An Attack Coming From the North!

FOUR REASONS FOR AN ADJUSTMENT

First of all, notice Jehovah's promise with regard to the plague of locusts: "I will drive the northener [the locuts] far away from you." (Joel 2:20)  If the locust represents Jehovah's Witnesses as they obey Jesus' command to preach and make disciples, why would Jehovah promise to drive them away?  (Ezekiel 33:7-9; Matthew 28:19, 20)  Clearly, Jehovah is driving away, not his faithful servants, but something or someone who is hostile to his people.

As a second reason, to consider what is written at Joel 2:25.  "There, Jehovah says:  "I will make compensation to you for the years that the swarming locust, the unwinged locust, the voracious locust, and devouring locust have eaten, my great army tha tI sent among you."  Notice that Jehovah promises to "make compensatio"for the damage the locusts have caused.  If the locusts pictured Kingdom evangelizers, this would suggests that  the message they proclaim causes damage. Yet, that lifesaving message can actually move some of the wicked to repent.  (Ezekiel 33:8, 19)  What a blessing that could be for them!

Read Joel 2:28, 29.  Consider a third reason-the sequences of events outlined by the prophecy.  Did you notice that Jehovah says: "I will pour out my spirit"; that is, after the locusts have completed their assigned task?   If the locusts  are preachers of God's Kingdom, why would Jehovah  pour out his spirit on them after they finish their witnessing? The reality is that without the help of God's powerful holy spirit, they could never have kept preaching for decades depite opposition and even bans on their work. 

Read Revelation 9:1-11. Not let us look at the fourth reason. We previously connected the plague of the locusts described by Joel with our preaching work because of a similar prophecy found in the book of Revelation.  This prophecy describes a swarm of locusts that have human faces and 'what seems to be crowns of gold'on their heads.  (Revelations 9:7) They have torment "those people [God's enemies] do not have the seal of God on their foreheads" for a  period of five months , the average sign of a span a locust.  (Revelation 9:4, 5) This does indeed appear to be a discription of Jehovah's anointed servants. They boldly proclaim God's judgments against this wicked system of things and, as a result, make its supporters very uncomfortable.

Admittedly. there are similarities beteen the prophecy in Revelation and the one Joel recorded. However, there are significant  differences.  Consider: In Joel's prophecy, the locusts devastate the vegetation.  (Joel 1:4, 6, 7)  In  John's vision, the locusts are "told not to harm the vegetation of the earth."(Revelation 9:4)  The locusts Joel saw came from the north.  (Joel 2:20) Those John saw came out of the abyss.  (Revelation9:2,3) The locust Joel described are driven away.  In Revelation, the locusts are not driven away but allowed to finsih their work.  There is no indication they deserve Jehovah's disapproval.

Next time: Attack From the North! - Prophecies About Locusts-Similar But Different

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