Hos_12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
We know the Lord uses similitudes (metaphors) to teach. Gods use of metaphor in comunicating with us is his means of conveying deep spiritual understanding using what we know what we have learned from the world around us.
Rev 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Here we have locusts and scorpions. These are metaphors teaching deep spiritual truth pointing us to our understanding of these nasty little creatures. Locusts fly by being carried by the wind (tribulation) they devour green things (green symbolises life) they travel in unison, tightly conected in a swarm, so thick it can block out the sun, (the light of the gospel) The refence to this same identity as the scorpion we see more metaphor, The scorpion “dwells on the earth” his tail has a piercing effect as it stings. This is howthe metaphorical language works.
Rev 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
These identities known as locusts and scorpions hurt men.
Isa_61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Studying “trees” we see reference to trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD.
Deu_28:42 All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
And also reference to locust consuming trees.
Rev 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
v 5 we see a reference to “five months” Considering the metaphor of the 70 weeks of Daniel and the 70 weeks being symbolic for 70 weeks of years, we apply the same principle to the 5 months. 5 months would mean 150 years.
Now we use scripture to look deeper into the locust scorpions.
Luk_10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus told the disciples they would have power over serpents and scorpions and they wouldn’t hurt them. All but one of the disciples were martyred so the “hurt” Jesus is talking about can’t be litteral. for the sake of this study we will say that the disciples had power to tread on scorpions, the scorpions wouldn’t hurt them. This is important for us because we remember back in Rev 9 v3 “power” was given to the scorpions.
Joe 1:2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
Joe 1:3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
Now we jump to Joel where we are admonished to listen. God is making it clear it’s important. We are admonished to tell our children about it so they can tell thier children.
Joe 1:4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
We also see the locusts eating something during the same period of time, palmerworms, cankerworms caterpillers are all types of locusts. (look it up)
Joe 1:5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
The new wine is cut off because of these locusts.
Joe 1:6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.
We have lions too here in Rev 9 in the same context as the locusts.
Rev 9:8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
Now the Lord is using lions as a picture, a metaphor to teach,
Joe 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
They lay the vine waste and strip the bark off the fig tree. Christian 101 teaches the vine is Jesus and the fig tree is the covenant. The vine and the fig tree together in scripture refers to the confirmed covenant, the law written on our hearts. It seems the eating and devouring going on here in Joel ends up with the covenant covering being removed.
Joe 1:8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
We are called to lament like a virgin with sackcloth over this aweful situation. These locusts, these lions have done tremendous damage. They’ve made people drunk.
Isa_61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
The trees in Isaiah are doing the same thing, mourning, lamenting.
Joe 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
Through Joel God is speaking to those who mourn in Zion.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Again Christianity 101 teaches Zion, Jerusalem is above.
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Zion becomes Sion in the New Testament.
Rev 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
That’s where the same people who are being protected from being “hurt” are. The “trees” of righteousness, sealed, on Mt Sion. This is the born again christian of course the truely regenrated christian..
Joe 2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
The scene in Joel is not good, many generations of the locust devouring has caused thick darkness. We know the picture of the locusts in Egypt, so thick in the sky they blocked the “Sun”
Joe 2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
This swarm of locusts in Joel is likened to an Army.
Joe 2:20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
Praise the Lord, he steps in and tells us he will remove this army. (from the north, referencing Gog Magog)
Joe 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Joe 2:22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
The metaphor in Joel is much bigger than this study will allow notice the “beasts” these are likened to the oxen being sold in the temple, having trouble finding pasture, in context going right to the picture of the tree bearing fruit, again after the Lord steps in and the vine and the fig tree (the everlasting covenant wriutten on our hearts) yields here strength again.
Joe 2:24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
This story is told over and over throughout scripture it always ends at the same place The Harvest.
Joe 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Here we see God restoring all the damage the locusts, the cankerworms, the caterpiller, the palmerworms, his great army did.
Jer 51:57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
We realize the biggest religious movement on the earth today claims to be “Joels Army” This term was coined by Rick Joyner who happens to be a Knight of Malta, another study, is responsible for the rise to power of the character Todd Bentley who has “Joels Army” tatooed to his chest.
Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Rev 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
We understand the context here, the locusts come at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, the trumpet judgement. the smoke the darkness, that those in Zion are mourning over. Sound the trumpet in Zion (Joel 2:1)
2Ti_4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
The Lord warned us about this those with itching ears heap upon themselves teachers. The army of locusts who have power, hurt men. Hurt is a metaphor for decieve. The locust army is the false teachers that assend out of the bottomless pit.
Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
The locusts corrupt with flatteries causing thier follower to “lay waste the vine and bark the fig tree”, in other words they do wickedly against the covenant, (but I thought that’s what the antichirst did) Like I said “he will corrupt with flatteries”
Rev 9:10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
Five months, that would be 150 years, that just about how long the doctrines from the Schofield Study Bible, the Jehovahs Witnesses, The Mormons, the Azusa Street revivals have been on the scene. Hmm.
We’re under judgement, the false doctrine is the judgement. Those with itching ears are getting exactly what they want. Today the antichrist harlot religious system is a smorgasbord of doctrine. Every wind of doctrine to be exact. Wind is metaphoric for tribulation.
Joe 1:3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
Tell your children because you sure won’t hear this in church.