing scourge of locusts, and that the prophet makes this disaster the time of a call to repentance; the deliverance from the natural plague is then made an event for speech on the future day of the Lord, when Gods people will be saved from all their foes. () Because locusts are so well known, verse 1:4 is indeed more dynamic in these languages than in English, and probably reflects the poetic nature of the original which English may not., Lingala for instance uses the different species hamhinzo, makonko, makololo, makelele for the different locusts. Had the southern tribes heeded the example of the ten northern tribes and warnings that the same thing would happen to them, they would not have been exiled to Babylon. Greece: Alexander the Greats amazing four-year campaign that conquered much of the civilized and uncivilized world was accomplished in blitzkrieg fashion, i.e. *Note: One of my favorite verses is Amos 3:7, which says, Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. Which means that anything pertaining to Gods plan for Israel and Gentile nations as they interface with Israel has been proclaimed by his prophets! Their choice to remain in Egypt resulted in both physical and spiritual servitude. Four basic elements comprise material creation: Earth, fire, air, and water. Joel 2:25 shows equal thoroughness in restoring what each . One locust swarm can have close to 80 lakh locusts. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten" (ESV). End of the World Events In Chronological Order! Most concur that it speaks of four different waves of locusts, gnawing, swarming, creeping, and stripping, as they consumed the land. There are three things that amaze meno, four things that I dont understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman (Proverbs 30:18-19). Verse 3: "The land is like . This in turn gets us into wrong choices and actions. If we look up these four words; Palmerworm Locust Cankerworm Caterpillar It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns (Verse 7). Joel actually points out that these types of calamities are signs of God's displeasure that if goes ignored the future . Most commentators accept that this refers to locusts in four different stages of development. Removing Christ From Christmas What Are The Consequences? Beware saints of God and stand warned. This post is also available in: Joel's literary style, in the Hebrew text, is rich, vivid, classical, clear, and beautiful. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? The liturgies of penitence are now replaced by divine assurances and joyful proclamations by the ravished soil. The Lord protects us from our enemies. Swarming locust 3. The occurrence of Joel between Hosea and Amos puts this prophet earlier than any scholarly reckoning (see below), and many have suggested that his place in the sequence may be due to verbal and thematic considerations. But they didnt. Which Is It? Joel 1-2:27 The Locusts Attack. I suppose Id get there eventually, but. Thus will God manifest His presence in the midst of Israel (2:27). Its a poetic way to highlight the number four, but also to suggest that there are even more than four things that amaze or whatever. ( Rev. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! However, Gods covenant with Israel through Moses was conditional; obedience to and exclusive worship of God was necessary for the Jews to remain in the Promised Landuntil Gods final plan for all mankind was fulfilled. West Bank or Judea/Samaria? Which had also been promised by the Jewish prophets long before. Perhaps you grew up with many blessings, but in your heart you wanted to rebel. To be torn from their land and carted off to a foreign country was the ultimate disgrace and desolation for Israel. Only a return to God and His subsequent compassion can fix such a dire situation. . Now lets examine the four kingdoms that God specifically utilized to accomplish a good part of his plan for Israel and for all peoples. Times of & Fullness of the Gentiles What Do They Mean? Clearly a different scene and language move in the two parts. Italys New Government / A Thorn in the EUs Side, Jerusalems Mysterious Eastern Gate Making Headlines. They promise blessings for nothing and are full of enticing words laced with emotional appeal. The devastation of the locusts swarm was extensive. Also, God took this opportunity to demonstrate to mighty Babylon that he was the one and only powerful God of the universe, through up close and personal encounters with King Nebuchadnezzar. Most of us know this incredible account in Scripture. By referring to other passages in Daniel and as easily confirmed by world history, the four nations were: Babylon: The first beast was like a lion with eagles wings (Daniel 7:4). ardbu, "to destroy." The four names, palmerworm, locust, cankerworm, caterpiller, indicate different swarms of chewing. Years of Israels history to good laced with emotional appeal and spiritual restoration will be complete away cut! 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