Minor Prophets XXIII: Squadron of Locusts

In Joel 2 we see the culmination of something. Something that starts in verse 1. The entire unit stretches from 1-11. We see an army. We see God. We see God's army and the army will be on an unstoppable march. We see God's army and it comes in the form of Assyrians. Instead of killing people indirectly by killing vegetation, Assyria will abuse and kill people outright. Just like the locust they are inhumane. They are merciless. They are relentless and systematic on their path of annihilation "like dawn spreading across the mountains". The Assyrians would have a "scorched earth" policy (kill one and ten will take its place). They will devour and destroy all. Can you hear their marching feet like hard-soled jackboots on gravel and stone? Can you hear their movement like the drone of looming aircraft engines as they approach?

It is the Day of The Lord. Verses 10 and 11 are the fourth or last of four strophes in v.1-11. Although they are not exactly a chiastic they appear to have the rudimentary features of small chiastic structure. All four deal with an attribute or description of the Lord’s army that will come on The Day of the Lord. The last of which that includes v.11 being the end deals with the invincibility or insurmountably of the Lord’s army as illustrated by the words“who can endure it?” This one is attached to the previous by the words in verse 10 “before them…the earth quakes, heavens tremble” and verse 11’s “before his army”. Before what? The coming army. Who’s army? God’s. When? On the Day of the Lord. Joel describes the Lord’s army and at its head is God Himself. God and His army move before the enemy. There will be signs: shaking of earth and heaven and the objects in heaven will be darkened. This will occur after the preceding locusts described in Joel 1 and nothing will stop it.