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LIFE-STUDY OF THE MINOR PROPHETS

MESSAGE THIRTEEN

ON JOEL

(4)

THE CONTROLLING PROPHECY
OF THE FOUR LOCUSTS IN THE BOOK OF JOEL

Scripture Reading: Joel 1:4; 2:28-32; 3:9-21

In this message I have the burden to give a further word on the prophecy concerning the four kinds of locusts in the book of Joel.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DANIEL AND JOEL

In the interpretation of the prophecies of the Bible, Joel’s prophecy is more controlling than Daniel’s. It is true to say that Daniel’s prophecy is the controlling factor for us to understand and interpret the prophecies in the Bible. However, the controlling factors in Daniel are on the surface, whereas the factors in Joel are hidden, concealed, in a mysterious way. For this reason, if we would understand the book of Joel, we must have insight.

THE FOUR KINDS OF LOCUSTS DENOTING
THE FOUR SECTIONS OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT

The first factor in Joel is the locusts in four stages: the cutting locust, symbolizing Babylon; the swarming locust, symbolizing Medo-Persia; the licking locust, symbolizing Greece; and the consuming locust, symbolizing the Roman Empire (1:4). These four kinds of locusts denote the four sections of the entire human government on earth signified by the great human image in Daniel 2. After these four sections of human government, which will end with Antichrist, the last Caesar of the Roman Empire, human government will be brought to an end.

THE FOUR KINDS OF LOCUSTS
CONSUMING THE NATION OF ISRAEL

These four kinds of locusts are related to the small nation of Israel. In a sense, God sent the four sections of the human government as locusts to consume Israel.

The four kinds of locusts, corresponding to the four sections of human government, will occupy a long period of time in human history, from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the time of Antichrist. This period will last for at least twenty-seven centuries. Between the times of Nebuchadnezzar and Antichrist, there will be a long time in which the Jews will have no nation, no kings, no priests, no prophets, and no temple as the God-ordained center where they can worship God. Today the Jews are still being consumed by the locusts of the human, Gentile government.

THROUGH THE ROMAN LOCUSTS
GOD’S REDEMPTION AND THE PREACHING
OF THE GOSPEL BEING CARRIED OUT

The final stage of God’s sending of the locusts is the Roman Empire. While the Roman Empire was chastising rebellious Israel, God did something silently and mysteriously. God used the Roman Empire to keep the region around the Mediterranean Sea—the center of human habitation—in a peaceful order. Highways were built, shipping routes were established on the sea, and a common language, Greek, was spoken by all the peoples. It was at that time that God came to be incarnated by being born of a virgin in a small city, Bethlehem, and eventually lived in Nazareth. For thirty-three and a half years the God of everlasting love lived on the earth in His humanity as a man. After this He went to the cross and died the death of a criminal under the Roman form of capital punishment. Although the worldlings did not realize it, Christ died a vicarious, all-inclusive death. After three days He resurrected. On the same day, in the morning of His resurrection, He ascended to the Father and descended again to the earth to meet with His disciples. Forty days later, in the presence of His disciples, He ascended to the heavens. After ten more days, on the day of Pentecost, He came down again by being poured out as the Spirit upon three thousand of His believers, making each of the three thousand the same as He is in life and nature. The issue of that outpouring of the Spirit was a corporate Christ, which is the manifestation of Christ.

From this we see that it was through the Roman locusts that both God’s redemption and the preaching of the gospel were carried out. First, the gospel was spread throughout the Roman Empire and then, as a result of Roman imperialism, to other parts of the world. The Romans invented imperialism, and all the Western powers are parts of the Roman Empire. After Britain defeated Spain to become the world power, for more than two centuries the gospel was spread to every corner of the earth through Roman imperialism.


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Life-Study of the Minor Prophets   pg 34