Joel's locusts

[Doug]

The prophecy of Joel describes a destructive plague of locusts. They are mentioned in Joel 1:4; 2:5-7,25. In the New Testament, a corresponding prophecy about locusts is Rev. 9:1-11.

There are many parallels between Joel's prophecy, and the prophecy of the blowing of the 7 trumpets in Revelation 8 and 9.

Joel's prophecy includes several calls for repentance, in Joel 1:5,13,14; 2:12-17. This corresponds to a comment on repentance in Rev. 9:20-21.

Joel's prophecy speaks of the destruction of vegetation, in Joel 1:7,10-12; 2:3. The destruction of trees and green grass is connected with the first trumpet, Rev. 8:7.
The vegetation that is destroyed is symbolic; it is the pasture of the sheep; representing the spiritual food of the people of God.

Joel's prophecy declares the nearness of the day of the Lord in Joel 1:15; 2:1,11,31; 3:14. This corresponds to the day of God's wrath, mentioned in Rev. 6:17.

Joel speaks of a devouring fire in Joel 1:19-20; 2:3,5,30. We also find a fire mentioned in Rev. 8:7-8. Jeremiah said, "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD" [Jer. 23:29]

Joel refers to the blowing of trumpets; Joel 2:1,15. Trumpets are mentioned in Rev. chapters 8 & 9 repeatedly.

Darkness, clouds, and gloom are described in Joel 2:2,10,31; 3:15; darkness is also mentioned in Rev. 8:12; and 9:2.

Joel's locusts are compared to horses, Joel 2:4,5,7. Locusts that are like horses are described in Rev. 9:7-11; 9:16-19. Horses represent people with no understanding, Psa. 32:9.

Joel refers to a burning mountain, Joel 2:5. A burning mountain is mentioned in Rev. 8:8. The burning mountain could possibly represent Babylon, Jer. 51:25.

People in anguish are described in Joel 2:6; people suffering anguish are also pictured in Rev. 9:5-6.

The sanctuary, and altar are mentioned in Joel 2:17; they are also mentioned in Rev. 8:3-5; 9:13-14.

Heavenly signs, the sun becoming dark, and the moon turning to blood, are described in Joel 2:30-31; 3:15. Similar heavenly signs are mentioned in Rev. 8:12. The stars represent the saints; the sun represents the gospel. (The sun clothes the woman in heaven in Rev. 12:1.) The sun turning black pictures the gospel message being obscured, and perverted, and turned to darkness.

Blood and fire are mentioned in Joel 2:30-31. Blood and fire are mentioned in Rev. 8:7-9. God's word is like fire, but it has become as unappetizing to people, as blood. [The promotion of literal interpretations is one of the reasons for this, IMO.]

Joel speaks of God's judgment at the valley of Jehoshaphat, in Joel 3:2,12. God's judgment is also the theme of John's prophecy of the 7 trumpets.

God's Kingdom is established in Joel 3:18,21, and God's Kingdom is established in Rev. 11:15-18.

Doug

[sheila]

note the locusts do not harm any who have the mark of

God,only those without it,or those possessing the mark of the

beast.

   All flesh is but grass.

  Yes, horses may be likened to people without

understanding,that do not come to you unless the are

BRIDEld. Note Songs of Solomon...'I liken you unto a Mare my

Darling.

   When horses are bridled they are useful unto the Lord..He

has been known to ride them..see Rev 19;9 write Blessed are

those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb..
.
   these are the TRUE words of God...this revelation followed

 quickly by Him riding a white horse and the armies of Heaven

 riding with Him on white horses in the following verses

    you can be sure He has BRIDlEd them.

   we must not call unclean what God has made clean..be it a

colt of an ass that the Lord rides into Jerusalem on,or a white

horse. Whether it be a raven[unclean] that was appointed to

feed Elijah. Peter learned this after being shown 3 times the

 sheet coming down from heaven with both unclean and clean

animals.   There is no law against love..nothing is unclean to

the clean[those led of the Spirit/bridled].

  my

[Cardinal]

  Amen Sheila......we are also His goodly horses in the battle. Horses also speak of strength and speed and eat the "Daniel's fast" of pulse and water. Bridled, they can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. Blessings.....

