The book of Joel contains powerful prophetic imagery and messages. One of the most vivid passages is Joel 1:4, which states: “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.” This verse describes different types of locusts devastating the land, leaving nothing behind. But was Joel speaking of literal locust plagues? And if so, when did this prophecy come to pass?
Examining the Context of Joel 1:4
To properly understand any verse, we must first look at the surrounding context. Joel 1 opens with the prophet calling the elders and inhabitants of Judah to attention, telling them to share what they have experienced in their days with future generations (Joel 1:2-3). Verse 4 then immediately follows with the vivid description of the locusts’ destruction. The next verses continue the motif, personifying the locusts as a mighty army sent from God (1:6-7). Joel urges the people to mourn and lament because the locusts have laid waste to food and drink offerings in God’s house (1:8-13). He calls for national repentance, as the Day of the Lord is near and will be a day of judgment (1:14-20).
From the flow of the text, it is clear Joel is describing an actual locust plague that is destroying the land. The vivid details about the different types of locusts fits with a real infestation rather than just figurative language. And the people’s lament over the loss of food and crops only makes sense if literal locusts had decimated the land. So the context strongly suggests Joel 1:4 is referring to a real locust plague.
The Types of Locusts Listed
Joel 1:4 mentions four types of locusts: the cutting locust, the swarming locust, the hopping locust, and the destroying locust. Bible scholars have tried to identify what specific species of locusts these refer to. Some of the possibilities include:
- Cutting locusts – possibly young locusts before their wings are fully formed. They do not fly far but remain grouped together, cutting down vegetation.
- Swarming locusts – often identified as mature adult locusts that migrate long distances in massive swarms.
- Hopping locusts – likely a reference to locusts actively hopping about and feeding on crops.
- Destroying locusts – perhaps the late stage after breeding when locust bodies and wings begin to waste away.
The common desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) goes through these various phases during its lifecycle. So in terms of entomology, Joel’s descriptors are consistent with the stages of a literal locust invasion. The prophet was not merely waxing poetic but giving accurate zoological descriptions.
Parallels to Exodus’ Plague of Locusts
Another point in favor of reading Joel 1:4 as literal locusts is how it parallels the Exodus plague. Exodus 10:4-5 describes God sending a locust swarm to judge Egypt, using similar wording: “For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land.”
Joel’s prophecy echoes the Exodus plague. Just as God once used literal locusts to judge pharaoh, He is again using actual locust hordes to chastise His own people for their sin. Joel meant that real insects were destroying real crops, just as in Exodus.
Agricultural Damage Described
Joel goes on to describe the agricultural toll of the locust plague in terms that would only make sense with literal insects:
- “The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.” (1:10)
- “The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up.” (1:17)
This points to actual crops and food stores being eaten and laid waste by the locusts. If the locusts were just poetic imagery, the tangible losses described would be confusing. But taken at face value, it is a factual report of how locusts can decimate agriculture.
Literal Language Used
Joel writes in very literal terms about the locusts:
- They have “teeth like lions” (1:6).
- They “climb the wall like soldiers” (2:7).
- They “leap on the tops of mountains” (2:5).
- “Their appearance is like that of horses” (2:4).
This type of vivid, physical description would be odd if the locusts were just poetic devices. But it fits perfectly with Joel witnessing an actual locust infestation consuming the countryside.
Locusts Reflect Judgment for Sin
A key reason Joel focuses so intently on the locusts is because they represent God’s judgment on Israel for their sin. The swarms are akin to an invading army sent by God to lay the land waste.
Throughout the Bible, locusts are associated with God’s judgment:
- In Exodus, the locust plague on Egypt was a decimating blow because pharaoh refused to free the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 10:1-20).
- God warned Israel that disobedience to His covenant would result in punishment such as locusts devouring their crops (Deuteronomy 28:38-42).
- When King Solomon sinned, God disciplined him saying, “I will punish you with locusts” (1 Kings 8:37-38).
Joel follows in this pattern – literal locusts reflect literal judgment from God on Israel’s literal sins. Using real insect swarms makes tangible God’s displeasure over immorality and covenant unfaithfulness.
