THE LOCUST ARMY

Watering the Garden
THE LOCUST ARMY

The Bible speaks of a powerful group of people that are to appear on the scene in the latter days. They are described as being strong, having the power to rip apart as a lion and causing days of darkness upon the earth. The palmerworm and the cankerworm are different stages of the locust. On their heads they have crowns which indicate they have power. These “locusts” are to completely strip bare the people. This brings to mind the words of Jesus to Peter when he stated that Satan wished to “sift him as wheat”.

Joel instructs the people to pass this information on from generation to generation.

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 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 caterpillar eaten. (Joel 1:3-4)

They are going to desecrate or strip his vine, the church.

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. 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. (Joel 1:6-7)

God admonishes his followers to blow the trumpet and warn the people that these enemies are more powerful then any have ever been throughout all history. These are to be a facet of the “Day of the Lord”.

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; 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. (Joel 2:1-2)

In the book of Revelation we find that they are given power resembling a scorpion. How does a scorpion operate? He regurgitates on has pray and they become as mush. Remember these are men and they can only harm those that do not have the seal of God.

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. 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. (Revelation 9:3-4)

These locusts are prepared for battle. The have power and they appear as glorious princes of the people but note they will only be able to be in control for five months. The same amount of time as an actual locusts which is May through September. Their leader is also revealed; Abaddon and Apollyon which means destroyer.

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men 5 months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:7-11)

Let's take a look at what the Hebrew and Greek Dictionary has to say concerning LOCUST AND LOCUSTS.
First used in Old Testament as Locusts and in the
New Testament as locust.

HEBREW Meaning of word (arbeh) #697 in Strong’s Concordance Hebrew Dictionary
PRONOUNCED - arbeh
a kind of locust, locust swarm

From root word etymology 7235 which means:
1) Be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous

GREEK Meaning of word (akris) #200 in Strong’s Concordance Greek Dictionary
PRONOUNCED – a-kre
Description is interesting:
1) a locust, particularly that species which especially infests oriental countries, stripping fields and trees. Numberless swarms of them almost every spring are carried by the wind from Arabia into Palestine, and having devastated that country, migrate to regions farther north, until they perish by falling into the sea. The Orientals accustomed to feed upon locusts, either raw or roasted and seasoned with salt (or prepared in other ways), and the Israelites also were permitted to eat them.

Could this be the Arab Spring? Could they be swarming? We as Christians need to be watching and praying.


Our Father gives this promise concerning the Locusts army. “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25 It is interesting to note that God states he sent them among us.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
We have learned that during the time of the "Day of the Lord", an army of powerful men called locusts will appear along with and given power by the anti-christ for 5 months and bring harm to those who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads.

Our Father appreciates the fact that you are trying. May God’s blessing be upon this
study of His word, Amen.
Susan

THE END OF THE WORLD

Watering the Garden
THE END OF THE WORLD

Two thousand years ago Jesus used the expression, “the end of the world”. What does this mean and what is going to happen at the end of the world? Jesus compared the end of the world to a harvest where he states good will be separated from evil.
Speaking of evil seeds, Jesus says, “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.” (Matthew 13:39-40) And also he continued, “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.” (Matthew 13:49) We have to ask ourselves which of the two categories would we fit into, the wicked or the just.

The disciples did not fully understand what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24 when he gave the signs to watch for before the end of the world and they came to him privately with questions. Notice they included the return of Jesus with the end of the world. “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world” (Matthew 24:3)

Jesus describes to them the signs and what it will be like at the end of the world and concludes with this prophecy. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)

We discover before his departure from this earth Jesus spoke of the end of the world once again with a charge and a promise to believers. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

We also read of the end of the world in the book of Hebrews, “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26)

Over the years most have come to believe that the end of the world” is a time in which the world will disappear from existence and we will all be destroyed by some great calamity. But, light is shed on the expression when we take a look at the word used for world and what is really going to happen. The word used in the original text is aion which is pronounced i-on or our word, “eon” and according to the Strong’s Greek Concordance it means the following:
1) for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity
2) the worlds, universe
3) period of time, age

Because of this we are able to conclude that Jesus was speaking of the end of this period of time or the end of this earth age. This conclusion fits with several other scriptures that describe this time as ending and a new time beginning. The book of Revelation reads, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1) and also “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:5)

We again see this verified in book of 1st Peter, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2nd Peter 3:13)

Also from Isaiah the prophet, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17) and once more, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.” (Isaiah 66:22)

There are several signs which you can read of in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 concerning what it will be like at the end of the world, or of this earth age, if you would like more information.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
We have learned that when we read of the “end of the world” in the scriptures, it is speaking of the end of this earth age or time and that a new age will begin.