Estimated reading time: about 25-30 minutes (this includes a very large section of Scripture which can be saved for later)
Exodus 10:12 YHVH said to Moshe, “Reach out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that locusts will invade the land and eat every plant that the hail has left.” 13 Moshe reached out with his staff over the land of Egypt, and YHVH caused an east wind to blow on the land all day and all night; and in the morning the east wind brought the locusts. 14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled throughout Egypt’s territory. It was an invasion more severe than there had ever been before or will ever be again. 15 They completely covered the ground, so that the ground looked black. They ate every plant growing from the ground and all the fruit of the trees left by the hail. Not one green thing remained, not a tree and not a plant in the field, in all the land of Egypt.
It’s now all gone.
Can you even begin to process the drastic change in everyone’s lives? Everything that was considered normal affluence just a short time ago has been vaporized into oblivion. Picture it:
Before, the land had been full of beautiful lush greenery, majestic palms, and fruit trees as far as the eye could see. The landscape was candy for the eyes.
And then…
Empty, barren, hollow. A shell of what once was is all that stood in the eyes of the Egyptians.
Imagine this was your home. The neighborhood park that’s traditionally full of people enjoying the sunny outdoors, dozens of dogs running about chasing balls, and tons of children full of laughter and joy…nowhere to be found. What does remain, however, is the reality of where you are right now. The eerie quietness that remains speaks loudly of the rebellion that has filled the land. A disaster that could have been averted is now the only thing you will know for the time to come.
But it isn’t just the landscape that has taken a hit. In addition to the visual annihilation, you are also faced with the sobering reality that your next meal may not be a meal at all. Hopefully, you have something shoved away in the basement that will at least hold you long enough for the government to get relief to your area. I mean, relief is coming, right?
Well…no.
Leading into this plague there was some instability in the halls of Egyptian government. The hail had just ravaged the land and the people were starting to turn on the man who claimed to be a god.
Exodus 10:7 Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How much longer must this fellow be a snare for us? Let the people go and worship YHVH their God. Don’t you understand yet that Egypt is being destroyed?”
What started as absolute submission to authority before these plagues began has been turned into a bold confrontation with that exact authority. The godliness that was assumed to be embodied in Pharaoh has been exposed for the fraud it is. Plainly speaking, the people are sick of it. One man’s pride has brought the world’s greatest empire to its knees, and every person’s life has been negatively and permanently affected.
This is inevitably the path of pride. As long as people fear you, you may be able to temporarily live as a god. Now most people are just gods of their own lives and their reach into other people’s lives is somewhat limited in number. Sure families can be destroyed and close relationships may disappear, but your damage is largely contained (at least so you think). When you have broad reach, though, you can destroy far more than your tiny bubble. Sure, people will bend their knee before you, but it is not because they truly honor you -- it’s because they fear what you can do to them.
But as soon as people realize there is a power greater than the one they fear, their allegiance shifts. Which means that leader begins to fall. And the fall is near for Pharaoh.
Now, there are still a few more sticks holding this regime up but, at this point in the process, breaking them is simply a formality. It’s unlikely anyone really believes these gods have much power anymore but they need to be removed anyway. Besides, it’s the last two gods hidden behind all of the others that really matter.
Pharaoh’s stubborn pride mirrored the false security of Egypt’s gods. Just as his authority crumbled, so too would their supposed power be laid bare by the locusts.
And the locusts are preparing the way into that final showdown.
The locusts struck at the very heart of Egypt’s agricultural system, devouring what little remained after the hail had already destroyed the land. This plague directly confronted the Egyptian gods tied to crops, fertility, and protection of the harvest.
One of the most prominent deities was Seth, the god of storms and disorder. While he was often invoked to protect crops from pests and chaos, the arrival of the locusts showed that he had no power to defend the nation’s livelihood. Instead of order, Egypt was plunged deeper into disorder, exposing the impotence of their gods in the face of YHVH’s authority.
Another deity associated with fertility and vegetation was Neper, the god of grain. Egypt’s fields of wheat and barley were among the treasures that sustained its empire, and Neper was revered as their protector. The locusts stripped the land bare, reducing even the stubble left from the hail into nothing. By destroying the very crops over which Neper was supposed to preside, Abba demonstrated His sovereignty over life’s daily bread. What Egypt saw as Neper’s realm was revealed to be fully under the control of Israel’s God.