Locusts in Other Ancient Near East Literature
Looking beyond the Bible, locust plagues were a common catastrophe in the ancient Near East. Archeology and other writings confirm locusts periodically swarmed through Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel devastating agriculture:
- The Ipuwer Papyrus from Egypt describes a locust swarm leaving “no trees” and consuming “all the vegetation” like a “fire” eating the land.
- A 7th century BC Assyrian tablet reads: “Locusts that swarm hungry and evil came and covered in a moment all the crops and the flowering greenery.”
These examples from other ancient cultures support the idea of literal locust plagues happening in Joel’s time. When he described locusts denuding the land, his contemporaries would instantly recognize it as a realistic report of a frequent natural disaster.
Potential Historical Allusions
Scholars have analyzed Joel’s prophecy to see if his descriptions match any known locust invasions. While dating the book precisely remains difficult, some propose it could refer to events such as:
- 934-925 BC – Massive locust swarms in the days of King Ahab of Israel mentioned in 1 Kings.
- 715-700 BC – Locusts and drought in Judah alluded to in 2 Chronicles 7 during King Solomon’s reign.
- 626 BC – Major locust plague in Assyria referenced in Nahum 3:15-17.
Any of these could potentially fit Joel’s vivid descriptions. His prophecies echo known historical events, underlining that he spoke of real locust infestations.
Literal Meaning is Primary, But Can Have Expanded Meaning
Given the above evidence, the straightforward reading of Joel 1:4 must be that he intended actual, literal locusts decimating crops and trees. This was a factual report of his eyewitness experience of a locust plague affecting Judah.
However, Scripture often has expanded meaning beyond the immediate literal sense. Later biblical authors could build upon the image of locusts to convey new insights. For example, some see the locusts also foreshadowing coming judgment on Judah by the Babylonian armies – who likewise would strip away and consume much of the land. So while literal locusts have primacy, expanded meanings are possible without negating the original intent.
New Testament References
The New Testament contains a few references back to Joel’s locust prophecy which further confirm it spoke of literal insects.
John the Baptist
When preaching repentance, John the Baptist alluded to Joel, saying the coming Messiah would “clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn” (Matthew 3:12). This mirrors Joel’s description of locusts stripping fields bare, leaving behind only structure and stalks (Joel 1:7, 12). John compared Christ’s judgment to locusts harvesting the good wheat to keep and burning the useless chaff.
Book of Revelation
In Revelation 9, the Apostle John sees a vision of a plague of “locusts” that are permitted to torment the unrepentant. While these clearly symbolize demons, not literal insects, the imagery draws from God’s past use of actual locust swarms as judgment.
Furthermore, the description of the shapeless blob that emerges from smoke resembling “horses prepared for battle” with “tails and stings like scorpions” (Rev 9:7,10) directly parallels Joel 1:6’s statement “For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number, its teeth are lions’ teeth…” Joel’s eyewitness account informs John’s vision of locust-demons.
No Definitive Fulfillment, But Foreshadows Day of the Lord
In summary, while Joel 1:4 refers to literal locusts and an actual plague he witnessed, scholars debate precisely when this took place during his ministry. There are theories drawing connections to various events, but no consensus on exactly what infestation Joel is prophesying about.
But the broader point is that locusts invading the land foreshadowed the coming “Day of the Lord” when God would judge and vindicate (Joel 1:15). The tangible locusts were a harbinger of an even greater, immaterial judgment for sin still in the future. In this way, while Joel 1:4 was fulfilled in his time through literal insects, its prophetic significance went beyond that to point towards the perfect judgment and justice which Christ will ultimately bring.
Significance for Today
For modern readers, Joel’s prophecy remains highly relevant. His message originated from a real experience of locusts devastating the land. Witnessing the insects consume everything around him drove Joel to call God’s people to repentance in light of coming judgment. Today, believers can likewise reflect on Joel’s experience and ask if the “locusts” of spiritual apathy or sin are nibbling away at their own faith.
Additionally, when we face modern “plagues” of illness or hardship, Joel reminds us to humbly plead for God’s mercy, knowing He can restore what is broken. Locusts had eaten away the blessings of Joel’s generation, but by God’s grace they could yet experience renewal if they turned their hearts back to Him.
Though centuries old, through continued study and reflection, Joel’s eyewitness account of locust destruction powerfully speaks still today.