[Dallas]

note the locusts do not harm any who have the mark of

God,only those without it,or those possessing the mark of the

beast.

Thats because they are Christs servants. They are the ones who proceed to torment the unbelievers with His presence, by preaching the word.

[Beloved Servant]

Amen Dallas.
That just happened moments ago!

[Raggedy Anne]

"Thats because they are Christs servants. They are the ones who proceed to torment the unbelievers with His presence, by preaching the word."

Christ's servants are SENT to torment unbelievers?  I don't think so.  But I know there are people who do believe this kind of twisted way of thinking.   I'm sure a lot of the Protestants and Catholics thought this way to justify their murderous acts down through the ages. 

Be careful how you hear.  Jesus's advice, not mine.

Anne

[Beloved Servant]

It's the two-edged sword that torments! It dwells within!

[Raggedy Anne]

Beware the leaven of the pharisees.

[sheila]

the demonic spirit on a certain man said to Jesus,

  'Did you come to torment us before the appointed time?"

   There is an appointed time..when Jesus comes in the Glory of

  His Father[all in all] and announces the salvation of ALL

   MANKIND along with the coming destruction of the Kingdom

  of Darkness. The Kingdom of Darkness is tormented at this

time,for satan knows that his time is short. The 'offspring of

  viper" spirit on any man..will find torment in this message.


   what is everlasting GOODNEWS FOR MANKIND IS EXTREMELY

  BAD NEWS FOR THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS.


   If we misunderstand the proper application of these words of

 prophecy..the subtility of the serpent may have some

conducting themselves in error..preaching condemnation to

mankind instead of condemnation of the Kingdom of Darkness.


   Is some-one[a man] bound by a spirit of unbeleif? Then we

 should realize that with the end of the Kingdom of Darkness

Jesus shall set that one free from that lying spirit.


   If someone[a man] is a slave of sin, be assured that Jesus

will set them free. Men shall be delivered from all manner of sin

bondage...lust greed,unbeleif,fearfulness,uncleanness..etc..


   Spiritual theiving and robbing spirits..that rob any man of his

 spiritual inheritance in God the Father or Christ...shall be

bound  into bundles..so that man may be gathered into the

storehouse..


   Elihu spoke to Job in ch 33 v 6 I am JUST LIKE YOU before

 God;

  I,too, have been taken from the clay......

   NO FEAR OF ME SHOULD ALARM YOU, NOR SHOULD MY HAND

    BE HEAVY UPON YOU...


   the above principle should be taken to heart by all who would

  serve God and their fellowman.


   the serpent is very subtil..and would and will and did twist

 the WORD OF GOD to the Family of Adam to do and accomplish

 great wickedness.2Thess 2;3  the man of lawlessness[what is

lawlessness but a spirit against the ROYAL LAW OF LOVE?]

  the man of sin[error lawlessness..lacking in faith of God,Christ

and Love for fellow mankind.].sets himself up in God's temple

[your flesh] proclaiming himself to be God[in this he twists the

meaning of God's very words for evil malicious intent]namely

justifying himself and condemning mankind. Many do not know

 of what spirit you are of..calling down fire of condemnation and

 wrath of God on those bound by a spirit of disbeleif was not

 and is not Christ's agenda.Rather,it is to bundle and remove for

 burning the very spirits of unbeleif[tares] that bind any of us.

 or to set us free into the Glorious freedom of the sons of God .


   Satan says, I can show up all mankind as unworthy of your

  love.God says..then I will show them mercy through one man

   that is worthy[Rev 5;9 you are worthy to take the scroll and

open it's seals,because you were slain and with your blood you

 purchased men for God, you have made them to be a kingdom

and  preists to serve God,and THEY WILL REIGN ON THE EARTH

[note..satan's reign is over, though Jesus begin reigning in the

 midst of His enemies]

   The Greatness of God's MERCY shown to mankind is rarely

 appreciated in it's scope and magnitude. For it encompasses all

mankind's total deliverance from the effects of sin and death.


  Delivering each man/woman/child into the eternal

    Kingdom of HIS LOVE......for LOVE IS as STRONG as death

  it's JEALOUSY AS UNYEILDING AS THE GRAVE...