Min, a god tied to fertility of both people and the land, was also challenged. His festivals celebrated the abundance of crops, harvest, and reproduction. Yet the locusts turned the land into a barren wasteland, undoing everything Min was supposed to ensure.
Likewise, Isis, who was considered a goddess of life and agriculture, failed to preserve Egypt’s produce. By sending swarms that consumed the fields, the God of Israel exposed the futility of Egypt’s trust in their fertility gods.
The locusts also bore an insult to Serapis and other grain-storage deities. Egypt’s wealth and stability relied on its ability to grow and store grain, often exporting it to neighboring lands. With locusts devouring every green thing, Egypt’s identity as a land of plenty collapsed. Their gods could neither restore nor shield their agricultural economy. YHVH alone could provide food in famine or withhold it in judgment, as He had demonstrated with Joseph’s preservation of Egypt during the seven years of famine.
Ultimately, the eighth plague was not merely an ecological disaster but a theological confrontation. The gods that Egyptians believed ensured abundance, fertility, and protection were utterly defeated. In stripping the land bare, YHVH showed that He alone sustains creation and controls provision. Egypt’s supposed protectors were exposed as powerless idols, while the God of Israel revealed Himself as the true source of life and sustenance.
We see here that the locusts in Egypt landed on all plant life and consumed every bit. A time is coming, however, where the locusts will return but this time they land upon and begin to consume men. And they will be relentless.
Revelation 9:1 The fifth angel sounded his shofar; and I saw a star that had fallen out of heaven onto the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft leading down to the Abyss. 2 He opened the shaft of the Abyss, and there went up smoke from the shaft like the smoke of a huge furnace; the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then out of the smoke onto the earth came locusts, and they were given power like the power scorpions have on earth. 4 They were instructed not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant or any tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 The locusts were not allowed to kill them, only to inflict pain on them for five months; and the pain they caused was like the pain of a scorpion sting. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7 Now these locusts looked like horses outfitted for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. 9 Their chests were like iron breastplates, and the sound their wings made was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails like those of scorpions, with stings; and in their tails was their power to hurt people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is “Abaddon” and in our language, “Destroyer.”
In Egypt, the locusts very specifically attacked the plantlife. But the next time they come, they are instructed not to touch the plants at all. Only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads fall within their sights.
Where Egypt’s locusts devoured food, Revelation’s locusts devour peace of mind, plunging the rebellious into agony. What began as a physical plague in Exodus becomes a spiritual assault in Revelation. We see the same pattern of God exposing idols and false protections but the stakes are now eternal.
Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart, so will the nations in the last days. Instead of repenting, they will curse God, clinging to their broken systems and powerless idols. The locusts become a sign of exposure: the gods of Egypt could not save, and neither will the gods of modern empires -- whether wealth, technology, or human pride. YHVH will strip away every false security until only He remains.
The progression from plagues to trumpets to bowls tells one unified story: history will repeat itself, but with global scope. The gods of Egypt were no match for YHVH, and the idols of the last days will prove just as impotent. Yet, for those who belong to Him, there is a refuge. Just as Israel was spared in Goshen, and just as those sealed by God are protected in Revelation, so too will the faithful be preserved through the end of this Age. The locusts, whether natural or supernatural, declare to every generation: only YHVH commands creation, only He judges the nations, and only He offers refuge to His people.
We need to accept that the locusts will eat the vegetation if we continue to serve the false gods even today. Where exactly are these gods?
In today’s age, crops, fertility, and protection of the harvest are mirrored in ownership, growth, and insurance.
The first of these, ownership, has become the bedrock of modern security. We measure ourselves by what we have, and we cling tightly to possessions as though they define who we are. But ownership is often rooted in fear. A person obsessed with ownership is constantly guarding, comparing, and calculating, terrified of losing what has been amassed. This is the mindset of a slave. And ironically, we become enslaved to the very things we think will set us free. In Egypt, their gods presided over grain and fields, promising provision and prosperity. Today, the idol is ownership itself, as though our barns, bank accounts, or property deeds can guarantee life.
