Topical Encyclopedia
In the Bible, armies are often depicted using vivid imagery to convey their power, destructiveness, and overwhelming numbers. One of the most striking comparisons is that of armies to locusts. This metaphor is used to emphasize the sheer magnitude and devastating impact of military forces, drawing on the natural phenomenon of locust swarms that can strip the land bare.
Biblical References:1.
Joel 2:25 : "I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you." In this passage, the prophet Joel speaks of a locust plague as a divine judgment upon Israel, likening the locusts to an army sent by God. The locusts' ability to consume everything in their path serves as a metaphor for the totality of destruction that an invading army can bring.
2.
Nahum 3:15-17 : "There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down, and it will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply yourselves like the young locust; multiply like the swarming locust! You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day: when the sun appears, they fly away, and no one knows where." Here, the prophet Nahum uses the imagery of locusts to describe the Assyrian army and its eventual downfall. The comparison highlights the transient and ultimately futile nature of human power when set against divine judgment.
3.
Revelation 9:3-7 : "And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months. And their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads, and faces like the faces of men." In this apocalyptic vision, the locusts are symbolic of a demonic army unleashed upon the earth. Their description as resembling horses prepared for battle underscores their role as instruments of divine wrath.
Theological Implications:The comparison of armies to locusts in the Bible serves multiple theological purposes. It underscores the sovereignty of God over the forces of nature and human history, illustrating how He can use both to accomplish His purposes. The imagery also serves as a warning of the consequences of sin and disobedience, as seen in the prophetic literature where locust plagues are often linked to divine judgment.
Furthermore, the metaphor highlights the futility of relying on human strength and numbers in the face of divine power. Just as locusts can appear suddenly and in overwhelming numbers, so too can armies rise and fall according to God's will. This serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly power and the ultimate authority of God over all creation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Isaiah 33:4And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run on them.
Torrey's Topical TextbookRevelation 9:3,7
And there came out of the smoke locusts on the earth: and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
Of the Three Woe Trumpets.
... Judea, from whence he who hath compared the description of ... place, had issued forth
with the locusts; who from ... of the Oracle, are Equestrian armies, sent forth ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the three woe trumpets.htm
The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... Joel (2:28-32, compared with Acts 2:16-21). The opinion of some commentators, that
under the figure of locusts are represented simply hostile armies, must be ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm
The Prophet Joel.
... Do land armies ever perish in the sea, and ... his inward vision they represented themselves
to him as locusts. ... to the ideal subject, may again be compared with the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm
The Seventh Book
... of any with whom we may be more justly compared than those ... of Syria, whom
thirty-two kings and armies of like ... had filled all the land like locusts, Gideon ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the seventh book.htm
The Second vision "On Earth"
... Here, the Scripture says all the locusts, not merely certain ... And the number of the
[214] armies of the horsemen ... See also 1 Corinthians 12:13 compared with Luke ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision on earth.htm
The Creation of Fowl and Water Animals.
... air which extends over our heads, compared to the ... may see flocks of vultures following
armies and calculating ... you the fearful invasions of locusts, which rise ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily viii the creation of.htm
Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... They were first compared with the names contained in ... ardour which inspired them rendered
his armies formidable even ... it waste "as a swarm of locusts might have ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm
Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... For, the soul of Antichrist is compared to a heaven ... and frogs to harbour in: yea,
the locusts too, camp ... kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm
The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... the regular adversaries of the Ninevite armies, and even ... seek shelter in Sughdha
and Muru.* Locusts had driven ... The name Kushtashpi has been compared with that ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm
The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... year there will be scenes of bloody conflict, in which petty armies will fight ... Meyer
has accurately compared the Egyptian Naharaim with the Parapotamia of the ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm
Resources
Who was Chedorlaomer / Kedorlaomer? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the heavenly hosts? | GotQuestions.orgDoes China have a role in the end times? | GotQuestions.orgArmies: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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