  IT BURNS LIKE BLAZING FIRE.....LIKE A MIGHTY FLAME


           Sheila

[Raggedy Anne]

Thank you for taking the time to post these things, Sheila.   I will do all I can to keep these truths ever before me
for it is from Christ's Holy Spirit that the pure river of life's living water flows forth.   

 
Anne

[Cardinal]

  Beautiful Sheila, Amen.........Blessings......

[Redlettervoice]

the demonic spirit on a certain man said to Jesus,

  'Did you come to torment us before the appointed time?"

   There is an appointed time..when Jesus comes in the Glory of

  His Father[all in all] and announces the salvation of ALL

   MANKIND along with the coming destruction of the Kingdom

  of Darkness. The Kingdom of Darkness is tormented at this

time,for satan knows that his time is short. The 'offspring of

  viper" spirit on any man..will find torment in this message.


   what is everlasting GOODNEWS FOR MANKIND IS EXTREMELY

  BAD NEWS FOR THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS.


   If we misunderstand the proper application of these words of

 prophecy..the subtility of the serpent may have some

conducting themselves in error..preaching condemnation to

mankind instead of condemnation of the Kingdom of Darkness.


   Is some-one[a man] bound by a spirit of unbeleif? Then we

 should realize that with the end of the Kingdom of Darkness

Jesus shall set that one free from that lying spirit.


   If someone[a man] is a slave of sin, be assured that Jesus

will set them free. Men shall be delivered from all manner of sin

bondage...lust greed,unbeleif,fearfulness,uncleanness..etc..


   Spiritual theiving and robbing spirits..that rob any man of his

 spiritual inheritance in God the Father or Christ...shall be

bound  into bundles..so that man may be gathered into the

storehouse..


   Elihu spoke to Job in ch 33 v 6 I am JUST LIKE YOU before

 God;

  I,too, have been taken from the clay......

   NO FEAR OF ME SHOULD ALARM YOU, NOR SHOULD MY HAND

    BE HEAVY UPON YOU...


   the above principle should be taken to heart by all who would

  serve God and their fellowman.


   the serpent is very subtil..and would and will and did twist

 the WORD OF GOD to the Family of Adam to do and accomplish

 great wickedness.2Thess 2;3  the man of lawlessness[what is

lawlessness but a spirit against the ROYAL LAW OF LOVE?]

  the man of sin[error lawlessness..lacking in faith of God,Christ

and Love for fellow mankind.].sets himself up in God's temple

[your flesh] proclaiming himself to be God[in this he twists the

meaning of God's very words for evil malicious intent]namely

justifying himself and condemning mankind. Many do not know

 of what spirit you are of..calling down fire of condemnation and

 wrath of God on those bound by a spirit of disbeleif was not

 and is not Christ's agenda.Rather,it is to bundle and remove for

 burning the very spirits of unbeleif[tares] that bind any of us.

 or to set us free into the Glorious freedom of the sons of God .


   Satan says, I can show up all mankind as unworthy of your

  love.God says..then I will show them mercy through one man

   that is worthy[Rev 5;9 you are worthy to take the scroll and

open it's seals,because you were slain and with your blood you

 purchased men for God, you have made them to be a kingdom

and  preists to serve God,and THEY WILL REIGN ON THE EARTH

[note..satan's reign is over, though Jesus begin reigning in the

 midst of His enemies]

   The Greatness of God's MERCY shown to mankind is rarely

 appreciated in it's scope and magnitude. For it encompasses all

mankind's total deliverance from the effects of sin and death.


  Delivering each man/woman/child into the eternal

    Kingdom of HIS LOVE......for LOVE IS as STRONG as death

  it's JEALOUSY AS UNYEILDING AS THE GRAVE...

  IT BURNS LIKE BLAZING FIRE.....LIKE A MIGHTY FLAME


           Sheila

I receive the LOVE of the Truth!!!

It is ever increasing............don't you wonder what all that encompasses?  I am as sure as sure can be that it will "continue."
Now we give HIM all the glory.  Now we bow before HIM and cast
"our" crowns that He gave us back to HIM.......Now we "wait" til
the VOICE says move........and we move with the greatest of ease.

Thanks, Shelia, that was a good read.........

[Doug]

Joel 2:17 says the reproach of God's heritage is that the heathen rule over them.

