Joel Chapter One

the caterpiller eaten.<br><br> These words are highly symbolical in nature; indeed God is in no way warning solely of an impending invasion of insects. The word palmerworm is found in Joel and once more in the book of Amos. Amos 4:9 - I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.<br><br> God reveals why He has sent these plagues: Amos 4:10 - I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt : your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me , saith the LORD. Yes ye have not returned unto me, saith the LORD. The word returned here is dripping with salvation meaning.<br><br> It doesn 9t necessarily mean a physical return, but most assuredly a spiritual return. God is calling for repentance. God is examining those who claim to belong to Him and in doing so God must command repentance; a return to God 9s rule.<br><br> As we see God 9s types of judgment in these Old Testament days carried out through the use of literal pestilence that include invading locusts upon the gardens and vineyards of those in Israel, we must realize that these are all but a physical portrait of the spiritual judgment to come upon the New Testament body of Christ. Yes, God 9s spiritual Israel, as in ancient Old Testament Israel, has her vineyards , gardens , fig trees , and olive trees . The vegetation that the true body of believers feed upon is the Word of God, and this Word of God is symbolized in many earthly ways.<br><br> The fig tree has highly spiritual significance as does the olive tree, vineyards, gardens, etc. They all represent the Word of Jesus Christ in one way or another. Joel 9s prophesies of these invading locusts was not intended to be fulfilled in its entirety during those Old Testament days.<br><br> As with much of Scripture, it is the latter days (the New Testament Era) that Old Testament Scripture will be fulfilled in its ultimate and final form. The prophet Joel, most likely, knew little or nothing of what he was prophesying of, other than warning his people of impending doom from a foreign army that he appears to have likened to literal locusts. The Hebrew word palmerworm is defined as to devour , and is a specific type of locust.<br><br> GOD 9S WORD IS HIS OWN DICTIONARY http://spiritualbiblestudies.com 2 Joel 1:4 -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 caterpiller eaten. As we study the word cankerworm , we see that it is found in the third chapter of Nahum as well as in Joel. The word is defined as to lick up; a devourer; a young locust .<br><br> Nahum 3:15-16 - Verse 15 - There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. Verse 16 - Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away. In the context of Nahum chapter three God is making reference to the desolation of Nineveh: cWoe to the bloody city!<br><br> it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not; d Nahum 3:1 . Nineveh appears to be a ctype d of the New Testament spiritual Jerusalem (the corporate church) as it goes astray and is subject to the Abomination of Desolation: cBecause of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts, d Nahum 3:4. Once again we see that the spoilers of not only Old Testament Israel, but the invaders and spoilers of the New Testament corporate church are typified as locusts and cankerworms.<br><br> God 9s true Church can never be destroyed, Matthew 16:18. As with ancient Israel, the New Testament corporate church (those in the church but still unsaved) will be subject to this onslaught of invading armies. God 9s elect will not be harmed in any spiritual way as these hordes of symbolic locusts overtake the congregations.<br><br> (Please see The Fifth Trumpet Judgment at http:spiritualbiblestudies.com.) The remainder of Joel 1:4 speaks of the caterpillar . Joel 1:4 -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 caterpiller eaten. Psalm 78:22 speaks of those ancient Israelites who cbelieved not in God; and trusted not in his salvation. d When we read down to verse 46 we understand what God 9s judgment is for those who reject Him: cHe gave also their increase unto the caterpiller , and their labour unto the locust , Psalm 78:46.<br><br> Yes, man 9s religious work, apart from Christ, is given over to the locusts: the caterpillars, palmerworms, and the cankerworms. These are the enemies of the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ who have been attacking God 9s truth since the ancient days of Israel. We see this abomination increasing over and over in these last days of God 9s spiritual Israel (Galatians 6:16) Why does God repeat the array of invading locusts by mentioning the palmerworm first, and then the locust, the cankerworm, and lastly the caterpillar?<br><br> Joel 1:4 -That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; <The locusts continue their attack.> and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; <The locusts continue their attack.> and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. <The locusts continue their attack.> Satan 9s rebellion and attack upon God is a battle that goes back to Genesis. Isaiah 14: 12-14 - 12 - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer , son of the morning!<br><br> how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 - For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 - I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High . Revelation 12:17 - And the dragon <Satan; Lucifer>was wroth with the woman, and went to make GOD 9S WORD IS HIS OWN DICTIONARY http://spiritualbiblestudies.com 3 war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ .<br><br> Those which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ are God 9s elect - His Bride. While on this earth the faith of all true believers will be under attack from the unseen world of Satan and his fallen host. This is deadly serious and each believer must examine themselves in the faith.<br><br> The unseen forces are everywhere, eating away at God 9s Tree of Life. They are locusts in the spiritual world, stripping away at the bark of God 9s green salvation forest. Psalms 96:12 - Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Psalms 52:8 - But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God : I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.<br><br> Deuteronomy 28:42 - All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume . 1 Peter 4:17 - For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God : and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Tell ye your children of it!<br><br> End

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