The book of Joel contains three main points. The first main point is the plague of the four kinds of locusts (the nations) or of one kind of locust in four stages. The second main point is the outpouring of the consummated Spirit. This outpouring initiated the church life, which is the content of the age of mystery. The third main point is the restoration not only of Israel but of the entire universe. This restoration will consummate in the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem. In this message we will consider the first of these three main points.
The plague of the locusts (the nations) is covered in 1:2—2:11.
Joel 1:2-4 shows us the seriousness of the prophecy.
The elders among the people should hear this message, and all the inhabitants of the land should give heed to it. They should tell their children about it, their children should tell their children, and their children should tell the next generation (vv. 2-3; Psa. 78:6).
Joel 1:4 says that what the cutting locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the licking locust has eaten; and what the licking locust has left, the consuming locust has eaten. Four words for locust are used in this verse, probably referring to one kind of locust in various stages of growth. As we will see, this one kind of locust in four stages corresponds to the four sections of the great human image in Daniel 2, to the four beasts in Daniel 7, and to the four horns in Zechariah 1. The cutting locust refers to the Babylonian Empire; the swarming locust, to the Medo-Persian Empire; the licking locust, to the Grecian Empire; and the consuming locust, to the Roman Empire.
Joel 1:6a speaks of the coming up of a nation, mighty and without number, against the land of Jehovah.
The coming of such a nation is likened to one kind of locust in four stages: the cutting locust, the swarming locust, the licking locust, and the consuming locust (v. 4; 2:2, 4-11). The four successive kinds of locusts refer to the nations which devastated Israel in four consecutive empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
This mighty nation is further likened to the great human image in four sections: the golden head—Babylon; the silver breast and arms—Medo-Persia; the bronze abdomen and thighs—Greece; and the iron legs with the feet—Rome (Dan. 2:31-33).
The coming up of a nation, mighty and without number, is further likened to four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and the one who is the totality of the first three (Dan. 7:2-8; Rev. 13:2a).
This nation is likened ultimately to four horns (Zech. 1:18-21). The four horns, the four beasts, the four sections of the great image, and the four kinds of locusts all refer to the same four empires. Throughout human history, in God’s dealing with Israel and in God’s punishment upon the Gentiles, these four empires have been and still are the center.