In contrast, the heart of a son is not bound to ownership but entrusted with stewardship. A steward recognizes that everything belongs to the Father and is merely managed for His purposes. This mindset shifts the burden: instead of fearing loss, the steward finds freedom in knowing the Owner provides, restores, and sustains. Israel in Goshen never owned the land they tilled, yet they were protected by the One who controls every harvest. The plague of locusts revealed that Egypt’s gods of crops were powerless, and the illusion of ownership collapsed. In the same way, our obsession with ownership is exposed when God strips away the false security we’ve placed in what we hold.
The second thread, fertility, finds its modern mirror in our obsession with growth. We measure success by expansion: bigger businesses, larger followings, more influence, greater productivity. Like Egypt’s god Min, who symbolized fertility of both people and crops, our culture worships at the altar of increase.
But growth without Abba is fragile. Just as locusts devoured Egypt’s fields overnight, all human striving for unchecked expansion can vanish in an instant. What the world calls growth is often just accumulation, but what the Father calls fruitfulness is abiding in Him. Growth in His Kingdom is not measured in numbers but in faithfulness, maturity, and character.
The final thread is protection, mirrored today in the vast systems of insurance and risk management. We spend fortunes attempting to shield ourselves from loss, convinced that policies and contracts can secure our future. Egypt looked to gods like Seth and Serapis to protect their crops and their grain stores, yet the locusts swarmed past every safeguard. Likewise, no insurance system can protect against the hand of God when He exposes the fragility of our self-made security. A son knows that protection is not purchased but promised, and that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The plague of locusts stripped away Egypt’s illusion of safety, reminding us that only in Him is our life truly covered.
When we put our hope and trust into what we have, getting more, and not losing it, rest assured, the locusts will come. How?
These false gods do not stand alone, but instead they invite swarms that consume everything around them, and the locusts of our day show up in forms just as relentless and destructive.
Locusts devour in swarms, leaving no space untouched. Our modern equivalent is the swarm of busyness, you know, endless obligations, commitments, and distractions that creep into every corner of life. Calendars fill, days blur, and there is no margin left for rest or presence. The result is exhaustion and spiritual barrenness. Families starve not for food but for time together, and hearts that were once green and flourishing with intimacy with God are stripped bare by relentless activity.
A locust swarm is driven by appetite and they never stop eating. In the same way, unchecked desires such as lust, greed, envy, or gluttony can overrun our lives. What begins as a craving quickly becomes an endless cycle, leaving nothing untouched. Joy and contentment are consumed, replaced by a gnawing hunger that is never satisfied. What was once green and life-giving is eaten away, leaving only emptiness where abundance was meant to dwell.
Locusts move as one mass, overwhelming, suffocating, and nearly impossible to resist. This mirrors the pull of addictions and destructive habits, whether to substances, pornography, approval, or even entertainment. These swarms strip bare the fields of our lives, leaving wasted time, broken trust, deteriorating health, and an inner emptiness that no indulgence can fill. Like Egypt’s land under the plague, what once flourished with promise becomes desolate under the weight of compulsive patterns.
Just as Egypt’s crops were eaten overnight, our financial resources can be devoured in ways that leave us barren. Debt, unrestrained spending, or unforeseen crises can swallow up stability until every paycheck is “eaten” before it arrives. Generosity becomes impossible, and the constant cycle of survival leaves no seed for the future. The land of plenty becomes a land of famine when our wealth is consumed by idols of comfort, status, or poor stewardship.
Locusts did not only eat the present harvest, they stripped away the seed for future planting. In the same way, when idols consume us, we rob the next generation of what they most need. Financial instability, broken patterns of addiction, or absence of spiritual leadership become a famine for our children. They inherit not abundance but barrenness, starving for guidance, presence, and provision. What was supposed to be handed down as blessing becomes a legacy of loss when the locusts are allowed to swarm unchecked.
The locusts show that idols consume rather than satisfy. What we cling to in rebellion, God may allow to swarm until it empties us. But Abba promises restoration: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten”.
Egypt’s land was stripped bare, its gods silenced, and its pride broken. In our lives, the ‘locusts’ of unchecked desire, busyness, or addiction swarm until they devour our peace. But the God who sent the locusts is also the One who restores what has been eaten. The question is: will we surrender before we’re stripped bare?