In Revelation 11:1-2, John shows the same thing. John was given a reed like a rod, to measure the temple; the court outside was to be left out, as it was given to the Gentiles, who trample the holy city underfoot.

Here, John's imagery depicts the saints as the temple itself, and the holy city. They are those who are circumcised in heart, spiritual Israel; while those who occupy the outer court are Gentiles spiritually.

Chapters 1 and 2:1-11 of Joel's prophecy describe the effects of the locust plague, which corresponds to the church in the modern age, the day of the Lord. [Joel 2:1,11] It is called a great and strong people, unique in history [Joel 2:2].

Several things in Joel's prophecy indicate the sorry state of the church at this period in its history. It is a time of darkness, clouds, and gloom [Joel 2:2,10,31; 3:15]; the harvest is perished [Joel 1:11]; beasts groan, as there is no pasture [Joel 1:18,20]; fruit trees are withered [Joel 1:12]; joy and gladness are lacking [Joel 1:12,16]; meat is cut off [Joel 1:16]; the seed becomes rotten under the clods, corn is withered, barns are broken down [Joel 1:17]; the trees are burned [Joel 1:19]; the rivers of waters are dried up [Joel 1:20].

All of these have a spiritual significance for the church. The "harvest" represents people believing the gospel and coming into the church, which has dwindled to few; the beasts groaning for lack of pasture refers to the lack of spiritual nourishment for the sheep of Christ's flock; fruit trees that are withered represents the lack of the fruits of the Spirit among Christians; seed rotting under the clods means the word of God is not believed by the people who hear it; rivers of water having dried up pictures the true gospel not going out to the world, as it should.

In Revelation 8-11 the events corresponding to this are included in the trumpet plagues. In Revelation 11:2, the Gentiles trample the holy city, and the miserable conditions described by Joel develop.

The two witnesses, the Spirit and the Word of God, are eventually killed, and their corpses are left unburied in the street. [Revelation 11:8] The great city, which John calls Sodom and Egypt, does not refer to Jerusalem, but mystical Babylon, or the world. Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem [Hebrews 13:12].

The great promise to the church in Revelation 11:11 is that these two witnesses will revive. This is evident in Joel's prophecy too. Joel calls for repentance.

Joel 2:12-13
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

The blessing promised to the church corresponds to events described in the last part of chapter 2. The flourishing economy pictured here is a metaphor for spiritual blessings if we heed the message of the prophet Joel. The years that the locust has eaten are restored, and the great army is removed. [Joel 2:25]

Doug

[Dallas]

Christ's servants are SENT to torment unbelievers?  I don't think so.  But I know there are people who do believe this kind of twisted way of thinking.   I'm sure a lot of the Protestants and Catholics thought this way to justify their murderous acts down through the ages. 

Be careful how you hear.  Jesus's advice, not mine.

Anne

Obviously you completley misunderstood Anne. When I say torment, you picture a christian baeting and slapping and kicking and torture. What I am saying is, that when an unbeliever, someone who doesn't understanding about the saving grace of Christ, comes into contact with a servant of God preaching the goodness of His grace they feel as though they are being tormented. Example, the Pharasees felt tormented by the christian uprising among the Jews and they themselves were personally conflicted, thus feeling the pull of grace battleing against the call of the law's obedience.

[Molly]

 

Example, the Pharasees felt tormented by the christian uprising among the Jews and they themselves were personally conflicted, thus feeling the pull of grace battleing against the call of the law's obedience.

The Pharisees had no intention of obeying the law of God.  Jesus himself tells us that.


23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

 24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

--Mat 23



"hypocrites"


G5273
ὑποκριτής
hupokritēs
hoop-ok-ree-tace'
From G5271; an actor under an assumed character (stage player), that is, (figuratively) a dissembler ("hypocrite"): - hypocrite.

[Dallas]

Molly, Molly, Molly....

Of course the Pharisees were trying to live by the law otherwise Jesus wouldn't have charged them with adding things to it, and thus forgetting the weighter things. I can't believe I need to explain this.

When Jesus said those things he was revealing the truth that even they themselves were blinded too. Read your own quote, "Ye BLIND guides." They thought they were doing God's work. Just like Paul who stood over many Christian murders believing He was doing God's service... oh... Paul was a Pharisee.