So here we are, all of the supporting gods in Egypt have fallen. And with them out of the way, the focus now turns to the final two. But before we address the big ones, we need to make sure we have eliminated the lower ranks of the Egyptian pantheon in our own lives.
It’s important to realize that you are the only one that is impressed by your own efforts. Occasionally, someone may pipe up and inflate your ego, but overall everyone is equally focused on their own lives, not yours. And when you step back and look at all you’ve sacrificed for these gods, it becomes clear that the prideful, idol worshiping, and self-focus Egyptians were just like you and me.
But here is the good great news (please read this slowly and carefully):
“Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all living in the land tremble, for the Day of YHVH is coming! It’s upon us! — a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick fog; a great and mighty horde is spreading like blackness over the mountains. There has never been anything like it, nor will there ever be again, not even after the years of many generations. Ahead of them a fire devours, behind them a flame consumes; ahead the land is like Gan-‘Eden, behind them a desert waste. From them there is no escape. They look like horses, and like cavalry they charge. With a rumble like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like crackling flames devouring stubble, like a mighty horde in battle array. At their presence the peoples writhe in anguish, every face is drained of color. Like warriors they charge, they scale the wall like soldiers. Each one keeps to his own course, without getting in the other’s way. They don’t jostle each other, but stay on their own paths; they burst through defenses unharmed, without even breaking rank. They rush into the city, they run along the wall, they climb up into the houses, entering like a thief through the windows. At their advance the earth quakes, and the sky shakes, the sun and moon turn black, and the stars stop shining. YHVH shouts orders to his forces — his army is immense, mighty, and it does what he says. For great is the Day of YHVH, fearsome, terrifying! Who can endure it?
“Yet even now,” says YHVH, “turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and lamenting.” Tear your heart, not your garments; and turn to YHVH your God. For he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace, and willing to change his mind about disaster. Who knows? He may turn, change his mind and leave a blessing behind him, [enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings to present to YHVH your God.
“Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly.”
Gather the people; consecrate the congregation; assemble the leaders; gather the children, even infants sucking at the breast; let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride the bridal chamber. Let the cohanim, who serve YHVH, stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, YHVH! Don’t expose your heritage to mockery, or make them a byword among the Goyim. Why should the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
Then YHVH will become jealous for his land and have pity on his people. Here is how YHVH will answer his people: “I will send you grain, wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you; and no longer will I make you a mockery among the Goyim. No, I will take the northerner away, far away from you, and drive him to a land that is waste and barren; with his vanguard toward the eastern sea and his rearguard toward the western sea, his stench and his rottenness will rise, because he has done great things.”
Don’t fear, O soil; be glad! Rejoice! For YHVH has done great things. Don’t be afraid, wild animals; for the desert pastures are green, the trees are putting out their fruit, the fig tree and vine are giving full yield. Be glad, people of Tziyon! Rejoice in YHVH your God! For he is giving you the right amount of rain in the fall, he makes the rain come down for you, the fall and spring rains — this is what he does first. Then the floors will be full of grain and the vats overflow with wine and olive oil.
“I will restore to you the years that the locusts ate, the grasshoppers, shearer-worms and cutter-worms, my great army that I sent against you. You will eat until you are satisfied and will praise the name of YHVH your God, who has done with you such wonders. Then my people will never again be shamed. You will know that I am with Isra’el and that I am YHVH your God, and that there is no other. Then my people will never again be shamed.
“After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions; and also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit. I will show wonders in the sky and on earth — blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and terrible Day of YHVH.”
At that time, whoever calls on the name of YHVH will be saved. For in Mount Tziyon and Yerushalayim there will be those who escape, as YHVH has promised; among the survivors will be those whom YHVH has called.
Victory is within reach and you can overcome.
Be warned, though, that you will not be counted among the survivors through osmosis. It comes through a choice. A choice to resist the tactics of the Adversary and align yourself with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Restoration is promised for those who return to YHVH, but for those who refuse, the stage is set for a greater confrontation with the powers of darkness that stand behind every idol.
As you continue on in Joel, you see the next step beyond what we have here is a direct confrontation with the greatest powers of darkness. The lightweight spirits have been exposed for the lies they breed and the uselessness in which they are.
But the true battle in all of this is dawning, and it’s now up to man to choose a side.
It’s time to prepare for war.