Remember what He said....

Romans 10:1, "They have a zeal for God, just not in accordance with knowledge."
Phillipians 3:4 "although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Right, the Pharisees had no desire to be lawful.

They were hypocrites, because they told people not to break the law and thus did so themselves. They were ACTING AS IF they were living according to the law. That's also why Jesus told the people, Matthew 23
Pharisaism Exposed
   1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

   2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

   3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them."


Thanks for the comment Molly.

[Molly]

They were hypocrites, because they told people not to break the law and thus did so themselves. They were ACTING AS IF they were living according to the law.

Why were they acting?  Hupokrites implies real actors, pretending to be something they are not.  Imposters!  They knew exactly what they are doing, IMO.  They have no intention of following the law of the Most High God.  Their intent is power, wealth, control, and subjugation of the people.  Jesus was threatening that.  And, if they can do this by pretending to be something they are not, that's what they will do.

Blind guides..

Blind because they are worshipping the wrong god.  Or how else would you explain the worship of Baal?  Do you think they had stopped worshipping their false gods hundreds or thousands of years before?  If they worship Baal and pretend to worship J'hovah, what are they?  Hypocrites!

Here is the question--How much did these Pharisees know about who Jesus was?  He calls them vipers.  When they come out to the wilderness searching for him, John the Baptist calls them vipers.  Herod tries to kill Jesus when he is two years old.  They all know who Jesus is, IMO--up to a point.  Obviously, they don't really understand it, or they wouldn't have killed him.

If there is any doubt about who these people were [and I'm not saying all Pharisees, necessarily] just take a look at the trial of Jesus where they broke every law in the book, including their own man made laws to find him guilty of something [made up].  And, who conducts a trial at midnight?  Isn't that the witching hour?  They had to break their own law to do even that.

Paul himself might have been pursuing righteousness in the law, but these people were not,IMO.


29Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

 30They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

--John 18

[Dallas]

Seriously Molly?!?!

Were you always a universalism believer? I am willing to bet you used to love God as a Hell fear believing Christian with an understanding of those whom God was going to reject.

While you were like this were you acting?!?! Knowing full well that what you were doing was against God!?!?

Give your head a shake, you are arguing for the simple sake of trying to elevate yourself now... or are you just acting?


John 16:2"They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.

They thought what they were doing was a GOOD THING FOR GOD!!! THEY WEREN'T ACTING!!

[Cardinal]

  I don't recall Jesus EVER saying anything good about the Pharisees or their motives. They probably used the same scourge to half kill him with, that He used to run the thieves that they were, out of the temple.

And the temple priests never dirtied their hands with the killing of Christians; they sent out truly devout but blinded others with a "commission", like Paul, to do their dirty work for them.

So the ones that thought they were doing the service of God, thought so because the temple priests who were the ruling class over them in a religious sense, told them they were and THEY didn't know any better. The priests themselves knew exactly what they were doing, which is one reason why Jesus told them they put HEAVIER burdens on their followers. My  Blessings.....

[glenda]

I'm interested in the locusts of rev 9 and Joel, for the biggest parts, because in rev they come out of the abyss, a.k.a. bottomless pit, and smoke.. [#1]I think the smoke ties in with rev 12, when the earth swallows the flood/proliferation the serpent (mode of the dragon) spewed after the woman three and a half (modern?) divisions of time after she had been given the two wings of an eagle to 'sail' into her (2nd new) place (2nd migration of the faith).. The earth opening its mouth to swallow the flood/proliferation, surely [#2] is Joel's dry and smoky day, which is to say drought, coinciding with Jesus saying when he was going to be crucified "cry not for me but for children's children, for if they will do this" (crucify Him) "in a green leaf, what will they do in a DRY leaf?"
 - Another part, is the locusts coming out of the abyss.. which abyss is the bottomless pit of potential for evildoing in every creature who has thinking ability and thus the ability to make choices.. the bottomless pit of possibility is within every creature of 'free-will'.. and it's out of this pit which the (whirring) locusts come out of.. "woe, woe, woe".. Sounds to me like well into the 7 yr world 'peace' treaty, old disputes rise back up especially once there is drought upon earth (due to the sins of mankind & the blood of innocents spilled upon it) which drought makes more dispute, more drought, more smoke, and out of the smoke come helicopters (John in his day equated to locusts shooting fire) enforcing marshall law for 5 months, tormenting those w/o the seal of God on their forehead (clarity/truth?seal). It's especially foreboding because marshall law I presume paves the way for the worldwide 666 apparatus/genocide (but "happy those who make it to (the) 45 days later" Dan 12:11,12)..

[Dallas]

Cardnial...

I don't recall Jesus EVER saying anything good about the Pharisees or their motives.

John 16
Jesus' Warning
   1"(A)These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from (B)stumbling.

   2"They will (C)make you outcasts from the synagogue, but (D)an hour is coming for everyone (E)who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.

   3"These things they will do (F)because they have not known the Father or Me.

   4"But these things I have spoken to you, (G)so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them These things I did not say to you (H)at the beginning, because I was with you.


What about also when Jesus on the cross answered the PHARISEES who came out to watch and Jesus said, Forgive them they know not what they do?


Cardnial, was your response a biblical understanding or a defense for Molly?


There is no biblical support for your claim, so where did you get it?

[martincisneros]

Dallas, John chapter 9, because they claimed they saw, their sin remained.

[Barry DuPont]

Hey folks. :)

It kinda goes both ways does it not?
Kind of like saying willingly ignorant?
1Cr 2:8   Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Yet there was a certain willful blindness IMO.
To "deceive one's self".
JMO
Barry

[Doug]

Joel's prophecy about the devastating locust plague must be about the church. Peter referred to Joel's prophecies on the day of Pentecost, on the day that the disciples received the holy Spirit. I think these locusts can be understood as a description of the church, which is scattered among thousands of denominations and sects. The time specified by Joel is in the day of the Lord.

Joel said the locusts appear like horses, [Joel 2:4] and in Psa. 32:9, horses are compared with people who have no understanding. "Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee." Or, in Jer. 5:8, people who are carnally minded are also compared with horses: "They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife." These scriptures provide an interpretation of the symbol of horses in several prophecies, and especially Joel 2:4, where locusts appear like horses.

Many lack understanding, and may also exhibit the other characteristic of horses that was mentioned by Jeremiah, and so they fit Joel's prophecy of the great locust plague that occurs in the day of the Lord. [Joel 2:1]

When the Israelites came out of Egypt, after they received the law at Sinai, Moses sent out twelve spies to survey the promised land they were to inherit. They all reported that it was a fruitful land, but ten of the spies said that there were giants living there, who were so big, they seemed like grasshoppers in comparison! [Numb. 13:27-33]

Numb. 13:33
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Because the Israelites were afraid to enter the promised land, after hearing the report of the spies, they were doomed to wander in the wilderness for the rest of their lives. They did not enter the promised land until that entire generation had died in the desert. Of those who came out of Egypt, only those under 20 years old, and Joshua and Caleb, who were men of faith, entered the land of promise.

In the prophecy of Revelation 12, the woman, who represents the church, flees to the wilderness, where she is nourished for 1,260 days, and for "a time, times and a half," which are both symbolic of the entire age of the church. Paul showed, in his letter to the Corinthians, that the experience of the Israelites was an example for the church. He wrote:

1 Cor. 10:1-6
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

I suppose many Christians today consider themselves to be mere "grasshoppers" in comparison to their teachers and leaders, who founded the various denominations and sects, and compared to the interpreters of prophecy who they follow, and who they regard as spiritual "giants." They forget that Jesus promises us his holy Spirit!

The experience of the Israelites in the wilderness provides several figures for the benefit of the church, as Paul showed. In Rev. 12:6 the church is depicted as a woman who flees to the wilderness.

The prophet Joel foretold the desolate state of the church, which he compared to the locust plague, as the Israelites under Moses had identified themselves as locusts, and so that theme is applied to Christians, in both the Old and New Testaments.

Paul warned about lusting after evil things, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring or complaining, which brought God's wrath upon the Israelites. The author of Hebrews also mentions their disbelief.

Heb. 3:15-18
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

Misguided locusts are described in Revelation 9:1-11 as a great "woe" or plague in the earth, as Christians who lack faith in God certainly are, and have been throughout the history of the church.

Doug

[Dallas]

Doug, nice post!